Abstract: A method, system and computer readable medium of: providing feature data of at least one organ at risk or target volume of said patient from a database of non-transitory data stored on a data storage device of prior patients data; generating, using a data processor, a distribution of dose points of the at least one organ at risk or target volume of said patient based on said feature data; calculating, using the data processor, at least one of (i) a probability of toxicity for the at least one organ at risk or (ii) a probability of treatment failure for the at least one target volume, based on said distribution of dose points; assessing, using the data processor, a dosimetric-outcome relationship based on the calculated probability; and automatically formulating, using the data processor, a treatment plan using the dosimetric-outcome relationship to minimize the at least one treatment-related risk.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method may be provided for analyzing and disseminating medical information. The method may include steps performed by one or more processors including, receiving a plurality of patient medical data; aggregating the plurality of patient medical data, wherein access to patient private health information is restricted; receiving a query for medical information; analyzing the aggregated medical data based on the query; producing a result of the query based on the analyzing of the aggregated medical data; and transmitting the result of the query.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically generating radiation therapy treatment plans including one or more processors configured to capture geometries of organs at risk and a target volume specific to a subject, and use a shape-based algorithm to mine (152) a knowledgebase (38) of previously constructed treatment plans for similar geometries to the subject. The system and method interfaces (154) dosimetric information from a plan with a similar geometry as a patient specific starting point for a progressive tuning optimization algorithm resulting in fewer iterations. The progressive tuning algorithm (156, 158, 162) generates an optimized treatment plan. The optimized plan is evaluated against treatment goals. Trade-off plans are generated (164) create alternative plans according to unmet treatment goals.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining a contour of a treatment region in a patient includes a computer processor to receive input regarding a contour of at least one organ-at-risk (OAR) adjacent to the treatment region; receive input regarding an initial contour of the treatment region; predict a radiation toxicity to the at least one OAR based on the contour of the at least one OAR, the initial contour of the treatment region, and a radiation treatment regimen; determine whether the predicted radiation toxicity exceeds a threshold; and determine a contour of the treatment region by iteratively modifying the initial contour of the treatment region, and any subsequent modified contours of the treatment region, until a stopping condition is satisfied. The stopping condition can be a preselected number of iterations or that the predicted radiation toxicity using the contour in place of the initial contour is first calculated is below said threshold.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically generating radiation therapy treatment plans including one or more processors configured to capture geometries of organs at risk and a target volume specific to a subject, and use a shape-based algorithm to mine (152) a knowledgebase (38) of previously constructed treatment plans for similar geometries to the subject. The system and method interfaces (154) dosimetric information from a plan with a similar geometry as a patient specific starting point for a progressive tuning optimization algorithm resulting in fewer iterations. The progressive tuning algorithm (156, 158, 162) generates an optimized treatment plan. The optimized plan is evaluated against treatment goals. Trade-off plans are generated (164) create alternative plans according to unmet treatment goals.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining a contour of a treatment region in a patient includes a computer processor to receive input regarding a contour of at least one organ-at-risk (OAR) adjacent to the treatment region; receive input regarding an initial contour of the treatment region; predict a radiation toxicity to the at least one OAR based on the contour of the at least one OAR, the initial contour of the treatment region, and a radiation treatment regimen; determine whether the predicted radiation toxicity exceeds a threshold; and determine a contour of the treatment region by iteratively modifying the initial contour of the treatment region, and any subsequent modified contours of the treatment region, until a stopping condition is satisfied. The stopping condition can be a preselected number of iterations or that the predicted radiation toxicity using the contour in place of the initial contour is first calculated is below said threshold.

Abstract: A system for radiation therapy includes a radiation planning system. The radiation planning system includes a data processor that is adapted to receive information concerning an intended radiation treatment region of a body, receive a calculated initial energy released per unit mass for a plurality of locations within the body, compute a radiation dose at a plurality of locations within the radiation treatment region based on the calculated initial energy released per unit mass and including radiation dose contributions due to scattering from other locations within the body, and determine radiation therapy parameters for providing radiation treatment to the intended radiation treatment region based on the radiation dose computed at the plurality of locations within the radiation treatment region. Including radiation dose contributions due to scattering from other locations within the body take into account density discontinuities in the body.

Abstract: A method, system and computer readable medium of: providing feature data of at least one organ at risk or target volume of said patient from a database of non-transitory data stored on a data storage device of prior patients data; generating, using a data processor, a distribution of dose points of the at least one organ at risk or target volume of said patient based on said feature data; calculating, using the data processor, at least one of (i) a probability of toxicity for the at least one organ at risk or (ii) a probability of treatment failure for the at least one target volume, based on said distribution of dose points; assessing, using the data processor, a dosimetric-outcome relationship based on the calculated probability; and automatically formulating, using the data processor, a treatment plan using the dosimetric-outcome relationship to minimize the at least one treatment-related risk.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method may be provided for analyzing and disseminating medical information. The method may include steps performed by one or more processors including, receiving a plurality of patient medical data; aggregating the plurality of patient medical data, wherein access to patient private health information is restricted; receiving a query for medical information; analyzing the aggregated medical data based on the query; producing a result of the query based on the analyzing of the aggregated medical data; and transmitting the result of the query.

Abstract: A system for radiation therapy includes a radiation planning system. The radiation planning system includes a data processor that is adapted to receive information concerning an intended radiation treatment region of a body, receive a calculated initial energy released per unit mass for a plurality of locations within the body, compute a radiation dose at a plurality of locations within the radiation treatment region based on the calculated initial energy released per unit mass and including radiation dose contributions due to scattering from other locations within the body, and determine radiation therapy parameters for providing radiation treatment to the intended radiation treatment region based on the radiation dose computed at the plurality of locations within the radiation treatment region. Including radiation dose contributions due to scattering from other locations within the body take into account density discontinuities in the body.

Abstract: A system for radiation therapy including a radiation planning system, wherein the radiation planning system comprises a parallel processor adapted to receive input information concerning a body having an intended radiation treatment region and to output information for providing radiation treatment to the intended radiation treatment region of the body, wherein the parallel processor is adapted to perform a plurality of reverse ray tracing calculations based on the input information concerning the body in determining the output information for providing radiation treatment, each of the plurality of reverse ray tracing calculations comprising: calculating a first physical property corresponding to a first sub-region of the intended radiation treatment region of the body that is intersected by a ray traced between a source position and the intended radiation treatment region; and calculating, subsequent to the first-mentioned calculating, a second physical property corresponding to a second sub-region of the in

Abstract: A method for selecting vertices for performing deformable registration of imaged objects is provided. The selected vertices form corresponding pairs, each pair including a vertex from a first imaged object and a vertex from a second imaged object. The corresponding vertex pairs are sorted in order of distance between the vertices making up the corresponding vertex pair. The corresponding vertex pair with the greatest distance is given top priority. Corresponding vertex pairs that lie within a selected distance from the selected corresponding vertex pair are discarded. In this manner, the number of vertex pairs used for deformable registration of the imaged objects is reduced and therefore allows for processing times that are clinically acceptable.

Abstract: A system and method for determining at least one new treatment plan for at least one new patient, comprising: providing at least one representation of the at least one new patient's at least one organ at risk relative to at least one target; searching for at least one prior treatment plan for at least one prior patient with at least one similar representation; and reviewing the at least one prior treatment plan for the at least one prior patient in order to determine whether the at least one new treatment plan can be improved based on information in the at least one prior treatment plan.

Abstract: In a radiation therapy method, one or more planning images are acquired (102) of a subject. Features of at least malignant tissue are contoured in the one or more planning images to produce one or more initial feature contours. One or more treatment images of the subject are acquired (114). The one or more initial feature contours are updated (122) based on the one or more treatment images. Radiation treatment parameters are optimized (126) based upon the updated one or more feature contours. Radiation treatment of the subject is performed (130) using the optimized parameters.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for planning a radiation therapy are disclosed. A radiation dose distribution is adapted on the basis of shape and position variations of the organs of interest determined from a comparison of a first image and a second image which were taken at different points of time during the radiation treatment process.

Abstract: A radiation therapy planning procedure and device provides a model-based segmentation of co-registered anatomical and functional imaging information to provide a more precise radiation therapy plan. The biology-based segmentation models the imaging information to produce a parametric map, which is then clustered into regions of similar radiation sensitivity or other biological parameters relevant for treatment definition. Each clustered region is prescribed its own radiation prescription dose.

Abstract: A method for selecting vertices for performing deformable registration of imaged objects is provided. The selected vertices form corresponding pairs, each pair including a vertex from a first imaged object and a vertex from a second imaged object. The corresponding vertex pairs are sorted in order of distance between the vertices making up the corresponding vertex pair. The corresponding vertex pair with the greatest distance is given top priority. Corresponding vertex pairs that lie within a selected distance from the selected corresponding vertex pair are discarded. In this manner, the number of vertex pairs used for deformable registration of the imaged objects is reduced and therefore allows for processing times that are clinically acceptable.

Abstract: A method and apparatus accounting for tumor motion during radiation therapy is provided. The method allows for radiation therapy treatments based on updated radiation therapy plans. For each fractionate radiation treatment that results in an updated radiation treatment, radiation treatment images are acquired, automatically segmented, and then subject to deformable registration to develop updated contours and an updated radiation therapy plan.

Abstract: A delineation of a structure of interest can be performed by fitting 3D deformable models, for example, represented by polygonal measures, to the boundaries of the structure of interest. The deformable model fitting process is guided by minimization of the sum of an external energy, based on image feature information, which attracts the mesh to the organ boundaries and an internal energy, which preserves the consistent shape of the mesh. A frequent problem is that the images do not contain sufficient reliable image feature information, such as image gradients, to attract the mesh. According to the present invention, manually drawn attractors in the form of complete or partial contours corresponding to boundaries of the structure of interest are placed into the images which do not contain sufficient feature information. These attractors may easily be discriminated by a subsequent segmentation process.

Abstract: An image-guided irradiation system has a support stage, a stage-positioning assembly connected to the support stage, an x-ray source attached to a support arm in which the support arm is movable relative to the support stage, a flat-panel x-ray detector disposed proximate the support stage, and at least one of a collimator or an x-ray lens selectively disposable between the x-ray source and the support stage. The x-ray source is suitable to provide an imaging beam of X-rays at a first photon energy and is suitable to provide an irradiation beam of X-rays at a second photon energy. The collimator or x-ray lens is structured and arranged to define at least a width of the irradiation beam when it is disposed between the x-ray source and the support stage while the x-ray source is in operation.