Method to optimally splitting arcs in modulated arc therapy (MAT) plans
Inventors
RANGANATHAN, Vaitheeswaran • RAMAR, Natarajan • PERUMAL, Bojarajan
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Publication Number
US-12589259-B2
Publication Date
2026-03-31
Expiration Date
Abstract
A non-transitory computer readable medium (26) stores instructions executable by at least one electronic processor (20) to perform a method (100, 200) of identifying possible arc segments for removal in a modulated arc therapy plan. The method includes: iteratively optimizing a modulated arc therapy plan for an initial arc segment; and computing a geometric freedom (GF) metric for each control point (CP) of the initial arc segment.
Core Innovation
The invention describes identifying possible arc segments for removal in a modulated arc therapy plan. It iteratively optimizes an initial arc segment and computes geometric freedom (GF) metrics for its control points, indicating whether a specified nominal dose of radiation can pass through target voxels without passing through an identified critical organ voxel. Contiguous groups of control points with below-threshold GF metrics are identified as candidate segments.
The method estimates dose redistribution associated with removing candidate arc segments and uses GF-weighted dose redistribution to assess plan impact without iterative re-optimization. The stated purpose is to enable rapid assessment and adjustment of segment length while maintaining dosimetric quality and reducing treatment time and monitor units. The supplied content does not include the background section, so the problem identified there is not explicitly described in patent.
Claims Coverage
The three independent claims are claims 1, 14, and 21. They cover a computer-readable medium, a system, and a method for identifying possible arc segments for removal in a modulated arc therapy plan. The following three inventive features summarize the main coverage of these claims.
Computer-readable medium for computing geometric freedom metrics
Claim 1 covers a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions to iteratively optimize a modulated arc therapy plan for an initial arc segment and compute a GF metric for each control point. The metric indicates whether a specified nominal dose can pass through associated target voxels without passing through an identified critical organ voxel.
System for identifying candidate arc segments
Claim 14 covers an electronic processor programmed to iteratively optimize a modulated arc therapy plan for an initial arc segment, compute GF metrics for its control points, and determine contiguous groups of control points with below-threshold GF metric values as candidate arc segments for removal.
Method using beamlet-based geometric freedom metrics
Claim 21 covers computing each control point's GF metric by calculating, for each beamlet, the ratio of tumor voxels touched to the sum of critical-organ voxels touched, and summing beamlet GF values. The method identifies contiguous groups of below-threshold control points as candidate arc segments and estimates dose redistribution with those segments removed.
Together, the independent claims cover the computer-readable medium, system, and method for using control-point GF metrics to identify candidate arc segments for removal. The method claim further specifies beamlet-based GF calculation and estimates dose redistribution after candidate-segment removal.
Stated Advantages
Enables rapid assessment and adjustment of segment length without iterative re-optimization.
Reduces treatment time and monitor units while maintaining dosimetric quality.
Documented Applications
Identifying candidate arc segments for removal from a modulated arc therapy plan, including volumetric modulated arc therapy plans.
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