TH-EF-BRB-07: Novel Hardware and Software Platform for Intermediate Energy 4π Radiotherapy
Purpose: To develop a robust and efficient platform for the optimization and robotic delivery of highly noncoplanar intensity modulated radiotherapy, which enables significant reduction of normal tissue toxicity and escalation of tumor dose. Methods: An innovative high-output compact 3 MV linac was designed for mounting onto a commercial robotic system in order to access the entire 4π beam solution space without moving the patient couch. The use of intermediate energy X-rays for radiotherapy was evaluated in comparison to clinical plans delivered using 6 MV X-rays and a state-of-the-art delivery system. Monte Carlo simulations of a 3 MV percent depth dose curve were performed for intermediate energy dose calculation. The beam model was used to create a convolution/superposition-based dose calculation engine for 3MV X-rays. The 4π greedy column generation algorithm was used for optimized beam selection and fluence map optimization. Results: A detailed design of the first 3 MV linac capable of producing a competitively high dose rate of >800 cGy/min at 100 cm was completed and verified through extensive simulation. The complete linac head including a multileaf collimator can access most of the 4π solution space including the posterior orientations without changing the couch height. When compared to 6 MV clinical plans, the proposed 3 MV 4π plans demonstrated significantly better dose compactness and normal tissue sparing in brain, prostate, and partial breast treatment plans. Conclusion: We demonstrate the design of a highly versatile radiotherapy machine to natively deliver non-coplanar 4π radiotherapy without the need to move the patient during treatment. This novel platform is efficient and capable of providing dosimetry that is 30–50% more compact than existing therapy platforms. The new system is projected to be cost effective due to improved treatment time and automation. NIH R43CA183390, NIH R01CA188300.