Radiotherapy Plan Robustness Evaluation in 3D Dose-Volume Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radiotherapy treatment plans face challenges in evaluating and presenting the robustness against uncertainties such as systematic and random inter-fractional patient setup errors, making it difficult to distinguish dose distributions between target structures and organs at risk, and lacking qualitative or quantitative indicators for plan robustness.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for evaluating and presenting treatment plan robustness using a 3D dose-volume-structure space, generating dose distributions under nominal and uncertainty conditions, and providing graphical tools for manipulation and robustness indicators to enhance the evaluation process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dose distributions are calculated under multiple uncertainty conditions to evaluate treatment plan robustness, then the reliability of treatment planning is improved, but the complexity of the evaluation system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the evaluation process into distinct components: generating multiple uncertainty conditions, calculating dose distributions for each condition, and presenting results in a structured 3D dose-volume-structure space. This segmentation allows the complex evaluation to be broken down into manageable steps that can be systematically processed and analyzed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a treatment planning system as an intermediary that automatically performs the complex calculations and presentations. This intermediary handles the computational burden of evaluating multiple uncertainty conditions, transforming the complex evaluation process into a streamlined workflow that maintains high reliability without requiring direct manual intervention for each calculation.
2Ease of operation
If traditional 2D dose-volume histograms are used to present dose distributions, then the ease of operation is maintained, but the ability to distinguish dose distributions between target structures and organs at risk deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional 2D dose-volume histograms to a 3D dose-volume-structure space, adding the structure dimension to the presentation. This dimensional enhancement allows dose distributions for different anatomical structures to be simultaneously visualized and distinguished in three-dimensional space, preserving ease of graphical presentation while eliminating the information loss that occurs when multiple structures overlap in 2D space.
3Measurement precision
If detailed dose distribution analysis is performed under multiple uncertainty conditions, then the measurement precision of robustness evaluation is improved, but the time required for treatment planning increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates simplified visual representations (copies) of the complex dose distribution data in the 3D dose-volume-structure space. These visual copies provide an intuitive overview of robustness characteristics without requiring clinicians to manually analyze every detailed calculation, thereby maintaining high measurement precision while significantly reducing the time required for evaluation.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for evaluating and presenting robustness of a radiotherapy treatment plan for use in radiotherapy are discussed. An exemplary system includes a processor to generate, in a radiation simulation in accordance with the treatment plan under evaluation, dose distributions at an anatomical structure under a nominal condition and one or more artificially imposed uncertainty conditions, determine a dose distribution characteristic for the anatomical structure using the received dose distributions, and generate a robustness indicator of the treatment plan. The dose distributions may be determined at a target structure and one or more structures at risk, and presented graphically in a three-dimensional dose-volume-structure space. An output circuit can output the dose distribution characteristic or the robustness indicator to a user or a treatment planning system.