Nomos Corporation

Robert W Hill

Mark P Carol

Richard V Nash

Bruce H Curran

Duan Qiang Wang

Simon Chun-pin Lam

A method and apparatus to determine an optimum collimator angle of a multi-leaf collimator having an opening and multiple leaf pairs for closing portions of the opening to form a radiation beam arrangement having multiple radiation beam segments. The method and apparatus include application of a cost function to determine a collimator angle which provides for delivery efficiency and target conformity. The user can preferentially either selectively enhance delivery efficiency of the radiation beam arrangement, reducing a number of radiation beam segments and reducing a number of radiation beam monitor units required for delivery of the desired prescription, or selectively enhance conformity of the radiation beam arrangement to a target shape. The optimum collimator angle is then used for delivery of an optimized radiation beam arrangement to a patient by a radiation delivery device.

Method and apparatus for optimization of collimator angles in intensity modulated radiation therapy treatment

A method and apparatus for determining an optimized radiation beam arrangement for applying radiation to a tumor target volume while minimizing radiation of a structure volume in a patient, comprising: using a computer to computationally obtain a proposed radiation beam arrangement; using the computer to computationally change the proposed radiation beam arrangement iteratively, incorporating a cost function at each iteration to approach correspondence of a CDVH associated with the proposed radiation beam arrangement to a CDVH associated with a pre-determined desired dose prescription; comparing the dose distribution to a prescribed dose for the tumor volume and surrounding tissue structures, and increasing or decreasing radiation beam intensity if the change of the proposed beam arrangement leads to a greater correspondence to the desired dose prescription to obtain an optimized radiation beam arrangement.

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Washington, PA, United States of America

Robert W Hill