US 12,390,662 B2
System and method for proton therapy treatment planning with proton energy and spot optimization
Timo Koponen, Espoo (FI); and Perttu Niemela, Espoo (FI)
Assigned to SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS INTERNATIONAL AG, Steinhausen (CH)
Filed by Varian Medical Systems International AG., Cham (CH)
Filed on Apr. 2, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/838,940.
Prior Publication US 2021/0308485 A1, Oct. 7, 2021
Int. Cl. A61N 5/10 (2006.01); G16H 20/40 (2018.01)
CPC A61N 5/1031 (2013.01) [A61N 5/1081 (2013.01); G16H 20/40 (2018.01); A61N 2005/1087 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for proton therapy treatment, the system comprising:
a gantry including a nozzle configured to emit a controllable proton beam;
a proton therapy treatment system configured to automatically control the gantry according to a treatment plan; and
a treatment planning system including
a memory, and
a processor configured to
receive treatment planning parameters,
determine a quantity of spots, among a plurality of spots,
according to the treatment planning parameters,
determine an energy for each spot, among the plurality of spots, according to the treatment planning parameters,
calculate intensities for the plurality of spots according to the energy for each spot, among the plurality of spots,
discretize the plurality of spots into a plurality of blocks according to locations of the plurality of spots and intensities of the plurality of spots to generate the treatment plan, wherein
the treatment plan includes the plurality of blocks, and
each block, among the plurality of blocks, represents an energy layer, among a number of energy layers, applied by the controllable proton beam, and
output the treatment plan to the proton therapy treatment system to perform the proton therapy treatment; wherein
the proton therapy treatment system is configured to automatically control at least one of an intensity, energy, size or shape of the controllable proton beam emitted by the nozzle according to the treatment plan.