Radiation Therapy Plan Generation Using Image Registration Offsets

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current radiation therapy treatment plans are often time-consuming to create, as they require positioning images to be acquired after the patient is positioned, which can lead to inaccuracies due to potential changes in the tumor or organ positions during the treatment stage.

Innovation Solution

A method that generates a treatment plan based on a diagnostic image without positioning information, followed by registration with a positioning image acquired during the treatment stage, updating the plan with rotation and translation offsets to ensure accurate targeting of the tumor or organ at risk.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If a treatment plan is generated based on a diagnostic image without positioning information, then the time needed to create the treatment plan is reduced, but the accuracy of tumor targeting may deteriorate due to potential changes in tumor or organ positions during treatment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetime needed to create treatment planVSAvoidaccuracy of tumor targeting

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by generating the treatment plan based on the diagnostic image before acquiring the positioning image. The treatment plan is prepared in advance using available diagnostic data, and then updated after positioning image acquisition to account for any position changes. This allows the planning process to start earlier without compromising final accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by acquiring the positioning image after the treatment plan is initially generated, comparing the positioning image with the diagnostic image, and updating the treatment plan based on the registration results. This feedback loop ensures that any position changes detected during the treatment stage are incorporated into the final treatment plan, maintaining targeting accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If positioning images are acquired after the patient is positioned, then the treatment plan can be updated with accurate positioning information, but the overall treatment process time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidoverall treatment process time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by generating the initial treatment plan before acquiring the positioning image. This allows the treatment planning to start in advance using diagnostic images, and then be updated later with positioning information from CBCT or other imaging modalities. The preliminary plan generation avoids waiting for positioning images to be acquired before starting the planning process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the treatment plan generation process into two distinct stages: initial plan generation based on diagnostic images, and subsequent plan update based on positioning images. This segmentation allows the time-consuming positioning image acquisition and registration process to be separated from the initial planning phase, enabling parallel processing and reducing overall workflow time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Manufacturing precision

If the treatment plan is updated using registration results with rotation and translation offsets, then the precision of radiation delivery is improved, but the complexity of the treatment planning process increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprecision of radiation deliveryVSAvoidcomplexity of treatment planning process

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses registration software as an intermediary tool that automatically processes the positioning image, diagnostic image, and treatment plan. The registration software handles the complex tasks of image alignment, rotation offset calculation, and translation offset determination, reducing the manual complexity of the planning process while maintaining high precision in radiation delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies parameter changes by automatically adjusting treatment plan parameters (such as beam angles, isocenter positions, and field sizes) based on the registration results. The system transforms the treatment plan parameters according to the detected rotation and translation offsets, enabling precise radiation delivery without requiring manual re-planning by the physicist.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20230377704A1Method for generating treatment plan, computer device, and storage medium

Publication Date: 2023.11.23 SHENZHEN OUR NEW MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPMENT CO LTD

AI summary

The present disclosure discloses a method for generating a treatment plan. The method includes: acquiring a first image of a target object, wherein the first image does not contain positioning information of the target object; generating a first treatment plan for the target object based on the first image; acquiring a second image of the target object, wherein the second image contains the positioning information of the target object; registering the first image and the second image; and generating a second treatment plan by updating the first treatment plan in response to a registration result.