Particle Beam Action Determination via Microscopic Damage Correlations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining the action of particle beams on materials, particularly for irradiation planning, lack precision due to simplifications and approximations, especially when dealing with a wide range of ion types and energies, limiting their applicability in fields like medical therapy.
Innovation Solution
A method that calculates the action of particle beams by determining microscopic damage correlations within biological materials, using fluence and energy distributions to predict effective doses, accounting for correlated damage events and comparing with photon dose effects to optimize irradiation plans.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If current methods for determining particle beam action are used, then computation time is reduced, but measurement precision and manufacturing precision deteriorate due to simplifications and approximations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameters of the calculation model from macroscopic dose distributions to microscopic damage event distributions. By tracking individual damage events and their spatial correlations at the micrometer scale, the method achieves higher precision without requiring excessive computation time, as it focuses computational effort on relevant microscopic structures rather than entire irradiation volumes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the irradiation volume into sensitive volumes containing critical structures (e.g., DNA, organelles) and calculates damage events specifically within these segmented regions. This segmentation allows precise determination of particle beam action on critical targets while reducing overall computational burden by excluding non-critical regions from detailed analysis.
2Ease of operation
If simplified models are used for irradiation planning, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision and measurement precision worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary computational layer that translates macroscopic irradiation parameters into microscopic damage event predictions. This intermediary model uses pre-calculated damage event distributions and spatial correlation functions to bridge the gap between simple treatment planning inputs and precise biological effect predictions, maintaining ease of operation while improving precision.
3Device complexity
If macroscopic dose distributions are used, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision and manufacturing precision worsen due to inability to account for microscopic damage correlations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from three-dimensional macroscopic dose distribution calculations to a fourth-dimensional approach by incorporating spatial-temporal correlations of microscopic damage events. This dimensional extension allows precise tracking of damage event clusters along particle tracks and within sensitive volumes, achieving higher measurement precision without proportionally increasing device complexity.
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 allows for more precise irradiation planning across a broad range of ions, from protons to neon, improving the accuracy of dose delivery and minimizing damage to healthy tissues, while reducing computation time.
Implementation Method 1
When high-energy ion beams penetrate the material, at first they deposit little energy. With increasing depth, the energy deposition increases, reaches its maximum in the region of a distribution curve called the Bragg peak, and then falls steeply.
Implementation Method 2
Ion beams have an action on the irradiation volume depending on the type of material to be irradiated and the parameters of the ion beam. In biological material, usually a higher action and thus a greater effect compared with photon irradiation is observed.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for creating a first data set for modifying an irradiation plan parameter data set used for controlling an irradiation system for irradiating a target volume in an irradiation volume using an ion beam includes defining a sensitive volume within the biological material to be irradiated, determining a fluence distribution of the ion beam, determining a microscopic dose distribution of the ion beam, determining, from the microscopic dose distribution of the ion beam, a spatial microscopic damage distribution of the ion beam, determining an expected value for a number of correlated damage events in a sub-micrometer range in the sensitive volume from the spatial microscopic damage distribution of the ion beam in the sensitive volume, determining the effect of the ion beam on the biological material, and storing data that indicate the effect of the ion beam on the material.