Hybrid methods for the multileaf collimator sequencing problem

The multileaf collimator sequencing problem is an important component of the effective delivery of intensity modulated radiotherapy used in the treatment of cancer. The problem can be formulated as finding a decomposition of an integer matrix into a weighted sequence of binary matrices whose rows satisfy a consecutive ones property. In this paper we extend the state-of-the-art optimisation methods for this problem, which are based on constraint programming and decomposition. Specifically, we propose two alternative hybrid methods: one based on Lagrangian relaxation and the other on column generation. Empirical evaluation on both random and clinical problem instances shows that these approaches can out-perform the state-of-the-art by an order of magnitude in terms of time. Larger problem instances than those within the capability of other approaches can also be solved with the methods proposed.