Irradiation Planning Target Volume Optimization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current irradiation treatment planning methods are time-consuming and error-prone when manually adjusting the coverage volume to ensure compliance with constraints for organs at risk, often resulting in either excessive dose deposition or insufficient dose delivery to the planning target volume.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method that calculates the reduction coverage volume based on the violation of constraints for organs at risk, generates a virtual planning object to adjust the organ's volume, and optimizes the planning target volume by removing the overlap region, allowing for an automated and precise determination of the optimal trade-off between coverage and constraint fulfillment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the coverage volume of the planning target volume is increased to ensure adequate dose deposition, then the biological effectiveness of the irradiation treatment is improved, but the dose deposited in the organ at risk increases, potentially violating constraints

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebiological effectiveness of irradiation treatmentVSAvoiddose deposited in organ at risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical adjustment of coverage volume with an automated computer-implemented system that calculates and determines the optimal coverage volume based on constraint satisfaction, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual trial-and-error adjustments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the coverage volume parameter based on calculated constraint violations, automatically modifying this critical parameter to achieve the optimal balance between dose deposition in the target volume and dose sparing of the organ at risk

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the coverage volume is manually reduced to ensure constraint fulfillment for the organ at risk, then the dose deposited in the organ at risk is reduced, but the time required for treatment planning increases and errors may occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedose deposited in organ at riskVSAvoidtime required for treatment planning

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-adjustment by automatically calculating constraint violations and determining the appropriate coverage volume reduction without requiring manual intervention, thereby reducing planning time and minimizing human error

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the coverage volume is manually reduced to ensure constraint fulfillment, then the dose deposited in the organ at risk is reduced, but the dose deposition in the planning target volume may become insufficient, reducing treatment effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedose deposited in organ at riskVSAvoiddose deposition in planning target volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a feedback mechanism by calculating constraint violations based on the organ dose and using this information to iteratively adjust the coverage volume, ensuring that both the organ at risk constraints and the planning target volume dose deposition requirements are satisfied

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the coverage volume based on real-time calculation of constraint violations, allowing for flexible and adaptive optimization of the treatment plan to achieve the precise balance between protecting the organ at risk and ensuring adequate dose delivery to the target volume

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11273328B2Irradiation treatment planning based on target coverage reduction

Publication Date: 2022.03.15 BRAINLAB AG

AI summary

A computer-implemented medical method of irradiation treatment planning is provided. Therein, an initial coverage volume for a planning target volume, which is to be irradiated in an irradiation treatment with a prescribed dose, is provided. Further, at least one constraint indicative of an allowed dose for an organ at risk is provided. Applying an initial irradiation treatment plan, an organ dose deposited in at least a partial volume of the organ at risk is calculated. Based on comparing the organ dose to the at least one constraint, an amount of violation is determined. Taking into account the determined amount of violation, a reduction coverage volume is calculated for the planning target volume and a virtual planning object is generated based on changing a volume of the organ at risk, such that an overlap region of the virtual planning object and the planning target volume corresponds to the reduction coverage volume. By removing at least a part of the overlap region from the planning target volume, an optimized planning target volume is generated.