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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Conceptual Design of a Scintillator-Based Fast-Ion Loss Detector for the Wendelstein 7-X Stellarator

Here, a conceptual design of a scintillator-based fast-ion loss detector (FILD) has been developed for the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator (W7-X). Simulations using the Monte Carlo codes ASCOT5 and BEAMS3D have been performed to calculate the expected flux of neutral beam injection (NBI)-generated fast hydrogen ions onto the conceptual detector probe head. These fast-ion loss fluxes have been calculated for several magnetic field configurations as well as probe insertion positions. At the maximum insertion position, both co-and counter-going losses with high incident pitch angles are observed; however, at retracted positions, only co-going fast ions reach the probe head. The FILDSIM code has been used to optimize the geometry of the detector entrance and collimating elements to achieve a wide velocity space coverage as well as a high velocity–space resolution. A synthetic FILD signal is calculated for the expected loss distribution via forward modeling using the instrument response function. The synthetic signal is found to largely retain the velocity space features of the loss distribution.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Ultrasonic Measurements of Temperature Distribution and Heat Fluxes Across Containments of Extreme Environments

Extreme conditions are common in energy conversion, material processing, nuclear, airspace, and military applications. In such environments, the most hardened insertion sensors do not perform reliably for long. Ultrasonic measurements, on the other hand, can be acquired noninvasively, with sensitive components kept away from the damaging environment. We have previously developed the ultrasonic method for measuring the spatial distribution of temperatures in solid materials applicable in the cases when large thermal gradients are present. In the developed approach, we use the echogenically segmented ultrasound propagation path, structured to contain engineered or naturally occurring echogenic features, to produce a train of echoes in response to an external pulse of ultrasonic excitation. The delays between the echoes, which encode the information on the temperature distribution in the corresponding segments, is used to reconstruct unknown temperature profile. In this paper, we outline the results of pilot-scale testing of the developed approach and demonstrate its application to the measurements of the temperature distribution across the containment of a high-temperature combustion process. The validation results show that the estimated temperature profile is correctly captured, and the measurement accuracy can be comparable with traditional insertion sensors, such as thermocouples. Overall, the testing has confirmed that the developed approach has matured to become an attractive alternative to conventional sensing in solving challenging problems of long-term temperature measurements in extreme environments. Heat fluxes and thermal stresses in the structure can then be characterized noninvasively using the measured temperature distribution as the basis.

Jia, Yunlu↗
DOE OSTI2024

Utilization of lasso peptides for biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Abstract Many microbial genes involved in degrading recalcitrant environmental contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been identified and characterized. However, all molecular mechanisms required for PAH utilization have not yet been elucidated. In this work, we demonstrate the proposed involvement of lasso peptides in the utilization of the PAH phenanthrene in Sphingomonas BPH. Transpositional mutagenesis of Sphingomonas BPH with the miniTn5 transposon yielded 3 phenanthrene utilization deficient mutants, #257, #1778, and #1782. In mutant #1782, Tn5 had inserted into the large subunit of the naph/bph dioxygenase gene. In mutant #1778, Tn5 had inserted into the B2 protease gene of a lasso peptide cluster. This finding is the first report on the role of lasso peptides in PAH utilization. Our studies also demonstrate that interruption of the lasso peptide cluster resulted in a significant increase in the amount of biosurfactant produced in the presence of glucose when compared to the wild‐type strain. Collectively, these results suggest that the mechanisms Sphingomonas BPH utilizes to degrade phenanthrene are far more complex than previously understood and that the #1778 mutant may be a good candidate for bioremediation when glucose is applied as an amendment due to its higher biosurfactant production.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

KIN3 impacts arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis and promotes fungal colonisation in Medicago truncatula

Summary Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi help their host plant in the acquisition of nutrients, and this association is itself impacted by soil nutrient levels. High phosphorus levels inhibit the symbiosis, whereas high nitrogen levels enhance it. The genetic mechanisms regulating the symbiosis in response to soil nutrients are poorly understood. Here, we characterised the symbiotic phenotypes in four Medicago truncatula Tnt1 ‐insertion mutants affected in arbuscular mycorrhizal colonisation. We located their Tnt1 insertions and identified alleles for two genes known to be involved in mycorrhization, RAM1 and KIN3 . We compared the effects of the kin3‐2 and ram1‐4 mutations on gene expression, revealing that the two genes alter the expression of overlapping but not identical gene sets, suggesting that RAM1 acts upstream of KIN3. Additionally, KIN3 appears to be involved in the suppression of plant defences in response to the fungal symbiont. KIN3 is located on the endoplasmic reticulum of arbuscule‐containing cortical cells, and kin3‐2 mutants plants hosted significantly fewer arbuscules than the wild type. KIN3 plays an essential role in the symbiotic response to soil nitrogen levels, as, contrary to wild‐type plants, the kin3‐2 mutant did not exhibit increased root colonisation under high nitrogen.

Irving, Thomas B.↗
DOE OSTI2018

Influence of charge motion and compression ratio on the performance of a combustion concept employing in-cylinder gasoline and natural gas

The present paper represents a small piece of an extensive experimental effort investigating the dual-fuel operation of a light-duty spark ignited engine. Natural gas (NG) was directly injected into the cylinder and gasoline was injected into the intake-port. Direct injection (DI) of NG was used in order to overcome the power density loss usually experienced with NG port-fuel injection (PFI) as it allows an injection after intake valve closing. Having two separate fuel systems allows for a continuum of in-cylinder blend levels from pure gasoline to pure NG operation. The huge benefit of gasoline is its availability and energy density, whereas NG allows efficient operation at high load due to improved combustion phasing enabled by its higher knock resistance. Furthermore, using NG allowed a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions across the entire engine map due to the higher hydrogen-to-carbon ratio. Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) was used to (a) increase efficiency at low and part-load operation and (b) reduce the propensity of knock at higher compression ratios (CRs) thereby enabling blend levels with greater amount of gasoline across a wider operating range. Two integral engine parameters, CR and in cylinder turbulence levels, were varied in order to study their influence on efficiency, emissions, and performance over a specific speed and load range. Increasing the CR from 10.5 to 14.5 allowed an absolute increase in indicated thermal efficiency of snore than 3% for 7.5% NG (2.5% gasoline) operation at 8 bar net indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) and 2500 rpm. However, as anticipated, the achievable peak load at CR 14.5 with 100% gasoline was greatly reduced due to its lower knock resistance. The in cylinder turbulence level was varied by means of tumble plates (TPs) as well as an insert for the NG injector that guides the injection "spray" to augment the tumble motion. The usage of TPs showed a significant increase in EGR dilution tolerance for pure gasoline operation, however, no such impact was found for blended operation of gasoline and NG.

Sevik, James↗
DOE OSTI2012

Atomic force microscopy and x-ray diffraction studies on agglomeration phenomena of ultrathin Au/Fe bilayers

The agglomeration phenomena of a few nanometer thick Au/Fe bilayers, grown on an MgO(100) substrate, were studied by using atomic force microscopy and x ray diffraction (XRD). The authors found that the insertion of an Fe ultrathin layer between an MgO(100) substrate and a 4 nm thick Au layer promotes the agglomeration process of the Au layer, in which the bilayer structure changes into large Fe/Au islands of {approx}200 nm in diameter. In addition, XRD results revealed that the Au in the agglomerated islands has only a (111)-crystallographic orientation, presumably caused by reducing the large surface energy of Au on the MgO(001) substrate. These findings are quite different from cases in which structural stabilization is achieved by inserting an Fe seeding layer of a few nanometers on an MgO(001) substrate.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Ion optical effects in a low pressure rf plasma

Ion optical effects in low pressure gas discharges are introduced as a novel input into low pressure plasma technology. They are based on appropriate geometrical plasma confinements which enable a control of the shape of internal density and potential distributions and, hence, the ion motion in the plasma bulk. Such effects are exemplified for an electron cyclotron wave resonance plasma in Ar at 1–5 × 10{sup −3} millibars. The geometry of the plasma chamber is modified by a conical and a cylindrical insert. Computer simulations display spherical plasma density contours to be formed around the conical confinement. This effects an increase of the ratio of the ion currents into the conical and the cylindrical inserts which depends on the fourth power of the plasma electron temperature. A quantitative understanding of this behavior is presented. As another essential result, the shape of the internal plasma contours is found to be independent of the pressure controlled plasma parameters.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Atomic layer deposition of ultrathin blocking layer for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell on nanoporous substrate

An ultrathin yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) blocking layer deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) was utilized for improving the performance and reliability of low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) supported by an anodic aluminum oxide substrate. Physical vapor-deposited YSZ and gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) electrolyte layers were deposited by a sputtering method. The ultrathin ALD YSZ blocking layer was inserted between the YSZ and GDC sputtered layers. To investigate the effects of an inserted ultrathin ALD blocking layer, SOFCs with and without an ultrathin ALD blocking layer were electrochemically characterized. The open circuit voltage (1.14 V) of the ALD blocking-layered SOFC was visibly higher than that (1.05 V) of the other cell. Furthermore, the ALD blocking layer augmented the power density and improved the reproducibility.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

A new water-equivalent 2D plastic scintillation detectors array for the dosimetry of megavoltage energy photon beams in radiation therapy

Purpose: The objective of this work is to present a new 2D plastic scintillation detectors array (2D-PSDA) designed for the dosimetry of megavoltage (MV) energy photon beams in radiation therapy and to characterize its basic performance. Methods: We developed a 2D detector array consisting of 781 plastic scintillation detectors (PSDs) inserted into a plane of a water-equivalent phantom. The PSDs were distributed on a 26 x 26 cm{sup 2} grid, with an interdetector spacing of 10 mm, except for two perpendicular lines centered on the detection plane, where the spacing was 5 mm. Each PSD was made of a 1 mm diameter by 3 mm long cylindrical polystyrene scintillating fiber coupled to a clear nonscintillating plastic optical fiber. All of the light signals emitted by the PSDs were read simultaneously with an optical system at a rate of one measurement per second. We characterized the performance of the optical system, the angular dependency of the device, and the perturbation of dose distributions caused by the hundreds of PSDs inserted into the phantom. We also evaluated the capacity of the system to monitor complex multileaf collimator (MLC) sequences such as those encountered in step-and-shoot intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plans. We compared our results with calculations performed by a treatment planning system and with measurements taken with a 2D ionization chamber array and with a radiochromic film. Results: The detector array that we developed allowed us to measure doses with an average precision of better than 1% for cumulated doses equal to or greater than 6.3 cGy. Our results showed that the dose distributions produced by the 6-MV photon beam are not perturbed (within {+-}1.1%) by the presence of the hundreds of PSDs located into the phantom. The results also showed that the variations in the beam incidences have little effect on the dose response of the device. For all incidences tested, the passing rates of the gamma tests between the 2D-PSDA and the treatment planning system were higher than 97.5% when the standard clinical tolerances of 3% or 3 mm were used. Excellent agreement was obtained between the doses measured and calculated when we used the 2D-PSDA for monitoring a MLC sequence from a step-and-shoot IMRT plan. Conclusions: We demonstrated the feasibility of using a large number of PSDs in a new 2D-PSDA for the dosimetry of MV energy photon beams in radiation therapy. The excellent precision, accuracy, and low angular dependence of the device indicate that such a prototype could potentially be used as a high-accuracy quality assurance tool for IMRT and arc therapy patient plan verification. The homogeneity and water-equivalence of the prototype we built suggest that this technology could be extended to multiple detection planes by arranging the fibers into more complex orientations, opening the possibility for 3D dosimetry with PSDs.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2012

Neutron dose equivalent measured at the maze door with various openings for the jaws and MLC

Purpose: This study was undertaken to explore the effects of the jaws and the MLC openings on the neutron dose equivalent (DE) at the maze door and neutron flux at the patient plane. Methods: The neutron dose equivalent was measured at the maze entrance door of a 15 MV therapy linear accelerator room. All measurements were performed using various field sizes up to 40 cm x 40 cm. Activation detectors constructed from natural Indium (In) were exposed at Cd envelope to neutrons in order to estimate relative changes of epithermal neutron fluences in the patient plane. Results: Our study showed that the dose equivalent at the maze door is at the highest when the jaw are closed and that maximal jaws opening reduces the DE by more than 20%. The neutron dose equivalent at the maze door measured for radiation fields defined by jaws do not differ significantly from the DE measured when MLC determines the same size radiation field. The epithermal capture reaction rate measured using different jaw openings differs by approximately 10%. When an MLC leaf is inserted into a fixed geometry for one opening of the jaws, an increase of the epithermal neutron capture reaction rate in Indium activation detectors was observed. Conclusions: There is no significant difference in the neutron DE when MLC defines radiation field instead of jaws. This leads to the conclusion that the overall number of neutrons remains similar and it does not depend on how primary photon beam was stopped--by the jaws or the MLC. An increase of the fast neutron capture reaction rate when MLC leaves are inserted probably originates from the neutron scattering.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Computerized scheme for evaluating mammographic phantom images

Purpose: The authors developed a computer algorithm to automatically evaluate images of the American College of Radiology (ACR) mammography accreditation phantom. Methods: The developed algorithm consist of the edge detection of wax insert, nonuniformity correction of background, and correction for magnification and also calculate the cross-correlation coefficient by image matching technique. The algorithm additionally evaluates target shape for fibers, target contrast for speck groups, and target circularity for masses. To obtain an ideal template image without noise and spatial resolution loss, the wax insert containing the embedded test pattern was extracted from the phantom and radiographed. Two template images and ten test phantom images were prepared for this study. The results of evaluation using the algorithm outputs were compared with the averaged results of observer studies by six skilled observers. Results: In comparing the results from the algorithm outputs with the results of observers, the authors found that the computer outputs were well correlated with the evaluations by observers, and they indicate the quality of the phantom image. The correlation coefficients between results of observer studies and two outputs of computer algorithm, i.e., the cross-correlation coefficient by template matching and indices of target shape for fibers, were 0.89 (95% confidence interval, 0.82-0.93; hereinafter the same) and 0.85 (0.76-0.91). The correlation coefficients between observer's results and two outputs: the cross-correlation coefficient and indices of target contrast for speck groups, were 0.83 (0.79-0.86) and 0.85 (0.81-0.88) and between observer's results and two outputs: the cross-correlation coefficient and indices of target circularity for masses, were 0.90 (0.84-0.94) and 0.87 (0.77-0.92). Conclusions: Image evaluation using the ACR phantom is indispensable in quality control of a mammography system. The proposed algorithm is useful for quality control and image evaluation of mammography units.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Potential of dual-energy subtraction for converting CT numbers to electron density based on a single linear relationship

Purpose: The conversion of the computed tomography (CT) number to electron density is one of the main processes that determine the accuracy of patient dose calculations in radiotherapy treatment planning. However, the CT number and electron density of tissues cannot be generally interrelated via a simple one-to-one correspondence because the CT number depends on the effective atomic number as well as the electron density. The purpose of this study is to present a simple conversion from the energy-subtracted CT number ({Delta}HU) by means of dual-energy CT (DECT) to the relative electron density ({rho}{sub e}) via a single linear relationship. Methods: The {Delta}HU-{rho}{sub e} conversion method was demonstrated by performing analytical DECT image simulations that were intended to imitate a second-generation dual-source CT (DSCT) scanner with an additional tin filtration for the high-kV tube. The {Delta}HU-{rho}{sub e} calibration line was obtained from the image simulation with a 33 cm-diameter electron density calibration phantom equipped with 16 inserts including polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and aluminum; the elemental compositions of these three inserts were quite different to those of body tissues. The {Delta}HU-{rho}{sub e} conversion method was also applied to previously published experimental CT data, which were measured using two different CT scanners, to validate the clinical feasibility of the present approach. In addition, the effect of object size on {rho}{sub e}-calibrated images was investigated by image simulations using a 25 cm-diameter virtual phantom for two different filtrations: with and without the tin filter for the high-kV tube. Results: The simulated {Delta}HU-{rho}{sub e} plot exhibited a predictable linear relationship over a wide range of {rho}{sub e} from 0.00 (air) to 2.35 (aluminum). Resultant values of the coefficient of determination, slope, and intercept of the linear function fitted to the data were close to those of the ideal case. The maximum difference between the ideal and simulated {rho}{sub e} values was -0.7%. The satisfactory linearity of {Delta}HU-{rho}{sub e} was also confirmed from analyses of the experimental CT data. In the experimental cases, the maximum difference between the nominal and simulated {rho}{sub e} values was found to be 2.5% after two outliers were excluded. When compared with the case without the tin filter, the {Delta}HU-{rho}{sub e} conversion performed with the tin filter yielded a lower dose and more reliable {rho}{sub e} values that were less affected by the object-size variation. Conclusions: The {Delta}HU-{rho}{sub e} calibration line with a simple one-to-one correspondence would facilitate the construction of a well-calibrated {rho}{sub e} image from acquired dual-kV images, and currently, second generation DSCT may be a feasible modality for the clinical use of the {Delta}HU-{rho}{sub e} conversion method.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2012

A method of dose reconstruction for moving targets compatible with dynamic treatments

Purpose: To develop a method that allows a commercial treatment planning system (TPS) to perform accurate dose reconstruction for rigidly moving targets and to validate the method in phantom measurements for a range of treatments including intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), volumetric arc therapy (VMAT), and dynamic multileaf collimator (DMLC) tracking. Methods: An in-house computer program was developed to manipulate Dicom treatment plans exported from a TPS (Eclipse, Varian Medical Systems) such that target motion during treatment delivery was incorporated into the plans. For each treatment, a motion including plan was generated by dividing the intratreatment target motion into 1 mm position bins and construct sub-beams that represented the parts of the treatment that were delivered, while the target was located within each position bin. For each sub-beam, the target shift was modeled by a corresponding isocenter shift. The motion incorporating Dicom plans were reimported into the TPS, where dose calculation resulted in motion including target dose distributions. For experimental validation of the dose reconstruction a thorax phantom with a moveable lung equivalent rod with a tumor insert of solid water was first CT scanned. The tumor insert was delineated as a gross tumor volume (GTV), and a planning target volume (PTV) was formed by adding margins. A conformal plan, two IMRT plans (step-and-shoot and sliding windows), and a VMAT plan were generated giving minimum target doses of 95% (GTV) and 67% (PTV) of the prescription dose (3 Gy). Two conformal fields with MLC leaves perpendicular and parallel to the tumor motion, respectively, were generated for DMLC tracking. All treatment plans were delivered to the thorax phantom without tumor motion and with a sinusoidal tumor motion. The two conformal fields were delivered with and without portal image guided DMLC tracking based on an embedded gold marker. The target dose distribution was measured with a radiochromic film in the moving rod and compared with the reconstructed doses using gamma tests. Results: Considerable interplay effects between machine motion and target motion were observed for the treatments without tracking. For nontracking experiments, the mean 2 mm/2% gamma pass rate over all investigated scenarios was 99.6% between calculated and measured doses. For tracking experiments, the mean gamma pass rate was 99.4%. Conclusions: A method for accurate dose reconstruction for moving targets with dynamic treatments was developed and experimentally validated in a variety of delivery scenarios. The method is suitable for integration into TPSs, e.g., for reconstruction of the dose delivered to moving tumors or calculation of target doses delivered with DMLC tracking.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

The need for application-based adaptation of deformable image registration

Purpose: To utilize a deformable phantom to objectively evaluate the accuracy of 11 different deformable image registration (DIR) algorithms. Methods: The phantom represents an axial plane of the pelvic anatomy. Urethane plastic serves as the bony anatomy and urethane rubber with three levels of Hounsfield units (HU) is used to represent fat and organs, including the prostate. A plastic insert is placed into the phantom to simulate bladder filling. Nonradiopaque markers reside on the phantom surface. Optical camera images of these markers are used to measure the positions and determine the deformation from the bladder insert. Eleven different DIR algorithms are applied to the full and empty-bladder computed tomography images of the phantom (fixed and moving volumes, respectively) to calculate the deformation. The algorithms include those from MIM Software (MIM) and Velocity Medical Solutions (VEL) and nine different implementations from the deformable image registration and adaptive radiotherapy toolbox for Matlab. These algorithms warp one image to make it similar to another, but must utilize a method for regularization to avoid physically unrealistic deformation scenarios. The mean absolute difference (MAD) between the HUs at the marker locations on one image and the calculated location on the other serves as a metric to evaluate the balance between image similarity and regularization. To demonstrate the effect of regularization on registration accuracy, an additional beta version of MIM was created with a variable smoothness factor that controls the emphasis of the algorithm on regularization. The distance to agreement between the measured and calculated marker deformations is used to compare the overall spatial accuracy of the DIR algorithms. This overall spatial accuracy is also utilized to evaluate the phantom geometry and the ability of the phantom soft-tissue heterogeneity to represent patient data. To evaluate the ability of the DIR algorithms to accurately transfer anatomical contours, the rectum is delineated on both the fixed and moving images. A Dice similarity coefficient is then calculated between the contour on the fixed image and that transferred, via the calculated deformation, from the moving to the fixed image. Results: The phantom possesses sufficient soft-tissue heterogeneity to act as a proxy for patient data. Large discrepancies appear between the algorithms and the measured ground-truth deformation. VEL yields the smallest mean spatial error and a Dice coefficient of 0.90. MIM produces the lowest MAD value and the highest Dice coefficient of 0.96, but creates the largest spatial errors. Increasing the MIM smoothness factor above the default value improves the overall spatial accuracy, but the factor associated with the lowest mean error decreases the Dice coefficient to 0.85. Conclusions: Different applications of DIR require disparate balances between image similarity and regularization. A DIR algorithm that is optimized only for its ability to transfer anatomical contours will yield large deformation errors in homogeneous regions, which is problematic for dose mapping. For this reason, these algorithms must be tested for their overall spatial accuracy. The developed phantom is an objective tool for this purpose.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

Needle segmentation using 3D Hough transform in 3D TRUS guided prostate transperineal therapy

Purpose: Prostate adenocarcinoma is the most common noncutaneous malignancy in American men with over 200 000 new cases diagnosed each year. Prostate interventional therapy, such as cryotherapy and brachytherapy, is an effective treatment for prostate cancer. Its success relies on the correct needle implant position. This paper proposes a robust and efficient needle segmentation method, which acts as an aid to localize the needle in three-dimensional (3D) transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided prostate therapy. Methods: The procedure of locating the needle in a 3D TRUS image is a three-step process. First, the original 3D ultrasound image containing a needle is cropped; the cropped image is then converted to a binary format based on its histogram. Second, a 3D Hough transform based needle segmentation method is applied to the 3D binary image in order to locate the needle axis. The position of the needle endpoint is finally determined by an optimal threshold based analysis of the intensity probability distribution. The overall efficiency is improved through implementing a coarse-fine searching strategy. The proposed method was validated in tissue-mimicking agar phantoms, chicken breast phantoms, and 3D TRUS patient images from prostate brachytherapy and cryotherapy procedures by comparison to the manual segmentation. The robustness of the proposed approach was tested by means of varying parameters such as needle insertion angle, needle insertion length, binarization threshold level, and cropping size. Results: The validation results indicate that the proposed Hough transform based method is accurate and robust, with an achieved endpoint localization accuracy of 0.5 mm for agar phantom images, 0.7 mm for chicken breast phantom images, and 1 mm for in vivo patient cryotherapy and brachytherapy images. The mean execution time of needle segmentation algorithm was 2 s for a 3D TRUS image with size of 264 Multiplication-Sign 376 Multiplication-Sign 630 voxels. Conclusions: The proposed needle segmentation algorithm is accurate, robust, and suitable for 3D TRUS guided prostate transperineal therapy.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

Evaluation of plastic materials for range shifting, range compensation, and solid-phantom dosimetry in carbon-ion radiotherapy

Purpose: Beam range control is the essence of radiotherapy with heavy charged particles. In conventional broad-beam delivery, fine range adjustment is achieved by insertion of range shifting and compensating materials. In dosimetry, solid phantoms are often used for convenience. These materials should ideally be equivalent to water. In this study, the authors evaluated dosimetric water equivalence of four common plastics, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyoxymethylene (POM). Methods: Using the Bethe formula for energy loss, the Gottschalk formula for multiple scattering, and the Sihver formula for nuclear interactions, the authors calculated the effective densities of the plastics for these interactions. The authors experimentally measured variation of the Bragg peak of carbon-ion beams by insertion of HDPE, PMMA, and POM, which were compared with analytical model calculations. Results: The theoretical calculation resulted in slightly reduced multiple scattering and severely increased nuclear interactions for HDPE, compared to water and the other plastics. The increase in attenuation of carbon ions for 20-cm range shift was experimentally measured to be 8.9% for HDPE, 2.5% for PMMA, and 0.0% for POM while PET was theoretically estimated to be in between PMMA and POM. The agreement between the measurements and the calculations was about 1% or better. Conclusions: For carbon-ion beams, POM was dosimetrically indistinguishable from water and the best of the plastics examined in this study. The poorest was HDPE, which would reduce the Bragg peak by 0.45% per cm range shift, although with marginal superiority for reduced multiple scattering. Between the two clear plastics, PET would be superior to PMMA in dosimetric water equivalence.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

A method of measuring gold nanoparticle concentrations by x-ray fluorescence for biomedical applications

Purpose: This paper reports a technique that enables the quantitative determination of the concentration of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) through the accurate detection of their fluorescence radiation in the diagnostic x-ray spectrum. Methods: Experimentally, x-ray fluorescence spectra of 1.9 and 15 nm GNP solutions are measured using an x-ray spectrometer, individually and within chicken breast tissue samples. An optimal combination of excitation and emission filters is determined to segregate the fluorescence spectra at 66.99 and 68.80 keV from the background scattering. A roadmap method is developed that subtracts the scattered radiation (acquired before the insertion of GNP solutions) from the signal radiation acquired after the GNP solutions are inserted. Results: The methods effectively minimize the background scattering in the spectrum measurements, showing linear relationships between GNP solutions from 0.1% to 10% weight concentration and from 0.1% to 1.0% weight concentration inside a chicken breast tissue sample. Conclusions: The investigation demonstrated the potential of imaging gold nanoparticles quantitatively in vivo for in-tissue studies, but future studies will be needed to investigate the ability to apply this method to clinical applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

The impacts of dental filling materials on RapidArc treatment planning and dose delivery: Challenges and solution

Purpose: The presence of high-density material in the oral cavity creates dose perturbation in both downstream and upstream directions at the surfaces of dental filling materials (DFM). In this study, the authors have investigated the effect of DFM on head and neck RapidArc treatment plans and delivery. Solutions are proposed to address (1) the issue of downstream dose perturbation, which might cause target under dosage, and (2) to reduce the upstream dose from DFM which may be the primary source of mucositis. In addition, an investigation of the clinical role of a custom-made plastic dental mold/gutter (PDM) in sparing the oral mucosa and tongue reaction is outlined.Methods: The influence of the dental filling artifacts on dose distribution was investigated using a geometrically well-defined head and neck intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) verification phantom (PTW, Freiberg, Germany) with DFM inserts called amalgam, which contained 50% mercury, 25% silver, 14% tin, 8% copper, and 3% other trace metals. Three RapidArc plans were generated in the Varian Eclipse System to treat the oral cavity using the same computer tomography (CT) dataset, including (1) a raw CT image, (2) a streaking artifacts region, which was replaced with a mask of 10 HU, and (3) a 2 cm-thick 6000 HU virtual filter [a volume created in treatment planning system to compensate for beam attenuation, where the thickness of this virtual filter is based on the measured percent depth dose (PDD) data and Eclipse calculation]. The dose delivery for the three plans was verified using Gafchromic-EBT2 film measurements. The custom-made PDM technique to reduce backscatter dose was clinically tested on four head and neck cancer patients (T3, N1, M0) with DFM, two patients with PDM and the other two patients without PDM. The thickness calculation of the PDM toward the mucosa and tongue was purely based on the measured upstream dose. Patients’ with oral mucosal reaction was clinically examined initially and weekly during the course of radiotherapy.Results: For a RapidArc treatment technique, the backscatter dose from the DFM insert was measured to be 9.25 ± 2.17 in the IMRT-verification-phantom. The measured backscatter upstream dose from DFM for a single-field was 22% higher than without the DFM, whereas the downstream dose was lower by 14%. The values of homogeneity index for the plans with and without the application of mask were 0.09 and 0.14, respectively. The calculated mean treatment planning volume (PTV) dose differed from the delivered dose by 13% and was reduced to 2% when using the mask and virtual filter together. A grade 3 mucosa reaction was observed in the control group after 22–24 fractions (44–48 Gy). In contrast, no grade 3 mucositis was observed in the patients wearing the PDM after 25–26 fractions (50–52 Gy).Conclusions: The backscatter from the DFM for a single, parallel-opposed fields, and RapidArc treatment technique was found significant. The application of mask in replacing streaking artifacts can be useful in improving dose homogeneity in the PTV. The use of a virtual filter around the teeth during the planning phase reduces the target underdosage issue in the phantom. Furthermore, a reduction in mucositis is observed in the head and neck patients with the use of PDM.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

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