We studied the method to gain a clear LSF using a thick aluminum sheet and to acquire the spatial resolution value with a high accuracy for a low spatial resolution imaging modality. In this study, aluminum sheets with thicknesses varying from 0.3 mm to 1.2 mm were tested to derive a modulation transfer function (MTF) for the oversampling and non-oversampling methods. The results were evaluated to verify the feasibility of the use of thick sheets for periodic quality assurance. Oversampling was more accurate than non-oversampling, and an aluminum sheet with a correction factor less than 2 at the cut-off frequency, which was less than 0.8 mm in this case, was confirmed to be suitable for MTF measurements. Therefore, MTF derivation from a thick aluminum sheet with thickness correction is plausible for a medical imaging modality.

We develop a manufacture procedure for the production of a patient specific customized bolus (PSCB) using a 3D printer (3DP). The dosimetric accuracy of the 3D-PSCB is evaluated for electron beam therapy. In order to cover the required planning target volume (PTV), we select the proper electron beam energy and the field size through initial dose calculation using a treatment planning system. The PSCB is delineated based on the initial dose distribution. The dose calculation is repeated after applying the PSCB. We iteratively fine-tune the PSCB shape until the plan quality is sufficient to meet the required clinical criteria. Then the contour data of the PSCB is transferred to an in-house conversion software through the DICOMRT protocol. This contour data is converted into the 3DP data format, STereoLithography data format and then printed using a 3DP. Two virtual patients, having concave and convex shapes, were generated with a virtual PTV and an organ at risk (OAR). Then, two corresponding electron treatment plans with and without a PSCB were generated to evaluate the dosimetric effect of the PSCB. The dosimetric characteristics and dose volume histograms for the PTV and OAR are compared in both plans. Film dosimetry is performed to verify the dosimetric accuracy of the 3D-PSCB. The calculated planar dose distribution is compared to that measured using film dosimetry taken from the beam central axis. We compare the percent depth dose curve and gamma analysis (the dose difference is 3%, and the distance to agreement is 3 mm) results. No significant difference in the PTV dose is observed in the plan with the PSCB compared to that without the PSCB. The maximum, minimum, and mean doses of the OAR in the plan with the PSCB were significantly reduced by 9.7%, 36.6%, and 28.3%, respectively, compared to those in the plan without the PSCB. By applying the PSCB, the OAR volumes receiving 90% and 80% of the prescribed dose were reduced from 14.40 cm³ to 0.1 cm³ and from 42.6 cm³ to 3.7 cm³, respectively, in comparison to that without using the PSCB. The gamma pass rates of the concave and convex plans were 95% and 98%, respectively. A new procedure of the fabrication of a PSCB is developed using a 3DP. We confirm the usefulness and dosimetric accuracy of the 3D-PSCB for the clinical use. Thus, rapidly advancing 3DP technology is able to ease and expand clinical implementation of the PSCB.

A CCD camera and an LED light source were combined to fabricate a compact optical CT scanner for the therapeutic radiation dose evaluation of a polymer gel dosimeter. After the collimated beam emitted by the LED passed through aquarium, gel phantom, and telecentric lens, an image was collected by the CCD camera and reconstructed using MATLAB. By using a stepping motor and LabVIEW, the gel dosimeter was rotated at every 0.72^o, and the time for collecting 500 slice images per a revolution was within 20 min. At a spatial frequency of 4.5 lp/mm of the optical CT scanner, the modulation transfer function value was 72%. The linear correlation coefficient of the optical CT scanner for the polymer gel dosimeter was 0.987.

The objective of this study is to increase the accuracy of dose transmission in radiation therapy using two types of treatment tables, standard exact couch (Varian 21EX, Varian Medical Systems, Milpitas, CA) and 6D robotic couch (Novalis, BrainLAB A.G., Heimstetten, Germany)). We examined the dose attenuation based on the two types of treatment tables and studied the dose of attenuation using the phase (In/Out) for the standard exact couch. We measured the relative dose according to the incident angle of a penetrative photon beam under a treatment table. The incident angle of the photon beam was from 0^o to 360^o in the increments of 5^o. The reference angle was set to 0^o. Furthermore, the relative dose of the 6D robotic couch was measured using 6 MV and 15 MV, and that of the standard exact couch was measured at the sliding rail position (In-Out) using 6 MV and 10 MV. In the case of the standard exact couch, the measured relative dose was 16.53% (rails at the “In position,” 175^o, 6 MV), 12.42% (rails at the “In position,” 175^o, 10 MV), 13.13% (rails at the “Out position,” 175^o, 6 MV), and 9.96% (rails at the “Out position,” 175^o, 10 MV). In the case of the 6D robotic couch, the measured relative dose was 6.82% (130^o, 6 MV) and 4.92% (130^o, 15 MV). The photon energies were surveyed at the same incident angle. The dose attenuation for an energy of 10 MV was 4∼5% lower than that for 6 MV. This indicated that the higher photon energy, lesser is the attenuation. The results of this study indicated that the attenuation rate for the 6D robotic couch was confirmed to be 1% larger than that for the standard exact couch at 6 MV and 180^o. In the case of the standard exact couch, the dose attenuation was found to change rapidly in accordance with the phase (“In position” and “Out position”) of the sliding rail.

An absorbed dose calculation method using a digital phantom is implemented in normal organs. This method cannot be employed for calculating the absorbed dose of tumor. In this study, we measure the S-value for calculating the absorbed dose of each organ and tumor. We inject a radioisotope into a torso phantom and perform Monte Carlo simulation based on the CT data. The torso phantom has lung, liver, spinal, cylinder, and tumor simulated using a spherical phantom. The radioactivity of the actual absorbed dose is measured using the injected dose of the radioisotope, which is Cu-64 73.85 MBq, and detected using a glass dosimeter in the torso phantom. To perform the Monte Carlo simulation, the information on each organ and tumor acquired using the PET/CT and CT data provides anatomical information. The anatomical information is offered above mean value and manually segmented for each organ and tumor. The residence time of the radioisotope in each organ and tumor is calculated using the time activity curve of Cu-64 radioactivity. The S-values of each organ and tumor are calculated based on the Monte Carlo simulation data using the spatial coordinate, voxel size, and density information. The absorbed dose is evaluated using that obtained through the Monte Carlo simulation and the S-value and the residence time in each organ and tumor. The absorbed dose in liver, tumor1, and tumor2 is 4.52E-02, 4.61E-02, and 5.98E-02 mGy/MBq, respectively. The difference in the absorbed dose measured using the glass dosimeter and that obtained through the Monte Carlo simulation data is within 12.3%. The result of this study is that the absorbed dose obtained using an image can evaluate each difference region and size of a region of interest.

In this study, we evaluate the effect of respiration on the dose distribution in patient target volume (PTV) during intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and research methods to reduce this impact. The dose distributions, homogeneity index (HI), coverage index (CVI), and conformity index of the PTV, which is calculated from the dose–volume histogram (DVH), are compared between the maximum intensity projection (MIP) image-based plan and other images at respiration phases of 30%, 60% and 90%. In addition, the reducing effect of complication caused by patient respiration is estimated in the case of a bolus and the expended PTV on the skin. The HI is increased by approximately twice, and the CVI is relatively decreased without the bolus at other respiration phases. With the bolus and expended PTV, the change in the dose distribution of the PTV is relatively small with patient respiration. Therefore, the usage of the bolus and expended PTV can be considered as one of the methods to improve the accuracy of IMRT in the treatment of breast cancer patients with respiratory motion.

We investigated the effect of high dose on the sensitivity of optically stimulated luminance dosimeters (OSLDs) on Co-60 gamma rays and used a commercial OLSD (Landauer, Inc., Glenwood, IL). New OSLDs were chosen arbitrarily and were irradiated with 1 Gy repeatedly. We confirmed the change in the radiation sensitivity after repeated irradiation. The OSLD sensitivity increased up to 3% after irradiating for seven times and decreased continuously after the eighth time. It dropped by approximately 0.35 Gy per irradiation. Finally, after irradiating for 30 times, the OSLD sensitivity decreased by approximately 7%. When the OSLDs were irradiated 10 times with 1 Gy after their irradiation using a high dose of 15 Gy and 30 Gy, their sensitivity decreased by 6% and 12%, respectively, compared to that before high-dose irradiation. The change in the OSLD sensitivity with a high dose could be modeled by an exponential equation. We confirmed the radiation sensitivity variation caused by a high dose, and the irradiation history of dosimeters was considered to reuse OSLDs irradiated with a high dose.