Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A computer-implemented method of determining a collimator angle of a multi-leaf collimator having an opening and a plurality of multi-leaf collimator leaf pairs for closing portions of the opening to form a radiation beam arrangement having a plurality of radiation beam segments to apply radiation to a tumor target, the method comprising the steps of:calculating an initial radiation beam arrangement according to a desired prescription; andchanging the radiation beam arrangement by incorporating a first cost function to determine the collimator angle of the multi-leaf collimator, the first cost function including both a second cost function to enhance delivery efficiency by reducing a number of radiation beam segments and reducing a number of radiation beam monitor units required for delivery of the desired prescription and a third cost function to enhance conformity of the radiation beam arrangement to a target shape. 2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first cost function is obtained by performing the steps of:determining for each one of a plurality of discrete collimator angles a value of an area difference between an area of the opening in the multi-leaf collimator which the multi-leaf collimator can define when approaching correspondence with the target shape in a beams eye view of the multi-leaf collimator and an area of the target shape in the same beams eye view of the multi-leaf collimator, a view from the perspective of the opening in the multi-leaf collimator along an axis of the radiation beam defining the beams eye view of the multi-leaf collimator;determining for each one of the plurality of discrete collimator angles a value of a maximum effective length for a multi-leaf collimator leaf pair of the plurality of multi-leaf collimator leaf pairs having the maximum effective length;determining a sum of the value of the area difference and the value of the maximum effective length for each of the plurality of discrete collimator angles; anddetermining a minimum sum value for the sum of the value of the area difference and the value of the maximum effective length for a collinear angle of the plurality of collimator angles having the minimum sum value. 3. A method as defined in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:selecting a first weight value for the maximum effective length and a second weight value for the area difference, selection criteria including a type of radiation delivery system carrying the multi-leaf collimator and a size and shape of the target; andapplying the first weight value to the maximum effective length and the second weight value to the area difference prior to determining the minimum sum value. 4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of:rejecting the change in the radiation beam arrangement if the change of the radiation beam arrangement significantly leads to a lesser correspondence to the desired prescription and accepting the change of the radiation beam arrangement if the change of the radiation beam arrangement both leads to more radiation delivery efficiency and does not lead to significantly less correspondence to the desired prescription. 5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first cost function is obtained by the steps of:determining for each one of a plurality of discrete collimator angles a weighted value of an area difference between an area of the opening in the multi-leaf collimator which the multi-leaf collimator can define when approaching correspondence with the target shape in a beams eye view of the multi-leaf collimator and an area of the target shape in the same beams eye view of the multi-leaf collimator, according to the formula:Bσ(θ)where σ(θ) is the third cost function describing the area difference between what an multi-leaf collimator can define and the target area, B is a weight factor, and θ is the collimator angle which varies by discrete increments;determining for each one of the plurality of discrete collimator angles a weighted value of a maximum effective length for a multi-leaf collimator leaf pair of the plurality of multi-leaf collimator leaf pairs having the maximum effective length, according to the following formula:A max[le(θ)]where max[le(θ)] is the second cost function describing the maximum effective length for a multi-leaf collimator leaf pair of the plurality of multi-leaf collimator leaf pairs having the maximum effective length, A is a weight factor, and le is determined according to the following formula:   le  =            (              1        +                              n            -            1                    k                    )        ⁢                  ∑                  i          -          1                n            ⁢              m        i            where n is the number of separated target regions in the path of the multi-leaf collimator leaf pair, mi is the leaf travel distance in the ith isolated target region for the multi-leaf collimator leaf pair, and k is the weight factor to account for multi-isolated regions in the path over which the multi-leaf collimator leaf pair sweeps;determining a sum of the weighted value of the area difference and the weighted value of the maximum effective length for each of the plurality of discrete collimator angles; anddetermining a minimum sum value for the sum of the value of the area difference and the value of the maximum effective length for a collinear angle of the plurality of collimator angles having the minimum sum value, according to the following formula:f(θo)=min{A max[le(θ)]+Bσ(θ)}where θo, is the optimized collimator angle. 6. A method of determining a collimator angle of a multi-leaf collimator having an opening and a plurality of multi-leaf collimator leaf pairs for closing portions of the opening to form a radiation beam arrangement having a plurality of radiation beam segments to apply radiation to a tumor target, the method comprising the steps of:determining a treatment plan according to a desired prescription;determining for each one of a plurality of discrete collimator angles a value of an area difference between an area of the opening in the multi-leaf collimator which the multi-leaf collimator can define when approaching correspondence with the target shape in a beams eye view of the multi-leaf collimator and an area of the target shape in the same beams eye view of the multi-leaf collimator;determining for each one of the plurality of discrete collimator angles a value of a maximum effective length for a multi-leaf collimator leaf pair of the plurality of multi-leaf collimator leaf pairs having the maximum effective length;determining a sum of the value of the area difference and the value of the maximum effective length for each of the plurality of discrete collimator angles;determining a minimum sum value for the sum of the value of the area difference and the value of the maximum effective length for the collimator angle of the plurality of collimator angles having the minimum sum value; andselecting for application to the treatment plan prior to treatment plan optimization, the collimator angle having the minimum sum value. 7. A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising the step of:selecting a first weight value for the maximum effective length and a second weight value for the area difference; andapplying the first weight value to the maximum effective length and the second weight value to the area difference prior to determining the minimum sum value. 8. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein the step of selecting a first weight and a second weight further comprises the steps of:determining a type of radiation delivery system carrying the multi-leaf collimator; anddetermining a size and shape of the target. 9. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein the step of selecting a first weight and a second weight further comprises the step of:selecting a preference between delivery efficiency and target conformity by applying separate first and second weight values to the maximum effective length and area difference, respectively. 10. A method of determining a collimator angle of a multi-leaf collimator having an opening and a plurality of multi-leaf collimator leaf pairs for closing portions of the opening to form a radiation beam arrangement having a plurality of radiation beam segments to apply radiation to a tumor target, the method comprising the steps of:providing a cost function having a first delivery efficiency portion providing for enhanced radiation delivery efficiency and a second target conformity portion providing for enhanced target conformity;determining a type of radiation delivery system carrying the multi-leaf collimator;determining a size and a shape of the target;selecting a preference between delivery efficiency and target conformity responsive to the determination of the type of radiation delivery system and the size and the shape of the target;determining a value for the cost function at a selected radiation beam delivery angle incorporating the selected preference; andresponsive to the value of the cost function, determining the collimator angle. 11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the step of selecting a preference includes the step of assigning separate weight values to the first delivery efficiency portion of the cost function and to the second target conformity portion of the cost function. 12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the first delivery efficiency portion of the cost function includes a delivery efficiency cost function that determines at each of a plurality of discrete collimator angles a weighted value of a maximum effective length for a multi-leaf collimator leaf pair of the plurality of multi-leaf collimator leaf pairs having the maximum effective length, and wherein the second target conformity portion of the cost function includes a target conformity cost function that determines at each of a plurality of discrete collimator angles a weighted value of an area difference between an area of the opening in the multi-leaf collimator which the multi-leaf collimator can define when approaching correspondence with the target shape in the beams eye view of the multi-leaf collimator and an area of the target shape in the same beams eye view of the multi-leaf collimator. 13. A computer readable medium that is readable by a computer determining a collimator angle of a multi-leaf collimator having an opening and a plurality of multi-leaf collimator leaf pairs for closing portions of the opening to form a radiation beam arrangement having a plurality of radiation beam segments to apply radiation to a tumor target, the computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to perform the following operations:determine a treatment plan according to a desired prescription;determine for each one of a plurality of discrete collimator angles a value of an area difference between an area of the opening in the multi-leaf collimator which the multi-leaf collimator can define when approaching correspondence with the target shape in the beams eye view of the multi-leaf collimator and an area of the target shape in the same beams eye view of the multi-leaf collimator;determine for each one of the plurality of discrete collimator angles a value of a maximum effective length for a multi-leaf collimator leaf pair of the plurality of multi-leaf collimator leaf pairs having the maximum effective length;determine a sum of the value of the area difference and the value of the maximum effective length for each of the plurality of discrete collimator angles;determine a minimum sum value for the sum of the value of the area difference and the value of the maximum effective length for a collimator angle of the plurality of collimator angles having the minimum sum value; andselect for application to the treatment plan prior to treatment plan optimization, the collimator angle having the minimum sum value. 14. A computer readable medium according to claim 13, further comprising the following set of instructions:receive from a user a first weight value for the maximum effective length and a second weight value for the area difference; andapply the first weight value to the maximum effective length and the second weight value to the area difference prior to determining the minimum sum value. 15. A computer readable medium according to claim 14, further comprising the following set of instructions:determine a type of radiation delivery system carrying the multi-leaf collimator; anddetermine a size and shape of the target. 16. A computer readable medium according to claim 14, further comprising the following instruction:select a preference between delivery efficiency and target conformity by applying separate user defined first and second weight values to the maximum effective length and area difference, respectively. 17. An apparatus for use in conformal radiation therapy of a target tumor, the apparatus comprising:a multi-leaf collimator having a plurality of selectable discrete collimator angles, an opening to pass a radiation beam, and a plurality of multi-leaf collimator leaf pairs to close portions of the opening to form a radiation beam arrangement having a plurality of radiation beam segments; anda computer in communication with the multi-leaf collimator to form the radiation beam arrangement incorporating a cost function to determine a collimator angle of the multi-leaf collimator to thereby enhance the radiation beam arrangement, the cost function including both parameters to enhance conformity of the radiation beam arrangement to a shape of the target, and parameters to enhance delivery efficiency by reducing a number of segments and reducing a number of monitor units required for delivery of a desired radiation prescription. 18. An apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein the parameters to enhance delivery efficiency include a value of a maximum effective length for a multi-leaf collimator leaf pair of the plurality of multi-leaf collimator leaf pairs having the maximum effective length. 19. An apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein the parameters to enhance conformity of the radiation beam arrangement include an area difference between an area of an opening in the multi-leaf collimator which the multi-leaf collimator can define when approaching correspondence with a target shape in a beams eye view of the multi-leaf collimator and an area of the target shape in the same beams eye view of the multi-leaf collimator, a view from the perspective of the opening in the multi-leaf collimator along an axis of the radiation beam defining the beams eye view of the multi-leaf collimator. 20. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein the cost function provides a minimum sum value for the sum of the value of the area difference and the value of the maximum effective length for the collimator angle of the plurality of collimator angles having the minimum sum value. 21. An apparatus as defined in claim 20, further comprising:means for selecting a first weight value for the maximum effective length and a second weight value for the area difference; andmeans for applying the first weight value to the maximum effective length and the second weight value to the area difference prior to determining the minimum sum value.