ORCID Profile
0000-0002-9288-5496
Current Organisation
ICON Cancer Centres
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Publications
Investigating the use of aperture shape controller in VMAT treatment deliveries
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2020
Statistical process control and verifying positional accuracy of a cobra motion couch using step-wedge quality assurance tool
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-07-2017
DOI: 10.1002/ACM2.12136
Tomotherapy treatment site specific planning using statistical process control
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.EJMP.2018.08.003
Abstract: This study investigated planned MLC distribution and treatment region specific plan parameters to recommend optimal delivery parameters based on statistical process techniques. A cohort of 28 head and neck, 19 pelvic and 23 brain pre-treatment plans were delivered on a helical tomotherapy system using 2.5 cm field width. Parameters such as gantry period, leaf open time (LOT), actual modulation factor, LOT sonogram, treatment duration and couch travel were investigated to derive optimal range for plans that passed acceptable delivery quality assurance. The results were compared against vendor recommendations and previous publications. No correlation was observed between vendor recommended gantry period and percentage of minimum leaf open times. The range of gantry period (min-max) observed was 16-21 s for head and neck, 15-22 s for pelvis and 13-18 s for brain plans respectively. It was also noted that the highest percentage (average (X-) ± SD) of leaf open times for a minimum time of 100 ms was seen for brain plans (53.9 ± 9.2%) compared to its corresponding head and neck (34.5 ± 4.2%) and pelvic (32.0 ± 9.4%) plans respectively. We have proposed that treatment site specific delivery parameters be used during planning that are based on the treatment centre and have detailed recommendations and limitations for the studied cohort. This may enable to improve efficiency of treatment deliveries by reducing inaccuracies in MLC distribution.
A multi-institutional evaluation of machine performance check system on treatment beam output and symmetry using statistical process control
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-02-2019
DOI: 10.1002/ACM2.12547
Radiotherapy quality assurance using statistical process control
Publisher: Springer Singapore
Date: 30-05-2019
Monitoring Daily QA 3 constancy for routine quality assurance on linear accelerators
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.EJMP.2016.10.021
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the suitability of the Daily QA 3 (Sun Nuclear Corporation, Melbourne, USA) device as a safe quality assurance device for control of machine specific parameters, such as linear accelerator output, beam quality and beam flatness and symmetry. Measurements were performed using three Varian 2300iX linear accelerators. The suitability of Daily QA 3 as a device for quality control of linear accelerator parameters was investigated for both 6 and 10MV photons and 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18MeV electrons. Measurements of machine specific using the Daily QA 3 device were compared to corresponding measurements using a simpler constancy meter, Farmer chamber and plane parallel ionisation chamber in a water tank. The Daily QA 3 device showed a linear dose response making it a suitable device for detection of output variations during routine measurements. It was noted that over estimations of variations compared with Farmer chamber readings were seen if the Daily QA 3 wasn't calibrated for output and sensitivity on a regular eight to ten monthly basis. Temperature-pressure correction factors calculated by Daily QA 3 also contributed towards larger short term variations seen in output measurements. Energy, symmetry and flatness variations detected by Daily QA 3 were consistent with measurements performed in water tank using a parallel plate chamber. It was concluded that the Daily QA 3 device is suitable for routine daily and fortnightly quality assurance of linear accelerator beam parameters however a regular eight-ten monthly dose and detector array calibration will improve error detection capabilities of the device.
Investigating the use of image thresholding in brachytherapy catheter reconstruction
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-10-2016
DOI: 10.1007/S13246-016-0493-3
Abstract: This study evaluated the accuracy of image thresholding in the reconstruction of catheters in brachytherapy treatment planning systems. Six test cases including four planar catheter configurations, an interstitial prostate and an intracavitary treatment plan were made use of in this study. The four planar CT scanned catheter arrangements included catheters placed approximately 1, 0.5 cm apart, catheters closely arranged in a plan (<0.5 cm apart) and a loop arrangement. The intracavitary plan consisted of catheters arranged inside a mould configuration. All reconstruction methods were based on tracking wire markers placed inside the plastic catheters. Each of these catheter arrangements was reconstructed using an existing window adjustment technique (manual reconstruction) in the treatment planning system followed by a CT-based automated thresholding technique available in the same planning system. A corresponding reconstructed catheter was created using a segmented catheter structure using image thresholding from another planning system within the same department. Co-ordinates from all the reconstructed catheters were compared against each other to assess the geometric shift between manual and threshold based reconstruction on each transaxial image using in-house software and the maximum variations were recorded for assessment. It was observed in general that automated thresholding technique could assist in catheter reconstruction for catheters which are greater than 0.5 cm apart. The segmented thresholding method reported smaller variations when compared to the manual reconstruction using window adjustment technique. Automated reconstruction saves time in the brachytherapy planning, however it was noted that it is not feasible for closely spaced catheters. Segmented catheter reconstruction although time consuming, did provide a better alternative in most cases.
Effects of changing modulation and pitch parameters on tomotherapy delivery quality assurance plans
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2015
Investigating output and energy variations and their relationship to delivery QA results using Statistical Process Control for helical tomotherapy
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.EJMP.2017.05.052
Abstract: The aims of this study were to investigate machine beam parameters using the TomoTherapy quality assurance (TQA) tool, establish a correlation to patient delivery quality assurance results and to evaluate the relationship between energy variations detected using different TQA modules. TQA daily measurement results from two treatment machines for periods of up to 4years were acquired. Analyses of beam quality, helical and static output variations were made. Variations from planned dose were also analysed using Statistical Process Control (SPC) technique and their relationship to output trends were studied. Energy variations appeared to be one of the contributing factors to delivery output dose seen in the analysis. Ion chamber measurements were reliable indicators of energy and output variations and were linear with patient dose verifications.
Photon optimizer (PO) vs progressive resolution optimizer (PRO): a conformality- and complexity-based comparison for intensity-modulated arc therapy plans
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.MEDDOS.2017.10.003
Abstract: This study aimed to provide guidance on the advantages and limitations of a new optimizer, "photon optimizer" (PO), when compared with its predecessor, "progressive resolution optimizer" (PRO), for intensity-modulated arc therapy (IMAT) plans. Eleven study plans that included a cohort of prostate, head and neck, and brain treatment sites were optimized using both PRO and PO algorithms. A plan template using the same objectives for the same number of iterations was used for each optimized plan to obtain hypothetical treatment plans that would be comparable with a clinical plan. Analysis was performed using plan conformity-based parameters such as target volume coverage factor, conformation number and homogeneity indices, and plan complexity assessment parameters such as small aperture score, modulation indices, and monitor unit variation with arc angle for prostate, brain and head, and neck IMAT treatment plans. Plan conformality analysis demonstrated that conformation numbers, target volume coverage factors, and homogeneity indices produced by the 2 optimizers were comparable for most anatomic sites. IMAT treatment plans produced using the PRO optimizer were found to be less complex than plans produced using the PO optimizer, in terms of multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf position variability and modulation complexity scores. Similarly, the PRO optimizer was shown to produce treatment plans that used fewer monitor units (and generally fewer monitor unit per degree of arc rotation) than PO optimizer. This study demonstrated that the PO optimizer can produce IMAT treatment plans with a similar degree of dose conformity to the target volume and generally improved organ at risk sparing, compared with the PRO optimizer. Better coverage to organs at risk produced by plans optimized using PO was observed to have higher MLC variability and monitor units. Therefore, careful evaluation of treatment plan conformity and complexity before assessing its deliverability is recommended when implementing the routine use of PO optimizer.
Departmental action limits for TQA energy variations defined by means of statistical process control methods
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-08-2020
DOI: 10.1007/S13246-019-00791-0
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to define departmental action limits for energy percentage variation measured by means of step-wedge helical Tomotherapy quality assurance module. In idual charts using the Statistical Process Control techniques have been used to identify retrospectively out-of-control situations ascribable to documented actions performed on the Tomotherapy system. Using the in-control data of our analysis process capability indices (c
Related Organisations
Australasian College Of Physical Scientists And Engineers In Medicine (ACPSEM)
Location: Australia
Related Funding Activities
No related grants have been discovered for Diana Binny Ph.D..