US 11,865,361 B2
System and method for scanning pattern optimization for flash therapy treatment planning
Jessica Perez, Geneva (CH); Eric Abel, San Jose, CA (US); Michael Folkerts, Carrollton, TX (US); Christel Smith, Santa Barbara, CA (US); Adam Harrington, Glastonbury, CT (US); Timo Koponen, Espoo (FI); Reynald Vanderstraeten, Uccle (BE); Anthony Magliari, Newark, IL (US); and Michiko Rossi, Espoo (FI)
Assigned to VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC., Palo Alto, CA (US); VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS PARTICLE THERAPY GMBH & CO. KG, Troisdorf (DE); and SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS INTERNATIONAL AG, Cham (CH)
Filed by Varian Medical Systems, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US); Varian Medical Systems Particle Therapy GmBH, Troisdorf (DE); and Varian Medical Systems International AG., Cham (CH)
Filed on Apr. 3, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/840,115.
Prior Publication US 2021/0308486 A1, Oct. 7, 2021
Int. Cl. A61N 5/10 (2006.01)
CPC A61N 5/1031 (2013.01) [A61N 5/10 (2013.01); A61N 5/1007 (2013.01); A61N 2005/1012 (2013.01); A61N 2005/1087 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a gantry including a nozzle configured to emit a controllable beam;
a radiation therapy treatment system configured to control the gantry according to a treatment plan; and
a treatment planning system including
a memory configured to store image data and the treatment plan; and
a processor configured to perform a method of generating the treatment plan, the method including
receiving imaging data of a target volume,
dividing the imaging data of the target volume into a scanning pattern including a plurality of subfields having a first beam path scanning direction and a second beam path scanning direction to achieve a desired dose within the target volume and to achieve a maximum dose rate within a volume at risk, wherein the plurality of subfields have first beam path scan lengths of consecutive spot locations in the first beam path scan direction and second beam path scan lengths of consecutive spot locations in the second beam path scan direction, wherein a plurality of the first beam path scan lengths of consecutive spot locations and a plurality of the second beam path scan lengths of consecutive spot locations are less than a longest length of consecutive spot locations in the scanning pattern, and
outputting the treatment plan including the scanning pattern, wherein the treatment plan is operable to instruct the radiation therapy treatment system to perform a radiation therapy treatment on the target volume according to the scanning pattern including independently scanning each subfield in the first beam path scanning direction at a faster scanning rate, and scanning in the second beam path scanning direction at a slower scanning rate.