Search

BackgroundBrain radiosurgery treatments require multiple quality-assurance (QA) procedures to ensure accurate and precise treatment delivery of ablative doses. As single-isocenter multitarget radiosurgery treatments become more popular for treating patients with multiple brain metastases, quantifying off-axis accuracy of linear accelerators is crucial. In this study, we developed a novel brain radiosurgery integrated phantom and validated this phantom at multiple institutions to enable radiosurgery QA with a single phantom to facilitate implementation of a frameless single-isocenter, multitarget radiosurgery program. The phantom combines multiple independent verification system tests including the Winston-Lutz test, off-axis accuracy evaluation (i.e., off-axis Winston-Lutz), as well as dosimetric measurements utilizing both point dose and film measurement.Methods and materialsA novel 3D-printed phantom, coined OneIso, was designed with a movable insert which can switch between Winston-Lutz test targets and dose measurement without moving the phantom itself. In total, four phantoms were printed, and eight institutions participated in this study, which included both Varian TrueBeam (n=6) and Elekta Versa (n=2) linear accelerators. For off-axis Winston-Lutz measurements, a row of off-axis ball-bearings (BBs) was integrated into the OneIso. To quantify the spatial accuracy versus distance from isocenter, two-dimensional displacements were calculated between the planned and delivered BB locations relative to their respective MLC-defined field borders. For dose verification, brain radiosurgery clinical treatment plans previously treated were delivered at multiple cancer centers (six of eight centers). Radiochromic film and pinpoint ion chamber comparison measurements were obtained with OneIso.ResultsDose verification performed using the OneIso phantom across the different centers were all within on average 3% agreement, for both film and point-dose measurements. OneIso identified a reduction in spatial accuracy further away from isocenter for all eight radiosurgery machines. Differences increased as distance from isocenter increased, exceeding recommended radiosurgery accuracy tolerances (

PurposeRadiation dose delivered to targets located near the upper abdomen or thorax are significantly affected by respiratory motion, necessitating large margins, limiting dose escalation. Surrogate motion management devices, such as the Real-time Position Management (RPM™) system (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA), are commonly used to improve normal tissue sparing. Alternative to current solutions, we have developed and evaluated the feasibility of a real-time position management system that leverages the motion data from the onboard hardware of Apple iOS devices to provide patients with visual coaching with the potential to improve the reproducibility of breathing as well as improve patient compliance and reduce treatment delivery time.Methods and materialsThe iOS application, coined the Instant Respiratory Feedback (IRF) system, was developed in Swift (Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA) using the Core-Motion library and implemented on an Apple iPhone® devices. Operation requires an iPhone®, a three-dimensional printed arm, and a radiolucent projector screen system for feedback. Direct comparison between IRF, which leverages sensor fusion data from the iPhone®, and RPM™, an optical-based system, was performed on multiple respiratory motion phantoms and volunteers. The IRF system and RPM™ camera tracking marker were placed on the same location allowing for simultaneous data acquisition. The IRF surrogate measurement of displacement was compared to the signal trace acquired using RPM™ with univariate linear regressions and Bland-Altman analysis.ResultsPeriodic motion shows excellent agreement between both systems, and subject motion shows good agreement during regular and irregular breathing motion. Comparison of IRF and RPM™ show very similar signal traces that were significantly related across all phantoms, including those motion with different amplitude and frequency, and subjects' waveforms (all r > 0.9, P

Background: Brain radiosurgery treatments require multiple quality-assurance (QA) procedures to ensure accurate and precise treatment delivery of ablative doses. As single-isocenter multitarget radiosurgery treatments become more popular for treating patients with multiple brain metastases, quantifying off-axis accuracy of linear accelerators is crucial. In this study, we developed a novel brain radiosurgery integrated phantom and validated this phantom at multiple institutions to enable radiosurgery QA with a single phantom to facilitate implementation of a frameless single-isocenter, multitarget radiosurgery program. The phantom combines multiple independent verification system tests including the Winston-Lutz test, off-axis accuracy evaluation (i.e., off-axis Winston-Lutz), as well as dosimetric measurements utilizing both point dose and film measurement. Methods and materials: A novel 3D-printed phantom, coined OneIso , was designed with a movable insert which can switch between Winston-Lutz test targets and dose measurement without moving the phantom itself. In total, four phantoms were printed, and eight institutions participated in this study, which included both Varian TrueBeam (n=6) and Elekta Versa (n=2) linear accelerators. For off-axis Winston-Lutz measurements, a row of off-axis ball-bearings (BBs) was integrated into the OneIso. To quantify the spatial accuracy versus distance from isocenter, two-dimensional displacements were calculated between the planned and delivered BB locations relative to their respective MLC-defined field borders. For dose verification, brain radiosurgery clinical treatment plans previously treated were delivered at multiple cancer centers (six of eight centers). Radiochromic film and pinpoint ion chamber comparison measurements were obtained with OneIso. Results: Dose verification performed using the OneIso phantom across the different centers were all within on average 3% agreement, for both film and point-dose measurements. OneIso identified a reduction in spatial accuracy further away from isocenter for all eight radiosurgery machines. Differences increased as distance from isocenter increased, exceeding recommended radiosurgery accuracy tolerances (<1mm) at different distances for each machine (2-7cm), indicating that the tolerance is machine-dependent. Conclusion: OneIso provides a streamlined, single-setup workflow for single-isocenter multitarget frameless linac-based radiosurgery QA that can be easily translated to multiple institutions. Additionally, quantifying off-axis spatial discrepancies allows for determination of the maximum distance between targets and iso that meet single-isocenter multitarget radiosurgery program recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the atomic structure of amorphous solids is important in predicting and tuning their macroscopic behavior. Here, we use a combination of high-energy X-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, and molecular dynamics simulations to benchmark the atomic interactions in the high temperature stable liquid and low-density amorphous solid states of hafnia. The diffraction results reveal an average Hf-O coordination number of ~7 exists in both the liquid and amorphous nanoparticle forms studied. The measured pair distribution functions are compared to those generated from several simulation models in the literature. We have also performed ab initio and classical molecular dynamics simulations that show density has a strong effect on the polyhedral connectivity. The liquid shows a broad distribution of Hf-Hf interactions, while the formation of low-density amorphous nanoclusters can reproduce the sharp split peak in the Hf-Hf partial pair distribution function observed in experiment. The agglomeration of amorphous nanoparticles condensed from the gas phase is associated with the formation of both edge-sharing and corner-sharing HfO6,7 polyhedra resembling that observed in the monoclinic phase.

Lung blocks for total-body irradiation are commonly used to reduce lung dose and prevent radiation pneumonitis. Currently, molten Cerrobend containing toxic materials, specifically lead and cadmium, is poured into molds to construct blocks. We propose a streamlined method to create 3-dimensional (3D)-printed lung block shells and fill them with tungsten ball bearings to remove lead and improve overall accuracy in the block manufacturing workflow. 3D-printed lung block shells were automatically generated using an inhouse software, printed, and filled with 2 to 3 mm diameter tungsten ball bearings. Clinical Cerrobend blocks were compared with the physician drawn blocks as well as our proposed tungsten filled 3D-printed blocks. Physical and dosimetric comparisons were performed on a linac. Dose transmission through the Cerrobend and 3D-printed blocks were measured using point dosimetry (ion-chamber) and the on-board Electronic-Portal-Imaging-Device (EPID). Dose profiles from the EPID images were used to compute the full-width-half-maximum and to compare with the treatment-planning-system. Additionally, the coefficient-of-variation in the central 80% of full-width-half-maximum was computed and compared between Cerrobend and 3D-printed blocks. The geometric difference between treatment-planning-system and 3D-printed blocks was significantly lower than Cerrobend blocks (3D: –0.88 ± 2.21 mm, Cerrobend: –2.28 ± 2.40 mm, P =.0002). Dosimetrically, transmission measurements through the 3D-printed and Cerrobend blocks for both ion-chamber and EPID dosimetry were between 42% to 48%, compared with the open field. Additionally, coefficient-of-variation was significantly higher in 3D-printed blocks versus Cerrobend blocks (3D: 4.2% ± 0.6%, Cerrobend: 2.6% ± 0.7%, P <.0001). We designed and implemented a tungsten filled 3D-printed workflow for constructing total-body-irradiation lung blocks, which serves as an alternative to the traditional Cerrobend based workflow currently used in clinics. This workflow has the capacity of producing clinically useful lung blocks with minimal effort to facilitate the removal of toxic materials from the clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Color centers in diamond play a central role in the development of quantum photonic technologies, and their importance is only expected to grow in the near future. For many quantum applications, high collection efficiency from individual emitters is required, but the refractive index mismatch between diamond and air limits the optimal collection efficiency with conventional diamond device geometries. While different out-coupling methods with near-unity efficiency exist, many have yet to be realized due to current limitations in nanofabrication methods, especially for mechanically hard materials like diamond. Here, we leverage electron-beam-induced etching to modify Sn-implanted diamond quantum microchiplets containing integrated waveguides with a width and thickness of 280 nm and 200 nm, respectively. This approach allows for simultaneous high-resolution imaging and modification of the host matrix with an open geometry and direct writing. When coupled with the cathodoluminescence signal generated from the electron–emitter interactions, we can monitor the enhancement of the quantum emitters in real-time with nanoscale spatial resolution. The operando cathodoluminescence measurement and fabrication around single photon emitters demonstrated here provide a new foundation for the potential control of emitter–cavity interactions in integrated quantum photonics.

We analyze the recent temperature dependent oxygen-oxygen pair-distribution functions from experimental high-precision x-ray diffraction data of bulk water by Skinner et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 141, 214507 (2014)] with particular focus on the intermediate range where small, but significant, correlations are found out to 17 Å. The second peak in the pair-distribution function at 4.5 Å is connected to tetrahedral coordination and was shown by Skinner et al. to change behavior with temperature below the temperature of minimum isothermal compressibility. Here we show that this is associated also with a peak growing at 11 Å which strongly indicates a collective character of fluctuations leading to the enhanced compressibility at lower temperatures. We note that the peak at ~13.2 Å exhibits a temperature dependence similar to that of the density with a maximum close to 277 K or 4 °C. We analyze simulations of the TIP4P/2005 water model in the same manner and find excellent agreement between simulations and experiment albeit with a temperature shift of ~20 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The dosimetric properties of inverse Compton (IC) x‐ray sources were investigated to determine their utility for stereotactic radiation therapy. Methods: Monte Carlo simulations were performed using the egs brachy user code of EGSnrc. Nominal IC source x‐ray energies of 80 and 150 keV were considered in this work. Depth‐dose and lateral dose profiles in water were calculated, as was dose enhancement in the bone. Further simulations were performed for brain and spine treatment sites. The impact of gold nanoparticle doping was also investigated for the brain treatment site. Analogous dose calculations were performed in a clinical treatment planning system using a clinical 6 MV photon beam model and were compared to the Monte Carlo simulations. Results: Both 80 and 150 keV IC beams were observed to have sharp 80–20 penumbra (i.e., < 0.1 mm) with broad low‐dose tails in water. For reference, the calculated penumbra for the 6 MV clinical beam was 3 mm. Maximum dose enhancement factors in bone of 3.1, 1.4, and 1.1 were observed for the 80, 150 keV, and clinical 6 MV beams, respectively. The plan quality for the single brain metastasis case was similar between the IC beams and the 6 MV beam without gold nanoparticles. As the concentration of gold within the target increased, the V12 Gy to the normal brain tissue and Dmax within the target volume significantly decreased and the conformity significantly improved, which resulted in superior plan quality over the clinical 6 MV beam plan. In the spine cases, the sharp penumbra and enhanced dose to bone of the IC beams produced superior plan quality (i.e., better conformity, normal tissue sparing, and spinal cord sparing) as compared to the clinical 6 MV beam plans. Conclusions: The findings from this work indicate that inverse Compton x‐ray sources are well suited for stereotactic radiotherapy treatments due to their sharp penumbra and dose enhancement around high atomic number materials. Future work includes investigating the properties of intensity‐modulated inverse Compton x‐ray sources to improve the homogeneity within the target tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]