Phantom Scatter Research Articles

Two-argument total scatter factor for small fields simultaneously collimated by MLC and jaws: application to stereotactic radiosurgery and radiotherapy

Direct use of the total scatter factor (Stot) for independent monitor unit (MU) calculations can be a good alternative approach to the traditional separate treatment of head/collimator scatter (Sc) and phantom scatter (Sp), especially for stereotactic small fields under the simultaneous collimation of secondary jaws and tertiary multileaf collimators (MLC). We have carried out the measurement of Stot in water for field sizes down to 0.5 × 0.5 cm2 on a Varian TrueBeam STx medical linear accelerator (linac) equipped with high definition MLCs. Both the jaw field size (c) and MLC field size (s) significantly impact the linac output factors, especially when c s and s is small (e.g. s < 5 cm). The combined influence of MLC and jaws gives rise to a two-argument dependence of the total scatter factor, Stot(c,s), which is difficult to functionally decouple. The (c,s) dependence can be conceived as a set of s-dependent functions (‘branches’) defined on domain [smin, smax = c] for a given jaw size of c. We have also developed a heuristic model of Stot to assist the clinical implementation of the measured Stot data for small field dosimetry. The model has two components: (i) empirical fit formula for the s-dependent branches and (ii) interpolation scheme between the branches. The interpolation scheme preserves the characteristic shape of the measured branches and effectively transforms the measured trapezoidal domain in (c,s) plane to a rectangular domain to facilitate easier two-dimensional interpolation to determine Stot for arbitrary (c,s) combinations. Both the empirical fit and interpolation showed good agreement with experimental validation data.

PET Imaging Stability Measurements During Simultaneous Pulsing of Aggressive MR Sequences on the SIGNA PET/MR System.

The recent introduction of simultaneous whole-body PET/MR scanners has enabled new research taking advantage of the complementary information obtainable with PET and MRI. One such application is kinetic modeling, which requires high levels of PET quantitative stability. To accomplish the required PET stability levels, the PET subsystem must be sufficiently isolated from the effects of MR activity. Performance measurements have previously been published, demonstrating sufficient PET stability in the presence of MR pulsing for typical clinical use; however, PET stability during radiofrequency (RF)-intensive and gradient-intensive sequences has not previously been evaluated for a clinical whole-body scanner. In this work, PET stability of the GE SIGNA PET/MR was examined during simultaneous scanning of aggressive MR pulse sequences. Methods: PET performance tests were acquired with MR idle and during simultaneous MR pulsing. Recent system improvements mitigating RF interference and gain variation were used. A fast recovery fast spin echo MR sequence was selected for high RF power, and an echo planar imaging sequence was selected for its high heat-inducing gradients. Measurements were performed to determine PET stability under varying MR conditions using the following metrics: sensitivity, scatter fraction, contrast recovery, uniformity, count rate performance, and image quantitation. A final PET quantitative stability assessment for simultaneous PET scanning during functional MRI studies was performed with a spiral in-and-out gradient echo sequence. Results: Quantitation stability of a 68Ge flood phantom was demonstrated within 0.34%. Normalized sensitivity was stable during simultaneous scanning within 0.3%. Scatter fraction measured with a 68Ge line source in the scatter phantom was stable within the range of 40.4%-40.6%. Contrast recovery and uniformity were comparable for PET images acquired simultaneously with multiple MR conditions. Peak noise equivalent count rate was 224 kcps at an effective activity concentration of 18.6 kBq/mL, and the count rate curves and scatter fraction curve were consistent for the alternating MR pulsing states. A final test demonstrated quantitative stability during a spiral functional MRI sequence. Conclusion: PET stability metrics demonstrated that PET quantitation was not affected during simultaneous aggressive MRI. This stability enables demanding applications such as kinetic modeling.

Influences of 3D PET scanner components on increased scatter evaluated by a Monte Carlo simulation

Monte Carlo simulation is widely applied to evaluate the performance of three-dimensional positron emission tomography (3D-PET). For accurate scatter simulations, all components that generate scatter need to be taken into account. The aim of this work was to identify the components that influence scatter. The simulated geometries of a PET scanner were: a precisely reproduced configuration including all of the components; a configuration with the bed, the tunnel and shields; a configuration with the bed and shields; and the simplest geometry with only the bed. We measured and simulated the scatter fraction using two different set-ups: (1) as prescribed by NEMA-NU 2007 and (2) a similar set-up but with a shorter line source, so that all activity was contained only inside the field-of-view (FOV), in order to reduce influences of components outside the FOV. The scatter fractions for the two experimental set-ups were, respectively, 45% and 38%. Regarding the geometrical configurations, the former two configurations gave simulation results in good agreement with the experimental results, but simulation results of the simplest geometry were significantly different at the edge of the FOV. From the simulation of the precise configuration, the object (scatter phantom) was the source of more than 90% of the scatter. This was also confirmed by visualization of photon trajectories. Then, the bed and the tunnel were mainly the sources of the rest of the scatter. From the simulation results, we concluded that the precise construction was not needed; the shields, the tunnel, the bed and the object were sufficient for accurate scatter simulations.

Current modulated volume-of-interest imaging for kilovoltage intrafaction monitoring of the prostate.

The focus of this work was to improve the available kV image quality for continuous intrafraction monitoring of the prostate during volumetric modulated arc therapy. This is investigated using a novel blade collimation system enabling tube current modulated (TCM) volume-of-interest (VOI) imaging of prostate fiducial markers during radiotherapy, and Monte Carlo simulation of MV scatter. A four-blade dynamic kV collimator was used to track a VOI containing gold fiducial markers embedded in a dynamic pelvis phantom during gantry rotation. For each fiducial, a VOI margin around each marker was set to be 2σ of the population covariance matrix characterizing prostate motion. This was used to conform to a single or several fiducials and compared to a static field. DRRs were used to calculate the kV attenuation for each VOI as a function of angle and used to optimize x-ray tube current during acquisition. Image quality was assessed with regard to contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), fiducial detectability, and imaging dose. Monte Carlo simulations in EGSnrc were used to calculate the imaging dose to the phantom and MV scatter fluence to the imaging panel. Fiducials can be accurately located using a VOI containing a single or several fiducials using a relatively high constant kV output. However, when using a 6 × 6 cm2 field the dose can be upwards of 1.5 Gy in bone for constant kV output and 3.1 Gy when applying TCM at 1 Hz imaging over the course of 40 fractions. This can be mitigated through tailoring the imaging field to a single or several fiducials, in which the integral dose is reduced by a factor of 15.6 and 3.7, respectively. For a constant MV treatment field size, the scattered fluence reaching the kV panel varies by less than a factor of two for a completely rotation of the gantry. However, the MV scatter spectrum overlaps with the detector response for a deleterious effect, with a peak MV scatter energy of approximately 100 keV. TCM can be used to overcome the variability in image quality throughout the rotation and therefore improve fiducial CNR and detectability during periods of high kV attenuation. The combination of VOI and TCM introduces an advantageous approach in intrafraction monitoring of the prostate during radiotherapy by both reducing and localizing the imaging dose, while improving image quality and fiducial detectability during periods of high kV attenuation. In addition, the influence of MV scatter has been shown to be most important in low attenuation regions, with a variation by a factor of two.

An Analytical Method to Calculate Phantom Scatter Factor for Photon Beam Accelerators.

IntroductionOne of the important input factors in the commissioning of the radiotherapy treatment planning systems is the phantom scatter factor (Sp) which requires the same collimator opening for all radiation fields. In this study, we have proposed an analytical method to overcome this issue.MethodsThe measurements were performed using Siemens Primus Plus with photon energy 6 MV for field sizes from 5×5cm2 to 40×40cm2. Phantom scatter factor was measured through the division of total scatter output factors (Scp), and collimator scatter factor (Sc).ResultsThe mean percent difference between the measured and calculated Sp was 1.00% and -3.11% for 5×5, 40×40 cm2 field size respectively.ConclusionThis method is applicable especially for small fields used in IMRT which, measuring collimator scatter factor is not reliable due to the lateral electron disequilibrium.

Monte Carlo Calculation of Beam Quality and Phantom Scatter Corrections for Lithium Formate Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Dosimeter for High-energy Brachytherapy Dosimetry.

Purpose:To investigate beam quality correction, KQQ0 (r) and phantom scatter correction, Kphan (r) for lithium formate dosimeter as a function of distance r along the transverse axis of the high-energy brachytherapy sources 60Co, 137Cs, 192Ir and 169Yb using the Monte Carlo-based EGSnrc code system.Materials and Methods:The brachytherapy sources investigated in this study are BEBIG High Dose Rate (HDR) 60Co (model Co0.A86), 137Cs (model RTR), HDR 192Ir (model Microselectron) and HDR 169Yb (model 4140). The solid phantom materials investigated are PMMA, polystyrene, solid water, virtual water, plastic water, RW1, RW3, A150 and WE210.Result:KQQ0 (r) is about unity and distance independent fo 60Co, 137Cs and 192Ir brachytherapy sources, whereas for the 169Yb source, KQQ0 (r) increases gradually to about 4 % larger than unity at a distance of 15 cm along the transverse axis of the source. For 60Co source, phantoms such as polystyrene, plastic water, solid water, virtual water, RW1, RW3 and WE210 are water-equivalent but PMMA and A150 phantoms show distance-dependent Kphan (r) values. For 137Cs and 192Ir sources, phantoms such as solid water, virtual water, RW1, RW3 and WE210 are water-equivalent. However, phantoms such as PMMA, plastic water, polystyrene and A150 showed distance-dependent Kphan (r) values, for these sources. For 169Yb source, all the investigated phantoms show distance-dependent Kphan (r) values.Conclusion:KQQ0 (r) is about unity and distance independent for 60Co, 137Cs and 192Ir brachytherapy sources. Phantoms such as solid water, virtual water, RW1, RW3 and WE210 are water-equivalent for 60Co, 137Cs and 192Ir brachytherapy sources. For 169Yb source, all the investigated phantoms show distance-dependent Kphan (r) values.

A simulation study for estimating scatter fraction in whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT.

Whereas Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is widely utilized in estimation of the scatter component, a simulation model which can calculate the scatter fraction (SF) of each patient is needed for making an accurate image quality assessment for clinical PET images based on the noise equivalent count. In this study, an MC simulation model was constructed which can calculate the SF for various phantoms. We utilized the Geant4 toolkit based on MC simulation to make a model of a PET scanner with a scatter phantom, and SFs calculated with this model were compared with the SF (SFconstant: 44%) measured with use of an actual PET scanner. Additionally, the SF values for an anthropomorphic phantom were calculated from its voxel phantom. Furthermore, we evaluated the impact on the SF due to the difference in the source distribution inside the phantom. The SF calculated from the scatter phantom in the MC simulation was 44%, the same as the SFconstant value. The average SF for the anthropomorphic phantom was 41%, but there was a maximum of 14 percentage points difference between each scan range, and the maximum difference in the SF was 8 percentage points for the difference in the source distribution. We constructed an MC simulation model which can calculate SFs for various phantoms. The SF was confirmed to be affected significantly by the source distribution. We judged that the actually measured SFconstant obtained from the PET scanner with the scatter phantom was not suitable for the assessment of the quality of all patient images.

TH-AB-209-12: Tissue Equivalent Phantom with Excised Human Tissue for Assessing Clinical Capabilities of Coherent Scatter Imaging Applications

Purpose: Previously we reported the development of anthropomorphic tissue-equivalent scatter phantoms of the human breast. Here we present the first results from the scatter imaging of the tissue equivalent breast phantoms for breast cancer diagnosis. Methods: A breast phantom was designed to assess the capability of coded aperture coherent x-ray scatter imaging to classify different types of breast tissue (adipose, fibroglandular, tumor). The phantom geometry was obtained from a prone breast geometry scanned on a dedicated breast CT system. The phantom was 3D printed using the segmented DICOM breast CT data. The 3D breast phantom was filled with lard (as a surrogate for adipose tissue) and scanned in different geometries alongside excised human breast tissues (obtained from lumpectomy and mastectomy procedures). The raw data were reconstructed using a model-based reconstruction algorithm and yielded the location and form factor (i.e., momentum transfer (q) spectrum) of the materials that were imaged. The measured material form factors were then compared to the ground truth measurements acquired by x-ray diffraction (XRD) imaging. Results: Our scatter imaging system was able to define the location and composition of the various materials and tissues within the phantom. Cancerous breast tissue was detected and classified through automated spectral matching and an 86% correlation threshold. The total scan time for the sample was approximately 10 minutes and approaches workflow times for clinical use in intra-operative or other diagnostic tasks. Conclusion: This work demonstrates the first results from an anthropomorphic tissue equivalent scatter phantom to characterize a coherent scatter imaging system. The functionality of the system shows promise in applications such as intra-operative margin detection or virtual biopsy in the diagnosis of breast cancer. Future work includes using additional patient-derived tissues (e.g., human fat), and modeling additional organs (e.g., lung).

SU‐G‐JeP4‐13: Continuous Intra‐Fractional Monitoring of the Prostate Using Dynamic KV Collimation and Tube Current Modulation

Purpose:The focus of this work is to improve the available kV image quality for continuous intra‐fraction monitoring of the prostate. This is investigated using a novel blade collimation system enabling modulated volume‐of‐interest (VOI) imaging of prostate fiducial markers.Methods:A four‐blade dynamic kV collimator was used to track a VOI during gantry rotation. Planar image quality was investigated as a function of collimator dimension, while maintaining the same dose to isocenter, for a 22.2 cm diameter cylindrical water phantom with a 9 mm diameter bone insert. A sample prostate anatomy was defined in the planning system, including three fiducial markers within the CTV. The VOI margin around each marker was set to be 2σ of the population covariance matrix characterizing prostate motion. DRRs were used to calculate the kV attenuation for each VOI as a function of angle. The optimal marker and tube current were determined using kV attenuation. Monte Carlo simulations were used to calculate the imaging dose to the phantom and MV scatter dose to the imaging panel.Results:Preliminary measurements show an increase in CNR by a factor of 1.3 with the VOI method, when decreasing from an 6×6 to 2×2 cm2 field. Attenuation calculations show a change in kV fluence at the detector by a factor of 21.6 with fiducial optimization; resultant tube current modulation increases maximum dose by a factor of 1.4 compared to no modulation. MV scatter contribution to the kV detector changes by approximately a factor of two over a complete gantry rotation.Conclusion:The dynamic collimation system allows single fiducial marker tracking at a very low dose, with reduction of scatter and improvement of image quality, compared to imaging the entire prostate. The approach is compatible with tube current modulation, which enables consistent image quality throughout the range of gantry rotation.This project was funded by Varian Medical Systems.

SU-F-P-55: Testicular Scatter Dose Determination During Prostate SBRT with and Without Pelvic Lymph Nodes

Purpose: The elective irradiation of pelvis lymph node for prostate cancer is still controversial. Including pelvic lymph node as part of the planning target volume could increase the testicular scatter dose, which could have a clinical impact. The objective of this work was to measure testicular scatter dose for prostate SBRT treatment with and without pelvic lymph nodes using TLD dosimetry. Methods: A 6MV beam (1000UM/min) produce by a Novalis TX (BrainLAB-VARIAN) equipped HDMLC was used. Treatment plan were done using iPlan v4.5.3 (BrainLAB) treatment planning system with sliding windows IMRT technique. Prostate SBRT plan (PLAN_1) uses 9 beams with a dose prescription (D95%) of 4000cGy in 5 fractions. Prostate with lymph nodes SBRT plan (PLAN_2) uses 11 beams with a dose prescription (D95%) of 4000cGy to the prostate and 2500cGy to the lymph node in 5 fractions. An anthropomorphic pelvic phantom with a testicular volume was used. Phantom was positioned using ExacTrac IGRT system. Phosphor TLDs LiF:Mg, Ti (TLD700 Harshaw) were positioned in the anterior, posterior and inferior portion of the testicle. Two set of TLD measurements was done for each treatment plan. TLD in vivo dosimetry was done in one patient for each treatment plan. Results: The average phantom scatter doses per fraction for the PLAN_1 were 10.9±1cGy (anterior), 7.8±1cGy (inferior) and 10.7±1cGy (posterior) which represent an average total dose of 48±1cGy (1.2% of prostate dose prescription). The doses for PLAN_2 plan were 17.7±1cGy (anterior), 11±1cGy (inferior) and 13.3±1cGy (posterior) which represent an average total dose of 70.1±1cGy (1.8% of prostate dose prescription). The average dose for in vivo patient dosimetry was 60±1cGy for PLAN_1 and 85±1cGy for PLAN_2. Conclusion: Phantom and in vivo dosimetry shows that the pelvic lymph node irradiation with SBRT slightly increases the testicular scatter dose, which could have a clinical impact.

MO-FG-CAMPUS-TeP1-05: Rapid and Efficient 3D Dosimetry for End-To-End Patient-Specific QA of Rotational SBRT Deliveries Using a High-Resolution EPID

Purpose: EPID-based patient-specific quality assurance provides verification of the planning setup and delivery process that phantomless QA and log-file based virtual dosimetry methods cannot achieve. We present a method for EPID-based QA utilizing spatially-variant EPID response kernels that allows for direct calculation of the entrance fluence and 3D phantom dose. Methods: An EPID dosimetry system was utilized for 3D dose reconstruction in a cylindrical phantom for the purposes of end-to-end QA. Monte Carlo (MC) methods were used to generate pixel-specific point-spread functions (PSFs) characterizing the spatially non-uniform EPID portal response in the presence of phantom scatter. The spatially-variant PSFs were decomposed into spatially-invariant basis PSFs with the symmetric central-axis kernel as the primary basis kernel and off-axis representing orthogonal perturbations in pixel-space. This compact and accurate characterization enables the use of a modified Richardson-Lucy deconvolution algorithm to directly reconstruct entrance fluence from EPID images without iterative scatter subtraction. High-resolution phantom dose kernels were cogenerated in MC with the PSFs enabling direct recalculation of the resulting phantom dose by rapid forward convolution once the entrance fluence was calculated. A Delta4 QA phantom was used to validate the dose reconstructed in this approach. Results: The spatially-invariant representation of the EPID response accurately reproduced the entrance fluence with >99.5% fidelity with a simultaneous reduction of >60% in computational overhead. 3D dose for 106 voxels was reconstructed for the entire phantom geometry. A 3D global gamma analysis demonstrated a >95% pass rate at 3%/3mm. Conclusion: Our approach demonstrates the capabilities of an EPID-based end-to-end QA methodology that is more efficient than traditional EPID dosimetry methods. Displacing the point of measurement external to the QA phantom reduces the necessary complexity of the phantom itself while offering a method that is highly scalable and inherently generalizable to rotational and trajectory based deliveries. This research was partially supported by Varian.

SU‐F‐J‐12: Dosimetrical Characteristics of a 2.5 MV Megavoltage Photon Beam

Purpose:To evaluate the accuracy of modeling scatter factor (SF) and primary off‐axis ratio (POAR) for 2.5 MV megavoltage photon beams using an empirical model, which can be used as a dose calculation model for low energy EPID imaging.Methods:Scatter photon parameters were calculated for 2.5 MV photon beam from a Varian TrueBeam by fitting the product of depth dose, PDD, and the phantom scatter factor, Sp, for a range of square field sizes between 2 and 40 cm and depths between 0 and 30 cm. The model is then applied to off‐axis profiles measured for a slit field (3cm ×35 cm) for 5 depths: 0.6, 5, 10, and 20, 30 cm. Primary off‐axis ratio (POAR) values were determined based on the fitting to data using the empirical model.Results:The fitting to PDD*Sp has a maximum error of 14%, mostly near surface, where backscattering of photons dominate and has a standard deviation of 4.7%. The attenuation coefficient and beam‐hardening coefficient of the beam is determined to be 0.095 1/cm and 0.0038 1/cm, respectively. POAR for 2.5 MV has a peak in the center, corresponding to a beam without sufficient material to flatten the beam.Conclusion:This work illustrates a deficiency of the current empirical model to fit SF for a 2.5 MV photon beams. Most of the errors are near the surface region and an improved model that incorporate better modeling of backscattering can be developed to improve the model accuracy.

TH-CD-207A-08: Simulated Real-Time Image Guidance for Lung SBRT Patients Using Scatter Imaging

Purpose: To develop a comprehensive Monte Carlo-based model for the acquisition of scatter images of patient anatomy in real-time, during lung SBRT treatment. Methods: During SBRT treatment, images of patient anatomy can be acquired from scattered radiation. To rigorously examine the utility of scatter images for image guidance, a model is developed using MCNP code to simulate scatter images of phantoms and lung cancer patients. The model is validated by comparing experimental and simulated images of phantoms of different complexity. The differentiation between tissue types is investigated by imaging objects of known compositions (water, lung, and bone equivalent). A lung tumor phantom, simulating materials and geometry encountered during lung SBRT treatments, is used to investigate image noise properties for various quantities of delivered radiation (monitor units(MU)). Patient scatter images are simulated using the validated simulation model. 4DCT patient data is converted to an MCNP input geometry accounting for different tissue composition and densities. Lung tumor phantom images acquired with decreasing imaging time (decreasing MU) are used to model the expected noise amplitude in patient scatter images, producing realistic simulated patient scatter images with varying temporal resolution. Results: Image intensity in simulated and experimental scatter images of tissue equivalent objects (water, lung, bone) match within the uncertainty (∼3%). Lung tumor phantom images agree as well. Specifically, tumor-to-lung contrast matches within the uncertainty. The addition of random noise approximating quantum noise in experimental images to simulated patient images shows that scatter images of lung tumors can provide images in as fast as 0.5 seconds with CNR∼2.7. Conclusions: A scatter imaging simulation model is developed and validated using experimental phantom scatter images. Following validation, lung cancer patient scatter images are simulated. These simulated patient images demonstrate the clinical utility of scatter imaging for real-time tumor tracking during lung SBRT.

SU‐F‐T‐66: Characteristics of Electron Beams From Varian Trubeam

Purpose:The purpose of this study was to compare the electron beam data between Truebeam and 2300ix Varian accelerators for percent depth dose for broad beam and small circular cutouts, cone factors, head scatter factor as a function of cone size and SSD, phantom scatter factor, blocking factor, distance factor and virtual source position.Methods:Measurements were performed for Truebeam and 2300ix Varian accelerators. The main energies used were: 6, 9, 12, 16 and 20 MeV. PDD was measured at SSD = 100 cm for open beam and small circular cutouts (r = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 6.6cm) for different energies. Measurements to determine the head scatter factor (H) were done as a function of radius for six representative energies and five cone sizes (6, 10, 15, 20 and 25cm2). The phantom scatter factor (PSF) is defined as the ratio of blocking factor in water at reference depth and head scatter factor in air. PSF was measured as a function of radius and electron energy. Distance factor was measured for all energies and cones for three SSD's (100, 110 and 120cm).Results:The percent depth dose (PDD) was measured for small cutouts of radius r = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 and 5.6cm. Blocking factor (BF) was measured for Truebeam and 2300ix accelerators, for different circular cutouts and energies for a 10×10 cone. Cone factors were compared between the two accelerators for different energies and applicator sizes.Conclusion:Cone factors measured for the two accelerator types differ by up to 5% for the largest applicator size. Blocking factors differs by up to 3%, with the largest variation for the smallest field size (0.5cm). Distance factor for different SSD's differ by up to 4.5%.

SU‐G‐TeP3‐02: Determination of Geometry‐Specific Backscatter Factors for Radiobiology Studies

Purpose:Radiation biology research relies on an accurate radiation dose delivered to the biological target. Large field irradiations in a cabinet irradiator may use the AAPM TG‐61 protocol. This relies on an air‐kerma measurement and conversion to absorbed dose to water (Dw) on the surface of a water phantom using provided backscatter factors. Cell or small animal studies differ significantly from this reference geometry. This study aims to determine the impact of the lack of full scatter conditions in four representative geometries that may be used in radiobiology studies.Methods:MCNP6 was used to model the Dw on the surface of a full scatter phantom in a validated orthovoltage x‐ray reference beam. Dw in a cylindrical mouse, 100 mm Petri dish, 6‐well and 96‐well cell culture dishes was simulated and compared to this full scatter geometry. A reference dose rate was measured using the TG‐61 protocol in a cabinet irradiator. This nominal dose rate was used to irradiate TLDs in each phantom to a given dose. Doses were obtained based on TLDs calibrated in a NIST‐traceable beam.Results:Compared to the full scattering conditions, the simulated dose to water in the representative geometries were found to be underestimated by 12‐26%. The discrepancy was smallest with the cylindrical mouse geometry, which most closely approximates adequate lateral‐ and backscatter. TLDs irradiated in the mouse and petri dish phantoms using the TG‐61 determined dose rate showed similarly lower values of Dw. When corrected for this discrepancy, they agreed with the predicted Dw within 5%.Conclusion:Using the TG‐61 in‐air protocol and given backscatter factors to determine a reference dose rate in a biological irradiator may not be appropriate given the difference in scattering conditions between irradiation and calibration. Without accounting for this, the dose rate is overestimated and is dependent on irradiation geometry.

WE‐DE‐207B‐09: Scatter Radiation Measurement From a Digital Breast Tomosynthesis System and Its Impact On Shielding Consideration

Purpose:To accurately measure the scatter radiation from a Hologic digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) system and to provide updated scatter distribution to guide radiation shielding calculation for DBT rooms.Methods:A high sensitivity GOS‐based linear detector was used to measure the angular distribution of scatter radiation from a Hologic Selenia Dimensions DBT system. The linear detector was calibrated for its energy response of typical DBT spectra. Following the NCRP147 approach, the measured scatter intensity was normalized by the primary beam area and primary air kerma at 1m from the scatter phantom center and presented as the scatter fraction. Direct comparison was made against Simpkin's initial measurement. Key parameters including the phantom size, primary beam area, and kV/anode/target combination were also studied.Results:The measured scatter‐to‐primary‐ratio and scatter fraction data closely matched with previous data from Simpkin. The measured data demonstrated the unique nonisotropic distribution of the scattered radiation around a Hologic DBT system, with two strong peaks around 25° and 160°. The majority scatter radiation (&gt;70%) originated from the imaging detector assembly, instead of the phantom. With a workload from a previous local survey, the scatter air kerma at 1m from the phantom center for wall/door is 0.018mGy/patient, for floor is 0.164mGy/patient, and for ceiling is 0.037mGy/patient.Conclusion:Comparing to Simpkin's previous data, the scatter air kerma from Holgoic DBT is at least two times higher. The main reasons include the harder primary beam with higher workload, added tomosynthesis acquisition, and strong small angle forward scattering. Due to the highly conservative initial assumptions, the shielding recommendation from NCRP147 is still sufficient for the Hologic DBT system given the workload from a previous local survey. With the data provided from this study, accurate shielding calculation can be performed for Hologic DBT systems with specific workload and barrier distance.

Dosimetric properties of equivalent-quality flattening filter-free (FFF) and flattened photon beams of Versa HD linear accelerator.

This study presents the basic dosimetric properties of photon beams of a Versa HD linear accelerator (linac), which is capable of delivering flattening filter‐free (FFF) beams with a beam quality equivalent to the corresponding flattened beams based on comprehensive beam data measurement. The analyzed data included the PDDs, profiles, penumbra, out‐of‐field doses, surface doses, output factors, head and phantom scatter factors, and MLC transmissions for both FFF and flattened beams of 6 MV and 10 MV energy from an Elekta Versa HD linac. The 6MVFFF and 10MVFFF beams had an equivalent mean energy to the flattened beams and showed less PDD variations with the field sizes. Compared with their corresponding flattened beams, Dmax was deeper for FFF beams for all field sizes; the ionization ratio variations with the field size were lower for FFF beams; the out‐of‐field doses were lower and the penumbras were sharper for the FFF beams; the off‐axis profile variations with the depths were lesser for the FFF beams. Further, the 6MVFFF and 10MVFFF beams had 35.7% and 40.9% less variations in output factor with the field size, respectively. The collimator exchange effect was reduced in the FFF mode. The head scatter factor showed 59.1% and 73.6% less variations, on average, for the 6MVFFF and 10MVFFF beams, respectively; the variations in the phantom scatter factor were also smaller. The surface doses for all beams increased linearly with the field size. The 6MVFFF and 10MVFFF beams had higher surface doses than the corresponding flattened beams for field sizes of up to 10×10cm2 but had lower surface doses for larger fields. Both FFF beams had lower average MLC transmissions than the flattened beams. The finding that the FFF beams were of equivalent quality to the corresponding flattened beams indicates a significant difference from the data on unmatched FFF beams.PACS number(s): 87.56.bd, 87.55.Qr

Initial PET performance evaluation of a preclinical insert for PET/MRI with digital SiPM technology

Hyperion-IID is a positron emission tomography (PET) insert which allows simultaneous operation in a clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. To read out the scintillation light of the employed lutetium yttrium orthosilicate crystal arrays with a pitch of 1 mm and 12 mm in height, digital silicon photomultipliers (DPC 3200-22, Philips Digital Photon Counting) (DPC) are used. The basic PET performance in terms of energy resolution, coincidence resolution time (CRT) and sensitivity as a function of the operating parameters, such as the operating temperature, the applied overvoltage, activity and configuration parameters of the DPCs, has been evaluated at system level. The measured energy resolution did not show a large dependency on the selected parameters and is in the range of 12.4%–12.9% for low activity, degrading to ∼13.6% at an activity of ∼100 MBq. The CRT strongly depends on the selected trigger scheme (trig) of the DPCs, and we measured approximately 260 ps, 440 ps, 550 ps and 1300 ps for trig 1–4, respectively. The trues sensitivity for a NEMA NU 4 mouse-sized scatter phantom with a 70 mm long tube of activity was dependent on the operating parameters and was determined to be 0.4%–1.4% at low activity. The random fraction stayed below 5% at activity up to 100 MBq and the scatter fraction was evaluated as ∼6% for an energy window of 411 keV–561 keV and ∼16% for 250 keV–625 keV. Furthermore, we performed imaging experiments using a mouse-sized hot-rod phantom and a large rabbit-sized phantom. In 2D slices of the reconstructed mouse-sized hot-rod phantom (∅ = 28 mm), the rods were distinguishable from each other down to a rod size of 0.8 mm. There was no benefit from the better CRT of trig 1 over trig 3, where in the larger rabbit-sized phantom (∅ = 114 mm) we were able to show a clear improvement in image quality using the time-of-flight information. The findings will allow system architects—aiming at a similar detector design using DPCs—to make predictions about the design requirements and the performance that can be expected.

Correlation between scatter radiation dose at height of operator's eye and dose to patient for different angiographic projections

Studies have reported cases of radiation-induced cataract among cardiology professionals. In view of the evidence of epidemiological studies, the ICRP recommends a new threshold for opacities and a new radiation dose to eye lens limit of 20mSv per year for occupational exposure. The aim of this paper is to report scattered radiation doses at the height of the operator's eye in an interventional cardiology facility without considering radiation protection devices and to correlate these values with different angiographic projections and operational modes. Measurements were taken in a cardiac laboratory with an angiography X-ray system equipped with flat-panel detector. PMMA plates of 30×30×5cm were used with a thickness of 20cm. Measurements were taken in two fluoroscopy modes (low and normal, 15pulses/s) and in cine mode (15frames/s). Four angiographic projections were used: anterior posterior; lateral; left anterior oblique caudal (spider); and left anterior oblique cranial, with a cardiac protocol for patients weighing between 70 and 90kg. Measurements of phantom entrance dose rate and scatter dose rate were performed with two Unfors Xi plus detectors. The detector measuring scatter radiation was positioned at the usual distance of the cardiologist's eyes during working conditions. There is a good linear correlation between the kerma area product and scatter dose at the lens. Experimental correlation factors of 2.3, 12.0, 12.2 and 17.6μSv/Gycm2 were found for different projections. PMMA entrance dose rates for low and medium fluoroscopy and cine modes were 13, 39 and 282mGy/min, respectively, for AP projection.

Characterization of MOSFET Dosimeter Angular Response Using a Spherical Phantom for Fluoroscopic Dosimetry.

Metal-Oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET) dosimeters, placed in anthropomorphic phantoms, are a standard method for organ dosimetry in medical x-ray imaging applications. However, many x-ray applications, particularly fluoroscopy procedures, use variable projection angles. During dosimetry, the MOSFET detector active area may not always be perpendicular to the x-ray beam. The goal of this study was to characterize the dosimeter's angular response in the fluoroscopic irradiation involved in pediatric cardiac catheterization procedures, during which a considerable amount of fluoroscopic x-ray irradiation is often applied from various projection angles. A biological x-ray irradiator was used to simulate the beam quality of a biplane fluoroscopy imaging system. A custom-designed acrylic spherical scatter phantom was fabricated to measure dosimeter response (in mV) in two rotational axes, axial (ψ) and normal-to-axial (θ), in 30° increments, as well as four common oblique angles used in cardiac catheterization: a) 90° Left Anterior Oblique (LAO); b) 70° LAO/ 20° Cranial; c) 20° LAO/ 15° Cranial; and d) 30° Right Anterior Oblique (RAO). All results were normalized to the angle where the dosimeter epoxy is perpendicular to the beam or the Posterior-Anterior projection angle in the clinical setup. The relative response in the axial rotation was isotropic (within ± 10% deviation); that in the normal-to-axial rotation was isotropic in all angles except the ψ = 270° angle, where the relative response was 83 ± 9%. No significant deviation in detector response was observed in the four common oblique angles, with their relative responses being: a) 102 ± 3%; b) 90 ± 3%; c) 92 ± 3%; and d) 95 ± 3%, respectively. These angular correction factors will be used in future dosimetry studies for fluoroscopy. The spherical phantom may be useful for other applications, as it allows the measurement of dosimeter response in virtually all angles in the 3-dimensional spherical coordinates.