Radiotherapy Patient Positioning With Dose-Guided Repositioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing patient positioning systems for radiotherapy face substantial computational burdens and time consumption in dose computation due to variations in patient positioning and morphological changes during treatment sessions.

Innovation Solution

A positioning system utilizing a dose-based control module with neuromorphic data processing and a combination of geometry-based and transformation modules to efficiently optimize patient repositioning, incorporating convolutional neuromorphic processing branches and gradient descent algorithms for accurate dose-guided corrections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If dose computation is performed for multiple alignments to achieve optimal dose distribution, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to substantial computational burden and time consumption

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedose distribution alignmentVSAvoidcomputation speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a pre-computed lookup table that stores dose distribution data for multiple possible alignments. Instead of performing computationally intensive dose computations in real-time, the system copies and retrieves pre-calculated dose data from the lookup table based on the actual alignment parameters, dramatically reducing computation time while maintaining dose distribution accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs dose computations for multiple alignments in advance during the treatment planning phase, storing the results in a lookup table. This preliminary action allows the treatment delivery phase to simply retrieve pre-computed data without performing heavy computations, resolving the contradiction between precision and productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If multiple alignments are evaluated to ensure optimal dose delivery, then reliability is improved, but loss of time increases due to substantial computation time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedose delivery accuracyVSAvoidpositioning time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system copies pre-computed dose distribution data from a lookup table for immediate use during treatment positioning, eliminating the need to re-compute dose distributions and significantly reducing the time required to evaluate multiple alignments while maintaining reliable dose delivery predictions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

Dose distribution calculations for multiple alignments are performed in advance during treatment planning and stored in the lookup table. During actual treatment sessions, the system only needs to retrieve and compare pre-computed data, ensuring reliable dose delivery evaluation without time-consuming computations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4482573B1Positioning system for radiotherapy
Publication Date: 2026.04.01 UNIVERSITY OF GRONINGEN
  • EP4482573B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4482573B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4482573B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system (1) for positioning a patient for radiotherapy in accordance with patient specific data including a first volumetric image (e.g. a pCT image) of the patient comprising tissue label data and dose specification data is provided that comprises an imaging device (2), a positioning device (3) and an optimization controller (4). The imaging device (2) is configured to provide a second volumetric image (e.g. an rCT image) of the patient including a designated part of the patient to be treated. The positioning device (3) is provided to hold the patient in a variable position and/or orientation in the beam of radiation for an accurate intervention to a designated part of the patient. The optimization controller (4) comprises a dose based control module configured to provide registration control data (ΔP) to guide the positioning device (3) so that the actually applied treatment dose optimally matches the planned treatment dose.