• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.291-297
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to optimize a parallel-hole collimator for small gamma camera having the pixellated crystal array and evaluate the effect of crystal-collimator misalignment on the image quality using a simulation tool GATE (Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission). The spatial resolution and sensitivity were measured for the various size of hexagonal-hole and matched square-hole collimators with a Tc-99m point source and the uniformity of flood image was estimated as a function of the angle between crystal array and collimator by misalignment. The results showed that the spatial resolution and sensitivity were greatly improved by using the matched collimator and the uniformity was reduced by crystal-collimator misalignment.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.174-181
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• 2003

Purpose: The target volume for the three field technique in breast cancer include the breast tangential and supraclavicular areas. The techniques rotating the gantry and couch angles, to match these two areas, will geometrically produce mismatching of the posterior edge between the medial and lateral tangential beams. This mismatch was confirmed by film dosimetry and three-dimensional computer planning. The correction methods of this mismatching were studied in this article. Materials and Methods: After the supraclavicular field was simulated using a half beam block and the medial and lateral tangential fields, by the rotation of the couch and gantry, we compared the following two methods to correct the mismatch. The first method was the rotation of coillmator until a line drawn on the posterior edge of tangential beams before the rotation of couch aligned the line drawn on the posterior edge after the rotation. The second method was the rotation of collimator according to the formula developed by the author as follows; Co=$2sin^{-1}${$sin\{theta}\{cdot}sin(C/2)$} (Co: collimator angle, $\theta$: angle between tangential beam and table, C: couch angle) Results: The film dosimetry showed the mismatching of posterior edges of the medial and lateral tangential fields prior to the rotation of collimator, while the posterior edges matched well after the rotation of collimator according to the formula. The three-dimensional computer plan also showed that the posterior edges matched well after the rotation of collimator accordingly. The DVH of the ipsilateral lung with the proper rotation of collimator angle was better than that without the rotation of collimator angle. Conclusion: The mismatching of the posterior edges of the medial and lateral tangential fields can be recognized on the three fileld technique in breast irradiation when the gantry and couch are simultaneously rotated and can be corrected with the proper rotation of the collimator angle. The radiation dose to the ipsilateral lung could be lowered with this technique.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.105-114
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• 2020

This study aimed to assess of beam-matching accuracy for an 8 MV beam between the same model linear accelerators(Linac) commissioned over two years. Two models were got the customer acceptance procedure(CAP) criteria. For commissioning data for beam-matched linacs, the percentage depth doses(PDDs), beam profiles, output factors, multi-leaf collimator(MLC) leaf transmission factors, and the dosimetric leaf gap(DLG) were compared. In addition, the accuracy of beam matching was verified at phantom and patient levels. At phantom level, the point doses specified in TG-53 and TG-119 were compared to evaluate the accuracy of beam modelling. At patient level, the dose volume histogram(DVH) parameters and the delivery accuracy are evaluated on volumetric modulated arc therapy(VMAT) plan for 40 patients that included 20 lung and 20 brain cases. Ionization depth curve and dose profiles obtained in CAP showed a good level for beam matching between both Linacs. The variations in commissioning beam data, such as PDDs, beam profiles, output factors, TF, and DLG were all less than 1%. For the treatment plans of brain tumor and lung cancer, the average and maximum differences in evaluated DVH parameters for the planning target volume(PTV) and the organs at risk(OARs) were within 0.30% and 1.30%. Furthermore, all gamma passing rates for both beam-matched Linacs were higher than 98% for the 2%/2 mm criteria and 99% for the 2%/3 mm criteria. The overall variations in the beam data, as well as tests at phantom and patient levels remains all within the tolerance (1% difference) of clinical acceptability between beam-matched Linacs. Thus, we found an excellent dosimetric agreement to 8 MV beam characteristics for the same model Linacs.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.230-236
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• 2013

Our purpose is to present a novel technique for delivering craniospinal irradiation in the supine position using a perfect match, field-in-field (FIF) intrafractional feathering, and simple forward-optimization technique. To achieve this purpose, computed tomography simulation was performed with patients in the supine position. Half-beam, blocked, opposed, lateral, cranial fields with a collimator rotation were matched to the divergence of the superior border of an upper-spinal field. Fixed field parameters were used, and the isocenter of the upper-spinal field was placed at the same source-to-axis distance (SAD), 20 cm inferior to the cranial isocenter. For a lower-spinal field, the isocenter was placed 40 cm inferior to the cranial isocenter at a constant SAD. Both gantry and couch rotations for the lower-spinal field were used to achieve perfect divergence match with the inferior border of the upper-spinal field. A FIF technique was used to feather the craniospinal and spinal-spinal junction daily by varying the match line over 2 cm. The dose throughout the target volume was modulated using the FIF simple forward optimization technique to obtain homogenous coverage. Daily, image-guided therapy was used to assure and verify the setup. This supine-position, perfect match craniospinal irradiation technique with FIF intrafractional feathering and dose modulation provides a simple and safe way to deliver treatment while minimizing dose inhomogeneity.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.439-443
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• 2019

To improve the noise characteristics, software-based noise reduction algorithms are widely used in cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) pixelated semiconductor gamma camera system. The purpose of this study was to develop an improved median filtering algorithm using a thresholding method for noise reduction in a CZT pixelated semiconductor gamma camera system. The gamma camera system simulated is a CZT pixelated semiconductor detector with a pixel-matched parallel-hole collimator and the spatial resolution phatnom was designed with the Geant4 Application for Tomography Emission (GATE). In addition, a noise reduction algorithm with a median filter using an improved thresholding method is developed and we applied our proposed algorithm to an acquired spatial resolution phantom image. According to the results, the proposed median filter improved the noise characteristics compared to a conventional median filter. In particular, the average for normalized noise power spectrum, contrast to noise ratio, and coefficient of variation results using the proposed median filter were 10, 1.11, and 1.19 times better than results using conventional median filter, respectively. In conclusion, our results show that the proposed median filter using improved the thresholding method results in high imaging performance when applied in a CZT semiconductor gamma camera system.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.4652-4659
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• 2022

Among the detector materials available at room temperature, thallium bromide (TlBr), which has a relatively high atomic number and density, is widely used for gamma camera imaging. This study aimed to verify the usefulness of TlBr through quantitative evaluation by modeling detectors of various compound types using Monte Carlo simulations. The Geant4 application for tomographic emission was used for simulation, and detectors based on cadmium zinc telluride and cadmium telluride materials were selected as a comparison group. A pixel-matched parallel-hole collimator with proven excellent performance was modeled, and phantoms used for quality control in nuclear medicine were used. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast to noise ratio (CNR), sensitivity, and full width at half maximum (FWHM) were used for quantitative analysis to evaluate the image quality. The SNR, CNR, sensitivity, and FWHM for the TlBr detector material were approximately 1.05, 1.04, 1.41, and 1.02 times, respectively, higher than those of the other detector materials. The SNR, CNR and sensitivity increased with increasing detector thickness, but the spatial resolution in terms of FWHM decreased. Thus, we demonstrated the feasibility and possibility of using the TlBr detector material in comparison with commercial detector materials.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.90-93
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• 2002

In particle radiotherapy, a shape of the beam to conform the irradiation field is statically defined by the compensator, collimator and potal devices at the outside of the patient body. However the target such as lung or liver cancer moves along with respiration. This increases the irradiated volume of normal tissue. Prior discussions about organ motions along with respiration have been mainly focused on inferior-superior movement that was usually perpendicular to beam axis. On the other hand, the change of the target depth along the beam axis is very important especially in particle radiotherapy, because the range end of beam (Bragg peak) is so sharp as to be matched to distal edge of the target. In treatment planning, the range of the particle beam inside the body is calculated using a calibration curve relating CT number and water equivalent path length (WEL) to correct the inhomogeneities of tissues. The variation in CT number along the beam path would cause the uncertainties of range calculation at treatment planning for particle radiotherapy. To estimate the uncertainties of the range calculation associated with patient breathing, we proposed the method using sequential CT images with respiration waveform, and analyzed organ motions and WELs at patients that had lung or liver cancer. The variation of the depth along the beam path was presented in WEL rather than geometrical length. In analyzed cases, WELs around the diaphragm were remarkably changed depending on the respiration, and the magnitude of these WEL variations was almost comparable to inferior-superior movement of diaphragm. The variation of WEL around the lung was influenced by heartbeat.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.164-172
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• 2018

We evaluated the performance of various detectors for small-field dosimetry with field sizes defined by a high-definition (HD) multileaf collimator (MLC) system. For small-field dosimetry, diodes referred to as "RAZOR detectors," MOSFET detectors, and Gafchromic EBT3 films were used in this study. For field sizes less than $1{\times}1cm^2$, percent depth doses (PDDs) and lateral profiles were measured by diodes, MOSFET detectors, and films, and absolute dosimetry measurements were conducted with MOSFET detectors. For comparison purposes, the same measurements were carried out with a field size of $10{\times}10cm^2$. The dose distributions were calculated by the treatment planning system Eclipse. A comparison of the measurements with calculations yielded the percentage differences. With field sizes less than $1{\times}1cm^2$, it was shown that most of the percentage difference values were within 5% for 6-MV and 15-MV photon beams with the use of diodes. The measured lateral profiles were well matched with those calculated by Eclipse as the field sizes increased. Except for the depths of 0.5 cm and 20 cm, there was agreement in terms of the absolute dosimetry within 10% when MOSFET detectors were used. There was good agreement between the calculations and measurements conducted using diodes and EBT films. Both diode detectors and EBT3 films were found to be appropriate options for relative measurements of PDDs and for lateral profiles.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.23-27
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• 2018

Purpose The introduction of bone scan has been reported as a useful tool in the diagnosis, treatment, and treatment response of skeletal disease. The purpose of this study is to improve the anatomical information and tolerance of the bone by combining bone scan and pelvic X-ray without additional radiation exposure. Materials and Methods From November 2015 to August 2016, 236 patients(64 men and 172 women, average age $50.96{\pm}15.39years$) take Bone scan and Pelvis AP(Anteroposterior) X-ray scan at the National Cancer Center. The scan equipment was a gamma camera, Symbia Ecam (SIEMENS, Germany), and a digital x-ray, DRS-800 (Listem, Korea). Osirix version 3.8.1 (Osirix, USA) and Stata/SE version 14.0 (StataCorp, USA) were used for image combination and analysis. The patient was intravenously injected with $^{99m}Tc-DPD$ (740 MBq), and the scan was performed 2 to 4 hours later. Gamma camera image acquisition were Matrix size $256{\times}1024$, Zoom 1.00, and scan speed 17 cm/min. The digital X-ray was made with a collimator size of $14^{{\prime}{\prime}}{\times}17^{{\prime}{\prime}}$, 77 kVp (60 to 97 kVp) and an average of 30 mAs (20 to 48). ASIS and pubic symphysis Select virtual points then Combine three virtual points and pelvic contour lines. The acquired images were evaluated by three radiologists who worked for more than 5 years in the nuclear medicine department. Results Of the total 236 patients, 216 (91.53%) were matched. The median and range (min~max) of the age were 67 (46~81) years old in the unmatched group and 52 (22~87) years old in the matched group, The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was performed to determine whether age was different between the two groups. As a result, the age difference between the two groups was statistically significant at p < 0.0001. Of the 64 men, 60 (93.75%) were match and of the 172 women, 156 (93.75%) were match. There was no statistically significant difference according to gender(p = 0.4542). Of the 54 patients without pelvic lesions, 54 (100.00%) were match, and 162 (89.01%) of 182 patients with pelvic lesions were match. There was a statistically significant difference according to the presence of pelvic lesions. Conclusion There are many variables in the combination of bone scan and pelvic X-ray imaging, and the patient's age and pelvic lesion may have some effect on the image combination. This study is expected to be useful for the diagnosis of pelvic osteosarcoma of children without radiation exposure. It is expected that this combination of images will help to develop the nuclear medicine image.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.29-33
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• 2011

Background and Purpose: Uniformity is the one of the important quality control features with respect to gamma cameras. To maintain adequate uniformity, we must acquire suitable flood table (=flood map) data because the flood table effects energy, and the type or dose of input radiation. Therefore, in this study we evaluated the difference in uniformity when uniformity does not match between the type of input radiation and the flood table data or collimator type. Subjects and Methods: For input radiation, we prepared 370 MBq of $^{57}Co$, $^{99m}Tc$, and $^{201}Tl$. Using SKYLight (Philips) and Infinia gamma cameras (GE), we acquired nine uniformity data that were corrected by technetium, cobalt flood table and did not corrected image for the three sources. Additionally, we acquired two uniformity images with a collimator that were corrected by intrinsic and extrinsic flood tables. Using this data, we evaluated and compared the uniformity values. Results: In the case of the SKYLight gamma camera, the uniformities of the images that matched between the input radiation and flood table with respect to $^{99m}Tc$ and $^{57}Co$ were better than the unmatched uniformity (3.96% vs. 5.69% ; 4.9% vs. 5.91%). However, because there was no thallium flood table, the uniformities of images at Tl were significantly incorrect (7.49%, 7.03%). The uniformities of the Infinia gamma camera had the same pattern as the SKYLight gamma camera (3.7% vs. 4.5%). Moreover, the uniformity of the $^{99m}Tc$ image acquired with a collimator and corrected by an extrinsic flood table was better than the intrinsic flood table (3.96% vs. 6.28%). Conclusion: Correcting an image by a suitable flood table can help achieve better uniformity for a gamma camera. Therefore, we have to acquire images with suitable uniformity correction, and update the flood table periodically. Whenever we acquire a nuclear medicine image, we always have to check the appropriate flood table according to the acquired condition.