• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.676-683
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• 2007

A non-invasive respiratory gated radiotherapy system like those based on external anatomic motion gives better comfortableness to patients than invasive system on treatment. However, higher correlation between the external and internal anatomic motion is required to increase the effectiveness of non-invasive respiratory gated radiotherapy. Both of invasive and non-invasive methods need to track the internal anatomy with the higher precision and rapid response. Especially, the non-invasive method has more difficulty to track the target position successively because of using only image processing. So we developed the system to track the motion for a non-invasive respiratory gated system to accurately find the dynamic position of internal structures such as the diaphragm and tumor. The respiratory organ motion tracking apparatus consists of an image capture board, a fluoroscopy system and a processing computer. After the image board grabs the motion of internal anatomy through the fluoroscopy system, the computer acquires the organ motion tracking data by image processing without any additional physical markers. The patients breathe freely without any forced breath control and coaching, when this experiment was performed. The developed pattern-recognition software could extract the target motion signal in real-time from the acquired fluoroscopic images. The range of mean deviations between the real and acquired target positions was measured for some sample structures in an anatomical model phantom. The mean and max deviation between the real and acquired positions were less than 1mm and 2mm respectively with the standardized movement using a moving stage and an anatomical model phantom. Under the real human body, the mean and maximum distance of the peak to trough was measured 23.5mm and 55.1mm respectively for 13 patients' diaphragm motion. The acquired respiration profile showed that human expiration period was longer than the inspiration period. The above results could be applied to respiratory-gated radiotherapy.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.319-326
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• 2001

Purpose : Planning target volume (PTV) for tumors in abdomen or thorax includes enough margin for breathing-related movement of tumor volumes during treatment. Depending on the location of the tumor, the magnitude of PTV margin extends from 10 mm to 30 mm, which increases substantial volume of the irradiated normal tissue hence, resulting in increase of normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). We developed a simple and handy method which can reduce PTV margins in patients with liver tumors, respiratory motion reduction device (RRD). Materials and methods : For 10 liver cancer patients, the data of internal organ motion were obtained by examining the diaphragm motion under fluoroscope. It was tested for both supine and prone position. A RRD was made using MeV-Green and Styrofoam panels and then applied to the patients. By analyzing the diaphragm movement from patients with RRD, the magnitude of PTV margin was determined and dose volume histogram (DVH) was computed using AcQ-Plan, a treatment planning software. Dose to normal tissue between patients with RRD and without RRD was analyzed by comparing the fraction of the normal liver receiving to $50\%$ of the isocenter dose. DVH and NTCP for normal liver and adjacent organs were also evaluated. Results : When patients breathed freely, average movement of diaphragm was $12{\pm}1.9\;mm$ in prone position in contrast to $16{\pm}1.9\;mm$ in supine position. In prone position, difference in diaphragm movement with and without RRD was $3{\pm}0.9\;mm$ and 12 mm, respectively, showing that PTV margins could be reduced to as much as 9 mm. With RRD, volume of the irradiated normal liver reduced up to $22.7\%$ in DVH analysis. Conclusion : Internal organ motion due to breathing can be reduced using RRD, which is simple and easy to use in clinical setting. It can reduce the organ motion-related PTV margin, thereby decrease volume of the irradiated normal tissue.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.86-89
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• 2002

The purpose is to develop a system to reduce the organ movement from the respiration during the 3DCRT or IMRT. This research reports the experience of utilizing personally developed system for mobile tumors. The patients clinical database was structured for 10 mobile tumors and patient setup error measurement and immobilization device effects were investigated. The RMRD system is composed of the respiratory motion reduction device utilized in prone position and abdominal strip device(ASD) utilized in the supine position, and the analysis program, which enables the analysis on patients setup reproducibility. Dose to normal tissue between patients with RMRDs and without RMRDs was analyzed by comparing the normal tissue volume, field margins and dose volume histogram(DVH) using fluoroscopy and CT images. And, reproducibility of patients setup verify by utilization of digital images. When patients breathed freely, average movement of diaphragm was 1.2 cm in prone position in contrast to 1.6 cm in supine position. In prone position, difference in diaphragm movement with and without RMRDs was 0.5 cm and 1.2 cm, respectively, showing that PTV margins could be reduced to as much as 0.7 cm. With RMRDs, volume of the irradiated normal tissue (lung, liver) reduced up to 20 % in DVH analysis. Also by obtaining the digital image, reproducibility of patients setup verify by visualization using the real-time image acquisition, leading to practical utilization of our software. Internal organ motion due to breathing can be reduced using RMRDs, which is simple and easy to use in clinical setting. It can reduce the organ motion-related PTV margin, thereby decrease volume of the irradiated normal tissue.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.217-222
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• 2005

Purpose: To develop the respiration simulating phantom with thermocouple for evaluating 4D radiotherapy such as gated radiotherapy breathing control radiotherapy and dynamic tumor tracking radiotherapy. Materials and Methods: The respiration monitoring mask(ReMM) with thermocouple was developed to monitor the patient's irregular respiration. The signal from ReMM controls the simulating phantom as organ motion of patients in real-time. The organ and the phantom motion were compared with its respiratory curves to evaluate the simulating phantom. ReMM was used to measure patients' respiration, and the movement of simulating phantom was measured by using $RPM^{(R)}$. The fluoroscope was used to monitor the patient's diaphragm motion. relative to the organ motion, respectively. The standard deviation of discrepancy between the respiratory curve and the organ motion was 8.52% of motion range. Conclusion: Patients felt comfortable with ReMM. The relationship between the signal from ReMM and the organ motion shows strong correlation. The phantom simulates the organ motion in real-time according to the respiratory signal from the ReMM. It is expected that the simulating phantom with ReMM could be used to verify the 4D radiotherapy.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.63-63
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• 2003

Purpose: Planning target volume (PTV) for tumors in abdomen or thorax includes enough margin for breathing-related movement of tumor volumes during treatment. We developed a simple and handy method, which can reduce PTV margins in patients with moving tumors, respiratory motion reduction device system (RMRDs). Materials and Methods: The patients clinical database was structured for moving tumor patients and patient setup error measurement and immobilization device effects were investigated. The system is composed of the respiratory motion reduction device utilized in prone position and abdominal presser (strip device) utilized in the supine position, moving phantom and the analysis program, which enables the analysis on patients setup reproducibility. It was tested for analyzing the diaphragm movement and CT volume differences from patients with RMRDs, the magnitude of PTV margin was determined and dose volume histogram (DVH) was computed using a treatment planning software. Dose to normal tissue between patients with RMRDs and without RMRDs was analyzed by comparing the fraction of the normal liver receiving to 50% of the isocenter dose(TD50). Results: In case of utilizing RMRDs, which was personally developed in our hospital, the value was reduced to $5pm1.4 mm$, and in case of which the belt immobilization device was utilized, the value was reduced to 3$pm$0.9 mm. Also in case of which the strip device was utilized, the value was proven to reduce to $4pm.3 mm$0. As a result of analyzing the TD50 is irradiated in DVH according to the radiation treatment planning, the usage of the respiratory motion reduction device can create the reduce of 30% to the maximum. Also by obtaining the digital image, the function of comparison between the standard image, automated external contour subtraction, and etc were utilized to develop patients setup reproducibility analysis program that can evaluate the change in the patients setup. Conclusion: Internal organ motion due to breathing can be reduced using RMRDs, which is simple and easy to use in clinical setting. It can reduce the organ motion-related PTV margin, thereby decrease volume of the irradiated normal tissue.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.103-109
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• 2019

Background: Four-dimensional computed tomographic (4DCT) images are increasingly used in clinic with the growing need to account for the respiratory motion of the patient during radiation treatment. One of the reason s that makes the dose evaluation using 4DCT inaccurate is a change of the patient respiration during the treatment session, i.e., intrafractional uncertainty. Especially, when the amplitude of the patient respiration is greater than the respiration range during the 4DCT acquisition, such an organ motion from the larger respiration is difficult to be represented with the 4DCT. In this paper, the method to generate images expecting the organ motion from a respiration with extended amplitude was proposed and examined. Materials and Methods: We propose a method to generate extra-phase images from a given set of the 4DCT images using deformable image registration (DIR) and linear extrapolation. Deformation vector fields (DVF) are calculated from the given set of images, then extrapolated according to respiratory surrogate. The extra-phase images are generated by applying the extrapolated DVFs to the existing 4DCT images. The proposed method was tested with the 4DCT of a physical 4D phantom. Results and Discussion: The tumor position in the generated extra-phase image was in a good agreement with that in the gold-standard image which is separately acquired, using the same 4DCT machine, with a larger range of respiration. It was also found that we can generate the best quality extra-phase image by using the maximum inhalation phase (T0) and maximum exhalation phase (T50) images for extrapolation. Conclusion: In the present study, a method to construct extra-phase images that represent expanded respiratory motion of the patient has been proposed and tested. The movement of organs from a larger respiration amplitude can be predicted by the proposed method. We believe the method may be utilized for realistic simulation of radiation therapy.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.76-83
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• 2013

Previous studies about effect of respiratory motion on diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy have been performed by monitoring external motions but these can not reflect internal organ motion well. The aim of this study was to develope the artificial pulmonary nodule able to perform non-invasive implantation to dogs in the thorax and to evaluate applicability of the model to respiratory motion studies on PET image acquisition and radiation delivery by phantom studies. Artificial pulmonary nodule was developed on the basis of 8 Fr disposable gastric feeding tube. Four anesthetized dogs underwent implantation of the models via trachea and implanted locations of the models were confirmed by fluoroscopic images. Artificial pulmonary nodule models for PET injected $^{18}F$-FDG and mounted on the respiratory motion phantom. PET images of those acquired under static, 10-rpm- and 15-rpm-longitudinal round motion status. Artificial pulmonary nodule models for radiation delivery inserted glass dosemeter and mounted on the respiratory motion phantom. Radiation delivery was performed at 1 Gy under static, 10-rpm- and 15-rpm-longitudinal round motion status. Fluoroscpic images showed that all models implanted in the proximal caudal bronchiole and location of models changed as respiratory cycle. Artificial pulmonary nodule model showed motion artifact as respiratory motion on PET images. SNR of respiratory gated images was 7.21. which was decreased when compared with that of reference images 10.15. However, counts of respiratory images on profiles showed similar pattern with those of reference images when compared with those of static images, and it is assured that reconstruction of images using by respiratory gating improved image quality. Delivery dose to glass dosemeter inserted in the models were same under static and 10-rpm-longitudinal motion status with 0.91 Gy, but dose delivered under 15-rpm-longitudinal motion status was decreased with 0.90 Gy. Mild decrease of delivered radiation dose confirmed by electrometer. The model implanted in the proximal caudal bronchiole with high feasibility and reflected pulmonary internal motion on fluoroscopic images. Motion artifact could show on PET images and respiratory motion resulted in mild blurring during radiation delivery. So, the artificial pulmonary nodule model will be useful tools for study about evaluation of motion on diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy using laboratory animals.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.115-118
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• 2004

Respiratory motion in the thorax and abdomen is an important limiting factor in high-precision radiation therapy. The lung tumor and tumor(pancreas, stomach) in abdomen therefore are internal motion due to breathing. We will perform to measurement of dose distributions for these moving tumors. In preliminary study, we investigated displacement of moving tumor such as liver, lung tumor in abdomen with previously reported papers. With reference data, internal movements of tumor are displayed with phantom and moving control device(MCD), which appear three dimension (3-D) motion such as x, y and z axis. These devices are used to access dose delivered in tumor with and without internal motion. The MCD and phantom were used to evaluate a delivered dose under similar condition, although there are not same internal tumor motion. In future, we will obtain the exact evaluation of dose if improved in programed software of moving control device and measure precise internal motion using image modality such as fluoroscopy, simulator in based on this study.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.85-93
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• 2012

Purpose: It is essential to minimize the respiratory-induced motion of involved organs in the Tomotherapy for tumor located in the chest and abdominal region. However, the application of breathing control system to Tomotherapy is limited. This study was aimed to investigate the possible application of the ABCHES system and its efficacy as a means of breathing control in the tomotherapy treatment. Materials and Methods: Five subjects who were treated with a Hi-Art Tomotherapy system for lung, liver, gallbladder and pancreatic tumors. All patients undertook trained on two breathing methodes using an ABCHES, free breathing methode and shallow breathing methode. When the patients could carry out the breathing control, 4D-CT scan was a total of 10 4D tomographic images were acquired. A radiologist resident manually drew the tumor region, including surrounding nomal organs, on each of CT images at the inhalation phase, the exhalation phase and the 40% phase (mid-inhalation) and average CT image. Those CT images were then exported to the Tomotherapy planning station. Data exported from the Tomotherapy planning station was analyzed to quantify characteristics of dose-volume histograms and motion of tumors. Organ motions under free breathing and shallow breathing were examined six directions, respectively. Radiation exposure to the surrounding organs were also measured and compared. Results: Organ motion is in the six directions with more than a 5 mm displacement. A total of 12 Organ motions occurred during free breathing while organ motions decreased to 2 times during shallow breathing under the use of Abches. Based on the quantitative analysis of the dose-volume histograms shallow breathing showed lower resulting values, compared to free breathing, in every measure. That is, treatment volume, the dose of radiation to the tumor and two surrounding normal organs (mean doses), the volume of healthy tissue exposed to radiation were lower at the shallow breathing state. Conclusion: This study proposes that the use of ABCHES is effective for the Tomotherapy treatment as it makes shortness of breathing easy for patients. Respiratory-induced tumor motion is minimized, and radiation exposure to surrounding normal tissues is also reduced as a result.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.41-52
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• 2002

Purpose : 3D conformal radiotherapy, the optimum dose delivered to the tumor and provided the risk of normal tissue unless marginal miss, was restricted by organ motion. For tumors in the thorax and abdomen, the planning target volume (PTV) is decided including the margin for movement of tumor volumes during treatment due to patients breathing. We designed the respiratory gating radiotherapy device (RGRD) for using during CT simulation, dose planning and beam delivery at identical breathing period conditions. Using RGRD, reducing the treatment margin for organ (thorax or abdomen) motion due to breathing and improve dose distribution for 3D conformal radiotherapy. Materials and Methods : The internal organ motion data for lung cancer patients were obtained by examining the diaphragm in the supine position to find the position dependency. We made a respiratory gating radiotherapy device (RGRD) that is composed of a strip band, drug sensor, micro switch, and a connected on-off switch in a LINAC control box. During same breathing period by RGRD, spiral CT scan, virtual simulation, and 3D dose planing for lung cancer patients were peformed, without an extended PTV margin for free breathing, and then the dose was delivered at the same positions. We calculated effective volumes and normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCP) using dose volume histograms for normal lung, and analyzed changes in doses associated with selected NTCP levels and tumor control probabilities (TCP) at these new dose levels. The effects of 3D conformal radiotherapy by RGRD were evaluated with DVH (Dose Volume Histogram), TCP, NTCP and dose statistics. Results : The average movement of a diaphragm was 1.5 cm in the supine position when patients breathed freely. Depending on the location of the tumor, the magnitude of the PTV margin needs to be extended from 1 cm to 3 cm, which can greatly increase normal tissue irradiation, and hence, results in increase of the normal tissue complications probabiliy. Simple and precise RGRD is very easy to setup on patients and is sensitive to length variation (+2 mm), it also delivers on-off information to patients and the LINAC machine. We evaluated the treatment plans of patients who had received conformal partial organ lung irradiation for the treatment of thorax malignancies. Using RGRD, the PTV margin by free breathing can be reduced about 2 cm for moving organs by breathing. TCP values are almost the same values $(4\~5\%\;increased)$ for lung cancer regardless of increasing the PTV margin to 2.0 cm but NTCP values are rapidly increased $(50\~70\%\;increased)$ for upon extending PTV margins by 2.0 cm. Conclusion : Internal organ motion due to breathing can be reduced effectively using our simple RGRD. This method can be used in clinical treatments to reduce organ motion induced margin, thereby reducing normal tissue irradiation. Using treatment planning software, the dose to normal tissues was analyzed by comparing dose statistics with and without RGRD. Potential benefits of radiotherapy derived from reduction or elimination of planning target volume (PTV) margins associated with patient breathing through the evaluation of the lung cancer patients treated with 3D conformal radiotherapy.