Radiotherapy Dose Mixing Across Proton and Photon Treatment Plans
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radiation therapy planning methods fail to efficiently utilize multiple therapy devices, leading to prolonged waiting times and rescheduling of treatments, particularly for patients with malignant tumors, due to the limited availability of proton therapy facilities and the need for individual planning for each technology.
Innovation Solution
A multi-criteria optimization method that combines the use of two different radiation devices, distributing the planned total dose across sessions from each device to minimize waiting times and ensure immediate treatment initiation, while considering device availability and therapeutic quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If proton therapy facilities are used for treatment, then therapeutic quality is improved, but device availability and waiting times worsen due to limited facilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple radiation therapy technologies (proton therapy and photon therapy) into a unified treatment plan, allowing patients to receive portions of their treatment from different device types. This merging approach increases overall device availability while maintaining therapeutic quality by distributing treatment across multiple facilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The planning system creates treatment plans that are universally applicable across different radiation therapy device types. By designing plans that can be executed on either proton or photon devices, the system maximizes the utility of available facilities and reduces waiting times while maintaining treatment effectiveness.
2Reliability
If separate planning is performed for each technology, then treatment quality is optimized, but planning complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple technology-specific planning processes into a single integrated multi-criteria optimization plan. This unified approach simultaneously considers proton and photon device characteristics, reducing overall planning complexity while maintaining the ability to optimize for each device type's specific capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes planning parameters by incorporating multiple device types and their specific characteristics into a single optimization framework. This allows the plan to adapt parameters such as dose distribution, fractionation, and delivery timing based on available devices without requiring separate planning processes.
3Reliability
If modern radiation devices are prioritized for treatment, then therapeutic effectiveness is improved, but device utilization efficiency worsens as older devices remain underused
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different device types to different portions of the treatment plan based on their specific strengths and availability. Modern devices are utilized for portions requiring their advanced capabilities, while older devices are assigned to portions where they remain effective, thereby optimizing overall device utilization while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the utilization of modern and older radiation devices within a single treatment plan, creating a hybrid approach that maximizes overall device productivity. By distributing treatment across both new and existing facilities, the system improves utilization efficiency without compromising patient outcomes.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1A
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
This disclosure relates to a multi-criteria optimisation (MCO) method. In particular, the design or configuration of a therapy as a treatment plan for a person (P) with a treatable disease to be treated, which is treated by non-simultaneously divided doses from the at least two radiation devices (100, 200), wherein the designed or configured treatment plan defines a plurality of technical settings which are adjusted in the radiation devices prior to the treatment. On the display device (10) for the at least two technologies (A, B), one Pareto front (601, 701) is displayed for each, in each case via at least two criteria (c1, c2) to form a combined Pareto front (801) from one field (F, F') of the two criteria (c1, c2), resulting from convex combinations of at least nodes of the first and second Pareto front (601, 701); and with the formation of a surface section as the field (F, F') such that the field forms a line segment of limited length, which forms the combined Pareto front (801), is used for interactive navigation of a mixing ratio of at least two technologies (A, B) and for planning, for a point on the combined Pareto front (801).