Radiotherapy Control Planes for Dose Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radiation therapy methods lack flexibility in calculating local partial radiation doses, particularly when treating target volumes that exceed the maximum field of view of a beam, leading to suboptimal dosimetric distribution and increased exposure to healthy tissues.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of control planes to divide the target volume into sub-volumes, allowing for the precise allocation and positioning of beams to deliver a total radiation dose, with beams split at control levels to ensure non-zero partial doses in each sub-volume, thereby optimizing dose distribution and minimizing exposure to healthy tissues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the target volume is divided into sub-volumes using control planes, then the flexibility in treatment planning is enhanced and dosimetric distribution is optimized, but the device complexity increases due to the need for multiple control planes and beam splitting mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The target volume is segmented into multiple sub-volumes using control planes (first control plane and second control plane). Each control plane divides the target volume into front and back sub-volumes, enabling independent dose calculation and optimization for each segment. This segmentation allows flexible treatment planning by permitting different beam configurations and dose distributions in different sub-volumes.
2Manufacturing precision
If beams are split at control levels to deliver dose to sub-volumes, then the dosimetric distribution is optimized and healthy tissue exposure is reduced, but the calculation complexity increases due to isolated calculation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by calculating partial radiation doses isolated for each side of each control plane. This means that for each control plane and each side (front or back), the partial doses from all beams are calculated independently, allowing optimization of dose distribution specific to each sub-volume. This isolated calculation approach enables precise dose delivery while managing complexity through systematic organization of calculations by control plane and side.
3Measurement precision
If multiple beams are used to irradiate target volumes exceeding maximum field of view, then the total radiation dose can be delivered accurately, but the exposure to healthy tissues increases without optimized beam weighting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by introducing beam weighting factors that can be independently adjusted for each beam and each side of each control plane. These weighting factors allow optimization of the contribution of each beam to the total dose in different sub-volumes. By changing these parameters (beam weights, control plane positions, sub-volume definitions), the system can accurately deliver the prescribed total dose while minimizing exposure to healthy tissues through intelligent dose distribution.
Data Source
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AI summary
The method involves defining control planes for controlling dosage of rays, respectively, where each plane divides an objective volume (4) into two sub volumes. Isolated computing of local partial radiation doses of all rays assigned to the planes is performed for one side of the planes so that sum of local partial radiation doses of the rays assigned to the side of the planes provides sub volume-total radiation dose and sum of local partial radiation doses of the remaining rays assigned to the planes provides difference between the sub volume-total radiation dose and total radiation dose. An independent claim is also included for a radiation therapy system.