Immune Dose Computation for Radiotherapy Plan Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radiotherapy treatment plans do not adequately consider the immune system as an organ at risk, leading to immunosuppression and poorer survival outcomes due to excessive radiation doses to circulating immune cells, which has not been accurately calculated or accounted for in existing methods.
Innovation Solution
A radiotherapy system and method that calculates the equivalent uniform dose (EUD) to each organ and the effective dose to circulating immune cells (EDIC) in the blood by summing EUDs for all organs in the target irradiation area, generating a new patient-specific treatment plan that reduces the EDIC relative to the initial plan, thereby optimizing radiation delivery to minimize immune system exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If radiation dose to tumor is maximized in conventional radiotherapy treatment planning, then tumor control is improved, but radiation-induced immunosuppression worsens due to excessive exposure of circulating immune cells
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the dosimetric parameters by calculating EDIC (effective dose to circulating immune cells in blood) as a new constraint parameter alongside traditional tumor dose parameters. This allows optimization of treatment plans to maintain tumor control while limiting immune cell exposure through modified dose distribution parameters
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces EDIC calculation as an intermediary metric that bridges tumor dose delivery and immune system protection. By summing EUDs (equivalent uniform doses) for all organs in the target irradiation area, it creates a dosimetric proxy for immune cell exposure that mediates between tumor control and immunosuppression
2Device complexity
If conventional treatment planning methods are used that do not calculate EDIC, then treatment planning complexity is reduced, but accuracy of immune system dose assessment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the dose assessment process into two distinct calculations: traditional tumor dose evaluation and new EDIC calculation. By separating these functions, it maintains the simplicity of conventional planning while adding a specific module for immune system dose assessment through organ-by-organ EUD summation
3Object-affected harmful factors
If radiation dose to circulating immune cells is reduced by modifying treatment plans, then immune system toxicity is decreased, but treatment plan optimization complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by calculating EDIC for each treatment plan and using this information to guide optimization. The EDIC value provides quantitative feedback on immune cell exposure, allowing iterative refinement of dose distribution to reduce immune toxicity while maintaining tumor control
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for calculating the radiation dose to the immune system of a patient undergoing radiotherapy are provided. In particular, the methods provide for calculating an effective dose to blood (EDIC) to circulating immune cells. The methods can be incorporated into radiotherapy (RT) treatment planning systems, which are also provided. The methods can be used to optimize patient treatment plans. Methods for treating a patient with RT with an optimized treatment plan are provided.