Development Project ORION

Operation characterization:

PROJECT NAME | ORION – Optimized Remote radIOtherapy planning

PROJECT REFERENCE | POCI-01-0247-FEDER-047222

REGION OF INTERVENTION | Centre (83.62%) and Lisbon (16.38%)

DURATION | 25 Months

START DATE | 2021-06-01

END DATE | 2023-06-30

DATE OF APPROVAL | 2021-03-26

COPROMOTORS | Mercurius Health, S.A. | Pedro Nunes Institute | Coimbra University

Financial characterization:

TOTAL INVESTMENT | 1,204,363.80 €

TOTAL ELIGIBLE | 1,197,590.26 €

EU FINANCIAL SUPPORT – TOTAL | FEDER – €821,814.30

Project Summary:

PRESENTATION AND OBJECTIVES:

Radiotherapy is currently an important tool in the treatment of cancer, with at least 50% of patients undergoing this treatment. Radiotherapy requires the use of state-of-the-art technology, which increasingly allows for greater precision in the treatment to be administered.

This treatment requires a rigorous planning that requires the determination of a set of parameters (such as weights and limits) that will configure the machine (linear accelerator) so that the prescribed radiation doses are deposited. The planning time for a treatment depends on the characteristics of the case, ranging from a few hours in the simplest cases to days in very complex cases. Mechanisms that automate the creation of radiotherapy treatment plans may improve radiotherapy treatments in developed countries, but they can also in undeveloped countries where the majority of the population is deprived of radiotherapy care.

The ORION project aims to create a global approach to planning radiotherapy treatments and allowing for better management of human resources. It is intended to automate the process of building treatment plans, through image editing techniques, 3D modeling and optimization tools used in combination with artificial intelligence, reducing the time spent on the procedure.

GOALS, ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTED / ACHIEVED RESULTS

Expected Results:

Development of an integrated platform that:
1. Substantially reduce the average time spent by the dosimetrist to prepare treatment plans;
2. Automatically build treatment plans of equal or superior quality to that performed by a dosimetrist;
3. Provide tools to support the delineation of volumes from images from the planning TAC;
4. Ensure quality control and reliability at all times in the process;