Characterization of a novel 3D printed patient specific phantom for quality assurance in cranial stereotactic radiosurgery applications.

Characterization of a novel 3D printed patient specific phantom for quality assurance in cranial stereotactic radiosurgery applications.
Phys Med Biol. 2019 Apr 09;:
Authors: Makris DN, Pappas EP, Zoros E, Papanikolaou N, Saenz DL, Kalaitzakis G, Zourari K, Efstathopoulos EP, Maris TG, Pappas E
Abstract
In single-isocenter stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy (SRS/SRT) intracranial applications, multiple targets are being treated concurrently, often involving non-coplanar arcs, small photon beams and steep dose gradients. In search for more rigorous quality assurance protocols, this work presents and evaluates a novel methodology for patient-specific pre-treatment plan verification, utilizing 3D printing technology.
 In a patient's planning CT scan, the external contour and bone structures were segmented and 3D-printed using high-density bone-mimicking material. The resulting head phantom was filled with water while a film dosimetry insert was incorporated. Patient and phantom CT image series were fused and inspected for anatomical coherence. HUs and corresponding densities were compared in several anatomical regions within the head. Furthermore, the level of patient-to-phantom dosimetric equivalence was evaluated both computationally and experimentally. A single-isocenter multi-focal SRS treatment plan was prepared, while dose distributions were calculated on both CT image series, using identical calculation parameters. Ph...

Source: Physics in Medicine and Biology - April 8, 2019 Category: Physics Authors: Makris DN, Pappas EP, Zoros E, Papanikolaou N, Saenz DL, Kalaitzakis G, Zourari K, Efstathopoulos EP, Maris TG, Pappas E Tags: Phys Med Biol Source Type: research