| Records |
| Author |
Oliver, S.; Rodriguez Bosca, S.; Gimenez-Alventosa, V. |
| Title |
Enabling particle transport on CAD-based geometries for radiation simulations with penRed |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2024 |
Publication |
Computer Physics Communications |
Abbreviated Journal |
Comput. Phys. Commun. |
| Volume |
298 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
109091 - 11pp |
| Keywords |
Radiation transport; PENELOPE physics; Monte Carlo simulation; PenRed; CAD; Triangular surface mesh |
| Abstract |
Geometry construction is a fundamental aspect of any radiation transport simulation, regardless of the Monte Carlo code being used. Typically, this process is tedious, time-consuming, and error-prone. The conventional approach involves defining geometries using mathematical objects or surfaces. However, this method comes with several limitations, especially when dealing with complex models, particularly those with organic shapes. Furthermore, since each code employs its own format and methodology for defining geometries, sharing and reproducing simulations among researchers becomes a challenging task. Consequently, many codes have implemented support for simulating over geometries constructed via Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools. Unfortunately, this feature is lacking in penRed and other PENELOPE physics-based codes. Therefore, the objective of this work is to implement such support within the penRed framework. New version program summary Program Title: Parallel Engine for Radiation Energy Deposition (penRed) CPC Library link to program files: https://doi.org/10.17632/rkw6tvtngy.2 Developer's repository link: https://github.com/PenRed/PenRed Code Ocean capsule: https://codeocean.com/capsule/1041417/tree Licensing provisions: GNU Affero General Public License v3 Programming language: C++ standard 2011. Journal reference of previous version: V. Gimenez-Alventosa, V. Gimenez Gomez, S. Oliver, PenRed: An extensible and parallel Monte-Carlo framework for radiation transport based on PENELOPE, Computer Physics Communications 267 (2021) 108065. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpc.2021.108065. Does the new version supersede the previous version?: Yes Reasons for the new version: Implements the capability to simulate on CAD constructed geometries, among many other features and fixes. Summary of revisions: All changes applied through the code versions are summarized in the file CHANGELOG.md in the repository package. Nature of problem: While Monte Carlo codes have proven valuable in simulating complex radiation scenarios, they rely heavily on accurate geometrical representations. In the same way as many other Monte Carlo codes, penRed employs simple geometric quadric surfaces like planes, spheres and cylinders to define geometries. However, since these geometric models offer a certain level of flexibility, these representations have limitations when it comes to simulating highly intricate and irregular shapes. Anatomic structures, for example, require detailed representations of organs, tissues and bones, which are difficult to achieve using basic geometric objects. Similarly, complex devices or intricate mechanical systems may have designs that cannot be accurately represented within the constraints of such geometric models. Moreover, when the complexity of the model increases, geometry construction process becomes more difficult, tedious, time-consuming and error-prone [2]. Also, as each Monte Carlo geometry library uses its own format and construction method, reproducing the same geometry among different codes is a challenging task. Solution method: To face the problems stated above, the objective of this work is to implement the capability to simulate using irregular and adaptable meshed geometries in the penRed framework. This kind of meshes can be constructed using Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools, the use of which is very widespread and streamline the design process. This feature has been implemented in a new geometry module named “MESH_BODY” specific for this kind of geometries. This one is freely available and usable within the official penRed package1. It can be used since penRed version 1.9.3b and above. |
| Address |
[Oliver, S.] Univ Politecn Valencia, Inst Seguridad Ind Radiofis & Medioambiental ISIRY, Cami Vera S-N, Valencia 46022, Spain |
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| Publisher |
Elsevier |
Place of Publication |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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| Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0010-4655 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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| Area |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
WOS:001172840800001 |
Approved |
no |
| Is ISI |
yes |
International Collaboration |
yes |
| Call Number |
IFIC @ pastor @ |
Serial  |
6077 |
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| Author |
n_TOF Collaboration (Alcayne, V. et al); Balibrea-Correa, J.; Domingo-Pardo, C.; Lerendegui-Marco, J.; Babiano-Suarez, V.; Ladarescu, I. |
| Title |
A Segmented Total Energy Detector (sTED) optimized for (n,γ) cross-section measurements at n_TOF EAR2 |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2024 |
Publication |
Radiation Physics and Chemistry |
Abbreviated Journal |
Radiat. Phys. Chem. |
| Volume |
217 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
11pp |
| Keywords |
Neutron capture; PHWT; Scintillation detectors; Monte Carlo simulation |
| Abstract |
The neutron time-of-flight facility nTOF at CERN is a spallation source dedicated to measurements of neutroninduced reaction cross-sections of interest in nuclear technologies, astrophysics, and other applications. Since 2014, Experimental ARea 2 (EAR2) is operational and delivers a neutron fluence of similar to 4 center dot 10(7) neutrons per nominal proton pulse, which is similar to 50 times higher than the one of Experimental ARea 1 (EAR1) of similar to 8 center dot 10(5) neutrons per pulse. The high neutron flux at EAR2 results in high counting rates in the detectors that challenged the previously existing capture detection systems. For this reason, a Segmented Total Energy Detector (sTED) has been developed to overcome the limitations in the detector's response, by reducing the active volume per module and by using a photo-multiplier (PMT) optimized for high counting rates. This paper presents the main characteristics of the sTED, including energy and time resolution, response to gamma-rays, and provides as well details of the use of the Pulse Height Weighting Technique (PHWT) with this detector. The sTED has been validated to perform neutron-capture cross-section measurements in EAR2 in the neutron energy range from thermal up to at least 400 keV. The detector has already been successfully used in several measurements at nTOF EAR2. |
| Address |
[Alcayne, V.; Cano-Ott, D.; Garcia, J.; Gonzalez-Romero, E.; Martinez, T.; de Rada, A. Perez; Plaza, J.; Sanchez-Caballero, A.; Mendoza, E.] Ctr Invest Energet Medioambient & Tecnol CIEMAT, Madrid, Spain, Email: victor.alcayne@ciemat.es |
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Thesis |
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| Publisher |
Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd |
Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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| Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0969-806x |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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| Area |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
WOS:001185584800001 |
Approved |
no |
| Is ISI |
yes |
International Collaboration |
yes |
| Call Number |
IFIC @ pastor @ |
Serial |
5999 |
| Permanent link to this record |
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| Author |
Baran, J. et al; Brzezinski, K. |
| Title |
Feasibility of the J-PET to monitor the range of therapeutic proton beams |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2024 |
Publication |
Physica Medica |
Abbreviated Journal |
Phys. Medica |
| Volume |
118 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
103301 - 9pp |
| Keywords |
PET; Range monitoring; J-PET; Monte Carlo simulations; Proton radiotherapy |
| Abstract |
Purpose: The aim of this work is to investigate the feasibility of the Jagiellonian Positron Emission Tomography (J -PET) scanner for intra-treatment proton beam range monitoring. Methods: The Monte Carlo simulation studies with GATE and PET image reconstruction with CASToR were performed in order to compare six J -PET scanner geometries. We simulated proton irradiation of a PMMA phantom with a Single Pencil Beam (SPB) and Spread -Out Bragg Peak (SOBP) of various ranges. The sensitivity and precision of each scanner were calculated, and considering the setup's cost-effectiveness, we indicated potentially optimal geometries for the J -PET scanner prototype dedicated to the proton beam range assessment. Results: The investigations indicate that the double -layer cylindrical and triple -layer double -head configurations are the most promising for clinical application. We found that the scanner sensitivity is of the order of 10-5 coincidences per primary proton, while the precision of the range assessment for both SPB and SOBP irradiation plans was found below 1 mm. Among the scanners with the same number of detector modules, the best results are found for the triple -layer dual -head geometry. The results indicate that the double -layer cylindrical and triple -layer double -head configurations are the most promising for the clinical application, Conclusions: We performed simulation studies demonstrating that the feasibility of the J -PET detector for PET -based proton beam therapy range monitoring is possible with reasonable sensitivity and precision enabling its pre -clinical tests in the clinical proton therapy environment. Considering the sensitivity, precision and cost-effectiveness, the double -layer cylindrical and triple -layer dual -head J -PET geometry configurations seem promising for future clinical application. |
| Address |
[Baran, Jakub; Silarski, Michal; Chug, Neha; Coussat, Aurelien; Czerwinski, Eryk; Dadgar, Meysam; Dulski, Kamil; Eliyan, Kavya, V; Gajos, Aleksander; Kacprzak, Krzysztof; Kaplon, Lukasz; Korcyl, Grzegorz; Kozik, Tomasz; Kumar, Deepak; Niedzwiecki, Szymon; Panek, Dominik; Parzych, Szymon; del Rio, Elena Perez; Simbarashe, Moyo; Sharma, Sushil; Shivani; Skurzok, Magdalena; Stepien, Ewa L.; Tayefi, Keyvan; Tayefi, Faranak; Moskal, Pawel] Jagiellonian Univ, Fac Phys Astron & Appl Comp Sci, 11 Lojasiewicza St, PL-30348 Krakow, Poland, Email: jakubbaran92@gmail.com |
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Thesis |
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| Publisher |
Elsevier Sci Ltd |
Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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| Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
1120-1797 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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| Area |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
WOS:001178648400001 |
Approved |
no |
| Is ISI |
yes |
International Collaboration |
yes |
| Call Number |
IFIC @ pastor @ |
Serial |
5990 |
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| Author |
Martin-Luna, P.; Esperante, D.; Prieto, A.F.; Fuster-Martinez, N.; Rivas, I.G.; Gimeno, B.; Ginestar, D.; Gonzalez-Iglesias, D.; Hueso, J.L.; Llosa, G.; Martinez-Reviriego, P.; Meneses-Felipe, A.; Riera, J.; Regueiro, P.V.; Hueso-Gonzalez, F. |
| Title |
Simulation of electron transport and secondary emission in a photomultiplier tube and validation |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2024 |
Publication |
Sensors and Actuators A-Physical |
Abbreviated Journal |
Sens. Actuator A-Phys. |
| Volume |
365 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
114859 - 10pp |
| Keywords |
Photomultiplier tube; Photodetector; Proton therapy; Monte Carlo simulation; Measurement |
| Abstract |
The electron amplification and transport within a photomultiplier tube (PMT) has been investigated by developing an in-house Monte Carlo simulation code. The secondary electron emission in the dynodes is implemented via an effective electron model and the Modified Vaughan's model, whereas the transport is computed with the Boris leapfrog algorithm. The PMT gain, rise time and transit time have been studied as a function of supply voltage and external magnetostatic field. A good agreement with experimental measurements using a Hamamatsu R13408-100 PMT was obtained. The simulations have been conducted following different treatments of the underlying geometry: three-dimensional, two-dimensional and intermediate (2.5D). The validity of these approaches is compared. The developed framework will help in understanding the behavior of PMTs under highly intense and irregular illumination or varying external magnetic fields, as in the case of prompt gamma-ray measurements during pencil-beam proton therapy; and aid in optimizing the design of voltage dividers with behavioral circuit models. |
| Address |
[Martin-Luna, Pablo; Esperante, Daniel; Fuster-Martinez, Nuria; Gimeno, Benito; Gonzalez-Iglesias, Daniel; Llosa, Gabriela; Martinez-Reviriego, Pablo; Meneses-Felipe, Alba; Hueso-Gonzalez, Fernando] CSIC UV, Inst Fis Corpuscular IFIC, C Catedrat Jose Beltran 2, Paterna 46980, Spain, Email: pablo.martin@uv.es |
| Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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| Publisher |
Elsevier Science Sa |
Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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| Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0924-4247 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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| Area |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
WOS:001131902700001 |
Approved |
no |
| Is ISI |
yes |
International Collaboration |
no |
| Call Number |
IFIC @ pastor @ |
Serial |
5876 |
| Permanent link to this record |
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| Author |
Borja-Lloret, M.; Barrientos, L.; Bernabeu, J.; Lacasta, C.; Muñoz, E.; Ros, A.; Roser, J.; Viegas, R.; Llosa, G. |
| Title |
Influence of the background in Compton camera images for proton therapy treatment monitoring |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Physics in Medicine and Biology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Phys. Med. Biol. |
| Volume |
68 |
Issue |
14 |
Pages |
144001 - 16pp |
| Keywords |
Compton imaging; Compton camera; proton therapy; treatment monitoring; Monte Carlo simulation; image reconstruction; background |
| Abstract |
Objective. Background events are one of the most relevant contributions to image degradation in Compton camera imaging for hadron therapy treatment monitoring. A study of the background and its contribution to image degradation is important to define future strategies to reduce the background in the system. Approach. In this simulation study, the percentage of different kinds of events and their contribution to the reconstructed image in a two-layer Compton camera have been evaluated. To this end, GATE v8.2 simulations of a proton beam impinging on a PMMA phantom have been carried out, for different proton beam energies and at different beam intensities. Main results. For a simulated Compton camera made of Lanthanum (III) Bromide monolithic crystals, coincidences caused by neutrons arriving from the phantom are the most common type of background produced by secondary radiations in the Compton camera, causing between 13% and 33% of the detected coincidences, depending on the beam energy. Results also show that random coincidences are a significant cause of image degradation at high beam intensities, and their influence in the reconstructed images is studied for values of the time coincidence windows from 500 ps to 100 ns. Significance. Results indicate the timing capabilities required to retrieve the fall-off position with good precision. Still, the noise observed in the image when no randoms are considered make us consider further background rejection methods. |
| Address |
[Borja-Lloret, M.; Barrientos, L.; Bernabeu, J.; Lacasta, C.; Munoz, E.; Ros, A.; Roser, J.; Viegas, R.; Llosa, G.] Inst Fis Corpuscular IFIC, CSIC UV, Valencia, Spain, Email: Marina.Borja@csic.es |
| Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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| Publisher |
IOP Publishing Ltd |
Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0031-9155 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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| Area |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
WOS:001022671300001 |
Approved |
no |
| Is ISI |
yes |
International Collaboration |
no |
| Call Number |
IFIC @ pastor @ |
Serial |
5571 |
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| Author |
Borys, D. et al; Brzezinski, K. |
| Title |
ProTheRaMon-a GATE simulation framework for proton therapy range monitoring using PET imaging |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
Physics in Medicine and Biology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Phys. Med. Biol. |
| Volume |
67 |
Issue |
22 |
Pages |
224002 - 15pp |
| Keywords |
proton therapy; GATE; Monte Carlo simulations; J-PET; medical imaging |
| Abstract |
Objective. This paper reports on the implementation and shows examples of the use of the ProTheRaMon framework for simulating the delivery of proton therapy treatment plans and range monitoring using positron emission tomography (PET). ProTheRaMon offers complete processing of proton therapy treatment plans, patient CT geometries, and intra-treatment PET imaging, taking into account therapy and imaging coordinate systems and activity decay during the PET imaging protocol specific to a given proton therapy facility. We present the ProTheRaMon framework and illustrate its potential use case and data processing steps for a patient treated at the Cyclotron Centre Bronowice (CCB) proton therapy center in Krakow, Poland. Approach. The ProTheRaMon framework is based on GATE Monte Carlo software, the CASToR reconstruction package and in-house developed Python and bash scripts. The framework consists of five separated simulation and data processing steps, that can be further optimized according to the user's needs and specific settings of a given proton therapy facility and PET scanner design. Main results. ProTheRaMon is presented using example data from a patient treated at CCB and the J-PET scanner to demonstrate the application of the framework for proton therapy range monitoring. The output of each simulation and data processing stage is described and visualized. Significance. We demonstrate that the ProTheRaMon simulation platform is a high-performance tool, capable of running on a computational cluster and suitable for multi-parameter studies, with databases consisting of large number of patients, as well as different PET scanner geometries and settings for range monitoring in a clinical environment. Due to its modular structure, the ProTheRaMon framework can be adjusted for different proton therapy centers and/or different PET detector geometries. It is available to the community via github (Borys et al 2022). |
| Address |
[Borys, Damian] Silesian Tech Univ, Dept Syst Biol & Engn, Gliwice, Poland, Email: damin.borys@polsl.pl |
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Thesis |
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| Publisher |
IOP Publishing Ltd |
Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0031-9155 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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| Area |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
WOS:000885248200001 |
Approved |
no |
| Is ISI |
yes |
International Collaboration |
no |
| Call Number |
IFIC @ pastor @ |
Serial |
5416 |
| Permanent link to this record |
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| Author |
Roser, J.; Barrientos, L.; Bernabeu, J.; Borja-Lloret, M.; Muñoz, E.; Ros, A.; Viegas, R.; Llosa, G. |
| Title |
Joint image reconstruction algorithm in Compton cameras |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
Physics in Medicine and Biology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Phys. Med. Biol. |
| Volume |
67 |
Issue |
15 |
Pages |
155009 - 15pp |
| Keywords |
Compton camera; compton imaging; hadron therapy; image reconstruction; LM-MLEM; Monte Carlo simulations; multi-layer compton telescope |
| Abstract |
Objective. To demonstrate the benefits of using an joint image reconstruction algorithm based on the List Mode Maximum Likelihood Expectation Maximization that combines events measured in different channels of information of a Compton camera. Approach. Both simulations and experimental data are employed to show the algorithm performance. Main results. The obtained joint images present improved image quality and yield better estimates of displacements of high-energy gamma-ray emitting sources. The algorithm also provides images that are more stable than any individual channel against the noisy convergence that characterizes Maximum Likelihood based algorithms. Significance. The joint reconstruction algorithm can improve the quality and robustness of Compton camera images. It also has high versatility, as it can be easily adapted to any Compton camera geometry. It is thus expected to represent an important step in the optimization of Compton camera imaging. |
| Address |
[Roser, J.; Barrientos, L.; Bernabeu, J.; Borja-Lloret, M.; Munoz, E.; Ros, A.; Viegas, R.; Llosa, G.] CSIC UV, Inst Fis Corpuscular IFIC, Valencia, Spain, Email: Jorge.Roser@ific.uv.es |
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Thesis |
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| Publisher |
IOP Publishing Ltd |
Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0031-9155 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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| Area |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
WOS:000827830200001 |
Approved |
no |
| Is ISI |
yes |
International Collaboration |
no |
| Call Number |
IFIC @ pastor @ |
Serial |
5298 |
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| Author |
Asai, M.; Cortes-Giraldo, M.A.; Gimenez-Alventosa, V.; Gimenez, V.; Salvat, F. |
| Title |
The PENELOPE Physics Models and Transport Mechanics. Implementation into Geant4 |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2021 |
Publication |
Frontiers in Physics |
Abbreviated Journal |
Front. Physics |
| Volume |
9 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
738735 - 20pp |
| Keywords |
coupled electron-photon transport; Monte Carlo simulation; PENELOPE code system; random-hinge method; Geant4 toolkit |
| Abstract |
A translation of the penelope physics subroutines to C++, designed as an extension of the Geant4 toolkit, is presented. The Fortran code system penelope performs Monte Carlo simulation of coupled electron-photon transport in arbitrary materials for a wide energy range, nominally from 50 eV up to 1 GeV. Penelope implements the most reliable interaction models that are currently available, limited only by the required generality of the code. In addition, the transport of electrons and positrons is simulated by means of an elaborate class II scheme in which hard interactions (involving deflection angles or energy transfers larger than pre-defined cutoffs) are simulated from the associated restricted differential cross sections. After a brief description of the interaction models adopted for photons and electrons/positrons, we describe the details of the class-II algorithm used for tracking electrons and positrons. The C++ classes are adapted to the specific code structure of Geant4. They provide a complete description of the interactions and transport mechanics of electrons/positrons and photons in arbitrary materials, which can be activated from the G4ProcessManager to produce simulation results equivalent to those from the original penelope programs. The combined code, named PenG4, benefits from the multi-threading capabilities and advanced geometry and statistical tools of Geant4. |
| Address |
[Asai, Makoto] SLAC Natl Accelerator Lab, Menlo Pk, CA USA, Email: miancortes@us.es; |
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| Publisher |
Frontiers Media Sa |
Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
2296-424x |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
WOS:000742889400001 |
Approved |
no |
| Is ISI |
yes |
International Collaboration |
yes |
| Call Number |
IFIC @ pastor @ |
Serial |
5080 |
| Permanent link to this record |
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| Author |
Gimenez-Alventosa, V.; Gimenez, V.; Oliver, S. |
| Title |
PenRed: An extensible and parallel Monte-Carlo framework for radiation transport based on PENELOPE |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2021 |
Publication |
Computer Physics Communications |
Abbreviated Journal |
Comput. Phys. Commun. |
| Volume |
267 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
108065 - 12pp |
| Keywords |
Radiation transport; Monte Carlo simulation; Electron-photon showers; Parallel computing; MPI; Medical physics |
| Abstract |
Monte Carlo methods provide detailed and accurate results for radiation transport simulations. Unfortunately, the high computational cost of these methods limits its usage in real-time applications. Moreover, existing computer codes do not provide a methodology for adapting these kinds of simulations to specific problems without advanced knowledge of the corresponding code system, and this restricts their applicability. To help solve these current limitations, we present PenRed, a general-purpose, standalone, extensible and modular framework code based on PENELOPE for parallel Monte Carlo simulations of electron-photon transport through matter. It has been implemented in C++ programming language and takes advantage of modern object-oriented technologies. In addition, PenRed offers the capability to read and process DICOM images as well as to construct and simulate image-based voxelized geometries, so as to facilitate its usage in medical applications. Our framework has been successfully verified against the original PENELOPE Fortran code. Furthermore, the implemented parallelism has been tested showing a significant improvement in the simulation time without any loss in precision of results. Program summary Program title: PenRed: Parallel Engine for Radiation Energy Deposition. CPC Library link to program files: https://doi .org /10 .17632/rkw6tvtngy.1 Licensing provision: GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL). Programming language: C++ standard 2011. Nature of problem: Monte Carlo simulations usually require a huge amount of computation time to achieve low statistical uncertainties. In addition, many applications necessitate particular characteristics or the extraction of specific quantities from the simulation. However, most available Monte Carlo codes do not provide an efficient parallel and truly modular structure which allows users to easily customise their code to suit their needs without an in-depth knowledge of the code system. Solution method: PenRed is a fully parallel, modular and customizable framework for Monte Carlo simulations of the passage of radiation through matter. It is based on the PENELOPE [1] code system, from which inherits its unique physics models and tracking algorithms for charged particles. PenRed has been coded in C++ following an object-oriented programming paradigm restricted to the C++11 standard. Our engine implements parallelism via a double approach: on the one hand, by using standard C++ threads for shared memory, improving the access and usage of the memory, and, on the other hand, via the MPI standard for distributed memory infrastructures. Notice that both kinds of parallelism can be combined together in the same simulation. Moreover, both threads and MPI processes, can be balanced using the builtin load balance system (RUPER-LB [30]) to maximise the performance on heterogeneous infrastructures. In addition, PenRed provides a modular structure with methods designed to easily extend its functionality. Thus, users can create their own independent modules to adapt our engine to their needs without changing the original modules. Furthermore, user extensions will take advantage of the builtin parallelism without any extra effort or knowledge of parallel programming. Additional comments including restrictions and unusual features: PenRed has been compiled in linux systems withg++ of GCC versions 4.8.5, 7.3.1, 8.3.1 and 9; clang version 3.4.2 and intel C++ compiler (icc) version 19.0.5.281. Since it is a C++11-standard compliant code, PenRed should be able to compile with any compiler with C++11 support. In addition, if the code is compiled without MPI support, it does not require any non standard library. To enable MPI capabilities, the user needs to install whatever available MPI implementation, such as openMPI [24] or mpich [25], which can be found in the repositories of any linux distribution. Finally, to provide DICOM processing support, PenRed can be optionally compiled using the dicom toolkit (dcmtk) [32] library. Thus, PenRed has only two optional dependencies, an MPI implementation and the dcmtk library. |
| Address |
[Gimenez-Alventosa, V] Univ Politecn Valencia, Inst Instrumentac Imagen Mol I3M, Ctr Mixto CSIC, Cami Vera S-N, Valencia 46022, Spain, Email: vicent.gimenez@i3m.upv.es; |
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| Publisher |
Elsevier |
Place of Publication |
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0010-4655 |
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WOS:000678508900001 |
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no |
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yes |
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no |
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IFIC @ pastor @ |
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4907 |
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| Author |
Valdes-Cortez, C.; Mansour, I.; Rivard, M.J.; Ballester, F.; Mainegra-Hing, E.; Thomson, R.M.; Vijande, J. |
| Title |
A study of Type B uncertainties associated with the photoelectric effect in low-energy Monte Carlo simulations |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2021 |
Publication |
Physics in Medicine and Biology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Phys. Med. Biol. |
| Volume |
66 |
Issue |
10 |
Pages |
105014 - 14pp |
| Keywords |
Monte Carlo simulations; brachytherapy; low energy physics; photoelectric effect |
| Abstract |
Purpose. To estimate Type B uncertainties in absorbed-dose calculations arising from the different implementations in current state-of-the-art Monte Carlo (MC) codes of low-energy photon cross-sections (<200 keV). Methods. MC simulations are carried out using three codes widely used in the low-energy domain: PENELOPE-2018, EGSnrc, and MCNP. Three dosimetry-relevant quantities are considered: mass energy-absorption coefficients for water, air, graphite, and their respective ratios; absorbed dose; and photon-fluence spectra. The absorbed dose and the photon-fluence spectra are scored in a spherical water phantom of 15 cm radius. Benchmark simulations using similar cross-sections have been performed. The differences observed between these quantities when different cross-sections are considered are taken to be a good estimator for the corresponding Type B uncertainties. Results. A conservative Type B uncertainty for the absorbed dose (k = 2) of 1.2%-1.7% (<50 keV), 0.6%-1.2% (50-100 keV), and 0.3% (100-200 keV) is estimated. The photon-fluence spectrum does not present clinically relevant differences that merit considering additional Type B uncertainties except for energies below 25 keV, where a Type B uncertainty of 0.5% is obtained. Below 30 keV, mass energy-absorption coefficients show Type B uncertainties (k = 2) of about 1.5% (water and air), and 2% (graphite), diminishing in all materials for larger energies and reaching values about 1% (40-50 keV) and 0.5% (50-75 keV). With respect to their ratios, the only significant Type B uncertainties are observed in the case of the water-to-graphite ratio for energies below 30 keV, being about 0.7% (k = 2). Conclusions. In contrast with the intermediate (about 500 keV) or high (about 1 MeV) energy domains, Type B uncertainties due to the different cross-sections implementation cannot be considered subdominant with respect to Type A uncertainties or even to other sources of Type B uncertainties (tally volume averaging, manufacturing tolerances, etc). Therefore, the values reported here should be accommodated within the uncertainty budget in low-energy photon dosimetry studies. |
| Address |
[Valdes-Cortez, Christian; Ballester, Facundo; Vijande, Javier] Univ Valencia UV, Dept Fis Atom Mol & Nucl, Burjassot, Spain, Email: javier.vijande@uv.es |
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| Publisher |
Iop Publishing Ltd |
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English |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0031-9155 |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
WOS:000655291500001 |
Approved |
no |
| Is ISI |
yes |
International Collaboration |
yes |
| Call Number |
IFIC @ pastor @ |
Serial |
4847 |
| Permanent link to this record |
