Engineering topics

Vial, Philip

Publications and source records attributed to Vial, Philip.

5 records

DOE OSTI2015

Feasibility study of a dual detector configuration concept for simultaneous megavoltage imaging and dose verification in radiotherapy

Purpose: To test the feasibility of a dual detector concept for comprehensive verification of external beam radiotherapy. Specifically, the authors test the hypothesis that a portal imaging device coupled to a 2D dosimeter provides a system capable of simultaneous imaging and dose verification, and that the presence of each device does not significantly detract from the performance of the other. Methods: The dual detector configuration comprised of a standard radiotherapy electronic portal imaging device (EPID) positioned directly on top of an ionization-chamber array (ICA) with 2 cm solid water buildup material (between EPID and ICA) and 5 cm solid backscatter material. The dose response characteristics of the ICA and the imaging performance of the EPID in the dual detector configuration were compared to the performance in their respective reference clinical configurations. The reference clinical configurations were 6 cm solid water buildup material, an ICA, and 5 cm solid water backscatter material as the reference dosimetry configuration, and an EPID with no additional buildup or solid backscatter material as the reference imaging configuration. The dose response of the ICA was evaluated by measuring the detector’s response with respect to off-axis position, field size, and transit object thickness. Clinical dosimetry performance was evaluated by measuring a range of clinical intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) beams in transit and nontransit geometries. The imaging performance of the EPID was evaluated quantitatively by measuring the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and spatial resolution. Images of an anthropomorphic phantom were also used for qualitative assessment. Results: The measured off-axis and field size response with the ICA in both transit and nontransit geometries for both dual detector configuration and reference dosimetry configuration agreed to within 1%. Transit dose response as a function of object thickness agreed to within 0.5%. All IMRT test patterns and clinical IMRT beams had gamma pass rates of ≥98% at 2%/2 mm criteria. In terms of imaging performance, the measured CNR and spatial resolution (f{sub 50}) were 263.23 ± 24.85 and 0.4025 ± 1.25 × 10{sup −3} for dual detector configuration and 324 ± 26.65 and 0.4141 ± 1.14 × 10{sup −3} for reference imaging configuration, respectively. The CNR and spatial resolution were quantitatively worse in the dual detector configuration due to the additional backscatter. The difference in imaging performance was not visible in qualitative assessment of phantom images. Conclusions: Combining a commercially available ICA dosimetry device with a conventional EPID did not significantly detract from the performance of either device. Further improvements in imaging performance may be achieved with an optimized design. This study demonstrates the feasibility of a dual detector concept for simultaneous imaging and dosimetry in radiation therapy.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2013

Characterization of a novel EPID designed for simultaneous imaging and dose verification in radiotherapy

Purpose: Standard amorphous silicon electronic portal imaging devices (a-Si EPIDs) are x-ray imagers used frequently in radiotherapy that indirectly detect incident x-rays using a metal plate and phosphor screen. These detectors may also be used as two-dimensional dosimeters; however, they have a well-characterized nonwater-equivalent dosimetric response. Plastic scintillating (PS) fibers, on the other hand, have been shown to respond in a water-equivalent manner to x-rays in the energy range typically encountered during radiotherapy. In this study, the authors report on the first experimental measurements taken with a novel prototype PS a-Si EPID developed for the purpose of performing simultaneous imaging and dosimetry in radiotherapy. This prototype employs an array of PS fibers in place of the standard metal plate and phosphor screen. The imaging performance and dosimetric response of the prototype EPID were evaluated experimentally and compared to that of the standard EPID.Methods: Clinical 6 MV photon beams were used to first measure the detector sensitivity, linearity of dose response, and pixel noise characteristics of the prototype and standard EPIDs. Second, the dosimetric response of each EPID was evaluated relative to a reference water-equivalent dosimeter by measuring the off-axis and field size response in a nontransit configuration, along with the off-axis, field size, and transmission response in a transit configuration using solid water blocks. Finally, the imaging performance of the prototype and standard EPIDs was evaluated quantitatively by using an image quality phantom to measure the contrast to noise ratio (CNR) and spatial resolution of images acquired with each detector, and qualitatively by using an anthropomorphic phantom to acquire images representative of human anatomy.Results: The prototype EPID's sensitivity was 0.37 times that of the standard EPID. Both EPIDs exhibited responses that were linear with delivered dose over a range of 1–100 monitor units. Over this range, the prototype and standard EPID central axis responses agreed to within 1.6%. Images taken with the prototype EPID were noisier than those taken with the standard EPID, with fractional uncertainties of 0.2% and 0.05% within the central 1 cm{sup 2}, respectively. For all dosimetry measurements, the prototype EPID exhibited a near water-equivalent response whereas the standard EPID did not. The CNR and spatial resolution of images taken with the standard EPID were greater than those taken with the prototype EPID.Conclusions: A prototype EPID employing an array of PS fibers has been developed and the first experimental measurements are reported. The prototype EPID demonstrated a much morewater-equivalent dose response than the standard EPID. While the imaging performance of the standard EPID was superior to that of the prototype, the prototype EPID has many design characteristics that may be optimized to improve imaging performance. This investigation demonstrates the feasibility of a new detector design for simultaneous imaging and dosimetry treatment verification in radiotherapy.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2011

Direct dose to water dosimetry for pretreatment IMRT verification using a modified EPID

Purpose: Electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs) are high resolution systems that produce electronic dose maps with minimal time required for equipment setup, and therefore potentially present a time-saving alternative for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) pretreatment verification. A modified commercial EPID was investigated operated with an opaque sheet blocking the optical signal produced in the phosphor layer as a precursor to a switched mode dual dosimetry-imaging EPID system. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using this system for direct dose to water dosimetry for pretreatment IMRT verification. Methods: A Varian amorphous silicon EPID was modified by placing an opaque sheet between the Gd{sub 2}S{sub 2}O:Tb phosphor layer and the photodiode array to block the optical photons. The EPID was thus converted to a direct-detecting system (dEPID), in which the high energy radiation deposits energy directly in the photodiode array. The copper build-up was replaced with d{sub max} solid water. Sixty-one IMRT beams of varying complexity were delivered to the EPID, to EDR2 dosimetric film and to a 2D ion chamber array (MapCheck). EPID data was compared to film and MapCheck data using gamma analysis with 3%, 3mm pass criteria. Results: The fraction of points that passed the gamma test was on average 98.1% and 98.6%, for the EPID versus film and EPID versus MapCheck comparisons, respectively. In the case of comparison with film, the majority of observed discrepancies were associated with problems related to film sensitivity or processing. Conclusions: The very close agreement between EPID and both film and MapCheck data demonstrates that the modified EPID is suitable for direct dose to water measurement for pretreatment IMRT verification. These results suggest a reconfigured EPID could be an efficient and accurate dosimeter. Alternatively, optical switching methods could be developed to produce a dual-mode EPID with both dosimetry and imaging capabilities.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

DOE OSTI2011

Epid Dosimetry

Electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs) were introduced originally for patient position verification. The idea of using EPIDs for dosimetry was realised in the 1980s. Little was published on the topic until the mid 1990's, when the interest in EPIDs for dosimetry increased rapidly and continues to grow. The increasing research on EPID dosimetry coincided with the introduction of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). EPIDs are well suited to IMRT dosimetry because they are high resolution, two-dimensional (2D) digital detectors. They are also pre-existing on almost all modern linear accelerators. They generally show a linear response to increasing dose. Different types of EPIDs have been clinically implemented, and these have been described in several review papers. The current generation of commercially available EPIDs are indirect detection active matrix flat panel imagers, also known as amorphous silicon (a-Si) EPIDs. Disadvantages of a-Si EPIDs for dosimetry include non-water equivalent construction materials, and the energy sensitivity and optical scatter of the phosphor scintillators used to create optical signal from the megavoltage beam. This report discusses current knowledge regarding a-Si EPIDs for dosimetry.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

DOE OSTI2011

In vivo dosimetry for IMRT

In vivo dosimetry has a well established role in the quality assurance of 2D radiotherapy and 3D conformal radiotherapy. The role of in vivo dosimetry for IMRT is not as well established. IMRT introduces a range of technical issues that complicate in vivo dosimetry. The first decade or so of IMRT implementation has largely relied upon pre-treatment phantom based dose verification. During that time, several new devices and techniques for in vivo dosimetry have emerged with the promise of providing the ultimate form of IMRT dose verification. Solid state dosimeters continue to dominate the field of in vivo dosimetry in the IMRT era. In this report we review the literature on in vivo dosimetry for IMRT, with an emphasis on clinical evidence for different detector types. We describe the pros and cons of different detectors and techniques in the IMRT setting and the roles that they are likely to play in the future.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗