Isotoxic Planning with Precomputed BED Lookup Tables
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radiotherapy treatment planning is time-consuming and complex, especially with multiple organs at risk, and traditional methods for calculating biologically effective dose (BED) can be inaccurate, leading to potential harm to healthy tissues and tumors.
Innovation Solution
The use of machine learning techniques to predict BED by analyzing dose distributions and ground truth measurements, allowing for isotoxic planning that adjusts radiation doses in real-time based on the distance between tumors and critical organs, thereby maximizing tumor dose while minimizing toxicity to nearby organs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional offline treatment planning methods are used, then treatment plans can be generated with detailed optimization, but the process becomes time-consuming and complex especially with multiple organs at risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores BED values in lookup tables during the treatment planning phase, so that during treatment delivery, the pre-computed BED values can be quickly retrieved and applied without requiring time-consuming real-time calculations, thus resolving the contradiction between calculation accuracy and planning time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates simplified copies of the complex BED calculation process by using pre-computed lookup tables that approximate the full BED calculation, allowing fast retrieval of accurate BED values without repeating the complex optimization process during treatment delivery
2Reliability
If traditional BED calculation methods are used, then computational simplicity is maintained, but calculation accuracy deteriorates leading to potential harm to healthy tissues and tumors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces lookup tables as an intermediary structure that bridges the gap between simple dose delivery and accurate BED calculation. The lookup tables pre-store the results of complex BED calculations, allowing the system to retrieve accurate BED values without performing complex real-time calculations during treatment delivery
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs the complex BED calculation work in advance during treatment planning, storing results in lookup tables. This preliminary action ensures treatment safety through accurate BED calculation while avoiding the need for complex calculations during actual treatment delivery
3Adaptability or versatility
If the number of organs at risk increases, then treatment plan complexity increases, but the ability to spare OARs from radiation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different BED calculation approaches to different regions: using pre-computed lookup tables for most calculations to maintain simplicity, while allowing for local adjustments and modifications when specific OARs require special consideration, thus maintaining both adaptability and manageable complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed for performing operations comprising: receiving dose information representing dose delivered during a first radiotherapy treatment fraction; accessing one or more previous dose information representing dose delivered during one or more previous radiotherapy treatment fractions; computing a measure of biologically effective dose (BED) based on a combination of the dose information delivered during a first radiotherapy treatment fraction and the dose delivered during the one or more previous radiotherapy treatment fractions; and performing an isotoxic planning process for delivering a second radiotherapy treatment fraction following the first radiotherapy treatment fraction based on the computed measure of BED.