IRANIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL PHYSICS
Year:2010 | Volume:7 | Issue:1 (26)|Papers Count:11

Introduction: The purpose of this work was to study the ability of MRI normoxic polymer gel dosimetry for evaluating the dose distribution in HDR brachytherapy of esophagial cancer at Imam Reza brachytherapy center (Mashhad, Iran). Materials and Methods: Initially, 2liters of normoxic gel (MAGIC) was fabricated and then poured into 12 calibration test tubes and placed in a perspex walled phantom. The gel phantom was irradiated with a brachytherapy remote-afterloader unit using a cobalt-60 brachytherapy source and the test tubes were irradiated with a range of known doses with a cobalt-60 teletherapy unit. Imaging was performed with a multi-spin-echo protocol and a T2 quantitative technique using a Siemens 1.5 T MRI machine. The MRI images were transferred to a computer and then image processing was performed in the MATLAB environment to extract R2 maps of the irradiated area. Results: In this study and at the reference point, the dose deviation between the gel dosimetry and the calculated data was 4.5%. The distance to agreement (DTA) for dose profiles was 2.7 mm. Also, dose sensitivity of the MAGIC gel dosimeter was 0.693 S-1Gy-1 (R2=0.9376). Conclusion: In this work, the data obtained from TPS calculations were found in very good agreement with the measured results provided by gel dosimetry. It was evaluated using a comparison of isodoses and dose at the reference point, and dose profile verification. It is also concluded that the gel dosimetry systems have proven to be a useful tool for dosimetry in clinical radiotherapy applications.

Introduction: We investigated the characteristic of a suitable irradiation on skin's tensional strength using design of experiments (DOE). The experiments in this research are designed in two phases and data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used for performance measurement of each phase. Material and Methods: Samples were provided from pleura as surface tissue made of collagen and elastin fibers. In each experiment, the sample was stretched before and after irradiation. Variation of the sample length was measured. Then force-length data were plotted and the slope of the fitted line was calculated. Variation in these slopes was used as a criterion to determine tissue strength variation after laser irradiation. Furthermore, the output oriented DEA model by variable return to scale was used to examine performance of the designed experiments for each phase.Results: Results of the first phase experiments showed that the main effect of time duration was significant; but this was not the case for beam radius. Regarding polarization, only its interaction effect with time duration was significant. Results of the second phase indicated that laser irradiation with parallel polarization for 10 seconds caused a greater increase in tensional strength. Resultant efficiencies of applying DEA showed that the first phase experiments were more efficient.Discussion and Conclusions: This research has combined DEA and DOE to investigate the effects of laser on skin elasticity. Comparing the results of the two phases indicates that it is more efficient to use the experimental design of phase 1 in our experiment. So for similar future studies, we suggest using more levels for experiments of phase 1 instead of doing the experimental design in two phases.

Introduction: Sonophoresis has been assessed as a novel approach to create skin permeability and drug delivery using low frequencies of ultrasound waves in the range of 20 kHz to 3 MHz. In this study, a system including seven 40 kHz piezoelectric transducers and an insulin chamber designed by the Medical Physics Research Center has been evaluated on hyperglycemic rabbits.Materials and Methods: Thirty five rabbits became hyperglycemic through Alloxan monohydrate injection and were divided into five groups. The rabbits were treated in two main groups (with insulin and ultrasound radiation in two radiation periods), one main control group and two further control groups (one group with ultrasound radiation with longer radiation period in absence of insulin and presence of normal saline; and the other group without ultrasound radiation in presence of insulin). By filling the system chamber with insulin and placing it on the skin of the abdomen and activating the piezoelectric transducers, blood samples were drawn from the animals before ultrasound irradiation and after it in specified intervals. The glucose level was measured using a glucometer and the serum insulin level was determined using a radioimmunoassay method.Results: Maximum decrease in glucose level was recorded for a 20 minute irradiation in a 180 minute period, and the highest increase in insulin level was recorded for the10 minute radiation group in a 60 minute period.Discussion and Conclusion: Because rapid uptake and reaching a peak in a short time and its swift decrease make a good scheme for controlling glucose level after meals, the 10 minute radiation seems to be more suitable. Also, it is predicted that irradiation time in the interval between food consumption and use of the instrument is critical.

Introduction: Multiple fields and presence of heterogeneities create complex dose distributions that need three dimensional dosimetry. In this work, we investigated MR-based MAGIC gel dosimetry as a three-dimensional dosimetry technique to measure the delivered dose to bladder and rectum in prostate radiation therapy. Materials and Methods: A heterogeneous slab phantom including bones was made. Paired cubes in the phantom representing bladder and prostate and a cylindrical container representing rectum were filled with MAGIC gel and placed in the anthropomorphic pelvic phantom. The phantom was irradiated with four beams as planned using a treatment planning system (TPS). Magnetic resonance transverse relaxation rate images were acquired and turned into dose distribution maps using a calibration curve. This calibration curve was obtained by linear fitting to R2 values of 4 test tubes against their given known doses. Image processing and data analysis were performed in MATLAB7 software. The gel dosimeter was validated using an ionization chamber. Dose maps and dose volume histograms (DVHs) were compared with dose distributions and DVHs of the TPS.Results: Mean “distance-to-agreement” and mean “dose difference” were 2.98 mm and 6.2%, respectively, in the comparison of profiles obtained from ionization chamber and gel dosimetry. Mean relative difference of DVHs between gel dosimetry and TPS data were 3.04%, 10.4% and 11.7%, for prostate, bladder and rectum, respectively.Discussion and Conclusions: Gel dosimetry is a good method for three dimensional dosimetry although it has a low precision in high dose gradient regions. This method can be used for evaluation of complicated dose distribution accuracy in 3D conformal radiotherapy, especially in presence of heterogeneities.

Introduction: Nowadays radiosensitive polymer gels are used as a reliable dosimetry tool for verification of 3D dose distributions. Special characteristics of these dosimeters have made them useful for verification of complex dose distributions in clinical situations. The aim of this work was to evaluate the capability of a normoxic polymer gel to determine electron dose distributions in different slab phantoms in presence of small heterogeneities. Materials and Methods: Different cylindrical phantoms consisting gel were used under slab phantoms during each irradiation. MR images of irradiated gel phantoms were obtained to determine their R2 relaxation maps. 1D and 2D lateral dose profiles were acquired at depths of 1 cm for an 8 MeV beam and 1 and 4 cm for the 15 MeV energy, and then compared with the lateral dose profiles measured using a diode detector. In addition, 3D dose distributions around these heterogeneities for the same energies and depths were measured using a gel dosimeter. Results: Dose resolution for MR gel images at the range of 0-10 Gy was less than 1.55 Gy. Mean dose difference and distance to agreement (DTA) for dose profiles were 2.6% and 2.2 mm, respectively. The results of the MAGIC-type polymer gel for bone heterogeneity at 8 MeV showed a reduction in dose of approximately 50%, and 30% and 10% at depths 1 and 4 cm at 15 MeV. However, for air heterogeneity increases in dose of approximately 50% at depth 1 cm under the heterogeneity at 8 MeV and 20% and 45% respectively at 15 MeV were observed. Discussion and Conclusion: Generally, electron beam distributions are significantly altered in the presence of tissue inhomogeneities such as bone and air cavities, this being related to mass stopping and mass scattering powers of heterogeneous materials. At the same time, hot and cold scatter lobes under heterogeneity regions due to scatter edge effects were also seen. However, these effects (increased dose, reduced dose, hot and cold spots) at deeper depths, are compensated with the contributions of scattered electrons. Our study showed that normoxic polymer gels are reliable detectors for determination of electron dose distributions due to their characteristics such as tissue equivalence, energy independence, and 2D and 3D dose visualization capabilities.

Introduction: Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is one of the cancer treatment methods. It is important to selectively aim at the target in this way, which can be performed using a multileaf collimator (MLC).Materials and Methods: In order to specifically irradiate the target volume in radiotherapy to reduce the patient absorbed dose, the use of multileaf collimator has been investigated in this work. Design and simulation of an MLC was performed by a Monte Carlo method and the optimum material for manufacturing the leaves was determined using MCNP4C. After image processing (CT or MRI) in this system, the tumor configuration is determined. Then the linear accelerator is switched on and the beam irradiates the cancerous cells. When the MLC leaves receive a command from the microcontroller, they start to move and absorb the radiation and modulate its intensity. Consequently, the tumor receives maximum intensity of radiation but minimum intensity is delivered to healthy tissues.Results: According to the simulations and calculations, the best material to manufacture the leaves from is tungsten alloy containing copper and nickel which absorbs a large amount of the radiation; by using a 8.65 cm thickness of alloy, 10.55% of radiation will transmit through the leaves.Discussion and Conclusion: Lead blocks are conventionally used in radiotherapy. However, they have some problems like cost, storage and manufacture for every patient. Certainly, the MLC is the most efficient device to specifically irradiate the tumor in IMRT. Furthermore, it facilitates treating the target in different views by rotation around the patient. Thus the patient’s absorbed dose will decrease and the tumor will receive maximum dose.

Introduction: The term glaucoma refers to a group of diseases that have a characteristic optic neuropathy with associated visual field loss in common. Intraocular pressure has been considered to be the only causal factor for glaucoma and the only factor that can be manipulated to alter the course of the disease. But considering high intraocular pressure as the only factor responsible for glaucoma confronts us with two problems. First, measurement methods of intraocular pressure are based on superficial pressure of the cornea, therefore, some factors such as corneal thickness and geometrical errors of measurement are included. Second, risk of glaucoma damage changes by changing scleral thickness and size of the eye globe even with equal intraocular pressures. So, there should be some other factors than pressure, which are responsible for glaucoma. Hypothesis: Here, this hypothesis is proposed: stress is responsible for glaucoma and intraocular pressure is just one of the determinants of stress, whereas stress is also dependent on other factors including radius and thickness of sclera. Stress causes strain and obstruction of retinal vessels. Discussion: In fact, a series of factors together determine whether an individual will be affected with glaucoma or not. These factors include intraocular pressure, scleral thickness, radius of the eye globe, and optic nerve head compliance against increased stress. Our hypothesis can explain the existence of normal-pressure glaucoma. It presents a better method for screening of glaucoma and new modalities for glaucoma treatment.

Introduction: In this paper, a novel complexity measure is proposed to detect dynamical changes in nonlinear systems using ordinal pattern analysis of time series data taken from the system. Epilepsy is considered as a dynamical change in nonlinear and complex brain system. The ability of the proposed measure for characterizing the normal and epileptic EEG signals when the signal is short or is contaminated with noise is investigated and compared with some traditional chaos-based measures.Materials and Methods: In the proposed method, the phase space of the time series is reconstructed and then partitioned using ordinal patterns. The partitions can be labeled using a set of symbols. Therefore, the state trajectory is converted to a symbol sequence. A finite state machine is then constructed to model the sequence. A new complexity measure is proposed to detect dynamical changes using the state transition matrix of the state machine. The proposed complexity measure was applied to detect epilepsy in short and noisy EEG signals and the results were compared with some chaotic measures.Results: The results indicate that this complexity measure can distinguish normal and epileptic EEG signals with an accuracy of more than 97% for clean EEG and more than 75% for highly noised EEG signals.Discussion and Conclusion: The complexity measure can be computed in a very fast and easy way and, unlike traditional chaotic measures, is robust with respect to noise corrupting the data. This measure is also capable of dynamical change detection in short time series data.