• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2019

Purpose: This study conducts a comparative evaluation of the skin dose in CyberKnife (CK) and Helical Tomotherapy (HT) to predict the accurate dose of radiation and minimize skin burns in head-and-neck stereotactic body radiotherapy. Materials and Methods: Arbitrarily-defined planning target volume (PTV) close to the skin was drawn on the planning computed tomography acquired from a head-and-neck phantom with 19 optically stimulated luminescent dosimeters (OSLDs) attached to the surface (3 OSLDs were positioned at the skin close to PTV and 16 OSLDs were near sideburns and forehead, away from PTV). The calculation doses were obtained from the MultiPlan 5.1.2 treatment planning system using raytracing (RT), finite size pencil beam (FSPB), and Monte Carlo (MC) algorithms for CK. For HT, the skin dose was estimated via convolution superposition (CS) algorithm from the Tomotherapy planning station 5.0.2.5. The prescribed dose was 8 Gy for 95% coverage of the PTV. Results and Conclusions: The mean differences between calculation and measurement values were $-1.2{\pm}3.1%$, $2.5{\pm}7.9%$, $-2.8{\pm}3.8%$, $-6.6{\pm}8.8%$, and $-1.4{\pm}1.8%$ in CS, RT, RT with contour correction (CC), FSPB, and MC, respectively. FSPB showed a dose error comparable to RT. CS and RT with CC led to a small error as compared to FSPB and RT. Considering OSLDs close to PTV, MC minimized the uncertainty of skin dose as compared to other algorithms.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.77-83
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• 2004

The commissioning of a model-based treatment planning system requires many parameters to fit the measured depth doses and transverse profiles. For the commissioning of the Pinnacle$^3$ system, through the Monte Carlo (MC) simulation, the necessary parameters, including the photon spectrum, contaminant electrons, off-axis softening and fluency of photons, were observed. Through the simulation the parameters contained valuable information, but the calculated results of the Pinnacle$^3$ using the MC-derived parameters showed discrepancies with those measured for the off-axis softening and the fluency of photons. Even though the MC calculation produces reasonable values for the commissioning, the thorough physical basis of the Pinnacle$^3$'s commissioning process is needed in order to directly use the MC derived parameters.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.237-241
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• 2013

The gamma energy distributions at the major working places during refueling outage of Korean PWR nuclear power plants were measured. In order to estimate the dose reduction effect of a lead vest, Monte Carlo calculation method was used. For the simulations, the MIRD-V phantom with a lead vest was formed and exposed to the measured radiation field. The average measured gamma energy is lower than that of standard which is generally applied to radiation protection procedures. For the efficient use of a lead vest and achievement of radiation protection purpose, it is necessary to estimate the energy distribution of radiation field at working places.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.234-238
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• 2012

A tumor on the eyelid is often treated using a high-energy electron beam, with a metallic eye shield inserted between the eyelid and the eyeball to preserve the patient's sight. Pretreatment quality assurance of the inner eyelid dose on the metallic shield requires a very small dosimetry tool. For enhanced accuracy, a flexible device fitting the curved interface between the eyelid and the shield is also required. The radiochromic film is the best candidate for this device. To measure the doses along the curved interface and small area, a 3-mm-wide strip of EBT2 film was inserted between the phantom eyelid and the shield. After irradiation with 6 MeV electron beams, the film was evaluated for the dose profile. An acrylic eye shield of the same size as the real eye shield was machined, and CT images free from metal artifacts were obtained. Monte Carlo simulation was performed on the CT images, taking into account eye shield material, such as tungsten, aluminum, and steel. The film-based interface dose distribution agreed with the MC calculation within 2.1%. In the small (millimeter scale) and curved region, radiochromic film dosimetry promises a satisfactory result with easy handling.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.207-214
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• 2001

The KN-12 spent nuclear fuel (SNF) transport cask is designed for transportation of up to 12 assemblies and is in standby status for being licensed in accordance with Korea Atomic Energy Act. To evaluate radiation shielding and criticality safety of the KN-12 cask, each case of study was carried out using MCNP4B Code. MCNP code is verified by performing benchmark calculation for the KSC-4 SNF cask designed in 1989. As a result of radiation safety evaluation for the KN-12 cask, calculated dose rates always satisfied the standards at the cask surface, at 2m from the surface in normal transport condition, and at 1 m from the surface in hypothetical accident condition. Maximum dose rate was always arisen on the side of the cask. For normal transport condition, photons primarily contribute to dose rate between two kinds of released sources, neutrons and photons, from spent nuclear fuel but for hypothetical accident condition, contrary case was resulted. The level of calculated dose rate was 27.8% of the limit at the cask surface, 89.3% at 2 m from the cask surface, and 25.1% at 1 m from the cask surface. For criticality analysis, keff resulting from the criticality analysis considering the condition of optimum partial flooding with fresh water is 0.89708(0.00065. The results confirm the standards recommended by all regulations on radiation safety.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.89-95
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• 2004

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) often uses small beam segments. The heterogeneity effect is well known for relatively large field sizes used in the conventional radiation treatments. However, this effect is not known in small fields such as the beamlets used in IMRT. There are many factors that can cause errors in the small field i.e. electronic disequilibrium and multiple electron scattering. This study prepared geometrically regular heterogeneous phantoms, and compared the measurements with the calculations using the Convolution/Superposition algorithm and Monte Carlo method for small beams. This study used the BEAM00/EGS4 code to simulate the head of a Varian 2300C/D. The commissioning of a 6MV photon beam were performed from two points of view, the beam profiles and depth doses. The calculated voxel size was 1${\times}$1${\times}$2$\textrm{cm}^2$ with field sizes of 1${\times}$1$\textrm{cm}^2$, 2${\times}$2$\textrm{cm}^2$, and 5${\times}$5$\textrm{cm}^2$. The XiOTM TPS (Treatment Planning System) was used for the calculation using the Convolution/Superposition algorithm. The 6MV photon beam was irradiated to homogeneous (water equivalent) and heterogeneous phantoms (water equivalent ＋ air cavity, water equivalent ＋ bone equivalent). The beam profiles were well matched within :t1 mm and the depth doses were within ${\pm}$2%. In conclusion, the dose calculations of the Convolution/Superposition and Monte Carlo simulations showed good agreement with the film measurements in the small field.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.571-575
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• 2016

Monte Carlo simulations are widely used as the most accurate technique for dose calculation in radiation therapy. In this paper, the GATE6(Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission ver.6) code was employed to calculate the dosimetric performance of the photon beams from a linear accelerator(LINAC). The treatment head of a Varian 21EX Clinac was modeled including the major geometric structures within the beam path such as a target, a primary collimator, a flattening filter, a ion chamber, and jaws. The 6 MV photon spectra were characterized in a standard $10{\times}10cm^2$ field at 100 cm source-to-surface distance(SSD) and subsequent dose estimations were made in a water phantom. The measurements of percentage depth dose and dose profiles were performed with 3D water phantom and the simulated data was compared to measured reference data. The simulated results agreed very well with the measured data. It has been found that the GATE6 code is an effective tool for dose optimization in radiotherapy applications.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.345-352
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• 2012

As the breast cancer rate is increasing fast in Korean women, people pay more attention to mammography and number of mammography have been increasing dramatically over the last few years. Mammography is the only means to diagnose breast cancer early, but harms caused by radiation exposure shouldn't be overlooked. Therefore, it is important to calculate the radiation dose being absorbed into the breast tissue during the process of mammography for a protective measure against radiation exposure. Because it is impossible to directly measure the radiation dose being absorbed into the human body, statistical calculation methods are commonly used, and most of them are supposed to simulate the interaction between radiation and matter by describing the human body internal structure with anthropomorphic phantoms. However, a simulation using Geant4 Code of Monte Carlo Method, which is well-known as most accurate in calculating the absorbed dose inside the human body, helps calculate exact dose by recreating the anatomical human body structure as it is through the DICOM file of CT. To calculate the absorbed dose in the breast tissue, therefore, this study carried out a simulation using Geant4 Code, and by using the DICOM converted file provided by Geant4, this study changed the human body structure expressed on the CT image data into geometry needed for this simulation. Besides, this study attempted to verify if the dose calculation of Geant4 interlocking with the DICOM file is useful, by comparing the calculated dose provided by this simulation and the measured dose provided by the PTW ion chamber. As a result, under the condition of 28kVp/190mAs, the Difference(%) between the measured dose and the calculated dose was found to be 0.08 %~0.33 %, and at 28 kVp/70 mAs, the Difference(%) of dose was 0.01 %~0.16 %, both of which showed results within 2%, the effective difference range. Therefore, this study found out that calculation of the absorbed dose using Geant4 Simulation is useful in measuring the absorbed dose in the breast tissue for mammography.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.476-483
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• 2009

Cosmic ray is composed of nuclear particles moving at a light speed. The cosmic ray affects the performance and the reliability of semiconductor devices by ionizing the semiconductor material. In this study, the radiation effects of protons, electrons, and photons, which compose the cosmic ray, on the GOS(Geostationary Orbit Satellite) were evaluated using the Monte-Carlo N-Particle code. The GOS was chosen due to the comparatively long exposure to the cosmic ray as it stays in the geostationary orbit more than 10 years. As the absorbed dose of semiconductor from electrons is much larger than those of protons, photons, and the secondary radiation, most of the radiation exposure of the semiconductors in the GOS results from that of electrons. When we compare the calculated absorbed dose with the radio-resistance of semiconductor, the Intel 486 of the Intel company is not suitable for the GOS applications due to its low radio-resistance. However RH3000-20 of MIPS and Motorola 602/603e can be applied to the Satellite when the aluminium shield is thicker than 3 mm.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2004

MIRD-type Korean adult male phantom, 'KMIRD' was constructed to calculate Korean-specific dosimetric quantities for radiation protection consideration. The external shape of KMIRD was based on national physical standard data of Korean. KMIRD has thicket trunk than MIRD5 and arm models divided from trunk. The height and weight of the KMIRD are 171 cm and 63.8 kg. ICRP23 data were referred to constitute organs and tissues of KMIRD. However nine organs were constructed based on Korean reference data provided by Radiation Health Research Institute. In the present study, the MCNPX2.3 Monte Carlo transport code was combined with KMIRD to calculate dose conversion coefficients for photon in the energy range from 0.05 to 10 MeV. The simulated irradiation geometries are broad parallel photon beams in AP, PA, LLAT and RLAT direction. Absorbed dose conversion coefficients were compared with data calculated with MIRD5, MIRD-type phantom based on ICRP23 reference man. In some organs, the discrepancies between two phantoms amount up to nearly 30%. The effective doses conversion coefficients of KMIRD are lower than those of MIRD5. The dose discrepancies between two MIRD-type phantoms ate because of physical differences between Korean and Western, also geometric differences between two phantoms. KMIRD should be revised using the full set of Korean reference data of all organs. The developed MIRD-type Korean adult male phantom can be applied to dose assessment of internal exposure.