Modular Treatment Planning Interface for Diverse Radiotherapy Workflows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional radiotherapy systems face challenges in reducing radiation damage to normal tissues and are ineffective against radiation-resistant tumors, requiring complex user interfaces and varying user requirements that are not adequately addressed by existing treatment planning systems.
Innovation Solution
A modular treatment planning system with a core module, system framework, and expansion modules, utilizing a dynamic link library for customizable functionality, allowing for simple operation for novice users and advanced features for experts, with modules such as plan generation, dose calculation, and display units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a treatment planning system includes increasingly advanced functions to satisfy different user requirements, then the system's adaptability and versatility improve, but the device complexity and user interface complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment planning system is divided into independent functional modules including a core module, expansion module, and module manager. Each module performs specific functions (e.g., dose calculation, treatment planning, image processing) and can be independently configured. This segmentation allows the system to provide advanced functionality when needed while maintaining a simple core structure, thereby improving adaptability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The module manager serves as a universal interface that can call and coordinate multiple different functional modules. The expansion module can include various functional units that handle different radiation types and treatment scenarios. This multi-functionality approach allows a single system framework to accommodate diverse user requirements and multiple therapy types without requiring separate specialized systems for each function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a treatment planning system includes increasingly advanced functions to satisfy different user requirements, then the system's adaptability and versatility improve, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to complex user interface
Solution Approach 1:
The user interface is segmented into a simple core interface provided by the core module and optional expansion interfaces. The module manager selectively activates only the necessary functional modules based on user needs, preventing the interface from becoming cluttered with unnecessary advanced features. This allows novice users to operate with a simple interface while advanced users can access additional functionality when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The system interface is dynamic and can be configured to display only the functional modules relevant to the current treatment task. The module manager loads and unloads functional units as needed, allowing the user interface to adapt its complexity level based on the specific operational context rather than presenting all possible functions simultaneously.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional radiotherapy uses standard radiation beams to treat tumors, then the treatment coverage is sufficient, but the radiation damage to normal tissue increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements local quality enhancement by incorporating specialized functional units for different radiation types (proton therapy, heavy particle therapy, neutron capture therapy) within the expansion module. These units calculate and optimize dose distributions specific to each radiation type, enabling precise localization of high-dose regions to tumor tissues while minimizing dose to surrounding normal tissues. The module manager selectively activates the appropriate radiation type based on tumor characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes physical parameters of radiation delivery by supporting multiple radiation types with different physical properties. Proton therapy utilizes the Bragg peak effect for deep tumor penetration with minimal exit dose, heavy particle therapy provides higher linear energy transfer for radiation-resistant tumors, and neutron capture therapy enables selective tumor cell destruction through boron neutron capture reactions. These parameter changes allow optimization of the therapeutic ratio for different tumor types and locations.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional radiotherapy uses standard radiation beams, then the treatment delivery is simple, but the effectiveness against radiation-resistant tumors deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment planning system incorporates multiple radiation therapy functional units (proton, heavy particle, neutron capture) within a single universal platform. The module manager provides a unified interface for planning and delivering different radiation types, maintaining operational simplicity while expanding therapeutic capabilities. This allows clinicians to select the most effective radiation type for each tumor case without requiring separate specialized systems for each therapy modality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical and biological parameters of radiation delivery to overcome radiation resistance. Proton therapy modifies the depth-dose distribution using the Bragg peak, heavy particle therapy increases linear energy transfer for resistant tumors, and neutron capture therapy exploits nuclear reactions for selective tumor cell destruction. These parameter changes enhance treatment effectiveness for radiation-resistant tumors while the modular architecture maintains delivery simplicity through unified system control.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a modular treatment planning system, a method for constructing a modular treatment planning system, a computer device, and a storage medium. The system includes a core module configured to set up a system framework; an expansion module including a plurality of functional units that have different functions; and a module manager configured to call at least one functional unit, and load the called functional unit into the system framework, where the functional unit called by the module manager is integrated into the system framework to form an operation interface. According to the present disclosure, functional modules of the treatment planning system can be updated and expanded according to requirements. Through differentiated module configurations, a simple functional requirement of a naive user can be satisfied, complexity of an operation process can be reduced, and working efficiency can be improved. Moreover, an advanced functional requirement of an advanced user can be satisfied, and the complex functional modules can be implemented.