Multimodality Therapy Planning Under Cross-Modality Uncertainty
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current multimodality therapy treatments are planned and optimized individually, neglecting the combined effects and uncertainties of different modalities, which can lead to synergistic adverse effects and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A computer-based method for planning multimodality treatments that accounts for uncertainties in individual modalities and their interactions through robust optimization, incorporating synergistic advantages and mitigating adverse effects by using mathematical implementations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If individual modality treatment plans are planned and optimized separately, then the planning process is simpler and easier to manage, but the combined effects and uncertainties of different modalities are not considered, leading to synergistic adverse effects and reduced treatment effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual modality treatment plans into a unified multimodality treatment plan by integrating their objective functions and constraints into a single optimization framework. This allows simultaneous consideration of combined effects and uncertainties across different modalities while maintaining systematic management through unified planning procedures.
2Reliability
If robust optimization accounting for uncertainties in all modalities is implemented, then treatment effectiveness is improved and adverse effects are mitigated, but the computational complexity and planning time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the uncertainty management by defining discrete scenario sets for different modalities and their combinations. Each scenario represents a specific realization of uncertainties, allowing the robust optimization to proceed through structured evaluation of predefined scenarios rather than continuous uncertainty spaces, thereby reducing computational complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Reliability
If uncertainties in one modality affect the planning of another modality, then the interplay effects are better managed, but the planning process becomes more complex and requires coordination between modalities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the optimization of one modality's treatment plan considers the effects and uncertainties of other modalities. The unified objective function and constraint system allow iterative adjustments where changes in one modality's parameters automatically influence the optimization of other modalities, ensuring coordinated planning that accounts for interplay effects.
Data Source
AI summary
A multimodality treatment plan including one or more of, for example, surgery, radiotherapy and a systemic treatment such as chemotherapy, may be obtained by robust co-optimization of two or more plans taking into account uncertainties affecting each treatment modality as well as uncertainties resulting from the combination of the modalities. Scenarios may be defined for the different uncertainties to be used in the optimization. The plans may be optimized simultaneously, or one plan may be optimized considering the predicted effect of another plan of another modality.