Radiation Treatment Planning Integrating kV Imaging Dose
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current radiation treatment planning systems do not effectively account for the imaging radiation dose, leading to excessive skin dose and potential treatment plan quality issues, especially in real-time kV fluoroscopic tumor tracking, where the kV imaging dose is considered unwanted and in excess of the planned MV treatment dose.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced to integrate the imaging radiation dose into the treatment planning system, optimizing both MV and kV beam configurations using inverse optimization techniques, which considers the imaging radiation source as part of the therapeutic dose, thereby reducing the overall imaging dose and improving treatment plan quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If real-time kV fluoroscopic imaging is used for continuous tumor tracking, then tumor position monitoring accuracy is improved, but patient skin dose increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment planning system performs preliminary calculation of kV imaging dose distribution before treatment delivery. The system optimizes the treatment plan to account for the cumulative kV dose from continuous fluoroscopic imaging, adjusting MV beam parameters in advance to compensate for the imaging dose and prevent excessive skin dose accumulation during real-time tracking
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts imaging parameters (kV beam energy, aperture size, frame rate) and treatment parameters (MV beam fluence, beam-on time) to optimize the balance between tumor tracking accuracy and dose management. By changing these parameters adaptively, the system maintains measurement precision while controlling the harmful imaging dose
2Device complexity
If kV imaging dose is not incorporated into treatment planning, then treatment plan optimization is simpler, but overall dose distribution accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the kV imaging dose calculation with the MV treatment dose optimization in a unified treatment planning framework. The system combines both dose distributions to create a comprehensive objective function that simultaneously optimizes for tumor coverage and normal tissue sparing, accounting for the cumulative effect of both imaging and treatment radiation
Solution Approach 2:
The treatment planning system performs multiple functions: it calculates both kV imaging dose and MV treatment dose, optimizes beam parameters for both modalities, and generates a unified treatment plan that accounts for the combined dose distribution. This multi-functional approach ensures dose distribution accuracy while managing the increased planning complexity through integrated workflows
3Adaptability or versatility
If kV aperture size is increased for markerless tracking, then tumor tracking capability is improved, but imaging dose increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the kV aperture size as a controllable parameter during treatment planning and delivery. By optimizing the aperture size based on the specific patient anatomy, tumor location, and tracking requirements, the system achieves adequate markerless tracking capability while minimizing the imaging dose. The parameter can be modified adaptively to balance capability and dose
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 kV skin dose by optimizing beam-on time and fluence distribution, ensuring safer and more effective radiation therapy by incorporating the imaging dose into the treatment planning algorithm, resulting in lower kV doses and improved target conformality without compromising treatment quality.
Implementation Method 1
an imaging radiation source that emits an imaging radiation beam
Implementation Method 2
a treatment radiation source that emits a treatment radiation beam
Implementation Method 3
a first dose attributable to the imaging radiation beam is calculated
Implementation Method 4
a second dose attributable to the treatment radiation beam is calculated
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for radiation treatment planning that integrate the MV therapeutic radiation dose imparted to a subject together with the kV imaging radiation dose imparted to a subject during radiation therapy are provided. For instance, dose optimization is based on the combined effect of both a kV imaging dose that is imparted to the subject during the image guided radiation treatment procedure and the therapeutic dose delivered to the subject by a treatment radiation source, such as an MV source. Using this optimization, the kV beam and MV beam are equally treated as radiation producing sources and are thus optimized together at the treatment planning stage to produce a patient treatment plan that optimally uses the kV imaging dose. Thus, the kV beam is treated both as an additional source of therapeutic radiation and as a tool for imaging the subject.