METHOD AND APPARATUS TO OPTIMIZE A RADIATION TREATMENT PLAN USING HIERARCHICALLY-DIVERSIFIED PLANNING TEMPLATES

• Main Authors: Kuusela, Esa, Peltola, Jarkko Y
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 28.03.2024
• Subjects: ELECTROTHERAPY; HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONTECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING ORPROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTEDFOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION FIELDS; MAGNETOTHERAPY; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; PHYSICS; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY

A control circuit accesses a memory having stored therein a plurality of hierarchically-diversified radiation treatment planning templates. These templates include at least a first radiation treatment planning template that specifies radiation treatment planning information at a first hierarchical level. These templates also include at least a second radiation treatment planning template that specifies radiation treatment planning information at a second hierarchical level, wherein the second hierarchical level is more granular than the first hierarchical level. By one approach, the control circuit may access a plurality of differing ones of the second radiation treatment planning templates wherein each such template specifies radiation treatment planning information at the second hierarchical level. The control circuit is configured to optimize a radiation treatment plan for a given patient using a given radiation treatment facility as a function of at least the first and the second radiation treatment planning template.