<title>Knowledge-based image processing for proton therapy planning of ocular tumors</title>

Abstract

Our project is concerned with the improvement of radiation treatment procedures for ocular tumors. In this context the application of proton beams offers new possibilities to considerably enhance precision and reliability of current radiation treatment systems. A precise model of the patient's eye and the tumor is essential for determining the necessary treatment plan. Current treatment systems base their irradiation plan calculations mainly on schematic eye models (e.g., Gullstrand's schematic eye). The adjustment of the model to the patient's anatomy is done by distorting the model according to information from ultrasound and/or CT images. In our project a precise model of the orbita is determined from CT, high resolution MRT, ultrasound (A-mode depth images and/or 2D B-mode images) and photographs of the fundus. The results from various segmentation and image analysis steps performed on all the data are combined to achieve an eye model of improved precision. By using a proton cannon for the therapy execution, the high precision of the model can be exploited, thus achieving a basic improvement of the therapy. Control over the destruction of the tumor can be increased by maximizing the dose distributions within the target volume keeping the damage in the surrounding tissue to a minimum. This article is concerned with the image processing to generate an eye model on which treatment planning is based.