Material inserts for radiation therapy

Abstract

A system for treating a patient during radiation therapy is disclosed. The system includes a shell, a plurality of material inserts disposed in the shell, where each material insert of the plurality of material inserts respectively shapes a distribution of a dose delivered to the patient by a respective beam of a plurality of beams emitted from a nozzle of a radiation treatment system, and a scaffold component disposed in the shell that holds the plurality material inserts in place relative to the patient such that each material insert lies on a path of at least one of the beams.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method of radiation treatment planning, the method comprising:
 accessing, from a memory of a computer system, parameters for a radiation treatment plan, the parameters comprising a number of beams and beam paths relative to a position of a patient; and   identifying locations on the patient for a plurality of material inserts disposed in a cranial immobilization device, wherein each material insert of the plurality of material inserts lies on at least one of the beam paths based on the treatment plan, and wherein each material insert has a non-uniform thickness measured in a direction of the path of the respective beam for range modulation of the respective beam to deliver a dose distribution between respective distal and proximal portions of a target in the patient prescribed in the radiation treatment plan.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining number, shape, size and type of material of each of the plurality of material inserts for the range modulation to deliver the dose distribution between the respective distal and proximal portions of the target in the patient prescribed in the radiation treatment plan.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 fabricating the plurality of material inserts for the range modulation to deliver the dose distribution between the respective distal and proximal portions of the target in the patient prescribed in the radiation treatment plan.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of material inserts comprise at least one of: a range compensator; a range modulator; and a collimator. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the beams comprise beams selected from the group consisting of: proton beams; and ion beams, and wherein each material insert of the plurality of material inserts is configured to locate a Bragg peak of the at least one beam inside a target in the patient at a predetermined position in accordance with the treatment plan. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of material inserts are supported by a scaffold disposed in the cranial immobilization device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 accessing, from the memory of the computer system, a printing plan for the immobilization device; and   controlling a three-dimensional printer using the printing plan to fabricate the scaffold, wherein the scaffold comprises holes for accommodating the plurality of material inserts based on the locations on the patient for the plurality of material inserts disposed in the cranial immobilization device.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the immobilization device is operable to cover a head and limits movement of the patient relative to the beams. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of material inserts comprise ridge filters.