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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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Jensen ML, Julsgaard B, Turtos RM, Skyt PS, Jensen MB, Muren LP, Balling P. High-resolution three-dimensional dosimetry in clinically relevant volumes utilizing optically stimulated luminescence. Med Phys 2024; 51:2200-2209. [PMID: 37929802 DOI: 10.1002/mp.16796] [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: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The continued development of new radiotherapy techniques requires dosimetry systems that satisfy increasingly rigorous requirements, such as high sensitivity, wide dose range, and high spatial resolution. An emerging requirement is the ability to read out doses in three dimensions (3D) with high precision and spatial resolution. A few dosimetry systems with 3D capabilities are available, but their application in a clinical workflow is limited for various reasons, primarily originating from their chemical nature. The search for a 3D dosimetry system with potential for clinical implementation is thus ongoing. PURPOSE To demonstrate the capabilities of a novel optically-stimulated-luminescence (OSL)-based 3D dosimetry system capable of measuring radiation doses in clinically relevant volumes. METHODS A laser-based readout system was used to measure dose distributions delivered by both photons and protons, utilizing the OSL from a50 × 50 × 50 $50\times 50\times 50$ mm3 $^3$ YSO:Ce crystal. A homogeneous treatment plan consisting of two opposing photon fields was used to establish an inhomogeneity correction map of the crystal response and demonstrated the accuracy and precision of the system. The crystal was additionally irradiated with a photon treatment plan consisting of three overlapping10 × 10 $10\times 10$ mm2 $^2$ fields delivered from different angles, and a proton treatment plan consisting of four pencil beams with energies 90 MeV (× 2 $\times 2$ ), 115 MeV, and 140 MeV. The system abilities were quantified by comparing the 3D-resolved measurements to Monte Carlo simulations. RESULTS The dose map reproducibility of the system was found to be within 2% including both statistical and systematic errors. The measurements yielded integrated doses from a volume of50 × 50 × 40 $50\times 50\times 40$ mm3 $^3$ with voxel volumes of just0.28 × 0.28 × 0.50 $0.28\times 0.28\times 0.50$ mm3 $^3$ . An excellent agreement between the 3D-resolved measurements and the simulations was found for both photon- and proton-irradiation. CONCLUSIONS The capabilities of the devised system for measuring clinically relevant fields of photons and proton pencil beams within a clinically relevant volume were demonstrated. The system poses as a promising candidate for clinical applications, and enables future research in the field of OSL-based tissue-equivalent 3D dosimetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mads L Jensen
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Brian Julsgaard
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Rosana M Turtos
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Peter S Skyt
- Danish Centre for Particle Therapy, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Morten B Jensen
- Danish Centre for Particle Therapy, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Medical Physics, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ludvig P Muren
- Danish Centre for Particle Therapy, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Peter Balling
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Simard M, Robertson DG, Fullarton R, Royle G, Beddar S, Collins-Fekete CA. Integrated-mode proton radiography with 2D lateral projections. Phys Med Biol 2024; 69:054001. [PMID: 38241716 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ad209d] [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: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Integrated-mode proton radiography leading to water equivalent thickness (WET) maps is an avenue of interest for motion management, patient positioning, andin vivorange verification. Radiographs can be obtained using a pencil beam scanning setup with a large 3D monolithic scintillator coupled with optical cameras. Established reconstruction methods either (1) involve a camera at the distal end of the scintillator, or (2) use a lateral view camera as a range telescope. Both approaches lead to limited image quality. The purpose of this work is to propose a third, novel reconstruction framework that exploits the 2D information provided by two lateral view cameras, to improve image quality achievable using lateral views. The three methods are first compared in a simulated Geant4 Monte Carlo framework using an extended cardiac torso (XCAT) phantom and a slanted edge. The proposed method with 2D lateral views is also compared with the range telescope approach using experimental data acquired with a plastic volumetric scintillator. Scanned phantoms include a Las Vegas (contrast), 9 tissue-substitute inserts (WET accuracy), and a paediatric head phantom. Resolution increases from 0.24 (distal) to 0.33 lp mm-1(proposed method) on the simulated slanted edge phantom, and the mean absolute error on WET maps of the XCAT phantom is reduced from 3.4 to 2.7 mm with the same methods. Experimental data from the proposed 2D lateral views indicate a 36% increase in contrast relative to the range telescope method. High WET accuracy is obtained, with a mean absolute error of 0.4 mm over 9 inserts. Results are presented for various pencil beam spacing ranging from 2 to 6 mm. This work illustrates that high quality proton radiographs can be obtained with clinical beam settings and the proposed reconstruction framework with 2D lateral views, with potential applications in adaptive proton therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikaël Simard
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel G Robertson
- Division of Medical Physics, Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, 5881 E Mayo Blvd, Phoenix, AZ, United States of America
| | - Ryan Fullarton
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gary Royle
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sam Beddar
- The University of Texas MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, United States of America
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Sheng C, Ding Y, Qi Y, Hu M, Zhang J, Cui X, Zhang Y, Huo W. A denoising method based on deep learning for proton radiograph using energy resolved dose function. Phys Med Biol 2024; 69:025015. [PMID: 38096569 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ad15c4] [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: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Objective.Proton radiograph has been broadly applied in proton radiotherapy which is affected by scattered protons which result in the lower spatial resolution of proton radiographs than that of x-ray images. Traditional image denoising method may lead to the change of water equivalent path length (WEPL) resulting in the lower WEPL measurement accuracy. In this study, we proposed a new denoising method of proton radiographs based on energy resolved dose function curves.Approach.Firstly, the corresponding relationship between the distortion of WEPL characteristic curve, and energy and proportion of scattered protons was established. Then, to improve the accuracy of proton radiographs, deep learning technique was used to remove scattered protons and correct deviated WEPL values. Experiments on a calibration phantom to prove the effectiveness and feasibility of this method were performed. In addition, an anthropomorphic head phantom was selected to demonstrate the clinical relevance of this technology and the denoising effect was analyzed.Main results.The curves of WEPL profiles of proton radiographs became smoother and deviated WEPL values were corrected. For the calibration phantom proton radiograph, the average absolute error of WEPL values decreased from 2.23 to 1.72, the mean percentage difference of all materials of relative stopping power decreased from 1.24 to 0.39, and the average relative WEPL corrected due to the denoising process was 1.06%. In addition, WEPL values correcting were also observed on the proton radiograph for anthropomorphic head phantom due to this denoising process.Significance.The experiments showed that this new method was effective for proton radiograph denoising and had greater advantages than end-to-end image denoising methods, laying the foundation for the implementation of precise proton radiotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Sheng
- Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Wave Information Technology and Metrology of Zhejiang Province, College of Information Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Ding
- Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Wave Information Technology and Metrology of Zhejiang Province, College of Information Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaping Qi
- Division of lonizing Radiation Metrology, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Man Hu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250117, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianguang Zhang
- Departments of Radiation Oncology, Zibo Wanjie Cancer Hospital, Zibo, 255000, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangli Cui
- Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingying Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, People's Republic of China
| | - Wanli Huo
- Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Wave Information Technology and Metrology of Zhejiang Province, College of Information Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, People's Republic of China
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Schneider M, Bodenstein E, Bock J, Dietrich A, Gantz S, Heuchel L, Krause M, Lühr A, von Neubeck C, Nexhipi S, Schürer M, Tillner F, Beyreuther E, Suckert T, Müller JR. Combined proton radiography and irradiation for high-precision preclinical studies in small animals. Front Oncol 2022; 12:982417. [PMID: 36419890 PMCID: PMC9677333 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.982417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Proton therapy has become a popular treatment modality in the field of radiooncology due to higher spatial dose conformity compared to conventional radiotherapy, which holds the potential to spare normal tissue. Nevertheless, unresolved research questions, such as the much debated relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of protons, call for preclinical research, especially regarding in vivo studies. To mimic clinical workflows, high-precision small animal irradiation setups with image-guidance are needed. MATERIAL AND METHODS A preclinical experimental setup for small animal brain irradiation using proton radiographies was established to perform planning, repositioning, and irradiation of mice. The image quality of proton radiographies was optimized regarding the resolution, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and minimal dose deposition in the animal. Subsequently, proof-of-concept histological analysis was conducted by staining for DNA double-strand breaks that were then correlated to the delivered dose. RESULTS The developed setup and workflow allow precise brain irradiation with a lateral target positioning accuracy of<0.26mm for in vivo experiments at minimal imaging dose of<23mGy per mouse. The custom-made software for image registration enables the fast and precise animal positioning at the beam with low observer-variability. DNA damage staining validated the successful positioning and irradiation of the mouse hippocampus. CONCLUSION Proton radiography enables fast and effective high-precision lateral alignment of proton beam and target volume in mouse irradiation experiments with limited dose exposure. In the future, this will enable irradiation of larger animal cohorts as well as fractionated proton irradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Schneider
- OncoRay, National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus- Technische Universitat Dresden-Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiation Physics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Bodenstein
- OncoRay, National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus- Technische Universitat Dresden-Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Dresden, Germany
| | - Johanna Bock
- OncoRay, National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus- Technische Universitat Dresden-Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | - Antje Dietrich
- OncoRay, National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus- Technische Universitat Dresden-Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium Deutsches Konsortium für Translationale Krebsforschung (DKTK), partner site Dresden- German Cancer Research Center DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Gantz
- OncoRay, National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus- Technische Universitat Dresden-Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lena Heuchel
- Technical University (TU) Dortmund- Faculty of Physics, Medical Physics and Radiotherapy, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Mechthild Krause
- OncoRay, National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus- Technische Universitat Dresden-Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium Deutsches Konsortium für Translationale Krebsforschung (DKTK), partner site Dresden- German Cancer Research Center DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universitat Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Armin Lühr
- OncoRay, National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus- Technische Universitat Dresden-Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Dresden, Germany
- Technical University (TU) Dortmund- Faculty of Physics, Medical Physics and Radiotherapy, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Cläre von Neubeck
- OncoRay, National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus- Technische Universitat Dresden-Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium Deutsches Konsortium für Translationale Krebsforschung (DKTK), partner site Dresden- German Cancer Research Center DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Particle Therapy, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Sindi Nexhipi
- OncoRay, National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus- Technische Universitat Dresden-Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael Schürer
- OncoRay, National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus- Technische Universitat Dresden-Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Falk Tillner
- OncoRay, National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus- Technische Universitat Dresden-Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universitat Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Elke Beyreuther
- OncoRay, National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus- Technische Universitat Dresden-Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiation Physics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Theresa Suckert
- OncoRay, National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus- Technische Universitat Dresden-Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium Deutsches Konsortium für Translationale Krebsforschung (DKTK), partner site Dresden- German Cancer Research Center DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Richard Müller
- OncoRay, National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus- Technische Universitat Dresden-Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Cluster of Excellence 'Physics of Life', Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Optically stimulated luminescence in state-of-the-art LYSO:Ce scintillators enables high spatial resolution 3D dose imaging. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8301. [PMID: 35585168 PMCID: PMC9117671 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12255-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In this contribution, we study the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) exhibited by commercial \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\hbox {Lu}_{(2-x)}\hbox {Y}_x\hbox {SiO}_5$$\end{document}Lu(2-x)YxSiO5:Ce crystals. This photon emission mechanism, complementary to scintillation, can trap a fraction of radiation energy deposited in the material and provides sufficient signal to develop a novel post-irradiation 3D dose readout. We characterize the OSL emission through spectrally and temporally resolved measurements and monitor the dose linearity response over a broad range. The measurements show that the \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\hbox {Ce}^{3+}$$\end{document}Ce3+ centers responsible for scintillation also function as recombination centers for the OSL mechanism. The capture to OSL-active traps competes with scintillation originating from the direct non-radiative energy transfer to the luminescent centers. An OSL response on the order of 100 ph/MeV is estimated. We demonstrate the imaging capabilities provided by such an OSL photon yield using a proof-of-concept optical readout method. A 0.1 \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\hbox {mm}^3$$\end{document}mm3 spatial resolution for doses as low as 0.5 Gy is projected using a cubic crystal to image volumetric dose profiles. While OSL degrades the intrinsic scintillating performance by reducing the number of scintillation photons emitted following the passage of ionizing radiation, it can encode highly resolved spatial information of the interaction point of the particle. This feature combines ionizing radiation spectroscopy and 3D reusable dose imaging in a single material.
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Darne CD, Robertson DG, Alsanea F, Collins-Fekete CA, Beddar S. A novel proton-integrating radiography system design using a monolithic scintillator detector: experimental studies. NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH. SECTION A, ACCELERATORS, SPECTROMETERS, DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT 2022; 1027:166077. [PMID: 35221402 PMCID: PMC8872121 DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2021.166077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Research on proton-based imaging systems aims to improve treatment planning, internal anatomy visualization, and patient alignment for proton radiotherapy. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate a new proton radiography system design consisting of a monolithic plastic scintillator volume and two optical cameras for use with scanning proton pencil beams. Unlike the thin scintillating plates currently used for proton radiography, the plastic scintillator volume (20 × 20 × 20 cm3) captures a wider distribution of proton beam energy depositions and avoids proton-beam modulation. The proton imaging system's characteristics were tested using image uniformity (2.6% over a 5 × 5 cm2 area), stability (0.37%), and linearity (R2 = 1) studies. We used the light distribution produced within the plastic scintillator to generate proton radiographs via two different approaches: (a) integrating light by using a camera placed along the beam axis, and (b) capturing changes to the proton Bragg peak positions with a camera placed perpendicularly to the beam axis. The latter method was used to plot and evaluate relative shifts in percentage depth light (PDL) profiles of proton beams with and without a phantom in the beam path. A curvelet minimization algorithm used differences in PDL profiles to reconstruct and refine the phantom water-equivalent thickness (WET) map. Gammex phantoms were used to compare the proton radiographs generated by these two methods. The relative accuracies in calculating WET of the phantoms using the calibration-based beam-integration (and the PDL) methods were -0.18 ± 0.35% (-0.29 ± 3.11%), -0.11 ± 0.51% (-0.15 ± 2.64%), -2.94 ± 1.20% (-0.75 ± 6.11%), and -1.65 ± 0.35% (0.36 ± 3.93%) for solid water, adipose, cortical bone, and PMMA, respectively. Further exploration of this unique multicamera-based imaging system is warranted and could lead to clinical applications that improve treatment planning and patient alignment for proton radiotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinmay D Darne
- Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Daniel G Robertson
- Division of Medical Physics, Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, AZ 85054, USA
| | - Fahed Alsanea
- Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Sam Beddar
- Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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8
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Tanaka S, Miyamoto N, Matsuo Y, Yoshimura T, Takao S, Matsuura T. First experimental results of gated proton imaging using x-ray fluoroscopy to detect a fiducial marker. Phys Med Biol 2021; 66. [PMID: 34433146 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ac212b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Increasing numbers of proton imaging research studies are being conducted for accurate proton range determination in proton therapy treatment planning. However, there is no proton imaging system that deals with motion artifacts. In this study, a gated proton imaging system was developed and the first experimental results of proton radiography (pRG) were obtained for a moving object without motion artifacts. A motion management system using dual x-ray fluoroscopy for detecting a spherical gold fiducial marker was introduced and the proton beam was gated in accordance with the motion of the object. To demonstrate the performance of the gated proton imaging system, gated pRG images of a moving phantom were acquired experimentally, and the motion artifacts clearly were diminished. Also, the factors causing image deteriorations were evaluated focusing on the new gating system developed here, and the main factor was identified as the latency (with a maximum value of 93 ms) between the ideal gating signal according to the actual marker position and the actual gating signal. The possible deterioration due to the latency of the proton imaging system and proton beam irradiation was small owing to appropriate setting of the time structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sodai Tanaka
- Institute for Quantum Medical Science, Quantum Medical Science Directorate, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Naoki Miyamoto
- Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan
| | - Yuto Matsuo
- Proton Beam Therapy Center, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8648, Japan
| | - Takaaki Yoshimura
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0812, Japan
| | - Seishin Takao
- Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan
| | - Taeko Matsuura
- Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan
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9
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Tendler I, Robertson D, Darne C, Panthi R, Alsanea F, Collins-Fekete CA, Beddar S. Image quality evaluation of projection- and depth dose-based approaches to integrating proton radiography using a monolithic scintillator detector. Phys Med Biol 2021; 66. [PMID: 34144537 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ac0cc3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to compare the image quality of an integrating proton radiography (PR) system, composed of a monolithic scintillator and two digital cameras, using integral lateral-dose and integral depth-dose image reconstruction techniques. Monte Carlo simulations were used to obtain the energy deposition in a 3D monolithic scintillator detector (30 × 30 × 30 cm3poly vinyl toluene organic scintillator) to create radiographs of various phantoms-a slanted aluminum cube for spatial resolution analysis and a Las Vegas phantom for contrast analysis. The light emission of the scintillator was corrected using Birks scintillation model. We compared two integrating PR methods and the expected results from an idealized proton tracking radiography system. Four different image reconstruction methods were utilized in this study: integral scintillation light projected from the beams-eye view, depth-dose based reconstruction methods both with and without optimization, and single particle tracking PR was used for reference data. Results showed that heterogeneity artifact due to medium-interface mismatch was identified from the Las Vegas phantom simulated in air. Spatial resolution was found to be highest for single-event reconstruction. Contrast levels, ranked from best to worst, were found to correspond to particle tracking, optimized depth-dose, depth-dose, and projection-based image reconstructions. The image quality of a monolithic scintillator integrating PR system was sufficient to warrant further exploration. These results show promise for potential clinical use as radiographic techniques for visualizing internal patient anatomy during proton radiotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irwin Tendler
- Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States of America
| | - Daniel Robertson
- Division of Medical Physics, Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, 5881 E Mayo Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85054, United States of America
| | - Chinmay Darne
- Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States of America
| | - Rajesh Panthi
- Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States of America
| | - Fahed Alsanea
- Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States of America
| | | | - Sam Beddar
- Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States of America.,The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States of America
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