Spatial-Functional Radiation Mapping for Branching Structure Dose Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radiation therapy methods do not adequately account for branching structures such as airways and pulmonary vessels, which are vulnerable to radiation damage and can cause irreversible dysfunction, and fail to consider anatomical variations during breathing cycles.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that determine voxel subsets based on branching structures and anatomical parameters, computing doses at each phase of the breathing cycle to minimize radiation exposure and optimize beam shapes and intensities, thereby protecting these structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional radiation therapy methods are used to deliver sufficient radiation dose to the tumor, then tumor cells are killed, but normal tissue cells and organs-at-risk receive excessive radiation dose causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the radiation treatment planning by identifying and separating branching structures (airways, vessels) from functional sub-volumes. It creates distinct datasets and dose calculations for each structure type, allowing differential dose constraints to be applied. This segmentation enables the system to protect branching structures while delivering adequate dose to functional lung regions, resolving the contradiction between tumor treatment effectiveness and normal tissue protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different dose constraints and protection priorities to different tissue types within the radiation field. Branching structures receive stricter dose constraints than functional sub-volumes. The system calculates and applies spatially-varying dose distributions that reflect the different radiosensitivity and functional importance of various structures, thereby protecting vulnerable branching structures while maintaining tumor treatment efficacy.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If radiation therapy plans avoid high-functioning lung regions, then normal tissue damage is reduced, but branching structures such as airways and vessels receive insufficient protection despite their vulnerability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the lung anatomy into branching structures and functional sub-volumes, creating separate datasets for each. This segmentation allows the system to independently calculate and apply dose constraints to branching structures, ensuring they receive adequate protection despite their location within high-functioning lung regions. The segmented approach prevents the trade-off where avoiding functional regions inadvertently under-protects vulnerable branching structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by assigning higher protection priorities and stricter dose constraints specifically to branching structures. The system identifies branching structures through imaging data and applies differentiated dose limits based on their vulnerability. This localized protection strategy ensures branching structures receive sufficient radiation protection without compromising the treatment of surrounding functional lung tissue.
3Measurement precision
If dose estimation methods account for breathing motion by measuring tissue types over multiple phases, then dose distribution accuracy is improved, but the complexity of computation and data processing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the dose calculation process by creating separate dose datasets for each breathing phase and then combining them with phase-specific weights. This segmentation allows the system to handle complex breathing motion effects systematically, calculating dose contributions from each phase independently before integrating them into the final dose distribution. The segmented approach manages computational complexity through structured processing while maintaining high dose estimation accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for radiation therapy using functional measurements of branching structures. The method includes determining a location of each voxel of a plurality of voxels in a reference frame of a radiation device. The method further includes obtaining measurements that indicate a tissue type at each voxel. The method further includes determining a subset of the voxels based on an anatomical parameter of a respective branching structure of a set of branching structures indicated by the measurements. The method further includes determining a subset of the voxels that enclose an organ-at-risk (OAR) volume. The method further includes determining a value of a utility measure at each voxel. The method further includes determining a series of beam shapes and intensities which minimize a value of an objective function based on a computed dose delivered to each voxel and the utility measure for that voxel summed over all voxels.