Personalized Radiation Therapy using an Analytic Database of Previously Treated Patients
JHU REF: C12931
Invention Novelty
This technology has the potential to mitigate the risk of radiation therapy while also reducing the time and cost of dosimetry. Risk is mitigated by employing an overlap histogram and a novel algorithm that links current patient target structure / Organs at Risk (OAR) to successful treatment plans of historic patients. The technology makes use of historical patient data to deliver the lowest possible effective target dose to target sites. Furthermore, the software calculates treatment plans and tradeoffs to OARs.
Value Proposition
This technology could be commercialized into an automated dosimetry planning system for use in radiation therapy clinics. Such a system hastens dosimetry planning, the most time and cost intensive portion of radiation therapy, by extracting successful treatment plans from prior patients. As the system can more accurately predict the overlap of OARs and targets, radiologists can deliver a higher dose to targets while spearing OARs—mitigating risk to OARs and increasing target intensity. In light of reduced cost, risk to OARs, and improved treatment efficacy, this technology has the potential to vastly improve radiation therapy.
In addition to improving clinical outcomes, the system is comparatively economical and time efficient compared to legacy dosimetry planning, because the system reduces the number of dosimetry optimizations performed by clinicians by 33%. Given that clinician costs represent over 50% of the cost of radiation therapy, and dosimetry represents over 65% of professional costs of total radiation expenditures, this technology engenders substantial cost savings. Furthermore, Medicare intends to reduce radiation therapy fees by 27%, so reduced optimization time could increase procedure volume and offset the fee reduction, thus popularizing the technology with radiologists and insurance companies alike.
Technical Details:
This invention is software, algorithms, and a database that determines risk associated with treatment planning for oncology patients by the use of prior patient data and risk modeling. Proof of concept studies/data suggests head and neck treatment regimens based on historical cases. Using a volume overlap histogram and a patient matching algorithm run on a SQL database of historical patients, the system can calculate dose outcome relationships for targeted tissues and Organs at Risk (OAR). The risk to the OAR could be calculated from historical patients in order to personalize radiation therapy, accelerate treatment planning and mitigate OAR risk.
Looking for Partners: To develop and commercialize the technology as a dosimetry planning system for use with existing radiation treatment equipment.
Stage of Development: Prototype
Data Availability: Prototype
Patent Status: Pending
Publication(s)/Associated Cases: C10761
