SU‐F‐J‐208: Prompt Gamma Imaging‐Based Prediction of Bragg Peak Position for Realistic Treatment Error Scenarios

Abstract

Purpose:To quantify the accuracy in predicting the Bragg peak position using simulated in‐room measurements of prompt gamma (PG) emissions for realistic treatment error scenarios that combine several sources of errors.Methods:Prompt gamma measurements by a knife‐edge slit camera were simulated using an experimentally validated analytical simulation tool. Simulations were performed, for 143 treatment error scenarios, on an anthropomorphic phantom and a pencil beam scanning plan for nasal cavity. Three types of errors were considered: translation along each axis, rotation around each axis, and CT‐calibration errors with magnitude ranging respectively, between −3 and 3 mm, −5 and 5 degrees, and between −5 and +5%. We investigated the correlation between the Bragg peak (BP) shift and the horizontal shift of PG profiles. The shifts were calculated between the planned (reference) position and the position by the error scenario. The prediction error for one spot was calculated as the absolute difference between the PG profile shift and the BP shift.Results:The PG shift was significantly and strongly correlated with the BP shift for 92% of the cases (p<0.0001, Pearson correlation coefficient R>0.8). Moderate but significant correlations were obtained for all cases that considered only CT‐calibration errors and for 1 case that combined translation and CT‐errors (p<0.0001, R ranged between 0.61 and 0.8). The average prediction errors for the simulated scenarios ranged between 0.08±0.07 and 1.67±1.3 mm (grand mean 0.66±0.76 mm). The prediction error was moderately correlated with the value of the BP shift (p=0, R=0.64). For the simulated scenarios the average BP shift ranged between −8±6.5 mm and 3±1.1 mm. Scenarios that considered combinations of the largest treatment errors were associated with large BP shifts.Conclusion:Simulations of in‐room measurements demonstrate that prompt gamma profiles provide reliable estimation of the Bragg peak position for complex error scenarios.Yafei Xing and Luiza Bondar are funded by BEWARE grants from the Walloon Region.The work presents simulations results for a prompt gamma camera prototype developed by IBA.