Arc Radiotherapy Planning with Beam Importance and Complexity Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing particle arc therapy (PAT) systems do not adequately address the quality of treatment plans, particularly in systems with range shifters, where reducing energy layer switching time does not significantly enhance clinical delivery efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method for generating arc radiotherapy plans involving obtaining reference beam sets, determining importance factors based on structure and target volume contributions, and optimizing target beam sets using a complexity control parameter to generate a stable and reproducible plan.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the count of energy layers is minimized to reduce switching time, then the delivery efficiency is improved, but the treatment plan quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a range shifter device that changes the physical state of beam interaction by adjusting particle range through a shifter mechanism, enabling independent control of beam energy and range. This allows optimization of treatment plan quality through precise range modulation without being constrained by the number of energy layers, thereby resolving the contradiction between delivery efficiency and treatment quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic range modulation during the arc therapy procedure by continuously adjusting the range shifter position. This dynamic adjustment enables adaptive beam range control at each control point along the arc, allowing high-quality treatment plans with precise dose distribution while maintaining efficient delivery through continuous rather than discrete energy layer switching.
2Loss of time
If range shifter is used to adjust beam energy, then the energy switching time is reduced to milliseconds, but the treatment plan quality remains insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary optimization by pre-calculating the optimal range shifter positions and beam parameters for each control point along the arc path. This preliminary planning enables the system to execute high-quality treatment plans with minimal real-time adjustments, maintaining both the millisecond switching capability and superior treatment plan quality through advance preparation of beam delivery parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor treatment delivery parameters and adjust the range shifter position in real-time based on actual beam delivery conditions. This feedback loop ensures that the millisecond switching capability is utilized optimally while maintaining high treatment plan quality by adapting to actual delivery conditions and correcting any deviations from the optimized plan.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple reference beams are considered for optimization, then the treatment plan quality is improved, but the computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the beam optimization problem by considering reference beams at discrete control points along the arc path rather than simultaneously optimizing all possible beam combinations. This segmentation approach divides the complex optimization into manageable segments at each control point, maintaining high treatment plan quality through localized optimization while significantly reducing computational complexity through progressive rather than global optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by selecting and optimizing only the necessary reference beams at each control point rather than exhaustively considering all possible beam combinations. This partial optimization approach achieves sufficient treatment plan quality by focusing computational resources on the most critical beam parameters at each stage, thereby reducing overall computational complexity while maintaining acceptable to superior treatment quality.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, apparatus, device, and storage medium for generating an arc radiotherapy plan are provided. The method includes obtaining a reference beam set of each scanning point in a target volume; determining a structure contribution and a target volume contribution of each reference beam and determining an importance factor based on the two; constructing a particle source selection function by combining the importance factor, the reference beam set, and a complexity control parameter and performing optimization solution to obtain a target beam set; generating an arc radiotherapy plan based on the target beam set, the arc radiotherapy plan specifying in detail beam energy and monitor units of each control point on an arc scanning path. With the arc radiotherapy plan, a particle accelerator delivers the target beam precisely to the target volume. The method comprehensively considers beam spot data and the importance factor, improves accuracy and adaptability of radiotherapy plan.