Tumor Radiation Dosing Using Metabolic and Cellular Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radiation treatment methods rely heavily on anatomical imaging without utilizing metabolic and histological characteristics of tumors, leading to non-individualized and potentially suboptimal dose determination.
Innovation Solution
Utilize non-anatomic imaging information, such as metabolic and cellular imaging, to determine radiation doses tailored to the specific characteristics of individual tumors, incorporating imaging markers that reflect metabolic, physiological, or histological features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If anatomical imaging alone is used to determine radiation dose, then the treatment process is simple and quick, but the treatment is not individualized and may be suboptimal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple imaging modalities (MRI and PET) to acquire both anatomical and functional/metabolic information about the tumor. This merging of different imaging approaches enables individualized treatment planning by providing comprehensive tumor characteristics without requiring separate imaging sessions, thus resolving the contradiction between treatment individualization and process complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The imaging system is designed to perform multiple functions: anatomical localization, metabolic assessment, and treatment planning guidance. By making the imaging process multi-functional, the system can derive multiple types of information from a single integrated workflow, enabling individualized dosing without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Measurement precision
If multiple imaging modalities are used to acquire comprehensive tumor information, then treatment individualization is improved, but the imaging time and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs comprehensive multi-modal imaging and preprocessing steps before the radiation treatment planning session. By completing the complex imaging acquisition and initial analysis in advance, the actual treatment planning can proceed more quickly using pre-processed data, thus reducing the time loss during the critical treatment planning phase while maintaining high measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates PET functional imaging data within the MRI anatomical framework, creating a nested information structure where metabolic information is overlaid on anatomical images. This nesting allows comprehensive tumor characterization to be achieved within a unified imaging workflow, reducing the need for separate imaging sessions and minimizing total imaging time while maintaining high characterization accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for radiation treatment of tumors based at least in part on patient-specific imaging information. The methods, systems and apparatuses include computer programs encoded on computer-readable media. The methods include acquiring imaging information relating to a target to be treated. The imaging information is non-anatomic imaging information relating to the target acquired from at least one imaging marker that reflects at least one of the metabolic, physiological and histological features of the target. The methods further include computing a radiation dose based at least on the imaging information.