• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.189-196
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• 2012

Purpose: The sufficiency of skin dose and the reemergence of patient set-up position to the success of skin cancer radiation treatment is a very important element. But the conventional methods to increase the skin dose were used to vacuum cushion, bolus and water tank have several weak points. For this reason, we producted Foxtail Millet Vacuum Cushion and evaluated the efficiency of the Foxtail Millet Vacuum Cushion in skin cancer Radiation treatment. Materials and Methods: We measured absolute dose for 3 materials (Foxtail Millet Vacuum Cushion, bolus and solid water phantom) and compared each dose distribution. We irradiated 6 MV 100 MU photon radiation to every material of 1 cm, 2 cm, 3 cm thickness at three times. We measured absolute dose and compared dose distribution. Finally we inspected the CT simulation and radiation therapy planing using the Foxtail Millet Vacuum Cushion. Results: Absolute dose of Foxtail Millet Vacuum Cushion was similar to absolute dose of bolus and solid water phantom's result in each thickness. it Showed only the difference of 0.1~0.2% between each material. Also the same result in dose distribution comparison. About 97% of the dose distribution was within the margin of error in the prescribed ranges ($100{\pm}3%$), and achieved the enough skin dose (Gross Tumor Volume dose : $100{\pm}5%$) in radiation therapy planing. Conclusion: We evaluated important fact that Foxtail Millet Vacuum Cushion is no shortage of time to replace the soft tissue equivalent material and normal vacuum cushion at the low energy radiation transmittance. Foxtail Millet Vacuum Cushion can simultaneously achieve the enough skin dose in radiation therapy planing with maintaining normal vacuum cushion' function. Therefore as above We think that Foxtail Millet Vacuum Cushion is very useful in skin cancer radiation treatment.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2003

I. Purpose The multileaf collimator(MLC) has many advantages, but use of the MLC increased effective penumbra and isodose undulation in dose distribution compared with that of an alloy block. In this work, we introduced the HD-270 MLC, which can improve the above disadvantages of MLC, and reported its feasibility study. II. Method and Materials The HD-270 MLC is a technique which combines the use of the existing Siemens multileaf collimator(3D MLC) with patient translation perpendicular to the leaf plane. The technique produces a smoothed isodose distribution with the reduced isodose undulation and effective penumbra. To assess the efficacy of the HD-270 technique and determine the appropriate resolution, a polygonal shaped MLC field was made to produce field edge angles from 0 degree to 75 degree with a step of 15 degree. Each HD-270 group was generated according to the allowed resolution, i. e., 5, 3, and 2mm. The experiment was carried out on Primus, a Siemens linear accelerator configured with HD-270 MLC. The total 60 MU of 6 MV photon beam was delivered to X-Omat film(Kodak, USA) at a SAD of 100 cm and 1.5 cm depth in solid water phantom. Exposed films were scanned by Lumiscan75(LUMISYS) and analyzed using RIT113 software(Radiological Imaging Technology Inc., USA). To test the mechanical accuracy of table movement, the transverse, longitudinal, and vertical positions were controlled by a consol with ${\pm}5\;mm,\;{\pm}4\;mm,\;{\pm}3\;mm,\;and\;{\pm}2\;mm$ steps, and then measured using a dial gauge with an accuracy of 0.001 inch. During the experiments, the table loaded with about 50Kg human phantom to simulate the real treatment situation. III. Results The effective penumbra and isodose undulation became larger with increase the resolution and field edge angle. The accuracy of the table movement on each direction is good within the ${\pm}1\;mm$. IV. Conclusion Clinical use of the MLC can be increased by using of the HD-270 MLC which complements to the disadvantages of the MLC.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.293-299
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• 2001

Prupose : LiF TLD has a problem to be used in vivo dosimetry because of the toxic property of LiF. The aim of this study is to develop new dosimeter with LiF TLD to be used in vivo dosimetry. Materials and methods : We designed and manufactured the teflon box(here after TLD holder) to put TLD in. The external size of TLD holder is $4\times4\times1\;mm^3$ To estimate the effect of TLD holder on TLD response for radiation, the linearity of TLD response to nominal dose were measured for TLD in TLD holder. Measurement were peformed in the 10 MV x-ray beam with LiF TLD using a solid water phantom at SSD of 100 cm. Percent Depth Dose (PDD) and Tissue-Maximum Ratio (TMR) with varying phantom thickness on TLD were measured to find the effect of TLD holder on the dose coefficient used for dose calculation in radiation therapy. Results : The linearity of response of TLD in TLD holder to the nominal dose was improved than TLD only used as dosimeter And in various measurement conditions, it makes a marginnal difference between TLD in TLD holder and TLD only in their responses. Conclusion : It was proven that the TLD in TLD holder as a new dosimetry could be used in vivo dosimetry.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.143-150
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• 2014

In general radiotherapy, mega-voltage (MV) x-ray images are widely used as the unique method to verify radio-therapeutic fields. But, the image quality of MV images is much lower than that of kilo-voltage x-ray images due to scatter interactions. Since 1990s, studies for the scatter correction have performed with digital-based MV imaging systems. In this study, a novel method for the scatter correction is suggested using scatter to primary ratio (SPR), instead of conventional methods such as digital image processing or scatter kernel calculations. We measured two MV images with and without a solid water phantom describing a patient body with given imaging conditions, and calculated un-attenuated ratios. Then, we obtained SPR distributions for the scatter correction. For experimental validation, a line-pair (LP) phantom using several Al bars and a clinical pelvis MV image was used. As the result, scatter signals of the LP phantom image were successfully reduced so that original density distribution of the phantom was restored. Moreover, image contrast values increased after SPR correction at all ROIs of the clinical image. The mean value of increases was 48%. The SPR correction method suggested in this study has high reliability because it is based on actually measured data. Also, this method can be easily adopted in clinics without additional cost. We expected that the SPR correction can be an effective method to improve the quality of MV image guided radiotherapy.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.86-92
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to measure curvature contour skin dose using radiochromic film and TLD for a conventional open field. We also attempted to quantify the degradation of skin sparing associated with use of immobilization devices for high energy photon beams and to calculate the skin dose with a help of Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. To simulate head-and-neck and shoulder treatment, a cylindrical solid water phantom 11 cm in diameter was irradiated with 6 MV x-rays using $40{\times}40\;cm^2$ field at 100 cm source axis distance (SAD) to the center of the phantom. Aquaplastic mesh mask was placed on the surface of the cylindrical phantom that mimicked relevant clinical situations. The skin dose profile was obtained by taking measurements from $0^{\circ}$ to $360^{\circ}$ around the circumference of the cylindrical phantom. The skin doses obtained from radiochromic film were found to be 47% of the maximum dose of $D_{max}$ at the $0^{\circ}$ beam entry position and 61% at the $90^{\circ}$ oblique beam position without the mask. Using the mask (1.5 mm), the skin dose received was 59% at $0^{\circ}$ incidence and 78% at $80^{\circ}$ incidence. Skin dose results were also gathered using thin thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD). With the mask, the skin dose was 66% at $0^{\circ}$ incidence and 80% at $80^{\circ}$ incidence. This method with the mask revealed the similar pattern as film measurement. For the treatments of the head-and-neck and shoulder regions in which immobilization mask was used, skin doses at around tangential angle were nearly the same as the prescription dose. When a sloping skin contour is encountered, skin doses may be abated using thinner and more perforated immoblization devices which should still maintain immoblization.

• Korean Journal of Digital Imaging in Medicine
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.5-13
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• 2009

There are several reasons to take X-ray in case of inpatients. Some of them who cannot ambulate or have any risk if move are taken portable X-ray at their wards. Usually, in this case, many other people-patients unneeded X-ray test, family, hospital workers etc-are indirectly exposed to X-ray by scatter ray. For that reason I try to be aware of free space scatter dose accurately and make the point at issue of portable X-ray better in this study. kVp dose meter is used for efficiency management of portable X-ray equipment. Mobile X-ray equipment, ionization chamber, electrometer, solid water phantom are used for measuring of free space scatter dose. First of all the same surroundings condition is made as taken real portable X-ray, inquired amount of X-ray both chest AP and abdomen AP most frequently examined and measured scatter ray distribution of two tests individually changing distance. In the result of measuring horizontal distribution with condition of chest AP it is found that the mAs is decreased as law of distance reverse square but no showed mAs change according to direction. Vertical distribution showed the mAs slightly higher than horizontal distribution but it isnt found out statistical characteristic. In abdomen AP, compare with chest AP, free space scatter dose is as higher as five-hundred times and horizontal, vertical distribution are quite similar to chest AP in result. In portable X-ray test, in order to reduce the secondary exposure by free space scatter dose first, cut down unnecessary portable order the second, set up the specific area at individual ward for the test the third, when moving to a ward for the X-ray test prepare a portable shielding screen. The last, expose about 2m apart from patients if unable to do above three ways.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.39-44
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• 2017

This study aims to analyze dose distribution and treatment time of endobronchial brachytherapy (EBBT) by changing the position step size of the dwell position. A solid water phantom and an intraluminal catheter were used in the treatment plan. The treatment plans were generated for 3, 5, 7, and 10 cm treatment lengths, respectively. For each treatment length, the source position step sizes were set as 2.5, 5, and 10 mm. Three reference points were set 1 cm away from the central axis of the catheter, along the axis, for uniform dose distribution. Volumetric dose distribution was calculated to evaluate the dosimetric effect. The total radiation delivery time and total dwell time were estimated for treatment efficiency, which were increased with position step sizes. At half-life time, the differences between the position step sizes in the total radiation delivery time were 18.1, 15.4, 18.0, and 24.0 s for 3, 5, 7, and 10 cm treatment lengths, respectively. The dose distributions were more homogenous by increasing the position step sizes. The dose difference of the reference point was less than 10%. In brachytherapy, this difference can be negligible. For EBBT, the treatment time is the key factor while considering the patient status. To reduce the total treatment time, EBBT can be performed with 2.5 mm position step size.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.260-262
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• 2002

An accurate measurement of dose distribution is indispensable to perform radiation therapy planning. A measurement technique using a radiographic film, which is called a film dosimetry, is widely used because it is easy to obtain a dose distribution with a good special resolution. In this study, we tried to develop an analyzing system for the film dosimetry using usual office automation equipments such as a personal computer and an image scanner. A film was sandwiched between two solid water phantom blocks (30 ${\times}$ 30 ${\times}$ 15cm). The film was exposed with Cobalt-60 ${\gamma}$-ray whose beam axis was parallel to the film surface. The density distribution on the exposed film was stored in a personal computer through an image scanner (8bits) and the film density was shown as the digital value with NIH-image software. Isodose curves were obtained from the relationship between the digital value and the absorbed dose calculated from percentage depth dose and absorbed dose at the reference point. The isodose curves were also obtained using an Isodose plotter, for reference. The measurements were carried out for 31cGy (exposure time: 120seconds) and 80cGy (exposure time: 300seconds) at the reference point. While the isodose curves obtained with our system were drawn up to 60% dose range for the case of 80cGy, the isodose curves could be drawn up to 80% dose range for the case of 31cGy. Furthermore, the isodose curves almost agreed with that obtained with the isodose plotter in low dose range. However, further improvement of our system is necessary in high dose range.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.16-20
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• 2010

In this study, we have fabricated a fiber-optic dosimeter using an organic scintillator and a plastic optical fiber. The dosimeter measure skin dose and percentage depth dose in a build-up region for an incident high energy photon beam. The scintillating light generated in the organic sensor probe embedded in a solid water phantom is guided by 30 m plastic optical fiber to a light-measuring device such as a PMT or an electrometer. In addition, using a fiber-optic dosimeter or a GAFCHROMIC EBT film, skin dose and percentage depth dose in the build-up region are measured and compared.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.66-72
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• 2018

The proper position of a multi-leaf collimator (MLC) is essential for the quality of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy (VMAT) dose delivery. Task Group (TG) 142 provides a quality assurance (QA) procedure for MLC position. Our study investigated the QA validation of the mechanical leaf gap measurement and the maintenance procedure. Two $VitalBeam^{TM}$ systems were evaluated to validate the acceptance of an MLC position. The dosimetric leaf gaps (DLGs) were measured for 6 MV, 6 MVFFF, 10 MV, and 15 MV photon beams. A solid water phantom was irradiated using $10{\times}10cm^2$ field size at source-to-surface distance (SSD) of 90 cm and depth of 10 cm. The portal dose image prediction (PDIP) calculation was implemented on a treatment planning system (TPS) called $Eclipse^{TM}$. A total of 20 VMAT plans were used to confirm the accuracy of dose distribution measured by an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) and those predicted by VMAT plans. The measured leaf gaps were 0.30 mm and 0.35 mm for VitalBeam 1 and 2, respectively. The DLG values decreased by an average of 6.9% and 5.9% after mechanical MLC adjustment. Although the passing rates increased slightly, by 1.5% (relative) and 1.2% (absolute) in arc 1, the average passing rates were still within the good dose delivery level (>95%). Our study shows the existence of a mechanical leaf gap error caused by a degenerated MLC motor. This can be recovered by reinitialization of MLC position on the machine control panel. Consequently, the QA procedure should be performed regularly to protect the MLC system.