Upcoming Release: AutoContour v2.6 Offers 95 Brand New Structure Models

Radformation is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of AutoContour v2.6, packed with exciting features, enhancements, and additional structure models. This latest version introduces 77 new CT models and 18 new MR models, alongside a wide array of updates to existing offerings. We’re happy to introduce you to some of the most highly anticipated additions, including upgraded HDR support,  male pelvis MR models, heart substructures, ESTRO breast node models, and several others developed based on customer and requests.

New Support for Brachytherapy Workflows

Given the length of the average brachytherapy treatment, an ideal HDR workflow moves efficiently and smoothly to ensure the patient completes their treatment as comfortably as possible. AutoContour’s new HDR models contribute to accelerating this process. 

For cases involving a vaginal cylinder, our new HDR_Bladder model has been trained to outperform previous iterations, in particular in portions of the bladder that are closest to the cylinder, as well as not breaking up near the air in the bladder or more superiorly for this case. This is because the new HDR structures were all trained with scans that included a cylinder, so it better handles these edges because the model expects the anatomy of the bladder and surrounding tissues to look like they do with the applicator present. The same goes for the new rectum and bowel options as well (HDR_Bowel, HDR_Rectum), which handle these challenging HDR applicators effectively. 

New HDR brachytherapy models support efficient treatment workflows.

It’s important to remember that HDR treatments involve various types of applicators, each with variations in size and fit. While our models have been trained on a large number of data sets, performance may vary depending on the type of applicator and anatomy.  For this reason, it’s crucial to carefully review every slice of each structure, especially in more complex or rare cases.

More MR Models: Male Pelvis

With the release of v2.6, AutoContour has more than quadrupled its MR offerings for male pelvis. Even better, we’ve made improvements to existing prostate and seminal vesicle models (Prostate, Glnd_Prostate, SeminalVes). Also included in this release, and both highly requested, are Urethra and Bladder_Trigone.

The MR Urethra model has been designed to be conservative through the prostate where it is least visible even on MR, and has been trained only on male non-prostatectomy cases. This will help clinics spare dose to this more sensitive OAR while treating prostate patients. 

The Bladder_Trigone model captures a portion of the posterior bladder wall, and will extend superiorly until the ureters exit the bladder. This will allow clinics to better monitor dose to the bladder/bladder wall in the region closest to the prostate, which is the most vulnerable region during treatment. 

MR male pelvis models have greatly expanded in the latest version of AutoContour.

Pulse Check: Additional Heart Substructures

With the release of the new cardiac substructures, better dose tracking and constraints are more accessible than ever before, allowing for better target coverage or better OAR avoidance. With v2.6, we’ve also updated our V_Venacava_S,  A_Aorta, and A_Aorta_Asc  models to extend into the heart to better match guidelines.

Included in this new batch of thoracic updates are the brachiocephalic veins, arteries and the subclavian arteries, which will be contoured beginning from the top of the aortic arch.  

The addition of cardiac substructures allows for deeper investigation and evaluation of dose constraints and their impact on patient outcomes.

ESTRO Nodes

The release of our ESTRO breast node models offers clinics the flexibility to contour according to their preferred guidelines. Some key differences between the ESTRO guidelines and previously released models include:

• ESTRO Axilla guidelines do not include the minor pectoral muscle in Level II. Instead, Level II  is contoured between the minor pectoral muscle and the intercostal muscles, and an additional node —the interpectoral node— is contoured between the major and minor pectoral muscles. 
• For Level I, the RTOG and RADCOMP models contour a significantly larger area, while the ESTRO models limit the contour to the tissue within an imaginary line drawn between the major pectoral muscle and the latissimus dorsi muscle.
• The new ESTRO Sclav models differ from previously released models as they do not include the common carotid artery, but will include the jugular vein without margin. 

Catering to Real Clinical Needs

We get a lot of great feedback for which structure models we should consider adding to AutoContour. Hearing from clinical users helps us to prioritize the models we need to tackle next. Here are a few structures that we added to v2.6 that were highly requested. 

The sacral plexus (SacralPlex_L/R) was one of our most highly requested models. Pelvic anatomy differs between male and female patients, so we trained these models on both male and female patients in order to get high quality results. 

Bilateral sacral plexus models.

As if AutoContour didn’t already have a ton of H&N structures, we’ve added 5 more worth highlighting. 

• A Bone_Hyoid model that can be used to help create custom planning structures, since we know each clinic’s and each patient’s needs are unique. 
• The newest Bone_Teeth model has the potential to be extremely helpful when combined with the use of planning structures for efficient editing and plan preparation. We’ve also considered how Bone_Teeth could be used retrospectively in cases where a dentist may need to know about prior treatment in the HN region. With this new model, the dose to teeth is available with nominal effort. 
• Clinically, dental fillings are pretty common and pose a challenge in contouring, as they impact the quality of a CT scan with artifacts that obscure other nearby anatomy. We created our new Dental_Artifact model to solve this exact problem. The model will identify and contour the regions most influenced by artifacts. Coupled with the ability for HU overrides in AutoContour v2.5, users can quickly and efficiently change the HU of the artifact region.
• We’re aware that both contrast and non-contrast scans are used for HN contouring, and so we’ve trained our A_Carotid_L  and A_Carotid_R models on both types of scans. The borders of the carotid artery can be extremely difficult to delineate in some regions when contrast is lacking, so we recommend using contrast whenever possible.
  Important for H&N planning workflows, teeth and artifact models are now available to streamline contouring.
  
  Carotid artery, new in AutoContour v2.6.
  
  

Conclusion

With AutoContour v2.6, we’re proud to offer a total of 295 models, giving you more tools than ever to streamline your patient care workflow. These models aren’t just numbers—they represent a significant leap forward in helping clinicians like you create faster, more precise, and personalized plans.

With more efficient contouring and improved model accuracy, you’ll have more time to focus on patient care, ensuring the best possible outcomes. We’re excited to see how AutoContour v2.6 will make a real impact in your clinic and help you deliver the highest quality care to your patients.