Abstract: A multi-layer multi-leaf collimation system includes at least a two layers of collimation leaves. The first multi-leaf collimator layer is configured to primarily perform a first function to affect a radiation beam traveling from a radiation source to a target and a second multi-leaf collimator layer is configured to primarily perform a second function, different from the first function, to affect the radiation beam for the administration of a treatment plan.

Abstract: A multi-layer multi-leaf collimation system includes at least a two layers of collimation leaves. The first multi-leaf collimator layer is configured to primarily perform a first function to affect a radiation beam traveling from a radiation source to a target and a second multi-leaf collimator layer is configured to primarily perform a second function, different from the first function, to affect the radiation beam for the administration of a treatment plan.

Abstract: These teachings provide for accessing optimization information comprising at least one isocenter that corresponds to a body outline for a particular patient, field geometry information for a particular radiation treatment platform, and dosimetric data. The optimization information can further comprise a model of a body outline for the patient. A control circuit optimizes a radiation treatment plan as a function of the optimization information to provide an optimized radiation treatment plan where radiation dose levels delivered to the particular patient from a particular field depends on the relative volume magnitude of field path intersections to thereby reduce radiation dose delivery to healthy patient tissue in regions having relatively more overlapping fields.

Abstract: Example methods and systems for radiotherapy treatment planning based on treatment delivery efficiency are described. One example method may comprise a computer system configuring dosimetric planning objective(s) and non-dosimetric planning objective(s) associated with efficiency of treatment delivery. A set of multiple treatment plan variants may be generated based on the dosimetric planning objective(s) and non-dosimetric planning objective(s). A first treatment plan associated with a first tradeoff and a second treatment plan associated with a second tradeoff may then be identified from the set of multiple treatment plan variants. The second treatment plan may be associated with improved efficiency of treatment delivery compared to the first treatment plan.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in a treatment planning process or in a treatment process, includes: an input for obtaining a parameter representing a number of beam on-off transitions; and a treatment planner configured to optimize a treatment plan based on parameter representing the number of beam on-off transitions. An apparatus includes: an input configured to obtain a width of a gating window for a treatment plan; and a gating window adjustor configured to adjust the width of the gating window during a treatment session. An apparatus includes: a dose calculator configured to calculate doses for different treatment variations; an evaluator configured to evaluate treatment acceptance criteria against the calculated doses; and a delivery limit module configured to determine one or more limits for one or more delivery parameters based on an evaluation of the treatment acceptance criteria by the evaluator.

Abstract: In a radiation treatment plan that includes a plurality of treatment fields of multiple treatment modalities, such as IMRT modality and dynamic treatment path modality (e.g., VMAT and conformal arc therapy), an optimized spatial point sequence may be determined that optimizes the total treatment time, which includes both the beam-on time (i.e., during the delivery of radiation dose) and the beam-off time (i.e., during transitions between consecutive treatment fields). The result is a time-ordered field trajectory that intermixes and interleaves different treatment fields. In one embodiment, a dynamic treatment path may be cut into a plurality of sections, and one or more IMRT fields may be inserted between the plurality of sections.

Abstract: In a radiation treatment plan that includes a plurality of treatment fields of multiple treatment modalities, such as IMRT modality and dynamic treatment path modality (e.g., VMAT and conformal arc therapy), an optimized spatial point sequence may be determined that optimizes the total treatment time, which includes both the beam-on time (i.e., during the delivery of radiation dose) and the beam-off time (i.e., during transitions between consecutive treatment fields). The result is a time-ordered field trajectory that intermixes and interleaves different treatment fields. In one embodiment, a dynamic treatment path may be cut into a plurality of sections, and one or more IMRT fields may be inserted between the plurality of sections.

Abstract: These teachings provide for accessing optimization information comprising at least one isocenter that corresponds to a body outline for a particular patient, field geometry information for a particular radiation treatment platform, and dosimetric data. The optimization information can further comprise a model of a body outline for the patient. A control circuit optimizes a radiation treatment plan as a function of the optimization information to provide an optimized radiation treatment plan where radiation dose levels delivered to the particular patient from a particular field depends on the relative volume magnitude of field path intersections to thereby reduce radiation dose delivery to healthy patient tissue in regions having relatively more overlapping fields.

Abstract: A control circuit forms a radiation therapy treatment plan by automatically generating a base dose that references dosing information from multiple sources and then using that base dose to optimize a radiation therapy treatment plan. That radiation therapy treatment plan is then used to administer radiation therapy to a patient. That automatically generated base dose can represent any or all of earlier radiation therapy treatments for the patient, a same fraction as a dose presently being optimized per the radiation therapy treatment plan, and future planned fractions for the patient.

Abstract: Example methods and systems for radiotherapy treatment planning based on treatment delivery efficiency are described. One example method may comprise a computer system configuring dosimetric planning objective(s) and non-dosimetric planning objective(s) associated with efficiency of treatment delivery. A set of multiple treatment plan variants may be generated based on the dosimetric planning objective(s) and non-dosimetric planning objective(s). A first treatment plan associated with a first tradeoff and a second treatment plan associated with a second tradeoff may then be identified from the set of multiple treatment plan variants. The second treatment plan may be associated with improved efficiency of treatment delivery compared to the first treatment plan.

Abstract: A beam-blocking leaf includes a body portion and a head portion. The head portion is movable relative to the body portion, thereby allowing the end surface of the head portion to change an orientation relative to the body portion. A collimator including the beam-blocking leaf and a method of collimating a radiation beam using the collimator are also provided.

Abstract: A method of calculating radiation dose includes dosimetric projection of a collimator geometry. The method includes defining a three-dimensional (3D) geometry of a collimating device which defines an aperture configured to allow a radiation beam passing through, projecting the collimating device along the radiation beam into a two-dimensional (2D) geometry in a plane, calculating dosimetric opacity values of the collimating device at locations adjacent to the aperture based on the 3D geometry of the collimating device, and calculating transport of the radiation beam through the collimating device based on the 2D geometry projected in the plane and using the dosimetric opacity values of the collimating device at the locations adjacent to the aperture.

Abstract: A radiation-treatment plan that comprises a plurality of dose-delivery fractions can be optimized by using fraction dose objectives and at least one other, different dose objective. This use of fraction dose objectives can comprise accumulating doses delivered in previous dose-delivery fractions. The other, different dose objective can comprise a remaining total dose objective, a predictive dose objective, or some other dose objective of choice. An existing radiation-treatment plan having a corresponding resultant quality and that is defined, at least in part, by at least one delivery parameter can be re-optimized by specifying at least one constraint as regards that delivery parameter as a function, at least in part, of that resultant quality and then applying that constraint when re-optimizing the existing radiation-treatment plan.

Abstract: A multileaf collimator includes a plurality of beam-blocking leaves of a first type and a plurality of beam-blocking leaves of a second type. The beam-blocking leaves of the first type are alternatingly arranged with the beam-blocking leaves of the second type side by side. Each of the beam-blocking leaves of the first type has a trapezoidal geometry viewed in the leaf longitudinal moving direction comprising a wider end and a narrower end with the wider end being proximal to a source. Each of the beam-blocking leaves of the second type has a trapezoidal geometry viewed in the leaf longitudinal moving direction comprising a wider end and a narrower end with the wider end being distal to the source.

Abstract: A method of calculating radiation dose includes dosimetric projection of a collimator geometry. The method includes defining a three-dimensional (3D) geometry of a collimating device which defines an aperture configured to allow a radiation beam passing through, projecting the collimating device along the radiation beam into a two-dimensional (2D) geometry in a plane, calculating dosimetric opacity values of the collimating device at locations adjacent to the aperture based on the 3D geometry of the collimating device, and calculating transport of the radiation beam through the collimating device based on the 2D geometry projected in the plane and using the dosimetric opacity values of the collimating device at the locations adjacent to the aperture.

Abstract: A radiation-treatment plan that comprises a plurality of dose-delivery fractions can be optimized by using fraction dose objectives and at least one other, different dose objective. This use of fraction dose objectives can comprise accumulating doses delivered in previous dose-delivery fractions. The other, different dose objective can comprise a remaining total dose objective, a predictive dose objective, or some other dose objective of choice. An existing radiation-treatment plan having a corresponding resultant quality and that is defined, at least in part, by at least one delivery parameter can be re-optimized by specifying at least one constraint as regards that delivery parameter as a function, at least in part, of that resultant quality and then applying that constraint when re-optimizing the existing radiation-treatment plan.

Abstract: A radiation-treatment plan to treat a treatment target in a given patient takes into account imaging-based dosing of that patient by, for example, automatically accounting for radiation dosing of the given patient that results from imaging to determine at least one physical position of the given patient when forming the radiation-treatment plan. These teachings are particularly beneficial when applied in application settings where the aforementioned imaging comprises obtaining images using megavoltage-sourced radiation. By one approach these teachings provide for automatically accounting for radiation dosing of the given patient that results from imaging by, at least in part, automatically adjusting therapeutic dosing of the given patient as a function of the radiation dosing of the given patient that results from such imaging.

Abstract: A multileaf collimator includes a plurality of beam-blocking leaves of a first type and a plurality of beam-blocking leaves of a second type. The beam-blocking leaves of the first type are alternatingly arranged with the beam-blocking leaves of the second type side by side. Each of the beam-blocking leaves of the first type has a trapezoidal geometry viewed in the leaf longitudinal moving direction comprising a wider end and a narrower end with the wider end being proximal to a source. Each of the beam-blocking leaves of the second type has a trapezoidal geometry viewed in the leaf longitudinal moving direction comprising a wider end and a narrower end with the wider end being distal to the source.

Abstract: A control circuit has access to information that correlates a plurality of patient-experience outcomes with corresponding delivered-radiation metrics and uses that plurality of patient-experience outcomes in conjunction with developing a radiation-therapy treatment plan for a particular patient. Those patient-experience outcomes can comprise, for example, information regarding how various patients fared post-radiation treatment as regards such things as post-radiation treatment life expectancy, tumor eradication success, and one or more other quality-of-life metrics. These teachings will accommodate using a particular one of the patient-experience outcomes as an optimization goal when optimizing candidate radiation-therapy treatment plans to develop the radiation-therapy treatment plan. In such a case these teachings will further accommodate, if desired, permitting a user to modify one or more optimization objectives while displaying intermediate optimization results.

Abstract: A radiation-treatment plan that comprises a plurality of dose-delivery fractions can be optimized by using fraction dose objectives and at least one other, different dose objective. This use of fraction dose objectives can comprise accumulating doses delivered in previous dose-delivery fractions. The other, different dose objective can comprise a remaining total dose objective, a predictive dose objective, or some other dose objective of choice. An existing radiation-treatment plan having a corresponding resultant quality and that is defined, at least in part, by at least one delivery parameter can be re-optimized by specifying at least one constraint as regards that delivery parameter as a function, at least in part, of that resultant quality and then applying that constraint when re-optimizing the existing radiation-treatment plan.