Radiation Treatment Plan Visualization for Dose-Dose Rate Tradeoffs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radiation treatment planning tools fail to capture the interdependencies of dose and dose rate in FLASH radiation therapy, leading to suboptimal plans that compromise healthy tissue sparing and treatment efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method for generating and assessing radiation treatment plans that includes dose and dose rate visualization through graphical user interfaces, allowing clinicians to evaluate and optimize treatment plans efficiently, incorporating dose-dose rate scatter plots and other graphical renderings to balance dose distribution and rate distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional radiation treatment planning tools are used, then treatment plans can be generated, but the interdependencies of dose and dose rate in FLASH radiation therapy are not captured, leading to suboptimal plans
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dose-dose rate scatter plot that adds a new dimensional representation to treatment planning. This scatter plot displays dose on one axis and dose rate on another, enabling simultaneous visualization of both parameters and their interdependencies, which conventional single-parameter tools cannot capture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple visualization tools (dose-dose rate scatter plots, dose distribution maps, dose rate distribution maps) into a composite assessment system. This multi-faceted approach integrates information from different representations to provide a comprehensive evaluation of treatment plan quality that accounts for both dose and dose rate characteristics.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If dose rate is optimized for FLASH radiation therapy, then healthy tissue sparing is improved, but treatment planning complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces graphical user interface elements (scatter plots, distribution maps) as intermediary tools that mediate between the complex underlying dose and dose rate calculations and the clinician's decision-making process. These visual intermediaries simplify the assessment of FLASH-specific parameters without requiring changes to the fundamental treatment planning algorithms.
3Reliability
If iterative planning process is used to balance conflicting clinical goals, then optimal treatment plans are achieved, but time and computational resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements visual feedback mechanisms through dose-dose rate scatter plots and distribution maps that provide immediate graphical representation of treatment plan characteristics. This feedback allows clinicians to rapidly assess whether a plan meets FLASH criteria and clinical goals, reducing the need for extensive iterative adjustments and accelerating the planning process.
Data Source
AI summary
Information associated with a radiation treatment plan includes, for example, values of dose per voxel in a target volume, values of dose rate per voxel in the target volume, and values of parameters used when generating the values of dose per voxel and the values of dose rate per voxel. Renderings that include, for example, a rendering of an image of or including the target volume, and a rendering of selected values of the radiation treatment plan, are displayed. When a selection of a region of one of the renderings is received, a displayed characteristic of another one of the renderings is changed based on the selection.