Prism: a new approach to radiotherapy planning software

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Oncology
• Software Engineering

Background:

• Radiotherapy planning systems require high quality and clinical acceptability.
• Innovative features and flexible design are crucial for advancing treatment planning software.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the capabilities and performance of the Prism radiotherapy planning system.
• To highlight its unique features, including AI tools and multileaf collimator (MLC) support.
• To demonstrate its design for high quality, clinical acceptability, operational flexibility, and ease of expansion.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of Prism, a 3D radiotherapy treatment-planning system on standard workstations using the X window system.
• Application of software engineering research principles, including behavioral entity-relationship modeling and the "Mediator Method".
• Inclusion of standard 3D planning features, a rule-based expert system for automated planning target volume generation, and specialized MLC support.

Main Results:

• Prism has been in clinical use since 1994 at the University of Washington and other clinics.
• The system supports simultaneous multi-user access from networked workstations and a common database.
• Radiation oncologists, dosimetrists, and radiation therapists utilize Prism for defining volumes and selecting treatment setups.

Conclusions:

• The Prism system's design is effective for both clinical and research applications.
• Integration of software tools has improved development efficiency and clinical usability.
• The system provides a robust foundation for future innovations in radiation treatment planning software and research.