RESIDUAL MAP SEGMENTATION METHOD FOR MULTI-LEAF COLLIMATOR-INTENSITY MODULATED RADIOTHERAPY

In a method for sequentially generating segment fields for use in delivering intensity modulated radiotherapy an input continuous intensity map is generated. A segment field is generated directly from the input intensity map. A residual continuous intensity map is generated that is based on the respective photon fluence contributions from the input intensity map and a fractionally intensity map corresponding to the segment field. These steps are repeated for a number of iterations to generate a like number of additional segment fields and residual maps derived therefrom. In each iteration, the residual map generated in the previous iteration is used as the input intensity map.