IP Library Granted Patent US 9,656,099
Granted Patent B2
US 9,656,099 · App. 14/472,317 · Granted May 23, 2017

Dose rate modulated stereotactic radio surgery

Inventor: Brett Mathew Sloman (Chesterfield, MO)
Assignee: IMPAC MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.
A61N5/1039A61N5/1031A61N5/1071A61N5/1084A61N2005/1095
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,656,099
App. No.
14/472,317
Granted
May 23, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for radiotherapy. Embodiments of the present disclosure may receive a medical image including images of a target and an organ at risk (OAR). Some embodiments may also receive a target dose and a constraint on an OAR dose. Some embodiments may also generate a dose application plan based on the target dose and the constraint. Generation of the dose application plan may include determining a placement of an arc along which radiation is to be applied based on the target dose and a location of the target; dividing the arc into a plurality of segments; determining a dose rate associated with each segment; calculating a predicted OAR dose based on the determined dose rate; and comparing the predicted OAR dose with the constraint on the OAR dose to determine whether the predicted OAR dose satisfies the constraint on the OAR dose.

Claims (48)

1. A radiotherapy system, comprising:

a memory storing computer executable instructions;

a processor device communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the processor device is configured to execute the computer executable instructions for:

receiving a medical image of a patient, the medical image including images of a target and an organ at risk (OAR);

receiving a target dose to be received by the target and a constraint on an OAR dose to be received by the OAR; and

generating a dose application plan based on the target dose and the constraint on the OAR dose, including:

determining a placement of an arc along which radiation is to be applied based on the target dose and a location of the target;

dividing the arc into a plurality of segments;

determining a dose rate associated with each segment;

calculating a predicted OAR dose based on the determined dose rate associated with each segment; and

comparing the predicted OAR dose with the constraint on the OAR dose to determine whether the predicted OAR dose satisfies the constraint on the OAR dose.

2. The radiotherapy system of claim 1 , wherein determining the dose application plan includes:

providing the dose application plan with the determined placement of the arc, the plurality of segments of the arc, and the dose rate associated with each segment to a user when the predicted OAR dose satisfies the constraint on the OAR dose.

3. The radiotherapy system of claim 1 , wherein determining the dose application plan includes:

revising at least one of: the placement of the arc, the dividing of the plurality of segments, or the dose rate when the predicted OAR dose not satisfy the constraint on the OAR dose.

4. The radiotherapy system of claim 1 , wherein determining the dose application plan includes:

determining a radiation beam shape associated with the arc; and

calculating the predicted OAR dose based on the determined dose rate associated with each segment and the radiation beam shape associated with the arc.

5. The radiotherapy system of claim 4 , comprising:

a radiation beam shaper to control the radiation beam shape associated with the arc.

6. The radiotherapy system of claim 5 , wherein the radiation beam shaper has a cone-shaped opening.

7. The radiotherapy system of claim 5 , wherein the radiation beam shaper has an opening that is less than 5 cm in size.

8. The radiotherapy system of claim 1 , wherein determining the dose application plan includes:

determining placement of a plurality of arcs along which radiation is to be applied based on the target dose and a location of the target; and

determining a weighting factor associated with each arc.

9. The radiotherapy system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer executable instructions for:

identifying a target volume corresponding to the target and an OAR volume corresponding to the OAR in the medical image.

10. A method, implemented by a processor device, for dose planning in a radiotherapy system, comprising:

receiving a medical image of a patient, the medical image including images of a target and an organ at risk (OAR);

receiving a target dose to be received by the target and a constraint on an OAR dose to be received by the OAR; and

generating a dose application plan based on the target dose and the constraint on the OAR dose, including:

determining a placement of an arc along which radiation is to be applied based on the target dose and a location of the target;

dividing the arc into a plurality of segments;

determining a dose rate associated with each segment;

calculating a predicted OAR dose based on the determined dose rate associated with each segment; and

comparing the predicted OAR dose with the constraint on the OAR dose to determine whether the predicted OAR dose satisfies the constraint on the OAR dose.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the dose application plan includes:

providing the dose application plan with the determined placement of the arc, the plurality of segments of the arc, and the dose rate associated with each segments to a user when the predicted OAR dose satisfies the constraint on the OAR dose.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the dose application plan includes:

revising at least one of: the placement of the arc, the dividing of the plurality of segments, or the dose rate when the predicted OAR dose not satisfy the constraint on the OAR dose.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the dose application plan includes:

determining a radiation beam shape associated with the arc; and

calculating the predicted OAR dose based on the determined dose rate associated with each segment and the radiation beam shape associated with the arc.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the dose application plan includes:

determining placement of a plurality of arcs along which radiation is to be applied based on the target dose and a location of the target; and

determining a weighting factor associated with each arc.

15. The method of claim 10 , comprising:

identifying a target volume corresponding to the target and an OAR volume corresponding to the OAR in the medical image.

Assignments (4)
MERGER Recorded Jun 18, 2018
From: IMPAC MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.
To: ELEKTA, INC.
Reel/Frame 046378/0414 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 18, 2017
From: IMPAC MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.
To: ELEKTA, INC.
Reel/Frame 043032/0562 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2017
From: IMPAC MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.
To: ELEKTA INC.
Reel/Frame 042600/0356 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 9, 2015
From: SLOMAN, BRETT MATHEW
To: IMPAC MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 036993/0468 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160059038A1 · Mar 3, 2016