Systems and methods for generating material maps for treatment planning using Monte Carlo methods
Inventors
Lin, Liyong • Charyyev, Serdar • Chang, Chih-Wei • Zhang, Tiezhi • Yang, Xiaofeng • Harms, Joseph
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12531161-B2
Publication Date
2026-01-20
Expiration Date
Abstract
The disclosure relates to systems and methods for accurate generation of material maps of volume of interests, for example, that include implants, for proton radiation therapy. In one implementation, the method may include determining most probable energy (MPE) using particle energy determined from particle counting data. The method may include generating a plurality of simulations that simulate interactions using different combination of properties for the volume of interest determined from representation data and/or from a database to determine most probable energy (MPE) for each simulation. The method may include comparing the MPE determined using the particle counting data to the MPE determined from each simulation. The method may further include selecting one simulation of the plurality of simulations based on the comparing. The method may also include generating a material map for the volume of interest using the one or more properties corresponding to the one simulation.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to generating a material map for a volume of interest of a patient for one or more sessions by receiving particle counting data and representation data. It determines most probable energy (MPE) using particle energy determined from the particle counting data and generates a plurality of simulations using different combinations of properties for the volume of interest determined from the representation data and/or from a database, where the one or more properties include geometry, material composition, and mass density.
The method compares the MPE determined using the particle counting data to the MPE determined from each simulation, selects one simulation based on the comparing, and generates a material map for the volume of interest using the one or more properties corresponding to the one simulation. The particle counting data includes one or more parameters associated with each particle path acquired in each session.
The determining of the MPE using particle energy for each session includes determining a linear energy transfer (LET) spectrum for each session using the one or more parameters for the particle counting data. The method determines particle events for each session using the energy value associated with the LET spectrum, converts the LET spectrum for each particle event to an energy spectrum for each session, and determines the most probable energy using the energy spectrum.
In one simulation workflow, an initial combination of the one or more properties is determined using the representation data, one or more additional combinations are determined, a simulation is generated for each combination to determine LET spectrum for particle events, the LET spectrum is converted to a particle event-specific energy spectrum for each simulation, and the MPE is determined for each simulation using the energy spectrum.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims (three total: clm-00001, clm-00010, and clm-00019) each recite a full workflow for generating a material map for a volume of interest by determining MPE from particle counting data and selecting one simulation among multiple property-combination simulations based on a comparison to the measured MPE. Across the independent claims, the inventive core includes extracting MPE via LET spectrum and energy spectrum conversion, simulating interactions for different geometry, material composition, and mass density combinations, comparing measured and simulated MPE, selecting a best-matching simulation, and generating the material map using properties from the selected simulation.
Material map generation via MPE-based simulation selection
A method for generating a material map for a volume of interest comprising receiving particle counting data and representation data, determining most probable energy (MPE) using particle energy from the particle counting data, generating a plurality of simulations simulating interactions using different combinations of properties (geometry, material composition, mass density) to determine the MPE for each simulation, comparing the MPE from the particle counting data to the MPE from each simulation, selecting one simulation based on the comparing, and generating a material map using the one or more properties corresponding to the selected simulation.
LET-spectrum-to-energy-spectrum determination of MPE
The method where the particle counting data includes one or more parameters associated with each particle path acquired in each session, and determining the MPE using particle energy for each session includes determining a linear energy transfer (LET) spectrum for each session using the one or more parameters, determining particle events for each session using the energy value associated with the LET spectrum, converting the LET spectrum for each particle event to energy spectrum for each session, and determining the most probable energy using the energy spectrum.
Initial and additional property combinations with event-specific energy spectra
The method where generating the plurality of simulations includes determining an initial combination of the one or more properties using the representation data, determining one or more additional combinations of the one or more properties differing from the initial combination, generating a simulation for the initial combination and for each additional combination to determine LET spectrum for particle events, converting the LET spectrum for each simulation to a particle event-specific energy spectrum for each simulation, and determining the MPE for each simulation using the energy spectrum.
Across the independent claims, the material map is generated by computing MPE from particle counting data using LET spectra converted into energy spectra, then running multiple simulations that vary geometry, material composition, and mass density, comparing measured and simulated MPE, selecting one simulation based on the comparing, and generating the material map from the selected simulation’s properties.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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