• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.150-157
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• 2022

Purpose: Elekta synergy^® was commissioned in the Seoul National University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Recently, Chung-Ang University Gwang Myeong Hospital commissioned Elekta Versa HD^TM. The beam characteristics of both machines are similar because of the same Agility^TM MLC Model. We compared measured beam data calculated using the Elekta treatment planning system, Monaco^®, for each institute. Methods: Beam of the commissioning Elekta linear accelerator were measured in two independent institutes. After installing the beam model based on the measured beam data into the Monaco^®, Monte Carlo (MC) simulation data were generated, mimicking the beam data in a virtual water phantom. Measured beam data were compared with the calculated data, and their similarity was quantitatively evaluated by the gamma analysis. Results: We compared the percent depth dose (PDD) and off-axis profiles of 6 MV photon and 6 MeV electron beams with MC calculation. With a 3%/3 mm gamma criterion, the photon PDD and profiles showed 100% gamma passing rates except for one inplane profile at 10 cm depth from VMTH. Gamma analysis of the measured photon beam off-axis profiles between the two institutes showed 100% agreement. The electron beams also indicated 100% agreement in PDD distributions. However, the gamma passing rates of the off-axis profiles were 91%-100% with a 3%/3 mm gamma criterion. Conclusions: The beam and their comparison with MC calculation for each institute showed good performance. Although the measuring tools were orthogonal, no significant difference was found.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.161-169
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• 2001

For the head and neck radiotherapy, the technique of half beam using independent collimator is very useful to avoid overlapping of fields particularly when the lateral neck fields are placed adjacent to anterior supraclavicular field. Also abutting photon field with electron field is frequently used for the irradiation of posterior neck when tolerable dose on spinal cord has been reached. Using 6 MV X-ray and 9 MeV electron beams of Clinac1800(Varian, USA) linear accelerator, we performed film dosimetry by the X-OMAT V film of Kodak in solid water phantom and the dose distribution at beam center of 2 half beams further examined according to depths(0 cm, 1.5 cm, 3 cm, 5 cm) for single anterior half beam and anterior/posterior half beam. The dose distribution to the junction line between photon and electron fields was also measured. For the single anterior half beam, the absorption doses at 0.3 cm, 0.5 cm and 1 cm distances from beam center were 88%, 93% and 95% of open beam, respectively. In the anterior/posterior half beams, the absorption doses at 0.3 cm, 0.5 cm and 1 cm distances from beam center were 92%, 93% and 95% of open beam, respectively At the junction line between photon and electron fields, hot spot was developed on the side of the photon field and a cold spot was developed on that of the electron field. The hot spot in the photon side was developed at depth 1.5 cm with 7 mm width. The maximum dose of hot spot was increased to 6% of reference doses in the photon field. The cold spot in the electron side was developed at all measured depths(0.5 cm-3 cm) with 1-12.5 mm widths. The decreased dose in the cold spot was 4.5-30% of reference dose in the electron field. With above results, we concluded that when using electron beam or independent jaw for head and neck radiotherapy, the hot and cold dose area should be considered as critical point.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.47-50
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• 2001

Purpose : 체내에서 optimal한 dose distribution을 얻기 위해 도입된 IMRT를 시행할 때 사용하는 MLC는 기계특성상 장기적인 check와 교정을 요한다. 또한 MLC는 static하지 않고 dynamic하기 때문에 leaf position의 실제 위치가 매우 중요하다. MLC QA를 위해 QA 소요시간 및 노력이 많이 MLC position check 요구되는 불편이 있어, 삼성서울 병원에서 필름을 이용한 MLC position check device를 제작하여 간편하게 사용하고 그 우수성에 대해 결과를 보고하고자 한다. Materials and Method : MLC position을 check하기위해 사각형 의 device(acryl:$40{\times}40{\times}5cm$)를 제작하였다. position check device의 정확도를 위해 표면에 real scale 표시용으로 Pb marker를 2cm 간격으로 부착하였다. MLC QA film은 마주보는 (opposite) MLC leaf의 간격이 4mm로 set up한 상태에서 double exposure하여 marker를 이용하여 오차를 분석하였다. MLC position check device의 효율성을 평가하기위해 6MV photon으로 10번 반복 실험을 실시하여 MLC leaf의 평균오차를 조사하고 조사에 걸린 시간을 비교하여 유용성을 평가하였다. Results : 실험결과 MLC leaf의 평균오차를 조사하고 조사에 걸린 시간을 비교하여 유용성을 평가하였다. 범위는 1.45mm였고, 최소 오차는 0.34mm로 나타났다. 1회 조사에 걸린 시간은 평균적으로 약 30분 정도 소요되었다. MLC position check device의 효율성을 평가한 결과오차의 반복성은 관찰되지 않았다. Conclusion : MLC leaf position의 정기적인 check와 교정을 위해 본원에서는 주1회 정기 position error를 check하고 있으며, 평균 월1회 교정을 한다. 본 실험을 통해 MLC position check device를 사용하여 leaf 오차가 2mm이하의 만족할 만한 결과를 얻었다. 또한 MLC position check device를 사용하면 짧은 시간에 모든 leaf의 position error를 쉽게 측정할 수 있고 한 장의 필름으로 모든 결과를 평가할 수 있어 경제성 및 업무의 효율성도 높일 수 있었다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.36-38
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• 2004

The detector size effect due to the spatial response of defectors is one critical source of inaccuracy in clinical dosimetry and has been a subject of numerous studies. Conventionally, the detector response kernel contains all of the influence that the detector size has on the measured beam profile. Various analytic models for this kernel have been proposed and studied in theoretical and experimental works. Here, we use a method to determine detector response kernel simply by using Monte Carlo simulation and convolution theory. Based on this numerical method and DOSIMETER, an EGS4 Monte Carlo code, the detector response for a Farmer type ion chamber embedded in water phantom is obtained. There exists characteristic difference in the simulated chamber readings between one with carbon graphite wall and the other with Acrylic wail. Using the obtained response and the convolution theory, we are planning to derive the detector response kernel numerically and remove detector size effect from measurements for 6MV, 10${\times}$l0cm2 and 0.5${\times}$10 cm2 photon beam.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 1996

We present test results of time-series CCD photometry to investigate the photometric precision of the BOAO (Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory) 1.8m telescope. A well-known field of the old open cluster M67, which includes two pulsating blue stragglers and two W UMa type binaries, was monitored for 3.5 hours on February 22, 1996. We have collected 148 V frames and 3 B frames. Photometric noises which consist mainly of photon noise and scintillation noise, were lowered down to about 1.9 mmag for stars of $10.\;^m5$ in M67 with exposure time of 20 seconds. From the C-M diagram for M67, a number of observational properties were derived; E(B-V) = 0.03, (V-Mv)o = 9.6, Age = 4 Gyr. We obtained light curves for four known variable stars and confirmed their variational characteristics. The pulsating blue stragglers show a low amplitude (about 0.01 mag) of light variation.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.45-48
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• 2017

This paper evaluated the amount of radiation generated by wedge filters during radiation therapy using a high-energy linear accelerator, and the dose to the worker during wedge replacement. After 10-MV photon beam was irradiated with wedge filter, the wedge was removed from the linear accelerator, and the dose rate and energy spectrum were measured. The initial measurement was approximately 1 uSv/h, and the radiation level was reduced to 0.3 uSv/h after 6 min. The effective half-life derived from the dose rate measurement was approximately 3.5 min, and the influence of AI-28 was about 53%. From the energy spectrum measurements, a peak of 1,799 keV was measured for AI-28, while the peak for Co-58 was not measured in the control room. The peaks for Au-106 and Cd-105 were found only measurement was done without wedge removement from the linear accelerator. The additional doses received by the radiation worker during wedge replacement were estimated to be 0.08-0.4 mSv per year.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.282-284
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• 2002

We have developed and used BISS as a radiation detector to verify patient dose and determine the physical characteristics of beams used in Stereotatic Radio Surgery(SRS) and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy(IMRT). In order to confirm the function and accuracy of our BISS, we simulate our measurements by BISS under the radiation of 6MV photons from a Varian Clinac 21EX equipped with a 60 leaf pairs MLC. For the simulation based on the Monte Carlo algorithm, which remains the most comprehensive and accurate theoretical method to verify beam profiles, we use the BEAM code. Compared with the measurements by BISS, our simulation of variously shaped phantom measurements show good agreements. Our simulation results can be used as a theoretical standard to compare and confirm measurements by BISS and other dosimeters such as ultramicro cylindrical ionization chamber(UCIC) and radiographic film.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.158-163
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• 2022

Purpose: We subjected scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images of the active layer of EBT3 film to texture analysis to determine the dose-response curve. Methods: Uncoated Gafchromic EBT3 films were prepared for direct surface SEM scanning. Absorbed doses of 0-20 Gy were delivered to the film's surface using a 6 MV TrueBeam STx photon beam. The film's surface was scanned using a SEM under 100× and 3,000× magnification. Four textural features (Homogeneity, Correlation, Contrast, and Energy) were calculated based on the gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) using the SEM images corresponding to each dose. We used R-square to evaluate the linear relationship between delivered doses and textural features of the film's surface. Results: Correlation resulted in higher linearity and dose-response curve sensitivity than Homogeneity, Contrast, or Energy. The R-square value was 0.964 for correlation using 3,000× magnified SEM images with 9-pixel offsets. Dose verification was used to determine the difference between the prescribed and measured doses for 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 Gy as 0.09, 1.96, -2.29, 0.17, and 0.08 Gy, respectively. Conclusions: Texture analysis can be used to accurately convert microscopic structural changes to the EBT3 film's surface into absorbed doses. Our proposed method is feasible and may improve the accuracy of film dosimetry used to protect patients from excess radiation exposure.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.157-164
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to analyze the dose distribution when wedge filter is used in the various tissue electron density materials. The dose distribution was assessed that the enhanced dynamic wedge filter and physical wedge filter were used in the solid water phantom, cork phantom, and air cavity. The film dosimetry was suitable simple to measure 2D dose distribution. Therefore, the radiochromic films (Gafchromic EBT2, ISP, NJ, USA) were selected to measure and to analyze the dose distributions. A linear accelerator using 6 MV photon were irradiated to field size of $10{\times}10cm^2$ with 400 MUs. The dose distributions of EBT2 films were analyzed the in-field area and penumbra regions by using dose analysis program. In the dose distributions of wedge field, the dose from a physical wedge was higher than that from a dynamic wedge at the same electron density materials. A dose distributions of wedge type in the solid water phantom and the cork phantom were in agreements with 2%. However, the dose distribution in air cavity showed the large difference with those in the solid water phantom or cork phantom dose distributions. Dose distribution of wedge field in air cavity was not shown the wedge effect. The penumbra width, out of the field of thick and thin, was observed larger from 1 cm to 2 cm at the thick end. The penumbra of physical wedge filter was much larger average 6% than the dynamic wedge filter. If the physical wedge filter is used, the dose was increased to effect the scatter that interacted with photon and physical wedge. In the case of difference in electron like the soft tissue, lung, and air, the transmission, absorption, and scattering were changed in the medium at high energy photon. Therefore, the treatment at the difference electron density should be inhomogeneity correction in treatment planning system.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.257-264
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• 2014

Purpose : Photoneutron dose in high-energy photon radiotherapy at linear accelerator increase the risk for secondary cancer. The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the dose variation of photoneutron with different treatment method, flattening filter, dose rate and gantry angle in radiation therapy with high-energy photon beam ($E{\geq}8MeV$). Materials and Methods : TrueBeam $ST{\time}TM$(Ver1.5, Varian, USA) and Korea Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (KTEPC) were used to detect the photoneutron dose out of the high-energy photon field. Complex Patient plans using Eclipse planning system (Version 10.0, Varian, USA) was used to experiment with different treatment technique(IMRT, VMAT), condition of flattening filter and three different dose rate. Scattered photoneutron dose was measured at eight different gantry angles with open field (Field size : $5{\time}5cm$). Results : The mean values of the detected photoneutron dose from IMRT and VMAT were $449.7{\mu}Sv$, $2940.7{\mu}Sv$. The mean values of the detected photoneutron dose with Flattening Filter(FF) and Flattening Filter Free(FFF) were measured as $2940.7{\mu}Sv$, $232.0{\mu}Sv$. The mean values of the photoneutron dose for each test plan (case 1, case 2 and case 3) with FFF at the three different dose rate (400, 1200, 2400 MU/min) were $3242.5{\mu}Sv$, $3189.4{\mu}Sv$, $3191.2{\mu}Sv$ with case 1, $3493.2{\mu}Sv$, $3482.6{\mu}Sv$, $3477.2{\mu}Sv$ with case 2 and $4592.2{\mu}Sv$, $4580.0{\mu}Sv$, $4542.3{\mu}Sv$ with case 3, respectively. The mean values of the photoneutron dose at eight different gantry angles ($0^{\circ}$, $45^{\circ}$, $90^{\circ}$, $135^{\circ}$, $180^{\circ}$, $225^{\circ}$, $270^{\circ}$, $315^{\circ}$) were measured as $3.2{\mu}Sv$, $4.3{\mu}Sv$, $5.3{\mu}Sv$, $11.3{\mu}Sv$, $14.7{\mu}Sv$, $11.2{\mu}Sv$, $3.7{\mu}Sv$, $3.0{\mu}Sv$ at 10MV and as $373.7{\mu}Sv$, $369.6{\mu}Sv$, $384.4{\mu}Sv$, $423.6{\mu}Sv$, $447.1{\mu}Sv$, $448.0{\mu}Sv$, $384.5{\mu}Sv$, $377.3{\mu}Sv$ at 15MV. Conclusion : As a result, it is possible to reduce photoneutron dose using FFF mode and VMAT method with TrueBeam $ST{\time}TM$. The risk for secondary cancer of the patients will be decreased with continuous evaluation of the photoneutron dose.