Patent ID: 8175892
Filing Date: 2012-05-08
Classification: A61B,A61N,G06Q,G16H

Abstract:
1. A method for operating radio-therapy equipment comprising a radio-therapy control system, having a central processing system and memory, to control radiotherapy treatment room equipment, including at least one piece of radio-therapy equipment selected from patient positioning equipment, proton beam delivery equipment, and imaging equipment, providing an external beam radiotherapy treatment at a treatment center, comprising: receiving a workflow metamodel into the radio-therapy control system, the workflow metamodel specifying steps carried out at the treatment center when delivering treatment wherein the metamodel comprises a set of actions including an action performed by the at least one piece of radio-therapy equipment, execution time required for each action, actors required for each action, and restrictions on ordering of actions; receiving into the radio-therapy control system a treatment plan describing steps executed by at least one piece of radio-therapy equipment; operating the radio-therapy control system to determine a treatment schedule defining a sequence and timing of activities corresponding to the workflow metamodel and the treatment plan that avoids violating a safety threshold of a safety index associated with executing the treatment schedule, the determining of a treatment schedule comprising operating the at least one piece of radio-therapy equipment according to the alternative treatment schedule.