Method for improved surface tracking-based motion management and dynamic planning in adaptive external beam radiation therapy

1. A therapy planning system for treating an internal target of a patient using a therapy delivery control system configured to deliver therapy to the patient, said therapy planning system comprising:

at least one processor programmed to:

receive a treatment plan to treat the internal target, the treatment plan including a plurality of treatment fractions including correspondences between the internal target and an external body surface based on (i) a pre-procedural planning image which is segmented to delineate the internal target, and (ii) pre-procedural tracking data;

before delivery of one or more selected treatment fractions of the plurality of treatment fractions:

receive a pre-fraction planning image of the target;

segment the internal target in the pre-fraction planning image by registering the pre-fraction planning image to the segmented pre-procedural planning image;

receive tracking data of the external body surface of the patient; and

update the correspondences between the internal target and the external body surface based on (i) the segmented pre-fraction planning image and (ii) the received tracking data of the external body surface of the patient; and

provide the treatment plan and the updated correspondences to the therapy delivery control system in accordance with the treatment plan and using the updated correspondences.

2. A therapy system for treating an internal target of a patient using a therapy delivery control system configured to deliver therapy to the patient, said therapy system comprising:

at least one processor programmed to after one or more of a plurality of treatment fractions:

receive a treatment plan to treat the internal target, the treatment plan including the plurality of treatment fractions including correspondences between the internal target and an external body surface based on (i) a pre-procedural planning image which is segmented to delineate the internal target, and (ii) pre-procedural tracking data, wherein a size and shape of the internal target change with the delivery of therapy during the plurality of treatment fractions;

before delivery of one or more selected treatment fractions of the plurality of treatment fractions:

receive a pre-fraction planning image of the target;

segment the internal target in the received pre-fraction planning image and registering the received pre-fraction planning image to the segmented pre-procedural planning image;

receive tracking data of the external body surface of the patient;

update the size and the shape of the internal target and the correspondences between the internal target with the updated size and shape and the external body surface based on the segmented pre-fraction planning image and the received tracking data;

update the treatment plan based on the updated size and shape of the internal target from the segmented pre-fraction planning image and the updated correspondence between the internal target and the external body surface; and

provide the updated treatment plan and the updated correspondences to the therapy delivery control system to control delivery of the therapy in accordance with the updated treatment plan and using the updated correspondences.

3. The therapy planning system according to claim 1 , wherein the treatment plan is generated using a pre-procedural planning image including the target, and wherein the received tracking data corresponds to the generation of the pre-procedural planning image.

4. The therapy planning system according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-fraction planning image is four-dimensional (4D).

5. The therapy planning system according to claim 1 , wherein the therapy delivery control system is further configured to:

dynamically adjust a planning target volume (PTV) of the treatment plan using the updated correspondences during delivery of the therapy.

6. The therapy planning system according to claim 1 , wherein the therapy delivery control system is further configured to:

gate a therapy beam using the updated correspondences during delivery of the therapy.

7. The therapy planning system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:

temporally synchronize the segmented pre-fraction planning image with the received tracking data.

8. The therapy planning system according to claim 7 , wherein the temporal synchronization is based on respiratory phases of the patient.

9. The therapy planning system according to claim 1 , wherein the treatment plan is generated using the segmented pre-procedural planning image which includes the target, and wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:

temporally synchronize the segmented pre-procedural planning image with the segmented pre-fraction planning image.

10. A therapy delivery method for treating an internal target of a patient using a therapy delivery control system configured to deliver therapy to the patient, said therapy delivery method comprising:

after one or more of a plurality of treatment fractions:

receiving a treatment plan to treat the internal target, the treatment plan including the plurality of treatment fractions including correspondences between the internal target and an external body surface based on (i) a pre-procedural planning image which is segmented to delineate the internal target, and (ii) pre-procedural tracking data, wherein a size and shape of the internal target change with the delivery of therapy during the plurality of treatment fractions;

before delivery of one or more selected treatment fractions of the plurality of treatment fractions:

receiving a pre-fraction planning image of the target;

segmenting the internal target in the received pre-fraction planning image and registering the received pre-fraction planning image to the segmented pre-procedural planning image;

receiving tracking data of the external body surface of the patient;

updating the size and the shape of the internal target and the correspondences between the internal target with the updated size and shape and the external body surface based on the segmented pre-fraction planning image and the received tracking data;

updating the treatment plan based on the updated size and shape of the internal target from the received segmented pre-fraction planning image and the updated correspondence between the internal target and the external body surface; and

providing the updated treatment plan and the updated correspondences to the therapy delivery control system to control delivery of the therapy in accordance with the updated treatment plan and using the updated correspondences.

11. The therapy delivery method according to claim 10 , wherein the treatment plan is generated using a pre-procedural planning image of the target, and wherein the received tracking data corresponds to the generation of the pre-procedural planning image.

12. The therapy delivery method according to claim 10 , wherein the pre-fraction planning image is four-dimensional (4D).

13. The therapy delivery method according to claim 10 , further including:

dynamically adjusting a planning target volume (PTV) of the treatment plan using the updated correspondences during delivery of the therapy.

14. The therapy delivery method according to claim 10 , further including:

gating a therapy beam using the updated correspondences during delivery of the therapy.

15. The therapy delivery method according to claim 10 , further including:

temporally synchronizing the received pre-fraction planning image with the received tracking data.

16. The therapy delivery method according to claim 15 , wherein the temporal synchronization is based on respiratory phase of the patient.

17. One or more processors programmed to perform the therapy delivery method according to claim 10 .

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying software which controls one or more processors of a therapy system for treating an internal target of a patient using a therapy delivery control system configured to deliver therapy to the patient, the one or more processors being programmed to after one or more of a plurality of treatment fractions:

receive a treatment plan to treat the internal target, the treatment plan including the plurality of treatment fractions including correspondences between the internal target and an external body surface based on (i) a pre-procedural planning image which is segmented to delineate the internal target, and (ii) pre-procedural tracking data, wherein a size and shape of the internal target change with the delivery of therapy during the plurality of treatment fractions;

before delivery of one or more selected treatment fractions of the plurality of treatment fractions:

receive a pre-fraction planning image of the target;

segment the internal target in the received pre-fraction planning image and registering the received pre-fraction planning image to the segmented pre-procedural planning image;

receive tracking data of the external body surface of the patient;

update the size and the shape of the internal target and the correspondences between the internal target with the updated size and shape and the external body surface based on the segmented pre-fraction planning image and the received tracking data;

update the treatment plan based on the updated size and shape of the internal target from the segmented pre-fraction planning image and the updated correspondence between the internal target and the external body surface; and

provide the updated treatment plan and the updated correspondences to the therapy delivery control system to control delivery of the therapy in accordance with the updated treatment plan and using the updated correspondences.