• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.172-178
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• 2002

Purpose : X-ray film over responds to low-energy photons in relative photon beam dosimetry because its sensor is based on silver bromide crystals, which are high-Z molecules. This over-response becomes a significant problem in clinical photon beam dosimetry particularly in regions outside the penumbra. In intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), the radiation field is characterized by multiple small fields and their outside-penumbra regions. Therefore, in order to use film dosimetry for IMRT, the nature the source of the over-response in its radiation field need to be known. This study is aimed to verify and possibly improve film dosimetry for IMRT. Materials and Method : Modulated beams were constructed by a combination of five or seven different static radiation fields using 6 MeV X-rays. In order to verify film dosimetry, we used X-ray film and an ion chamber were used to measure the dose profiles at various depths in a phantom. In addition, in order to reduce the over-response, 0.01 inch thick lead filters were placed on both sides of the film. Results : The measured dose profiles showed a film over-response at the outside-penumbra and low dose regions. The error increased with depths and approached 15% at a maximum for the field size of $15{\times}15cm^2$ at 10 cm depth. The use of filters reduced the error to 3%, but caused an under-response of the dose in a perpendicular set-up. Conclusion : This study demonstrated that film dosimetry for IMRT involves sources of error due to its over-response to low-energy Photons. The use of filers can enhance the accuracy in film dosimetry for IMRT. In this regard, the use of optimal filter conditions is recommended.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.3-17
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• 1996

Dose compensators have been widely used in radiotherapy fields. But, few reliable verification methods have been reported. We have developed the verification method for the evaluation of the effect of dose compensator using exit beam dose profile. The exit beam dose profiles were measured with and without dose compensator. For this purpose X-Omat V films and lead screened cassettes are used and dose distibutions are compared. Phantom data are collected using CT simulator(Picker, AcQ Sim) and compensator information can be obtained from Render Plan 3-D planning System. Aluminum Compensators are generated by computer controlled milling machine. The real dose distribution in the phantom and the exit beam dose profile can be obtained simultaneously with the films in the phantom and the opposite site of the beam. Dose compensations effects for oblique beam, parallel opposing beam and inhomogeneous human phantom can be obtained using above tools. And we could simate those effects with exit beam dose profile using the method that we have developed in this study.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.303-308
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• 2012

The Geant4 based Monte Carlo code for the application of stereotactic radiosurgery was developed. The probability density function and cumulative density function to determine the incident photon energy were calculated from pre-calculated energy spectrum for the linac by multiplying the weighting factors corresponding to the energy bins. The messenger class to transfer the various MLC fields generated by the planning system was used. The rotation matrix of rotateX and rotateY were used for simulating gantry and table rotation respectively. We construct accelerator world and phantom world in the main world coordinate to rotate accelerator and phantom world independently. We used dicomHandler class object to convert from the dicom binary file to the text file which contains the matrix number, pixel size, pixel's HU, bit size, padding value and high bits order. We reconstruct this class object to work fine. We also reconstruct the PrimaryGeneratorAction class to speed up the calculation time. because of the huge calculation time we discard search process of the ThitsMap and used direct access method from the first to the last element to produce the result files.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.187-191
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to measure the dose distribution from the moving phantom for the respiratory motion. The phantom for TLD measurement was designed and built for this study based on the multiple plates for placing TLD and film. The TLDs may be inserted at 3 mm intervals in each TLD plate. For the measurements, TLD plate was inserted into the phantom at 1.5 cm ($d_{max}$) depth, and phantom was allowed to move in SI directions in the range of 1 to 2 cm with 0.5 cm interval for 6 MV X-ray beams. Penumbra and FWHM were measured at both moving state and compared stationary. It was found that penumbra increased 0.71 cm at stationary and 2.10 cm at moving state in 2 cm movement, and that FWHM are 7.52 cm for stationary state and 7.02 cm for moving state (2 cm movement). In this study, film was used to compared with TLD results of measurements and simitar results were observed. Therefore, it is expected that TLD moving phantom may be useful for the treatment of tumors that move due to the respiratory motion.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.283-293
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• 2002

Purpose : A PC based brachytherapy planning system was developed to display dose distributions on simulation images by 2D isodose curve including the dose profiles, dose-volume histogram and 30 dose distributions. Materials and Methods : Brachytherapy dose planning software was developed especially for the Ir-192 source, which had been developed by KAERI as a substitute for the Co-60 source. The dose computation was achieved by searching for a pre-computed dose matrix which was tabulated as a function of radial and axial distance from a source. In the computation process, the effects of the tissue scattering correction factor and anisotropic dose distributions were included. The computed dose distributions were displayed in 2D film image including the profile dose, 3D isodose curves with wire frame forms and dosevolume histogram. Results : The brachytherapy dose plan was initiated by obtaining source positions on the principal plane of the source axis. The dose distributions in tissue were computed on a $200\times200\;(mm^2)$ plane on which the source axis was located at the center of the plane. The point doses along the longitudinal axis of the source were $4.5\~9.0\%$ smaller than those on the radial axis of the plane, due to the anisotropy created by the cylindrical shape of the source. When compared to manual calculation, the point doses showed $1\~5\%$ discrepancies from the benchmarking plan. The 2D dose distributions of different planes were matched to the same administered isodose level in order to analyze the shape of the optimized dose level. The accumulated dose-volume histogram, displayed as a function of the percentage volume of administered minimum dose level, was used to guide the volume analysis. Conclusion : This study evaluated the developed computerized dose planning system of brachytherapy. The dose distribution was displayed on the coronal, sagittal and axial planes with the dose histogram. The accumulated DVH and 3D dose distributions provided by the developed system may be useful tools for dose analysis in comparison with orthogonal dose planning.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.77-88
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• 1998

Wedge shaped isodoses are desired in a number of clinical situations. Hard wedge filters have provided nominal angled isodoses with dosimetric consequences of beam hardening, increased peripheral dosing, nonidealized gradients at deep depths along with the practical consequendes of filter handling and placement problems. Dynamic wedging uses a combination of a moving collimator and changing monitor dose to achieve angled isodoses. The segmented treatment tables(STT) that monitor unit setting by every distance of moving collimator, was induced by numerical formular. The characteristics of dynamic wedge by STT compared with real dosimetry. Methods and Materials : The accelerator CLINAC 2100C/D at Yonsei Cancer Center has two photon energies (6MV and 10MV), currently with dynamic wedge angles of 15$^{\circ}$, 30$^{\circ}$, 45$^{\circ}$ and 60$^{\circ}$. The segmented treatment tables(STT) that drive the collimator in concert with a changing monitor unit are unique for field sizes ranging from 4.0cm to 20.0cm in 0.5cm steps. Transmission wedge factors were measured for each STT with an standard ion chamber. Isodose profiles, isodose curves, percentage depth dose for dynamic wedge filters were measured with film dosimetry. Dynamic wedge angle by STT was well coincident with film dosimetry. Percent depth doses were found to be closer to open field but more shallow than hard wedge filter. The wedge transmission factor were decreased by increased the wedge angle and more higher than hard wedge filters. Dynamic wedging probided more consistent gradients across the field compared with hard wedge filters. Dynamic wedging has practical and dosimetric advantages over hard filters for rapid setup and keeping from table collisions. Dynamic wedge filters are positive replacement for hard filters and introduction of dynamic conformal radiotherapy and intensity modulation radiotherapy in a future.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 1996

The response function of ionization chambers are measured in the narrow radiation field Nominal photon energies are 4MV, 6MV and 15MV. the Radii of the chambers are 0.5cm～3.05cm and the field size is 0.2$\times$20$\textrm{cm}^2$. The measurements are taken in the water phantom at 10cm depth. The beam kernel (radiation distribution profile) for narrow radiation field in the phantom are obtained from Monte Carlo simulation (EGS4, Electron Gamma Shower 4). The beam kernel components in the measured chamber response function are deconvolved in order to get the ideal chamber response function of the $\delta$-shaped function radiation field. The chamber response functions have energy dependent tendency before deconvolution, while they show energy invariant properties, after the components of beam kernels are removed by deconvolution method.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.224-231
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• 2006

The electron energy spectra for 6 MeV electron beam were calculated using a MCNPX code. The head of the linear accelerator (ML6M; Mitsubishi, Japan) was modelled for this study. The energy spectrum of the initial electron beam was assumed to be Gaussian and the mean energy was determined by evaluating the measured and calculated values of $R_{50}$ and dose profiles in air. The energy distributions for electrons and photons at the interested points in the head of the linear accelerator were calculated by appling the Initial beam parameters. The effect of contaminant photons on depth dose curves were estimated by the photon energy spectra at the end of the applicator.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2011

The aim of the study is to analyze the dose delivery error depending on the depth variation according to target positions and arc trajectories by comparing the simulated treatment planning with the actual dose delivery in conformal arc therapy. We simulated the conformal arc treatment planning with the three target positions (center, 2.5 cm, and 5 cm in the phantom). For the experiments, IMRT body phantom (I’mRT Phantom, Wellhofer Dosimetry, Germany) was used for treatment planning with CT (Computed Tomography, Light speed 16, GE, USA). The simulated treatment plans were established by three different target positions using treatment planning system (Eclipse, ver. 6.5, VMS, Palo Alto, USA). The radiochromic film (Gafchromic EBT2, ISP, Wayne, USA) and dose analysis software (OmniPro-IMRT, ver. 1.4, Wellhofer Dosimetry, Germany) were used for the measurement of the planned arc delivery using 6 MV photon beam from linear accelerator (CL21EX, VMS, Palo Alto, USA). Gamma index (DD: 3%, DTA: 2 mm) histogram and dose profile were evaluated for a quantitative analysis. The dose distributions surrounded by targets were also compared with each plans and measurements by conformity index (CI), and homogeneity index (HI). The area covered by 100% isodose line was compared to the whole target area. The results for the 5 cm-shifted target plan show that 23.8%, 35.6%, and 37% for multiple conformal arc therapy (MCAT), single conformal arc therapy (SCAT), and multiple static beam therapy, respectively. In the 2.5 cm-shifted target plan, it was shown that 61%, 21.5%, and 14.2%, while in case of center-located target, 70.5%, 14.1%, and 36.3% for MCAT, SCAT, and multiple static beam therapy, respectively. The values were resulted by most superior in the MCAT, except the case of the 5 cm-shifted target. In the analysis of gamma index histogram, it was resulted of 37.1, 27.3, 29.2 in the SCAT, while 9.2, 8.4, 10.3 in the MCAT, for the target positions of center, shifted 2.5 cm and 5 cm, respectively. The fail proportions of the SCAT were 2.8 to 4 times as compared to those of the MCAT. In conclusion, dose delivery error could be occurred depending on the target positions and arc trajectories. Hence, if the target were located in the biased position, the accurate dose delivery could be performed through the optimization of depth according to arc trajectory.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.113-119
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• 2010

Software for GafChromic EBT2 film dosimetry was developed in this study. The software provides film calibration functions based on color channels, which are categorized depending on the colors red, green, blue, and gray. Evaluations of the correction effects for light scattering of a flat-bed scanner and thickness differences of the active layer are available. Dosimetric results from EBT2 films can be compared with those from the treatment planning system ECLIPSE or the two-dimensional ionization chamber array MatriXX. Dose verification using EBT2 films is implemented by carrying out the following procedures: file import, noise filtering, background correction and active layer correction, dose calculation, and evaluation. The relative and absolute background corrections are selectively applied. The calibration results and fitting equation for the sensitometric curve are exported to files. After two different types of dose matrixes are aligned through the interpolation of spatial pixel spacing, interactive translation, and rotation, profiles and isodose curves are compared. In addition, the gamma index and gamma histogram are analyzed according to the determined criteria of distance-to-agreement and dose difference. The performance evaluations were achieved by dose verification in the $60^{\circ}$-enhanced dynamic wedged field and intensity-modulated (IM) beams for prostate cancer. All pass ratios for the two types of tests showed more than 99% in the evaluation, and a gamma histogram with 3 mm and 3% criteria was used. The software was developed for use in routine periodic quality assurance and complex IM beam verification. It can also be used as a dedicated radiochromic film software tool for analyzing dose distribution.