Abstract:
A facility for facilitating custom radiation treatment planning is described. During a distinguished radiation treatment session for a patient, the facility collects data indicating positioning of a predefined treatment site of the patient relative to a target treatment location throughout the distinguished radiation treatment session. The facility associates the collected positioning data with data describing one or more other aspects of the distinguished radiation treatment session. The facility provides the associated data to a treatment planning facility to determine a treatment plan for future radiation treatment sessions for the patient.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/189,431 filed Jul. 25, 2005, which claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 60/590,503 filed Jul. 23, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention is directed to the field of software for planning radiation therapy. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Radiation therapy can be used to treat localized cancer. In a typical application, a radiation delivery system has an ionizing radiation device mounted to a movable gantry. The radiation delivery system controls the motion of the radiation device to direct an ionizing radiation beam to a specific point in space commonly referred to as the “machine isocenter.” During radiation therapy, a patient is positioned so that the patient&#39;s tumor is located at the machine isocenter throughout treatment. 
         [0004]    Radiation is typically delivered to a patient during a radiation therapy session in accordance with a session plan. A session plan typically specifies, for each of one or more “treatment fields,” such information as the gantry position, which determines the path that radiation energy will take to the tumor during the treatment field; collimator settings that determine the shape and cross-sectional area of the radiation energy beam; the intensity level of the radiation beam; and a duration that determines for how much time radiation energy will be delivered during the field. Various session plans may include different or additional information, however. 
         [0005]    A plan is typically prepared using determinants such as the following: the tumor&#39;s mass, volume, shape, orientation, location in the body, and proximity to different organs and other anatomical structures; and information about radiation energy intended to be delivered to the tumor in foregoing ration therapy sessions, as well as other approaches previously used to treat the tumor. Various plan preparation techniques may use fewer, more, or different determinants, however. 
         [0006]    Conventionally, a batch of several session plans are prepared for a number of future sessions in advance of the sessions. In this batch approach to session plan preparation, the individual plans of the batch are often homogeneous, and assume either (1) no relevant changes in the patient&#39;s condition during the course of the batch, or (2) projected changes in the patient&#39;s condition determined in advance. This approach further typically assumes (1) that radiation has been and will be delivered in accordance with each plan with complete accuracy, or (2) that radiation has been and will be delivered in accordance with each plan at a projected level of accuracy determined in advance. 
         [0007]    The batch approach to session plan preparation has the disadvantage that each plan of a batch after the first plan is based upon important assumptions that may in many cases be unwarranted. As a result, individual plans prepared using the batch approach may have various deficiencies, which have the effect of degrading the effectiveness of radiation therapy in treating the tumor. 
         [0008]    In view the foregoing, and approach to session plan preparation having a reduced reliance on such important assumptions would have significant utility. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a network diagram showing an example of a set of connected computer systems used by the facility. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing some of the components typically incorporated in at least some of the computer systems and other devices on which the facility executes. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a data structure diagram showing typical contents of a positioning data structure provided by a tracking system for use in adaptive treatment planning. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram showing steps typically performed by the facility in order to prepare positioning data for use in preparing adaptive treatment plans. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram showing steps typically performed by the facility to generate an adaptive treatment plan using patient positioning data. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a flow diagram showing steps typically performed by the facility in order to conduct a radiation treatment session in accordance with an adaptive treatment plan. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    A software facility for facilitating and/or performing dynamic and/or adaptive treatment planning for radiation therapy (“the facility”) is described. The facility provides or uses the output of a patient tracking system for one or more past radiation therapy sessions for a patient to plan one or more future sessions for the patient. In particular, embodiments of the facility provide or use information about the position and/or orientation of a patient isocenter relative to the machine isocenter throughout some or all of the time that radiation energy was delivered during the past sessions, in a manner that can be correlated or otherwise associated with information about the planned and/or actual delivery of radiation during the past sessions. As one example, embodiments of the facility provide or use information about patient position and/or orientation in time-series form, enabling this information to be correlated with planned and/or actual delivery of radiation also in time-series form. 
         [0016]    In some embodiments, the facility provides patient position and/or orientation information to—or in a form usable by—an external treatment planning mechanism. In some embodiments, the facility directly performs treatment planning using patient position and/or orientation information. In some embodiments, the facility delivers radiation energy in a later treatment session based upon patient position and/or orientation during one or more past treatment sessions. 
         [0017]    In addition to the position and/or orientation of the patient isocenter relative to the machine isocenter, information from past treatment sessions provided for use in future treatment planning can include the relative position and/or relative orientation of implanted fiducials or other markers, such as the passive magnetic transponders described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/334,700, entitled PANEL-TYPE SENSOR/SOURCE ARRAY ASSEMBLY, filed Dec. 30, 2002; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/877,498, entitled GUIDED RADIATION THERAPY SYSTEM, filed Jun. 8, 2001; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/679,801, entitled METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MARKER LOCALIZATION, filed Oct. 6, 2003; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/746,888, entitled IMPLANTABLE MARKER WITH WIRELESS SIGNAL TRANSMITTAL, filed Dec. 24, 2003; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/749,478, entitled RECEIVER USED IN MARKER LOCALIZATION SENSING SYSTEM, filed Dec. 31, 2003, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
         [0018]    By providing or using patient tracking information from one or more past radiation therapy sessions to plan one or more future radiation therapy sessions in some or all of the ways described above, the facility can reduce the reliance on assumptions required for session planning, potentially improving the effectiveness of treatment in accordance with the resulting treatment plans. 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a network diagram showing an example of a set of connected computer systems used by the facility. These include a treatment computer system  101  that controls the delivery of radiation therapy; a patient tracking computer system  102  that, while radiation therapy is being delivered under the control of the treatment computer system, tracks the position of the patient and generates patient positioning data  112 , discussed below in conjunction with  FIG. 3 ; a record and verify computer system  103  that, while radiation therapy is being delivered under the control of the treatment computer system, records the actual treatment parameters  113 , such as gantry position, beam on/off, beam intensity, beam shape (i.e., collimator settings), etc.; and a planning computer system  104  that receives patient positioning data and actual treatment parameters and uses them to generate one or more treatment plans  114  for the same patient, which it provides to the treatment computer system. 
         [0020]    In some embodiments, the facility uses the patient tracking computer system to obtain patient positioning data during a period of time when the patient is not undergoing radiation therapy. As one example, the patient tracking computer system may collect patient positioning data during a patient observation phase preceding radiation therapy treatment, during which the present position of the target location within the patient&#39;s body and/or its pattern of movement within the patient&#39;s body is determined in preparation for radiation therapy. In various embodiments, this phase can be performed inside or outside the treatment vault. As another example, the patient tracking computer system may collect patient positioning data during a treatment rehearsal phase inside the treatment vault. Such a rehearsal phase may be performed, for example, to ensure that all of the physical activity anticipated during the actual treatment session, such as movement of the linear accelerator and/or other equipment resident in the vault, can be successfully performed in the presence of the patient. In these embodiments, it is typical for the facility to transmit the collected patient positioning data to the planning computer system without accompanying actual treatment parameters, and for the planning computer system to create or adapt a treatment plan based on this unaccompanied patient positioning data. 
         [0021]    In some cases, computer systems  101 - 103  are connected by one or more data networks  120 . In some embodiments, some or all of data  112 - 114  are transferred between computer systems in a way other than using a network, such as by storing this data on removable media physically transferred between the computer systems. 
         [0022]    In some embodiments, the facility uses a different set of computer systems, including sets including additional computer systems, sets including fewer computer systems, or sets in which the functionality of different computer systems is divided or consolidated. As examples, the patient tracking computer system can be consolidated with the treatment computer system, the planning computer system may be consolidated with the patient tracking computer system, the planning computer system may be consolidated with the treatment computer system, all three computer systems may be consolidated together, etc. 
         [0023]    In some embodiments, the facility uses or operates in conjunction with hardware and/or software as described U.S. Patent Application No. 60/590,697, entitled USER INTERFACE FOR GUIDED RADIATION THERAPY, filed Jul. 23, 2004, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (patent counsel&#39;s matter no. 341148028US1) entitled MODULAR SOFTWARE SYSTEM FOR GUIDED RADIATION THERAPY, filed concurrently herewith, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing some of the components typically incorporated in at least some of the computer systems and other devices on which the facility executes. These computer systems and devices  200  may include one or more central processing units (“CPUs”)  201  for executing computer programs; a computer memory  202  for storing programs and data—including data structures—while they are being used; a persistent storage device  203 , such as a hard drive, for persistently storing programs and data; a computer-readable media drive  204 , such as a CD-ROM drive, for reading programs and data stored on a computer-readable medium; and a network connection  205  for connecting the computer system to other computer systems, such as via the Internet, to exchange programs and/or data—including data structures. While computer systems configured as described above are typically used to support the operation of the facility, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the facility may be implemented using devices of various types and configurations, and having various components. 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  is a data structure diagram showing typical contents of a positioning data structure provided by a tracking system for use in adaptive treatment planning. The positioning data structure  300  includes information identifying the patient and session to which the positioning data it includes relates, including patient identifying information  301 , such as a social security number; the date  302  on which the session was performed; and the time  303  at which the session began. The data structure further includes substantive positioning information, shown in table  310 . Table  310  is made up of rows, such as rows  311 - 316 , each corresponding to a different time during the treatment session. In some embodiments, the times to which the rows correspond occur at regular or semi-regular intervals—here, at intervals of 0.010 seconds. Each row contains an indication of the time as well as positioning data occurring at that time, organized into the following columns: a time column  321  containing the time; a group of patient isocenter displacement columns  322 - 324 , one for each of three rectangular dimensions; a group of target tissue orientation columns  325 - 326  each containing one of two angular orientation coordinates for target tissue surrounding the patient isocenter; and groups of individual transponder displacement columns, such as columns  327 - 329  and  330 - 332 , each containing a displacement component in a particular dimension between a pair of transponders. For example, row  311  indicates that, at time 4:11:05.002 PM, the patient isocenter was +0.0010 centimeters from the machine isocenter in the x dimension, −0.0009 centimeters from the machine isocenter in the y dimension, and +0.0002 centimeters from the machine isocenter in the z dimension. The row further indicates that the target tissue is +2.000 degrees from a reference axis associated with the machine isocenter in the theta dimension, and −0.013 degrees from the reference axis in the phi dimension. Row  311  further indicates that the displacement from transponder #1 to transponder #2 in the x dimension is −2.1031, in the y dimension is −1.3421, and in the z dimension it is −2.8102. Row  311  further indicates that the displacement from transponder #1 to transponder #3 in the x dimension is −1.2131, in the y dimension is +0.8231, and in the z dimension is +3.6201. 
         [0026]    The facility may adapt treatment plans for a patient based upon deviations in the positioning information contained in the positioning data structure. For example, rows  313 - 315  reflect a fairly significant deviation in patient isocenter displacement in the x and y dimensions. The facility may, for example, increase an integrated dose associated with a future treatment plan based upon the likelihood that this deviation caused the actual integrated dose in the Jul. 15, 2004 session to fall short of the planned integrated dose for that session. The facility may similarly respond to deviations in other patient positioning information, such as target tissue orientation, transponder displacement, transponder orientation, etc. 
         [0027]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the facility may use positioning data structures having various contents and formats. For example, the facility may use positioning data structures that contain more, less, or different patient and session identifying information, and/or positioning data structures that contain more, less, or different substantive positioning information, or substantive positioning information in different units, coordinate schemes, etc. The positioning data structure may be expressed in a variety of formats, such as the format shown one of a number of existing or new tag-based markup languages, such as XML or a variant; or a compliant or non-compliant version of a standard format for transferring digital medical images or other digital medical data, such as present or future versions of the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine, or “DICOM,” format adopted by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, described at http://xray.hmc.psu.edu/physresources/dicom/index.html. The positioning data structure may be organized in a variety of ways, and may be compressed and/or encrypted in a variety of ways. One sample alternative data structure organization is shown in U.S. Patent Application No. 60/590,693 (patent counsel&#39;s docket no. 34114-8030US00), entitled DATA PROCESSING FOR REAL-TIME TRACKING OF A TARGET IN RADIATION THERAPY, filed Jul. 23, 2004, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (patent counsel&#39;s docket no. 341148030US1) entitled DATA PROCESSING FOR REAL-TIME TRACKING OF A TARGET IN RADIATION THERAPY, filed concurrently herewith, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
         [0028]      FIGS. 4-6  are flow diagrams showing sets of steps typically performed by the facility. 
         [0029]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram showing steps typically performed by the facility in order to prepare positioning data for use in preparing adaptive treatment plans. In step  401 , the facility collects patient positioning data for a patient during a radiation therapy session. The data collection of step  401  is described in greater detail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/166,801 entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REAL TIME TRACKING OF TARGETS IN RADIATION THERAPY AND OTHER MEDICAL APPLICATIONS, filed Jun. 24, 2005; U.S. Patent Application No. 60/590,693 entitled DATA PROCESSING FOR REAL-TIME TRACKING OF A TARGET IN RADIATION THERAPY, filed Jul. 23, 2004, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (patent counsel&#39;s docket no. 341148030US1) entitled DATA PROCESSING FOR REAL-TIME TRACKING OF A TARGET IN RADIATION THERAPY, filed concurrently herewith, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
         [0030]    In step  402 , the facility associates the patient positioning data collected in step  401  with other treatment parameters. Such association may reflect a time-based correlation, or associations of other types. The patient positioning data can be associated with a wide variety of treatment parameters, including beam activation, beam intensity, collimator settings, gantry positions, etc. Patient positioning data may be associated with planned treatment parameters, actual treatment parameters, or a combination thereof. In step  403 , the facility provides the patient positioning data associated in step  402  to a treatment planning facility. After step  403 , these steps conclude. 
         [0031]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram showing steps typically performed by the facility to generate an adaptive treatment plan using patient positioning data. In step  501 , the facility receives patient positioning data associated with other radiation treatment parameters for a distinguished patient. Such patient positioning data can correspond to one or more past treatment sessions for the distinguished patient. In step  502 , the facility uses the received patient positioning data to prepare a plan for a future treatment session for the distinguished patient. In some embodiments, in step  502 , the facility uses the received patient positioning data in connection with the radiation treatment parameters with which it is associated. In some embodiments, the plan prepared by the facility specifies, for each of one or more treatment fractions, treatment parameters such as fraction duration, radiation energy delivery rate, radiation energy delivery direction, radiation energy beam shape, radiation beam cross-sectional area, etc. In some embodiments, the facility prepares the plan in a manner that compensates for deviations between the “integrated” radiation dose planned to be accumulated at a point, in a volume, in each of an array of subvolumes, etc., over the course of the past session, and the integrated dose actually delivered, such as by inversely varying the corresponding integrated radiation dose provided in the plan for the next session. In some embodiments, the facility prepares the plan in a manner that adjusts to and/or compensates for short- or long-term migration or rotation of the tumor, deformation of the tumor, contraction or expansion of the tumor, or other qualitative changes to the tumor observable via changes in the relative or absolute positions of transponders or other available data. In step  503 , the facility provides the prepared plan to a treatment facility. After step  503 , these steps conclude. 
         [0032]      FIG. 6  is a flow diagram showing steps typically performed by the facility in order to conduct a radiation treatment session in accordance with an adaptive treatment plan. In step  601 , the facility receives the adaptive treatment plan from a treatment planning facility for a distinguished patient. In step  602 , the facility delivers radiation therapy to the distinguished patient in accordance with the received treatment plan. After step  602 , these steps conclude. 
         [0033]    It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above-described facility may be straightforwardly adapted or extended in various ways. For example, the facility may operate in a wide variety of radiation treatment and treatment planning environments. The facility can exchange positioning data containing various elements, in various formats, via various storage or communications media. The facility can use a wide variety of treatment planning processes to incorporate the positioning data in future treatment plans. In preparing treatment plans, the facility can use positioning data from any number of prior sessions to prepare plans for any number of future sessions. In some cases, the facility adapts the treatment plan for a session during the course of the session, and delivers radiation therapy in accordance with the adapted plan. While the foregoing description makes reference to preferred embodiments, the scope of the invention is defined solely by the claims that follow and the elements recited therein.