Radiation Therapy Target Set Determination with Constraint Masks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for planning radiotherapy treatments often fail to effectively avoid irradiation of risk regions when treating multiple spatially disjunct targets or targets that partially surround critical areas, leading to potential damage during radiation therapy.
Innovation Solution
A medical data processing method that determines a target set based on anatomical constraints, using a constraint mask to differentiate between irradiation and non-irradiation regions, allowing for simultaneous or sequential treatment of targets while minimizing exposure to risk areas by optimizing treatment beam arrangements and positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple spatially disjunct targets are irradiated using individual treatment beams with varied time intervals and beam geometry, then each target can be sufficiently irradiated, but risk regions may still receive at least some irradiation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the treatment process into multiple fractions, where only a subset of targets is irradiated in each fraction. This allows the treatment beam to be precisely directed at specific targets while avoiding risk regions, rather than attempting to irradiate all targets simultaneously. The segmentation of treatment into fractions enables precise control over which targets receive radiation in each session.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic variation of beam geometry and irradiation timing across different fractions. The beam geometry is adapted for each fraction based on the specific subset of targets being treated, and the irradiation schedule is dynamically adjusted to account for body movement patterns. This dynamic approach allows the treatment to accommodate physiological changes while maintaining precision and avoiding risk regions.
2Manufacturing precision
If treatment beam geometry and time intervals are varied for each target, then sufficient irradiation of multiple targets is achieved, but treatment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the overall treatment into multiple fractions, with each fraction targeting a specific subset of targets. This segmentation simplifies the treatment plan for each individual fraction, making it more manageable and less complex than a single comprehensive plan. Each fraction can be planned and executed with simpler beam geometry requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous treatment progress across multiple fractions, ensuring that all targets receive the required irradiation dose over the course of treatment. By systematically varying the subset of targets treated in each fraction while maintaining overall treatment continuity, the approach achieves comprehensive coverage without requiring overly complex simultaneous multi-target irradiation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If risk regions are excluded from the target region, then damage to risk regions is avoided, but coherent targets surrounding risk regions cannot be fully treated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments both the targets and the treatment fractions, allowing different subsets of targets to be treated in different fractions. This enables coherent targets that surround risk regions to be fully treated by distributing their irradiation across multiple fractions, with each fraction using optimized beam geometry that avoids the risk region while still contributing to the complete treatment of the surrounding target.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic treatment fractions where the irradiation pattern is systematically varied across different time points. By using periodic action with different beam geometries and target subsets in alternating or sequential fractions, the treatment can completely cover coherent targets surrounding risk regions while periodically avoiding the risk regions themselves.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical data processing method for determining a target set comprising at least one irradiation target in a patient's body for radiation therapy treatment by means of a treatment device constituted to treat the at least one target by means of one or more sub-beams during a treatment time, the one or more sub-beams constituting at least one treatment beam which is to pass through the at least one target in accordance with a treatment plan during the treatment time, the method comprising the following steps and being constituted to be executed by a computer: a) acquiring (S 1.1) critical area; b) acquiring (S 1.2) target data; c) acquiring (S 1.3) treatment beam constraint data; d) acquiring treatment beam criteria data (S 1.4); and e) determining (S4), based on the critical area data, the target data, the treatment beam constraint data and the treatment beam criteria data, target set data describing spatial information on at least one irradiation region.