Dose Smearing Modeling for Spot Scanning Radiation Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional radiation therapy treatment planning systems fail to accurately model dose distribution during spot scanning due to neglecting dose smearing effects, leading to discrepancies between planned and actual delivered doses, especially in ultra-high dose rate treatments.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented methodology that accounts for the radiation delivered during the transitionary period between spots in spot scanning, using timing-related parameters and transition doses to compute a more accurate dose distribution by incorporating dose smearing effects into the treatment planning process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional treatment planning systems model dose delivery as sum of individual spot doses, then calculation simplicity is maintained, but measurement precision deteriorates due to neglecting dose smearing effects during beam transitions
Solution Approach 1:
The dose delivery process is segmented into distinct phases: spot dose delivery and transition dose delivery. The patent separates the calculation of dose at stationary spots from the dose delivered during beam movement between spots, allowing each phase to be modeled independently with appropriate precision while maintaining overall calculation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating transition doses based on timing parameters and beam movement characteristics before final dose summation. Timing-related parameters are computed in advance to account for the finite duration of beam transitions, enabling accurate dose smearing effects to be incorporated without significantly increasing overall computational complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If spot distance is reduced to improve dose conformity, then manufacturing precision improves, but dose smearing effects increase causing harmful irradiation to healthy tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using timing-related parameters to monitor and account for beam movement duration between spots. By measuring or estimating the time required for beam transitions, the system can calculate and incorporate transition doses into the overall treatment plan, providing feedback on actual dose delivery that accounts for beam motion effects and enabling correction of dose distribution inaccuracies.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces the discrepancy between planned and actual dose distributions, resulting in more accurate radiation treatment plans by considering the cumulative dose smearing effect during beam transitions.
Implementation Method 1
The region of a depth-dose curve where most of the energy is released is referred to as the Bragg peak of the beam
Implementation Method 2
modeling the cumulative effect of dose smearing resulting from transitioning the pencil beam from one spot to another
Data Source
AI summary
A computer implemented method of developing a radiation treatment plan comprising spot scanning of a treatment target comprising accessing information associated with a patient and information pertaining to a radiation delivery machine. The method further comprises determining an area associated with the treatment target, wherein the area comprises a plurality of spots and computing a weighting for each spot of the plurality of spots, wherein the weighting is associated with a number of protons delivered at a respective spot. Further, the method comprises computing timing related parameters based on information retrieved from the radiation delivery machine and determining a transition dose delivered by the radiation delivery machine during the transition from one spot to another spot when irradiating the treatment target.