Optimization of the planning process with an in-house treatment information, management, and planning system

Objective

To describe the major categories of components of an in-house treatment information, management, and planning system (TIMPS®) that were designed and built to optimize the planning process.

Methods

The system was designed, from the beginning, to manage the multi-user complex process of planning and delivering external beam treatments with the eventual goal of providing one-day planning, multiple radiation modality optimization, robust optimization, 4D planning, daily adaptive treatments, and treatment verification and reconstruction. A Monte Carlo based track repeating algorithm was chosen for dose simulations. The user interface was based on web applications.

Results

The first set of released tools included task queuing, followed by resource scheduling calendars and planning aims. Later releases included tools for image registration, manipulating motion profiles and 4D images, segmentation, PET simulation, and portal QA. Currently under testing are plan optimization and biophysical models.

Conclusions

The in-house TIMPS first entered clinical service in April of 2017 with new tools added every few months. Since implementation, the time for planning has decreased simultaneously with a reduction of errors.