Radiation Therapy Scheduling System Optimizing Beam Sequencing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radiation therapy systems face inefficiencies in treatment session duration and safety due to non-optimal equipment utilization and workflow processes, leading to prolonged treatment times and potential equipment collisions, despite advances in technology.
Innovation Solution
A treatment planning and scheduling system that incorporates a workflow metamodel and safety index calculation to optimize beam sequencing, equipment movement, and patient positioning, ensuring safe and efficient delivery of radiation therapy by reordering beam sequences and evaluating collision risks, thereby reducing treatment time and enhancing safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If safety requirements are strictly adhered to in radiation therapy equipment operation, then patient and equipment safety is ensured, but treatment session duration increases and equipment utilization efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary safety checks and collision risk evaluations before equipment movement and beam delivery. By pre-assessing potential hazards and preparing safety protocols in advance, the system ensures safety requirements are met without causing delays during the actual treatment delivery, thus reducing overall treatment session duration while maintaining safety standards
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors equipment positions, beam delivery status, and potential collision risks in real-time, providing feedback to adjust equipment operations dynamically. This real-time feedback mechanism allows the system to maintain safety requirements while optimizing equipment utilization and reducing unnecessary treatment time through intelligent, adaptive control
2Manufacturing precision
If complex equipment operations are performed to deliver radiation beams from various angles, then treatment precision is improved, but workflow complexity increases and treatment time is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically sequences radiation beam operations based on real-time equipment positions and treatment requirements. By adaptively adjusting the beam delivery sequence rather than following a fixed rigid workflow, the system maintains high treatment precision while reducing overall workflow complexity and treatment time through intelligent, flexible scheduling
Solution Approach 2:
The system minimizes idle time and non-value-added operations by continuously coordinating equipment movements and beam deliveries. By ensuring that equipment operations and beam deliveries are tightly coupled and occur in an optimized continuous sequence, the system reduces workflow complexity while maintaining treatment precision
3Measurement precision
If equipment is repositioned and re-configured for each treatment field, then treatment accuracy is maintained, but productivity decreases and treatment sessions become longer
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates and pre-positions equipment for upcoming beam deliveries based on the treatment plan. By preparing equipment positions and configurations in advance before they are actually needed for beam delivery, the system minimizes repositioning time during critical treatment phases while maintaining treatment accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system overlaps equipment repositioning operations with beam delivery operations from previous fields. By initiating equipment movement for the next field while the previous beam is being delivered, the system maintains treatment accuracy through proper sequencing while maximizing productivity by eliminating idle repositioning time
Data Source
AI summary
External beam radiotherapy treatment workflow scheduling and optimization. The system and method provides for determining a workflow metamodel, receiving a treatment plan, determining a treatment schedule corresponding to the workflow metamodel and treatment plan, taking into account safety by determining alternative treatment schedules, computing a safety index, and selecting one alternative treatment schedule that satisfies a safety threshold and that provides an optimal schedule.