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Mi Z, Bian H, Yang C, Dou Y, Bettiol AA, Liu X. Real-time single-proton counting with transmissive perovskite nanocrystal scintillators. NATURE MATERIALS 2024; 23:803-809. [PMID: 38191632 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-023-01782-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
High-sensitivity radiation detectors for energetic particles are essential for advanced applications in particle physics, astronomy and cancer therapy. Current particle detectors use bulk crystals, and thin-film organic scintillators have low light yields and limited radiation tolerance. Here we present transmissive thin scintillators made from CsPbBr3 nanocrystals, designed for real-time single-proton counting. These perovskite scintillators exhibit exceptional sensitivity, with a high light yield (~100,000 photons per MeV) when subjected to proton beams. This enhanced sensitivity is attributed to radiative emission from biexcitons generated through proton-induced upconversion and impact ionization. These scintillators can detect as few as seven protons per second, a sensitivity level far below the rates encountered in clinical settings. The combination of rapid response (~336 ps) and pronounced ionostability enables diverse applications, including single-proton tracing, patterned irradiation and super-resolution proton imaging. These advancements have the potential to improve proton dosimetry in proton therapy and radiography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaohong Mi
- Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Ion-beam Application (MOE), Institute of Modern Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Centre for Ion Beam Applications, Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Hongyu Bian
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chengyuan Yang
- Centre for Ion Beam Applications, Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yanxin Dou
- Centre for Ion Beam Applications, Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Andrew A Bettiol
- Centre for Ion Beam Applications, Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Xiaogang Liu
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- SZU-NUS Collaborative Innovation Center for Optoelectronic Science & Technology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore.
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2
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Stolen E, Fullarton R, Hein R, Conner RL, Jacobsohn LG, Collins-Fekete CA, Beddar S, Akgun U, Robertson D. High-Density Glass Scintillators for Proton Radiography-Relative Luminosity, Proton Response, and Spatial Resolution. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:2137. [PMID: 38610351 PMCID: PMC11014246 DOI: 10.3390/s24072137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Proton radiography is a promising development in proton therapy, and researchers are currently exploring optimal detector materials to construct proton radiography detector arrays. High-density glass scintillators may improve integrating-mode proton radiography detectors by increasing spatial resolution and decreasing detector thickness. We evaluated several new scintillators, activated with europium or terbium, with proton response measurements and Monte Carlo simulations, characterizing relative luminosity, ionization quenching, and proton radiograph spatial resolution. We applied a correction based on Birks's analytical model for ionization quenching. The data demonstrate increased relative luminosity with increased activation element concentration, and higher relative luminosity for samples activated with europium. An increased glass density enables more compact detector geometries and higher spatial resolution. These findings suggest that a tungsten and gadolinium oxide-based glass activated with 4% europium is an ideal scintillator for testing in a full-size proton radiography detector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Stolen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ 85054, USA;
| | - Ryan Fullarton
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK; (R.F.); (C.-A.C.-F.)
| | - Rain Hein
- Department of Physics, Coe College, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402, USA; (R.H.); (U.A.)
| | - Robin L. Conner
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA; (R.L.C.); (L.G.J.)
| | - Luiz G. Jacobsohn
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA; (R.L.C.); (L.G.J.)
| | - Charles-Antoine Collins-Fekete
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK; (R.F.); (C.-A.C.-F.)
| | - Sam Beddar
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Ugur Akgun
- Department of Physics, Coe College, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402, USA; (R.H.); (U.A.)
| | - Daniel Robertson
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ 85054, USA;
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Metzner M, Zhevachevska D, Schlechter A, Kehrein F, Schlecker J, Murillo C, Brons S, Jäkel O, Martišíková M, Gehrke T. Energy painting: helium-beam radiography with thin detectors and multiple beam energies. Phys Med Biol 2024; 69:055002. [PMID: 38295403 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ad247e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Objective.Compact ion imaging systems based on thin detectors are a promising prospect for the clinical environment since they are easily integrated into the clinical workflow. Their measurement principle is based on energy deposition instead of the conventionally measured residual energy or range. Therefore, thin detectors are limited in the water-equivalent thickness range they can image with high precision. This article presents ourenergy paintingmethod, which has been developed to render high precision imaging with thin detectors feasible even for objects with larger, clinically relevant water-equivalent thickness (WET) ranges.Approach.A detection system exclusively based on pixelated silicon Timepix detectors was used at the Heidelberg ion-beam therapy center to track single helium ions and measure their energy deposition behind the imaged object. Calibration curves were established for five initial beam energies to relate the measured energy deposition to WET. They were evaluated regarding their accuracy, precision and temporal stability. Furthermore, a 60 mm × 12 mm region of a wedge phantom was imaged quantitatively exploiting the calibrated energies and five different mono-energetic images. These mono-energetic images were combined in a pixel-by-pixel manner by averaging the WET-data weighted according to their single-ion WET precision (SIWP) and the number of contributing ions.Main result.A quantitative helium-beam radiograph of the wedge phantom with an average SIWP of 1.82(5) % over the entire WET interval from 150 mm to 220 mm was obtained. Compared to the previously used methodology, the SIWP improved by a factor of 2.49 ± 0.16. The relative stopping power value of the wedge derived from the energy-painted image matches the result from range pullback measurements with a relative deviation of only 0.4 %.Significance.The proposed method overcomes the insufficient precision for wide WET ranges when employing detection systems with thin detectors. Applying this method is an important prerequisite for imaging of patients. Hence, it advances detection systems based on energy deposition measurements towards clinical implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margareta Metzner
- Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO) and National Center for Research in Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg, Division of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, Germany
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Daria Zhevachevska
- Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO) and National Center for Research in Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg, Division of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, Germany
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Annika Schlechter
- Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO) and National Center for Research in Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg, Division of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, Germany
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Florian Kehrein
- Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO) and National Center for Research in Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg, Division of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, Germany
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julian Schlecker
- Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO) and National Center for Research in Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg, Division of Radiooncology/Radiobiology, Germany
| | - Carlos Murillo
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg, Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, Germany
| | - Stephan Brons
- Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT), Radiation Oncology - Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Oliver Jäkel
- Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO) and National Center for Research in Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg, Division of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, Germany
- Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT), Radiation Oncology - Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mária Martišíková
- Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO) and National Center for Research in Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg, Division of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, Germany
| | - Tim Gehrke
- Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO) and National Center for Research in Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg, Division of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, Germany
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
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4
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Volz L, Graeff C, Durante M, Collins-Fekete CA. Focus stacking single-event particle radiography for high spatial resolution images and 3D feature localization. Phys Med Biol 2024; 69:024001. [PMID: 38056016 PMCID: PMC10777170 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ad131a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Objective.We demonstrate a novel focus stacking technique to improve spatial resolution of single-event particle radiography (pRad), and exploit its potential for 3D feature detection.Approach.Focus stacking, used typically in optical photography and microscopy, is a technique to combine multiple images with different focal depths into a single super-resolution image. Each pixel in the final image is chosen from the image with the largest gradient at that pixel's position. pRad data can be reconstructed at different depths in the patient based on an estimate of each particle's trajectory (called distance-driven binning; DDB). For a given feature, there is a depth of reconstruction for which the spatial resolution of DDB is maximal. Focus stacking can hence be applied to a series of DDB images reconstructed from a single pRad acquisition for different depths, yielding both a high-resolution projection and information on the features' radiological depth at the same time. We demonstrate this technique with Geant4 simulated pRads of a water phantom (20 cm thick) with five bone cube inserts at different depths (1 × 1 × 1 cm3) and a lung cancer patient.Main results.For proton radiography of the cube phantom, focus stacking achieved a median resolution improvement of 136% compared to a state-of-the-art maximum likelihood pRad reconstruction algorithm and a median of 28% compared to DDB where the reconstruction depth was the center of each cube. For the lung patient, resolution was visually improved, without loss in accuracy. The focus stacking method also enabled to estimate the depth of the cubes within few millimeters accuracy, except for one shallow cube, where the depth was underestimated by 2.5 cm.Significance.Focus stacking utilizes the inherent 3D information encoded in pRad by the particle's scattering, overcoming current spatial resolution limits. It further opens possibilities for 3D feature localization. Therefore, focus stacking holds great potential for future pRad applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lennart Volz
- Biophysics, GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Christian Graeff
- Biophysics, GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Marco Durante
- Biophysics, GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
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5
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Olivari F, van Goethem MJ, Brandenburg S, van der Graaf ER. A Monte-Carlo-based study of a single-2D-detector proton-radiography system. Phys Med 2023; 112:102636. [PMID: 37494764 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2023.102636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To assess the feasibility of a proton radiography (pRG) system based on a single thin pixelated detector for water-equivalent path length (WEPL) and relative stopping power (RSP) measurements. METHODS A model of a pRG system consisting of a single pixelated detector measuring energy deposition and proton fluence was investigated in a Geant4-based Monte Carlo study. At the position directly after an object traversed by a broad proton beam, spatial 2D distributions are calculated of the energy deposition in, and the number of protons entering the detector. Their ratio relates to the 2D distribution of the average stopping power of protons in the detector. The system response is calibrated against the residual range in water of the protons to provide the 2D distribution of the WEPL of the object. The WEPL distribution is converted into the distribution of the RSP of the object. Simulations have been done, where the system has been tested on 13 samples of homogeneous materials of which the RSPs have been calculated and compared with RSPs determined from simulations of residual-range-in-water, which we refer to as reference RSPs. RESULTS For both human-tissue- and non-human-tissue-equivalent materials, the RSPs derived with the detector agree with the reference values within 1%. CONCLUSION The study shows that a pRG system based on one thin pixelated detection screen has the potential to provide RSP predictions with an accuracy of 1%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Olivari
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen (RUG), Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Marc-Jan van Goethem
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen (RUG), Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sytze Brandenburg
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen (RUG), Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Emiel R van der Graaf
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen (RUG), Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.
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6
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Seller Oria C, Free J, Marmitt GG, Knäusl B, Brandenburg S, Knopf AC, Meijers A, Langendijk JA, Both S. Technical note: Flat panel proton radiography with a patient specific imaging field for accurate WEPL assessment. Med Phys 2023; 50:1756-1765. [PMID: 36629844 DOI: 10.1002/mp.16208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Proton radiography (PR) uses highly energetic proton beams to create images where energy loss is the main contrast mechanism. Water-equivalent path length (WEPL) measurements using flat panel PR (FP-PR) have potential for in vivo range verification. However, an accurate WEPL measurement via FP-PR requires irradiation with multiple energy layers, imposing high imaging doses. PURPOSE A FP-PR method is proposed for accurate WEPL determination based on a patient-specific imaging field with a reduced number of energies (n) to minimize imaging dose. METHODS Patient-specific FP-PRs were simulated and measured for a head and neck (HN) phantom. An energy selection algorithm estimated spot-wise the lowest energy required to cross the anatomy (Emin) using a water-equivalent thickness map. Starting from Emin, n was restricted to certain values (n = 26, 24, 22, …, 2 for simulations, n = 10 for measurements), resulting in patient-specific FP-PRs. A reference FP-PR with a complete set of energies was compared against patient-specific FP-PRs covering the whole anatomy via mean absolute WEPL differences (MAD), to evaluate the impact of the developed algorithm. WEPL accuracy of patient-specific FP-PRs was assessed using mean relative WEPL errors (MRE) with respect to measured multi-layer ionization chamber PRs (MLIC-PR) in the base of skull, brain, and neck regions. RESULTS MADs ranged from 2.1 mm (n = 26) to 21.0 mm (n = 2) for simulated FP-PRs, and 7.2 mm for measured FP-PRs (n = 10). WEPL differences below 1 mm were observed across the whole anatomy, except at the phantom surfaces. Measured patient-specific FP-PRs showed good agreement against MLIC-PRs, with MREs of 1.3 ± 2.0%, -0.1 ± 1.0%, and -0.1 ± 0.4% in the three regions of the phantom. CONCLUSION A method to obtain accurate WEPL measurements using FP-PR with a reduced number of energies selected for the individual patient anatomy was established in silico and validated experimentally. Patient-specific FP-PRs could provide means of in vivo range verification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Seller Oria
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jeffrey Free
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Gabriel Guterres Marmitt
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Knäusl
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sytze Brandenburg
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Antje C Knopf
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Cologne, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Arturs Meijers
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Center for Proton Therapy, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Johannes A Langendijk
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan Both
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Volz L, Sheng Y, Durante M, Graeff C. Considerations for Upright Particle Therapy Patient Positioning and Associated Image Guidance. Front Oncol 2022; 12:930850. [PMID: 35965576 PMCID: PMC9372451 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.930850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Particle therapy is a rapidly growing field in cancer therapy. Worldwide, over 100 centers are in operation, and more are currently in construction phase. The interest in particle therapy is founded in the superior target dose conformity and healthy tissue sparing achievable through the particles’ inverse depth dose profile. This physical advantage is, however, opposed by increased complexity and cost of particle therapy facilities. Particle therapy, especially with heavier ions, requires large and costly equipment to accelerate the particles to the desired treatment energy and steer the beam to the patient. A significant portion of the cost for a treatment facility is attributed to the gantry, used to enable different beam angles around the patient for optimal healthy tissue sparing. Instead of a gantry, a rotating chair positioning system paired with a fixed horizontal beam line presents a suitable cost-efficient alternative. Chair systems have been used already at the advent of particle therapy, but were soon dismissed due to increased setup uncertainty associated with the upright position stemming from the lack of dedicated image guidance systems. Recently, treatment chairs gained renewed interest due to the improvement in beam delivery, commercial availability of vertical patient CT imaging and improved image guidance systems to mitigate the problem of anatomical motion in seated treatments. In this review, economical and clinical reasons for an upright patient positioning system are discussed. Existing designs targeted for particle therapy are reviewed, and conclusions are drawn on the design and construction of chair systems and associated image guidance. Finally, the different aspects from literature are channeled into recommendations for potential upright treatment layouts, both for retrofitting and new facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lennart Volz
- Biophysics, GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany.,Department of Medical Physics, Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Yinxiangzi Sheng
- Biophysics, GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany.,Department of Medical Physics, Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Marco Durante
- Biophysics, GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany.,Institute of Condensed Matter Physics, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Christian Graeff
- Biophysics, GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany.,Institute of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
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8
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Knobloch C, Metzner M, Kehrein F, Schömers C, Scheloske S, Brons S, Hermann R, Peters A, Jäkel O, Martišíková M, Gehrke T. Experimental helium-beam radiography with a high-energy beam: Water-equivalent thickness calibration and first image-quality results. Med Phys 2022; 49:5347-5362. [PMID: 35670033 DOI: 10.1002/mp.15795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE A clinical implementation of ion-beam radiography (iRad) is envisaged to provide a method for on-couch verification of ion-beam treatment plans. The aim of this work is to introduce and evaluate a method for quantitative water-equivalent thickness (WET) measurements for a specific helium-ion imaging system for WETs that are relevant for imaging thicker body parts in the future. METHODS Helium-beam radiographs (αRads) are measured at the Heidelberg Ion-beam Therapy Center (HIT) with an initial beam energy of 239.5 MeV/ u. An imaging system based on three pairs of thin silicon pixel detectors is used for ion path reconstruction and measuring the energy deposition (dE) of each particle behind the object to be imaged. The dE behind homogeneous plastic blocks is related to their well-known WETs between 280.6mm and 312.6 mm with a calibration curve that is created by fitting the measured data points. The quality of the quantitative WET measurements is determined by the uncertainty of the measured WET of a single ion (single-ion WET precision) and the deviation of a measured WET value to the well-known WET (WET accuracy). Subsequently, the fitted calibration curve is applied to an energy deposition radiograph of a phantom with a complex geometry. The spatial resolution (modulation transfer function at 10% (MTF10% )) and WET accuracy (mean absolute percentage difference (MAPD)) of the WET map, are determined. RESULTS In the optimal imaging WET-range from ∼ 280 mm to 300 mm, the fitted calibration curve reached a mean single-ion WET precision of 1.55 ± 0.00%. Applying the calibration to an ion radiograph (iRad) of a more complex WET distribution, the spatial resolution was determined to be MTF10% = 0.49 ± 0.03 lp/mm and the WET accuracy was assessed as MAPD to 0.21%. CONCLUSIONS Using a beam energy of 239.5MeV/ u and the proposed calibration procedure, quantitative αRads of WETs between ∼ 280mm to 300 mm can be measured and show high potential for clinical use. The proposed approach with the resulting image qualities encourages further investigation towards the clinical application of helium-beam radiography. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Knobloch
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Department of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg, Germany.,National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany.,Heidelberg University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - M Metzner
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Department of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg, Germany.,National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany.,Heidelberg University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - F Kehrein
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Department of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg, Germany.,National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany.,Heidelberg University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - C Schömers
- Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Centre (HIT), Department of Radiation Oncology Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - S Scheloske
- Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Centre (HIT), Department of Radiation Oncology Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - S Brons
- Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Centre (HIT), Department of Radiation Oncology Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - R Hermann
- Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Centre (HIT), Department of Radiation Oncology Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Heidelberg University Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg, Germany.,Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Applied Physics, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - A Peters
- Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Centre (HIT), Department of Radiation Oncology Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - O Jäkel
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Department of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg, Germany.,National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany.,Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Centre (HIT), Department of Radiation Oncology Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - M Martišíková
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Department of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg, Germany.,National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - T Gehrke
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Department of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg, Germany.,National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany.,Heidelberg University Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg, Germany
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9
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Tsai YC, Fan KH, Tsai TL, Lee CC, Aso T, Wu SW, Lin CY, Tseng CK, Chen CR, Balaji S, Chao TC. Proton radiography using discrete range modulation method – A Monte Carlo study. Radiat Phys Chem Oxf Engl 1993 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radphyschem.2022.110279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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10
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Dedes G, Drosten H, Götz S, Dickmann J, Sarosiek C, Pankuch M, Krah N, Rit S, Bashkirov V, Schulte RW, Johnson RP, Parodi K, DeJongh E, Landry G. Comparative accuracy and resolution assessment of two prototype proton computed tomography scanners. Med Phys 2022; 49:4671-4681. [PMID: 35396739 DOI: 10.1002/mp.15657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Improving the accuracy of relative stopping power (RSP) in proton therapy may allow reducing range margins. Proton computed tomography (pCT) has been shown to provide state-of-the-art RSP accuracy estimation, and various scanner prototypes have recently been built. The different approaches used in scanner design are expected to impact spatial resolution and RSP accuracy. PURPOSE The goal of this study was to perform the first direct comparison, in terms of spatial resolution and RSP accuracy, of two pCT prototype scanners installed at the same facility and by using the same image reconstruction algorithm. METHODS A phantom containing cylindrical inserts of known RSP was scanned at the phase-II pCT prototype of the U.S. pCT collaboration and at the commercially oriented ProtonVDA scanner. Following distance-driven binning filtered backprojection reconstruction, the radial edge spread function of high-density inserts was used to estimate the spatial resolution. RSP accuracy was evaluated by the mean absolute percent error (MAPE) over the inserts. No direct imaging dose estimation was possible, which prevented a comparison of the two scanners in terms of RSP noise. RESULTS In terms of RSP accuracy, both scanners achieved the same MAPE of 0.72% when excluding the porous sinus insert from the evaluation. The ProtonVDA scanner reached a better overall MAPE when all inserts and the body of the phantom were accounted for (0.81%), compared to the phase-II scanner (1.14%). The spatial resolution with the phase-II scanner was found to be 0.61 lp/mm, while for the ProtonVDA scanner somewhat lower at 0.46 lp/mm. CONCLUSIONS The comparison between two prototype pCT scanners operated in the same clinical facility showed that they both fulfill the requirement of an RSP accuracy of about 1%. Their spatial resolution performance reflects the different design choices of either a scanner with full tracking capabilities (phase-II) or of a more compact tracker system which only provides the positions of protons but not their directions (ProtonVDA). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Dedes
- Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, Garching b. München, 85748, Germany
| | - H Drosten
- Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, Garching b. München, 85748, Germany
| | - S Götz
- Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, Garching b. München, 85748, Germany
| | - J Dickmann
- Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, Garching b. München, 85748, Germany
| | - C Sarosiek
- Department of Physics, Northern Illinois University, 1425 W. Lincoln Highway DeKalb, Illinois, IL, 60115, United States of America
| | - M Pankuch
- Northwestern Medicine Chicago Proton Center, 4455 Weaver Parkway, Warrenville, Illinois, IL, 60555, United States of America
| | - N Krah
- University of Lyon, INSA-Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UJM-Saint Etienne, CNRS, Inserm, CREATIS UMR 5220, U1294, LYON, F-69373, France
| | - S Rit
- University of Lyon, INSA-Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UJM-Saint Etienne, CNRS, Inserm, CREATIS UMR 5220, U1294, LYON, F-69373, France
| | - V Bashkirov
- Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, CA 92354, United States of America
| | - R W Schulte
- Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, CA 92354, United States of America
| | - R P Johnson
- Department of Physics, U.C. Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street Santa Cruz, California, CA, 95064, United States of America
| | - K Parodi
- Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, Garching b. München, 85748, Germany
| | - E DeJongh
- ProtonVDA LLC, 1700 Park Street STE 208, Naperville, Illinois, IL, 60563, United States of America
| | - G Landry
- Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, Garching b. München, 85748, Germany.,Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Munich, 81377, Germany
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11
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Pakela JM, Knopf A, Dong L, Rucinski A, Zou W. Management of Motion and Anatomical Variations in Charged Particle Therapy: Past, Present, and Into the Future. Front Oncol 2022; 12:806153. [PMID: 35356213 PMCID: PMC8959592 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.806153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The major aim of radiation therapy is to provide curative or palliative treatment to cancerous malignancies while minimizing damage to healthy tissues. Charged particle radiotherapy utilizing carbon ions or protons is uniquely suited for this task due to its ability to achieve highly conformal dose distributions around the tumor volume. For these treatment modalities, uncertainties in the localization of patient anatomy due to inter- and intra-fractional motion present a heightened risk of undesired dose delivery. A diverse range of mitigation strategies have been developed and clinically implemented in various disease sites to monitor and correct for patient motion, but much work remains. This review provides an overview of current clinical practices for inter and intra-fractional motion management in charged particle therapy, including motion control, current imaging and motion tracking modalities, as well as treatment planning and delivery techniques. We also cover progress to date on emerging technologies including particle-based radiography imaging, novel treatment delivery methods such as tumor tracking and FLASH, and artificial intelligence and discuss their potential impact towards improving or increasing the challenge of motion mitigation in charged particle therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Pakela
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Antje Knopf
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.,Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Cologne, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lei Dong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Antoni Rucinski
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Wei Zou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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12
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DeJongh DF, DeJongh EA. An Iterative Least Squares Method for Proton CT Image Reconstruction. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON RADIATION AND PLASMA MEDICAL SCIENCES 2022; 6:304-312. [PMID: 36061217 PMCID: PMC9432481 DOI: 10.1109/trpms.2021.3079140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Clinically useful proton Computed Tomography images will rely on algorithms to find the three-dimensional proton stopping power distribution that optimally fits the measured proton data. We present a least squares iterative method with many features to put proton imaging into a more quantitative framework. These include the definition of a unique solution that optimally fits the protons, the definition of an iteration vector that takes into account proton measurement uncertainties, the definition of an optimal step size for each iteration individually, the ability to simultaneously optimize the step sizes of many iterations, the ability to divide the proton data into arbitrary numbers of blocks for parallel processing and use of graphical processing units, and the definition of stopping criteria to determine when to stop iterating. We find that it is possible, for any object being imaged, to provide assurance that the image is quantifiably close to an optimal solution, and the optimization of step sizes reduces the total number of iterations required for convergence. We demonstrate the use of these algorithms on real data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Don F. DeJongh
- ProtonVDA LLC, 1700 Park St Ste 208, Naperville, IL 60563 USA
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13
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DeJongh DF, DeJongh EA, Rykalin V, DeFillippo G, Pankuch M, Best AW, Coutrakon G, Duffin KL, Karonis NT, Ordoñez CE, Sarosiek C, Schulte RW, Winans JR, Block AM, Hentz CL, Welsh JS. A comparison of proton stopping power measured with proton CT and x-ray CT in fresh postmortem porcine structures. Med Phys 2021; 48:7998-8009. [PMID: 34739140 PMCID: PMC8678357 DOI: 10.1002/mp.15334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Currently, calculations of proton range in proton therapy patients are based on a conversion of CT Hounsfield units of patient tissues into proton relative stopping power. Uncertainties in this conversion necessitate larger proximal and distal planned target volume margins. Proton CT can potentially reduce these uncertainties by directly measuring proton stopping power. We aim to demonstrate proton CT imaging with complex porcine samples, to analyze in detail three-dimensional regions of interest, and to compare proton stopping powers directly measured by proton CT to those determined from x-ray CT scans. METHODS We have used a prototype proton imaging system with single proton tracking to acquire proton radiography and proton CT images of a sample of porcine pectoral girdle and ribs, and a pig's head. We also acquired close in time x-ray CT scans of the same samples and compared proton stopping power measurements from the two modalities. In the case of the pig's head, we obtained x-ray CT scans from two different scanners and compared results from high-dose and low-dose settings. RESULTS Comparing our reconstructed proton CT images with images derived from x-ray CT scans, we find agreement within 1% to 2% for soft tissues and discrepancies of up to 6% for compact bone. We also observed large discrepancies, up to 40%, for cavitated regions with mixed content of air, soft tissue, and bone, such as sinus cavities or tympanic bullae. CONCLUSIONS Our images and findings from a clinically realistic proton CT scanner demonstrate the potential for proton CT to be used for low-dose treatment planning with reduced margins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Greg DeFillippo
- Northwestern Medicine Chicago Proton Center, Warrenville, Illinois, USA
| | - Mark Pankuch
- Northwestern Medicine Chicago Proton Center, Warrenville, Illinois, USA
| | - Andrew W Best
- Department of Physics, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA
| | - George Coutrakon
- Department of Physics, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA
| | - Kirk L Duffin
- Department of Computer Science, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA
| | - Nicholas T Karonis
- Department of Computer Science, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA
- Argonne National Laboratory, Data Science and Learning Division, Argonne, Illinois, USA
| | - Caesar E Ordoñez
- Department of Computer Science, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA
| | - Christina Sarosiek
- Department of Physics, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA
| | | | - John R Winans
- Department of Computer Science, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA
| | - Alec M Block
- Edward Hines Jr. VA Medical Center, Radiation Oncology Service, Hines, Illinois, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - Courtney L Hentz
- Edward Hines Jr. VA Medical Center, Radiation Oncology Service, Hines, Illinois, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - James S Welsh
- Edward Hines Jr. VA Medical Center, Radiation Oncology Service, Hines, Illinois, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, USA
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