Method and device for planning a radiation therapy

1. A method of planning a radiation therapy, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a dose distribution for a target volume on the basis of a first image;

determining at least one of shape and position variation of a surface of an object of interest in the target volume between the first image and a second image, the first and second images being taken at different points in time of a radation process, including:

applying a first surface mesh to the object of interest in the first image;

performing a first adaptation of the first surface mesh to a surface of the object of interest in the first image resulting in a second surface mesh;

applying the second surface mesh to the object of interest in the second image;

performing a second adaptation of the second surface mesh to the surface of the object of interest in the second image resulting in a third surface mesh; and

obtaining a difference between the second surface mesh and the third surface mesh;

adjusting the dose distribution on the basis of the at least one of shape and position variation; and

at least one of storing the adjusted dose distribution and displaying the adjusted dose distribution.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

generating a volumetric model of the object of interest on the basis of the second surface mesh; and

deforming the volumetric model on the basis of the difference resulting in a deformed volumetric model.

3. The method of claim 2 ,

wherein the difference is used as a boundary condition for the deformation of the volumetric model.

4. The method of claim 2 ,

wherein the at least one of shape and position variation of the object of interest is determined on the basis of the deformed volumetric model.

5. The method of claim 2 ,

wherein a biomechanical model is taken into account for the deformation of the volumetric model.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second images are computed tomography (CT) images.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second surface mesh and the third surface mesh result from applying the same surface model.

8. A radiation therapy planning device, comprising:

a memory for storing a first image and a second image; and

a processor for:

applying a first surface mesh to the object of interest in the first image;

performing a first adaptation of the first surface mesh to a surface of the object of interest in the first image resulting in a second surface mesh;

applying the second surface mesh to the object of interest in the second image;

performing a second adaptation of the second surface mesh to the surface of the object of interest in the second image resulting in a third surface mesh;

obtaining a difference between the second surface mesh and the third surface mesh;

generating a volumetric model of the object of interest on the basis of the second surface mesh;

deforming the volumetric model on the basis of the difference resulting in a deformed volumetric model;

determining a dose distribution for a target volume on the basis of the first image;

determining at least one of shape and position variation of an object of interest in the target volume between the first image and the second image; and

adjusting the dose distribution on the basis of the at least one of shape and position variation;

wherein the first and second images were taken at different points in time of a radiation treatment process.

9. The radiation therapy planning device of claim 8 ,

wherein the difference is used as a boundary condition for the deformation of the volumetric model; and

wherein a biomechanical model is taken into account for the deformation of the volumetric model.

10. The radiation therapy planning device of claim 8 , wherein the second surface mesh and the third surface mesh result from applying the same surface model.

11. A computer readable medium carrying a computer program for a radiation therapy planning device, wherein a processor of the radiation therapy device performs the following operation when the computer program is executed on the processor:

determining a dose distribution for a target volume on the basis of a first image;

applying a first surface mesh to the object of interest in the first image;

performing a first adaptation of the first surface mesh to a surface of the object of interest in the first image resulting in a second surface mesh;

applying the second surface mesh to the object of interest in the second image;

performing a second adaptation of the second surface mesh to the surface of the object of interest in the second image resulting in a third surface mesh;

obtaining a difference between the second surface mesh and the third surface mesh;

generating a volumetric model of the object of interest on the basis of the second surface mesh;

deforming the volumetric model on the basis of the difference resulting in a deformed volumetric model; and

adjusting the dose distribution on the basis of the deformed volumetric model;

wherein the first and second images were taken at different points in time of a radiation treatment process.

12. A method for adapting a dose distribution of a radiation therapy plan comprising:

adapting a first surface mesh to an object of interest in a first image resulting in a first adapted surface mesh;

adapting the first adapted surface mesh to the object of interest in a subsequent image resulting in a second adapted surface mesh;

deforming a volumetric model of the object of interest based on a difference between the first adapted surface mesh and the second adapted surface mesh; and

at least one of storing the deformed volumetric model and displaying the deformed volumetric model.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the subsequent image is acquired prior to a radiation therapy treatment.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the subsequent image is acquired prior to a predetermined interval of radiation therapy treatments.