• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-24
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• 2013

As image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) has been commonly used for more accurate patient setup and monitoring tumor movement during radiation therapy, the necessity for management of imaging dose is increased. However, it has not been an interest issue to radiation therapy communities because the imaging dose is much lower than the therapeutic dose. However, since the cumulative dose from 4DCT and repeated imaging for daily setup verificationin would not be ignorable, appropriate dose management based on ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle is required. In this study, we aimed that (1) survey on imaging equipments and modalities used for IGRT, (2) estimation of IGRT imaging dose depending on treatment types and equipments, (3) collecting data of effective dose on treatment sites from each equipment and imaging protocol, and thus finally provide guideline for imaging dose reduction and optimization.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.271-280
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• 2014

Recently, digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) has been investigated to overcome the limitation of conventional mammography for overlapping anatomical structures and high patient dose with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). However incomplete sampling due to limited angle leads to interference on the neighboring slices. Many studies have investigated to reduce artifacts such as interference. Moreover, appropriate filters for tomosynthesis have been researched to solve artifacts resulted from incomplete sampling. The primary purpose of this study is finding appropriate filter scheme with FBP reconstruction for DBT system to reduce artifacts. In this study, we investigated characteristics of various filter schemes with simulation and prototype digital breast tomosynthesis under same acquisition parameters and conditions. We evaluated artifacts and noise with profiles and COV (coefficinet of variation) to study characteristic of filter. As a result, the noise with parameter 0.25 of Spectral filter reduced by 10% in comparison to that with only Ramp-lak filter. Because unbalance of information reduced with decreasing B of Slice thickness filter, artifacts caused by incomplete sampling reduced. In conclusion, we confirmed basic characteristics of filter operations and improvement of image quality by appropriate filter scheme. The results of this study can be utilized as base in research and development of DBT system by providing information that is about noise and artifacts depend on various filter schemes.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.30 no.1_2
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• pp.41-47
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• 2018

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of 6 Dimensional Skull Tracking(6DST) in Cyberknife Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy(SBRT) for the first and second cervical vertebrae(C1 and C2) metastasis. Methode and material : The Computed Tomography (Lightspeed VCT 64, General Electric Co. Waukesha, WI, USA) was used to acquire the CT images of the 9 patients with cervical vertebrae(C1 and C2) metastasis. Treatment plans for Xsight spine tracking and 6 Dimensional skull tracking were established with planning system (Multiplan system Version 4.6, Accuray, US). The results of XST and 6DST for each patient were analyzed with Microsoft Excel 2010. Result : The Maximum offsets of XST for C1 were 0.9 mm in Y(supero-inferior), 0.9 mm in Z(antero-posterior), 0.7 mm in X(left-right) direction, and rotations were and 1.0 degrees roll, 1.0 degrees pitch and 1.2 degrees yaw. The Maximum offsets of 6DST for C1 were 0.7 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.9 mm and $1.0^{\circ}$, $1.0^{\circ}$, $1.2^{\circ}$ for Y, Z, X and Roll, Pitch, Yaw. The Maximum offsets of XST and 6DST for C2 were 0.7 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.8 mm and $0.9^{\circ}$, $1.0^{\circ}$, $1.8^{\circ}$, and 0.9 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.9 mm and $0.9^{\circ}$, $0.9^{\circ}$, $1.0^{\circ}$ for Y, Z, X and Roll, Pitch, Yaw, respectively. Conclusion : XST and 6DST showed identical results for translations and rotations within the tolerance. It is possible to simplify the treatment time and procedure by using the 6DST. Therefore, 6DST is very useful methode with XST among the various tracking methods in Cyberknife for the patients with C1, C2 vertebral metastasis.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2011

Purpose: Helical Tomotherapy allows only coplanar beam delivery because it does not allow couch rotation. We investigated a method to introduce non-coplanar beam by tilting a patient's head for Tomotherapy. The aim of this study was to compare intrafractional movement during Tomotherapy between coplanar and non-coplanar patient's setup. Materials and Methods: Helical Tomotherapy was used for treating eight patients with intracranial tumor. The subjects were divided into three groups: one group (coplanar) of 2 patients who lay on S-plate with supine position and wore thermoplastic mask for immobilizing the head, second group (non-coplanar) of 3 patients who lay on S-plate with supine position and whose head was tilted with Variable Axis Baseplate and wore thermoplastic mask, and third group (non-coplanar plus mouthpiece) of 3 patients whose head was tilted and wore a mouthpiece immobilization device and thermoplastic mask. The patients were treated with Tomotherapy after treatment planning with Tomotherapy Planning System. Megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) was performed before and after treatment, and the intrafractional error was measured with lateral(X), longitudinal(Y), vertical(Z) direction movements and vector ($\sqrt{x^2+y^2+z^2}$) value for assessing overall movement. Results: Intrafractional error was compared among three groups by taking the error of MVCT taken after the treatment. As the correction values (X, Y, Z) between MVCT image taken after treatment and CT-simulation image are close to zero, the patient movement is small. When the mean values of movement of each direction for non-coplanar setup were compared with coplanar setup group, X-axis movement was decreased by 13%, but Y-axis and Z-axis movement were increased by 109% and 88%, respectively. Movements of Y-axis and Z-axis with non-coplanar setup were relatively greater than that of X-axis since a tilted head tended to slip down. The mean of X-axis movement of the group who used a mouthpiece was greater by 9.4% than the group who did not use, but the mean of Y-axis movement was lower by at least 64%, and the mean of Z-axis was lower by at least 67%, and the mean of Z-axis was lower by at least 67%, and the vector was lower by at least 59% with the use of a mouthpiece. Among these 8 patients, one patient whose tumor was located on left frontal lobe and left basal ganglia received reduced radiation dose of 38% in right eye, 23% in left eye, 30% in optic chiasm, 27% in brain stem, and 8% in normal brain with non-coplanar method. Conclusion: Tomotherapy only allows coplanar delivery of IMRT treatment. To complement this shortcoming, Tomotherapy can be used with non-coplanar method by artificially tilting the patient's head and using an oral immobilization instrument to minimize the movement of patient, when intracranial tumor locates near critical organs or has to be treated with high dose radiation.