Experimental evaluation of a GPU-based Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm in the Monaco treatment planning system

A new GPU-based Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm (GPUMCD), devel ­oped by the vendor Elekta for the Monaco treatment planning system (TPS), is capable of modeling dose for both a standard linear accelerator and an Elekta MRI linear accelerator. We have experimentally evaluated this algorithm for a standard Elekta Agility linear accelerator. A beam model was deve loped in the Monaco TPS (research version 5.09.06) using the commissioned beam data for a 6 MV Agility linac. A heterogeneous phantom representing several scenarios — tumor-in-lung, lung, and bone-in-tissue — was designed and built. Dose calculations in Monaco were done using both the current cl inical Monte Carlo algorithm, XVMC, and the new GPUMCD algorithm. Dose calculations in a Pinnacle TPS were also produced using the collapsed cone convolution (CCC) algorithm with heterogeneity correc­tion. Calculations were compared with the measured doses using an ionization chamber (A1SL) and Gaf chromic EBT3 films for 2 × 2 cm2, 5 × 5 cm2, and 10 × 10 cm2 field sizes. The percentage depth doses (PDDs) calculated by XVMC and GPUMCD in a homogeneous solid water phantom were within 2%/2 mm of film measurements and within 1% of ion chamber measurements. For the tumor-in-lung phantom, the cal culated doses were within 2.5%/2.5 mm of film measurements for GPUMCD. For the lung phantom, doses calculated by all of the algorithms were within 3%/3 mm of film measurements, except for the 2 × 2 cm2 field size where the C...
Source: Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics - Category: Physics Source Type: research
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