Radiotherapy DVH Interface for Treatment Time Tradeoff
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radiotherapy treatment planning systems face challenges in understanding the effect of penalty function weights on dose distribution to tumors and organs-at-risk, making it difficult to optimize fluence maps effectively, and the process is computationally intensive.
Innovation Solution
A graphical user interface (GUI) that allows clinicians to select a treatment time, dynamically updating radiation dose information for volumes of interest, facilitating the generation of fluence maps that meet dose objectives while minimizing undesirable irradiation characteristics, and reducing the need for multiple optimization iterations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple optimization iterations are performed to understand the effect of penalty function weights on dose distribution, then manufacturing precision of treatment plan is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates and stores dose distribution results for multiple penalty function weight combinations before the clinician makes a final selection. This allows the clinician to review pre-computed options and make informed decisions without waiting for time-consuming optimization iterations during the planning session, thereby reducing treatment planning time while maintaining dose distribution optimization quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If extensive computational effort is applied to optimize fluence maps, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a limited set of pre-calculations covering a range of penalty function weight combinations rather than exhaustive optimization for every possible scenario. This partial action provides sufficient information for clinical decision-making without the excessive computational effort that would reduce productivity, allowing clinicians to select from pre-computed options that adequately cover the optimization space.
3Measurement precision
If multiple fluence maps are generated for different penalty function weights, then measurement precision of dose distribution effect is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the optimization process by generating separate fluence maps for different penalty function weight combinations and storing them as distinct pre-computed options. This segmentation allows the computational complexity to be divided into manageable segments that can be pre-calculated and stored, reducing the complexity burden during actual treatment planning while maintaining precise measurement capability for comparing different weight options.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1D
Figure 1E
Figure 1F
AI summary
Described herein is a graphical user interface that receives a user-specified treatment time value and displays the resultant dose distributions to a target region and/or organs-at-risk (OARs). The dose distributions are depicted as dose volume histograms (DVHs). The user-specified treatment time value may be adjusted as desired and the DVHs for the target region and/or OARs may be correspondingly updated. In some variations, the graphical user interface may comprise bounded DVHs for the target region and/or OARs, where bounds of the DVH represent the range of dose variability between a short treatment time (e.g., T min ) and a long treatment time (e.g., T max ). In some variations, the graphical user interface includes a command button that triggers fluence map optimization using the user-specified treatment time.