bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
MO‐E‐230A‐01: Legal Issues
Authors: Davis M 
Published: July 2006

Research plays a prime role in the professional lives of many medical physicists, especially those in academic institutions. The prime goal of this research is to acquire new knowledge. Acquiring the knowledge, however, is not sufficient, in that the information must also be disseminated to the community.The standard vehicle for dissemination of research knowledge is the peer‐reviewed journal. In fact, a medical physicist's academic advancement is often based on the number of papers that have appeared in a peer‐reviewed journal. However, publication in a journal introduces significant restriction on the ability for subsequent dissemination of the research information. Prior to publication, the producer of the information is the complete owner of the information. Researchers may disseminate the information to anyone they please in any form they please. Publication, however, places significant limitations as to how information may be disseminated because of the existence of copyright laws. Often, the individual who has generated the information has turned over ownership of the information to the publisher of the journal and no longer has complete control over how the information may be distributed to others.Limits exist, however, on the extent that a publisher may control dissemination of the information in a journal article. In the distant past (>40 yr ago) the publisher exercised significant control over dissemination. If an author wished to provide others with copies of a paper, the author would have to purchase reprints of the article from the publisher and deliver the reprint to the recipient. In the more recent past, the author of the article, or anyone else for that matter, may photocopy the article from the journal. The ease of photocopying has established some principles of “fair use,” that is, scenarios where photocopying lies within the limitations of copyright restrictions, and other scenarios where photocopying violates copyright. For example, individuals may copy an article from a journal for their own use, but to make a large number of copies without permission for distribution to a class may violate copyright restrictions. Presently, most journal articles appear in electronic form, typically as a PDF file that can be downloaded and stored on an individual's computer. The same file can be emailed to many recipients. Because of the ease of dissemination of this information, a new paradigm for dissemination is necessary. It is necessary to balance the need to disseminate information against the need for the journal to recoup the expenses of publication and dissemination and, when appropriate, make sufficient profit to warrant remaining in business.
MO‐E‐230A‐03: Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics
Authors: Mills M 
Published: July 2006

Publication, or dissemination of knowledge, is an essential component of scholarly activity. However, the money and profit associated with access to scholarly information is the source of both a crisis and a revolution to address that crisis. It is most common for the author to lose ownership, copyright, other property rights and control over the information. Unfortunately, these problems are not recognized as public policy issues. Public policy is important because access to print journal information has traditionally been through publicly funded libraries, and libraries are in a long, downward crisis. Universities pay scholars, usually through income derived from governmental grants, grants from non‐profit and for‐profit corporations, tuition, fund‐raising, corporate participation, etc. The majority of funding for scholarly activities comes from public sources. Scholars produce scholarly articles, and then universities pay for their libraries and scholars to have access to these scholarly articles. When scholars give up copyright to creative work, they have no say about how their research is disseminated and priced. The Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics is part of the open‐source publication revolution. The author retains the copyright and retains full control over the dissemination of the scholarly contribution. The key for the JACMP was to lower transaction and production costs by a factor of four below the cost of providing a subscription‐based print journal with restricted online access. The JACMP is squarely in the middle of the open‐source publication revolution as it offers scholarly articles to the worldwide medical physics community without cost.Objectives: 1. Understand the history and importance of the open‐source publication revolution. 2. Understand the role of the JACMP in the dissemination of scholarly activity to the worldwide medical physics community.
MO‐E‐224C‐04: Motorized Multi‐Leaf Collimator for Electrons: Measurements with a Prototype and Monte Carlo Simulations
Authors: Tremblay H , Bouchard H , Mercure S , Robichaud J , Beausoleil M , Charette M , Carrier J 
Published: July 2006

Purpose: To develop a motorized multi‐leaf collimator for electrons (eMLC) and to compare preliminary measurements to Monte Carlo simulations. Method and Materials: An eMLC has been developed. It is the first prototype with fully motorized capabilities. The eMLC is remotely controlled by the operator using home brewed and fully graphical software running on a Windows workstation. The control workstation is connected to the eMLC's custom‐built electronic controller which keeps track of the component states and executes various low‐level commands, including leaf displacement orders. There are 36 independent brass leaves on each side of the eMLC and the maximum size of the generated field is 25.2 × 19.5 cm2. The interleaf distance is less than 0.03 mm. The eMLC prototype is an add‐on device for the Elekta Precise linac (Elekta Ltd., England). The actual distance from the source to the bottom of the leaves is 95.3 cm. The eMLC has been modeled using the BEAMnrc Monte Carlo toolkit and every possible leaf positions is reproducible with our Monte Carlo model. Results: Various preliminary measurements were performed: open field, closed field, one leaf profile, interleaf leakage, leaf transmission, and comparison with conventional custom cutouts. For all measurements, comparison to Monte Carlo simulations are carried out. The transmission through the leaves is 2.4% for a 12 MeV field at the surface of a water phantom with SSD=100 cm. The interleaf leakage is negligible as no interleaf pattern is detected on a closed field profile for all the investigated energies (up to 12 MeV). Conclusion: The motorized eMLC prototype is versatile and easy to operate with a computer control from outside the treatment room. Possible applications of the eMLC go from simply replacing the conventional custom cutouts to complex usages like MERT or electron arc therapy.Research sponsored by Elekta Ltd.
MO‐E‐224A‐03: Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy: (3) Clinical Experience at MSKCC
Authors: Lovelock D 
Published: July 2006

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) ‐ Clinical Experience from MSKCC SBRT has the potential to maximize the benefit of highly conformal dose delivery. New imaging capabilities and the improved precision of treatment machines is making possible the delivery of high doses to targets while minimizing dose to normal tissue and sparing nearby critical structures. As a result, new clinical techniques are being established to treat disease in soft tissue, such as metastatic disease in liver, lung, and lymph nodes and also to deliver very high doses to bony targets such as the spine. Both hypo‐fractionated and single fraction strategies are used.The clinical procedures used to treat these sites at Memorial Sloan‐Kettering Cancer Center will be described, along with some preliminary outcomes.
TU‐A‐330D‐1: PET/CT Attenuation Correction and Image Fusion
Authors: Patton J 
Published: July 2006

In order for an annihilation event to be accurately detected in a PET scanner, it is necessary for both annihilation photons to pass through the patient without interaction and be detected by two detectors in the scanner. The probability of this occurrence is less than that for a single photon, resulting in significant attenuation effects in a PET scan. In the past, a positron source, such as Ge‐68, was used as a transmission source to provide a transmission map to be used for attenuation correction. The recent integration of PET scanners with state‐of‐the‐art multi‐slice CT scanners has provided the capability for using the CT scan as a high‐quality attenuation map to accomplish the task of attenuation correction. This has resulted in an improvement in the quality of the correction and thus an improvement in overall PET image quality. However this implementation has not been accomplished without additional problems being identified. Specifically beam hardening can cause errors in the attenuation correction and accurate corrections are difficult in regions where there is physiological motion such as the heart and lungs due to difficulties in accurately registered the CT and PET scans in these areas. Close attenuation must be paid to these effects.Integration of the CT scanner with the PET scanner has provided a significant advance in clinical diagnosis and treatment planning because of the ability to accurately register and display high quality images of anatomy from CT and images of organ function from PET. This makes it possible not only to differentiate malignant from benign lesions but to also precisely localize malignant lesions and differentiate between abnormal uptake and normal physiological uptake of radiopharmaceuticals.
TU‐A‐ValB‐01: Multi‐Slice CT Artifacts and Quality Control
Authors: Cody D 
Published: July 2006

This presentation will focus on examples and causes of artifacts produced by modern multi‐slice CT scanners. Many of these artifacts were recognized because of a stringent quality control program implemented in our institution. The design of this quality control program will be described, along with its relative costs and benefits. Extending such a program among scanners produced by different vendors will be discussed.Learning Objectives:1. To recognize basic artifacts in patient and phantom images generated by modern multi‐slice CT scanners.2. To understand some basic requirements of a quality control program for multi‐slice CT scanners.
TU‐A‐230A‐01: Monte Carlo II: MC for Source and Machine Characterization
Authors: Chetty I , Siebers J 
Published: July 2006

Monte Carlo algorithms have the ability to accurately model dose distributions for arbitrarily complex treatment delivery scenarios and changing patient geometries. These properties make Monte Carlo ideal for clinical planning, or for benchmarking clinical planning systems. Building on the discussion of the role of Monte Carlo in treatment head simulation (from the first course), this second Monte Carlo course will focus on patient planning applications. The goal of the course is to familiarize clinical medical physicists with the use of Monte Carlo in treatment planning, including advanced treatment techniques such as IMRT and motion compensated 4D treatment, and to discuss how Monte Carlo‐based planning differs from planning with conventional algorithms. We will demonstrate the various approaches used in modeling beam modifying devices, such as the multi‐leaf collimator (MLC), including methods to effectively model the dosimetric consequences of the detailed the MLC geometry. We will review methods used to reduce Monte Carlo‐based clinical dose calculation time, such as variance reduction techniques, and discuss how factors specific to the MC method, such as statistical uncertainties, impact dose distributions and clinical decision making. We will illustrate how a properly benchmarked Monte Carlo algorithm can play a unique role in the modeling of complex delivery procedures, such as IMRT and how Monte Carlo fluence prediction can be combined with analytic dose algorithms to estimate patient dose. Finally, we will show how Monte Carlo can include organ motion in 4D dose calculations without an increase in computation time. In addition to illustrating the role of Monte Carlo in complex treatment planning, a focus of this course will also be to review some of the practical issues associated with the implementation, verification and clinical use of Monte Carlo‐based dose calculation algorithms.Educational Objectives:1. To familiarize clinical physicists with some of the issues associated with implementation and experimental verification of Monte Carlo‐based dose algorithms in the clinical setting.2. To understand the factors specific to Monte Carlo‐based dose algorithms, such variance reduction techniques and statistical uncertainties.3. To become familiar with the various approaches used in Monte Carlo‐based modeling of the MLC and the tradeoffs associated with these methods.4. To recognize the potential clinical outcome benefits of Monte Carlo‐based dose distributions.5. To understand the use, benefits and limitations of the Monte Carlo method for IMRT optimization and QA.6. To become familiar with the role of the Monte Carlo method in motion compensated (4D) treatment planning.
TU‐B‐330A‐01: Shielding Design Workshop: R/F Rooms
Authors: Martin M , Archer B 
Published: July 2006

The application of the structural shielding design techniques and goals as outlined in NCRP Report 147: Structural Shielding Design for Medical X‐ray Imaging Facilities (2004) will be the basis for this practical course. The wide variety of facilities installing medical imaging equipment requires the medical physicist to consider an array of radiation protection concerns for the installation of radiographic/fluoroscopic equipment. To meet the challenge of maintaining construction costs to a minimum while providing adequate radiation shielding protection requires the physicist to utilize all available materials to reduce radiation exposure to surrounding personnel and the public. Estimating future workloads as well as considering current workloads for radiographic/fluoroscopic equipment as the medical imaging community transitions from a film/screen based world to a digital world can present challenges. Practical examples of these methods of structural shielding designs will be explored in this course.Educational Objectives:1. Understand the radiation exposure protection limits for surrounding areas of radiographic/fluoroscopic installations.2. Understand the effectiveness of various shielding materials found in facilities to provide required structural shielding necessary to reduce anticipated radiation exposure levels to acceptable limits.3. Understand the calculation of anticipated workloads for radiographic/fluoroscopic equipment and the effect of these workloads on structural shielding evaluations.
TU‐B‐ValB‐01: The Principles of Quantitative MRI
Authors: Clarke GD 
Published: July 2006

The applications of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in biomedicine are undergoing rapid evolution. Typically used to produce images that are viewed and subjectively rated by a radiologist, MRI is now being utilized as a scientific apparatus capable of making noninvasive measurements in living tissues. With care, a significant number of physical and biological measurements can be performed and related to individual pixels and groups of pixels in the MR image. This presentation will address the challenges in obtaining quantitative data from MRI.The presentation will review the principles of good practice in quantification, including quality assurance, MR data collection, and analysis. Limits on precision and accuracy are discussed and solutions proposed. Three major measurement topics are considered. First, geometrical quantities, such size, position and grouping of structures are discussed. Then, MRI signal‐derived quantities such as proton density and relaxation times are considered. Third, physiological quantities such as diffusion coefficients and measures of blood flow and perfusion are explored. The principles underlying the measurement of each quantity are given along with their biological and medical significance and practical approaches for their measurement. Shortcomings of the measurement processes and a summary of potential clinical applications are also discussed. Pathological observations are also compared with MRI‐derived quantities where appropriate.This presentation is intended as an introduction to the field of measurement in MRI for anyone who desires to use the scope of modern measurement techniques to quantitatively determine the consequences of disease, its development or its reaction to therapy from MR images. It will be of interest to medical physicists who are considering undertaking quantitative work with MRI, as well as those already in the field.At the end of this session the attentive participant shall:1. Appreciate the clinically important quantities that can be measured with MRI.2. Be familiar with the methods and techniques used for quantitative MRI.3. Have a basic understanding of the limits on precision and sources of error in quantitative MRI.
TU‐B‐224C‐01: 4D Scanning
Authors: Jiang S 
Published: July 2006

The purpose of CT simulation in radiotherapy is to acquire patient geometrical information and to build a patient geometrical model for treatment planning. Errors in patient model caused by motion artifacts will influence all treatment fractions and therefore should be handled carefully. Due to the tumor respiratory motion, the captured tumor position and shape can be heavily distorted. The distortions along the axis of motion could result in either a lengthening or shortening of the target. The center of the imaged target can be displaced by as much as the amplitude of the motion.A newly developed technique that can reduce motion artifacts and provide patient geometry throughout the whole breathing cycle is called respiration‐correlated or 4D CT scan. The basic idea for 4D CT scan is that, at every position of interest along patient's long axis, images are over‐sampled and each image is tagged with breathing phase information. After the scan is done, images are sorted based on the corresponding breathing phase signals. Thus, many 3D CT sets are obtained, each corresponding to a particular breathing phase, and together constitutes a 4D CT set that covers that the whole breathing cycle. 4D CT scan has been developed at various institutions with slightly different flavors. In this lecture, we will provide an overview of various implementations of 4D CT scan.4D CT scan can be used to account for respiratory motion to generate images with less distortion than 3D CT scan. 4D images also contain respiratory motion information of tumor and organs that is not available in a 3D CT image. This technology can be used for respiratory‐gated treatment to identify the patient‐specific phase of minimum tumor motion, determine residual tumor motion within the gate interval, and compare treatment plans at different phases. It can also be used for non‐gated treatment planning to define ITV by combining gross tumor volume at all breathing phases or using a method called maximum intensity projection. Of course 4D CT will also play a vital role in the futuristic 4D radiotherapy where the tumor is tracked dynamically during the treatment using multi‐leaf collimator.Existing problems for 4D CT scan include the increased imaging dose, CT tube heating, and data management. More importantly, one has to keep in mind that 4D CT scan is not really 4D. Temporal information is mapped into one breathing cycle. Irregular respiration will cause artifacts in 4D CT images. Patient coaching can improve the regularity of breathing pattern and thus reduce the residual artifacts. However this issue still deserves further studies.Educational Objectives:1. Understand the origin and magnitude of motion artifacts in free breathing helical CT scan.2. Understand how 4D CT scan works.3. Understand how 4D CT can be used in radiotherapy.4. Understand the remaining artifacts in 4D CT scan and possible future improvements.
TU‐B‐230A‐01: Informatics Systems Overview
Authors: Dahl R , Herman M 
Published: July 2006

Due to the increasing complexity of radiation therapy, government regulations, and legal liability, computerized radiation oncology information systems are becoming a necessity. Selection of an information system involves understanding of both computer software and hardware issues. Topics such as network infrastructure, software interfaces, and hardware interfaces, which are not part of the normal physics training, must be understood by the medical physicist. As the person with the most technical training in the radiation oncology department they will be called upon to do one or more of the following; specify a system, setup and installation, troubleshoot the system when things go wrong. This course will identify both hardware and software issues to consider when either first implementing a computerized information system or changing to an electronic treatment record. An overview/summary of the commercially available Record & Verify systems will also be presented.Educational Objectives:1. Understand basic network infrastructure for both local area networks (LAN) and wide area networks (WAN).2. Understand interfaces to both hospital information systems and various radiation oncology devices.3. Understand differences in network requirements for both single department and multi‐department institutions.4. Understand what is required when migrating from a paper treatment record to an electronic treatment record.5. Be able to generate specifications for a radiation oncology information system.6. Understand the personnel requirements for implementing and maintaining a radiation oncology information system.Conflict of Interest StatementMichael Herman — Research sponsored by Varian Medical Systems Corporation.