Radiation Therapy Dose Adaptation via Surface Mesh Deformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Radiation therapy planning systems face inaccuracies due to shape and position changes of organs caused by physiological processes such as bladder filling, tumor size changes, breathing, and heartbeat, which are not effectively accounted for in existing dose calculations.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses a combination of surface meshes and biomechanical models to adjust dose distribution based on shape and position variations between initial and subsequent images, allowing for automatic adaptation and deformation of volumetric models to accurately reflect anatomical changes during radiation treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a dose distribution is calculated based on initial images taken before treatment, then the treatment planning can be completed efficiently, but the dose calculation accuracy deteriorates due to shape and position changes of organs during treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transforming the static dose distribution calculation into a dynamic process that accounts for organ motion. Surface meshes are adapted to track shape and position variations of organs between initial and current treatment stages, and these variations are used to deform the volumetric model and adjust the dose distribution accordingly, making the dose calculation adaptive to anatomical changes during treatment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-adapting surface meshes to the initial organ surfaces and pre-calculating the relationship between surface variations and internal volumetric deformations. This preliminary preparation allows for efficient real-time dose recalculation during treatment by simply deforming the pre-established volumetric model based on observed surface changes, rather than performing complete recalculations
2Ease of manufacture
If manual or semi-automatic contouring methods are used to delineate target volumes and organs, then the initial treatment plan can be created, but the process is time-consuming and does not account for anatomical changes during treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies copying by creating surface meshes that replicate the organ surfaces from initial contouring data. These surface meshes serve as dynamic copies that can be rapidly adapted to new anatomical configurations during treatment based on imaging data, eliminating the need for repeated manual contouring while preserving the accuracy of the original delineation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies self-service by enabling the system to automatically update organ contours and dose distributions using the adapted surface meshes and volumetric model deformation. The system self-adjusts the treatment plan based on observed anatomical changes without requiring continuous manual intervention, thereby reducing time loss while maintaining ease of initial plan creation
3Measurement precision
If the dose distribution is adjusted to account for shape and position variations of organs, then the dose estimation accuracy is improved, but the computational complexity and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the organ volume into a volumetric model that can be deformed based on surface mesh adaptations. This segmentation allows the complex problem of 3D dose recalculation to be broken down into manageable steps: adapting surface meshes to current anatomy, calculating surface variations, deforming the volumetric model accordingly, and finally adjusting the dose distribution, thereby managing computational complexity while improving accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for planning a radiation therapy are disclosed. A radiation dose distribution is adapted on the basis of shape and position variations of the organs of interest determined from a comparison of a first image and a second image which were taken at different points of time during the radiation treatment process.