OPTIMIZATION OF COMPLEX MULTIFIELD RADIATION TREATMENTS

SOFTBRIDGE MICROSYSTEMS CORPORATION HAS DEVELOPED AND IS TESTING A MIXED INTEGER PROGRAMMING MODEL AS A CLINICAL TOOL FOR PLANNING COMPLEX MULTIFIELD RADIATION TREATMENTS. THIS MODEL IS A SIGNIFICANT PRACTICAL ADVANCE OVER MODELS THAT HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED IN THE LITERATURE, BECAUSE IT CAN ACCURATELY REPRESENT PARTIAL VOLUME-DOSE RESTRICTIONS FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF TISSUES AND BECAUSE IT PRODUCES RESULTS THAT MESH DIRECTLY WITH CONVENTIONAL PLANNING PRACTICES. THIS MODEL COULD BE INCORPORATED INTO COMMERCIAL TREATMENT PLANNING SYSTEMS IN A WAY THAT REQUIRES NO EXPERTISE IN MATHEMATICS OR OPTIMIZATION ON THE PART OF THE USER. IT WOULD BE A POWERFUL ADJUNCT TO CLINICAL PRACTICE, PERMITTINGTHE THERAPIST TO RAPIDLY DEVISE MORE EFFECTIVE PLANS AND MAKE THE BEST POSSIBLE USE OF ADVANCES IN RADIATION TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY. THE LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO PROVE THE POTENTIAL OF THIS MODEL AS A PRACTICAL TOOL FOR PLANNING RADIATION TREATMENTS IN THE CLINICAL SETTING. THE IMMEDIATE AIM IS TO ASSESS THE COMPUTATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MODEL AS A POTENTIAL COMPONENT OF TYPICAL TREATMENT PLANNING SYSTEMS.