Patents by Inventor Christopher G. Thomas

Christopher G. Thomas has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12343563
    Abstract: Methods and systems for radiation treatment planning and delivery apply a CODA cube. Cost values in the CODA cube may be used in the optimization of couch, collimator, and gantry angles simultaneously. Trajectories generated using the CODA cube show significant benefits when compared to conventional VMAT. A statistically significant sparing to OAR maximum radiation doses was seen. CODA plans resulted in a reduction to maximum radiation dose in OARs of 20.6% (p<0.01), with maximum brainstem radiation dose decreased by 2.63 Gy (p=0.031) on average. Mean reduction in total MU was 8.6% (p=0.156), and a mean decrease in non-target brain tissue receiving 12 Gy or higher was 3.9% (p=0.16), when compared to standard VMAT methods (n=7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2025
    Assignee: Dalhousie University
    Inventors: Robert Lee MacDonald, Alasdair Syme, Christopher G. Thomas, Brian Little
  • Patent number: 11344747
    Abstract: A radiation treatment planning system and method for generating plans to treat plural target volumes, each associated with a prescribed dose, does not require delivery of radiation to every target volume from every beam direction. Allowing target volumes to be omitted for some control points facilitates generation of treatment plans that deliver less radiation dose to non-target tissues by allowing beam shaping to more closely fit the remaining target volumes. Simulated annealing using an objective function may be applied to determine parameters such as the number of control points for which a target volume is not targeted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Dalhousie University
    Inventors: Robert Lee MacDonald, Alasdair Syme, Christopher G. Thomas
  • Patent number: 11291858
    Abstract: Generating a plan for radiation treatment of multiple target volumes such as, for example, multiple brain tumors, involves optimizing a grouping of the target volumes into subsets and generating treatment plans for each subset. Resulting treatment plans may minimize radiation dose to tissues outside of the target volumes. A radiation treatment planning system may be configured to operate in this manner and to upload control signals which cause a radiation therapy device such as a linear accelerator to execute the radiation treatment plans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Dalhousie University
    Inventors: Robert Lee MacDonald, Alasdair Syme, Christopher G. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20210244970
    Abstract: Methods and systems for radiation treatment planning and delivery apply a CODA cube. Cost values in the CODA cube may be used in the optimization of couch, collimator, and gantry angles simultaneously. Trajectories generated using the CODA cube show significant benefits when compared to conventional VMAT. A statistically significant sparing to OAR maximum radiation doses was seen. CODA plans resulted in a reduction to maximum radiation dose in OARs of 20.6% (p<0.01), with maximum brainstem radiation dose decreased by 2.63 Gy (p=0.031) on average. Mean reduction in total MU was 8.6% (p=0.156), and a mean decrease in non-target brain tissue receiving 12 Gy or higher was 3.9% (p=0.16), when compared to standard VMAT methods (n=7).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Robert Lee MACDONALD, Alasdair SYME, Christopher G. THOMAS, Brian LITTLE
  • Publication number: 20200346033
    Abstract: Generating a plan for radiation treatment of multiple target volumes such as, for example, multiple brain tumors, involves optimizing a grouping of the target volumes into subsets and generating treatment plans for each subset. Resulting treatment plans may minimize radiation dose to tissues outside of the target volumes. A radiation treatment planning system may be configured to operate in this manner and to upload control signals which cause a radiation therapy device such as a linear accelerator to execute the radiation treatment plans.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Robert Lee MACDONALD, Alasdair SYME, Christopher G. THOMAS
  • Publication number: 20200164227
    Abstract: A radiation treatment planning system and method for generating plans to treat plural target volumes, each associated with a prescribed dose, does not require delivery of radiation to every target volume from every beam direction. Allowing target volumes to be omitted for some control points facilitates generation of treatment plans that deliver less radiation dose to non-target tissues by allowing beam shaping to more closely fit the remaining target volumes. Simulated annealing using an objective function may be applied to determine parameters such as the number of control points for which a target volume is not targeted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Robert Lee MACDONALD, Alasdair SYME, Christopher G. THOMAS
  • Patent number: 10525283
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining an angular trajectory for dynamically rotating a multileaf collimator during arc therapy. According to various embodiments, a suitable collimator trajectory may be determined based on the reduction or minimization of a residual unblocked area residing between a planning target volume and leaves of the multileaf collimator in the beam's eye view over the set of control points corresponding to an arc therapy plan. Various example methods are provided for determining collimator trajectories based on whitespace reduction, and for providing quantitative measures of whitespace optimization associated with a given trajectory. In some embodiments, the whitespace may be calculated using terms that account for the overlap of a planning target volume with an organ at risk of exposure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Dalhousie University
    Inventors: Robert Lee MacDonald, Alasdair Syme, Christopher G. Thomas
  • Patent number: 10441813
    Abstract: Embodiments generally relate to cancer treatment with radiation sources. The present technology discloses techniques that can enable an automatic generation of radiotherapy trajectories using anatomical data of a patient. It can improve conformal dose distributions and target volume coverage by considering a radiation risk decided by an organs-at-risk (OAR)'s relative location to the target volume and the radiation source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: R. Lee MacDonald, Christopher G. Thomas, James Leonard Robar
  • Publication number: 20190030372
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining an angular trajectory for dynamically rotating a multileaf collimator during arc therapy. According to various embodiments, a suitable collimator trajectory may be determined based on the reduction or minimization of a residual unblocked area residing between a planning target volume and leaves of the multileaf collimator in the beam's eye view over the set of control points corresponding to an arc therapy plan. Various example methods are provided for determining collimator trajectories based on whitespace reduction, and for providing quantitative measures of whitespace optimization associated with a given trajectory. In some embodiments, the whitespace may be calculated using terms that account for the overlap of a planning target volume with an organ at risk of exposure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Robert Lee MACDONALD, Alasdair SYME, Christopher G. THOMAS
  • Publication number: 20170189717
    Abstract: Embodiments generally relate to cancer treatment with radiation sources. The present technology discloses techniques that can enable an automatic generation of radiotherapy trajectories using anatomical data of a patient. It can improve conformal dose distributions and target volume coverage by considering a radiation risk decided by an organs-at-risk (OAR)'s relative location to the target volume and the radiation source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Inventors: R. Lee MacDonald, Christopher G. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20140203961
    Abstract: A method is provided for analyzing debris events after a launch of a rocket-propelled vehicle. Radar and Doppler data of the launch of the rocket-powered vehicle is collected for a period of time. Atmospheric conditions are determined at the time of launch. A trajectory of the rocket-propelled vehicle is determined during ascent. The collected radar and Doppler data is aligned and calibrated. A first portion of the collected radar and Doppler data is processed with a first means for assessing and characterizing debris. In parallel with the first portion of the collected radar and Doppler data, a second portion of the collected radar and Doppler data is processed with a second means for assessing and characterizing debris. Assessed and characterized debris is identified that may be a threat to the vehicle. And, reports of the identified debris are generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Inventors: Brian M. Kent, Anthony D. Griffith, SR., Christopher G. Thomas, Jonathan W. Benson, Matthew L. Schottel, David E. Lee, Joseph A. Hamilton