Engineering topics

Roper, Justin

Publications and source records attributed to Roper, Justin.

4 records

DOE OSTI2015

Single-Isocenter Multiple-Target Stereotactic Radiosurgery: Risk of Compromised Coverage

Purpose: To determine the dosimetric effects of rotational errors on target coverage using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for multitarget stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Methods and Materials: This retrospective study included 50 SRS cases, each with 2 intracranial planning target volumes (PTVs). Both PTVs were planned for simultaneous treatment to 21 Gy using a single-isocenter, noncoplanar VMAT SRS technique. Rotational errors of 0.5°, 1.0°, and 2.0° were simulated about all axes. The dose to 95% of the PTV (D95) and the volume covered by 95% of the prescribed dose (V95) were evaluated using multivariate analysis to determine how PTV coverage was related to PTV volume, PTV separation, and rotational error. Results: At 0.5° rotational error, D95 values and V95 coverage rates were ≥95% in all cases. For rotational errors of 1.0°, 7% of targets had D95 and V95 values <95%. Coverage worsened substantially when the rotational error increased to 2.0°: D95 and V95 values were >95% for only 63% of the targets. Multivariate analysis showed that PTV volume and distance to isocenter were strong predictors of target coverage. Conclusions: The effects of rotational errors on target coverage were studied across a broad range of SRS cases. In general, the risk of compromised coverage increased with decreasing target volume, increasing rotational error and increasing distance between targets. Multivariate regression models from this study may be used to quantify the dosimetric effects of rotational errors on target coverage given patient-specific input parameters of PTV volume and distance to isocenter.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

DOE OSTI2015

MRI-Based Computed Tomography Metal Artifact Correction Method for Improving Proton Range Calculation Accuracy

Purpose: Computed tomography (CT) artifacts can severely degrade dose calculation accuracy in proton therapy. Prompted by the recently increased popularity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the radiation therapy clinic, we developed an MRI-based CT artifact correction method for improving the accuracy of proton range calculations. Methods and Materials: The proposed method replaces corrupted CT data by mapping CT Hounsfield units (HU number) from a nearby artifact-free slice, using a coregistered MRI. MRI and CT volumetric images were registered with use of 3-dimensional (3D) deformable image registration (DIR). The registration was fine-tuned on a slice-by-slice basis by using 2D DIR. Based on the intensity of paired MRI pixel values and HU from an artifact-free slice, we performed a comprehensive analysis to predict the correct HU for the corrupted region. For a proof-of-concept validation, metal artifacts were simulated on a reference data set. Proton range was calculated using reference, artifactual, and corrected images to quantify the reduction in proton range error. The correction method was applied to 4 unique clinical cases. Results: The correction method resulted in substantial artifact reduction, both quantitatively and qualitatively. On respective simulated brain and head and neck CT images, the mean error was reduced from 495 and 370 HU to 108 and 92 HU after correction. Correspondingly, the absolute mean proton range errors of 2.4 cm and 1.7 cm were reduced to less than 2 mm in both cases. Conclusions: Our MRI-based CT artifact correction method can improve CT image quality and proton range calculation accuracy for patients with severe CT artifacts.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

DOE OSTI2014

Onboard functional and molecular imaging: A design investigation for robotic multipinhole SPECT

Purpose: Onboard imaging—currently performed primarily by x-ray transmission modalities—is essential in modern radiation therapy. As radiation therapy moves toward personalized medicine, molecular imaging, which views individual gene expression, may also be important onboard. Nuclear medicine methods, such as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), are premier modalities for molecular imaging. The purpose of this study is to investigate a robotic multipinhole approach to onboard SPECT. Methods: Computer-aided design (CAD) studies were performed to assess the feasibility of maneuvering a robotic SPECT system about a patient in position for radiation therapy. In order to obtain fast, high-quality SPECT images, a 49-pinhole SPECT camera was designed which provides high sensitivity to photons emitted from an imaging region of interest. This multipinhole system was investigated by computer-simulation studies. Seventeen hot spots 10 and 7 mm in diameter were placed in the breast region of a supine female phantom. Hot spot activity concentration was six times that of background. For the 49-pinhole camera and a reference, more conventional, broad field-of-view (FOV) SPECT system, projection data were computer simulated for 4-min scans and SPECT images were reconstructed. Hot-spot localization was evaluated using a nonprewhitening forced-choice numerical observer. Results: The CAD simulation studies found that robots could maneuver SPECT cameras about patients in position for radiation therapy. In the imaging studies, most hot spots were apparent in the 49-pinhole images. Average localization errors for 10-mm- and 7-mm-diameter hot spots were 0.4 and 1.7 mm, respectively, for the 49-pinhole system, and 3.1 and 5.7 mm, respectively, for the reference broad-FOV system. Conclusions: A robot could maneuver a multipinhole SPECT system about a patient in position for radiation therapy. The system could provide onboard functional and molecular imaging with 4-min scan times.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

DOE OSTI2010

Direction-dependent localization errors in SPECT images

Purpose: Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is being investigated for imaging inside radiation therapy treatment rooms to localize biological targets. Here, computer simulations were used to analyze locational and directional dependencies in localization errors and to assess the effects of spatial resolution modeling and observer normalization on localization performance. Methods: SPECT images of the XCAT phantom, containing 12 hot tumors, were reconstructed with detector response function compensation (DRC) and without DRC (nDRC). Numerical observers were forced to select the most suspicious tumor location, using normalized cross correlation (NXC) or un-normalized cross correlation (XC), from 3 cm diameter search volumes that each contained only one tumor. For each tumor site, localization was optimized as a function of the iteration number and postreconstruction smoothing. Localization error, the distance between true and estimated tumor positions, was calculated across the ensembles of 80 images. Direction-dependent localization bias and precision were estimated from the image ensemble. Results: For the six superficial tumors in close proximity to the detector trajectory, mean localization errors were <2 mm and were lowest or comparable using DRC-NXC, though differences from DRC-XC and nDRC-NXC were not statistically significant. DRC-NXC did provide statistically significantly better localization than nDRC-XC for five of these six tumors. At the other six sites where attenuation was more severe and the distance was generally greater between the tumor and detector, DRC typically did not show better localization than nDRC. Observer normalization improved the localization substantially for a tumor near the hotter heart. Localization errors were anisotropic and dependent on tumor location relative to the detector trajectory. Conclusions: This computer-simulation study compared localization performance for normalized and un-normalized numerical observers, which were used to estimate tumor positions in SPECT images, reconstructed with and without DRC. For tumors localized to <2 mm on average, which are good candidates for SPECT-guided radiation therapy, localization performance typically improved by compensating for the detector response function and by using a normalized observer. The observed direction-dependent localization errors have important implications for radiation therapy and are relevant to SPECT imaging in general.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗