Standardized Cloud Radiotherapy Planning Method

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Solution Overview

Problem

The shortage of physicists and scarce medical resources in China leads to overcrowding in top hospitals, causing delays in radiotherapy treatment due to differences in radiotherapy equipment types and models, resulting in inefficient equipment utilization and prolonged waiting times for patients.

Innovation Solution

A standardized cloud radiotherapy planning method that uploads patient data to a master cloud server, decomposes computation tasks, and generates a standard radiotherapy plan, which is then converted into a specific plan matching the available equipment using dose-volume histograms and isodose lines as constraints, optimizing the plan for field parameters and equipment parameters like source and multi-leaf collimator settings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If radiotherapy plans are prepared based on specific radiotherapy equipment models, then the treatment plan can be executed on that equipment, but treatment delays occur when equipment fails or is occupied

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetreatment plan execution reliabilityVSAvoidtreatment delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a standard radiotherapy plan that can be universally adapted to multiple different equipment models. The standard plan uses generic parameters and geometry that can be converted to match various specific equipment types (VMAT, IMRT, 3D-CRT, etc.), making the treatment plan executable on any radiotherapy equipment without requiring re-planning when equipment changes or fails.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent generates a standard radiotherapy plan that serves as a template or copy, which can then be adapted to specific equipment. The standard plan captures the essential treatment geometry and dosimetry in a model-independent format, allowing rapid conversion to equipment-specific parameters without recreating the entire plan.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Manufacturing precision

If high-quality medical resources are concentrated in tertiary hospitals, then treatment quality is improved, but equipment utilization efficiency decreases and waiting times increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetreatment qualityVSAvoidequipment utilization efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a standard radiotherapy plan as an intermediary between the treatment decision (made at tertiary hospitals) and equipment execution (at any hospital). The standard plan acts as a universal interface that allows treatment plans created at specialized centers to be executed at local hospitals with different equipment, distributing the workload and improving overall system efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent separates the treatment planning process into two independent components: the standard plan creation (which ensures treatment quality) and the equipment-specific conversion (which adapts to local resources). This segmentation allows quality control to be centralized while execution can be distributed across multiple facilities with varying equipment capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If different brands and models of radiotherapy equipment are used in hospitals, then equipment availability and choices increase, but plan conversion and adaptation become complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveequipment availabilityVSAvoidplan conversion complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter representation from equipment-specific to equipment-agnostic. The standard radiotherapy plan uses standardized parameters (field geometry, beam angles, dose distributions) that can be mathematically transformed into any equipment-specific parameter set, simplifying the conversion process regardless of the target equipment model.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3742702B1Standardized cloud radiotherapy planning method and storage medium
Publication Date: 2024.02.21 BEIJING LINKING MEDICAL TECH CO LTD
  • EP3742702B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3742702B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3742702B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to the technical field of cloud computing and relates to a standardized cloud radiotherapy planning method, a storage medium, and a system. The method comprises the following steps: (1) patient data is uploaded to a master cloud server (S210), where the patient data comprises a patient image and medical order data; (2) a target area is delineated on the basis of the patient image (S220); (3) the master cloud server assigns a computation task to a controlled computer, the controlled computer uses a standard radiotherapy equipment mode to compute a radiotherapy plan for a patient, thus generating a standard radiotherapy plan (S230); and, (4) a specific radiotherapy plan matching specific radiotherapy equipment is generated on the basis of the standard radiotherapy plan. The method provided in the present solution prevents a delay in treatment time for the patient and idling of treatment resources when a certain type of radiotherapy equipment in a hospital is malfunctioning while other radiotherapy equipment is idling, also balances differences in levels of treatment provided by physicians from different hospital campuses or regions, and also reduces work load for oncologists and medical physicist.