A simulator-based CT system for radiotherapy treatment planning.

Abstract

The extensive academic and commercial development of CT in the last decade has resulted in the emergence of sophisticated and expensive instruments capable of carrying out whole-body section scans at high spatial and density resolutions. Where such equipment is installed, it is normally in heavy demand for diagnostic work, and, as a result, only a small proportion of patients who might benefit from a CT scan for the purposes of radiotherapy treatment planning can be accommodated. A need persists, therefore, for less costly and more convenient alternative forms of CT scanner for use in radiotherapy treatment planning, where one of the requirements is merely the delineation of large anatomical features, such as the lungs and spine. High spatial and density resolution are not essential. The clear advantages of using an existing piece of treatment planning equipment, the radiotherapy simulator, to obtain low-resolution cross-sectional images, have been pointed out by a number of authors. Webb and Leach (1980)...