• Progress in Medical Physics
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.114-120
• /
• 2022

Purpose: Particle beam therapy is advantageous over photon therapy. However, adequately delivering therapeutic doses to tumors near critical organs is difficult. Nanoparticle-aided radiation therapy can be used to alleviate this problem, wherein nanoparticles can passively accumulate at higher concentrations in the tumor tissue compared to the surrounding normal tissue. In this study, we investigate the dose enhancement effect due to gold nanoparticle (GNP) when Carbon-12, He-4, and proton beams are irradiated on GNP. Methods: First, monoenergetic Carbon-12 and He-4 ion beams of energy of 283.33 MeV/u and 150 MeV/u, respectively, and a proton beam of energy of 150 MeV were irradiated on a water phantom of dimensions 30 cm×30 cm×30 cm. Subsequently, the secondary-particle information generated near the Bragg peak was recorded in a phase-space (phsp) file. Second, the obtained phsp file was scaled down to a nanometer scale to irradiate GNP of diameter 50 nm located at the center of a 4 ㎛×4 ㎛×4 ㎛ water phantom. The dose enhancement ratio (DER) was calculated in intervals of 1 nm from the GNP surface. Results: The DER of GNP computed at 1 nm from the GNP surface was 4.70, 4.86, and 4.89 for Carbon-12, He-4, and proton beams, respectively; the DER decreased rapidly with increasing distance from the GNP surface. Conclusions: The results indicated that GNP can be used as radiosensitizers in particle beam therapy. Furthermore, the dose enhancement effect of the GNP absorbed by tumor cells can aid in delivering higher therapeutic doses.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.107-113
• /
• 2013

Purpose: To verify accuracy of respiratory gated proton therapy by measuring and analyzing proton beam delivered when respiratory gated proton therapy is being performed in our institute. Materials and Methods: The plan data of 3 patients who took respiratory gated proton therapy were used to deliver proton beam from proton therapy system. The manufactured moving phantom was used to apply respiratory gating system to reproduce proton beam which was partially irradiated. The key characteristics of proton beam, range, spreat-out Bragg peak (SOBP) and output factor were measured 5 times and the same categories were measured in the continuous proton beam which was not performed with respiratory gating system. Multi-layer ionization chamber was used to measure range and SOBP, and Scanditronix Wellhofer and farmer chamber was used to measure output factor. Results: The average ranges of 3 patients (A, B, C), who had taken respiratory gated proton therapy or not, were (A) 7.226, 7.230, (B) 12.216, 12.220 and (C) 19.918, 19.920 $g/cm^2$ and average SOBP were (A) 4.950, 4.940, (B) 6.496, 6.512 and (C) 8.486, 8.490 $g/cm^2$. And average output factor were (A) 0.985, 0.984 (B) 1.026, 1.027 and (C) 1.138, 1.136 cGy/MU. The differences of average range were -0.004, -0.004, -0.002 $g/cm^2$, that of SOBP were 0.010, -0.016, -0.004 $g/cm^2$ and that of output factor were 0.001, -0.001, 0.002 cGy/MU. Conclusion: It is observed that the range, SOBP and output factor of proton beam delivered when respiratory gated proton therapy is being performed have the same beam quality with no significant difference compared to the proton beam which was continuously irradiated. Therefore, this study verified the quality of proton beam delivered when respiratory gated proton therapy and confirmed the accuracy of proton therapy using this.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
• /
• v.30 no.1_2
• /
• pp.97-105
• /
• 2018

Purpose : Proton Therapy using Bragg-peak, because it has distinct characteristics in providing maximum dosage for tumor and minimal dosage for normal tissue, a medical imaging system that can quantify changes in patient position or treatment area is of paramount importance to the treatment of protons. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the usefulness of the algorithm by comparing the image matching through the set-up and in-house code through the existing dips program by producing a Matlab-based in-house registration code to determine the error value between dips and DRR to evaluate the accuracy of the existing treatment. Materials and Methods : Thirteen patients with brain tumors and head and neck cancer who received proton therapy were included in this study and used the DIPS Program System (Version 2.4.3, IBA, Belgium) for image comparison and the Eclipse Proton Planning System (Version 13.7, Varian, USA) for patient treatment planning. For Validation of the Registration method, a test image was artificially rotated and moved to match the existing image, and the initial set up image of DIPS program of existing set up process was image-matched with plan DRR, and the error value was obtained, and the usefulness of the algorithm was evaluated. Results : When the test image was moved 0.5, 1, and 10 cm in the left and right directions, the average error was 0.018 cm. When the test image was rotated counterclockwise by 1 and $10^{\circ}$, the error was $0.0011^{\circ}$. When the initial images of four patients were imaged, the mean error was 0.056, 0.044, and 0.053 cm in the order of x, y, and z, and 0.190 and $0.206^{\circ}$ in the order of rotation and pitch. When the final images of 13 patients were imaged, the mean differences were 0.062, 0.085, and 0.074 cm in the order of x, y, and z, and 0.120 cm as the vector value. Rotation and pitch were 0.171 and $0.174^{\circ}$, respectively. Conclusion : The Matlab-based In-house Registration code produced through this study showed accurate Image matching based on Intensity as well as the simple image as well as anatomical structure. Also, the Set-up error through the DIPS program of the existing treatment method showed a very slight difference, confirming the accuracy of the proton therapy. Future development of additional programs and future Intensity-based Matlab In-house code research will be necessary for future clinical applications.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
• /
• v.35 no.6
• /
• pp.109-120
• /
• 2023

The High-Frequency Radar (HFR) is an equipment designed to measure real-time surface ocean currents in broad maritime areas.It emits radio waves at a specific frequency (HF) towards the sea surface and analyzes the backscattered waves to measure surface current vectors (Crombie, 1955; Barrick, 1972).The Seasonde HF Radar from Codar, utilized in this study, determines the speed and location of radial currents by analyzing the Bragg peak intensity of transmitted and received waves from an omnidirectional antenna and employing the Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC) algorithm. The generated currents are initially considered ideal patterns without taking into account the characteristics of the observed electromagnetic wave propagation environment. To correct this, Antenna Pattern Measurement (APM) is performed, measuring the strength of signals at various positions received by the antenna and calculating the corrected measured vector to radial currents.The APM principle involves modifying the position and phase information of the currents based on the measured signal strength at each location. Typically, experiments are conducted by installing an antenna on a ship (Kim et al., 2022). However, using a ship introduces various environmental constraints, such as weather conditions and maritime situations. To reduce dependence on maritime conditions and enhance economic efficiency, this study explores the possibility of using unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) for APM. The research conducted APM experiments using a high-frequency radar installed at Dangsa Lighthouse in Dangsa-ri, Wando County, Jeollanam-do. The study compared and analyzed the results of APM experiments using ships and drones, utilizing the calculated radial currents and surface current fields obtained from each experiment.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.138-146
• /
• 1994

The structural characteristics of Antheraea yamamai and Antheraea pernyi silk were investigated by using x-ray diffraction method, IR spectroscopy and polarizing microscopy. The amino acid composition, fiber density, thermal decomposition temperature and glass transition temperature were also measured for relating these physical properties to the structure in comparison with those of Bombyx mori silk fiber. There was no significant structural difference between A. yamamai and A. pernyi silk fiber on an examination of x-ray diffraction curve and IR spectrum. Both of these wild silk fibers showed double diffraction peaks at the Bragg angle 2Θ16.7˚ and 20.5˚by x-ray diffraction analysis as well as IR absorption peaks for the bending vibration of specific groups related to ala-ala amino acid sequence. On the other hand, the x-ray diffraction curve and IR spectrum of Bombyx mori silk fiber are different from those of wild silk fibers, indicating different crystal structure as well as amino acid sequences. It showed under the polarizing microscope examination that the birefringence and optical orientation factor of wild silk fibers are much lower than those of B. mori silk. Also, the surface of degummed wild silk fibers was characterized by the longitudinal stripes of microfibrils in the direction of fiber axies. The amino acid composition, which is strongly related to the fine structure and properties, was not significantly different between these two wild silk fibers. However, the alanine content was somewhat less and polar amino acid content more for A. yamamai. As a result of fiber density measurement, the specific gravities of B. mori, A. pernyi and A. yamamai were 1.355~1.356, 1.308~1.311, 1.265~1.301g/㎤ in the order, respectively. The calculated crystallinity(%) was 64% for B. mori and 51~52% for wild silk fibers, which showed same trend by IR method in spite of somewhat higher value. The thermal decomposition behaviour was examined by DSC and TGA, showing that the degradation temperature was in the order of B mori, A. prernyi and A. yamamai at around 350$^{\circ}C$. It was also observed by TGA that the decomposition seems to proceed step by step according to their specific regions in the fiber structure, resulting the difference in their thermal stabilities. The glass transition temperature was turned out to be 220$^{\circ}C$ for B. mori, 240$^{\circ}C$ A. yamamai and 255$^{\circ}C$ A. pernyi by the dynamic mechanical analysis. It is expected that the chemical properties are affected by the dynamic mechanical behavior in accordance with their structural characters.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.101-108
• /
• 2017

Purpose: The proton used in proton therapy has a characteristic of giving a small dose to the normal tissue in front of the tumor site while forming a Bragg peak at the cancer tissue site and giving up the maximum dose and disappearing immediately. It is very important to verify the proton arrival position. In this study, we used the off-line PET CT method to measure the distribution of positron emitted from nucleons such as 11C (half-life = 20 min), 150 (half-life = 2 min) and 13N The range and distal falloff point of the proton were verified by measurement. Materials and Methods: In the IEC 2001 Body Phantom, 37 mm, 28 mm, and 22 mm spheres were inserted. The phantom was filled with water to obtain a CT image for each sphere size. To verify the proton range and distal falloff points, As a treatment planning system, SOBP were set at 46 mm on 37 mm sphere, 37 mm on 28 mm, and 33 mm on 22 mm sphere for each sphere size. The proton was scanned in the same center with a single beam of Gantry 0 degree by the scanning method. The phantom was scanned using PET-CT equipment. In the PET-CT image acquisition method, 50 images were acquired per minute, four ROIs including the spheres in the phantom were set, and 10 images were reconstructed. The activity profile according to the depth was compared to the dose profile according to the sphere size established in the treatment plan Results: The PET-CT activity profile decreased rapidly at the distal falloff position in the 37 mm, 28 mm, and 22 mm spheres as well as the dose profile. However, in the SOBP section, which is a range for evaluating the range, the results in the proximal part of the activity profile are different from those of the dose profile, and the distal falloff position is compared with the proton therapy plan and PET-CT As a result, the maximum difference of 1.4 mm at the 50 % point of the Max dose, 1.1 mm at the 45 % point at the 28 mm sphere, and the difference at the 22 mm sphere at the maximum point of 1.2 mm were all less than 1.5 mm in the 37 mm sphere. Conclusion: To maximize the advantages of proton therapy, it is very important to verify the range of the proton beam. In this study, the proton range was confirmed by the SOBP and the distal falloff position of the proton beam using PET-CT. As a result, the difference of the distally falloff position between the activity distribution measured by PET-CT and the proton therapy plan was 1.4 mm, respectively. This may be used as a reference for the dose margin applied in the proton therapy plan.

• Progress in Medical Physics
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.14-21
• /
• 2019

Purpose: To report the initial experience of patient-specific quality assurance (pQA) for the wobbling and line-scanning proton therapy at Samsung Medical Center. Materials and Methods: The pQA results of 89 wobbling treatments with 227 fields and 44 line-scanning treatments with 118 fields were analyzed from December 2015 to June 2016. For the wobbling method, proton range and spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) width were verified. For the line-scanning method, output and two-dimensional dose distribution at multiple depths were verified by gamma analysis with 3%/3 mm criterion. Results: The average range difference was -0.44 mm with a standard deviation (SD) of 1.64 mm and 0.1 mm with an SD of 0.53 mm for the small and middle wobbling radii, respectively. For the line-scanning method, the output difference was within ${\pm}3%$. The gamma passing rates were over 95% with 3%/3 mm criterion for all depths. Conclusions: For the wobbling method, proton range and SOBP width were within the tolerance levels. For the line-scanning method, the output and two-dimensional dose distribution showed excellent agreement with the treatment plans.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.44 no.4
• /
• pp.359-365
• /
• 2021

A heavy particle accelerator is a device that accelerates particles using high energy and is used in various fields such as medical and industrial fields as well as research. However, secondary neutrons and particle fragments are generated by the high-energy particle beam, and among them, the neutrons do not have an electric charge and directly interact with the nucleus to cause radiation of the material. Quantitative evaluation of the radioactive material produced in this way is necessary, but there are many difficulties in actual measurement during or after operation. Therefore, this study compared and evaluated the generated radioactive material in the concrete shield for protons and carbon ions of specific energy by using the simulation code FLUKA. For the evaluation of each energy of proton beam and carbon ion, the reliability of the source term was secured within 2% of the relative error with the data of the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory(NSRL), which is an internationally standardized data. In the evaluation, carbon ions exhibited higher neutron flux than protons. Afterwards, in the evaluation of radioactive materials under actual operating conditions for disposal, a large amount of short-lived beta-decay nuclides occurred immediately after the operation was terminated, and in the case of protons with a high beam speed, more radioactive products were generated than carbon ions. At this time, radionuclides of ⁴⁴Sc, ³H and ²²Na were observed at a high rate. In addition, as the cooling time elapsed, the ratio of long-lived nuclides increased. For nonparticulate radionuclides, ³H, ²²Na, and for particulate radionuclides, ⁴⁴Ti, ⁵⁵Fe, ⁶⁰Co, ¹⁵²Eu, and ¹⁵⁴Eu nuclides showed a high ratio. In this study, it is judged that it is possible to use the particle accelerator as basic data for facility maintenance, repair and dismantling through the prediction of radioactive materials in concrete according to the cooling time after operation and termination of operation.

• Progress in Medical Physics
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.291-297
• /
• 2010

This study examined the dosimetric influence of implanted gold markers in proton therapy and the effects of their positions in the spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) proton beam. The implanted cylindrical gold markers were 3 mm long and 1.2 mm in diameter. The dosimetric influence of the gold markers was determined with markers at various locations in a proton-beam field. Spatial dose distributions were measured using a three-dimensional moving water phantom and a stereotactic diode detector with an effective diameter of 0.5 mm. Also, a film dosimetry was performed using Gafchromic External Beam Treatment (EBT) film. The GEANT4 simulation toolkit was used for Monte-Carlo simulations to confirm the measurements and to construct the dose-volume histogram with implanting markers. Motion data were obtained from the portal images of 10 patients to investigate the effect of organ motions on the dosimetric influence of markers in the presence of a rectal balloon. The underdosed volume due to a single gold marker, in which the dose was less than 95% of a prescribed amount, was 0.15 cc. The underdosed volume due to the presence of a gold marker is much smaller than the target volume. However, the underdosed volume is inside the gross tumor volume and is not smeared out due to translational prostate motions. The positions of gold markers and the conditions of the proton-beam field give different impacts on the dose distribution of a target with implanted gold markers, and should be considered in all clinical proton-based therapies.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.74-79
• /
• 2017

Purpose Proton therapy can deliver an optimal dose to tumor while reducing unnecessary dose to normal tissue as compared the conventional photon therapy. As proton beams are irradiated into tissue, various positron emitters are produced via nuclear fragmentation reactions. These positron emitters could be used for the dose verification by using PET. However, the short half-life of the radioisotopes makes it hard to obtain the enough amounts of events. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of off-line PET imaging scan time on the PET image quality. Materials and Methods The various diameters of spheres (D=37, 28, 22 mm) filled with distilled water were inserted in a 2001 IEC body phantom. Then proton beams (100 MU) were irradiated into the center of the each sphere using the wobbling technique with the gantry angle of $0^{\circ}$. The modulation widths of the spread out bragg peak were 16.4, 14.7 and 9.3 cm for the spheres of 37, 28 and 22 mm in diameters respectively. After 5 min of the proton irradiation, the PET images of the IEC body phantom were obtained for 50 min. The PET images with different time courses (0-10 min, 11-20 min, 21-30 min, 31-40 min and 41-50 min) were obtained by dividing the frame with a duration of 10 min. In order to evaluate the off-line PET image quality with the different time courses, the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the PET image calculated for each sphere. Results The CNRs of the sphere (D=37 mm) were 0.43, 0.42, 0.40, 0.31 and 0.21 for the time courses of 0-10 min, 11-20 min, 21-30 min, 31-40 min and 41-50 min respectively. The CNRs of the sphere (D=28 mm) were 0.36, 0.32, 0.27, 0.19 and 0.09 for the time courses of 0-10 min, 11-20 min, 21-30 min, 31-40 min and 41-50 min respectively. The CNR of 37 mm sphere was decreased rapidly after 30 min of the proton irradiation. In case of the spheres of 28 mm and 22 mm, the CNR was decreased drastically after 20 min of the irradiation. Conclusion The off-line PET imaging time is an important factor for the monitoring of the proton therapy. In case of the lesion diameter of 22 mm, the off-line PET image should be obtained within 25 min after the proton irradiation. When it comes to small size of tumor, the long PET imaging time will be beneficial for the proton therapy treatment monitoring.