Grid Radiotherapy Sub-Volume Segmentation and Dynamic Beam Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional radiotherapy systems face limitations in delivering radiation treatment effectively due to physical grid devices causing undesired radiation exposure and inefficiencies in emulating patterned grids, while multi-leaf collimator (MLC) techniques are constrained by simulating physical grids, leading to suboptimal biological effects.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that divide a target volume into sub-volumes, define high and low dose areas, adjust radiation doses to achieve a minimum threshold and differential, and develop a treatment plan to invoke biological effects of spatially separated radiation, allowing for dynamic radiation delivery without emulating physical grids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a physical grid collimator is used to deliver spatially separated radiation, then biological effects are achieved, but radiation exposure to healthy tissue increases and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the target volume into multiple sub-volumes and delivers radiation in separated bursts to each sub-volume rather than uniformly across the entire target. This spatial and temporal segmentation achieves the biological effects of grid therapy while allowing precise control over radiation distribution, thereby reducing exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic radiation delivery where the radiation beam is actively steered and modulated to target different sub-volumes at different times. This dynamic approach replaces the static physical grid collimator with a time-varying beam delivery system that achieves spatial separation without the physical constraints and radiation waste of conventional grids.
2Reliability
If a multi-leaf collimator emulates a physical grid collimator, then grid radiotherapy effects are achieved, but treatment efficiency decreases and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from static grid emulation to dynamic beam delivery. Instead of using MLC leaves to physically block and shape radiation into grid patterns, the system dynamically steers the beam to deliver radiation to different sub-volumes at different times, achieving grid effects without the mechanical complexity and time consumption of MLC grid emulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical MLC grid emulation system with an electronically controlled beam steering system. This substitution eliminates the need for complex mechanical leaf movements to create grid patterns, replacing them with electronic control of beam direction and intensity, thereby improving treatment efficiency and reducing device complexity.
3Ease of operation
If radiation is delivered uniformly across the target volume, then treatment simplicity is maintained, but biological effects of spatially separated radiation are not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent automatically segments the target volume into sub-volumes and delivers radiation in a systematic sequence to each sub-volume. This automated segmentation and sequential delivery achieves the complex biological effects of spatially separated radiation while maintaining ease of operation through computerized control and automated treatment planning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the radiation delivery parameters by varying the beam direction, intensity, and timing to target different sub-volumes at different times. These parameter changes are automatically managed by the treatment planning system, achieving complex spatially separated radiation effects while maintaining operational simplicity through electronic control.
Data Source
AI summary
Some aspects include a system, method, and computer-readable medium to divide a representation of a target volume into an array of sub-volumes; define a high dose volume to which a high dose of radiation is to be delivered; define a plurality of sampling volumes; direct an estimated dose of radiation to each sub-volume; determine whether the dose of radiation delivered to each high dose volume is at least a minimum threshold dose, and that the radiation delivered to the plurality of sampling volumes for each of the sub-volumes is at least a minimum difference less than the radiation delivered to the high dose volume; adjust the estimated dose of radiation directed to each sub-volume; and develop a radiation treatment plan, including the adjusted dose, to invoke a biological effect of spatially separated radiation.