Radiation treatment planning using four-dimensional imaging data

1. A method, comprising:

receiving four-dimensional diagnostic imaging data generated by an imaging device; and

developing a radiation treatment plan using the four-dimensional diagnostic imaging data, wherein the four-dimensional diagnostic imaging data comprises a plurality of three-dimensional images, and wherein each of the plurality of three-dimensional images represents a different point in a motion cycle, and wherein developing the radiation treatment plan comprises:

receiving delineated target region information;

defining a motion model describing a motion of the target region over a motion cycle using the four-dimensional diagnostic imaging data as input data to the motion model;

obtaining a set of deformation fields for the target region using a set of vectors derived from the plurality of three-dimensional images;

assigning a weight to each of the plurality of three-dimensional images according to an estimate of a portion of time the target region spends in each part of the motion cycle to generate a dose estimate that takes the motion into account, and;

calculating a dose distribution over the motion cycle to the target region from a plurality of treatment beams of the radiation treatment plan using the motion model that takes the motion into account, wherein the dose distribution to the target region is further calculated using the set of deformation fields, and the weight of each of the plurality of three-dimensional images;

optimizing the radiation treatment plan using the motion model by modifying beam parameters of the plurality of treatment beams such that the calculated dose distribution is optimized for a set of user-specified objectives; and

outputting the optimized radiation treatment plan to a treatment delivery system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the four-dimensional diagnostic imaging data is four-dimensional computed tomography (CT) data.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the motion of the target region is a deformation due to motion comprising respiratory motion, the motion cycle comprises a respiratory cycle, and the motion model comprises a deformation model.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target region is delineated on a CT image acquired during patient breath hold.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the motion of the target region is a deformation due to motion comprising cardiac motion, the motion cycle comprises a cardiac cycle, and the motion model comprises a deformation model.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein defining the motion model comprises performing a non-rigid registration of the plurality of three-dimensional images.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising performing a review of the treatment plan after optimization to compare the dose distribution taking into account effects of respiratory motion with another dose distribution ignoring the effects.

8. A non-transitory machine readable medium having instructions thereon, which instructions, when executed by a digital processing device, cause the digital processing device to perform a following, comprising:

receiving four-dimensional diagnostic imaging data generated by an imaging device;

developing, at least in part, a radiation treatment plan using the four-dimensional diagnostic imaging data, wherein the four-dimensional diagnostic imaging data comprises a plurality of three-dimensional images, and wherein each of the plurality of three-dimensional images represents a different point in a motion cycle, and wherein developing the radiation treatment plan comprises:

receiving information delineating a target region;

defining a motion model describing a motion of the target region over a motion cycle using the four-dimensional diagnostic imaging data as input data to the motion model;

obtaining a set of deformation fields for the target region using a set of vectors derived from the plurality of three-dimensional images;

assigning a weight to each of the plurality of three-dimensional images according to an estimate of a portion of time the target region spends in each part of the motion cycle to generate a dose estimate that takes the motion into account, and;

calculating a dose distribution over the motion cycle to the target region from a plurality of treatment beams of the radiation treatment plan using the motion model that takes the motion of the target into account, wherein the dose distribution to the target region is further calculated using the set of deformation fields and the weight of each of the plurality of three-dimensional images;

optimizing the radiation treatment plan using the motion model by modifying beam parameters of the plurality of treatment beams such that the calculated dose distribution is optimized for a set of user-specified objectives; and

outputting the optimized radiation treatment plan to a treatment delivery system.

9. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the weight is derived from a priori motion data measured for the patient.

10. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 8 , wherein optimizing comprises constructing a dose mask for each of the plurality of treatment beams using the motion model.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 8 , wherein optimizing comprises calculating a standard dose mask using the reference image.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 8 , further having instructions thereon to perform the following comprising generating another dose distribution that does not take into account the motion of the target region.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the motion of the target region is a deformation due to motion comprising at least one of respiratory motion or cardiac motion, the motion cycle comprises at least one of a respiratory cycle or a cardiac cycle, and the motion model comprises a deformation model.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a storage device to store four-dimensional diagnostic imaging data generated by an imaging device; and

a processor operatively coupled to the storage device, the processor configured to:

receive the four-dimensional diagnostic imaging data; and

develop a radiation treatment plan using the four-dimensional diagnostic imaging data, wherein the four-dimensional diagnostic imaging data comprises a plurality of three-dimensional images, and wherein each of the plurality of three-dimensional images represents a different point in a motion cycle, and wherein to develop the radiation treatment plan, the processor is configured to:

receive information delineating a target region;

define a motion model describing a motion of the target region over the motion cycle using the four-dimensional diagnostic imaging data as input data to the motion model;

obtain a set of deformation fields for the target region using a set of vectors derived from the plurality of three-dimensional images;

assign a weight to each of the plurality of three-dimensional images according to an estimate of a portion of time the target region spends in each part of the motion cycle to generate a dose estimate that takes the motion into account;

calculate a dose distribution to the target region from a plurality of treatment beams using the motion model that takes the motion of the target into account, wherein the dose distribution to the target region is further calculated using the set of deformation fields and the weight of each of the plurality of three-dimensional images;

optimize the radiation treatment plan using the motion model by modifying beam parameters of the plurality of treatment beams such that the calculated dose distribution is optimized for a set of user-specified objectives; and

output the optimized radiation treatment plan to a treatment delivery system.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a four-dimensional CT imaging system to generate the four-dimensional data, wherein the processor is operatively coupled to receive the four-dimensional data from the four-dimensional CT imaging system.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a radiation source to deliver radiation treatment to the target region according to the radiation treatment plan.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a treatment delivery imaging system to track an actual position of the target region relative to a radiation beam path produced by the radiation source during delivery of the radiation treatment plan.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the radiation source comprises a linear accelerator (LINAC) mounted to a robotic arm.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the radiation source comprises a linear accelerator (LINAC) mounted to a gantry.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the LINAC is mounted on a gimbaled head assembly.