Radiation treatment plan optimization as a function of both dosimetric and non-dosimetric parameters

1 . A method comprising:

by a control circuit configured to optimize an ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of a plurality of different criteria that include both dosimetric parameters and non-dosimetric parameters:

during a first optimization phase, generating a first phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of dosimetric parameters and a first cost function;

during a second optimization phase, generating a second phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of a second cost function that is based on the first phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan and at least one non-dosimetric parameter, and which second cost function is different from the first cost function.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dosimetric parameters include dosing information for at least one of a target patient volume and an organ-at-risk.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one non-dosimetric parameter includes a parameter pertaining to at least one of:

time;

fluence smoothness;

monitor units;

ionizing radiation treatment platform performance;

passing a quality assurance assessment.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to generate the first phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of only dosimetric parameters to the exclusion of any non-dosimetric parameters.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to generate the second phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of the first phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan, the at least one non-dosimetric parameter, and at least one dosimetric parameter.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one dosimetric parameter includes all of the dosimetric parameters that were used during the first optimization phase.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

during a third optimization phase, generating a third phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of the second phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan and at least one non-dosimetric parameter.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one non-dosimetric parameter used during the third optimization phase is different from the at least one non-dosimetric parameter used during the second optimization phase.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining an allowance parameter for at least one of the dosimetric parameters to provide at least one determined allowance parameter;

and wherein generating the second phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of the first phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan and at least one non-dosimetric parameter comprises generating the second phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of the first phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan, the at least one non-dosimetric parameter, and the at least one determined allowance parameter.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein:

determining an allowance parameter for at least one of the dosimetric parameters to provide at least one determined allowance parameter comprises determining a plurality of allowance parameters for each of a plurality of the dosimetric parameters to provide a plurality of determined allowance parameters;

and wherein generating the second phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of the first phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan and at least one non-dosimetric parameter comprises generating the second phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of the first phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan, the at least one non-dosimetric parameter, and the plurality of determined allowance parameters.

11 . An apparatus comprising:

a control circuit configured to optimize an ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of a plurality of different criteria that include both dosimetric parameters and non-dosimetric parameters by, at least in part:

during a first optimization phase, generating a first phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of dosimetric parameters;

during a second optimization phase, generating a second phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of a second cost function that is based on the first phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan and at least one non-dosimetric parameter, and which second cost function is different from the first cost function.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the dosimetric parameters include dosing information for at least one of a target patient volume and an organ-at-risk.

13 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the at least one non-dosimetric parameter includes a parameter pertaining to at least one of:

time;

fluence smoothness;

monitor units;

ionizing radiation treatment platform performance;

passing a quality assurance assessment.

14 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

generate the first phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of only dosimetric parameters to the exclusion of any non-dosimetric parameters.

15 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

generate the second phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of the first phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan, the at least one non-dosimetric parameter, and at least one dosimetric parameter.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one dosimetric parameter includes all of the dosimetric parameters that were used during the first optimization phase.

17 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

during a third optimization phase, generate a third phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of the second phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan and at least one non-dosimetric parameter.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the at least one non-dosimetric parameter used during the third optimization phase is different from the at least one non-dosimetric parameter used during the second optimization phase.

19 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine an allowance parameter for at least one of the dosimetric parameters to provide a determined allowance parameter;

and wherein the control circuit is configured to generate the second phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of the first phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan and at least one non-dosimetric parameter by generating the second phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of the first phase optimized radiation treatment plan, the at least one non-dosimetric parameter, and the at least one determined allowance parameter.

20 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine an allowance parameter for at least one of the dosimetric parameters to provide at least one determined allowance parameter comprises determining a plurality of allowance parameters for each of a plurality of the dosimetric parameters to provide a plurality of determined allowance parameters;

and wherein the control circuit is configured to generate the second phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of the first phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan and at least one non-dosimetric parameter by generating the second phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan as a function of the first phase optimized ionizing radiation treatment plan, the at least one non-dosimetric parameter, and the plurality of determined allowance parameters.