bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
MO‐D‐213‐04: The Proximity to the Skin of PTV Affects PTV Coverage and Skin Dose for TomoTherapy
Authors: Reynolds T , Higgins P , Watanabe Y 
Published: June 2015

Purpose:The proximity to the skin surface of the PTV for the patients with skin disease could be a concern in terms of the PTV coverage and actual surface dose (SD). IMRT optimization algorithms increase the beam intensity close to the skin in order to compensate for lack of scattering material, leading to enhanced SD but potential hot spots. This study aims to investigate the effect of PTV proximity to the skin on planning and measured SDMethods:All measurements were done for 6 MV X‐ray beam of Helical TomoTherapy. An anthropomorphic phantom was scanned in a CT simulator in a routine manner with thermoplastic mask immobilization. PTVs were created with varying distances to the skin of 0 mm ‐(PTV1), 1 mm‐ (PTV2), 2 mm‐(PTV3) and 3 mm‐(PTV4). Also, a 5 mm bolus was used with PTV1 (PTV5). All planning constraints were kept the same in all studies (hard constraint: 95% of the prescription dose covered 95% of the PTV). Gafchromic film (EBT3) was placed under the mask on the phantom surface, and the resulting dose was estimated using RIT software.Results:Optimizing the dose using different PTVs lead to average planned target doses of 10.8, 10.3, 10.2, 10.3 and 10.0 Gy, with maximum doses 12.2, 11.2, 11.1, 11.1 and 10.0 Gy for PTV1, PTV2, PTV3, PTV4 and PTV5, respectively. EBT3 measurements indicated a significant decrease of SD with skin distance by 12.7% (PTV1), 21.9% (PTV2), 24.8% (PTV3) and 28.4% (PTV4) comparing to prescription dose. Placement of a 5 mm bolus on the phantom surface resulted in a SD close to prescribed (+0.5%).Conclusion:This work provides a clear demonstration of the relationship between the skin dose and the PTV to the skin distance. The results indicate the necessity of a bolus even for TomoTherapy when high skin dose is required.
MO‐D‐213‐07: RadShield: Semi‐ Automated Calculation of Air Kerma Rate and Barrier Thickness
Authors: DeLorenzo M , Wu D , Rutel I , Yang K 
Published: June 2015

Purpose:To develop the first Java‐based semi‐automated calculation program intended to aid professional radiation shielding design. Air‐kerma rate and barrier thickness calculations are performed by implementing NCRP Report 147 formalism into a Graphical User Interface (GUI). The ultimate aim of this newly created software package is to reduce errors and improve radiographic and fluoroscopic room designs over manual approaches.Methods:Floor plans are first imported as images into the RadShield software program. These plans serve as templates for drawing barriers, occupied regions and x‐ray tube locations. We have implemented sub‐GUIs that allow the specification in regions and equipment for occupancy factors, design goals, number of patients, primary beam directions, source‐to‐patient distances and workload distributions. Once the user enters the above parameters, the program automatically calculates air‐kerma rate at sampled points beyond all barriers. For each sample point, a corresponding minimum barrier thickness is calculated to meet the design goal. RadShield allows control over preshielding, sample point location and material types.Results:A functional GUI package was developed and tested. Examination of sample walls and source distributions yields a maximum percent difference of less than 0.1% between hand‐calculated air‐kerma rates and RadShield.Conclusion:The initial results demonstrated that RadShield calculates air‐kerma rates and required barrier thicknesses with reliable accuracy and can be used to make radiation shielding design more efficient and accurate. This newly developed approach differs from conventional calculation methods in that it finds air‐kerma rates and thickness requirements for many points outside the barriers, stores the information and selects the largest value needed to comply with NCRP Report 147 design goals. Floor plans, parameters, designs and reports can be saved and accessed later for modification and recalculation. We have confirmed that this software accurately calculates air‐kerma rates and required barrier thicknesses for diagnostic radiography and fluoroscopic rooms.
MO‐DE‐304‐00: Workforce Assessment Committee Update
Authors: Mills Michael 
Published: June 2015

The Abt study of medical physicist work values for radiation oncology physics services, Round IV is completed. It supersedes the Abt III study of 2008. The 2015 Abt study measured qualified medical physicist (QMP) work associated with routine radiation oncology procedures as well as some special procedures. As before, a work model was created to allow the medical physicist to defend QMP work based on both routine and special procedures service mix. The work model can be used to develop a cost justification report for setting charges for radiation oncology physics services. The Abt study Round IV was designed to empower the medical physicist to negotiate a service or employment contract with providers based on measured national QMP workforce and staffing data.For a variety of reasons, the diagnostic imaging contingent of AAPM has had a more difficult time trying estimate workforce requirements than their therapy counterparts. Over the past several years, the Diagnostic Work and Workforce Study Subcommittee (DWWSS) has collected survey data from AAPM members, but the data have been very difficult to interpret. The DWWSS has reached out to include more AAPM volunteers to create a more full and accurate representation of actual clinical practice models on the subcommittee. Though much work remains, through hours of discussion and brainstorming, the DWWSS has somewhat of a clear path forward. This talk will provide attendees with an update on the efforts of the subcommittee.Learning Objectives:

Understand the new information documented in the Abt studies.
Understand how to use the Abt studies to justify medical physicist staffing.
Learn relevant historical information on imaging physicist workforce.
Understand the process of the DWWSS in 2014.
Understand the intended path forward for the DWWSS.
MO‐D‐BRD‐00: Electronic Brachytherapy
Authors: Culberson Wesley 
Published: June 2015

Electronic brachytherapy (eBT) has seen an insurgence of manufacturers entering the US market for use in radiation therapy. In addition to the established interstitial, intraluminary, and intracavitary applications of eBT, many centers are now using eBT to treat skin lesions. It is important for medical physicists working with electronic brachytherapy sources to understand the basic physics principles of the sources themselves as well as the variety of applications for which they are being used. The calibration of the sources is different from vendor to vendor and the traceability of calibrations has evolved as new sources came to market. In 2014, a new air‐kerma based standard was introduced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to measure the output of an eBT source. Eventually commercial treatment planning systems should accommodate this new standard and provide NIST traceability to the end user. The calibration and commissioning of an eBT system is unique to its application and typically entails a list of procedural recommendations by the manufacturer. Commissioning measurements are performed using a variety of methods, some of which are modifications of existing AAPM Task Group protocols. A medical physicist should be familiar with the different AAPM Task Group recommendations for applicability to eBT and how to properly adapt them to their needs. In addition to the physical characteristics of an eBT source, the photon energy is substantially lower than from HDR Ir‐192 sources. Consequently, tissue‐specific dosimetry and radiobiological considerations are necessary when comparing these brachytherapy modalities and when making clinical decisions as a radiation therapy team. In this session, the physical characteristics and calibration methodologies of eBt sources will be presented as well as radiobiology considerations and other important clinical considerations.Learning Objectives:

To understand the basic principles of electronic brachytherapy and the various applications for which it is being used.
To understand the physics of the calibration and commissioning for electronic brachytherapy sources
To understand the unique radiobiology and clinical implementation of electronic brachytherapy systems for skin and IORT techniques
Xoft, Inc. contributed funding toward development of the NIST electronic brachytherapy facility (Michael Mitch).The University of Wisconsin (Wesley Culberson) has received research support funding from Xoft, Inc. Zoubir Ouhib has received partial funding from Elekta Esteya.
MO‐D‐BRD‐03: Radiobiology and Commissioning of Electronic Brachytherapy for IORT
Authors: Zhang J. 
Published: June 2015

Electronic brachytherapy (eBT) has seen an insurgence of manufacturers entering the US market for use in radiation therapy. In addition to the established interstitial, intraluminary, and intracavitary applications of eBT, many centers are now using eBT to treat skin lesions. It is important for medical physicists working with electronic brachytherapy sources to understand the basic physics principles of the sources themselves as well as the variety of applications for which they are being used. The calibration of the sources is different from vendor to vendor and the traceability of calibrations has evolved as new sources came to market. In 2014, a new air‐kerma based standard was introduced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to measure the output of an eBT source. Eventually commercial treatment planning systems should accommodate this new standard and provide NIST traceability to the end user. The calibration and commissioning of an eBT system is unique to its application and typically entails a list of procedural recommendations by the manufacturer. Commissioning measurements are performed using a variety of methods, some of which are modifications of existing AAPM Task Group protocols. A medical physicist should be familiar with the different AAPM Task Group recommendations for applicability to eBT and how to properly adapt them to their needs. In addition to the physical characteristics of an eBT source, the photon energy is substantially lower than from HDR Ir‐192 sources. Consequently, tissue‐specific dosimetry and radiobiological considerations are necessary when comparing these brachytherapy modalities and when making clinical decisions as a radiation therapy team. In this session, the physical characteristics and calibration methodologies of eBt sources will be presented as well as radiobiology considerations and other important clinical considerations.Learning Objectives:

To understand the basic principles of electronic brachytherapy and the various applications for which it is being used.
To understand the physics of the calibration and commissioning for electronic brachytherapy sources
To understand the unique radiobiology and clinical implementation of electronic brachytherapy systems for skin and IORT techniques
Xoft, Inc. contributed funding toward development of the NIST electronic brachytherapy facility (Michael Mitch).The University of Wisconsin (Wesley Culberson) has received research support funding from Xoft, Inc. Zoubir Ouhib has received partial funding from Elekta Esteya.
MO‐DE‐BRA‐02: From Teaching to Learning: Systems‐Based‐Practice and Practice‐Based‐Learning Innovations in Medical Physics Education Programs
Authors: Kapur A 
Published: June 2015

Purpose:The increasing complexity in the field of radiation medicine and concomitant rise in patient safety concerns call for enhanced systems‐level training for future medical physicists and thus commensurate innovations in existing educational program curricula. In this work we report on the introduction of three learning opportunities to augment medical physics educational programs towards building systems‐based practice and practice‐based learning competencies.Methods:All initiatives were introduced for senior ‐level graduate students and physics residents in an institution with a newly established medical‐physics graduate program and therapeutic‐physics residency program. The first, centered on incident learning, was based on a spreadsheet tool that incorporated the reporting structure of the Radiation Oncology‐incident Learning System (ROILS), included 120 narratives of published incidents and enabled inter‐rater variability calculations. The second, centered on best‐practices, was a zero‐credit seminar course, where students summarized select presentations from the AAPM virtual library on a weekly basis and moderated class discussions using a point/counterpoint approach. Presentation styles were critiqued. The third; centered on learning‐by‐teaching, required physics residents to regularly explain fundamental concepts in radiological physics from standard textbooks to board certified physics faculty members.Results:Use of the incident‐learning system spreadsheet provided a platform to recast known accidents into the framework of ROILS, thereby increasing awareness of factors contributing to unsafe practice and appreciation for inter‐rater variability. The seminar course enhanced awareness of best practices, the effectiveness of presentation styles and encouraged critical thinking. The learn‐by‐teaching rotation allowed residents to stay abreast of and deepen their knowledge of relevant subjects.Conclusion:The incorporation of systems‐driven initiatives broadens comprehension of the wider systems context of medical physics, enhances awareness of resources for innovation, communication and sustained learning while maintaining a metric‐driven focus on patient safety within the formative phase of student careers. The initiatives were well‐received, feasible, and utilized available or shared‐resources translatable across educational programs.
MO‐DE‐BRA‐03: TOPAS_edu: A Window Into the Stochastic World Through the TOPAS Tool for Particle Simulation
Authors: Perl J , Villagomez‐Bernabe B , Currell F 
Published: June 2015

Purpose:The stochastic nature of the subatomic world presents a challenge for physics education. Even experienced physicists can be amazed at the varied behavior of electrons, x‐rays, protons, neutrons, ions and the any short‐lived particles that make up the overall behavior of our accelerators, brachytherapy sources and medical imaging systems. The all‐particle Monte Carlo particle transport tool, TOPAS Tool for Particle Simulation, originally developed for proton therapy research, has been repurposed into a physics teaching tool, TOPAS_edu.Methods:TOPAS_edu students set up simulated particle sources, collimators, scatterers, imagers and scoring setups by writing simple ASCII files (in the TOPAS Parameter Control System format). Students visualize geometry setups and particle trajectories in a variety of modes from OpenGL graphics to VRML 3D viewers to gif and PostScript image files. Results written to simple comma separated values files are imported by the student into their preferred data analysis tool. Students can vary random seeds or adjust parameters of physics processes to better understand the stochastic nature of subatomic physics.Results:TOPAS_edu has been successfully deployed as the centerpiece of a physics course for master's students at Queen's University Belfast. Tutorials developed there takes students through a step by step course on the basics of particle transport and interaction, scattering, Bremsstrahlung, etc. At each step in the course, students build simulated experimental setups and then analyze the simulated results. Lessons build one upon another so that a student might end up with a full simulation of a medical accelerator, a water‐phantom or an imager.Conclusion:TOPAS_edu was well received by students. A second application of TOPAS_edu is currently in development at Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland. It is our eventual goal to make TOPAS_edu available free of charge to any non‐profit organization, along with associated tutorial materials developed by the TOPAS_edu community.Work supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy under contract number DE‐AC02‐76SF00515. B. Villagomez‐Bernabe is supported by CONACyT (Mexican Council for Science and Technology) project 231844.
MO‐DE‐BRA‐04: The CREATE Medical Physics Research Training Network: Training of New Generation Innovators
Authors: Seuntjens J , Beaulieu L , Collins L , Despres P , Devic S , El Naqa I , Nadeau J , Pike B , Reader A 
Published: June 2015

Purpose:Over the past century, physicists have played a major role in transforming scientific discovery into everyday clinical applications. However, with the increasingly stringent requirements to regulate medical physics as a health profession, the role of physicists as scientists and innovators has become at serious risk of erosion. These challenges trigger the need for a new, revolutionized training program at the graduate level that respects scientific rigor, attention for medical physics‐relevant developments in basic sciences, innovation and entrepreneurship.Methods:A grant proposal was funded by the Collaborative REsearch and Training Experience program (CREATE) of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada. This enabled the creation of the Medical Physics Research Training Network (MPRTN) around two CAMPEP‐accredited medical physics programs. Members of the network consist of medical device companies, government (research and regulatory) and academia. The MPRTN/CREATE program proposes a curriculum with three main themes: (1) radiation physics, (2) imaging & image processing and (3) radiation response, outcomes and modeling.Results:The MPRTN was created mid 2013 (mprtn.com) and features (1) four new basic Ph.D. courses; (2) industry participation in research projects; (3) formal job‐readiness training with involvement of guest faculty from academia, government and industry. MPRTN activities since 2013 include 22 conferences; 7 workshops and 4 exchange travels. Three patents were filed or issued, nine awards/best papers were won. Fifteen journal publications were accepted/published, 102 conference abstracts. There are now 13 industry partners.Conclusion:A medical physics research training network has been set up with the goal to harness graduate student's job‐readiness for industry, government and academia in addition to the conventional clinical role. Two years after inception, significant successes have been booked, but the true challenge will be to demonstrate that with this training philosophy CREATE scholars gain access to a much broader job market.Supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Canada
MO‐DE‐BRA‐05: Developing Effective Medical Physics Knowledge Structures: Models and Methods
Authors: Sprawls P 
Published: June 2015

Purpose:Develop a method and supporting online resources to be used by medical physics educators for teaching medical imaging professionals and trainees so they develop highly‐effective physics knowledge structures that can contribute to improved diagnostic image quality on a global basis.Methods:The different types of mental knowledge structures were analyzed and modeled with respect to both the learning and teaching process for their development and the functions or tasks that can be performed with the knowledge. While symbolic verbal and mathematical knowledge structures are very important in medical physics for many purposes, the tasks of applying physics in clinical imaging‐‐especially to optimize image quality and diagnostic accuracy‐‐requires a sensory conceptual knowledge structure, specifically, an interconnected network of visually based concepts. This type of knowledge supports tasks such as analysis, evaluation, problem solving, interacting, and creating solutions. Traditional educational methods including lectures, online modules, and many texts are serial procedures and limited with respect to developing interconnected conceptual networks. A method consisting of the synergistic combination of on‐site medical physics teachers and the online resource, CONET (Concept network developer), has been developed and made available for the topic Radiographic Image Quality. This was selected as the inaugural topic, others to follow, because it can be used by medical physicists teaching the large population of medical imaging professionals, such as radiology residents, who can apply the knowledge.Results:Tutorials for medical physics educators on developing effective knowledge structures are being presented and published and CONET is available with open access for all to use.Conclusion:An adjunct to traditional medical physics educational methods with the added focus on sensory concept development provides opportunities for medical physics teachers to share their knowledge and experience at a higher cognitive level and produce medical professionals with the enhanced ability to apply physics to clinical procedures.
MO‐DE‐303‐03
Authors: Bowen S. 
Published: June 2015

This session will focus on quantitative imaging for assessment of tumor response to radiation therapy. This is a technically challenging method to translate to practice in radiation therapy. In the new era of precision medicine, however, delivering the right treatment, to the right patient, and at the right time, can positively impact treatment choices and patient outcomes. Quantitative imaging provides the spatial sensitivity required by radiation therapy for precision medicine that is not available by other means.In this Joint ESTRO ‐AAPM Symposium, three leading‐edge investigators will present specific motivations for quantitative imaging biomarkers in radiation therapy of esophageal, head and neck, locally advanced non‐small cell lung cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Experiences with the use of dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI, diffusion‐ weighted (DW) MRI, PET/CT, and SPECT/CT will be presented. Issues covered will include: response prediction, dose‐painting, timing between therapy and imaging, within‐therapy biomarkers, confounding effects, normal tissue sparing, dose‐response modeling, and association with clinical biomarkers and outcomes. Current information will be presented from investigational studies and clinical practice.Learning Objectives:

Learn motivations for the use of quantitative imaging biomarkers for assessment of response to radiation therapy
Review the potential areas of application in cancer therapy
Examine the challenges for translation, including imaging confounds and paucity of evidence to date
Compare exemplary examples of the current state of the art in DCE‐MRI, DW‐MRI, PET/CT and SPECT/CT imaging for assessment of response to radiation therapy
Van der Heide: Research grants from the Dutch Cancer Society and the European Union (FP7)Bowen: RSNA Scholar grant
MO‐DE‐207‐04
Authors: Krishnamurthy R. 
Published: June 2015

This imaging educational program will focus on solutions to common pediatric imaging challenges. The speakers will present collective knowledge on best practices in pediatric imaging from their experience at dedicated children's hospitals. The educational program will begin with a detailed discussion of the optimal configuration of fluoroscopes for general pediatric procedures. Following this introduction will be a focused discussion on the utility of Dual Energy CT for imaging children. The third lecture will address the substantial challenge of obtaining consistent image post ‐processing in pediatric digital radiography. The fourth and final lecture will address best practices in pediatric MRI including a discussion of ancillary methods to reduce sedation and anesthesia rates.Learning Objectives:

To learn techniques for optimizing radiation dose and image quality in pediatric fluoroscopy
To become familiar with the unique challenges and applications of Dual Energy CT in pediatric imaging
To learn solutions for consistent post‐processing quality in pediatric digital radiography
To understand the key components of an effective MRI safety and quality program for the pediatric practice