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Author Vijande, J.; Carmona, V.; Lliso, F.; Ballester, F.; Perez-Calatayud, J.
Title (up) An efficient component of the redundancy calibration program to ensure equipment stability by assaying HDR Ir-192 sources at the time of replacement Type Journal Article
Year 2024 Publication Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics Abbreviated Journal J. Appl. Clin. Med. Phys
Volume Issue Pages 5pp
Keywords brachytherapy
Abstract BackgroundBrachytherapy (BT) treatments involving temporary high-dose rate (HDR) sources are extensively employed in clinical practice. Ensuring the consistency of all measurement equipment at the hospital level is crucial, requiring a robust redundancy and consistency program. This enables the institution to verify the stability of the dosimetry system over time.PurposeTo describe, justify, and analyze a component of the redundancy program of the calibration protocols followed by the Radiotherapy Department of the Hospital Universitari i Polit & egrave;cnic La Fe (Val & egrave;ncia, Spain) during the last 10 years for the case of HDR BT as an additional component to ensure long term stability of the measurement equipment.MethodsAt the time the HDR BT source is replaced, its Air Kerma Strength (SK) is measured. By comparing this value with the one obtained at the time of installation (corrected by decay), a clear determination of the stability of the measurement equipment can be performed.ResultsDifference between SK,vendor and SK,hosp as a function of the measurement date is reported for a 10 years' period. All measurements are well within the +/- 3% tolerance level recommended in current international guidelines. Percentage differences of SK,hosp values at the time of replacement compared to SK,hosp ones at the time when the source was installed are within the +/- 0.5% range, reflecting oscillations around a null deviation.ConclusionsThe method proposed allows any hospital to ensure a redundancy component of the long-term stability of all equipment involved in BT measurements in a very simple and time efficient manner. Additionally, it enables the hospital to maintain a detailed log of historical differences, facilitating the identification and correction of potential systematic deviations over time.
Address [Vijande, Javier; Ballester, Facundo] Univ Valencia UV, Dept Fis Atom Mol & Nucl, Burjassot, Spain, Email: Javier.Vijande@uv.es
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Wiley Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1526-9914 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:001306138000001 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration no
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 6250
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Author Candela-Juan, C.; Ballester, F.; Perez-Calatayud, J.; Vijande, J.
Title (up) Assaying multiple I-125 seeds with the well-ionization chamber SourceCheck(4 Pi) 33005 and a new insert Type Journal Article
Year 2015 Publication Journal of Contemporary Brachytherapy Abbreviated Journal J. Contemp. Brachytherapy
Volume 7 Issue 6 Pages 492-496
Keywords brachytherapy; insert; quality assurance; prostate; seeds; well chamber
Abstract Purpose: To provide a practical solution that can be adopted in clinical routine to fulfill the AAPM-ESTRO recommendations regarding quality assurance of seeds used in prostate permanent brachytherapy. The aim is to design a new insert for the well-ionization chamber SourceCheck(4 Pi) 33005 (PTW, Germany) that allows evaluating the mean air-kerma strength of up to ten I-125 seeds with one single measurement instead of measuring each seed individually. Material and methods: The material required is: a) the SourceCheck(4 Pi) 33005 well-ionization chamber provided with a PTW insert to measure the air-kerma strength S-K of one single seed at a time; b) a newly designed insert that accommodates ten seeds in one column, which allows measuring the mean S-K of the ten seeds in one single measurement; and c) a container with ten seeds from the same batch and class of the seeds used for the patient implant, and a set of nine non-radioactive seeds.The new insert is characterized by determining its calibration coefficient, used to convert the reading of the well-chamber when ten seeds are measured to their mean S-K. The proposed method is validated by comparing the mean S-K of the ten seeds obtained from the new insert with the individual measurement of S-K of each seed, evaluated with the PTW insert. Results: The ratio between the calibration coefficient of the new insert and the calibration coefficient of the PTW insert for the SourceCheck(4 Pi) 33005 is 1.135 +/- 0.007 (k = 1). The mean S-K of a set of ten seeds evaluated with this new system is in agreement with the mean value obtained from measuring independently the S-K of each seed. Conclusions: The new insert and procedure allow evaluating the mean S-K of ten seeds prior to the implant in a single measurement. The method is faster and more efficient from radiation protection point of view than measuring the individual S-K of each seed.
Address [Candela-Juan, Cristian; Perez-Calatayud, Jose] La Fe Univ, Dept Radiat Oncol, Phys Sect, E-46026 Valencia, Spain, Email: ccanjuan@gmail.com
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Termedia Publishing House Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1689-832x ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000368381300010 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration no
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2533
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Author Oliver, S.; Gimenez-Alventosa, V.; Berumen, F.; Gimenez, V.; Beaulieu, L.; Ballester, F.; Vijande, J.
Title (up) Benchmark of the PenRed Monte Carlo framework for HDR brachytherapy Type Journal Article
Year 2023 Publication Zeitschrift für Medizinische Physik Abbreviated Journal Z. Med. Phys.
Volume 33 Issue 4 Pages 511-528
Keywords Monte Carlo; PenRed; Brachytherapy; DICOM; Medical physics
Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study is to validate the PenRed Monte Carlo framework for clinical applications in brachytherapy. PenRed is a C++ version of Penelope Monte Carlo code with additional tallies and utilities. Methods and materials: Six benchmarking scenarios are explored to validate the use of PenRed and its improved bachytherapy-oriented capabilities for HDR brachytherapy. A new tally allowing the evaluation of collisional kerma for any material using the track length kerma estimator and the possibility to obtain the seed positions, weights and directions processing directly the DICOM file are now implemented in the PenRed distribution. The four non-clinical test cases developed by the Joint AAPM-ESTRO-ABG-ABS WG-DCAB were evaluated by comparing local and global absorbed dose differences with respect to established reference datasets. A prostate and a palliative lung cases, were also studied. For them, absorbed dose ratios, global absorbed dose differences, and cumulative dose-volume histograms were obtained and discussed. Results: The air-kerma strength and the dose rate constant corresponding to the two sources agree with the reference datatests within 0.3% (Sk) and 0.1% (K). With respect to the first three WG-DCAB test cases, more than 99.8% of the voxels present local (global) differences within +/- 1%(+/- 0.1%) of the reference datasets. For test Case 4 reference dataset, more than 94.9%(97.5%) of voxels show an agreement within +/- 1%(+/- 0.1%), better than similar benchmarking calculations in the literature. The track length kerma estimator scorer implemented increases the numerical efficiency of brachytherapy calculations two orders of magnitude, while the specific brachytherapy source allows the user to avoid the use of error-prone intermediate steps to translate the DICOM information into the simulation. In both clinical cases, only minor absorbed dose differences arise in the low-dose isodoses. 99.8% and 100% of the voxels have a global absorbed dose difference ratio within +/- 0.2%for the prostate and lung cases, respectively. The role played by the different segmentation and composition material in the bone structures was discussed, obtaining negligible absorbed dose differ-ences. Dose-volume histograms were in agreement with the reference data.Conclusions: PenRed incorporates new tallies and utilities and has been validated for its use for detailed and precise high-dose-rate brachytherapy simulations.
Address [Oliver, S.] Univ Politecn Valencia, Inst Segur Ind, Radiofis & Medioambiental ISIRYM, Camide Vera s n, Valencia 46022, Spain, Email: sanolgi@upvnet.upv.es
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Elsevier Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0939-3889 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:001137118400001 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 5885
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Author Quintero-Quintero, A.; Patiño-Camargo, G.; Soriano, A.; Palma, J.D.; Vilar-Palop, J.; Pujades, M.C.; Llorca-Domaica, N.; Ballester, F.; Vijande, J.; Candela-Juan, C.
Title (up) Calibration of a thermoluminescent dosimeter worn over lead aprons in fluoroscopy guided procedures Type Journal Article
Year 2018 Publication Journal of Radiological Protection Abbreviated Journal J. Radiol. Prot.
Volume 38 Issue 2 Pages 549-563
Keywords backscatter correction factor; TLD; lead apron; fluoroscopy; eye lens dose
Abstract Fluoroscopy guided interventional procedures provide remarkable benefits to patients. However, medical staff working near the scattered radiation field may be exposed to high cumulative equivalent doses, thus requiring shielding devices such as lead aprons and thyroid collars. In this situation, it remains an acceptable practice to derive equivalent doses to the eye lenses or other unprotected soft tissues with a dosimeter placed above these protective devices. Nevertheless, the radiation backscattered by the lead shield differs from that generated during dosimeter calibration with a water phantom. In this study, a passive personal thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) was modelled by means of the Monte Carlo (MC) code Penelope. The results obtained were validated against measurements performed in reference conditions in a secondary standard dosimetry laboratory. Next, the MC model was used to evaluate the backscatter correction factor needed for the case where the dosimeter is worn over a lead shield to estimate the personal equivalent dose H-p(0.07) to unprotected soft tissues. For this purpose, the TLD was irradiated over a water slab phantom with a photon beam representative of the result of a fluoroscopy beam scattered by a patient. Incident beam angles of 0 degrees and 60 degrees, and lead thicknesses between the TLD and phantom of 0.25 and 0.5 mm Pb were considered. A backscatter correction factor of 1.23 (independent of lead thickness) was calculated comparing the results with those faced in reference conditions (i.e., without lead shield and with an angular incidence of 0 degrees). The corrected dose algorithm was validated in laboratory conditions with dosi-meters irradiated over a thyroid collar and angular incidences of 0 degrees, 40 degrees and 60 degrees, as well as with dosimeters worn by interventional radiologists and cardiologists. The corrected dose algorithm provides a better approach to estimate the equivalent dose to unprotected soft tissues such as eye lenses. Dosimeters that are not shielded from backscatter radiation might underestimate personal equivalent doses when worn over a lead apron and, therefore, should be specifically characterized for this purpose.
Address [Quintero-Quintero, A.; Patino-Camargo, G.] Univ Valencia, Dept Atom Mol & Nucl Phys, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain, Email: ccanjuan@gmail.com
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0952-4746 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000428913900001 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 3552
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Author Gimenez-Alventosa, V.; Antunes, P.C.G.; Vijande, J.; Ballester, F.; Perez-Calatayud, J.; Andreo, P.
Title (up) Collision-kerma conversion between dose-to-tissue and dose-to-water by photon energy-fluence corrections in low-energy brachytherapy Type Journal Article
Year 2017 Publication Physics in Medicine and Biology Abbreviated Journal Phys. Med. Biol.
Volume 62 Issue 1 Pages 146-164
Keywords Monte Carlo; dosimetry; low-energy seed; collision-kerma; mass energy-absorption coefficients; energy-fluence correction factor
Abstract The AAPM TG-43 brachytherapy dosimetry formalism, introduced in 1995, has become a standard for brachytherapy dosimetry worldwide; it implicitly assumes that charged-particle equilibrium (CPE) exists for the determination of absorbed dose to water at different locations, except in the vicinity of the source capsule. Subsequent dosimetry developments, based on Monte Carlo calculations or analytical solutions of transport equations, do not rely on the CPE assumption and determine directly the dose to different tissues. At the time of relating dose to tissue and dose to water, or vice versa, it is usually assumed that the photon fluence in water and in tissues are practically identical, so that the absorbed dose in the two media can be related by their ratio of mass energy-absorption coefficients. In this work, an efficient way to correlate absorbed dose to water and absorbed dose to tissue in brachytherapy calculations at clinically relevant distances for low-energy photon emitting seeds is proposed. A correction is introduced that is based on the ratio of the water-to-tissue photon energy-fluences. State-of-the art Monte Carlo calculations are used to score photon fluence differential in energy in water and in various human tissues (muscle, adipose and bone), which in all cases include a realistic modelling of low-energy brachytherapy sources in order to benchmark the formalism proposed. The energy-fluence based corrections given in this work are able to correlate absorbed dose to tissue and absorbed dose to water with an accuracy better than 0.5% in the most critical cases (e.g. bone tissue).
Address [Gimenez-Alventosa, Vicent; Antunes, Paula C. G.; Vijande, Javier; Ballester, Facundo] Univ Valencia, Dept Atom Mol & Nucl Phys, E-46100 Burjassot, Spain, Email: vijande@uv.es
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0031-9155 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000391567700001 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2923
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