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DOE OSTI2022

Quantitative Resistance Loci to Southern Rust Mapped in a Temperate Maize Diversity Panel

Southern rust is a severe foliar disease of maize (Zea mays) resulting from infection with the obligate biotrophic fungus Puccinia polysora. This disease reduces photosynthetic productivity, which in turn reduces yields, with the greatest yield losses (up to 50%) associated with earlier onset infections. P. polysora urediniospores overwinter only in tropical and subtropical regions but cause outbreaks when environmental conditions favor initial infection. Increased temperatures and humidity during the growing season combined with an increased frequency of moderate winters are likely to increase the frequency of severe southern rust outbreaks in the U.S. Corn Belt. In summer 2020, a severe outbreak of southern rust was observed in eastern Nebraska, United States. We scored a replicated maize association panel planted in Lincoln, NE for disease severity and found that disease incidence and severity showed significant variation among maize genotypes. Genome-wide association studies identified four loci associated with significant quantitative variation in disease severity. These loci were associated with candidate genes with plausible links to quantitative disease resistance. A transcriptome-wide association study identified additional genes associated with disease severity. Together, these results indicate that substantial diversity in resistance to southern rust exists among current temperate-adapted maize germplasm, including several candidate loci that may explain the observed variation in resistance to southern rust. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license .

Plant Sciences↗

DOE OSTI2013

Beyond Control Panels: Direct Manipulation for Visual Analytics

Information Visualization strives to provide visual representations through which users can think about and gain insight into information. By leveraging the visual and cognitive systems of humans, complex relationships and phenomena occurring within datasets can be uncovered by exploring information visually. Interaction metaphors for such visualizations are designed to enable users direct control over the filters, queries, and other parameters controlling how the data is visually represented. Through the evolution of information visualization, more complex mathematical and data analytic models are being used to visualize relationships and patterns in data – creating the field of Visual Analytics. However, the expectations for how users interact with these visualizations has remained largely unchanged – focused primarily on the direct manipulation of parameters of the underlying mathematical models. In this article we present an opportunity to evolve the methodology for user interaction from the direct manipulation of parameters through visual control panels, to interactions designed specifically for visual analytic systems. Instead of focusing on traditional direct manipulation of mathematical parameters, the evolution of the field can be realized through direct manipulation within the visual representation – where users can not only gain insight, but also interact. This article describes future directions and research challenges that fundamentally change the meaning of direct manipulation with regards to visual analytics, advancing the Science of Interaction.

user interaction↗

DOE OSTI2018

Quantifying Year-to-Year Variations in Solar Panel Soiling from PV Energy-Production Data

We present a method for quantifying solar panel soiling loss from PV energy-production data and show how it can be used to quantify year-to-year variations in soiling loss. Cleaning events are automatically detected, eliminating the need for precipitation data or assumptions about cleaning. The method also calculates the reduction of energy yield due to soiling, not just a soiling rate. We apply the method annually and also to multi-year datasets. We find significant year-to-year variation in soiling loss, a result with important implications for site planning and financing. The method presented here can leverage existing datasets of daily energy yield to quantify annual and total soiling risk without the need for new hardware and serves as a supplement to standard plant planning practices.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2019

Biomass yield in a genetically diverse Miscanthus sinensis germplasm panel evaluated at five locations revealed individuals with exceptional potential

Abstract To breed improved biomass cultivars of Miscanthus ×giganteus, it will be necessary to select the highest‐yielding and best‐adapted genotypes of its parental species, Miscanthus sinensis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus . We phenotyped a diverse clonally propagated panel of 569 M. sinensis and nine natural diploid M . × giganteus at one subtropical (Zhuji, China) and five temperate locations (Sapporo, Japan; Leamington, Ontario, Canada; Fort Collins, CO; Urbana, IL; and Chuncheon, Korea) for dry biomass yield and 14 yield‐component traits, in trials grown for 3 years. Notably, dry biomass yield of four Miscanthus accessions exceeded 80 Mg/ha in Zhuji, China, approaching the highest observed for any land plant. Additionally, six M. sinensis in Sapporo, Japan and one in Leamington, Canada also yielded more than the triploid M . × giganteus ‘1993‐1780’ control, with values exceeding 20 Mg/ha. Diploid M . × giganteus was the best‐yielding group at the northern sites. Genotype‐by‐environment interactions were modest among the five northern trial sites but large between Zhuji, and the northern sites. M. sinensis accessions typically yielded best at trial sites with latitudes similar to collection sites, although broad adaptation was observed for accessions from southern Japan. Genotypic heritabilities for third year yields ranged from 0.71 to 0.88 within locations. Compressed circumference was the best predictor of yield. These results establish a baseline of data for initiating selection to improve biomass yield of M. sinensis and M . × giganteus in a diverse set of relevant geographies.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Biomass yield in a genetically diverse Miscanthus sacchariflorus germplasm panel phenotyped at five locations in Asia, North America, and Europe

Abstract Miscanthus is a high‐yielding bioenergy crop that is broadly adapted to temperate and tropical environments. Commercial cultivation of Miscanthus is predominantly limited to a single sterile triploid clone of Miscanthus × giganteus , a hybrid between Miscanthus sacchariflorus and M. sinensis. To expand the genetic base of M. × giganteus , the substantial diversity within its progenitor species should be used for cultivar improvement and diversification. Here, we phenotyped a diversity panel of 605 M. sacchariflorus from six previously described genetic groups and 27 M. × giganteus genotypes for dry biomass yield and 16 yield‐component traits, in field trials grown over 3 years at one subtropical location (Zhuji, China) and four temperate locations (Foulum, Denmark; Sapporo, Japan; Urbana, Illinois; and Chuncheon, South Korea). There was considerable diversity in yield and yield‐component traits among and within genetic groups of M. sacchariflorus , and across the five locations. Biomass yield of M. sacchariflorus ranged from 0.003 to 34.0 Mg ha −1 in year 3. Variation among the genetic groups was typically greater than within, so selection of genetic group should be an important first step for breeding with M. sacchariflorus . The Yangtze 2x genetic group (=ssp. lutarioriparius ) of M. sacchariflorus had the tallest and thickest culms at all locations tested. Notably, the Yangtze 2x genetic group's exceptional culm length and yield potential were driven primarily by a large number of nodes (>29 nodes culm −1 average over all locations), which was consistent with the especially late flowering of this group. The S Japan 4x, the N China/Korea/Russia 4x, and the N China 2x genetic groups were also promising genetic resources for biomass yield, culm length, and culm thickness, especially for temperate environments. Culm length was the best indicator of yield potential in M. sacchariflorus . These results will inform breeders' selection of M. sacchariflorus genotypes for population improvement and adaptation to target production environments.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2019

Surrogate Modeling for Capacity Planning of Charging Station Equipped With Photovoltaic Panel and Hydropneumatic Energy Storage

Due to the promising potential for environmental sustainability, there has been a significant increase of electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) in the market. To support this increasing demand for EVs and PHEVs, challenges related to capacity planning and investment costs of public charging infrastructure must be addressed. Hence, in this paper, a capacity planning problem for charging stations is developed and aims to balance the current capital investment costs and future operational revenue. The charging station is assumed to be equipped with the solar photovoltaic (PV) panel and an energy storage system, which could be electric battery or recently invented hydropneumatic energy storage (ground-level integrated diverse energy storage (GLIDES)) system. A co-optimization model that minimizes investment and operation cost is established to determine optimal solution while considering capacity planning and following operations. EV mobility is modeled as an Erlang-loss system. Meanwhile, stochastic programming is adopted to capture uncertainties from solar radiation and charging demand of EV fleet. To provide a more general and computationally efficient model, main configuration parameters are sampled in design space and then fixed in solving the co-optimization model. Sampled parameters include EV charging slots number, PV area, capacity of energy storage system, and daily mean EV arrival number. Based on the sampled parameter combinations and its responses, black-box mappings are then constructed using surrogate models, which could provide insights for charging station placement in different practical situations. The effectiveness of the proposed surrogate modeling approach is demonstrated in numerical experiments. Here, the results indicate better profit advantage of GLIDES over battery system with the increased power capacity

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2012

Evaluation of the potential utility of flat panel CT for quantifying relative contrast enhancement

Purpose: Certain directed oncologic therapies seek to take advantage of the fact that tumors are typically more susceptible to directed therapeutic agents than normal tissue owing to their extensive networks of poorly formed, leaky vasculature. If differences between the vascularity of normal and tumor tissues could be quantified, patients could be selected for or excluded from directed treatments on the basis of this difference. However, angiographic imaging techniques such as digital subtraction angiography (DSA) yield two-dimensional data that may be inadequate for this task. As a first step, the authors evaluated the feasibility of using a commercial implementation of flat panel computed tomography (FPCT) to quantify differences in enhancement of a simulated tumor compared with normal tissue based on differences in CT number measured in precontrast and postcontrast scans. Methods: To evaluate the FPCT scanner studied, the authors scanned several phantoms containing simulated normal and tumor tissues. In the first experiment, the authors used an anthropomorphic phantom containing inclusions representing normal, tumor, and bone tissue to evaluate the constancy of CT numbers in scans repeated at clinically relevant intervals of 1 and 3 min. The authors then scanned gelatin phantoms containing dilutions of iodinated contrast to evaluate the accuracy of relative contrast enhancement measurements for a clinical FPCT system. Data were analyzed using widely available software. Results: CT numbers measured in identical locations were constant over both scan intervals evaluated. Measured relative contrast enhancement values were accurate compared with known relative contrast enhancement values. Care must be taken to avoid artifacts in reconstructed images when placing regions of interest. Conclusions: Despite its limitations, FPCT in the interventional laboratory can be used to quantify relative contrast enhancement in phantoms. This is accomplished by measuring CT number in simulated tumor and normal tissue on precontrast and postcontrast scans. This information opens the door for refinement of technique in an effort to use such a technique to plan directed therapies.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2012

Measurement of joint kinematics using a conventional clinical single-perspective flat-panel radiography system

Purpose: The ability to accurately measure joint kinematics is an important tool in studying both normal joint function and pathologies associated with injury and disease. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy, accuracy, precision, and clinical safety of measuring 3D joint motion using a conventional flat-panel radiography system prior to its application in an in vivo study. Methods: An automated, image-based tracking algorithm was implemented to measure the three-dimensional pose of a sparse object from a two-dimensional radiographic projection. The algorithm was tested to determine its efficiency and failure rate, defined as the number of image frames where automated tracking failed, or required user intervention. The accuracy and precision of measuring three-dimensional motion were assessed using a robotic controlled, tibiofemoral knee phantom programmed to mimic a subject with a total knee replacement performing a stair ascent activity. Accuracy was assessed by comparing the measurements of the single-plane radiographic tracking technique to those of an optical tracking system, and quantified by the measurement discrepancy between the two systems using the Bland-Altman technique. Precision was assessed through a series of repeated measurements of the tibiofemoral kinematics, and was quantified using the across-trial deviations of the repeated kinematic measurements. The safety of the imaging procedure was assessed by measuring the effective dose of ionizing radiation associated with the x-ray exposures, and analyzing its relative risk to a human subject. Results: The automated tracking algorithm displayed a failure rate of 2% and achieved an average computational throughput of 8 image frames/s. Mean differences between the radiographic and optical measurements for translations and rotations were less than 0.08 mm and 0.07 Degree-Sign in-plane, and 0.24 mm and 0.6 Degree-Sign out-of-plane. The repeatability of kinematics measurements performed using the radiographic tracking technique was better than {+-}0.09 mm and 0.12 Degree-Sign in-plane, and {+-}0.70 mm and {+-}0.07 Degree-Sign out-of-plane. The effective dose associated with the imaging protocol used was 15 {mu}Sv for 10 s of radiographic cine acquisition. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the ability to accurately measure knee-joint kinematics using a single-plane radiographic measurement technique. The measurement technique can be easily implemented at most clinical centers equipped with a modern-day radiographic x-ray system. The dose of ionizing radiation associated with the image acquisition represents a minimal risk to any subjects undergoing the examination.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2014

SU-D-12A-04: Investigation of a 2D Antiscatter Grid for Flat Panel Detectors

Purpose: To improve CT number accuracy and contrast sensitivity, a novel 2D antiscatter grid (ASG) for flat panel detector (FPD) based CBCT imaging was evaluated. Experiments were performed to characterize the scatter rejection and contrast sensitivity performance of ASG. The reduction in primary transmission for various ASG geometries was also evaluated by a computational model. Methods: The 2D ASG design was based on multi-hole collimators used in Nuclear Medicine. It consisted of abutted hexagon shaped apertures with 2.5 mm pitch and 32 mm height, and separated by 0.25 mm thick lead septa. Scatter-to-primary ratio (SPR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and mean primary transmission were measured using a benchtop FPD/x-ray source system. Acrylic slabs of varying thicknesses were imaged with a contrast-detail phantom to measure CNR and SPR under different scatter conditions. Primary transmission was also measured by averaging pixel values in flood field images without the phantom. We additionally explored variation of primary transmission with pitch and septum thickness using a computational model of our ASG. Results: Our 2D ASG reduced the SPR from 3.3 to 0.12, and improved CNR by 50% in 20 cm thick slab phantom projections acquired at 120 kVp. While the measured primary transmission was 72.8%, our simulations show that primary transmission can be increased to 86% by reducing the septum thickness to 0.1 mm. Primary transmission further increases to 93% if septum thickness of 0.1 mm is used in conjunction with an increased pitch of 4 mm. Conclusion: The 2D ASG appears to be a promising scatter rejection device, offering both superior scatter rejection and improved contrast sensitivity. Though its lead footprint reduced primary transmission, our work shows that optimization of aperture pitch and septum thickness can significantly improve the primary transmission.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

DOE OSTI2014

TU-C-18C-01: Medical Physics 1.0 to 2.0: Introduction and Panel Discussion

Medical Physics 2.0, a new frontier in clinical imaging physics: Diagnostic imaging has always been a technological highlight of modern medicine. Imaging systems, with their ever-expanding advancement in terms of technology and application, increasingly require skilled expertise to understand the delicacy of their operation, monitor their performance, design their effective use, and ensure their overall quality and safety, scientifically and in quantitative terms. Physicists can play a crucial role in that process. But that role has largely remained a severely untapped resource. Many imaging centers fail to appreciate this potential, with medical physics groups either nonexistent or highly understaffed and their services poorly integrated into the patient care process. As a field, we have yet to define and enact how the clinical physicist can engage as an active, effective, and integral member of the clinical team, and how the services that she/he provides can be financially accounted for. Physicists do and will always contribute to research and development. However, their indispensible contribution to clinical imaging operations is something that has not been adequately established. That, in conjunction with new realities of healthcare practice, indicates a growing need to establish an updated approach to clinical medical imaging physics. This presentation aims to describe a vision as how clinical imaging physics can expand beyond traditional insular models of inspection and acceptance testing, oriented toward compliance, towards team-based models of operational engagement addressing topics such as new non-classical challenges of new technologies, quantitative imaging, and operational optimization. The Medical Physics 2.0 paradigm extends clinical medical physics from isolated characterization of inherent properties of the equipment to effective use of the equipment and to retrospective evaluation of clinical performance. This is an existential transition of the field that speaks to the new paradigms of value-based and evidence-based medicine, comparative effectiveness, and meaningful use. The panel discussion that follows includes prominent practitioners, thinkers, and leaders that would lead the discussion on how Medical Physics 2.0 can be actualized. Topics of discussion will include the administrative, financial, regulatory, and accreditation requirements of the new paradigm, effective models of practice, and the steps that we need to take to make MP 2.0 a reality. Learning Objectives: To understand the new paradigm of clinical medical physics practice extending from traditional insular models of compliance towards teambased models of operational engagement. To understand how clinical physics can most effectively contribute to clinical care. Learn to identify strengths and weaknesses in studies designed to measure the effect of low doses of ionizing radiation To recognize the impediments to Medical Physics 2.0 paradigm.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2014

TU-F-18C-02: Increasing Amorphous Selenium Thickness in Direct Conversion Flat-Panel Imagers for Contrast-Enhanced Dual-Energy Breast Imaging

Purpose: Contrast-enhanced (CE) breast imaging using iodinated contrast agents requires imaging with x-ray spectra at energies greater than those used in mammography. Optimizing amorphous selenium (a-Se) flat panel imagers (FPI) for this higher energy range may increase lesion conspicuity. Methods: We compare imaging performance of a conventional FPI with 200 μm a-Se conversion layer to a prototype FPI with 300 μm a-Se layer. Both detectors are evaluated in a Siemens MAMMOMAT Inspiration prototype digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) system using low-energy (W/Rh 28 kVp) and high-energy (W/Cu 49 kVp) x-ray spectra. Detectability of iodinated lesions in dual-energy images is evaluated using an iodine contrast phantom. Effects of beam obliquity are investigated in projection and reconstructed images using different reconstruction methods. The ideal observer signal-to-noise ratio is used as a figure-of-merit to predict the optimal a-Se thickness for CE lesion detectability without compromising conventional full-field digital mammography (FFDM) and DBT performance. Results: Increasing a-Se thickness from 200 μm to 300 μm preserves imaging performance at typical mammographic energies (e.g. W/Rh 28 kVp), and improves the detective quantum efficiency (DQE) for high energy (W/Cu 49 kVp) by 30%. While the more penetrating high-energy x-ray photons increase geometric blur due to beam obliquity in the FPI with thicker a-Se layer, the effect on lesion detectability in FBP reconstructions is negligible due to the reconstruction filters employed. Ideal observer SNR for CE objects shows improvements in in-plane detectability with increasing a-Se thicknesses, though small lesion detectability begins to degrade in oblique projections for a-Se thickness above 500 μm. Conclusion: Increasing a-Se thickness in direct conversion FPI from 200 μm to 300 μm improves lesion detectability in CE breast imaging with virtually no cost to conventional FFDM and DBT. This work was partially supported by a research grant from Siemens Healthcare.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2014

Reduction of ring artifacts in CBCT: Detection and correction of pixel gain variations in flat panel detectors

Purpose: In using flat panel detectors (FPD) for cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), pixel gain variations may lead to structured nonuniformities in projections and ring artifacts in CBCT images. Such gain variations can be caused by change in detector entrance exposure levels or beam hardening, and they are not accounted by conventional flat field correction methods. In this work, the authors presented a method to identify isolated pixel clusters that exhibit gain variations and proposed a pixel gain correction (PGC) method to suppress both beam hardening and exposure level dependent gain variations. Methods: To modulate both beam spectrum and entrance exposure, flood field FPD projections were acquired using beam filters with varying thicknesses. “Ideal” pixel values were estimated by performing polynomial fits in both raw and flat field corrected projections. Residuals were calculated by taking the difference between measured and ideal pixel values to identify clustered image and FPD artifacts in flat field corrected and raw images, respectively. To correct clustered image artifacts, the ratio of ideal to measured pixel values in filtered images were utilized as pixel-specific gain correction factors, referred as PGC method, and they were tabulated as a function of pixel value in a look-up table. Results: 0.035% of detector pixels lead to clustered image artifacts in flat field corrected projections, where 80% of these pixels were traced back and linked to artifacts in the FPD. The performance of PGC method was tested in variety of imaging conditions and phantoms. The PGC method reduced clustered image artifacts and fixed pattern noise in projections, and ring artifacts in CBCT images. Conclusions: Clustered projection image artifacts that lead to ring artifacts in CBCT can be better identified with our artifact detection approach. When compared to the conventional flat field correction method, the proposed PGC method enables characterization of nonlinear pixel gain variations as a function of change in x-ray spectrum and intensity. Hence, it can better suppress image artifacts due to beam hardening as well as artifacts that arise from detector entrance exposure variation.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

DOE OSTI2015

SU-B-213-07: Panel Discussion

The North American medical physics community validates the education received by medical physicists and the clinical qualifications for medical physicists through accreditation of educational programs and certification of medical physicists. Medical physics educational programs (graduate education and residency education) are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP), whereas medical physicists are certified by several organizations, the most familiar of which is the American Board of Radiology (ABR). In order for an educational program to become accredited or a medical physicist to become certified, the applicant must meet certain specified standards set by the appropriate organization. In this Symposium, representatives from both CAMPEP and the ABR will describe the process by which standards are established as well as the process by which qualifications of candidates for accreditation or certification are shown to be compliant with these standards. The Symposium will conclude with a panel discussion. Learning Objectives: Recognize the difference between accreditation of an educational program and certification of an individual Identify the two organizations primarily responsible for these tasks Describe the development of educational standards Describe the process by which examination questions are developed GS is Executive Secretary of CAMPEP.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

DOE OSTI2015

SU-D-204-05: Quantitative Comparison of a High Resolution Micro-Angiographic Fluoroscopic (MAF) Detector with a Standard Flat Panel Detector (FPD) Using the New Metric of Generalized Measured Relative Object Detectability (GM-ROD)

Purpose: In endovascular image-guided neuro-interventions, visualization of fine detail is paramount. For example, the ability of the interventionist to visualize the stent struts depends heavily on the x-ray imaging detector performance. Methods: A study to examine the relative performance of the high resolution MAF-CMOS (pixel size 75µm, Nyquist frequency 6.6 cycles/mm) and a standard Flat Panel Detector (pixel size 194µm, Nyquist frequency 2.5 cycles/mm) detectors in imaging a neuro stent was done using the Generalized Measured Relative Object Detectability (GM-ROD) metric. Low quantum noise images of a deployed stent were obtained by averaging 95 frames obtained by both detectors without changing other exposure or geometric parameters. The square of the Fourier transform of each image is taken and divided by the generalized normalized noise power spectrum to give an effective measured task-specific signal-to-noise ratio. This expression is then integrated from 0 to each of the detector’s Nyquist frequencies, and the GM-ROD value is determined by taking a ratio of the integrals for the MAF-CMOS to that of the FPD. The lower bound of integration can be varied to emphasize high frequencies in the detector comparisons. Results: The MAF-CMOS detector exhibits vastly superior performance over the FPD when integrating over all frequencies, yielding a GM-ROD value of 63.1. The lower bound of integration was stepped up in increments of 0.5 cycles/mm for higher frequency comparisons. As the lower bound increased, the GM-ROD value was augmented, reflecting the superior performance of the MAF-CMOS in the high frequency regime. Conclusion: GM-ROD is a versatile metric that can provide quantitative detector and task dependent comparisons that can be used as a basis for detector selection. Supported by NIH Grant: 2R01EB002873 and an equipment grant from Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-I-49: Simulation Study for Removing Scatter Radiation in Cesium-Iodine Based Flat Panel Detector System

Purpose: This study aims to identify the feasibility of a novel cesium-iodine (CsI)-based flat-panel detector (FPD) for removing scatter radiation in diagnostic radiology. Methods: The indirect FPD comprises three layers: a substrate, scintillation, and thin-film-transistor (TFT) layer. The TFT layer has a matrix structure with pixels. There are ineffective dimensions on the TFT layer, such as the voltage and data lines; therefore, we devised a new FPD system having net-like lead in the substrate layer, matching the ineffective area, to block the scatter radiation so that only primary X-rays could reach the effective dimension.To evaluate the performance of this new FPD system, we conducted a Monte Carlo simulation using MCNPX 2.6.0 software. Scatter fractions (SFs) were acquired using no grid, a parallel grid (8:1 grid ratio), and the new system, and the performances were compared.Two systems having different thicknesses of lead in the substrate layer—10 and 20μm—were simulated. Additionally, we examined the effects of different pixel sizes (153×153 and 163×163μm) on the image quality, while keeping the effective area of pixels constant (143×143μm). Results: In case of 10μm lead, the SFs of the new system (∼11%) were lower than those of the other system (∼27% with no grid, ∼16% with parallel grid) at 40kV. However, as the tube voltage increased, the SF of new system (∼19%) was higher than that of parallel grid (∼18%) at 120kV. In the case of 20μm lead, the SFs of the new system were lower than those of the other systems at all ranges of the tube voltage (40–120kV). Conclusion: The novel CsI-based FPD system for removing scatter radiation is feasible for improving the image contrast but must be optimized with respect to the lead thickness, considering the system’s purposes and the ranges of the tube voltage in diagnostic radiology. This study was supported by a grant(K1422651) from Institute of Health Science, Korea University.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-I-53: Comparison of Kerma-Area-Product Between the Micro-Angiographic Fluoroscope (MAF) and a Flat Panel Detector (FPD) as Used in Neuro-Endovascular Procedures

Purpose: To determine the reduction of integral dose to the patient when using the micro-angiographic fluoroscope (MAF) compared to when using the standard flat-panel detector (FPD) for the techniques used during neurointerventional procedures. Methods: The MAF is a small field-of-view, high resolution x-ray detector which captures 1024 x 1024 pixels with an effective pixel size of 35μm and is capable of real-time imaging up to 30 frames per second. The MAF was used in neuro-interventions during those parts of the procedure when high resolution was needed and the FPD was used otherwise. The technique parameters were recorded when each detector was used and the kerma-area-product (KAP) per image frame was determined. KAP values were calculated for seven neuro interventions using premeasured calibration files of output as a function of kVp and beam filtration and included the attenuation of the patient table for the frontal projections to be more representative of integral patient dose. The air kerma at the patient entrance was multiplied by the beam area at that point to obtain the KAP values. The ranges of KAP values per frame were determined for the range of technique parameters used during the clinical procedures. To appreciate the benefit of the higher MAF resolution in the region of interventional activity, DA technique parameters were generally used with the MAF. Results: The lowest and highest values of KAP per frame for the MAF in DA mode were 4 and 50 times lower, respectively, compared to those of the FPD in pulsed fluoroscopy mode. Conclusion: The MAF was used in those parts of the clinical procedures when high resolution and image quality was essential. The integral patient dose as represented by the KAP value was substantially lower when using the MAF than when using the FPD due to the much smaller volume of tissue irradiated. This research was supported in part by Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation and NIH Grant R01EB002873.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2015

TU-G-BRB-05: Panel Discussion: Clinical Trials in Proton and Ion Therapy - Are We Ready?

Proton therapy, in particular, and ion therapy, just beginning, are becoming an increasing focus of attention in clinical radiation oncology and medical physics. Both modalities have been criticized of lacking convincing evidence from randomized trials proving their efficacy, justifying the higher costs involved in these therapies. This session will provide an overview of the current status of clinical trials in proton therapy, including recent developments in ion therapy. As alluded to in the introductory talk by Dr. Schulte, opinions are diverging widely as to the usefulness and need for clinical trials in particle therapy and the challenge of equipoise. The lectures will highlight some of the challenges that surround clinical trials in particle therapy. One, presented by Dr. Choy from UT Southwestern, is that new technology and even different types of particles such as helium and carbon ions are introduced into this environment, increasing the phase space of clinical variables. The other is the issue of medical physics quality assurance with physical phantoms, presented by Mrs. Taylor from IROC Houston, which is more challenging because 3D and 4D image guidance and active delivery techniques are in relatively early stages of development. The role of digital phantoms in developing clinical treatment planning protocols and as a QA tool will also be highlighted by Dr. Lee from NCI. The symposium will be rounded off by a panel discussion among the Symposium speakers, arguing pro or con the need and readiness for clinical trials in proton and ion therapy. Learning Objectives: To get an update on the current status of clinical trials allowing or mandating proton therapy. Learn about the status of planned clinical trials in the U.S. and worldwide involving ion therapy. Discuss the challenges in the design and QA of clinical trials in particle therapy. Learn about existing and future physical and computational anthropomorphic phantoms for charged particle clinical trial development and support. Research reported in this presentation is supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National; Institutes of Health under Award Number P20CA183640.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2016

A method for verification of treatment delivery in HDR prostate brachytherapy using a flat panel detector for both imaging and source tracking

Purpose: Verification of high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatment delivery is an important step, but is generally difficult to achieve. A technique is required to monitor the treatment as it is delivered, allowing comparison with the treatment plan and error detection. In this work, we demonstrate a method for monitoring the treatment as it is delivered and directly comparing the delivered treatment with the treatment plan in the clinical workspace. This treatment verification system is based on a flat panel detector (FPD) used for both pre-treatment imaging and source tracking. Methods: A phantom study was conducted to establish the resolution and precision of the system. A pretreatment radiograph of a phantom containing brachytherapy catheters is acquired and registration between the measurement and treatment planning system (TPS) is performed using implanted fiducial markers. The measured catheter paths immediately prior to treatment were then compared with the plan. During treatment delivery, the position of the {sup 192}Ir source is determined at each dwell position by measuring the exit radiation with the FPD and directly compared to the planned source dwell positions. Results: The registration between the two corresponding sets of fiducial markers in the TPS and radiograph yielded a registration error (residual) of 1.0 mm. The measured catheter paths agreed with the planned catheter paths on average to within 0.5 mm. The source positions measured with the FPD matched the planned source positions for all dwells on average within 0.6 mm (s.d. 0.3, min. 0.1, max. 1.4 mm). Conclusions: We have demonstrated a method for directly comparing the treatment plan with the delivered treatment that can be easily implemented in the clinical workspace. Pretreatment imaging was performed, enabling visualization of the implant before treatment delivery and identification of possible catheter displacement. Treatment delivery verification was performed by measuring the source position as each dwell was delivered. This approach using a FPD for imaging and source tracking provides a noninvasive method of acquiring extensive information for verification in HDR prostate brachytherapy.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗