Particle Arc Therapy Continuous Beam Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spot-scanning proton therapy techniques are limited in performance, often delivering proton beams in only one treatment fraction and experiencing inefficiencies due to stopping and starting of proton delivery, which impacts treatment efficiency and calibration, especially when changing between impact angles.
Innovation Solution
A method for delivering a substantially continuous particle beam by iteratively adjusting delivery time at multiple control points, optimizing beam delivery by filtering, merging, or redistributing energy layers and proton spots, and using a machine-specific delivery sequence model to determine optimal beam parameters, allowing for continuous arc delivery and reduced energy layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If spot-scanning proton therapy delivers limited beams in one treatment fraction, then the treatment can be completed quickly, but the tumor coverage is insufficient and the therapy effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous proton beam delivery by rotating the gantry through multiple control points without stopping the beam, eliminating the interruptions inherent in conventional spot-scanning. This continuous delivery maintains therapeutic effectiveness while improving delivery efficiency, as the beam remains active throughout the entire treatment fraction rather than being delivered in limited discrete beams.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts beam parameters including energy layers, monitor units, and delivery timing as the gantry rotates through different control points. The iterative optimization process dynamically determines the optimal number of energy layers and MU at each control point based on the continuous delivery requirement, allowing the treatment plan to adapt to the continuous motion rather than treating each spot statically.
2Adaptability or versatility
If proton delivery stops and starts during treatment, then beam parameters can be adjusted, but treatment efficiency decreases and mechanical vibrations are induced
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous delivery approach eliminates stop-start cycles by maintaining beam activation throughout gantry rotation. The system pre-calculates and delivers the appropriate number of monitor units and energy layers at each control point during continuous motion, removing the need to stop for parameter adjustments and thereby maintaining both adaptability and efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The iterative optimization process performs preliminary calculations to determine the optimal beam parameters (energy layers, MU, delivery time) for each control point before treatment begins. This pre-planning allows the system to execute continuous delivery without real-time interruptions, as all parameter adjustments are predetermined based on the treatment plan optimization.
3Manufacturing precision
If the number of control points is increased for better tumor coverage, then the precision of dose delivery improves, but the treatment delivery time increases
Solution Approach 1:
By delivering the proton beam continuously through all control points without interruption, the system eliminates the time penalty associated with stopping and restarting at each control point. The iterative optimization further reduces time by determining the minimal necessary number of energy layers and MU at each control point, ensuring high precision is achieved with the fewest necessary control points.
Solution Approach 2:
The iterative optimization process dynamically adjusts critical parameters including the number of energy layers, monitor units, and delivery timing for each control point. By optimizing these parameters, the system achieves high dose delivery precision with fewer control points than would traditionally be required, thereby reducing overall treatment time while maintaining accuracy.
4Productivity
If energy layers are reduced for faster delivery, then treatment efficiency improves, but the ability to cover different tissue depths is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous delivery system compensates for reduced energy layers by maintaining constant beam activation and precisely controlling the depth of penetration through other means. The iterative optimization determines the optimal subset of energy layers needed at each control point, ensuring that all necessary tissue depths are covered even with fewer layers, while the continuous delivery maintains efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically selects and adjusts the number of energy layers at each control point based on the specific treatment requirements and the continuous delivery context. Rather than using a fixed number of layers throughout, the iterative optimization adapts the energy layer configuration to minimize the total number while ensuring complete depth coverage, balancing speed and versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of optimizing delivery of a particle beam at a target is disclosed. The particle beam is delivered from an output device at a plurality of control points. In implementations, the method comprises delivering a substantially continuous particle beam about the plurality of control points, iteratively adjusting a delivery time of the substantially continuous particle beam about the plurality of control points, and processing to undertake at least one of (i) pre-defining energy layers based on one or both of the control points and a control point sampling frequency, or (ii) sorting the energy layers.