Varian Medical Systems International AG Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20160023019 | IMAGING BASED CALIBRATION SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS - Systems, devices, and methods for imaging-based calibration of radiation treatment couch position compensations. | 01-28-2016 |
20150352376 | IMAGING-BASED SELF-ADJUSTING RADIATION THERAPY SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS - Systems, devices, and methods for automatic tuning, calibration, and verification of radiation therapy systems based on images obtained using electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs). | 12-10-2015 |
20150273239 | MULTI LEVEL MULTILEAF COLLIMATOR LEAF TIP SHAPE EFFECTS AND PENUMBRA OPTIMIZATION - A multi level multileaf collimator employs leaves with leaf tips having a non-square shape in a beam's eye view to improve beam shaping effect and penumbra performance. The multi level multileaf collimator includes a first multileaf collimator in a first level comprising beam blocking leaves longitudinally movable in a first direction, and a second multileaf collimator in a second level comprising beam blocking leaves longitudinally movable in a second direction. The first direction may be generally parallel with the second direction and the leaves of the first multileaf collimator may laterally offset the leaves of the second multileaf collimator. The beam blocking leaves of the first multileaf collimator may comprise an end portion having a non-square shape in a beam's eye view. | 10-01-2015 |
20150224342 | SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND DEVICES FOR REAL-TIME TREATMENT VERIFICATION USING AN ELECTRONIC PORTAL IMAGING DEVICE - A radiation dose received by a patient from a radiation therapy system can be verified by acquiring a cine stream of image frames from an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) that is arranged to detect radiation exiting the patient during irradiation. The cine stream of EPID image frames can be processed in real-time to form exit images providing absolute dose measurements at the EPID (dose-to-water values), which is representative of the characteristics of the radiation received by the patient. Compliance with predetermined characteristics for the field can be determined during treatment by periodically comparing the absolute dose measurements with the predetermined characteristics, which can include a predicted total dose in the field after full treatment and/or a complete irradiation area outline (CIAO). The system operator can be alerted or the irradiation automatically stopped when non-compliance is detected. | 08-13-2015 |
20150124930 | TIME-RESOLVED PRE-TREATMENT PORTAL DOSIMETRY SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS - Systems, devices, and methods for pre-treatment verification of radiation dose delivery in arc-based radiation therapy devices using a time-dependent gamma evaluation method. | 05-07-2015 |
20150095044 | DECISION SUPPORT TOOL FOR CHOOSING TREATMENT PLANS - Patient data can be used to determine input values to different estimation functions for different treatment types. The estimation functions can each be used to estimate one or more outcome values for the respective treatment. A quality score can be determined using the outcome value(s). A first treatment plan having an optimal quality score can be identified, e.g., by displaying the treatment plans with the quality scores, which may correspond to the outcome values. | 04-02-2015 |
20150095043 | AUTOMATIC CREATION AND SELECTION OF DOSE PREDICTION MODELS FOR TREATMENT PLANS - A dose prediction model can be determined for generating a dose distribution of a treatment plan for irradiating a target structure within a patient. Treatment plans from previous patients can be analyzed to determine D characteristic values to obtain a D dimensional point for each treatment plan. The treatment plans can be clustered based on the D dimensional points. The treatment plans of a cluster can then be used to determine a dose prediction model. A dose prediction model for patient can be selected from among multiple models. Characteristics about the patient can be used to determine a D dimensional point corresponding to the patient. The D-dimensional point can be used to select a model in comparison to D dimensional points of the models. | 04-02-2015 |
20150094513 | Apparatus and Method for Combining Machine Limitations Information with Target Motion Boundary Information - A control circuit accesses machine limitations information and target motion boundary information. The control circuit then combines the machine limitations information with the target motion boundary information when acting with respect to a radiation treatment plan. By one approach the control circuit acts with respect to a radiation treatment plan by presenting machine limitation information in combination with target motion boundary information. As another approach, the control circuit acts by combining the foregoing information while developing the radiation treatment plan to use that information to make automatic adjustments to the radiation treatment plan to correct instances where a planned configuration reveals a conflict between the physical limitations of the treatment platform and the target motion boundary. | 04-02-2015 |
20150085993 | DOSIMETRIC END-TO-END VERIFICATION DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS - Dosimetrical end-to-end quality assurance devices, systems, and methods for radiation devices using X-ray imaging, optical surface imaging, and electromagnetic navigational systems to position the quality assurance device either absolute or relative in space. | 03-26-2015 |
20150085990 | X-RAY IMAGING DEVICE INCLUDING ANTI-SCATTER GRID - An x-ray imaging device includes an anti-scatter grid placed inside the housing of the imaging device and adjacent to an x-ray detector. | 03-26-2015 |
20140350863 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTOMATIC CREATION OF DOSE PREDICTION MODELS AND THERAPY TREATMENT PLANS AS A CLOUD SERVICE - The present invention proposes a method for automatically creating a dose prediction model based on existing clinical knowledge that is accumulated from multiple sources without collaborators establishing communication links between each other. According to embodiments of the claimed subject matter, clinics can collaborate in creating a dose prediction model by submitting their treatment plans into a remote computer system (such as a cloud-based system) which aggregates information from various collaborators and produces a model that captures clinical information from all submitted treatment plans. According to further embodiments, the method may contain a step where all patient data submitted by a clinic is made anonymous or the relevant parameters are extracted and condensed prior to submitting them over the communications link in order to comply with local regulations. | 11-27-2014 |
20140282167 | Method and Apparatus Pertaining to Automated Multi-Step Radiation-Treatment Plan Development - A control circuit facilitates providing a user interface to facilitate developing a radiation-treatment plan for a given patient, the user interface comprising, at least in part, an opportunity to select an automated multi-step radiation-treatment plan development capability. Upon detecting a user's selection of this automated multi-step radiation-treatment plan development capability, these teachings then provide for automatically carrying out a plurality of steps wherein at least some of the plurality of steps pertain to other than optimizing a radiation dosing. These steps are carried out without requiring further interaction with the user and yield at least one output radiation-treatment plan that is specific to the given patient and that is administrable as yielded. | 09-18-2014 |
20140279725 | RADIATION THERAPY PLANING USING INTEGRATED MODEL - System and method for automatically generate therapy plan parameters by use of an integrate model with extended applicable regions. The integrated model integrates multiple predictive models from which a suitable predictive model can be selected automatically to perform prediction for a new patient case. The integrated model may operate to evaluate prediction results generated by each predictive model and the associated prediction reliabilities and selectively output a satisfactory prediction. Alternatively, the integrated model may select a suitable predictive model by a decision hierarchy in which each level corresponds to divisions of a patient data feature set and divisions on a subordinate level are nested with divisions on a superordinate level. | 09-18-2014 |
20140275713 | Apparatus and Method for Optimizing a Brachytherapy Radiation Treatment Plan - A control circuit optimizes a brachytherapy radiation treatment plan for a patient target volume by defining a radiation-control structure that conformally surrounds the patient target volume and then automatically removes part, but not all, of the radiation-control structure to control consideration of radiation sources that are not disposed within the patient target volume. By one approach the control circuit selectively removes parts of the radiation-control structure as a function of the geometry as corresponds to placement of one or more of the radiation sources. For many application settings it serves well for the radiation-control structure to represent a radiation-avoidance area. | 09-18-2014 |
20140275702 | Method and Apparatus for Using a Designated Patient Structure as an Area to be Masked From Radiation - A control circuit provides a user with an opportunity to designate one or more patient structures for a particular patient that are to be protected from radiation. When optimizing a radiation-treatment plan for that patient, then, the control circuit uses the designated patient structure(s) as an area to be masked from radiation during administration of the radiation-treatment plan. By one approach the aforementioned opportunity to designate patient structures as being designated patient structures comprises providing the user with an opportunity to so designate patient structures via a display. The aforementioned masking can be accomplished as desired including by appropriate use of a multi-leaf collimator. | 09-18-2014 |
20140275701 | Method and Apparatus for Using Preferred Angles When Irradiating Patient Target Volumes - A control circuit identifies (prior to optimizing a radiation-treatment plan) at least one angle (such as one or more gantry angles as correspond to an arc-therapy treatment platform) to provide one or more identified angles. The control circuit then optimizes a radiation-treatment plan with respect to a particular patient target volume by using the identified angle(s) as preferred angles as regards irradiating the patient target volume. Being “preferred,” the radiation-treatment plan is thereby influenced (without being required) towards changing a rate of moving the gantry when traversing the preferred angle(s). For example, the plan can be biased towards slowing down movement of the gantry at such angles to thereby deliver a relatively greater amount of radiation to the patient target volume at the preferred angle. | 09-18-2014 |
20140275700 | Method and Apparatus for Using Patient-Experience Outcomes When Developing Radiation-Therapy Treatment Plans - A control circuit has access to information that correlates a plurality of patient-experience outcomes with corresponding delivered-radiation metrics and uses that plurality of patient-experience outcomes in conjunction with developing a radiation-therapy treatment plan for a particular patient. Those patient-experience outcomes can comprise, for example, information regarding how various patients fared post-radiation treatment as regards such things as post-radiation treatment life expectancy, tumor eradication success, and one or more other quality-of-life metrics. These teachings will accommodate using a particular one of the patient-experience outcomes as an optimization goal when optimizing candidate radiation-therapy treatment plans to develop the radiation-therapy treatment plan. In such a case these teachings will further accommodate, if desired, permitting a user to modify one or more optimization objectives while displaying intermediate optimization results. | 09-18-2014 |
20140275697 | TREATMENT COUCH FOR SMALL ISOCENTRIC ROTATIONS - A treatment system for a patient includes a treatment couch to position the patient. The treatment couch includes a couch top and one or more stages to pitch the couch top about a lateral axis and/or roll the couch top about a longitudinal axis, translate the couch top along lateral directions and/or longitudinal directions, rotate the couch top about a vertical axis, and translate the couch top along vertical directions. | 09-18-2014 |
20140205167 | METHOD FOR INTERACTIVE MANUAL MATCHING AND REAL-TIME PROJECTION CALCULATION IN IMAGING - Methods and systems are proposed herein for performing manual matching of generated digitally reconstructed radiographs with acquired verification images efficiently without intensive processing and/or memory consumption or hardware requirements. According to one aspect of the claimed subject matter, a system is provided that includes a computing workstation, communicatively coupled to both a data storage device and an image acquisition device. Real time images acquired by the image acquisition device are presented to the user along with one or more digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs)—generated using dynamically selected rendering techniques—from previously acquired image data. The user is able to verify the DRRs as a match to the real time image, or, alternately, to dynamically generate additional DRRs more suitable by actuating a portion of the generated DRR. Based on the user actuation, a new DRR is generated and presented to the user for verification. | 07-24-2014 |
20140110594 | MULTI-ENERGY X-RAY IMAGING - An imaging method includes obtaining a first image data for a subset of a target region, the subset of the target region having a first metallic object, obtaining a second image data for the target region, and using the first and second image data to determine a composite image. A imaging system includes a first detector configured to provide a first projection data using a first radiation having high energy, and a second detector configured to provide a second projection data using a second radiation having low energy, wherein the first detector has a first length, the second detector has a second length, and the first length is less than 75% of the second length. | 04-24-2014 |
20140105355 | SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE OF RADIATION THERAPY - Systems, devices, and methods for quality assurance for verification of radiation dose delivery in arc-based radiation therapy devices using a 3D gamma evaluation method. | 04-17-2014 |
20140072109 | RADIATION SYSTEM WITH ROTATING PATIENT SUPPORT - A patient support system includes a patient support having a surface for supporting a patient and a longitudinal axis, and a positioner coupled to the patient support for positioning the patient support, wherein the positioner is configured to move the patient support along a path that has an arc, circular, or zig-zag shape, and wherein the path lies within a plane that forms an angle with the surface of the patient support. | 03-13-2014 |
20140018602 | APPARATUS AND METHOD PERTAINING TO DETERMINING A SPATIALLY-VARIANT NORMAL TISSUE CONSTRAINT AS A FUNCTION OF DOSE DISTRIBUTION - A control circuit optimizes a radiation-treatment plan (as regards treating at least one target volume for a given patient) by automatically determining a spatially-variant normal tissue constraint as a function, at least in part, of dose distribution for normal tissue that is proximal to the target volume. If desired, the control circuit can repeatedly determine spatially-variant normal tissue constraints while optimizing the radiation-treatment plan. This automatic determination can comprise evaluating dose distributions at specific different distances from the target volume. So configured, the control circuit can effect such evaluation by penalizing, during the optimization of the radiation-treatment plan, dose distribution levels that exceed a predetermined distribution property (such as an aggregation value for the dose values including, but not limited to, an average value of dose values for each of the given specific different distances) at a given one of the specific different distances. | 01-16-2014 |
20140014814 | CIRCUITRY AND METHOD FOR COLLECTING IMAGE ARRAY DATA WITH SEPARATE ADDRESSING AND DYNAMIC CLAMPING OF PIXELS TO ALLOW FOR FASTER PIXEL DATA READOUT AND FULL REMOVAL OF PIXEL CHARGES - Circuitry and method for collecting image array data in which pixels are addressed and dynamically clamped separately. In accordance with one embodiment, pixels are addressed and clamped during different time intervals, thereby allowing faster pixel data readout while still allowing sufficient time to remove all pixel charges. | 01-16-2014 |
20130259338 | 4D CONE BEAM CT USING DEFORMABLE REGISTRATION - A method of obtaining a volumetric image includes obtaining a plurality of volumetric images, the volumetric images generated using respective sets of projection images, wherein the volumetric images and the respective sets of projection images correspond with different respective bins for a physiological cycle, and determining an additional volumetric image using one or more of the projection images from each of the sets that correspond with the different respective bins for the physiological cycle, wherein the act of determining the additional volumetric image is performed using a processor. | 10-03-2013 |
20130251099 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC PATIENT IDENTIFICATION - In a method of verifying patient identity, an image of an individual who is to receive radiotherapy is obtained and compared with a reference image of a patient to whom the radiotherapy is intended. Confirmation or negation of the individual to be the patient intended can be made based on the comparison of the image of the individual with the reference image of the patient. | 09-26-2013 |
20130216026 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TREATING MOVING TARGET - A method and system for providing intensity modulated radiation therapy to a moving target is disclosed. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a treatment plan for providing radiotherapy using a multi-leaf collimator (“MLC”) comprises a plurality of sub-plans, each of which is optimized for a different phase of target movement. Movements of the treatment target are tracked in real time, and the choice of which sub-plan to implement is made in real time based on the tracked position of the target. Each of the sub-plans is preferably formulated to minimize interplay effects between target movements and MLC leaf movements, consistent with other planning goals. In addition, the sub-plans preferably include a predicted region corresponding to the next anticipated position of the target, in order to facilitate the transition to the next position. | 08-22-2013 |
20130204067 | Method and Apparatus Pertaining to the Optimization of Radiation-Treatment Plans Using Automatic Changes to Treatment Objectives - Optimization of a radiation-delivery treatment plan can be facilitated by permitting the making of automatic changes to one or more treatment objectives. This can comprise processing radiation-delivery treatment plan parameters with respect to one or more predetermined treatment objectives and then automatically changing that predetermined treatment objective to provide one or more changed treatment objectives (including altered, deleted, and/or added treatment objectives) that can then be used to at least attempt to optimize a radiation-delivery treatment plan. That predetermined treatment objective can comprise, for example, a treatment objective as regards a given treatment volume. The automatic changing of the predetermined treatment objective can occur in response to a variety of stimuli such as detecting a change with respect to a treatment condition such as a change in the presentation of a patient volume of interest. | 08-08-2013 |
20130197294 | METHOD AND APPARATUS PERTAINING TO CONFIGURING A RADIATION-DELIVERY TREATMENT PLAN - A radiation-delivery treatment plan includes a first value for a limit as pertains to motion compensation-based adjustment of a radiation-delivery parameter during a first portion of a radiation treatment session as well as a second value for that same limit during a second, different portion of the treatment session. By one approach, the radiation-delivery treatment plan selects between this first and second value as a function of a preselected parameter. Examples of such parameters include, but are not limited to, radiation-beam orientation parameters (such as a gantry-based parameter) and/or any of a variety of external surrogates. | 08-01-2013 |
20130187062 | METHOD AND APPARATUS PERTAINING TO RADIATION-TREATMENT PLAN OPTIMIZATION - A control circuit optimizes a radiation-treatment plan to provide an initially-optimized radiation-treatment plan and then modifies that initially-optimized radiation-treatment plan to reduce corresponding monitor units (MU's) to provide a radiation-treatment plan that is further optimized for monitor units. This modification can comprise, at least in part, imposing a stronger smoothing constraint with respect to fluence. Optimizing a radiation-treatment plan to provide an initially-optimized radiation-treatment plan can comprise identifying at least one particular leaf pair for a multi-leaf collimator that requires a longest amount of time to move into a position that achieves a particular desired fluence and then selectively smoothing position requirements of that particular leaf pair to reduce the amount of time associated with that particular leaf pair while not also smoothing position requirements for all leaf pairs as comprise that multi-leaf collimator. | 07-25-2013 |
20130114871 | AUTOMATIC CORRECTION METHOD OF COUCH-BENDING IN SEQUENCE CBCT RECONSTRUCTION - An imaging method includes obtaining a first set of projection data when a patient support is at a first position, wherein the first set of projection data is usable to reconstruct a first volumetric image, obtaining a second set of projection data when the patient support is at a second position, wherein the second set of projection data is usable to reconstruct a second volumetric image, and determining a corrected volumetric image using the first set of projection data and the second set of projection data to correct for deflection of the patient support. In some embodiments, the method may involve obtaining additional set(s) of projection data. | 05-09-2013 |
20130083004 | Real-Time 3D Dose Visualization System - A method of presenting a progress of a treatment planning includes determining dose information based on a treatment model, determining objective information that is associated with the treatment model, using the dose information and the objective information to determine a three-dimensional graphic that indicates with how well an objective of the treatment planning is met, wherein the three-dimensional graphic is determined using a processor, and displaying the three-dimensional graphic in a screen. | 04-04-2013 |
20130023718 | Method and Apparatus Pertaining to Optimizing a Radiation-Treatment Leaf-Sequence Plan - Determine first information regarding physical-movement limitations pertaining to at least one multi-leaf collimator and also determine second information regarding movement of the treatment target with respect to the given patient. Then, while optimizing a radiation-treatment leaf-sequence plan, constrain individually-planned leaf positions as a function, at least in part, of the first information, the second information, and planned positions of adjacent leaves. By one approach, the first information can comprise information regarding a speed (such as a maximum speed) at which individual leaves of the multi-leaf collimator are able to move during a treatment session. By one approach, the second information can comprise information regarding a distance (such as a maximum distance) that one or more parts of the treatment target may possibly move as compared to a presumed position used during the optimizing of the radiation-treatment leaf-sequence plan. | 01-24-2013 |
20130020510 | GATED RADIATION PROCEDURE USING PACKAGES - A method of delivering radiation in a session includes delivering radiation towards a patient using a radiation system, wherein the radiation is delivered based at least in part on a physiological phase or a position of the patient, after the radiation is delivered, changing a configuration of the radiation system, wherein the act of changing the configuration is performed independent of at least one motion of the patient, and delivering additional radiation towards the patient after the configuration of the radiation system is changed, wherein the acts of delivering radiation and the act of changing the configuration are performed in response to a processor executing a treatment plan that prescribes a plurality of packages and a transition, the transition prescribing the act of changing the configuration of the radiation system when no radiation is being delivered by the radiation system. | 01-24-2013 |
20120312995 | AUTOMATIC HEALTH DETECTION FOR MOTION AXES IN MEDICAL LINEAR ACCELERATORS - An image acquisition device employs a low-Z material to maximize the probability of backscattering or direct hits in Compton scattering for radiation with a given energy spectrum that passes through a detector array to enhance the contrast and spatial resolution of the image acquisition device. A radiation apparatus including the image acquisition device is also provided. | 12-13-2012 |
20120218290 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INTERACTIVE CONTROL OF WINDOW/LEVEL PARAMETERS OF MULTI-IMAGE DISPLAYS - A method, system, and article of manufacture are described for interactive control of multiple images with a high dynamic range that are displayed simultaneously. A medical image control engine provides several synchronous functional capabilities, which comprises an input module, a blending factor synchronization module, a window/level synchronization module, a display module, and an image storage. For window/level adjustment of two images in blended views, the blending factor synchronization module is configured to automatically link the activation of a window/level control of one image with a transparency blending factor that affects both images. For synchronization of window/level adjustments of two or more images, a window/level synchronization module is configured to automatically change window/level parameters of all remaining images when the user makes an adjustment to a window/level control of one image such that all images with updated window/level parameters are displayed simultaneously. | 08-30-2012 |
20120175530 | Method and Apparatus Pertaining to Radiation-Therapy Treatment-Plan Optimization - These various embodiments access target information regarding a radiation-therapy treatment volume for a given patient as well as non-target information regarding at least one structure other than the radiation-therapy treatment volume that also comprises a part of the given patient. These embodiments then provide for accessing uncertainties information regarding spatial uncertainties as pertain to at least one of the target information and the non-target information and using that uncertainties information to characterize at least one radiation-therapy treatment plan optimization consideration with respect to a preference of usage to thereby provide preference considerations. These preference considerations are then used to influence a follow-on radiation-therapy treatment plan optimization process when developing a treatment plan for the radiation-therapy treatment volume. | 07-12-2012 |
20120105430 | Visualization of deformations using color overlays - Computer-implemented methods and apparati for graphically displaying deformations, said deformations defined by comparing a first image of an object ( | 05-03-2012 |
20120080578 | Six Degrees of Freedom Motion Platform - A motion platform includes a base, a platform, and a suspension supporting the platform above the base. Strings preload the platform toward the base while the suspension pushes the platform away from the base. Actuators pull and release the strings to manipulate the platform in multiple degrees of freedom. | 04-05-2012 |
20120045035 | Apparatus and Method Pertaining to Radiation-Treatment Planning Optimization - A radiation-treatment planning apparatus accesses information regarding a treatment target and at least one operational parameter pertaining to a physical characteristic of a given radiation-treatment platform. The apparatus also accesses information regarding a candidate treatment plan using the given platform. The apparatus then optimizes the candidate treatment plan by permitting, temporarily, discontinuities of the at least one operational parameter as between adjacent ones of a plurality of control points to thereby yield an optimized treatment plan. By one approach, this operational parameter can comprise a speed at which a collimator aperture can be changed. In such a case, the aforementioned discontinuities can comprise discontinuities with respect to the speed at which this aperture can be changed. So configured, these teachings will accommodate temporarily permitting speeds that are too fast to be actually performed by the given radiation-treatment platform. | 02-23-2012 |
20120012763 | Method and Apparatus Pertaining to Use of Jaws During Radiation Treatment - These various embodiments are employed in conjunction with the use of both a multi-leaf collimator and jaws that are interposed between a source of radiation and a treatment target while sourcing radiation from the source of radiation towards the treatment target. Generally speaking, during some portion of the aforementioned treatment, these teachings provide for manipulating the jaws to more tightly constrain, in at least one dimension, a beam-shaping aperture as is formed by the multi-leaf collimator. In many cases, as when the leaves of the multi-leaf collimator move back and forth horizontally, the foregoing can comprise manipulating the jaws in a vertical dimension | 01-19-2012 |
20110282685 | Method and Apparatus Pertaining to Developing Care Paths - A control circuit develops, in parallel, a plurality of care paths for at least one corresponding patient. This can comprise, for these care paths, serially completing a plurality of corresponding care-path-development phases (using, for example, input information of choice). Then, pursuant to these teachings and before concluding development of at least one of these care paths (and upon determining a change to the aforementioned input information during the developing process), automatically modifying at least one of the care-path-development phases as a function of the change and redeveloping the care plan as corresponds to the modified care-path-development phase. | 11-17-2011 |
20110280373 | Apparatus and Method to Facilitate Generating a Treatment Plan for Irradiating a Patient's Treatment Volume - One provides ( | 11-17-2011 |
20110268249 | TREATMENT PLAN OPTIMIZATION METHOD FOR RADIOTHERAPY - Systems and methods for providing radiosurgery treatment to a patient by combining methods from both traditional radiosurgery and radiotherapy are disclosed. A dose sufficient to kill tissue is applied to a target area while a steep drop off, or gradient, is provided at the border between the target area and adjacent areas so that other portions of the brain or nearby structures or organs are not damaged. The treatment plan is optimized by using both measures known in the art along with a new gradient index or curve that indicates the amount of the drop off at the border between the target area and the surrounding tissues. | 11-03-2011 |
20110200170 | Method and System for Treating Moving Target - A method and system for providing intensity modulated radiation therapy to a moving target is disclosed. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a treatment plan for providing radiotherapy using a multi-leaf collimator (“MLC”) comprises a plurality of sub-plans, each of which is optimized for a different phase of target movement. Movements of the treatment target are tracked in real time, and the choice of which sub-plan to implement is made in real time based on the tracked position of the target. Each of the sub-plans is preferably formulated to minimize interplay effects between target movements and MLC leaf movements, consistent with other planning goals. In addition, the sub-plans preferably include a predicted region corresponding to the next anticipated position of the target, in order to facilitate the transition to the next position. | 08-18-2011 |
20110182409 | Method and Apparatus to Facilitate Treating a Target Portion of a Patient's Body with Radiation - One accesses information regarding the functionality of portions of the patient's body and then uses that information to optimize a radiation-treatment plan to treat a target portion of the patient's body while minimizing at least some collateral radiation-based damage to non-targeted functional portions of the patient's body. By one approach, the aforementioned information can comprise a functionality model as pertains to at least some portions of the patient's body. As one example in these regards, this can comprise optimizing the radiation-treatment plan such that the planned radiation beams tend to pass through non-targeted less-functional portions of the patient's body rather than through non-targeted portions of the patient's body of greater functionality. | 07-28-2011 |
20110091014 | Dose Calculation Method for Multiple Fields - Systems and methods for developing a treatment plan for irradiating a treatment volume within a patient are disclosed. In accordance with the present invention, control points used to calculate a dose of radiation delivered to the treatment volume may be combined to result in a smaller number of control points. The smaller number of control points may allow more efficient calculation of dose distributions resulting in a treatment plan that can be delivered to the patient earlier or may allow additional iterations of treatment plan optimization resulting in a more accurate dose distribution being delivered to the patient. | 04-21-2011 |
20110069815 | Method and Apparatus to Facilitate Supplementing a Dose-Volume Histogram Constraint Using an Adaptive Dose-Volume Histogram Constraint - One provides a first dose-volume histogram (DVH) constraint as pertains to controlling localized excessive-radiation dosage with respect to a particular treatment volume. One then automatically determines whether to supplement this constraint by using an adaptive DVH constraint. These teachings will accommodate determining whether to supplement the first DVH constraint, at least in part, by determining whether a user has specified such supplementation (using, for example, a corresponding user interface) by, for example, placing at least one DVH constraint such that the constraint corresponds to a volume fraction at a range boundary. | 03-24-2011 |
20100232572 | USE OF PLANNING ATLAS IN RADIATION THERAPY - A method for determining a radiation treatment plan for a patient includes determining a reference plan, the reference plan including information regarding a reference region that has a different configuration from that of a region in the patient, and using the reference plan to determine the treatment plan for the patient. A method for use in a treatment planning process includes determining a reference plan that includes information regarding a reference region, determining a deformation field that registers the reference region in the reference plan with a region for a patient, and determining a result of using the reference plan as it applies for the patient. | 09-16-2010 |
20100183120 | Gated Radiation Procedure Using Packages - A method of delivering radiation in a session includes delivering radiation towards a patient using a radiation system, wherein the radiation is delivered based at least in part on a physiological phase or a position of the patient, after the radiation is delivered, changing a configuration of the radiation system, wherein the act of changing the configuration is performed independent of at least one motion of the patient, and delivering additional radiation towards the patient after the configuration of the radiation system is changed, wherein the acts of delivering radiation and the act of changing the configuration are performed in response to a processor executing a treatment plan that prescribes a plurality of packages and a transition, the transition prescribing the act of changing the configuration of the radiation system when no radiation is being delivered by the radiation system. | 07-22-2010 |
20100177871 | RADIATION TREATMENT PLANNING AND EXECUTION THAT CONSIDER THE TYPE OF CRITICAL ORGAN - A method for use in a treatment planning process or in a treatment process includes determining a type of critical organ for healthy tissue, and accumulating dose for the healthy tissue based on the type of critical organ. A method for use in a treatment planning process or in a treatment process includes determining a type of critical organ for healthy tissue, and determining a constraint for the healthy tissue, wherein the constraint is determined based on different movement trajectories and the type of critical organ. | 07-15-2010 |
20100177870 | TREATMENT PLANNING USING MODULABILITY AND VISIBILITY FACTORS - A method for use in a treatment planning process includes determining a modulability factor, and determining a treatment parameter using the modulability factor. A system for use in a treatment planning process includes a processor, wherein the processor is configured for determining a modulability factor, and determining a treatment parameter using the modulability factor. A method for use in a treatment planning process includes determining a visibility factor, and determining a treatment parameter using the visibility factor. A system for use in a treatment planning process includes a processor, wherein the processor is configured for determining a visibility factor, and determining a treatment parameter using the visibility factor. | 07-15-2010 |
20100171964 | Method and Apparatus to Provide Corrections for a Radiation-Therapy Beam - Information is provided regarding a block's sectional contour in a particular plane as corresponds to a radiation-therapy beam. For a point at which block effects are to be assessed, a point is projected onto a plane of the block and a plurality of straight lines is then formed. Each line has a particular relationship with respect to the projected point (such as having each such line intersect all others at the projected point). Intersections amongst these straight lines and the contour are used to evaluate corrections to the dose at the point. These teachings will accommodate identifying line segments that are located within the contour and that are bound by the intersections with the contour. Elementary contributions as correspond to each of these line segments can be averaged to evaluate delivered dose corrections that are due to the presence of beam-limiting and beam-shaping devices in the particular treatment plan. | 07-08-2010 |
20100150309 | REAL TIME TREATMENT PARAMETER ALGORITHM FOR MOVING TARGETS - A method of determining a treatment parameter, includes determining an accumulated dose at a target region that undergoes motion, determining an accumulated dose at a critical region, and determining the treatment parameter based on the determined accumulated dose at the target region and the determined accumulated dose at the critical region, wherein the act of determining the treatment parameter is performed during a treatment session. A method of determining a treatment parameter, includes tracking a position of a target, delivering radiation to the target based on the tracked position, and compensating for an inaccuracy of the tracked position by using information regarding a delivered dose to determine a treatment parameter for a next beam delivery. | 06-17-2010 |
20100061510 | Apparatus and Method to Facilitate Adapting a Radiation Treatment Plan - An existing radiation treatment plan is accessed for a given patient as well as first information (such as automatically generated updated information) regarding at least one physical characteristic as corresponds to the radiation treatment of this patient. One then initiates, prior to receiving second information (such as user input) regarding the first information, an automatic adaptation process to adapt the treatment plan to accommodate the first information. Upon later receiving second information regarding the first information, one then modifies the automatic adaptation process itself to incorporate the second information regarding the first information. | 03-11-2010 |
20100054411 | Interactive Treatment Plan Optimization for Radiation Therapy - An interactive method for radiation treatment planning is disclosed. The method applies to staged treatment planning algorithms, as used, for example, with arc therapy. It allows the user to hold the optimization algorithm at a stage in order to make adjustments to the objective function before advancing to the next stage. If adjustments are made, the user can revert to an earlier stage and re-run the optimization process using the adjusted objective function. While a hold is imposed, the treatment planning software may continue optimization at the current stage. | 03-04-2010 |
20100046713 | LEAF SEQUENCING ALGORITHM FOR MOVING TARGETS - A method of providing intensity modulated radiation therapy to a moving target is disclosed. The target moves periodically along a trajectory that is projected onto a multi-leaf collimator (MLC) plane. The MLC plane is divided into thin slices parallel to the movement of the target. The present invention optimizes the leaf sequence such that, within each slice, if a point receives radiation, all other points in that slice that receive the same amount or more fluence are also receiving radiation at the same time. | 02-25-2010 |
20090326615 | METHOD FOR CONTROLLING MODULATION STRENGTH IN RADIATION THERAPY - Methods for developing and using treatment plans with improved modulation for radiation therapy are disclosed. The methods involve adding an extra component to the patient-related objective function in order to make the optimization algorithm used to develop the treatment plan arrive at a solution with increased modulation. The extra component may take many forms. For example, the user may specify that the treatment plan favor solutions using a range of monitor units. The present invention is particularly useful in conjunction with radiotherapy systems having multileaf collimators for beam shaping, and in connection with advanced radiotherapy techniques, such as IMRT and arc therapy. | 12-31-2009 |
20090316975 | ANATOMIC ORIENTATION IN MEDICAL IMAGES - A method of constructing a navigation table relating a set of images representative of a region of interest in a subject to a reference system with reference positions indicating known anatomic landmarks of a reference subject comprising providing reference positions for two or more images identified with two or more anatomic landmarks indicative of the region of interest with reference positions of known anatomic landmarks corresponding to the identified anatomic landmarks, and determining reference positions for the remaining images by interpolation. | 12-24-2009 |
20090316858 | TREATMENT PLAN OPTIMIZATION METHOD FOR RADIATION THERAPY - A treatment planning method and system for optimizing a treatment plan used to irradiate a treatment volume including a target volume, such as a tumor, is disclosed. In accordance with the present invention, gradients of a cost function that defines a treatment volume are back projected to a surface of interest. The method and system of preferred embodiments of the present invention calculate the gradients with respect to the dose received by the treatment volume. Machine parameters that are associated with the surface of interest may then be optimized based on the back projected gradients. | 12-24-2009 |
20090299634 | MONITOR UNITS CALCULATION METHOD FOR PROTON FIELDS - A method for determining a monitor unit that is associated with a process using ions, includes obtaining a depth dose curve, determining a characteristic parameter based on the depth dose curve, and using the characteristic parameter to determine a first monitor unit factor. A system for determining a monitor unit that is associated with a process using protons, includes a processor that is configured for obtaining a depth dose curve, determining a characteristic parameter based on the depth dose curve, and using the characteristic parameter to determine a first monitor unit factor. | 12-03-2009 |
20090154644 | TREATMENT PLANNING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RADIOTHERAPY - A treatment planning method and system for optimizing a treatment plan used to irradiate a treatment volume including a target volume, such as a tumor, is disclosed. According to the method, two dose calculation algorithms are used to develop the optimized treatment plan. A first dose calculation algorithm is used to obtain substantially complete dose calculations and a second, incremental, dose calculation algorithm is used to make more limited calculations. The incremental calculations may be performed, for example, with less precision, less accuracy or less scope (e.g., focused on a specific subvolume within the treatment volume) in order to reduce the time required to achieve an optimized plan. Each of the dose calculation algorithms may be iterated a plurality of times, and different cutoff criteria can be used to limit the number of iterations in a given pass. A treatment planning system of the invention uses software for implementing the complete and incremental dose calculation algorithms. The method and system are especially useful for IMRT and arc therapy where treatment plan optimization is particularly challenging. | 06-18-2009 |