Novel breathing motion model for radiotherapy

Conclusion: The motion tracking algorithms are being improved and automated to provide more motion data to test the models. This may allow a measurement of the motion-fitting parameters throughout the lungs. If the parameters vary smoothly, interpolation may be possible, yielding a continuous mathematical model of the breathing motion throughout the lungs. The utility of the model will depend on its stability as a function of time. If the model is only robust during the measurement session, it may be useful for determining lung function. If it is robust for weeks, it may be useful for treatment planning and gating of lung treatments. The use of tidal volume phase space for characterizing breathing motion appears to have provided, for the first time, the potential for a patient-specific mathematical model of breathing motion.