Collimator trans-axial tomographic scintillation camera

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaszczak, R.J.

1977-01-01

A collimator is provided for a scintillation camera system in which a detector precesses in an orbit about a patient. The collimator is designed to have high resolution and lower sensitivity with respect to radiation traveling in paths laying wholly within planes perpendicular to the cranial-caudal axis of the patient. The collimator has high sensitivity and lower resolution to radiation traveling in other planes. Variances in resolution and sensitivity are achieved by altering the length, spacing or thickness of the septa of the collimator

Development of tungsten collimators for industrial radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varkey, P.A.; Verma, P.B.; Jayakumar, T.K.; Mammachan, M.K.

2001-01-01

Collimators are essential components of industrial radiography set up as it provides radiation safety to persons involved in the radiography work. A collimator with optimum design features also helps in reducing the scattered radiation which in turn results in radiographs having better sensitivity. This papers describes the salient design features of the tungsten collimators developed by the BRIT, for industrial radiography. (author)

Adjustable collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlson, R.W.; Covic, J.; Leininger, G.

1981-01-01

In a rotating fan beam tomographic scanner there is included an adjustable collimator and shutter assembly. The assembly includes a fan angle collimation cylinder having a plurality of different length slots through which the beam may pass for adjusting the fan angle of the beam. It also includes a beam thickness cylinder having a plurality of slots of different widths for adjusting the thickness of the beam. Further, some of the slots have filter materials mounted therein so that the operator may select from a plurality of filters. Also disclosed is a servo motor system which allows the operator to select the desired fan angle, beam thickness and filter from a remote location. An additional feature is a failsafe shutter assembly which includes a spring biased shutter cylinder mounted in the collimation cylinders. The servo motor control circuit checks several system conditions before the shutter is rendered openable. Further, the circuit cuts off the radiation if the shutter fails to open or close properly. A still further feature is a reference radiation intensity monitor which includes a tuning-fork shaped light conducting element having a scintillation crystal mounted on each tine. The monitor is placed adjacent the collimator between it and the source with the pair of crystals to either side of the fan beam

A parabolic mirror x-ray collimator

Science.gov (United States)

Franks, A.; Jackson, K.; Yacoot, A.

2000-05-01

A robust and stable x-ray collimator has been developed to produce a parallel beam of x-rays by total external reflection from a parabolic mirror. The width of the gold-coated silica mirror varies along its length, which allows it to be bent from a plane surface into a parabolic form by application of unequal bending forces at its ends. A family of parabolas of near constant focal length can be formed by changing the screw-applied bending force, thus allowing the collimator to cater for a range of wavelengths by the turning of a screw. Even with radiation with a wavelength as short as that as Mo Kicons/Journals/Common/alpha" ALT="alpha" ALIGN="TOP"/> 1 (icons/Journals/Common/lambda" ALT="lambda" ALIGN="TOP"/> = 0.07 nm), a gain in flux by a factor of 5.5 was achieved. The potential gain increases with wavelength, e.g. for Cu Kicons/Journals/Common/alpha" ALT="alpha" ALIGN="TOP"/> 1 radiation this amounts to over a factor of ten.

Optimizing Collimator Margins for Isotoxically Dose-Escalated Conformal Radiation Therapy of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Warren, Samantha, E-mail: Samantha.warren@oncology.ox.ac.uk [Department of Oncology, Gray Institute of Radiation Oncology and Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford (United Kingdom); Oxford Cancer Centre, Oxford University Hospitals, Oxford (United Kingdom); Panettieri, Vanessa [William Buckland Radiotherapy Centre, Alfred Hospital, Commercial Road, Melbourne (Australia); Panakis, Niki; Bates, Nicholas [Oxford Cancer Centre, Oxford University Hospitals, Oxford (United Kingdom); Lester, Jason F. [Velindre Cancer Centre, Velindre Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff (United Kingdom); Jain, Pooja [Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, Clatterbridge Road, Wirral (United Kingdom); Landau, David B. [Department of Radiotherapy, Guy' s and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London (United Kingdom); Nahum, Alan E.; Mayles, W. Philip M. [Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, Clatterbridge Road, Wirral (United Kingdom); Fenwick, John D. [Department of Oncology, Gray Institute of Radiation Oncology and Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford (United Kingdom); Oxford Cancer Centre, Oxford University Hospitals, Oxford (United Kingdom)

2014-04-01

Purpose: Isotoxic dose escalation schedules such as IDEAL-CRT [isotoxic dose escalation and acceleration in lung cancer chemoradiation therapy] (ISRCTN12155469) individualize doses prescribed to lung tumors, generating a fixed modeled risk of radiation pneumonitis. Because the beam penumbra is broadened in lung, the choice of collimator margin is an important element of the optimization of isotoxic conformal radiation therapy for lung cancer. Methods and Materials: Twelve patients with stage I-III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were replanned retrospectively using a range of collimator margins. For each plan, the prescribed dose was calculated according to the IDEAL-CRT isotoxic prescription method, and the absolute dose (D{sub 99}) delivered to 99% of the planning target volume (PTV) was determined. Results: Reducing the multileaf collimator margin from the widely used 7 mm to a value of 2 mm produced gains of 2.1 to 15.6 Gy in absolute PTV D{sub 99}, with a mean gain ± 1 standard error of the mean of 6.2 ± 1.1 Gy (2-sided P<.001). Conclusions: For NSCLC patients treated with conformal radiation therapy and an isotoxic dose prescription, absolute doses in the PTV may be increased by using smaller collimator margins, reductions in relative coverage being offset by increases in prescribed dose.

Requirements for the LHC collimation system

CERN Document Server

Assmann, R W; Brugger, M; Bruno, L; Burkhardt, H; Burtin, G; Dehning, Bernd; Fischer, C; Goddard, B; Gschwendtner, E; Hayes, M; Jeanneret, J B; Jung, R; Kain, V; Kaltchev, D I; Lamont, M; Schmidt, R; Vossenberg, Eugène B; Weisse, E; Wenninger, J

2002-01-01

The LHC requires efficient collimation during all phases of the beam cycle. Collimation plays important roles in prevention of magnet quenches from regular beam diffusion, detection of abnormal beam loss and subsequent beam abort, radiation protection, and passive protection of the superconducting magnets in case of failures. The different roles of collimation and the high beam power in the LHC impose many challenges for the design of the collimation system. In particular, the collimators must be able to withstand the expected particle losses. The requirements for the LHC collimation system are presented.

Beam Collimation Studies for the ILC Positron Source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drozhdin, A.; /Fermilab; Nosochkov, Y.; Zhou, F.; /SLAC

2008-06-26

Results of the collimation studies for the ILC positron source beam line are presented. The calculations of primary positron beam loss are done using the ELEGANT code. The secondary positron and electron beam loss, the synchrotron radiation along the beam line and the bremsstrahlung radiation in the collimators are simulated using the STRUCT code. The first part of the collimation system, located right after the positron source target (0.125 GeV), is used for protection of the RF Linac sections from heating and radiation. The second part of the system is used for final collimation before the beam injection into the Damping Ring at 5 GeV. The calculated power loss in the collimation region is within 100 W/m, with the loss in the collimators of 0.2-5 kW. The beam transfer efficiency from the target to the Damping Ring is 13.5%.

Radiation leakage dose from Elekta electron collimation system.

Science.gov (United States)

Pitcher, Garrett M; Hogstrom, Kenneth R; Carver, Robert L

2016-09-08

This study provided baseline data required for a greater project, whose objective was to design a new Elekta electron collimation system having significantly lighter electron applicators with equally low out-of field leakage dose. Specifically, off-axis dose profiles for the electron collimation system of our uniquely configured Elekta Infinity accelerator with the MLCi2 treatment head were measured and calculated for two primary purposes: 1) to evaluate and document the out-of-field leakage dose in the patient plane and 2) to validate the dose distributions calculated using a BEAMnrc Monte Carlo (MC) model for out-of-field dose profiles. Off-axis dose profiles were measured in a water phantom at 100 cm SSD for 1 and 2 cm depths along the in-plane, cross-plane, and both diagonal axes using a cylindrical ionization chamber with the 10 × 10 and 20 × 20 cm2 applicators and 7, 13, and 20 MeV beams. Dose distributions were calculated using a previously developed BEAMnrc MC model of the Elekta Infinity accelerator for the same beam energies and applicator sizes and compared with measurements. Measured results showed that the in-field beam flatness met our acceptance criteria (± 3% on major and ±4% on diagonal axes) and that out-of-field mean and maximum percent leakage doses in the patient plane met acceptance criteria as specified by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Cross-plane out-of-field dose profiles showed greater leakage dose than in-plane profiles, attributed to the curved edges of the upper X-ray jaws and multileaf collimator. Mean leakage doses increased with beam energy, being 0.93% and 0.85% of maximum central axis dose for the 10 × 10 and 20 × 20 cm2 applicators, respectively, at 20 MeV. MC calculations predicted the measured dose to within 0.1% in most profiles outside the radiation field; however, excluding model-ing of nontrimmer applicator components led to calculations exceeding measured data by as much as 0.2% for some regions

Multileaf collimator in radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeraj, M.; Robar, V.

2004-01-01

Background. Basic goal of radiotherapy treatment is the irradiation of a target volume while minimizing the amount of radiation absorbed in healthy tissue. Shaping the beam is an important way of minimizing the absorbed dose in healthy tissue and critical structures. Conventional collimator jaws are used for shaping a rectangular treatment field; but, as usually treatment volume is not rectangular, additional shaping is required. On a linear accelerator, lead blocks or individually made Cerroben TM blocks are attached onto the treatment head under standard collimating system. Another option is the use of multileaf collimator (MLC). Conclusions. Multileaf collimator is becoming the main tool for beam shaping on the linear accelerator. It is a simple and useful system in the preparation and performance of radiotherapy treatment. Multileaf collimators are reliable, as their manufacturers developed various mechanisms for their precision, control and reliability, together with reduction of leakage and transmission of radiation between and through the leaves. Multileaf collimator is known today as a very useful clinical system for simple field shaping, but its use is getting even more important in dynamic radiotherapy, with the leaves moving during irradiation. This enables a precise dose delivery on any part of a treated volume. Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), the therapy of the future, is based on the dynamic use of MLC. (author)

Collimator trans-axial tomographic scintillation camera

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaszczak, Ronald J.

1979-01-01

An improved collimator is provided for a scintillation camera system that employs a detector head for transaxial tomographic scanning. One object of this invention is to significantly reduce the time required to obtain statistically significant data in radioisotope scanning using a scintillation camera. Another is to increase the rate of acceptance of radioactive events to contribute to the positional information obtainable from a radiation source of known strength without sacrificing spatial resolution. A further object is to reduce the necessary scanning time without degrading the images obtained. The collimator described has apertures defined by septa of different radiation transparency. The septa are aligned to provide greater radiation shielding from gamma radiation travelling within planes perpendicular to the cranial-caudal axis and less radiation shielding from gamma radiation travelling within other planes. Septa may also define apertures such that the collimator provides high spatial resolution of gamma rays traveling within planes perpendicular to the cranial-caudal axis and directed at the detector and high radiation sensitivity to gamma radiation travelling other planes and indicated at the detector. (LL)

Design, simulation and manufacture of a multi leaf collimator to confirm the target volumes in intensity modulated radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamali-Asl, A.; Batooli, A. H.; Harriri, S.; Salman-Rezaee, F.; Shahmardan, F.; Yavari, L.

2010-01-01

Intensity modulated radiation therapy is one of the cancer treatment methods. It is important to selectively aim at the target in this way, which can be performed using a multi leaf collimator. Materials and Methods: In order to specifically irradiate the target volume in radiotherapy to reduce the patient absorbed dose, the use of multi leaf collimator has been investigated in this work. Design and simulation of an multi leaf collimator was performed by a Monte Carlo method and the optimum material for manufacturing the leaves was determined using MCNP4C. After image processing (CT or MRI) in this system, the tumor configuration is determined. Then the linear accelerator is switched on and the beam irradiates the cancerous cells. When the multi leaf collimator leaves receive a command from the micro controller, they start to move and absorb the radiation and modulate its intensity. Consequently, the tumor receives maximum intensity of radiation but minimum intensity is delivered to healthy tissues. Results: According to the simulations and calculations, the best material to manufacture the leaves from is tungsten alloy containing copper and nickel which absorbs a large amount of the radiation; by using a 8.65 cm thickness of alloy, 10.55% of radiation will transmit through the leaves. Discussion and Conclusion: Lead blocks are conventionally used in radiotherapy. However, they have some problems like cost, storage and manufacture for every patient. Certainly, the multi leaf collimator is the most efficient device to specifically irradiate the tumor in Intensity modulated radiation therapy. Furthermore, it facilitates treating the target in different views by rotation around the patient. Thus the patient's absorbed dose will decrease and the tumor will receive maximum dose.

Fermilab Recycler Collimation System Design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, B. C. [Fermilab; Adamson, P. [Fermilab; Ainsworth, R. [Fermilab; Capista, D. [Fermilab; Hazelwood, K. [Fermilab; Kourbanis, I. [Fermilab; Mokhov, N. V. [Fermilab; Morris, D. K. [Fermilab; Murphy, M. [Fermilab; Sidorov, V. [Fermilab; Stern, E. [Fermilab; Tropin, I. [Fermilab; Yang, M-J. [Fermilab

2016-10-04

To provide 700 kW proton beams for neutrino production in the NuMI facility, we employ slip stacking in the Recycler with transfer to the Main Injector for recapture and acceleration. Slip stacking with 12 Booster batches per 1.33 sec cycle of the Main Injector has been implemented and briefly tested while extensive operation with 8 batches and 10 batches per MI cycle has been demonstrated. Operation in this mode since 2013 shows that loss localization is an essential component for long term operation. Beam loss in the Recycler will be localized in a collimation region with design capability for absorbing up to 2 kW of lost protons in a pair of 20-Ton collimators (absorbers). This system will employ a two stage collimation with a thin molybdenum scattering foil to define the bottom edge of both the injected and decelerated-for-slipping beams. Optimization and engineering design of the collimator components and radiation shielding are based on comprehensive MARS15 simulations predicting high collimation efficiency as well as tolerable levels of prompt and residual radiation. The system installation during the Fermilab 2016 facility shutdown will permit commissioning in the subsequent operating period.

Wakefields in SLAC linac collimators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Novokhatski

2014-12-01

Full Text Available When a beam travels near collimator jaws, it gets an energy loss and a transverse kick due to the backreaction of the beam field diffracted from the jaws. The effect becomes very important for an intense short bunch when a tight collimation of the background beam halo is required. In the Linac Coherent Light Source at SLAC a collimation system is used to protect the undulators from radiation due to particles in the beam halo. The halo is most likely formed from gun dark current or dark current in some of the accelerating sections. However, collimators are also responsible for the generation of wake fields. The wake field effect from the collimators not only brings an additional energy jitter and change in the trajectory of the beam, but it also rotates the beam on the phase plane, which consequently leads to a degradation of the performance of the Free Electron Laser at the Linac Coherent Light Source. In this paper, we describe a model of the wake field radiation in the SLAC linac collimators. We use the results of a numerical simulation to illustrate the model. Based on the model, we derive simple formulas for the bunch energy loss and the average kick. We also present results from experimental measurements that confirm our model.

Collimation issues for the PEP-II B-factory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sullivan, M.

1997-12-01

This note describes how beam collimation affects detector backgrounds at the collision point for the PEP-II B-factory, a joint effort of three laboratories: LBNL, LLNL, and SLAC. Beam collimation controls the transverse size as well as the maximum allowed energy spread of the beam. The location of synchrotron radiation masks is determined by the transverse size of the beam in that the masks must prevent radiation generated by beam particles located at large transverse beam positions from directly striking the detector beam pipe. Collimation of the energy spread of the beam is important in the control of backgrounds produced by beam particles that strike a gas molecule (lost beam particles). The author describes some preliminary information from background studies during the first months of commissioning the high energy ring of the PEP-II B-factory and present some model predictions for synchrotron radiation backgrounds when collimators are not present

Development of a hemispherical rotational modulation collimator system for imaging spatial distribution of radiation sources

Science.gov (United States)

Na, M.; Lee, S.; Kim, G.; Kim, H. S.; Rho, J.; Ok, J. G.

2017-12-01

Detecting and mapping the spatial distribution of radioactive materials is of great importance for environmental and security issues. We design and present a novel hemispherical rotational modulation collimator (H-RMC) system which can visualize the location of the radiation source by collecting signals from incident rays that go through collimator masks. The H-RMC system comprises a servo motor-controlled rotating module and a hollow heavy-metallic hemisphere with slits/slats equally spaced with the same angle subtended from the main axis. In addition, we also designed an auxiliary instrument to test the imaging performance of the H-RMC system, comprising a high-precision x- and y-axis staging station on which one can mount radiation sources of various shapes. We fabricated the H-RMC system which can be operated in a fully-automated fashion through the computer-based controller, and verify the accuracy and reproducibility of the system by measuring the rotational and linear positions with respect to the programmed values. Our H-RMC system may provide a pivotal tool for spatial radiation imaging with high reliability and accuracy.

Multi-view collimator for scintillation cameras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hatton, J.; Grenier, R.P.

1979-01-01

A collimator comprises a block or blocks of radiation-impervious material which defines a first plurality of parallel channels, each channel defining a direction of acceptance of radiation from a body. The axes of a second plurality channels define another direction of acceptance of radiation from the body and intersect the same portion of the body as the axes of the first plurality of channels thus producing a second view of the body. Where the collimator is built up as a stack of blocks, each pair of adjacent blocks defines a slice of the body which is viewed from two angles defined by the channels. (UK)

Digital chest radiography: collimation and dose reduction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Debess, Jeanne; Johnsen, Karen Kirstine; Vejle-Sørensen, Jens Kristian

,3 mAs and SID SID of 180 centimetres using a phantom and lithium fluoride thermo luminescence dosimeter (TLD). Dose to risk organs mamma, thyroid and colon are measured at different collimations with one-centimetre steps. TLD results are used to estimate dose reduction for different collimations...... at the conference. Conclusion: Collimation improvement in basic chest radiography can reduce the radiation to female patients at chest x-ray examinations....

Evaluation of dual γ-ray imager with active collimator using various types of scintillators.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Wonho; Lee, Taewoong; Jeong, Manhee; Kim, Ho Kyung

2011-10-01

The performance of a specialized dual γ-ray imager using both mechanical and electronic collimation was evaluated by Monte Carlo simulation (MCNP5). The dual imager consisted of an active collimator and a planar detector that were made from scintillators. The active collimator served not only as a coded aperture for mechanical collimation but also as a first detector for electronic collimation. Therefore, a single system contained both mechanical and electronic collimation. Various types of scintillators were tested and compared with each other in terms of their angular resolution, efficiency, and background noise. In general, a BGO active collimator had the best mechanical collimation performance, and an LaCl₃(Ce) active collimator provided the best electronic collimation performance. However, for low radiation energies, the mechanical collimation images made from both scintillators showed the same quality, and, for high radiation energies, electronic collimation images made from both scintillators also show similar quality. Therefore, if mechanical collimation is used to detect low-energy radiation and electronic collimation is applied to reconstruct a high-energy source, either LaCl₃(Ce) or BGO would be appropriate for the active collimator of a dual γ-ray imager. These results broaden the choice of scintillators for the active collimator of the dual γ-ray imager, which makes it possible to consider other factors, such as machinability and cost, in making the imager. As a planar detector, BGO showed better performance than other scintillators since its radiation detection efficiency was highest of all. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Discrete ordinates solution of coupled conductive radiative heat transfer in a two-layer slab with Fresnel interfaces subject to diffuse and obliquely collimated irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muresan, Cristian; Vaillon, Rodolphe; Menezo, Christophe; Morlot, Rodolphe

2004-01-01

The coupled conductive radiative heat transfer in a two-layer slab with Fresnel interfaces subject to diffuse and obliquely collimated irradiation is solved. The collimated and diffuse components problems are treated separately. The solution for diffuse radiation is obtained by using a composite discrete ordinates method and includes the development of adaptive directional quadratures to overcome the difficulties usually encountered at the interfaces. The complete radiation numerical model is validated against the predictions obtained by using the Monte Carlo method

Design and development of new collimator cones for fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy in Samsung Medical Center.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Y C; Ju, S G; Kim, D Y; Choi, D R; Huh, S J; Park, Y H; Lim, D H; Kim, M K

1999-05-01

In stereotactic radiotherapy using X-Knife system, the commercially supplied collimator cone system had a few mechanical limitations. The authors have developed new collimator cones to overcome these limitations and named them "SMC type" collimator cones. We made use of cadmium-free cerrobend alloy within the stainless steel cylinder housing. We made nine cones of relatively larger sizes (3.0 cm to 7.0 cm in diameter) and of shorter length with bigger clearance from the isocenter than the commercial cones. The cone housing and the collimator cones were designed to insert into the wedge mount of the gantry head to enable double-exposure linac-gram taking. The mechanical accuracy of pointing to the isocenter was tested by ball test and cone rotation test, and the dosimetric measurements were performed, all of which were with satisfactory results. A new innovative quality assurance procedure using linac-grams on the patients at the actual treatment setup was attempted after taking 10 sets of AP and lateral linac-grams and the overall mechanical isocenter accuracy was excellent (average error = 0.4 +/- 0.2 mm). We have developed the SMC type collimator cone system mainly for fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy use with our innovative ideas. The new cones' mechanical accuracy and physical properties were satisfactory for clinical use, and the verification of the isocenter accuracy on the actual treatment setup has become possible.

Studies on the optimal collimation of fast neutrons for neutron therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pfister, G.

1973-08-01

Optimal dimensions and materials of collimators for the neutron therapy installations under construction in Hamburg and Heidelberg were investigated by computer simulation of clinical irradiations. The neutron transport from the source through collimator and phantom was calculated by numerical solution of the Boltzmann equation by the Ssub(N) method with first collision correction. It was shown that the collimater quantity can be the same for both installations if the same materials are used. With homogeneous distribution of the materials in the collimator, tungsten was found to be most suitable, but almost the same results were achieved with nickel. Alloys of various elements did not improve W/Fe and Fe/(CH 2 )sub(n) distribution significantly improved the collimator quantity. The radiation scattering component is reduced by filters, by smaller beam cross sections, and by longer collimators. The γ quanta which are due to nuclear excitation and by the isotopes produced in the collimator are not dangerous to the patient. Long-term activation of the collimator material should, however, be allowed for in order to ensure radiation protection of the operating personnel. A hardening of the neutron energy spectra on the sides of the useful radiation beam could be determined. (orig./AK) [de

A multileaf collimator field prescription preparation system for conventional radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du, M.N.; Yu, C. X.; Symons, M.; Yan, D.; Taylor, R.; Matter, R.C.; Gustafson, G.; Martinez, A.; Wong, J.W.

1995-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to develop a prescription preparation system for efficient field shaping using a multileaf collimator that can be used in community settings as well as research institutions. The efficiency advantage of the computer-controlled multileaf collimator, over cerrobend blocks, to shape radiation fields has been shown in conformal treatments, which typically require complete volumetric computerized tomographic data for three-dimensional radiation treatment planning--a utility not readily available to the general community. As a result, most patients today are treated with conventional radiation therapy. Therefore, we believe that it is very important to fully use the same efficiency advantage of multileaf collimator as a block replacement in conventional practice. Methods and Material: The multileaf collimator prescription preparation system developed by us acquires prescription images from different sources, including film scanner and radiation treatment planning systems. The multileaf collimator angle and leaf positions are set from the desired field contour defined on the prescription image, by minimizing the area discrepancies. Interactive graphical tools include manual adjustment of collimator angle and leaf positions, and definition of portions of the field edges that require maximal conformation. Data files of the final leaf positions are transferred to the multileaf collimator controller via a dedicated communication link. Results: We have implemented the field prescription preparation system and a network model for integrating the multileaf collimator and other radiotherapy modalities for routine treatments. For routine plan evaluation, isodose contours measured with film in solid water phantom at prescription depth are overlaid on the prescription image. Preliminary study indicates that the efficiency advantage of the MLC over cerrobend blocks in conformal therapy also holds true for conventional treatments. Conclusion: Our

Apparatus and method for variable angle slant hole collimator

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seung Joon; Kross, Brian J.; McKisson, John E.

2017-07-18

A variable angle slant hole (VASH) collimator for providing collimation of high energy photons such as gamma rays during radiological imaging of humans. The VASH collimator includes a stack of multiple collimator leaves and a means of quickly aligning each leaf to provide various projection angles. Rather than rotate the detector around the subject, the VASH collimator enables the detector to remain stationary while the projection angle of the collimator is varied for tomographic acquisition. High collimator efficiency is achieved by maintaining the leaves in accurate alignment through the various projection angles. Individual leaves include unique angled cuts to maintain a precise target collimation angle. Matching wedge blocks driven by two actuators with twin-lead screws accurately position each leaf in the stack resulting in the precise target collimation angle. A computer interface with the actuators enables precise control of the projection angle of the collimator.

The local distribution of radiation quality of a collimated fast neutron beam from 15 MeV deuterons on beryllium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fidorra, J.; Booz, J.

1978-01-01

The local distribution of radiation quality (ysub(F), ysub(D)) of a collimated fast neutron beam from 14 MeV deuterons on Beryllium was studied with a spherical 1/2 inch EG and G proportional counter simulating a diameter of 2μm. The deuterons were accelerated by the compact cyclotron CV-28 of the Kernforschungsanlage Juelich. The collimator was constructed by the Cyclotron Corporation. The mean neutron energy was 6 MeV. The measurements were performed in air and in a water phantom at a target skin distance of 125 cm. The energy deposition spectra of fast neutrons obtained at various positions were separated into three components of different radiation quality: the gamma component, the recoil proton component, and the heavy ion component

Collimator performance evaluation by Monte-Carlo techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milanesi, L.; Bettinardi, V.; Bellotti, E.; Gilardi, M.C.; Todd-Pokropek, A.; Fazio, F.

1985-01-01

A computer program using Monte-Carlo techniques has been developed to simulate gamma camera collimator performance. Input data include hole length, septum thickness, hole size and shape, collimator material, source characteristics, source to collimator distance and medium, radiation energy, total events number. Agreement between Monte-Carlo simulations and experimental measurements was found for commercial hexagonal parallel hole collimators in terms of septal penetration, transfer function and sensitivity. The method was then used to rationalize collimator design for tomographic brain studies. A radius of ration of 15 cm was assumed. By keeping constant resolution at 15 cm (FWHM = 1.3.cm), SPECT response to a point source was obtained in scattering medium for three theoretical collimators. Sensitivity was maximized in the first collimator, uniformity of resolution response in the third, while the second represented a trade-off between the two. The high sensitivity design may be superior in the hot spot and/or low activity situation, while for distributed sources of high activity an uniform resolution response should be preferred. The method can be used to personalize collimator design to different clinical needs in SPECT

Studies for the radiation levels and shielding in RR73, RR77 and UJ76 in IR7 for collimation phase 1 - 035

CERN Document Server

Tsoulou, A; Ferrari, A; CERN. Geneva. AB Department

2005-01-01

The Collimation project is one of the most crucial for the LHC performance. 54 movable, two-sided collimators will be placed in two insertions, i.e. IR3 and IR7, which will be among the most radioactive in the LHC. For a normal machine operation, it is essential that the electronics do not degrade or fail â€" at least very often â€" due to irradiation. The radiation levels initially estimated in IR7 (RR73/77 and UJ76) were too high for the electronics to tolerate. A shielding study was necessary to be done, in parallel with the study for the absorber positions. This article summarizes the shielding proposed and the radiation levels calculated for the final collimator and absorber positions as indicated by the FLUKA team.

Studies for the radiation levels and shielding in RR73, RR77 and UJ76 in IR7 for collimation phase 1 - 372

CERN Document Server

Tsoulou, A; Ferrari, A

2005-01-01

The Collimation project is one of the most crucial for the LHC performance. 54 movable, two-sided collimators will be placed in two insertions, i.e. IR3 and IR7, which will be among the most radioactive in the LHC. For a normal machine operation, it is essential that the electronics do not degrade or fail â€" at least very often â€" due to irradiation. The radiation levels initially estimated in IR7 (RR73/77 and UJ76) were too high for the electronics to tolerate. A shielding study was necessary to be done, in parallel with the study for the absorber positions. This article summarizes the shielding proposed and the radiation levels calculated for the final collimator and absorber positions as indicated by the FLUKA team.

Collimation techniques for dense object flash radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, K.H.

1984-08-01

In explosively driven experiments, flash radiography can record a wealth of information about material densities and boundaries. Obtaining accurate quantitative data from these radiographs requires careful design of the experiment so that one can control and measure the scattered radiation background that is a part of any experiment. We have used collimators at the x-ray source to match the incident x-ray flux to the transmission of the object, thereby reducing the production of scattered radiation while still preserving a complete view of the object. Multi-hole collimators (at the film plane) with a length-to-diameter ratio of approx. 20:1 have been used to measure the scattered radiation field with several exposure geometries and with various shielding methods

Implementation of multileaf collimator in a LINAC MCNP5 simulation coupled with the radiation treatment planing system PLUNC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abella, Vicente; Miro, Rafael; Juste, Belen; Verdu, Gumersindo

2010-01-01

Multileaf collimators are used on linear accelerators to provide conformal shaping of radiotherapy treatment beams, being an important tool for radiation therapy dose delivery. In this work, a multileaf collimator has been designed and implemented in the MCNP model of an Elekta Precise Linear Accelerator and introduced in PLUNC, a set of software tools for radiotherapy treatment planning (RTP) which was coupled in previous works with MCNP5 (Monte Carlo N-Particle transport code), with the purpose of comparing its effect on deterministic and Monte Carlo dose calculations. A 3D Shepp-Logan phantom was utilized as the patient model for validation purposes. Once the multileaf collimator model is implemented in the PLUNC LINAC model, a series of Matlab interfaces extract phantom and beam information created with PLUNC during the treatment plan and write it in MCNP5 input deck format. After the Monte Carlo simulation is performed, results are input back again in PLUNC in order to continue with the plan evaluation. The comparison is made via mapping of dose distribution inside the phantom with different field sizes, utilizing the MCNP5 tool EMESH, superimposed mesh tally, which allows registering the results over the problem geometry. This work follows a valid methodology for multileaf LINAC MC calculations during radiation treatment plans. (author)

High energy beam impact tests on a LHC tertiary collimator at the CERN high-radiation to materials facility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marija Cauchi

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The correct functioning of a collimation system is crucial to safely operate highly energetic particle accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC. The requirements to handle high intensity beams can be demanding. In this respect, investigating the consequences of LHC particle beams hitting tertiary collimators (TCTs in the experimental regions is a fundamental issue for machine protection. An experimental test was designed to investigate the robustness and effects of beam accidents on a fully assembled collimator, based on accident scenarios in the LHC. This experiment, carried out at the CERN High-Radiation to Materials (HiRadMat facility, involved 440 GeV proton beam impacts of different intensities on the jaws of a horizontal TCT. This paper presents the experimental setup and the preliminary results obtained, together with some first outcomes from visual inspection and a comparison of such results with numerical simulations.

High energy beam impact tests on a LHC tertiary collimator at the CERN high-radiation to materials facility

Science.gov (United States)

Cauchi, Marija; Aberle, O.; Assmann, R. W.; Bertarelli, A.; Carra, F.; Cornelis, K.; Dallocchio, A.; Deboy, D.; Lari, L.; Redaelli, S.; Rossi, A.; Salvachua, B.; Mollicone, P.; Sammut, N.

2014-02-01

The correct functioning of a collimation system is crucial to safely operate highly energetic particle accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The requirements to handle high intensity beams can be demanding. In this respect, investigating the consequences of LHC particle beams hitting tertiary collimators (TCTs) in the experimental regions is a fundamental issue for machine protection. An experimental test was designed to investigate the robustness and effects of beam accidents on a fully assembled collimator, based on accident scenarios in the LHC. This experiment, carried out at the CERN High-Radiation to Materials (HiRadMat) facility, involved 440 GeV proton beam impacts of different intensities on the jaws of a horizontal TCT. This paper presents the experimental setup and the preliminary results obtained, together with some first outcomes from visual inspection and a comparison of such results with numerical simulations.

Sensitivity of 3D Dose Verification to Multileaf Collimator Misalignments in Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy of Spinal Tumor.

Science.gov (United States)

Xin-Ye, Ni; Ren, Lei; Yan, Hui; Yin, Fang-Fang

2016-12-01

This study aimed to detect the sensitivity of Delt 4 on ordinary field multileaf collimator misalignments, system misalignments, random misalignments, and misalignments caused by gravity of the multileaf collimator in stereotactic body radiation therapy. (1) Two field sizes, including 2.00 cm (X) × 6.00 cm (Y) and 7.00 cm (X) × 6.00 cm (Y), were set. The leaves of X1 and X2 in the multileaf collimator were simultaneously opened. (2) Three cases of stereotactic body radiation therapy of spinal tumor were used. The dose of the planning target volume was 1800 cGy with 3 fractions. The 4 types to be simulated included (1) the leaves of X1 and X2 in the multileaf collimator were simultaneously opened, (2) only X1 of the multileaf collimator and the unilateral leaf were opened, (3) the leaves of X1 and X2 in the multileaf collimator were randomly opened, and (4) gravity effect was simulated. The leaves of X1 and X2 in the multileaf collimator shifted to the same direction. The difference between the corresponding 3-dimensional dose distribution measured by Delt 4 and the dose distribution in the original plan made in the treatment planning system was analyzed with γ index criteria of 3.0 mm/3.0%, 2.5 mm/2.5%, 2.0 mm/2.0%, 2.5 mm/1.5%, and 1.0 mm/1.0%. (1) In the field size of 2.00 cm (X) × 6.00 cm (Y), the γ pass rate of the original was 100% with 2.5 mm/2.5% as the statistical standard. The pass rate decreased to 95.9% and 89.4% when the X1 and X2 directions of the multileaf collimator were opened within 0.3 and 0.5 mm, respectively. In the field size of 7.00 (X) cm × 6.00 (Y) cm with 1.5 mm/1.5% as the statistical standard, the pass rate of the original was 96.5%. After X1 and X2 of the multileaf collimator were opened within 0.3 mm, the pass rate decreased to lower than 95%. The pass rate was higher than 90% within the 3 mm opening. (2) For spinal tumor, the change in the planning target volume V 18 under various modes calculated using treatment planning system

Clinical use of a simulation-multileaf collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marx, M.; Vacha, P.; Riis, B.; Feyerabend, T.; Richter, E.

1998-01-01

Background: At the University of Luebeck, radiotherapy is delivered by a 6/18-MV linear accelerator. Using the integrated multileaf collimator, irradiation of individually shaped treatment fields is possible in place of alloy blocks. Due to unsatisfactory pretherapeutic review of the radiation-field-specific multileaf collimator (MLC) configuration, we developed a simulation-multileaf collimator (SMLC) and assessed its feasibility at different tumor sites. Material and Methods: The SMLC is made of a perspex carrier with 52 horizontal sliding leaves. The position of each leaf is calculated by a 3D treatment-planning computer. The technician manually adjusts the leaves according to the beams-eye-view plot of the planning computer. Consequently, the SMLC is mounted on the therapy simulator at a distance of 64.8 cm from the focus. The treatment fields and the position of the leaves are documented by X-ray films. Results: Using the SMLC, radiation oncologists are able to review exactly the leaf configuration of each MLC-shaped radiation field and to correlate the MLC-shaped radiation field with the treated volume, the organs at risk and the port films acquired by the Portal Vision trademark system. Conclusion: The SMLC is a new tool to review radiation planning that uses an MLC in daily routine. The use of the SMLC improves the documentation and the quality assurance. It accelerates the treatment field review at the linear accelerator by comparing the SMLC simulator films with the portal images. (orig.) [de

Wood metal. A material of interest for the preparation of individual collimators and radiation protective means

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schumann, E.; Keiner, P.; Klose, E.

1978-01-01

On the grounds of its physical properties Wood metal is suitable for the preparation of individual collimators, shields and other radiation protective means in clinical radiology. Advantages and disadvantages of these self-made protective means are discussed. Its use for constructing special shielding elements and filters applied in radiotherapy as well as for shielding syringes applied in nuclear medicine is demonstrated. (author)

Design of a New Collimation System to Prevent Interference between X-ray Machines and Radiation Portal Monitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guzzardo, Tyler; Livesay, Jake

2012-01-01

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) developed a new collimation system that allows radiation portal monitors (RPMs) installed near x-ray machines to operate with a negligible false-positive alarm rate. RPMs are usually installed as far as possible from x-ray machines because false alarms are triggered by escaping x-rays; however, constraints at the installation site sometimes make it necessary that RPMs be installed near x-ray machines. Such RPMs are often plagued by high alarm rates resulting from the simultaneous operation of the RPMs and x-ray machines. Limitations on pedestrian flow, x-ray machine orientation, and RPM location often preclude a simple solution for lowering the alarm rate. Adding additional collimation to the x-ray machines to stop the x-rays at the source can reduce the alarm rate without interfering with site operations or adversely affecting the minimum detectable quantity of material (MDQ). A collimation design has been verified by measurements conducted at a RPM installation site and is applicable to all new and existing RPM installations near x-ray machines.

Micro-array collimators for X-rays and neutrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cimmino, A.; Allman, B.E.; Klein, A.G.; Bastie, P.

1998-08-01

The authors describe the fabrication techniques of novel, compact optical elements for collimating and/or focusing beams of X-rays or thermal neutrons. These optical elements are solid composite arrays consisting of regular stacks of alternating micro-foils, analogous in action to Soller slit collimators, but up to three orders of magnitude smaller. The arrays are made of alternating metals with suitable refractive indices for reflection and/or absorption of the specific radiation. In one implementation, the arrays are made of stacked micro-foils of transmissive elements (Al, Cu) coated and/or electroplated with absorbing elements (Gd, Cd), which are repeatedly rolled or drawn and restacked to achieve the required collimation parameters. The authors present results of these collimators using both X-rays and neutrons. The performance of the collimating element is limited only by the choice of micro-foil materials and the uniformity of their interfaces

Analysis appliance by gamma tomography with focused collimators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoddart, H.F.

1978-01-01

This invention concerns nuclear medicine and specifically an image-forming appliance providing a very sensitive quantitative determination and the localization in space of the radioactivity of a body organ such as the brain of a patient to whom a substance labelled with radioactive isotopes has been administered. The characteristics of this appliance, which forms an image in a transversal scanning field by means of radioactive isotope radiations, includes several highly focused collimators, placed in line and focused inwards so that they form an arrangement that surrounds a given scanning field. Each collimator is mobile with respect to the adjacent collimator and a system moves the collimators so that the focus of each one uniformly samples at least a half of the total scanning field corresponding to a cross section. The number of detectors is an even one between two and twenty four, and the collimators are twelve in number [fr

Multi-view collimators for scintillation cameras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hatton, J.; Grenier, R.P.

1982-01-01

This patent specification describes a collimator for obtaining multiple images of a portion of a body with a scintillation camera comprises a body of radiation-impervious material defining two or more groups of channels each group comprising a plurality of parallel channels having axes intersecting the portion of the body being viewed on one side of the collimator and intersecting the input surface of the camera on the other side of the collimator to produce a single view of said body, a number of different such views of said body being provided by each of said groups of channels, each axis of each channel lying in a plane approximately perpendicular to the plane of the input surface of the camera and all of such planes containing said axes being approximately parallel to each other. (author)

Collimation system for electron arc therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunelli, R.J.; Carter, J.C.

1984-01-01

An electron collimation system for electron arc therapy treatments consists of a slit collimation system which is movable with the electron beam applicator and is designed to allow for dose compensation in the sagittal direction and a hoop-and-clamp assembly for final field shaping. By correctly designing the shape of the slit in the former and properly adjusting the components of the latter, it is possible to accomplish quite uniform shielding without causing any weight of the shielding material to rest on the patient. The slit collimation system has a specially shaped aperture for confining the radiation beam. The hoop-and-clamp assembly has hoops and clamps which locate shielding over the patient's body. The shielding locating clamps are adjustably movable radially with respect to the hoops. (author)

Optimal Shape of a Gamma-ray Collimator: single vs double knife edge

Science.gov (United States)

Metz, Albert; Hogenbirk, Alfred

2017-09-01

Gamma-ray collimators in nuclear waste scanners are used for selecting a narrow vertical segment in activity measurements of waste vessels. The system that is used by NRG uses tapered slit collimators of both the single and double knife edge type. The properties of these collimators were investigated by means of Monte Carlo simulations. We found that single knife edge collimators are highly preferable for a conservative estimate of the activity of the waste vessels. These collimators show much less dependence on the angle of incidence of the radiation than double knife edge collimators. This conclusion also applies to cylindrical collimators of the single knife edge type, that are generally used in medical imaging spectroscopy.

SU-G-BRC-04: Collimator Angle Optimization in Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersen, A; Johnson, C; Bartlett, G; Das, I [Indiana University- School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) has revolutionized radiation treatment by decreasing treatment time and monitor units, thus reducing scattered and whole body radiation dose. As the collimator angle changes the apparent leaf gap becomes larger which can impact plan quality, organ at risk (OAR) sparing as well as IMRT QA passing rate which is investigated. Methods: Two sites (prostate and head and neck) that have maximum utilization of VMAT were investigated. Two previously treated VMAT patients were chosen. For each patient 10 plans were created by maintaining constant optimization constraints while varying collimator angles from 0-90 deg at an interval of 10 degrees for the first arc and the appropriate complimentary angle for the second arc. Plans were created with AAA algorithm using 6 MV beam on a Varian IX machine with Millennium 120 MLC. The dose-volume histogram (DVH) for each plan was exported and dosimetric parameters (D98, D95, D50, D2) as well homogeneity index (HI) and conformity index (CI) were computed. Each plan was validated for QA using ArcCheck with gamma index passing criteria of 2%/2 mm and 3%/3 mm. Additionally, normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) for each OAR was computed using Uzan-Nahum software. Results: The CI values for both sites had no impact as target volume coverage in every collimator angle were the same since it was optimized for adequate coverage. The HI which is representative of DVH gradient or dose uniformity in PTV showed a clear trend in both sites. The NTCP for OAR (brain and cochlea) in H&N plan and (bladder and rectum) in prostate plan showed a distinct superiority for collimator angles between 15-30 deg. The gamma passing rates were not correlated with angle. Conclusion: Based on CI, HI, NTCP and gamma passing index, it can be concluded that collimator angles should be maintained within 15–30 deg.

SU-G-BRC-04: Collimator Angle Optimization in Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersen, A; Johnson, C; Bartlett, G; Das, I

2016-01-01

Purpose: Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) has revolutionized radiation treatment by decreasing treatment time and monitor units, thus reducing scattered and whole body radiation dose. As the collimator angle changes the apparent leaf gap becomes larger which can impact plan quality, organ at risk (OAR) sparing as well as IMRT QA passing rate which is investigated. Methods: Two sites (prostate and head and neck) that have maximum utilization of VMAT were investigated. Two previously treated VMAT patients were chosen. For each patient 10 plans were created by maintaining constant optimization constraints while varying collimator angles from 0-90 deg at an interval of 10 degrees for the first arc and the appropriate complimentary angle for the second arc. Plans were created with AAA algorithm using 6 MV beam on a Varian IX machine with Millennium 120 MLC. The dose-volume histogram (DVH) for each plan was exported and dosimetric parameters (D98, D95, D50, D2) as well homogeneity index (HI) and conformity index (CI) were computed. Each plan was validated for QA using ArcCheck with gamma index passing criteria of 2%/2 mm and 3%/3 mm. Additionally, normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) for each OAR was computed using Uzan-Nahum software. Results: The CI values for both sites had no impact as target volume coverage in every collimator angle were the same since it was optimized for adequate coverage. The HI which is representative of DVH gradient or dose uniformity in PTV showed a clear trend in both sites. The NTCP for OAR (brain and cochlea) in H&N plan and (bladder and rectum) in prostate plan showed a distinct superiority for collimator angles between 15-30 deg. The gamma passing rates were not correlated with angle. Conclusion: Based on CI, HI, NTCP and gamma passing index, it can be concluded that collimator angles should be maintained within 15–30 deg.

Optimization of convergent collimators for pixelated SPECT systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capote, Ricardo M.; Matela, Nuno; Conceição, Raquel C.; Almeida, Pedro

2013-01-01

Purpose: The optimization of the collimator design is essential to obtain the best possible sensitivity in single photon emission computed tomography imaging. The aim of this work is to present a methodology for maximizing the sensitivity of convergent collimators, specifically designed to match the pitch of pixelated detectors, for a fixed spatial resolution value and to present some initial results using this approach. Methods: Given the matched constraint, the optimal collimator design cannot be simply found by allowing the highest level of septal penetration and spatial resolution consistent with the imposed restrictions, as it is done for the optimization of conventional collimators. Therefore, an algorithm that interactively calculates the collimator dimensions, with the maximum sensitivity, which respect the imposed restrictions was developed and used to optimize cone and fan beam collimators with tapered square-shaped holes for low (60–300 keV) and high energy radiation (300–511 keV). The optimal collimator dimensions were locally calculated based on the premise that each hole and septa of the convergent collimator should locally resemble an appropriate optimal matched parallel collimator. Results: The optimal collimator dimensions, calculated for subcentimeter resolutions (3 and 7.5 mm), common pixel sizes (1.6, 2.1, and 2.5 mm), and acceptable septal penetration at 140 keV, were approximately constant throughout the collimator, despite their different hole incidence angles. By using these input parameters and a less strict septal penetration value of 5%, the optimal collimator dimensions and the corresponding mass per detector area were calculated for 511 keV. It is shown that a low value of focal distance leads to improvements in the average sensitivity at a fixed source-collimator distance and resolution. The optimal cone beam performance outperformed that of other optimal collimation geometries (fan and parallel beam) in imaging objects close to

Development of collimator insert for linac based stereotactic irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, I.R.R.; Brindha, S.; Ravindran, B.P.; Rajshekhar, V.

1999-01-01

The aim of this study is to develop collimator inserts of various sizes which are either not commercially available or are expensive to import. The dosimetry parameters such as tissue maximum ratio (TMR), off-axis ratio (OAR) and output factor of the developed collimator insert are compared with that of the commercial collimator insert (Radionics). In order to check the suitability of the collimator insert developed locally for clinical use and to standardize the method of development, a collimator insert of 15 mm identical to the one supplied by Radionics is developed with low-melting alloy (Cerrobend). Moreover for the clinical use of the developed collimator insert, certain acceptance tests are performed which include a collimator concentricity test, beam size check and radiation leakage test. The dose verification is carried out with a thermoluminescent dosimeter ( 7 LiF rods) and an FBX chemical dosimeter in a human-head-shaped Perspex phantom filled with water. The variation between the calculated and measured dose is found to be within +2.4% for 7 LiF rods and -2.0% for the FBX chemical dosimeter thus ensuring the suitability of the developed collimator insert for clinical use. This has encouraged us to standardize the method adapted to develop the collimator insert and to develop collimator inserts of different field sizes. (author)

Physical properties of new collimator cone system for stereotactic radiation therapy developed in samsung medical center.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, D Y; Ahn, Y C; Oh, D G; Choi, D R; Ju, S G; Yeo, I H; Huh, S J

2000-09-01

A new collimator cone system has been developed at the Samsung Medical Center that overcomes some of the limitations of present commercially supplied collimator cones. The physical properties of the newly developed cone system are described in this report. The new cones have relatively larger aperture sizes (3.0-7.0 cm in diameter) and are 16 cm in length. Each new cone is fabricated with cerrobend alloy melted and poured into a stainless steel housing that is permanently fixed to a mounting plate. The mounting plate of the new cone is designed to insert into the wedge mount slot of the gantry head. The mechanical accuracy of the central axis of the cone pointing to the isocenter was tested using film, a steel ball positioned at the isocenter by the mechanical isocenter device. For the evaluation of beam flatness and penumbra, off-axis ratios at 5 cm depth were measured by film dosimetry using polystyrene phantom. The average error of the mechanical isocenter was 0.27 mm (+/- 0.16 mm). The beam flatness was excellent in the central region of the beam, and the average penumbra width was 3.35 mm (+/- 0.25 mm). The new cone design has more clearance between the patient's head and the gantry, and can more easily be removed from the gantry head because it slides in and out of the wedge slot. This facilitates changing cone sizes during one treatment session, and makes the process of double exposure port films easier. A new collimator cone system for stereotactic radiation therapy has been developed. The mechanical accuracy and physical properties are satisfactory for clinical use, and the new design permits a wider range of clinical applications for stereotactic radiation therapy.

Leaf sequencing algorithms for segmented multileaf collimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamath, Srijit; Sahni, Sartaj; Li, Jonathan; Palta, Jatinder; Ranka, Sanjay

2003-01-01

The delivery of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with a multileaf collimator (MLC) requires the conversion of a radiation fluence map into a leaf sequence file that controls the movement of the MLC during radiation delivery. It is imperative that the fluence map delivered using the leaf sequence file is as close as possible to the fluence map generated by the dose optimization algorithm, while satisfying hardware constraints of the delivery system. Optimization of the leaf sequencing algorithm has been the subject of several recent investigations. In this work, we present a systematic study of the optimization of leaf sequencing algorithms for segmental multileaf collimator beam delivery and provide rigorous mathematical proofs of optimized leaf sequence settings in terms of monitor unit (MU) efficiency under most common leaf movement constraints that include minimum leaf separation constraint and leaf interdigitation constraint. Our analytical analysis shows that leaf sequencing based on unidirectional movement of the MLC leaves is as MU efficient as bidirectional movement of the MLC leaves

Leaf sequencing algorithms for segmented multileaf collimation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kamath, Srijit [Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Sahni, Sartaj [Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Li, Jonathan [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Palta, Jatinder [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Ranka, Sanjay [Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

2003-02-07

The delivery of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with a multileaf collimator (MLC) requires the conversion of a radiation fluence map into a leaf sequence file that controls the movement of the MLC during radiation delivery. It is imperative that the fluence map delivered using the leaf sequence file is as close as possible to the fluence map generated by the dose optimization algorithm, while satisfying hardware constraints of the delivery system. Optimization of the leaf sequencing algorithm has been the subject of several recent investigations. In this work, we present a systematic study of the optimization of leaf sequencing algorithms for segmental multileaf collimator beam delivery and provide rigorous mathematical proofs of optimized leaf sequence settings in terms of monitor unit (MU) efficiency under most common leaf movement constraints that include minimum leaf separation constraint and leaf interdigitation constraint. Our analytical analysis shows that leaf sequencing based on unidirectional movement of the MLC leaves is as MU efficient as bidirectional movement of the MLC leaves.

Chromosome aberration studies and microdosimetry with radiations of varying quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grillmaier, R.E.; Bihy, L.; Menzel, H.G.; Schuhmacher, H.

1978-01-01

To investigate the biological effectivity of complex irradiation fields encountered in radiation protection and high LET radiation therapy and to find meaningful specification of radiation quality closely related to the biological effectivity, correlated chromosome aberration studies and microdosimetric investigations have been carried out using cyclotron produced collimated fast neutrons. Human lymphocytes have been irradiated at different dose levels in the direct beam and in different positions in the penumbra and the rates of acentric fragments and dicentrics have been determined. In identical positions microdosimetric measurements have been performed. The dose relationship of aberration rates after irradiation in the direct beam, the aberration rates observed in the penumbra and the microdosimetric quantities ysub(D), ysub(F) and y* are presented and their relations are discussed. Furthermore the dose relationship of chromosome aberrations induced by 60 Co-γ-rays has been investigated and used to establish the RBE dose relationship of cyclotron neutrons

Algorithms for optimal sequencing of dynamic multileaf collimators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kamath, Srijit [Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Sahni, Sartaj [Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Palta, Jatinder [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Ranka, Sanjay [Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

2004-01-07

Dynamic multileaf collimator (DMLC) intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is used to deliver intensity modulated beams using a multileaf collimator (MLC), with the leaves in motion. DMLC-IMRT requires the conversion of a radiation intensity map into a leaf sequence file that controls the movement of the MLC while the beam is on. It is imperative that the intensity map delivered using the leaf sequence file be as close as possible to the intensity map generated by the dose optimization algorithm, while satisfying hardware constraints of the delivery system. Optimization of the leaf-sequencing algorithm has been the subject of several recent investigations. In this work, we present a systematic study of the optimization of leaf-sequencing algorithms for dynamic multileaf collimator beam delivery and provide rigorous mathematical proofs of optimized leaf sequence settings in terms of monitor unit (MU) efficiency under the most common leaf movement constraints that include leaf interdigitation constraint. Our analytical analysis shows that leaf sequencing based on unidirectional movement of the MLC leaves is as MU efficient as bi-directional movement of the MLC leaves.

Algorithms for optimal sequencing of dynamic multileaf collimators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamath, Srijit; Sahni, Sartaj; Palta, Jatinder; Ranka, Sanjay

2004-01-01

Dynamic multileaf collimator (DMLC) intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is used to deliver intensity modulated beams using a multileaf collimator (MLC), with the leaves in motion. DMLC-IMRT requires the conversion of a radiation intensity map into a leaf sequence file that controls the movement of the MLC while the beam is on. It is imperative that the intensity map delivered using the leaf sequence file be as close as possible to the intensity map generated by the dose optimization algorithm, while satisfying hardware constraints of the delivery system. Optimization of the leaf-sequencing algorithm has been the subject of several recent investigations. In this work, we present a systematic study of the optimization of leaf-sequencing algorithms for dynamic multileaf collimator beam delivery and provide rigorous mathematical proofs of optimized leaf sequence settings in terms of monitor unit (MU) efficiency under the most common leaf movement constraints that include leaf interdigitation constraint. Our analytical analysis shows that leaf sequencing based on unidirectional movement of the MLC leaves is as MU efficient as bi-directional movement of the MLC leaves

Collimators

CERN Document Server

Wronka, Slawomir

2013-01-01

The collimator system of a particle accelerator must efficiently remove stray particles and provide protection against uncontrolled losses. In this article, the basic design concepts of collimators and some realizations are presented.

Peripheral dose in photon beams from a linear accelerator with a multileaf collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lope Lope, R.; Lozano Flores, F.; Gracia Sorrosal, J.; Font Gomez, J.A.; Hernandez Vitoria, A.

2001-01-01

Radiation doses outside the radiotherapy treatment field are of radiation protection interest when anatomical structures with very low dose tolerances might be involved. One of the major sources of peripheral dose, scatter from secondary collimators, depends on the configuration of the collimator. In this study, peripheral dose was measured at two depths for 6 and 18 MV photons from a linac Primus (Siemens) with a multileaf collimator (MLC). Comparative measurements were made both with leaves and with the upper jaw positioned at the field edge near to the detector. Configuring the MLC leaves at the field edge yielded a reduction in peripheral dose. (author)

Analysis of Radiation Field and Block Pattern for Optimal Size in Multileaf Collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Seoung Do; Yang, Kwang Mo; Yi, Byong Yong; Choi, Eun Kyong; Chang, Hye Sook

1994-01-01

The patterns of the conventional radiation treatment fields and their shielding blocks are analysed to determine the optimal dimension of the MultiLeaf Collimator (MLC) which is considered as an essential tool for conformal therapy. Total 1169 radiation fields from 303 patients (203 from Asan Medical center, 50 from Baek Hosp and 50 from Hanyang Univ. Hosp.) were analysed for this study. Weighted case selection treatment site (from The Korean Society of Therapeutic Radiology 1003). Ninety one percent of total fields have shielding blocks. Y axis is defined as leaf movement direction and it is assumed that MLC is installed on the cranial-caudal direction. The length of X axis were distributed from 4cm to 40cm (less than 21cm for 95% of cases), and Y axis from 5cm to 38cm (less than 22cm for 95% of cases). The shielding blocks extended to less than 6cm from center of the filed for 95% of the cases. Start length for ninety five percent of block is less than 10cm for X axis and 11cm for Y axis. Seventy six percent of shielding blocks could be placed by either X or Y axis direction, 7.9% only by Y axis, 5.1% only by X axis and it is reasonable to install MLC for Y direction. Ninety five percent of patients can be treated with coplanar rotation therapy without changing the collimator angle. Eleven percent of cases of cases were impossible to replace with MLC. Futher study of shielding should be larger than 21cm X 22cm. The MLC should be designed as a pair of 21 leaves with 1cm wide for an acceptable resolution and 17cm long to enable the leaf to overtravel at least 6cm from the treatment field center

Collimation Cleaning at the LHC with Advanced Secondary Collimator Materials

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2085459; Bruce, Roderik; Mereghetti, Alessio; Redaelli, Stefano; Rossi, A

2015-01-01

The LHC collimation system must ensure efficient beam halo cleaning in all machine conditions. The first run in 2010-2013 showed that the LHC performance may be limited by collimator material-related concerns, such as the contribution from the present carbon-based secondary collimators to the machine impedance and, consequently, to the beam instability. Novel materials based on composites are currently under development for the next generation of LHC collimators to address these limitations. Particle tracking simulations of collimation efficiency were performed using the Sixtrack code and a material database updated to model these composites. In this paper, the simulation results will be presented with the aim of studying the effect of the advanced collimators on the LHC beam cleaning.

Automated collimation testing by determining the statistical correlation coefficient of Talbot self-images.

Science.gov (United States)

Rana, Santosh; Dhanotia, Jitendra; Bhatia, Vimal; Prakash, Shashi

2018-04-01

In this paper, we propose a simple, fast, and accurate technique for detection of collimation position of an optical beam using the self-imaging phenomenon and correlation analysis. Herrera-Fernandez et al. [J. Opt.18, 075608 (2016)JOOPDB0150-536X10.1088/2040-8978/18/7/075608] proposed an experimental arrangement for collimation testing by comparing the period of two different self-images produced by a single diffraction grating. Following their approach, we propose a testing procedure based on correlation coefficient (CC) for efficient detection of variation in the size and fringe width of the Talbot self-images and thereby the collimation position. When the beam is collimated, the physical properties of the self-images of the grating, such as its size and fringe width, do not vary from one Talbot plane to the other and are identical; the CC is maximum in such a situation. For the de-collimated position, the size and fringe width of the self-images vary, and correspondingly the CC decreases. Hence, the magnitude of CC is a measure of degree of collimation. Using the method, we could set the collimation position to a resolution of 1 μm, which relates to ±0.25   μ    radians in terms of collimation angle (for testing a collimating lens of diameter 46 mm and focal length 300 mm). In contrast to most collimation techniques reported to date, the proposed technique does not require a translation/rotation of the grating, use of complicated phase evaluation algorithms, or an intricate method for determination of period of the grating or its self-images. The technique is fully automated and provides high resolution and precision.

Tandem collimators for the JET tangential gamma-ray spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soare, Sorin; Balshaw, Nick; Blanchard, Patrick; Craciunescu, Teddy; Croft, David; Curuia, Marian; Edlington, Trevor; Kiptily, Vasily; Murari, Andrea; Prior, Phil; Sanders, Steven; Syme, Brian; Zoita, Vasile

2011-01-01

The tangential gamma-ray spectrometer (TGRS) of the JET tokamak fusion facility is an important diagnostics for investigating the fast particle evolution. A well defined field of view for the TGRS diagnostics is essential for its proper operation and this is to be determined by a rather complex system of collimators and shields both for the neutron and gamma radiations. A conceptual design for this system has been carried out with the main design target set to maximize the signal-to-background ratio at the spectrometer detector, the ratio being defined in terms of the plasma emitted gamma radiation and the gamma-ray background. As a first phase of the TGRS diagnostics upgrade a set of two tandem collimators has been designed with the aim of determining a quasi-tangential field of view through JET tokamak plasmas. A modular design of the tandem system has been developed in order to allow for the construction of different configurations for deuterium and deuterium-tritium discharges. The internal structure of the collimators consists of nuclear grade lead and high density polyethylene slabs arranged in an optimized pattern. The performance of a simplified geometry of the tandem collimator configuration has been evaluated by neutron and photon transport calculations and the numerical results show that the design parameters can be attained.

Feasibility study on low-dosage digital tomosynthesis (DTS) using a multislit collimation technique

Science.gov (United States)

Park, S. Y.; Kim, G. A.; Park, C. K.; Cho, H. S.; Seo, C. W.; Lee, D. Y.; Kang, S. Y.; Kim, K. S.; Lim, H. W.; Lee, H. W.; Park, J. E.; Kim, W. S.; Jeon, D. H.; Woo, T. H.

2018-04-01

In this study, we investigated an effective low-dose digital tomosynthesis (DTS) where a multislit collimator placed between the X-ray tube and the patient oscillates during projection data acquisition, partially blocking the X-ray beam to the patient thereby reducing the radiation dosage. We performed a simulation using the proposed DTS with two sets of multislit collimators both having a 50% duty cycle and investigated the image characteristics to demonstrate the feasibility of this proposed approach. In the simulation, all projections were taken at a tomographic angle of θ = ± 50° and an angle step of Δθ =2°. We utilized an iterative algorithm based on a compressed-sensing (CS) scheme for more accurate DTS reconstruction. Using the proposed DTS, we successfully obtained CS-reconstructed DTS images with no bright-band artifacts around the multislit edges of the collimator, thus maintaining the image quality. Therefore, the use of multislit collimation in current real-world DTS systems can reduce the radiation dosage to patients.

Dose Distribution and Characterization for Radiation Fields of Multileaf Collimator System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu, Sung Sil; Kim, Gwi Eon

1996-01-01

Purpose : Multileaf collimator(MLC) is very suitable tool for conformal radiotherapy and commissioning measurements for a multileaf collimator installed on a dual energy accelerator with 6 and 10MV photons are required. For modeling the collimator with treatment planning software, detailed dosimetric characterization of the multileaf collimator including the penumbra width, leaf transmission between leaf leakage and localization of the leaf ends and sides is an essential requirement. Measurement of characteristic data of the MLC with 26 pair block leaves installed on CLINAC 2100C linear accelerator was performed. Low sensitive radiographic film(X-omatV) was used for the penumbra measurement and separate experiments using radiographic film and thermoluminescent dosimeters were performed to verify the dose distribution, Measured films were analyzed with a photo densitometer of WP700i scanner. For 6 and 10 MV x-ray energies, approximately 2.0% of photons incident on the multileaf collimator were transmitted and an additional 0.5% leakage occurs between the leaves. Localizing the physical end of the leaves showed less than 1mm deviation from the 50% decrement line and this difference is attributed to the curved shaped end on the leaves. One side of a single leaf corresponded to the 50% decrement line, but the opposite face was aligned with a lower value. this difference is due to the tongue and groove used to decrease between leaf leakage. Alignment of the leaves to form a straight edge resulted larger penumbra at far position from isocenter as compare with divergent alloy blocks. When the MLC edge is stepped by sloping field, the isodose lines follow the leaf pattern and produce scalloping isodose curves in tissue. The effective penumbra by 45 degree stepped MLC is about 10mm at 10cm depth for 6MV x-ray. The difference of effective penumbra in deep tissue between MLC and divergent alloy blocks is small (5mm). Using the characteristic data of MLC, the MLC has the

MHD Collimation Mechanism in Arched Flux Ropes Characterized Using Volumetric, Time-Dependent B-Vector Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Haw, Magnus A.; Bellan, Paul M.

2017-10-01

Laboratory measurements of B(x,t) in a volume enclosing portions of two arched flux ropes show flux rope collimation driven by gradients in axial current density. These measurements verify the three predictions of a proposed MHD collimation mechanism: (1) axial magnetic forces exist in current channels with spatially varying minor radius, (2) these forces can drive counterpropagating axial flows, and (3) this process collimates the flux rope. This mechanism may explain the axial uniformity of solar loops and is relevant to other systems with current channels of varying minor radius such as solar prominences and astrophysical jets.

Collimator kit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jonker, R.R.

1976-01-01

A collimator kit having a number of parts which may be assembled in various combinations to provide focusing collimators with different performance characteristics for radioisotope imaging apparatus is described

Beam Collimation and Machine-Detector Interface at the International Linear Collider

CERN Document Server

Mokhov, Nikolai V; Kostin, Mikhail A

2005-01-01

Synchrotron radiation, spray from the dumps and extraction lines, beam-gas and beam halo interactions with collimators and other components in the ILC beam delivery system create fluxes of muons and other secondaries which can exceed the tolerable levels at a detector by a few orders of magnitude. It is shown that with a multi-stage collimation system, magnetized iron spoilers which fill the tunnel and a set of masks in the detector, one can hopefully meet the design goals. Results of modeling with the STRUCT and MARS15 codes of beam loss and energy deposition effects are presented in this paper. We concentrate on collimation system and mask design and optimization, short- and long-term survivability of the critical components (spoilers, absorbers, magnets, separators, dumps), dynamic heat loads and radiation levels in magnets and other components, machine-related backgrounds and damage in collider detectors, and environmental aspects (prompt dose, ground-water and air activation).

Dose characteristics of in-house-built collimators for stereotactic radiotherapy with a linear accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norrgaard, F. Stefan E.; Kulmala, Jarmo A.J.; Minn, Heikki R.I.; Sipilae, Petri M.

1998-01-01

Dose characteristics of a stereotactic radiotherapy unit based on a standard Varian Clinac 4/100 4 MV linear accelerator, in-house-built Lipowitz collimators and the SMART stereotactic radiotherapy treatment planning software have been determined. Beam collimation is constituted from the standard collimators of the linear accelerator and a tertiary collimation consisting of a replaceable divergent Lipowitz collimator. Four collimators with isocentre diameters of 15, 25, 35 and 45 mm, respectively, were constructed. Beam characteristics were measured in air, acrylic or water with ionization chamber, photon diode, electron diode, diamond detector and film. Monte Carlo simulation was also applied. The radiation leakage under the collimators was less than 1% at 50 mm depth in water. Specific beam characteristics for each collimator were imported to SMART and dose planning with five non-coplanar converging 140 deg. arcs separated by 36 deg. angles was performed for treatment of a RANDO phantom. Dose verification was made with TLD and radiochromic film. The in-house-built collimators were found to be suitable for stereotactic radiotherapy and patient treatments with this system are in progress. (author)

Metal micro-arrays for collimating neutrons and X-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allman, B.E.; Cimmino, A.; Klein, A.G.; Hamilton, W.A.

1998-08-01

The authors describe the theory, fabrication and experimental results of novel, compact optical elements for collimating and/or focusing beams of X-rays or thermal neutrons. These optical elements are solid composites consisting of regular stacks of alternating micro-foils, analogous in action to Soller slits. They are made out of pairs of metals with suitable refractive indices for reflection and/or absorption of the radiation. The performance of these proof-in-principle collimating elements is limited only by the choice of micro-foil materials and the uniformity of their interfaces

Treatment planning systems for external whole brain radiation therapy: With and without MLC (multi leaf collimator) optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Budiyono, T.; Budi, W. S.; Hidayanto, E.

2016-03-01

Radiation therapy for brain malignancy is done by giving a dose of radiation to a whole volume of the brain (WBRT) followed by a booster at the primary tumor with more advanced techniques. Two external radiation fields given from the right and left side. Because the shape of the head, there will be an unavoidable hotspot radiation dose of greater than 107%. This study aims to optimize planning of radiation therapy using field in field multi-leaf collimator technique. A study of 15 WBRT samples with CT slices is done by adding some segments of radiation in each field of radiation and delivering appropriate dose weighting using a TPS precise plan Elekta R 2.15. Results showed that this optimization a more homogeneous radiation on CTV target volume, lower dose in healthy tissue, and reduced hotspots in CTV target volume. Comparison results of field in field multi segmented MLC technique with standard conventional technique for WBRT are: higher average minimum dose (77.25% ± 0:47%) vs (60% ± 3:35%); lower average maximum dose (110.27% ± 0.26%) vs (114.53% ± 1.56%); lower hotspot volume (5.71% vs 27.43%); and lower dose on eye lenses (right eye: 9.52% vs 18.20%); (left eye: 8.60% vs 16.53%).

Treatment planning systems for external whole brain radiation therapy: With and without MLC (multi leaf collimator) optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budiyono, T; Budi, W S; Hidayanto, E

2016-01-01

Radiation therapy for brain malignancy is done by giving a dose of radiation to a whole volume of the brain (WBRT) followed by a booster at the primary tumor with more advanced techniques. Two external radiation fields given from the right and left side. Because the shape of the head, there will be an unavoidable hotspot radiation dose of greater than 107%. This study aims to optimize planning of radiation therapy using field in field multi-leaf collimator technique. A study of 15 WBRT samples with CT slices is done by adding some segments of radiation in each field of radiation and delivering appropriate dose weighting using a TPS precise plan Elekta R 2.15. Results showed that this optimization a more homogeneous radiation on CTV target volume, lower dose in healthy tissue, and reduced hotspots in CTV target volume. Comparison results of field in field multi segmented MLC technique with standard conventional technique for WBRT are: higher average minimum dose (77.25% ± 0:47%) vs (60% ± 3:35%); lower average maximum dose (110.27% ± 0.26%) vs (114.53% ± 1.56%); lower hotspot volume (5.71% vs 27.43%); and lower dose on eye lenses (right eye: 9.52% vs 18.20%); (left eye: 8.60% vs 16.53%). (paper)

The design, physical properties and clinical utility of an iris collimator for robotic radiosurgery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Echner, G G; Kilby, W; Rhein, B; Lang, C; Schlegel, W [Department of Medical Physics, DKFZ, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Lee, M; Earnst, E; Sayeh, S; Dooley, J R; Lessard, E; Maurer, C R Jr [Accuray Incorporated, 1310 Chesapeake Terrace, Sunnyvale, CA 94089 (United States); Schlaefer, A; Blanck, O [Institute for Robotics and Cognitive Systems, University of Luebeck, Gebaeude 64, Ratzeburger Allee 160, D-23538 Luebeck (Germany)], E-mail: wkilby@accuray.com

2009-09-21

Robotic radiosurgery using more than one circular collimator can improve treatment plan quality and reduce total monitor units (MU). The rationale for an iris collimator that allows the field size to be varied during treatment delivery is to enable the benefits of multiple-field-size treatments to be realized with no increase in treatment time due to collimator exchange or multiple traversals of the robotic manipulator by allowing each beam to be delivered with any desired field size during a single traversal. This paper describes the Iris(TM) variable aperture collimator (Accuray Incorporated, Sunnyvale, CA, USA), which incorporates 12 tungsten-copper alloy segments in two banks of six. The banks are rotated by 30 deg. with respect to each other, which limits the radiation leakage between the collimator segments and produces a 12-sided polygonal treatment beam. The beam is approximately circular, with a root-mean-square (rms) deviation in the 50% dose radius of <0.8% (corresponding to <0.25 mm at the 60 mm field size) and an rms variation in the 20-80% penumbra width of about 0.1 mm at the 5 mm field size increasing to about 0.5 mm at 60 mm. The maximum measured collimator leakage dose rate was 0.07%. A commissioning method is described by which the average dose profile can be obtained from four profile measurements at each depth based on the periodicity of the isodose line variations with azimuthal angle. The penumbra of averaged profiles increased with field size and was typically 0.2-0.6 mm larger than that of an equivalent fixed circular collimator. The aperture reproducibility is {<=}0.1 mm at the lower bank, diverging to {<=}0.2 mm at a nominal treatment distance of 800 mm from the beam focus. Output factors (OFs) and tissue-phantom-ratio data are identical to those used for fixed collimators, except the OFs for the two smallest field sizes (5 and 7.5 mm) are considerably lower for the Iris Collimator. If average collimator profiles are used, the assumption

The design, physical properties and clinical utility of an iris collimator for robotic radiosurgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Echner, G G; Kilby, W; Rhein, B; Lang, C; Schlegel, W; Lee, M; Earnst, E; Sayeh, S; Dooley, J R; Lessard, E; Maurer, C R Jr; Schlaefer, A; Blanck, O

2009-01-01

Robotic radiosurgery using more than one circular collimator can improve treatment plan quality and reduce total monitor units (MU). The rationale for an iris collimator that allows the field size to be varied during treatment delivery is to enable the benefits of multiple-field-size treatments to be realized with no increase in treatment time due to collimator exchange or multiple traversals of the robotic manipulator by allowing each beam to be delivered with any desired field size during a single traversal. This paper describes the Iris(TM) variable aperture collimator (Accuray Incorporated, Sunnyvale, CA, USA), which incorporates 12 tungsten-copper alloy segments in two banks of six. The banks are rotated by 30 deg. with respect to each other, which limits the radiation leakage between the collimator segments and produces a 12-sided polygonal treatment beam. The beam is approximately circular, with a root-mean-square (rms) deviation in the 50% dose radius of <0.8% (corresponding to <0.25 mm at the 60 mm field size) and an rms variation in the 20-80% penumbra width of about 0.1 mm at the 5 mm field size increasing to about 0.5 mm at 60 mm. The maximum measured collimator leakage dose rate was 0.07%. A commissioning method is described by which the average dose profile can be obtained from four profile measurements at each depth based on the periodicity of the isodose line variations with azimuthal angle. The penumbra of averaged profiles increased with field size and was typically 0.2-0.6 mm larger than that of an equivalent fixed circular collimator. The aperture reproducibility is ≤0.1 mm at the lower bank, diverging to ≤0.2 mm at a nominal treatment distance of 800 mm from the beam focus. Output factors (OFs) and tissue-phantom-ratio data are identical to those used for fixed collimators, except the OFs for the two smallest field sizes (5 and 7.5 mm) are considerably lower for the Iris Collimator. If average collimator profiles are used, the assumption of

Advanced materials for future Phase II LHC collimators

CERN Document Server

Dallocchio, A; Arnau Izquierdo, G; Artoos, K

2009-01-01

Phase I collimators, equipped with Carbon-Carbon jaws, effectively met specifications for the early phase of LHC operation. However, the choice of carbon-based materials is expected to limit the nominal beam intensity mainly because of the high RF impedance and limited efficiency of the collimators. Moreover, C/C may be degraded by high radiation doses. To overcome these limitations, new Phase II secondary collimators will complement the existing system. Their extremely challenging requirements impose a thorough material investigation effort aiming at identifying novel materials combining very diverse properties. Relevant figures of merit have been identified to classify materials: Metal-diamonds composites look a promising choice as they combine good thermal, structural and stability properties. Molybdenum is interesting for its good thermal stability. Ceramics with non-conventional RF performances are also being evaluated. The challenges posed by the development and industrialization of these materials are ...

Comparison of different Bremsstrahlung converters and collimators for Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence setup at IFUSP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez, P.N; Corrales, Y.; Manso Guevara, M.V; Martins, M.N.

2007-01-01

Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence (NRF) setup will install in the new electron accelerator, which is in final stage of installation at the Physics Institute of Sao Paulo University (IFUSP). The Bremsstrahlung facility and the setup for photon scattering should be designed such that the background radiation caused by scattering photons and the production of neutrons is minimized. In this order the Monte Carlo simulation studies show the best options for the different elements of the NRF setup, and how to link these elements to the particularities of the irradiation room. In the present stage the simulations has been included the studies of different Bremsstrahlung converters and collimators. Several materials (Ta, W, Au, Nb, Cu) for Bremsstrahlung converters were studied. Detailed analyses of intensity as well as the opening angles of Bremsstrahlung radiation were carried out, for different converter thickness. For the collimator two materials (Cu and Pb) were studied in the simulations. Several opening angles and thickness (40 - 100 cm) were studied. The Bremsstrahlung beam collimation for different energy bins, and the photon scattering from the collimator ,were used as quality parameters of the collimators. (Author)

Independent checks of linear accelerators equipped with multileaf collimators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavlikova, I.; Ekendahl, D.; Horakova, I.

2005-01-01

National Radiation Protection Institute (NRPI) provides independent checks of therapeutic equipment as a part of state supervision. In the end of 2003, the audit was broaden for linear accelerators equipped with multileaf collimators (MLC). NRPI provides TLD postal audits and on-site independent checks. This contribution describes tests for multileaf collimators and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) technique that are accomplished within the independent on-site check of linear accelerators. The character and type of tests that are necessary to pursue for multileaf collimator depends on application technique. There are three basic application of the MLC. The first we call 'static MLC' and it serves for replacing conventional blocking or for adjusting the field shape to match the beam's-eye view projection of a planning target volume during an arc rotation of the x-ray beam. This procedure is called conformal radiotherapy. The most advanced technique with MLC is intensity modulated radiation therapy. The dose can be delivered to the patient with IMRT in various different ways: dynamic MLC, segmented MLC and IMRT arc therapy. Independent audits represent an important instrument of quality assurance. Methodology for independent check of static MLC was successfully verified on two types of accelerators: Varian and Elekta. Results from pilot measurements with dynamic MLC imply that the methodology is applicable for Varian accelerators. In the future, the experience with other types of linear accelerators will contribute to renovation, modification, and broaden independent checks methodology. (authors)

Fast Automatic Beam-Based Alignment of the LHC Collimator Jaws

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2080813; Assmann, R W

2014-01-01

The CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva, Switzerland is the largest and most powerful particle accelerator ever built. With a circumference of 27 km, it is designed to collide particles in two counter-rotating beams at a centre-of-mass energy of 14 TeV to explore the fundamental forces and constituents of matter. Due to its potentially destructive high energy particle beams, the LHC is equipped with several machine protection systems. The LHC collimation system is tasked with scattering and absorbing beam halo particles before they can quench the superconducting magnets. The 108 collimators also protect the machine from damage in the event of very fast beam losses, and shields sensitive devices in the tunnel from radiation over years of operation. Each collimator is made up of two blocks or ‘jaws’ of carbon, tungsten or copper material. The collimator jaws need be placed symmetrically on either side of the beam trajectory, to clean halo particles with maximum efficiency. The beam orbit and beam siz...

Optimization of detector size and collimator for PG-SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishikawa, M.; Kobayashi, T.; Kanda, K.

2000-01-01

A current absorbed dose evaluation method in a Boron Neutron Capture Therapy demands boron reaction rate from a boron concentration of an affected part supposed from a neutron flux and a boron concentration in blood measured by an activation method of a gold wire indirectly and converts it into an absorbed dose. So we devised a PG-SEPCT (Prompt Gamma-ray Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) system to evaluate an absorbed dose directly by measuring prompt gamma-rays. Ordinary SPECT system uses a big NaI scintillator for detector so that measurement is done in low background gamma-ray environment. However, a conventional detector and collimator system cannot be just applied to PG-SPECT system because a background radiation coexists abundantly (PG-SPECT system is set in irradiation room). Accordingly PG-SPECT system requires a dedicated detector and collimator system. In order to reduce efficiency for background gamma-rays, we arranged detectors in a collimator to shield from background gamma-rays. We examined the most suitable collimator shape. The optimization condition of a dedicated collimator system is as follows: 1) the smallest particle size that can be distinguished is 1 cm. 2) necessary counts at measurement target center is not less than 10,000. (author)

A multileaf collimator phantom for the quality assurance of radiation therapy planning systems and CT simulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McNiven, Andrea; Kron, Tomas; Van Dyk, Jake

2004-01-01

Purpose: The evolution of three-dimensional conformal radiation treatment has led to the use of multileaf collimators (MLCs) in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and other treatment techniques to increase the conformity of the dose distribution. A new quality assurance (QA) phantom has been designed to check the handling of MLC settings in treatment planning and delivery. Methods and materials: The phantom consists of a Perspex block with stepped edges that can be rotated in all planes. The design allows for the assessment of several MLC and micro-MLC types from various manufacturers, and is therefore applicable to most radiation therapy institutions employing MLCs. The phantom is computed tomography (CT) scanned as is a patient, and QA assessments can be made of field edge display for a variety of shapes and orientations on both radiation treatment planning systems (RTPS) and computed tomography simulators. Results: The dimensions of the phantom were verified to be physically correct within an uncertainty range of 0-0.7 mm. Errors in leaf position larger than 1 mm were easily identified by multiple observers. Conclusions: The MLC geometry phantom is a useful tool in the QA of radiation therapy with application to RTPS, CT simulators, and virtual simulation packages with MLC display capabilities

Electromagnetic radiation in a time-varying background medium

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Budko, N.V.

2009-01-01

Analytical solutions are presented for the electromagnetic radiation by an arbitrary pulsed source into a homogeneous time-varying background medium. In the constant-impedance case an explicit radiation formula is obtained for the synchronous permittivity and permeability described by any positive

The ARCS radial collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stone, M.B.; Abernathy, D.L.; Niedziela, J.L.; Overbay, M.A.

2015-01-01

We have designed, installed, and commissioned a scattered beam radial collimator for use at the ARCS Wide Angular Range Chopper Spectrometer at the Spallation Neutron Source. The collimator has been designed to work effectively for thermal and epithermal neutrons and with a range of sample environments. Other design considerations include the accommodation of working within a high vacuum environment and having the ability to quickly install and remove the collimator from the scattered beam. The collimator is composed of collimating blades (or septa). The septa are 12 micron thick Kapton foils coated on each side with 39 microns of enriched boron carbide ( 10 B 4 C with 10 B > 96%) in an ultra-high vacuum compatible binder. The collimator blades represent an additional 22 m 2 of surface area. In the article we present collimator's design and performance and methodologies for its effective use

SU-F-T-671: Effects of Collimator Material On Proton Minibeams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, E; Sandison, G; Cao, N; Stewart, R; Meyer, J; Eagle, J; Marsh, S

2016-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the dosimetric effects of collimator material on spatially modulated proton minibeams (pMBRT). Methods: pMBRT holds promise to exhibit shallow depth normal-tissue sparing effects similar to synchrotron based microbeams while also retaining potential for uniform dose distributions for tumor targets. TOPAS Monte Carlo simulations were performed for a 5cm thick multislit collimator with 0.3mm slits and 1mm center-to-center spacing for a 50.5MeV proton minibeam while varying collimator material between brass, tungsten, and iron. The collimator was placed both “flush” at the water phantom surface and at 5cm distance to investigate the effects on surface dose, peak-to-valley-dose-ratio (PVDR) and neutron contribution. Results: For flush placement, the neutron dose at the phantom surface for the tungsten collimator was approximately 20% higher than for brass and iron. This was not reflected in the overall surface dose, which was comparable for all materials due to the relatively low neutron contribution of <0.1%. When the collimator was retracted, the overall neutron contribution was essentially identical for all three collimators. Surface dose dropped by ∼40% for all collimator materials with air gap compared to being flush with the phantom surface. This surface dose reduction was at the cost of increase in valley dose for all collimator materials due to increased angular divergence of the mini-beams at the surface and their consequent geometric penumbra at depth. When the collimator was placed at distance from the phantom surface the PVDR decreased. The peak-to-entrance-dose ratio was highest for the iron collimator with 5cm air gap. Conclusion: The dosimetric difference between the collimator materials is minimal despite the relatively higher neutron contribution at the phantom surface for the tungsten collimator when placed flush. The air gap between the collimator and phantom surface strongly influences all dosimetry parameters due to

X-ray microscopy using collimated and focussed synchrotron radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, K.W.; Kwiatek, W.M.; Gordon, B.M.

1987-01-01

X-ray microscopy is a field that has developed rapidly in recent years. Two different approaches have been used. Zone plates have been employed to produce focused beams with sizes as low as 0.07 μm for x-ray energies below 1 keV. Images of biological materials and elemental maps for major and minor low Z have been produced using above and below absorption edge differences. At higher energies collimators and focusing mirrors have been used to make small diameter beams for excitation of characteristic K- or L-x rays of all elements in the periodic table. The practicality of a single instrument combining all the features of these two approaches is unclear. The use of high-energy x rays for x-ray microscopy has intrinsic value for characterization of thick samples and determination of trace amounts of most elements. A summary of work done on the X-26 beam line at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) with collimated and focused x rays with energies above 4 keV is given here. 6 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

Tissue compensation using dynamic collimation on a linear accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaballa, Hani E.; Mitev, George; Zwicker, Robert D.; Ting, Joseph Y.; Tercilla, Oscar F.

1995-01-01

Purpose: The availability of computer-controlled collimators on some accelerators has led to techniques for dynamic beam modification, mainly to simulate beam wedge filters. This work addresses the practical aspects of dynamic tissue compensation in one dimension using available treatment-planning software. Methods and Materials: Data derived from the treatment-planning program is used with an iterative calculational routine to determine the monitor unit settings needed for the collimator-controlling computer. The method was first tested by simulating a 60 deg. physical wedge. Further studies were carried out on a specially fabricated plastic phantom that modeled the sagittal contour of the upper torso, neck, and lower head regions. Results: Dynamic wedge point doses generated by the planning program agreed within 1% with the values directly measured in a polystyrene phantom. In the patient phantom, dynamic collimation achieved calculated dose uniformity within 0.5% in a reference plane near the phantom midline. A comparison of computer-generated and measured point doses in this case showed agreement within 3%. Conclusions: Dynamic collimation can provide effective compensation for contours that vary primarily along one direction. A conventional treatment-planning program can be used to plan dynamic collimation and deliver a prescribed dose with reliable accuracy

Construction and Bench Testing of a Rotatable Collimator for the LHC Collimation Upgrade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Jeffrey

2010-01-01

The Phase II upgrade to the LHC collimation system calls for complementing the 30 high robust Phase I graphite secondary collimators with 30 high Z Phase II collimators. The Phase II collimators must be robust in various operating conditions and accident scenarios. This paper reports on the final construction and testing of the prototype collimator to be installed in the SPS (Super Proton Synchrotron) at CERN. Bench-top measurements will demonstrate that the device is fully operational and has the mechanical and vacuum characteristics acceptable for installation in the SPS.

Anatomically shaped cranial collimation (ACC) for lateral cephalometric radiography: a technical report.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoogeveen, R C; van der Stelt, P F; Berkhout, W E R

2014-01-01

Lateral cephalograms in orthodontic practice display an area cranial of the base of the skull that is not required for diagnostic evaluation. Attempts have been made to reduce the radiation dose to the patient using collimators combining the shielding of the areas above the base of the skull and below the mandible. These so-called "wedge-shaped" collimators have not become standard equipment in orthodontic offices, possibly because these collimators were not designed for today's combination panoramic-cephalometric imaging systems. It also may be that the anatomical variability of the area below the mandible makes this area unsuitable for standardized collimation. In addition, a wedge-shaped collimator shields the cervical vertebrae; therefore, assessment of skeletal maturation, which is based on the stage of development of the cervical vertebrae, cannot be performed. In this report, we describe our investigations into constructing a collimator to be attached to the cephalostat and shield the cranial area of the skull, while allowing the visualization of diagnostically relevant structures and markedly reducing the size of the irradiated area. The shape of the area shielded by this "anatomically shaped cranial collimator" (ACC) was based on mean measurements of cephalometric landmarks of 100 orthodontic patients. It appeared that this collimator reduced the area of irradiation by almost one-third without interfering with the imaging system or affecting the quality of the image. Further research is needed to validate the clinical efficacy of the collimator.

Characterization of Embedded BPM Collimators

CERN Document Server

VALENTINO, Gianluca

2015-01-01

During LS1, 16 tertiary collimators (TCTs) and 2 secondary collimators (TCSGs) in IR6 were replaced by new embedded BPM collimators. The BPM functionality allows the possibility to align the collimators more quickly and therefore be able to respond faster to machine configuration changes, as well as a direct monitoring of the beam orbit at the collimators. Following an initial commissioning phase, an MD was carried out to test the new collimators and acquisition electronics with beam in the LHC.

Improvements in or relating to neutron beam collimators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lundberg, D.A.

1975-01-01

Reference is made to collimators suitable for use in neutron therapy equipment. The design of such collimators presents considerable difficulties, since neutrons are very penetrating. Scattering processes are also much more significant with neutrons than with x-rays or γ-rays. A further difficulty is that neutron activation causes some materials to become radioactive, which may present a hazard to users of the equipment. A novel form of collimator is described that overcomes these disadvantages to some extent. It comprises a body containing W for moderating the neutrons by inelastic collision processes, a slow neutron absorbing material intimately mixed with the W for reducing collisions between slow neutrons and the W atoms, a hydrogenous material for further moderating the neutrons to thermal energies by elastic collision processes with H atoms and for absorbing the thermal neutrons by capture processes, and a material having a density of at least 10g/cm 3 for attenuating γ-radiation produced in the hydrogenous material during neutron capture processes. The collimator is of sufficient thickness to be substantially opaque to neutrons of predetermined energy. The slow neutron absorbing material may be B, the hydrogenous material may be polyethylene, and the high density material may be Pb. Alternative methods of using and packing the various materials are described. (U.K.)

The LHC collimators

CERN Document Server

Bertarelli, A

2004-01-01

In the framework of the LHC Collimator project, TS department has been assigned the task to design the series collimators and to manufacture prototypes to be tested in summer 2004. Their concept must comply with a very demanding specification, entailing a temperature on the collimating jaws not exceeding 50ºC in steady conditions and an unparalleled overall geometrical stability of 25 micro m on a 1200 mm span, meeting, at the same time, the challenging deadlines required by the project schedule. To respond to these tough and sometimes conflicting constraints, the chosen design appeals to a mixture of traditional and innovative technologies, largely drawing from LEP collimator experience. The specification imposes a low-Z material for the collimator jaws, directing the design towards graphite or such novel materials as 2-D and 3-D Carbon/Carbon composites. An accurate mechanical design has allowed to considerably reduce the mechanical play and to optimize the geometrical stability. The mechanical lay-out a...

Dose distributions of x-ray fields as shaped with multileaf collimators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Y.; Boyer, A.L.; Desobry, G.E.

1992-01-01

Multileaf collimators (MLC) with various blade widths were simulated using standard cerrobend blocks, and three-dimensional dose computations were carried out to study the resultant radiation field edges. The study suggests that multileaf collimation to the outside of the desired field edge will lead to overdose outside the field, whereas multileaf collimation to the inside of the desired field edge will lead to underdose inside the field. When the direction of travel of the leaves with respect to the field edge is near 45 o , the 50% isodose of a multileaf-collimated beam will fall close to the desired edge with no underdose when the leaf corners are allowed to insert into the desired field edge by 1.2 mm for 6 MV x-rays and 1.4 mm for 18 MV x-rays using a 1 cm wide leaf. These blade offsets account for the scattering of photons and electrons in the medium within the penumbral region. (author)

SU-G-IeP4-04: DD-Neutron Source Collimation for Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography: A Monte Carlo Simulation Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fong, G; Kapadia, A [Carl E Ravin Advanced Imaging Laboratories, Durham, North Carolina (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To optimize collimation and shielding for a deuterium-deuterium (DD) neutron generator for an inexpensive and compact clinical neutron imaging system. The envisioned application is cancer diagnosis through Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography (NSECT). Methods: Collimator designs were tested with an isotropic 2.5 MeV neutron source through GEANT4 simulations. The collimator is a 52×52×52 cm{sup 3} polyethylene block coupled with a 1 cm lead sheet in sequence. Composite opening was modeled into the collimator to permit passage of neutrons. The opening varied in shape (cylindrical vs. tapered), size (1–5 cm source-side and target-side openings) and aperture placements (13–39 cm from source-side). Spatial and energy distribution of neutrons and gammas were tracked from each collimator design. Parameters analyzed were primary beam width (FWHM), divergence, and efficiency (percent transmission) for different configurations of the collimator. Select resultant outputs were then used for simulated NSECT imaging of a virtual breast phantom containing a 2.5 cm diameter tumor to assess the effect of the collimator on spatial resolution, noise, and scan time. Finally, composite shielding enclosure made of polyethylene and lead was designed and evaluated to block 99.99% of neutron and gamma radiation generated in the system. Results: Analysis of primary beam indicated the beam-width is linear to the aperture size. Increasing source-side opening allowed at least 20% more neutron throughput for all designs relative to the cylindrical openings. Maximum throughput for all designs was 364% relative to cylindrical openings. Conclusion: The work indicates potential for collimating and shielding a DD neutron generator for use in a clinical NSECT system. The proposed collimator designs produced a well-defined collimated neutron beam that can be used to image samples of interest with millimeter resolution. Balance in output efficiency, noise reduction, and scan

SU-G-IeP4-04: DD-Neutron Source Collimation for Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography: A Monte Carlo Simulation Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fong, G; Kapadia, A

2016-01-01

Purpose: To optimize collimation and shielding for a deuterium-deuterium (DD) neutron generator for an inexpensive and compact clinical neutron imaging system. The envisioned application is cancer diagnosis through Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography (NSECT). Methods: Collimator designs were tested with an isotropic 2.5 MeV neutron source through GEANT4 simulations. The collimator is a 52×52×52 cm"3 polyethylene block coupled with a 1 cm lead sheet in sequence. Composite opening was modeled into the collimator to permit passage of neutrons. The opening varied in shape (cylindrical vs. tapered), size (1–5 cm source-side and target-side openings) and aperture placements (13–39 cm from source-side). Spatial and energy distribution of neutrons and gammas were tracked from each collimator design. Parameters analyzed were primary beam width (FWHM), divergence, and efficiency (percent transmission) for different configurations of the collimator. Select resultant outputs were then used for simulated NSECT imaging of a virtual breast phantom containing a 2.5 cm diameter tumor to assess the effect of the collimator on spatial resolution, noise, and scan time. Finally, composite shielding enclosure made of polyethylene and lead was designed and evaluated to block 99.99% of neutron and gamma radiation generated in the system. Results: Analysis of primary beam indicated the beam-width is linear to the aperture size. Increasing source-side opening allowed at least 20% more neutron throughput for all designs relative to the cylindrical openings. Maximum throughput for all designs was 364% relative to cylindrical openings. Conclusion: The work indicates potential for collimating and shielding a DD neutron generator for use in a clinical NSECT system. The proposed collimator designs produced a well-defined collimated neutron beam that can be used to image samples of interest with millimeter resolution. Balance in output efficiency, noise reduction, and scan time

Cleaning Insertions and Collimation Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Redaelli, S.; Appleby, R. B.; Bertarelli, A.; Bruce, R.; Jowett, J. M.; Lechner, A.; Losito, R.

High-performance collimation systems are essential for operating efficiently modern hadron machine with large beam intensities. In particular, at the LHC the collimation system ensures a clean disposal of beam halos in the superconducting environment. The challenges of the HL-LHC study pose various demanding requests for beam collimation. In this paper we review the present collimation system and its performance during the LHC Run 1 in 2010-2013. Various collimation solutions under study to address the HL-LHC requirements are then reviewed, identifying the main upgrade baseline and pointing out advanced collimation concept for further enhancement of the performance.

Effects of hole tapering on cone-beam collimation for brain SPECT imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Mi-Ae; Kijewski, Marie Foley; Moore, Stephen C.

2006-01-01

New collimator manufacturing technologies, such as photoetching, electrical discharge machining, and stereolithography, expand the range of possible cone-beam collimator configurations. For example, it might now be possible for brain SPECT to make a short-focusing cone-beam collimator with tapered holes that increase in size with distance from the collimator surface; conventional lead-casting techniques produce holes of constant size and, consequently, varying septal thicknesses. Moreover, the changes in hole shape and loss of close packing due to focusing leads to thicker septa in the collimator periphery, especially for shorter focal lengths. We investigated the potential advantages of new cone-beam collimator manufacturing processes, and proposed a new design for very short focal-length collimators for brain SPECT imaging. We compared three cone-beam collimators, a conventional collimator manufactured using casting techniques (CC), a novel collimator with uniform hole sizes on the collimator surface and constant hole size through the collimator thickness (FC), and a novel collimator with uniform hole sizes and tapered holes (TC). We determined the resolution of each collimator analytically for focal lengths ranging from 20-50 cm, and adjusted the entrance hole sizes of FC and TC to equalize resolution of all collimators. Sensitivity was calculated at several locations by Monte Carlo simulation. Sensitivity was higher at all points for TC and FC than for CC, and higher for TC than for FC. The differences in sensitivity were larger for shorter focal lengths. For a point on the focal line at 10 cm in front of the collimator entrance surface, the sensitivity gain for TC compared to CC was 7% and 45% for focal lengths of 50 and 20 cm, respectively. The sensitivity gain for a 20-cm focal length, compared to CC, averaged over all locations, was 44% for TC and 23% for FC. We have shown that the new collimator designs made possible by new manufacturing techniques will

Impact of the A48 collimator on the Tevatron B0 dipoles

CERN Document Server

Nicolas, L Y

2003-01-01

To protect the CDF detector components in an event of an abort kicker prefire (AKP) in the Tevatron, a new collimator is to be installed at the A48 location during the summer 2003 shutdown. Detailed calculations have shown that this 0.5-m long ''single L-shape'' steel collimator will intercept a bunch of protons when such an incident occurs, providing reliable protection of the CDF main detector at an AKP. It will also mitigate the backgrounds induced by elastic beam-gas interactions upstream of B0. Although the Roman Pot detectors downstream of the A48 collimator will see an increased background, the amount of radiation they will receive either resulting from beam halo interactions in the collimator or during an AKP will not damage their sensitive parts. Secondaries resulting from beam halo interactions with the A48 collimator do not noticeably affect the downstream dipoles. The case of an AKP is quite different. As opposed to halo hits in the ''single-L shape'' unit (around 10 sup 5 p/s), a bunch lost on A4...

Implementation of intensity modulation with dynamic multileaf collimation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wong, J W; Yu, C; Jaffray, D [William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI (United States)

1995-12-01

The computer-controlled multileaf collimator (MLC) marks one of the most important advances in radiation therapy. The device efficiently replaces manual blocking to shape fields and can be used to modulate beam intensity. The results of a research programme at William Beaumont Hospital, aimed at bringing dynamic intensity modulation into clinical use, are discussed.

Wide-band all-angle acoustic self-collimation by rectangular sonic crystals with elliptical bases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cicek, Ahmet; Kaya, Olgun Adem; Ulug, Bulent

2011-01-01

Self-collimation of acoustic waves in the whole angular range of ±90 0 in the second and third bands of a two-dimensional rectangular sonic crystal with elliptical basis is demonstrated by examining the band structure and equifrequency contours. 70% and 77% of the second and third bands are available for wide-band all-angle self-collimation spanning a bandwidth of approximately 29% and 25% of the central frequencies of the all-angle self-collimation frequency ranges, respectively. Self-collimation of waves over large distances with a small divergence of beam width in the transverse direction is demonstrated through computations based on the finite element method. The second and third bands available for self-collimation are seen to vary linearly in the vast mid-range where a small group velocity dispersion prevents temporal divergence of waves with different frequencies.

Collimation system for the VUV free-electron laser at the TESLA test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlarb, H.

2001-11-01

To perform a proof-of-principle experiment for a Free Electron Laser operating at VUV wavelengths an undulator has been installed in the TESLA Test Facility linac phase I. To meet the requirements on the magnetic field quality in the undulator, a hybrid type structure with NdFeB permanent magnets has been chosen. The permanent magnets are sensitive to radiation by high energy particles. In order to perform the various experiments planned at the TESLA Test Facility linac, a collimator section has been installed to protect the undulator from radiation. In this thesis the design, performance and required steps for commissioning the collimator system are presented. To identify potential difficulties for the linac operation, the beam halo and the dark current transport through the entire linac is discussed. Losses of primary electrons caused by technical failures, component misalignments, and operation errors are investigated by tracking simulations, in order to derive a complete understanding of the absorbed dose in the permanent magnets of the undulator. Various topics related to a collimator system such as the removal of secondary particles produced at the collimators, generation and shielding of neutrons, excitation of wake fields, and beam based alignment concepts are important subjects of this thesis. (orig.)

Experimental arrangement for production and use of gamma radiation from neutron capture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mafra, Olga Yajgunovitch

1969-01-01

This dissertation presents the main characteristics and construction details of collimator system for gamma radiation emitted by atomic nuclei after capturing thermal neutrons. This construction was made in one of the cross channels of IEAR-1 swimming pool reactor of the Atomic Energy Institute of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The energies of gamma radiation available vary range from about 4 MeV and 11 MeV, discreetly. With this experimental arrangement is obtained: high intensity, good collimation and monochrome gamma radiation, important for conducting experiments with gamma radiation. It is also present in this dissertation the description of the techniques employed in determining the intensity of gamma radiation and the extent of contamination in the neutron beam as well as the program list GAMAU that adjusts the gamma spectrum photopeak taken as a Gaussian curve. We intend to use this experimental arrangement for the measurement of cross sections of photonuclear reactions

Collimator with compensated filtration: clinical adaptation for recommendation 4f of the EU about the radiation protection in oral dental radiology; Colimador con filtracion compensada: adaptacion clinica para alcanzar la recomendacion 4F de la Union Europea sobre proteccion radiologica al paciente en radiologia odontologica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alcaraz, M; Garcia-Vera, C; Bravo, C La; Morant, J J; Armedo, D Y; Canteras, M

2006-07-01

Recent recommendations by the European Union (2004) for performing lateral cranial cephalometry (LCC) state that collimation should be maximized so that only those tissues necessary are irradiated when performing clinical diagnoses, although the fact that many manufacturers do not incorporate these elements in their equipment design has been recognised (recommendations 4f). Aim: the manufacture and utilization of a collimator with a pre-patient compensating filter for LLC which may be used in most extraoraldental radiology units, as well as determining the reduction in the dose of radiation absorbed by more sensitive tissues exposed to said clinical exploration. Making use of mannequins, phantom and craniums, we constructed a collimator with a compensating filter and established the necessary technical, dosimetric and quality specifications for its clinical use. Subsequently, we studied 16 patients referred for cephalometric study, determining the radiation dose (TLDs) in both the patients (crystalline lens, frontal lobe, parotid/submaxillary/thyroid glands and brain) and in the radiographic film, as well as in different parts of the collimator/filter. Al presented we are aiming for its clinical use by carrying out LCC in another 16 patients referred of orthodontic treatment but with the pre-a patient introduction of the tested collimator with the compensating filter as a substitute for the usual technique. The collimation reduced the field or radiation by some 40% and with that, so too the radiated tissues. The compensating filter reduced the dose in tissues by some 34.2. Our collimator has allowed the radiological image to be obtained with only one third the usual radiation dose. The dose reaching the film shies only between 17% less than in the usual technique and didn't alter its diagnostic capacity. A reduction of 61,6% of the dose administered to the patient is achieved by incorporating the collimator and filter to most radiological equipment without the need

Collimator with compensated filtration: clinical adaptation for recommendation 4f of the EU about the radiation protection in oral dental radiology; Colimador con filtracion compensada: adaptacion clinica para alcanzar la recomendacion 4F de la Union Europea sobre proteccion radiologica al paciente en radiologia odontologica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alcaraz, M.; Garcia-Vera, C.; Bravo, C. La; Morant, J. J.; Armedo, D. Y.; Canteras, M.

2006-07-01

Recent recommendations by the European Union (2004) for performing lateral cranial cephalometry (LCC) state that collimation should be maximized so that only those tissues necessary are irradiated when performing clinical diagnoses, although the fact that many manufacturers do not incorporate these elements in their equipment design has been recognised (recommendations 4f). Aim: the manufacture and utilization of a collimator with a pre-patient compensating filter for LLC which may be used in most extraoraldental radiology units, as well as determining the reduction in the dose of radiation absorbed by more sensitive tissues exposed to said clinical exploration. Making use of mannequins, phantom and craniums, we constructed a collimator with a compensating filter and established the necessary technical, dosimetric and quality specifications for its clinical use. Subsequently, we studied 16 patients referred for cephalometric study, determining the radiation dose (TLDs) in both the patients (crystalline lens, frontal lobe, parotid/submaxillary/thyroid glands and brain) and in the radiographic film, as well as in different parts of the collimator/filter. Al presented we are aiming for its clinical use by carrying out LCC in another 16 patients referred of orthodontic treatment but with the pre-a patient introduction of the tested collimator with the compensating filter as a substitute for the usual technique. The collimation reduced the field or radiation by some 40% and with that, so too the radiated tissues. The compensating filter reduced the dose in tissues by some 34.2. Our collimator has allowed the radiological image to be obtained with only one third the usual radiation dose. The dose reaching the film shies only between 17% less than in the usual technique and didn't alter its diagnostic capacity. A reduction of 61,6% of the dose administered to the patient is achieved by incorporating the collimator and filter to most radiological equipment without the

Apparatus for minimizing radiation exposure and improving resolution in radiation imaging devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashe, J.B.; Williams, G.H.; Sypal, K.L.

1978-01-01

A collimator is disclosed for minimizing radiation exposure and improving resolution in radiation imaging devices. The collimator provides a penetrating beam of radiation from a source thereof, which beam is substantially non-diverging in at least one direction. In the preferred embodiment, the collimator comprises an elongated sandwich assembly of a plurality of layers of material exhibiting relatively high radiation attenuation characteristics, which attenuating layers are spaced apart and separated from one another by interleaved layers of material exhibiting relatively low radiation attenuation characteristics. The sandwich assembly is adapted for lengthwise disposition and orientation between a radiation source and a target or receiver such that the attenuating layers are parallel to the desired direction of the beam with the interleaved spacing layers providing direct paths for the radiation

Performance of a multi leaf collimator system for MR-guided radiation therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Bin; Li, Harold; Yang, Deshan; Rodriguez, Vivian; Curcuru, Austen; Wang, Yuhe; Wen, Jie; Kashani, Rojano; Mutic, Sasa; Green, Olga

2017-12-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate and characterize the performance of a Multi Leaf Collimator (MLC) designed for Cobalt-60 based MR-guided radiation therapy system in a 0.35 T magnetic field. The MLC design and unique assembly features in the ViewRay MRIdian system were first reviewed. The RF cage shielding of MLC motor and cables were evaluated using ACR phantoms with real-time imaging and quantified by signal-to-noise ratio. The dosimetric characterizations, including the leaf transmission, leaf penumbra, tongue-and-groove effect, were investigated using radiosensitive films. The output factor of MLC-defined fields was measured with ionization chambers for both symmetric fields from 2.1 × 2.1 cm 2 to 27.3 × 27.3 cm 2 and asymmetric fields from 10.5 × 10.5 cm 2 to 10.5 × 2.0 cm 2 . Multi leaf collimator (MLC) positional accuracy was assessed by delivering either a picket fence (PF) style pattern on radiochromic films with wire-jig phantom or double and triple-rectangular patterns on ArcCheck-MR (Sun Nuclear, Melbourne, FL, USA) with gamma analysis as the pass/fail indicator. Leaf speed tests were performed to assess the capability of full range leaf travel within manufacture's specifications. Multi leaf collimator plan delivery reproducibility was tested by repeatedly delivering both open fields and fields with irregular shaped segments over 1-month period. Comparable SNRs within 4% were observed for MLC moving and stationary plans on vendor-reconstructed images, and the direct k-space reconstructed images showed that the three SNRs are within 1%. The maximum leaf transmission for all three MLCs was less than 0.35% and the average leakage was 0.153 ± 0.006%, 0.151 ± 0.008%, and 0.159 ± 0.015% for head 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Both the leaf edge and leaf end penumbra showed comparable values within 0.05 cm, and the measured values are within 0.1 cm with TPS values. The leaf edge TG effect indicated 10% underdose and the leaf end TG showed a

Design and development of collimator for 9 MeV BARC-ECIL linac

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghodke, S.R.; Barnwal, Rajesh; Mahendra Kumar; Nayak, Susanta; Barje, S.R.; Sinha, A.K.; Mittal, K.C.; Chakravarthy, D.P.; Gantayet, L.M.; Baiswar, Rishabh

2011-01-01

High Energy electron beam technology is useful for both fundamental and applied research in the sciences, and also in many technical and industrial fields. It has been estimated that there are approximately 26,000 accelerators worldwide. The collimator is designed to function with a 9 MeV LINAC Test Facility (LTF) at ECIL, Hyderabad. The accelerated electron beam hits a tantalum target and X-Rays generated though the target are fed to the collimator. Thereafter, collimated high energy X-Rays will be used for cargo scanning. The X-ray collimator will complement the existing system at LTF, ECIL to get collimated fan beam. A collaborative effort has been made to identify novel and advanced materials to achieve low coefficient of friction for various lateral and angular movements of collimator plates weighing nearly 5 tons. Complex numerical calculations simulating extreme conditions and experimental tests have been undertaken using Ansys. In parallel, an innovative modular design concept of the assembly has been developed to allow fitting in alternative materials, minimizing the load induced deformations, withstanding accidents and accepting desired radiation doses. The collimator plates are made up of mild steel blocks of IS 2062A grade ensuring high geometrical stability. The assembly structures for the collimator are made up of high stiffness I-beams ISMB 150. Each plate has been machined with high precision Electric Discharge Machining (EDM) and Surface Grinding processes. The plates are also hard chrome plated to provide corrosion resistance and increase surface hardness. A full scale collimator prototype has been manufactured to validate each feature of the new design at the LTF, ECIL, Hyderabad. (author)

Cost-minimization analysis: radiation treatment with and without a multi-leaf collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foroudi, Farshad; Lapsley, Helen; Manderson, Christine; Yeghiaian-Alvandi, Roland

2000-01-01

Purpose: To compare the costs of radiation treatment on a linear accelerator with a multileaf collimator (MLC) versus treatment on a linear accelerator without an MLC. The study was designed to determine whether the increased throughput of fields and decreased block cutting made the MLC cost effective from an institutional perspective. Methods and Materials: The number of fields, basic treatment equivalent, equivalent simple treatment visits, and blocks were prospectively collected for the four linear accelerators. Building, equipment, staffing, and service costs were all obtained in 1999 Australian dollars from the manufacturers and hospital department heads. The Joint Radiation Oncology Centre at Westmead and Nepean Hospitals, which are Australian public hospitals, runs as one unit, with the same staff, and currently operates five linear accelerators. Currently, four of the linear accelerators are used for general radiotherapy, operating for exactly the same hours; the final machine operates more limited hours and is used for specialized radiotherapy techniques and emergency cases. Results: The two machines with MLCs, on average, treated 5,169 fields each, while the two machines without MLCs treated 4,543 fields in a 3-month period, a 12% increase in throughput. The two non-MLC machines required 155 premounted trays (PMTs) in total, while the MLC machines required 17 PMTs. Linear accelerators with MLCs were demonstrably more efficient, and while their capital costs were higher, the reduction in labor costs associated with block cutting and, particularly the increased throughput, more than offset these initial costs. The total cost of a radiation field with an MLC was found to be $A101.69 compared to $A106.98 without an MLC. A multiway sensitivity analysis showed the results to be robust. The worst-case scenario was a departmental savings of $A168,000 per year; the best-case scenario was a savings of $A680,000 per year. Conclusion: Under the conditions pertaining

Detectability of pulmonary nodules with electronic collimation and conventional antiscatter grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plenkovich, D.; Plavsic, B.; Robinson, A.E.; Lichtenstein, R.L.

1989-01-01

Electronic collimation is a method for rejection of scattered radiation and veiling glare in digital radiography. Digital images of a frozen, unembalmed, human chest phantom with simulated pulmonary nodules were obtained with use of the electronic collimation technique and a conventional 10:1 antiscatter grid. Observers were asked to locate multiple nodules and to record one of three levels of confidence. For each criterion, the total number of correct responses was divided by the total number of nodules to obtain the ordinate of a point. The total number of false-positive answers generated was divided by the number of images to obtain the abscissa of the point. The analysis was repeated for each scatter rejection method and for either the lungs or the mediastinum. The electronic collimation technique has improved the detectability of nodules projected over the mediastinum

Automatic Angular alignment of LHC Collimators

CERN Document Server

Azzopardi, Gabriella; Salvachua Ferrando, Belen Maria; Mereghetti, Alessio; Bruce, Roderik; Redaelli, Stefano; CERN. Geneva. ATS Department

2017-01-01

The LHC is equipped with a complex collimation system to protect sensitive equipment from unavoidable beam losses. Collimators are positioned close to the beam using an alignment procedure. Until now they have always been aligned assuming no tilt between the collimator and the beam, however, tank misalignments or beam envelope angles at large-divergence locations could introduce a tilt limiting the collimation performance. Three different algorithms were implemented to automatically align a chosen collimator at various angles. The implementation was tested on a number of collimators during this MD and no human intervention was required.

Monte Carlo design and simulation of a grid-type multi-layer pixel collimator for radiotherapy: feasibility study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, Do-Kun; Jung, Joo-Young; Suh, Tae-Suk [The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

In order to confirm the possibility of field application of a different type collimator with a multileaf collimator (MLC), we constructed a grid-type multi-layer pixel collimator (GTPC) by using a Monte Carlo n-particle simulation (MCNPX). In this research, a number of factors related to the performance of the GPTC were evaluated using simulated output data of a basic MLC model. A layer was comprised of a 1024-pixel collimator (5.0 x 5.0 mm{sup 2}) which could operate individually as a grid-type collimator (32 x 32). A 30-layer collimator was constructed for a specific portal form to pass radiation through the opening and closing of each pixel cover. The radiation attenuation level and the leakage were compared between the GTPC modality simulation and MLC modeling (tungsten, 17.50 g/cm{sup 3}, 5.0 x 70.0 x 160.0 mm{sup 3}) currently used for a radiation field. Comparisons of the portal imaging, the lateral dose profile from a virtual water phantom, the dependence of the performance on the increase in the number of layers, the radiation intensity modulation verification, and the geometric error between the GTPC and the MLC were done using the MCNPX simulation data. From the simulation data, the intensity modulation of the GTPC showed a faster response than the MLC's (29.6%). In addition, the agreement between the doses that should be delivered to the target region was measured as 97.0%, and the GTPC system had an error below 0.01%, which is identical to that of MLC. A Monte Carlo simulation of the GTPC could be useful for verification of application possibilities. Because the line artifact is caused by the grid frame and the folded cover, a lineal dose transfer type is chosen for the operation of this system. However, the result of GTPC's performance showed that the methods of effective intensity modulation and the specific geometric beam shaping differed with the MLC modality.

Monte Carlo design and simulation of a grid-type multi-layer pixel collimator for radiotherapy: Feasibility study

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Do-Kun; Jung, Joo-Young; Suh, Tae Suk

2014-05-01

In order to confirm the possibility of field application of a different type collimator with a multileaf collimator (MLC), we constructed a grid-type multi-layer pixel collimator (GTPC) by using a Monte Carlo n-particle simulation (MCNPX). In this research, a number of factors related to the performance of the GPTC were evaluated using simulated output data of a basic MLC model. A layer was comprised of a 1024-pixel collimator (5.0 × 5.0 mm2) which could operate individually as a grid-type collimator (32 × 32). A 30-layer collimator was constructed for a specific portal form to pass radiation through the opening and closing of each pixel cover. The radiation attenuation level and the leakage were compared between the GTPC modality simulation and MLC modeling (tungsten, 17.50 g/cm3, 5.0 × 70.0 × 160.0 mm3) currently used for a radiation field. Comparisons of the portal imaging, the lateral dose profile from a virtual water phantom, the dependence of the performance on the increase in the number of layers, the radiation intensity modulation verification, and the geometric error between the GTPC and the MLC were done using the MCNPX simulation data. From the simulation data, the intensity modulation of the GTPC showed a faster response than the MLC's (29.6%). In addition, the agreement between the doses that should be delivered to the target region was measured as 97.0%, and the GTPC system had an error below 0.01%, which is identical to that of MLC. A Monte Carlo simulation of the GTPC could be useful for verification of application possibilities. Because the line artifact is caused by the grid frame and the folded cover, a lineal dose transfer type is chosen for the operation of this system. However, the result of GTPC's performance showed that the methods of effective intensity modulation and the specific geometric beam shaping differed with the MLC modality.

Monte Carlo design and simulation of a grid-type multi-layer pixel collimator for radiotherapy: feasibility study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Do-Kun; Jung, Joo-Young; Suh, Tae-Suk

2014-01-01

In order to confirm the possibility of field application of a different type collimator with a multileaf collimator (MLC), we constructed a grid-type multi-layer pixel collimator (GTPC) by using a Monte Carlo n-particle simulation (MCNPX). In this research, a number of factors related to the performance of the GPTC were evaluated using simulated output data of a basic MLC model. A layer was comprised of a 1024-pixel collimator (5.0 x 5.0 mm 2 ) which could operate individually as a grid-type collimator (32 x 32). A 30-layer collimator was constructed for a specific portal form to pass radiation through the opening and closing of each pixel cover. The radiation attenuation level and the leakage were compared between the GTPC modality simulation and MLC modeling (tungsten, 17.50 g/cm 3 , 5.0 x 70.0 x 160.0 mm 3 ) currently used for a radiation field. Comparisons of the portal imaging, the lateral dose profile from a virtual water phantom, the dependence of the performance on the increase in the number of layers, the radiation intensity modulation verification, and the geometric error between the GTPC and the MLC were done using the MCNPX simulation data. From the simulation data, the intensity modulation of the GTPC showed a faster response than the MLC's (29.6%). In addition, the agreement between the doses that should be delivered to the target region was measured as 97.0%, and the GTPC system had an error below 0.01%, which is identical to that of MLC. A Monte Carlo simulation of the GTPC could be useful for verification of application possibilities. Because the line artifact is caused by the grid frame and the folded cover, a lineal dose transfer type is chosen for the operation of this system. However, the result of GTPC's performance showed that the methods of effective intensity modulation and the specific geometric beam shaping differed with the MLC modality.

Beam Cleaning and Collimation Systems

CERN Document Server

Redaelli, S

2016-01-01

Collimation systems in particle accelerators are designed to dispose of unavoidable losses safely and efficiently during beam operation. Different roles are required for different types of accelerator. The present state of the art in beam collimation is exemplified in high-intensity, high-energy superconducting hadron colliders, like the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC), where stored beam energies reach levels up to several orders of magnitude higher than the tiny energies required to quench cold magnets. Collimation systems are essential systems for the daily operation of these modern machines. In this document, the design of a multistage collimation system is reviewed, taking the LHC as an example case study. In this case, unprecedented cleaning performance has been achieved, together with a system complexity comparable to no other accelerator. Aspects related to collimator design and operational challenges of large collimation systems are also addressed.

Dose linearity and uniformity of a linear accelerator designed for implementation of multileaf collimation system-based intensity modulated radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saw, Cheng B.; Li Sicong; Ayyangar, Komanduri M.; Yoe-Sein, Maung; Pillai, Susha; Enke, Charles A.; Celi, Juan C.

2003-01-01

The dose linearity and uniformity of a linear accelerator designed for multileaf collimation system- (MLC) based IMRT was studied as a part of commissioning and also in response to recently published data. The linear accelerator is equipped with a PRIMEVIEW, a graphical interface and a SIMTEC IM-MAXX, which is an enhanced autofield sequencer. The SIMTEC IM-MAXX sequencer permits the radiation beam to be 'ON' continuously while delivering intensity modulated radiation therapy subfields at a defined gantry angle. The dose delivery is inhibited when the electron beam in the linear accelerator is forced out of phase with the microwave power while the MLC configures the field shape of a subfield. This beam switching mechanism reduces the overhead time and hence shortens the patient treatment time. The dose linearity, reproducibility, and uniformity were assessed for this type of dose delivery mechanism. The subfields with monitor units ranged from 1 MU to 100 MU were delivered using 6 MV and 23 MV photon beams. The doses were computed and converted to dose per monitor unit. The dose linearity was found to vary within 2% for both 6 MV and 23 MV photon beam using high dose rate setting (300 MU/min) except below 2 MU. The dose uniformity was assessed by delivering 4 subfields to a Kodak X-OMAT TL film using identical low monitor units. The optical density was converted to dose and found to show small variation within 3%. Our results indicate that this linear accelerator with SIMTEC IM-MAXX sequencer has better dose linearity, reproducibility, and uniformity than had been reported

Clinical use of a simulation-multileaf collimator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marx, M; Vacha, P; Riis, B; Feyerabend, T; Richter, E [Medizinische Univ., Luebeck (Germany). Klinik fuer Strahlentherapie und Nuklearmedizin

1998-07-01

Background: At the University of Luebeck, radiotherapy is delivered by a 6/18-MV linear accelerator. Using the integrated multileaf collimator, irradiation of individually shaped treatment fields is possible in place of alloy blocks. Due to unsatisfactory pretherapeutic review of the radiation-field-specific multileaf collimator (MLC) configuration, we developed a simulation-multileaf collimator (SMLC) and assessed its feasibility at different tumor sites. Material and Methods: The SMLC is made of a perspex carrier with 52 horizontal sliding leaves. The position of each leaf is calculated by a 3D treatment-planning computer. The technician manually adjusts the leaves according to the beams-eye-view plot of the planning computer. Consequently, the SMLC is mounted on the therapy simulator at a distance of 64.8 cm from the focus. The treatment fields and the position of the leaves are documented by X-ray films. Results: Using the SMLC, radiation oncologists are able to review exactly the leaf configuration of each MLC-shaped radiation field and to correlate the MLC-shaped radiation field with the treated volume, the organs at risk and the port films acquired by the Portal Vision {sup trademark} system. Conclusion: The SMLC is a new tool to review radiation planning that uses an MLC in daily routine. The use of the SMLC improves the documentation and the quality assurance. It accelerates the treatment field review at the linear accelerator by comparing the SMLC simulator films with the portal images. (orig.) [Deutsch] Hintergrund: Seit 1994 werden Patienten an der Luebecker Universitaetsklinik fuer Strahlentherapie und Nuklearmedizin an einem Linearbeschleuniger bestrahlt, der mit einem Multileaf-Kollimator ausgeruestet ist. Dieser ermoeglicht die Bestrahlung individuell geformter Zielvolumina ohne gegossene Individualsatelliten. Wegen der unzureichenden praetherapeutischen Kontrolle der Lamellenkonfiguration des Multileaf-Kollimators wurde ein Simulations

VMAT optimization with dynamic collimator rotation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyu, Qihui; O'Connor, Daniel; Ruan, Dan; Yu, Victoria; Nguyen, Dan; Sheng, Ke

2018-04-16

Although collimator rotation is an optimization variable that can be exploited for dosimetric advantages, existing Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) optimization uses a fixed collimator angle in each arc and only rotates the collimator between arcs. In this study, we develop a novel integrated optimization method for VMAT, accounting for dynamic collimator angles during the arc motion. Direct Aperture Optimization (DAO) for Dynamic Collimator in VMAT (DC-VMAT) was achieved by adding to the existing dose fidelity objective an anisotropic total variation term for regulating the fluence smoothness, a binary variable for forming simple apertures, and a group sparsity term for controlling collimator rotation. The optimal collimator angle for each beam angle was selected using the Dijkstra's algorithm, where the node costs depend on the estimated fluence map at the current iteration and the edge costs account for the mechanical constraints of multi-leaf collimator (MLC). An alternating optimization strategy was implemented to solve the DAO and collimator angle selection (CAS). Feasibility of DC-VMAT using one full-arc with dynamic collimator rotation was tested on a phantom with two small spherical targets, a brain, a lung and a prostate cancer patient. The plan was compared against a static collimator VMAT (SC-VMAT) plan using three full arcs with 60 degrees of collimator angle separation in patient studies. With the same target coverage, DC-VMAT achieved 20.3% reduction of R50 in the phantom study, and reduced the average max and mean OAR dose by 4.49% and 2.53% of the prescription dose in patient studies, as compared with SC-VMAT. The collimator rotation co-ordinated with the gantry rotation in DC-VMAT plans for deliverability. There were 13 beam angles in the single-arc DC-VMAT plan in patient studies that requires slower gantry rotation to accommodate multiple collimator angles. The novel DC-VMAT approach utilizes the dynamic collimator rotation during arc

Computer technique for evaluating collimator performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rollo, F.D.

1975-01-01

A computer program has been developed to theoretically evaluate the overall performance of collimators used with radioisotope scanners and γ cameras. The first step of the program involves the determination of the line spread function (LSF) and geometrical efficiency from the fundamental parameters of the collimator being evaluated. The working equations can be applied to any plane of interest. The resulting LSF is applied to subroutine computer programs which compute corresponding modulation transfer function and contrast efficiency functions. The latter function is then combined with appropriate geometrical efficiency data to determine the performance index function. The overall computer program allows one to predict from the physical parameters of the collimator alone how well the collimator will reproduce various sized spherical voids of activity in the image plane. The collimator performance program can be used to compare the performance of various collimator types, to study the effects of source depth on collimator performance, and to assist in the design of collimators. The theory of the collimator performance equation is discussed, a comparison between the experimental and theoretical LSF values is made, and examples of the application of the technique are presented

Rounded leaf end effect of multileaf collimator on penumbra width and radiation field offset: an analytical and numerical study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Dong; Zhang, Hui; Ye, Peiqing

2015-01-01

Penumbra characteristics play a significant role in dose delivery accuracy for radiation therapy. For treatment planning, penumbra width and radiation field offset strongly influence target dose conformity and organ at risk sparing. In this study, we present an analytical and numerical approach for evaluation of the rounded leaf end effect on penumbra characteristics. Based on the rule of half-value layer, algorithms for leaf position calculation and radiation field offset correction were developed, which were advantageous particularly in dealing with large radius leaf end. Computer simulation was performed based on the Monte Carlo codes of EGSnrc/BEAMnrc, with groups of leaf end radii and source sizes. Data processing technique of curve fitting was employed for deriving penumbra width and radiation field offset. Results showed that penumbra width increased with source size. Penumbra width curves for large radius leaf end were U-shaped. This observation was probably related to the fact that radiation beams penetrated through the proximal and distal leaf sides. In contrast, source size had negligible impact on radiation field offset. Radiation field offsets were found to be constant both for analytical method and numerical simulation. However, the overall resulting values of radiation field offset obtained by analytical method were slightly smaller compared with Monte Carlo simulation. The method we proposed could provide insight into the investigation of rounded leaf end effects on penumbra characteristics. Penumbra width and radiation field offset calibration should be carefully performed to commission multileaf collimator for intensity modulated radiotherapy

Virtual computed tomography colonoscopy: artifacts, image quality and radiation dose load in a cadaver study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Springer, P.; Stoehr, B.; Giacomuzzi, S.M.; Bodner, G.; Jaschke, W.; Nedden, D. zur; Klingler, A.

2000-01-01

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the interdependency of spatial resolution, image reconstruction artifacts, and radiation doses in virtual CT colonoscopy by comparing various CT scanning protocols. A pig's colon with several artificial polypoid lesions was imaged after air insufflation with helical CT scanning using 1-, 3-, and 5-mm collimation, and pitch values varying from 1.0 to 3.0. Virtual endoscopic images and ''fly through'' sequences were calculated on a Sun Sparc 20 workstation (Navigator Software, GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, Wis.). Several reconstruction artifacts as well as overall image quality were evaluated by three independent reviewers. In addition, radiation doses for the different CT protocols were measured as multiple-scan average dose using a 10-cm ion chamber and a standard Plexiglass body phantom. Generally, image quality and reconstruction artifacts were less affected by pitch values than by beam collimation. Thus, narrow beam collimation at higher pitch values (e. g. 3 mm/2.0) seems to be a reasonable compromise between quality of virtual endoscopic images and radiation dose load. (orig.)

Introduction of a novel ultrahigh sensitivity collimator for brain SPECT imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Mi-Ae, E-mail: miaepark@bwh.harvard.edu; Kijewski, Marie Foley; Lyon, Morgan C.; Horky, Laura; Moore, Stephen C. [Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 (United States); Keijzers, Ronnie; Keijzers, Mark [Nuclear Fields USA, Des Plaines, Illinois 60018 (United States)

2016-08-15

compartments. Results: The sensitivity of the novel cone-beam collimator varied with distance from the detector face; it was higher than that of the fan-beam collimator by factors ranging from 2.7 to 162. Examination of the projections of the point sources revealed that only a few holes were distorted or partially blocked, indicating that the intensive manual fabrication process was very successful. Better reconstructed phantom images were obtained from the USCB+FAN collimator pair than from either LEHR or FAN collimation. For the left caudate, located near the center of the brain, the detected counts were 9.8 (8.3) times higher for UCSB compared with LEHR (FAN), averaged over 60 views. The task-specific SNR for detecting a 5% decrease in putamen uptake was 7.4 for USCB and 3.2 for LEHR. Conclusions: The authors have designed and manufactured a novel collimator for brain SPECT imaging. The sensitivity is much higher than that of a fan-beam collimator. Because of differences between the manufactured collimator and its design, reconstruction of the data requires a measured system matrix. The authors have demonstrated the potential of USCB collimation for improved precision in estimating striatal uptake. The novel collimator may be useful for early detection of Parkinson’s disease, and for monitoring therapy response and disease progression.

Beam collimator for a particle accelerator. [German patent

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benedetti, R

1977-12-01

The beam collimator for the electron beam coming from an electron accelerator consists of aperture plates and penumbra trimmers aligned parallel to them. To protect the patient from scattered radiation, additional tube plates are arranged between the radiation source and the patient. Continuous matching of the radiation field to the dimensions of a focus is achieved by providing a support plate outside the beam path which holds the tube plates. In this arrangement, the tube plates are aligned parallel to the edges of the aperture plates limiting the beam cone. The tube plates have different widths. They can be moved out of the beam path. Lining the inner walls of the tube plates with acrylic glass prevents the generation of secondary electrons and X-rays.

Iterative correction method for shift-variant blurring caused by collimator aperture in SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogawa, Koichi; Katsu, Haruto

1996-01-01

A collimation system in single photon computed tomography (SPECT) induces blurring on reconstructed images. The blurring varies with the collimator aperture which is determined by the shape of the hole (its diameter and length), and with the distance between the collimator surface and the object. The blurring has shift-variant properties. This paper presents a new iterative method for correcting the shift-variant blurring. The method estimates the ratio of 'ideal projection value' to 'measured projection value' at each sample point. The term 'ideal projection value' means the number of photons which enter the hole perpendicular to the collimator surface, and the term 'measured projection value' means the number of photons which enter the hole at acute angles to the collimator aperture axis. If the estimation is accurate, ideal projection value can be obtained as the product of the measured projection value and the estimated ratio. The accuracy of the estimation is improved iteratively by comparing the measured projection value with a weighted summation of several estimated projection value. The simulation results showed that spatial resolution was improved without amplification of artifacts due to statistical noise. (author)

Movable collimator for positron annihilation imaging device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, C.J.

1981-01-01

A positron annihilation imaging device having two circular arrays of detectors disposed in spaced apart parallel planes wherein axially movable annular collimator rings are generally disposed in a pair of opposite planes outside the associated planes of the collimators to each collimator being movable toward the opposite collimator and a central collimator of annular configuration generally disposed between the two rows of detectors but being split into two rings which may be separated, the outer and inner collimators serving to enhance data readout and imaging

Multileaf collimator leaf position verification and analysis for adaptive radiation therapy using a video-optical method

Science.gov (United States)

Sethna, Sohrab B.

External beam radiation therapy is commonly used to eliminate and control cancerous tumors. High-energy beams are shaped to match the patient's specific tumor volume, whereby maximizing radiation dose to malignant cells and limiting dose to normal tissue. A multileaf collimator (MLC) consisting of multiple pairs of tungsten leaves is used to conform the radiation beam to the desired treatment field. Advanced treatment methods utilize dynamic MLC settings to conform to multiple treatment fields and provide intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Future methods would further increase conformity by actively tracking tumor motion caused by patient cardiac and respiratory motion. Leaf position quality assurance for a dynamic MLC is critical as variation between the planned and actual leaf positions could induce significant errors in radiation dose. The goal of this research project is to prototype a video-optical quality assurance system for MLC leaf positions. The system captures light-field images of MLC leaf sequences during dynamic therapy. Image acquisition and analysis software was developed to determine leaf edge positions. The mean absolute difference between QA prototype predicted and caliper measured leaf positions was found to be 0.6 mm with an uncertainty of +/- 0.3 mm. Maximum errors in predicted positions were below 1.0 mm for static fields. The prototype served as a proof of concept for quality assurance of future tumor tracking methods. Specifically, a lung tumor phantom was created to mimic a lung tumor's motion from respiration. The lung tumor video images were superimposed on MLC field video images for visualization and analysis. The toolbox is capable of displaying leaf position, leaf velocity, tumor position, and determining errors between planned and actual treatment fields for dynamic radiation therapy.

Hybrid collimation for industrial gamma-ray imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Z.; Knoll, G. F.; Smith, L. E.; Wehe, D. K.

1999-01-01

Portable photon imaging devices with a broad energy range of sensitivity, adequate angular resolution and high efficiency are useful in applications such as environmental remediation and industrial surveys. The vast majority of past systems built for these applications have relied on mechanical collimation although a few have used electronic collimation. To our knowledge, no devices have been built that exploit the benefits of both mechanical and electronic collimation in the same system. The combination of a mechanically-collimated camera with an electronically-collimated camera offers both the high efficiency and good angular resolution typical in a mechanically-collimated camera for lower energies and the uncoupling of spatial resolution and efficiency provided by an electronically-collimated camera at higher energies

Impact of collimator leaf width on stereotactic radiosurgery and 3D conformal radiotherapy treatment plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubo, H. Dale; Wilder, Richard B.; Pappas, Conrad T.E.

1999-01-01

Purpose: The authors undertook a study to analyze the impact of collimator leaf width on stereotactic radiosurgery and 3D conformal radiotherapy treatment plans. Methods and Materials: Twelve cases involving primary brain tumors, metastases, or arteriovenous malformations that had been planned with BrainLAB's conventional circular collimator-based radiosurgery system were re-planned using a β-version of BrainLAB's treatment planning software that is compatible with MRC Systems' and BrainLAB's micro-multileaf collimators. These collimators have a minimum leaf width of 1.7 mm and 3.0 mm, respectively, at isocenter. The clinical target volumes ranged from 2.7-26.1 cc and the number of static fields ranged from 3-5. In addition, for 4 prostate cancer cases, 2 separate clinical target volumes were planned using MRC Systems' and BrainLAB's micro-multileaf collimators and Varian's multileaf collimator: the smaller clinical target volume consisted of the prostate gland and the larger clinical target volume consisted of the prostate and seminal vesicles. For the prostate cancer cases, treatment plans were generated using either 6 or 7 static fields. A 'PITV ratio', which the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group defines as the volume encompassed by the prescription isodose surface divided by the clinical target volume, was used as a measure of the quality of treatment plans (a PITV ratio of 1.0-2.0 is desirable). Bladder and rectal volumes encompassed by the prescription isodose surface, isodose distributions and dose volume histograms were also analyzed for the prostate cancer patients. Results: In 75% of the cases treated with radiosurgery, a PITV ratio between 1.0-2.0 could be achieved using a micro-multileaf collimator with a leaf width of 1.7-3.0 mm at isocenter and 3-5 static fields. When the clinical target volume consisted of the prostate gland, the micro-multileaf collimator with a minimum leaf width of 3.0 mm allowed one to decrease the median volume of bladder and

A study of RHIC crystal collimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trbojevic, D.; Harrison, M.; Parker, B.; Thompson, P.; Stevens, A.; Biryukov, V.; Mokhov, N.; Drozhdin, A.

1998-01-01

The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) will experience increasing longitudinal and transverse heavy ion emittances, mostly due to intra-beam scattering (IBS). The experiments in RHIC are expected to not only have reduced luminosities due to IBS but also background caused by beam halo. Primary betatron collimators will be used to remove the large amplitude particles. The efficiency of the primary collimator in RHIC strongly depends on the alignment of the jaws which needs to be within about ten micro-radians for the optimum conditions. As proposed by V. biryukov bent crystals could be used to improve the efficiency of an existing collimation system by installing them upstream of the collimator jaws. Bent crystals have been successfully used in SPS, Protvino and Fermilab for extraction of the beam particles channeled through them. This study examines possible improvements of the primary collimator system for heavy ions at RHIC by use of bent crystals. Bent crystals will reduce the collimator jaws alignment requirement and will increase collimator efficiency thereby reducing detector background

Poster - 23: Dosimetric Characterization and Transferability of an Accessory Mounted Mini-Beam Collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, William; Crewson, Cody; Alexander, Andrew; Cranmer-Sargison, Gavin; Kundapur, Vijayananda

2016-01-01

Objective: The dosimetric characterization of an accessory-mounted mini-beam collimator across three beam matched linear accelerators. Materials and Methods: Percent depth dose and profiles were measured for the open and mini-beam collimated fields. The average beam quality and peak-to-valley dose ratio (PVDR), the ratio of average peak dose to average valley dose, were obtained from these measurements. The open field relative output and the mini-beam collimator factor, the ratio of the mini-beam dose to open field dose at the beam center, were measured for square fields of side 2, 3, 4, and 5 cm. Mini-beam output as a function of collimator inclination angle relative to the central axis was also investigated. Results and Discussion: Beam quality for both the open and mini-beam collimated fields agreed across all linacs to within ±1.0%. The PVDR was found to vary by up to ±6.6% from the mean. For the 2, 3, and 4 cm fields the average open field relative output with respect to the 5 cm field was 0.874±0.4%, 0.921±0.3%, and 0.962±0.1%. The average collimator factors were 0.450±3.9%, 0.443±3.9%, 0.438±3.9%, and 0.434±3.9%. A decrease in collimator factor greater than 7% was found for an inclination angle change of 0.09°. Conclusion: The mini-beam collimator has revealed a difference between the three linacs not apparent in the open field data, yet transferability can still be attained through thorough dosimetric characterization.

Poster - 23: Dosimetric Characterization and Transferability of an Accessory Mounted Mini-Beam Collimator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davis, William; Crewson, Cody; Alexander, Andrew; Cranmer-Sargison, Gavin; Kundapur, Vijayananda [University of Saskatchewan Department of Physics and engineering Physics, Saskatchewan Cancer Agency Department of Medical Physics, Saskatchewan Cancer Agency Department of Medical Physics, Saskatchewan Cancer Agency Department of Medical Physics, Saskatchewan Cancer Agency Department of Medical Physics (Canada)

2016-08-15

Objective: The dosimetric characterization of an accessory-mounted mini-beam collimator across three beam matched linear accelerators. Materials and Methods: Percent depth dose and profiles were measured for the open and mini-beam collimated fields. The average beam quality and peak-to-valley dose ratio (PVDR), the ratio of average peak dose to average valley dose, were obtained from these measurements. The open field relative output and the mini-beam collimator factor, the ratio of the mini-beam dose to open field dose at the beam center, were measured for square fields of side 2, 3, 4, and 5 cm. Mini-beam output as a function of collimator inclination angle relative to the central axis was also investigated. Results and Discussion: Beam quality for both the open and mini-beam collimated fields agreed across all linacs to within ±1.0%. The PVDR was found to vary by up to ±6.6% from the mean. For the 2, 3, and 4 cm fields the average open field relative output with respect to the 5 cm field was 0.874±0.4%, 0.921±0.3%, and 0.962±0.1%. The average collimator factors were 0.450±3.9%, 0.443±3.9%, 0.438±3.9%, and 0.434±3.9%. A decrease in collimator factor greater than 7% was found for an inclination angle change of 0.09°. Conclusion: The mini-beam collimator has revealed a difference between the three linacs not apparent in the open field data, yet transferability can still be attained through thorough dosimetric characterization.

Crystal collimator systems for high energy frontier

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2100516; Tikhomirov, Viktor; Lobko, Alexander

2017-01-01

Crystalline collimators can potentially considerably improve the cleaning performance of the presently used collimator systems using amorphous collimators. A crystal-based collimation scheme which relies on the channeling particle deflection in bent crystals has been proposed and extensively studied both theoretically and experimentally. However, since the efficiency of particle capture into the channeling regime does not exceed ninety percent, this collimation scheme partly suffers from the same leakage problems as the schemes using amorphous collimators. To improve further the cleaning efficiency of the crystal-based collimation system to meet the requirements of the FCC, we suggest here a double crystal-based collimation scheme, to which the second crystal is introduced to enhance the deflection of the particles escaping the capture to the channeling regime in its first crystal. The application of the effect of multiple volume reflection in one bent crystal and of the same in a sequence of crystals is simu...

Monte Carlo study for designing a dedicated “D”-shaped collimator used in the external beam radiotherapy of retinoblastoma patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mayorga, P. A. [FISRAD S.A.S., CR 64 A No. 22 - 41, Bogotá D C, Colombia and Departamento de Física Atómica, Molecular y Nuclear, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada (Spain); Brualla, L.; Sauerwein, W. [NCTeam, Strahlenklinik, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, D-45122 Essen (Germany); Lallena, A. M., E-mail: lallena@ugr.es [Departamento de Física Atómica, Molecular y Nuclear, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada (Spain)

2014-01-15

Purpose: Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular malignancy in the early childhood. Patients treated with external beam radiotherapy respond very well to the treatment. However, owing to the genotype of children suffering hereditary retinoblastoma, the risk of secondary radio-induced malignancies is high. The University Hospital of Essen has successfully treated these patients on a daily basis during nearly 30 years using a dedicated “D”-shaped collimator. The use of this collimator that delivers a highly conformed small radiation field, gives very good results in the control of the primary tumor as well as in preserving visual function, while it avoids the devastating side effects of deformation of midface bones. The purpose of the present paper is to propose a modified version of the “D”-shaped collimator that reduces even further the irradiation field with the scope to reduce as well the risk of radio-induced secondary malignancies. Concurrently, the new dedicated “D”-shaped collimator must be easier to build and at the same time produces dose distributions that only differ on the field size with respect to the dose distributions obtained by the current collimator in use. The scope of the former requirement is to facilitate the employment of the authors' irradiation technique both at the authors' and at other hospitals. The fulfillment of the latter allows the authors to continue using the clinical experience gained in more than 30 years. Methods: The Monte Carlo codePENELOPE was used to study the effect that the different structural elements of the dedicated “D”-shaped collimator have on the absorbed dose distribution. To perform this study, the radiation transport through a Varian Clinac 2100 C/D operating at 6 MV was simulated in order to tally phase-space files which were then used as radiation sources to simulate the considered collimators and the subsequent dose distributions. With the knowledge gained in that study, a new

Reduction of the secondary neutron dose in passively scattered proton radiotherapy, using an optimized pre-collimator/collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brenner, David J; Elliston, Carl D; Hall, Eric J; Paganetti, Harald

2009-01-01

Proton radiotherapy represents a potential major advance in cancer therapy. Most current proton beams are spread out to cover the tumor using passive scattering and collimation, resulting in an extra whole-body high-energy neutron dose, primarily from proton interactions with the final collimator. There is considerable uncertainty as to the carcinogenic potential of low doses of high-energy neutrons, and thus we investigate whether this neutron dose can be significantly reduced without major modifications to passively scattered proton beam lines. Our goal is to optimize the design features of a patient-specific collimator or pre-collimator/collimator assembly. There are a number of often contradictory design features, in terms of geometry and material, involved in an optimal design. For example, plastic or hybrid plastic/metal collimators have a number of advantages. We quantify these design issues, and investigate the practical balances that can be achieved to significantly reduce the neutron dose without major alterations to the beamline design or function. Given that the majority of proton therapy treatments, at least for the next few years, will use passive scattering techniques, reducing the associated neutron-related risks by simple modifications of the collimator assembly design is a desirable goal.

Temporal analysis of Z-Gradient coil eddy currents in tungsten collimator with different resistivities for SPECT/MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samoudi, Amine; Van Audenhaege, Karen; Vermeeren, Günter; Poole, Micahel; Martens, Luc; Van Holen, Roel; Joseph, Wout

2014-01-01

Combining Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) results in an interaction of the time-varying magnetic field gradients with the highly conducting tungsten collimator, which generates a secondary magnetic field causing spatial distortions in reconstructed MR images. Accurate simulations are important for the characterization of these eddy currents and to further optimize the gradient coils and the collimator design.

Atomic and molecular beams production and collimation

CERN Document Server

Lucas, Cyril Bernard

2013-01-01

Atomic and molecular beams are employed in physics and chemistry experiments and, to a lesser extent, in the biological sciences. These beams enable atoms to be studied under collision-free conditions and allow the study of their interaction with other atoms, charged particles, radiation, and surfaces. Atomic and Molecular Beams: Production and Collimation explores the latest techniques for producing a beam from any substance as well as from the dissociation of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and the halogens.The book not only provides the basic expressions essential to beam design but also offers

Measurements and analysis of a high-brightness electron beam collimated in a magnetic bunch compressor

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, F.; Bane, K.; Ding, Y.; Huang, Z.; Loos, H.; Raubenheimer, T.

2015-05-01

A collimator located in a magnetic bunch compressor of a linear accelerator driven x-ray free electron laser has many potential applications, such as the removal of horns in the current distribution, the generation of ultrashort beams, and as a diagnostic of the beam slice emittance. Collective effects, however, are a major concern in applying the technique. Systematic measurements of emittance and analysis were performed using a collimator in the first bunch compressor of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). In the nominal, undercompressed configuration using the collimator we find that the y emittance (nonbending plane) is not increased, and the x emittance (in the bending plane) is increased by about 25%, in comparison to the injector emittance. From the analysis we conclude that the parasitic effects associated with this method are dominated by coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR), which causes a "systematic error" for measuring slice emittance at the bending plane using the collimation method. In general, we find good agreement between the measurements and simulations including CSR. However, for overcompressed beams at smaller collimator gaps, an extra emittance increase is found that does not agree with 1D simulations and is not understood.

Spike Pattern Recognition for Automatic Collimation Alignment

CERN Document Server

Azzopardi, Gabriella; Salvachua Ferrando, Belen Maria; Mereghetti, Alessio; Redaelli, Stefano; CERN. Geneva. ATS Department

2017-01-01

The LHC makes use of a collimation system to protect its sensitive equipment by intercepting potentially dangerous beam halo particles. The appropriate collimator settings to protect the machine against beam losses relies on a very precise alignment of all the collimators with respect to the beam. The beam center at each collimator is then found by touching the beam halo using an alignment procedure. Until now, in order to determine whether a collimator is aligned with the beam or not, a user is required to follow the collimator’s BLM loss data and detect spikes. A machine learning (ML) model was trained in order to automatically recognize spikes when a collimator is aligned. The model was loosely integrated with the alignment implementation to determine the classification performance and reliability, without effecting the alignment process itself. The model was tested on a number of collimators during this MD and the machine learning was able to output the classifications in real-time.

A variable angle slant-hole collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, R.H.; Alpert, N.M.; Strauss, H.W.

1983-01-01

A variable-angle slant-hole (VASH) collimator was constructed to show the feasibility of using multiple sliding plates to achieve a range of collimator channel inclinations. One hundred and sixty tungsten plates, 0.125 mm thick and 14 cm square, were photoetched to produce 3025 1.5-mm2 holes in each plate, separated by 0.8-mm septa. Along with the collimator holes, registration holes and positioning grooves were also etched. The plates were placed in a holder and stacked to form a collimator 2.0 cm high. The holder permitted the plates to be sheared to achieve viewing angles from 0 to 40 degrees from the vertical. Resolution and sensitivity were determined both across and along the shear directions. Resolution of a thin /sup 99m/Tc source, 1.24 mm diam and 7 cm long, located 5 cm from the collimator face in air, was 1.1 cm FWHM at 0 degree shear and remained unchanged with increasing slant. The resolution was similar both across and along the shear plane. Sensitivity was determined with a point source placed 7 cm from the collimator face. At 0 degree slant the sensitivity was 169 cps/MBq (6.24 csp/mu Ci). A general all purpose (GAP) collimator had a FWHM of 1 cm for the line source in air at 5 cm, and a sensitivity of 205 cps/MBq (7.58 cps/mu Ci) for the point source at 7 cm. The data suggest that a variable-angle slant-hole collimator can be constructed of laminated plates

SU-F-BRB-12: A Novel Haar Wavelet Based Approach to Deliver Non-Coplanar Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy Using Sparse Orthogonal Collimators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, D; Ruan, D; Low, D; Sheng, K [Deparment of Radiation Oncology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA (United States); O’Connor, D [Deparment of Mathematics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Boucher, S [RadiaBeam Technologies, Santa Monica, CA (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: Existing efforts to replace complex multileaf collimator (MLC) by simple jaws for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) resulted in unacceptable compromise in plan quality and delivery efficiency. We introduce a novel fluence map segmentation method based on compressed sensing for plan delivery using a simplified sparse orthogonal collimator (SOC) on the 4π non-coplanar radiotherapy platform. Methods: 4π plans with varying prescription doses were first created by automatically selecting and optimizing 20 non-coplanar beams for 2 GBM, 2 head & neck, and 2 lung patients. To create deliverable 4π plans using SOC, which are two pairs of orthogonal collimators with 1 to 4 leaves in each collimator bank, a Haar Fluence Optimization (HFO) method was used to regulate the number of Haar wavelet coefficients while maximizing the dose fidelity to the ideal prescription. The plans were directly stratified utilizing the optimized Haar wavelet rectangular basis. A matching number of deliverable segments were stratified for the MLC-based plans. Results: Compared to the MLC-based 4π plans, the SOC-based 4π plans increased the average PTV dose homogeneity from 0.811 to 0.913. PTV D98 and D99 were improved by 3.53% and 5.60% of the corresponding prescription doses. The average mean and maximal OAR doses slightly increased by 0.57% and 2.57% of the prescription doses. The average number of segments ranged between 5 and 30 per beam. The collimator travel time to create the segments decreased with increasing leaf numbers in the SOC. The two and four leaf designs were 1.71 and 1.93 times more efficient, on average, than the single leaf design. Conclusion: The innovative dose domain optimization based on compressed sensing enables uncompromised 4π non-coplanar IMRT dose delivery using simple rectangular segments that are deliverable using a sparse orthogonal collimator, which only requires 8 to 16 leaves yet is unlimited in modulation resolution. This work is

Positron annihilation imaging device having movable collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, C.J.

1981-01-01

This patent application relates to a positron annihilation imaging device comprising two circular arrays of detectors disposed in spaced apart parallel planes and circumferentially offset by half the detector spacing, axially movable annular outer collimator rings, generally disposed in a pair of opposite planes outside the associated planes of the detectors, each collimator being movable toward the opposite collimator. An inner collimator of annular configuration is disposed between the two rows of detectors and is formed in two rings which may be separated axially. The outer and inner collimators serve to enhance data readout and imaging. (author)

Collimator changer for scintillation camera

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jupa, E.C.; Meeder, R.L.; Richter, E.K.

1976-01-01

A collimator changing assembly mounted on the support structure of a scintillation camera is described. A vertical support column positioned proximate the detector support column with a plurality of support arms mounted thereon in a rotatable cantilevered manner at separate vertical positions. Each support arm is adapted to carry one of the plurality of collimators which are interchangeably mountable on the underside of the detector and to transport the collimator between a store position remote from the detector and a change position underneath said detector

Characterization of a commercial multileaf collimator used for intensity modulated radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Low, Daniel A.; Sohn, Jason W.; Klein, Eric E.; Markman, Jerry; Mutic, Sasa; Dempsey, James F.

2001-01-01

The characteristics of a commercial multileaf collimator (MLC) to deliver static and dynamic multileaf collimation (SMLC and DMLC, respectively) were investigated to determine their influence on intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment planning and quality assurance. The influence of MLC leaf positioning accuracy on sequentially abutted SMLC fields was measured by creating abutting fields with selected gaps and overlaps. These data were also used to measure static leaf positioning precision. The characteristics of high leaf-velocity DMLC delivery were measured with constant velocity leaf sequences starting with an open field and closing a single leaf bank. A range of 1-72 monitor units (MU) was used providing a range of leaf velocities. The field abutment measurements yielded dose errors (as a percentage of the open field max dose) of 16.7±0.7% mm-1 and 12.8±0.7% mm-1 for 6 MV and 18 MV photon beams, respectively. The MLC leaf positioning precision was 0.080±0.018 mm (single standard deviation) highlighting the excellent delivery hardware tolerances for the tested beam delivery geometry. The high leaf-velocity DMLC measurements showed delivery artifacts when the leaf sequence and selected monitor units caused the linear accelerator to move the leaves at their maximum velocity while modulating the accelerator dose rate to deliver the desired leaf and MU sequence (termed leaf-velocity limited delivery). According to the vendor, a unique feature to their linear accelerator and MLC is that the dose rate is reduced to provide the correct cm MU-1 leaf velocity when the delivery is leaf-velocity limited. However, it was found that the system delivered roughly 1 MU per pulse when the delivery was leaf-velocity limited causing dose profiles to exhibit discrete steps rather than a smooth dose gradient. The root mean square difference between the steps and desired linear gradient was less than 3% when more than 4 MU were used. The average dose per MU was

Practical using of TXRF spectrometers with slitless collimators for the trace analysis of targets surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egorov, V.K.; Zuev, A.P.; Kondratiev, O.S.; Egorov, E.V.

2000-01-01

TXRF spectrometer with the slitless collimator used for a formation of the x-ray excitating beam (TXRF-SC spectrometer) is a new variety of an instrument been destined for the trace analysis of surfaces by x-ray fluorescence method at the total reflection of the x-ray incident beam. Some theoretical concepts are introduced for a characterization of the x-ray optics been unique to the TXRF-SC spectrometer. The principle design of the TXRF-SC spectrometer used for the trace quantitative analysis of a surface are discussed. Spectra of a secondary x-ray radiation yield for typical targets been collected by using of the TXRF-SC spectrometer and calculation of surface trace elements concentrations are presented. The analytical and operating parameters of the TXRF-SC spectrometer and one characterized by standard optical scheme are compared. The slitless collimator of the x-ray radiation is formed by two quartz polished plates mated together. Lengths of the plates are not equal. The target is placed on the surface of the long quartz plate and produces the continuation of the initial slitless collimator. Target orientation problem vanishes but problem of the surface contact effect appears. The secondary x-ray radiation excitated in a surface of the target is led out across the hole in the long quartz plate. The radiation is registered by a standard Si (Li) semiconductor detector and is collected by a multi-channel analyzer. The fundamental difference of the x-ray optical scheme been unique to TXRF-SC spectrometer from the standard one is the excitation of a studied surface by a flared x-ray beam with angle ΔΘ = 2Θ c , where Θ c is the critical angle of the total reflection. The vital peculiarity of a x-ray slitless collimation is the absence of a radiation monochromatism in output of the collimator. The sensible divergence of the x-ray excitating beam and the availability in it of monochromatic and white radiation alike allow to get in the surface layer of target the

Collimated proton acceleration in light sail regime with a tailored pinhole target

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, H. Y.; Zepf, M. [Helmholtz Institute Jena, Fröbelstieg 3, 07743 Jena (Germany); Yan, X. Q. [State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology and Key Lab of High Energy Density Physics Simulation, CAPT, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)

2014-06-15

A scheme for producing collimated protons from laser interactions with a diamond-like-carbon + pinhole target is proposed. The process is based on radiation pressure acceleration in the multi-species light-sail regime [B. Qiao et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 155002 (2010); T. P. Yu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 065002 (2010)]. Particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that transverse quasistatic electric field at TV/m level can be generated in the pinhole. The transverse electric field suppresses the transverse expansion of protons effectively, resulting in a higher density and more collimated proton beam compared with a single foil target. The dependence of the proton beam divergence on the parameters of the pinhole is also investigated.

Collimated proton acceleration in light sail regime with a tailored pinhole target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, H. Y.; Zepf, M.; Yan, X. Q.

2014-01-01

A scheme for producing collimated protons from laser interactions with a diamond-like-carbon + pinhole target is proposed. The process is based on radiation pressure acceleration in the multi-species light-sail regime [B. Qiao et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 155002 (2010); T. P. Yu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 065002 (2010)]. Particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that transverse quasistatic electric field at TV/m level can be generated in the pinhole. The transverse electric field suppresses the transverse expansion of protons effectively, resulting in a higher density and more collimated proton beam compared with a single foil target. The dependence of the proton beam divergence on the parameters of the pinhole is also investigated

Electronic compensation using multileaf collimation for involved field radiation to the neck and mediastinum in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacDonald, Shelly; Bernard, Shelley; Balogh, Alex; Spencer, David; Sawchuk, Stephen

2005-01-01

An efficient procedure is required for the preparation, planning, and delivery of radiation therapy for involved field radiation to the neck and mediastinum. This technique must reduce tissue complications while maintaining dose uniformity. An elegant intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment that is forward planned has been developed. Both static fields and static subfields shaped by multileaf collimators (MLCs) and asymmetric jaws are used. Patients receiving involved field radiation to the neck and mediastinum are planned in 3 dimensions (3D), where 3D dose compensation is provided using subfields consisting of MLC or asymmetric jaws instead of physical compensators or wedges. Forward planning is performed, usually generating 2 pairs of parallel-opposed fields, with at least 1 of them consisting of subfields to eliminate elevated dose regions. Efficiency in the preparation, planning, and delivery of treatment has been achieved for more than 10 patients. Verification of treatment setup, target anatomy, and MLC configuration is quick when using an electronic portal imaging device. Thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) have verified point-dose uniformity noticeably to ± 5%. An efficient technique using forward planning for simple IMRT consisting of static MLC and asymmetric jaws has been developed

Radiological considerations for POE-1 photon shutters, collimators and beam stops of the Biomedical Imaging and Therapy beamline at the Canadian Light Source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asai, Juhachi; Wysokinski, Tomasz W.; Smith, Sheldon; Chapman, Dean

2008-01-01

A study of radiation levels due to primary and secondary gas bremsstrahlung is carried out for the BioMedical Imaging and Therapy (BMIT) beamline at the Canadian Light Source (CLS). The BMIT beamline, being built at present, is a major research and diagnostic tool for X-ray imaging and X-ray radiation therapy for animals and humans. For the BMIT beamline to be as flexible as possible, a movable tungsten collimator is designed. This can move vertically and assumes two positions; up and down. The BMIT beamline is, thus, able to perform two modes of operation: one white beam, the other monochromatic. Gas bremsstrahlung produced in the vacuum chamber propagates with synchrotron radiation and may enter the imaging or therapy hutch. In this study, the dose behind the collimator is investigated in each mode by assessing the energy deposition in a water phantom that surrounds the entire copper shutter-tungsten collimator unit. When estimating the dose, particular attention is given to the opening area of the collimator, since this passage leads to the imaging or therapy hutch. Also examined are the doses when a tungsten safety shutter is closed

Comparing planar image quality of rotating slat and parallel hole collimation: influence of system modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holen, Roel van; Vandenberghe, Stefaan; Staelens, Steven; Lemahieu, Ignace

2008-01-01

The main remaining challenge for a gamma camera is to overcome the existing trade-off between collimator spatial resolution and system sensitivity. This problem, strongly limiting the performance of parallel hole collimated gamma cameras, can be overcome by applying new collimator designs such as rotating slat (RS) collimators which have a much higher photon collection efficiency. The drawback of a RS collimated gamma camera is that, even for obtaining planar images, image reconstruction is needed, resulting in noise accumulation. However, nowadays iterative reconstruction techniques with accurate system modeling can provide better image quality. Because the impact of this modeling on image quality differs from one system to another, an objective assessment of the image quality obtained with a RS collimator is needed in comparison to classical projection images obtained using a parallel hole (PH) collimator. In this paper, a comparative study of image quality, achieved with system modeling, is presented. RS data are reconstructed to planar images using maximum likelihood expectation maximization (MLEM) with an accurate Monte Carlo derived system matrix while PH projections are deconvolved using a Monte Carlo derived point-spread function. Contrast-to-noise characteristics are used to show image quality for cold and hot spots of varying size. Influence of the object size and contrast is investigated using the optimal contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR o ). For a typical phantom setup, results show that cold spot imaging is slightly better for a PH collimator. For hot spot imaging, the CNR o of the RS images is found to increase with increasing lesion diameter and lesion contrast while it decreases when background dimensions become larger. Only for very large background dimensions in combination with low contrast lesions, the use of a PH collimator could be beneficial for hot spot imaging. In all other cases, the RS collimator scores better. Finally, the simulation of a

The design and construction of modulation collimators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oda, M.; Muranaka, N.; Matsuoka, M.; Miyamoto, S.; Ogawara, Y.

1976-01-01

The technique of the modulation collimator is reviewed as a device to provide seemingly conflicting properties: high angular resolution, wide aperture and large brightness. The method of synthesizing a two-dimensional image of a source from several one-dimensional scans is discussed. Several methods of achieving angular resolution higher than the FWHM of the transmission window of the collimator are presented. The source structure may be reconstructed by means of one or more bigrid modulation collimators. Design problems of modulation collimators are discussed in relation to the collimator constructed for a balloon experiment under the collaboration of the UCSD group and the Tokyo group. (Auth.)

Dosimetric commissioning and system for stereotactic radiation treatments based on linear accelerators with dynamic micromultilaminas collimators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ascension, Yudy; Alfonso, Rodolfo; Silvestre, Ileana

2009-01-01

Once installed and accepted, a system for stereotactic radiosurgery / stereotactic radiotherapy (CERs / RTE) requires, before starting to be used clinically in patients undergoing a process of commissioning dosimetry, which evaluates all geometric parameters, physical, Dosimetric and technical impact on the precision and accuracy of treatment to administer, and therefore its effectiveness. This process includes training and familiarization of the multidisciplinary team (medical physicists, radiation oncologists, neurosurgeons, dosimetrists, biomedical engineers) with the equipment and techniques used, the quality assurance program and special radiation protection standards for this technology. The aim of this work is to prepare the pre-clinical dosimetric conditions to ensure the quality and radiation safety of treatment with CER RTE. Treatment with CER RTE INOR has a linear accelerator equipped with a micro-multileaf collimator dynamic tertiary (dMLC 3Dline). The system aceleradordMLC geometric and dosimetric was calibrated, using ionization chambers miniature, diode and film dosimetry. The immobilization of the patient and location of the lesion is made by both invasive stereotactic frames and relocatable. The computerized planning of the CER / TEN is done with the ERGO system, for which commissioning is designed test cases of increasing complexity, using planes and anthropomorphic dummies, which help assess the accuracy of the dosimetric calculations and accuracy of the system as a whole. We compared the results of the planning system with measurements, showing that the discrepancies are within tolerances, so it is concluded that from the standpoint of physical dosimetry, the system-under-ERGO accelerator MLC is eligible for clinical use. (author)

Penumbra measurements of BeamModulatorTM multi leaf collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Xiaoguang; Wang Yunlai; Huo Xiaoqing; Sha Xiangyan; Miao Xiongfei

2010-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the penumbra of a new multileaf collimator equipped with Elekta Synergy accelerator. Methods: The penumbra were derived from beam profiles measured in air and water using PinPoint ion chamber with PTW MP3 water phantom. Variations of penumbra with X-ray beam energy, depth in water, and leaf position were investigated. Results: The penumbra in air for 6 MV X-ray was 2 mm less than that at depth of maximal dose in water. The penumbra of leaf side was 1 mm less than that of the leaf end. The penumbra had close relationship with beam energy, depth in water and leaf position. penumbra increased with beam quality and water depth. The leaf position had great influence on the penumbra. Conclusions: The penumbra of the multileaf collimator is related to its original design and radiation delivery technique. Special considerations should be taken into during treatment planning. Regular measurement should be performed to guarantee the delivery quality. (authors)

SU-E-T-321: The Effects of a Dynamic Collimation System On Proton Pencil Beams to Improve Lateral Tissue Sparing in Spot Scanned Proton Therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hill, P; Wang, D; Flynn, R; Hyer, D [University Of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States)

2014-06-01

Purpose: To evaluate the lateral beam penumbra in pencil beam scanning proton therapy delivered using a dynamic collimator device capable of trimming a portion of the primary beam in close proximity to the patient. Methods: Monte Carlo simulations of pencil beams were performed using MCNPX. Each simulation transported a 125 MeV proton pencil beam through a range shifter, past acollimator, and into a water phantom. Two parameters were varied among the simulations, the source beam size (sigma in air from 3 to 9 mm), and the position of the edge of the collimator (placed from 0 to 30 mm from the central axis of the beam). Proton flux was tallied at the phantom surface to determine the effective beam sizefor all combinations of source beam size and collimator edge position. Results: Quantifying beam size at the phantom surface provides a useful measure tocompare performance among varying source beam sizes and collimation conditions. For arelatively large source beam size (9 mm) entering the range shifter, sigma at thesurface was found to be 10 mm without collimation versus 4 mm with collimation. Additionally, sigma at the surface achievable with collimation was found to be smallerthan for any uncollimated beam, even for very small source beam sizes. Finally, thelateral penumbra achievable with collimation was determined to be largely independentof the source beam size. Conclusion: Collimation can significantly reduce proton pencil beam lateral penumbra.Given the known dosimetric disadvantages resulting from large beam spot sizes,employing a dynamic collimation system can significantly improve lateral tissuesparing in spot-scanned dose distributions.

Vol. 31 - Crystal Collimation for LHC

CERN Document Server

Mirarchi, Daniele; Scandale, Walter; Hall, Geoffrey

2015-01-01

Future upgrades of the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) may demand improved cleaning performance of its collimation system. Very efficient collimation is required during regular operations at high intensities, because even a small amount of energy deposited on superconducting magnets can cause an abrupt loss of superconducting conditions (quench). The present collimation system has accomplished its tasks during the LHC Run I very well, where no quench with circulating beam took place with up to 150 MJ of stored energy at 4 TeV. On the other hand, uncertainty remains on the performance at the design energy of 7 TeV and with 360 MJ of stored energy. In particular, a further increase up to about 700 MJ is expected for the high luminosity upgrade (HL-LHC), where improved cleaning performance may be needed together with a reduction of collimator impedance. The possibility to use a crystal-based collimation system represents an option for improving both cleaning performance and impedance compared to the present s...

SU-F-T-508: A Collimator-Based 3-Dimensional Grid Therapy Technique in a Small Animal Radiation Research Platform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, J; Kong, V; Zhang, H

2016-01-01

Purpose: Three dimensional (3D) Grid Therapy using MLC-based inverse-planning has been proposed to achieve the features of both conformal radiotherapy and spatially fractionated radiotherapy, which may deliver very high dose in a single fraction to portions of a large tumor with relatively low normal tissue dose. However, the technique requires relatively long delivery time. This study aims to develop a collimator-based 3D grid therapy technique. Here we report the development of the technique in a small animal radiation research platform. Methods: Similar as in the MLC-based technique, 9 non-coplanar beams in special channeling directions were used for the 3D grid therapy technique. Two specially designed grid collimators were fabricated, and one of them was selectively used to match the corresponding gantry/couch angles so that the grid opening of all 9 beams are met in the 3D space in the target. A stack of EBT3 films were used as 3D dosimetry to demonstrate the 3D grid-like dose distribution in the target. Three 1-mm beams were delivered to the stack of films in the area outside the target for alignment when all the films were scanned to reconstruct the 3D dosimtric image. Results: 3D film dosimetry showed a lattice-like dose distribution in the 3D target as well as in the axial, sagittal and coronal planes. The dose outside the target also showed a grid like dose distribution, and the average dose gradually decreased with the distance to the target. The peak to valley ratio was approximately 5:1. The delivery time was 7 minutes for 18 Gy peak dose, comparing to 6 minutes to deliver a 18-Gy 3D conformal plan. Conclusion: We have demonstrated the feasibility of the collimator-based 3D grid therapy technique which can significantly reduce delivery time comparing to MLC-based inverse planning technique.

SU-F-T-508: A Collimator-Based 3-Dimensional Grid Therapy Technique in a Small Animal Radiation Research Platform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, J; Kong, V; Zhang, H [Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA (Georgia)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Three dimensional (3D) Grid Therapy using MLC-based inverse-planning has been proposed to achieve the features of both conformal radiotherapy and spatially fractionated radiotherapy, which may deliver very high dose in a single fraction to portions of a large tumor with relatively low normal tissue dose. However, the technique requires relatively long delivery time. This study aims to develop a collimator-based 3D grid therapy technique. Here we report the development of the technique in a small animal radiation research platform. Methods: Similar as in the MLC-based technique, 9 non-coplanar beams in special channeling directions were used for the 3D grid therapy technique. Two specially designed grid collimators were fabricated, and one of them was selectively used to match the corresponding gantry/couch angles so that the grid opening of all 9 beams are met in the 3D space in the target. A stack of EBT3 films were used as 3D dosimetry to demonstrate the 3D grid-like dose distribution in the target. Three 1-mm beams were delivered to the stack of films in the area outside the target for alignment when all the films were scanned to reconstruct the 3D dosimtric image. Results: 3D film dosimetry showed a lattice-like dose distribution in the 3D target as well as in the axial, sagittal and coronal planes. The dose outside the target also showed a grid like dose distribution, and the average dose gradually decreased with the distance to the target. The peak to valley ratio was approximately 5:1. The delivery time was 7 minutes for 18 Gy peak dose, comparing to 6 minutes to deliver a 18-Gy 3D conformal plan. Conclusion: We have demonstrated the feasibility of the collimator-based 3D grid therapy technique which can significantly reduce delivery time comparing to MLC-based inverse planning technique.

Collimator settings and performance in 2011 and 2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruce, R.; Assmann, R.W.; Burkart, F.; Cauchi, M.; Deboy, D.; Lari, L.; Redaelli, S; Rossi, A.; Salvachua, B.; Valentino, G.; Wollmann, D.

2012-01-01

Collimator settings and performance are key parameters for deciding the reach in intensity and β* in order to conclude on possible limits for the 2012 run, a summary is first given of the relevant running experience in 2011 and the collimation-related MDs. These include among others tight collimator settings, a quench test, and aperture measurements. Based on the 2011 experience, we conclude on possible running scenarios for 2012 in terms of collimator settings, intensity and β* from the collimation point of view. (authors)

Collimation settings and performance in 2011 and 2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bruce, R; Assmann, R W; Burkart, F; Cauchi, M; Deboy, D; Lari, L; Redaelli, S; Rossi, A; Salvachua, B; Valentino, G; Wollmann, D [European Organization for Nuclear Research, Geneva (Switzerland)

2012-07-01

Collimator settings and available aperture are key parameters for deciding the reach in intensity and β*. In order to conclude on possible limits for the 2012 run, a summary is first given of the relevant running experience in 2011 and the collimation-related MDs. These include among others tight collimator settings, a quench test, and aperture measurements. Based on the 2011 experience, we conclude on possible running scenarios for 2012 in terms of collimator settings, intensity and β* from the collimation point of view.

Collimation settings and performance in 2011 and 2012

CERN Document Server

Bruce, R; Burkart, F; Cauchi, M; Deboy, D; Lari, L; Redaelli, S; Rossi, A; Salvachua, B; Valentino, G; Wollmann, D

2012-01-01

Collimator settings and available aperture are key parameters for deciding the reach in intensity and β*. In order to conclude on possible limits for the 2012 run, a summary is first given of the relevant running experience in 2011 and the collimation-related MDs. These include among others tight collimator settings, a quench test, and aperture measurements. Based on the 2011 experience, we conclude on possible running scenarios for 2012 in terms of collimator settings, intensity and β* from the collimation point of view.

Field factors for asymmetric collimators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, J.R.; Butler, A.P.H.

1996-01-01

In recent years manufacturers have been supplying linear accelerators with either a single pair or a dual pair of collimators. The use of a model to relate off-axis field factors to on-axis field factors obviates the need for repeat measurements whenever the asymmetric collimators are employed. We have investigated the variation of collimator scatter Sc, with distance of the central ray x from the central axis for a variety of non square field sizes. Collimator scatter was measured by in-air measurements with a build-up cap. The Primaty-Off-Centre-Ratio (POCR) was measured in-air by scanning orthogonally across the beam with an ionization chamber. The result of the investigation is the useful prediction of off-axis field factors for a range of rectangular asymmetric fields using the simple product of the on-axis field factor and the POCR in air. The effect of asymmetry on the quality of the beam and hence the percent depth dose will be discussed. (author)

SU-G-TeP2-04: Comprehensive Machine Isocenter Evaluation with Separation of Gantry, Collimator, and Table Variables

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hancock, S [Southeast Missouri Hospital, Cape Girardeau, MO (United States); Clements, C [Radiological Imaging Technology, Colorado Springs, CO (United States); Hyer, D; Nixon, E [University Of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Martin, E; Wang, B [University of Louisville, Louisville, KY (United States); Jani, S [Sharp Memorial Hospital, San Diego, CA (United States); Gossman, M [Tri-State Regional Cancer Center, Ashland, KY (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To develop and demonstrate application of a method that characterizes deviation of linac x-ray beams from the centroid of the volumetric radiation isocenter as a function of gantry, collimator, and table variables. Methods: A set of Winston-Lutz ball-bearing images was used to determine the gantry radiation isocenter as the midrange of deviation values resulting from gantry and collimator rotation. Also determined were displacement of table axis from gantry isocenter and recommended table axis adjustment. The method, previously reported, has been extended to include the effect of collimator walkout by obtaining measurements with 0 and 180 degree collimator rotation for each gantry angle. Twelve images were used to characterize the volumetric isocenter for the full range of available gantry, collimator, and table rotations. Results: Three Varian True Beam, two Elekta Infinity and four Versa HD linacs at five institutions were tested using identical methodology. Varian linacs exhibited substantially less deviation due to head sag than Elekta linacs (0.4 mm vs. 1.2 mm on average). One linac from each manufacturer had additional isocenter deviation of 0.3 to 0.4 mm due to jaw instability with gantry and collimator rotation. For all linacs, the achievable isocenter tolerance was dependent on adjustment of collimator position offset, transverse position steering, and alignment of the table axis with gantry isocenter, facilitated by these test results. The pattern and magnitude of table axis wobble vs. table angle was reproducible and unique to each machine. Conclusion: This new method provides a comprehensive set of isocenter deviation values including all variables. It effectively facilitates minimization of deviation between beam center and target (ball-bearing) position. This method was used to quantify the effect of jaw instability on isocenter deviation and to identify the offending jaw. The test is suitable for incorporation into a routine machine QA

Radiation dose and cancer risk among pediatric patients undergoing interventional neuroradiology procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thierry-Chef, Isabelle; Simon, Steven L.; Miller, Donald L.

2006-01-01

During interventional neuroradiology procedures, patients can be exposed to moderate to high levels of radiation. Special considerations are required to protect children, who are generally more sensitive to the short- and long-term detrimental effects of radiation exposure. Estimates of dose to the skin of children from certain interventional procedures have been published elsewhere, but we are not aware of data on dose to the brain or on the long-term risk of cancer from brain radiation. Our goals were to estimate radiation doses to the brain in 50 pediatric patients who had undergone cerebral embolization and to assess their lifetime risks of developing radiation-related brain cancer. Entrance-peak skin dose and various assumptions on conditions of exposure were used as input for dosimetric calculations to estimate the spatial pattern of dose within the brain and the average dose to the whole brain for each child. The average dose and the age of the child at time of exposure were used to estimate the lifetime risk of developing radiation-related brain cancer. Among the 50 patients, average radiation doses to the brain were estimated to vary from 100 mGy to 1,300 mGy if exposed to non-collimated fields and from 20 mGy to 160 mGy for collimated, moving fields. The lifetime risk of developing brain cancer was estimated to be increased by 2% to 80% as a result of the exposure. Given the very small lifetime background risk of brain tumor, the excess number of cases will be small even though the relative increase might be as high as 80%. ALARA principles of collimation and dose optimization are the most effective means to minimize the risk of future radiation-related cancer. (orig.)

Mechanical Engineering and Design of the LHC Phase II Collimators

CERN Document Server

Bertarelli, A; Gentini, L; Mariani, N; Perret, R; Timmins, M A

2010-01-01

Phase II collimators will complement the existing system to improve the expected high RF impedance and limited efficiency of Phase I jaws. An international collaborative effort has been launched to identify novel advanced materials responding to the very challenging requirements of the new collimators. Complex numerical calculations simulating extreme conditions and experimental tests are in progress. In parallel, an innovative modular design concept of the jaw assembly is being developed to allow fitting in alternative materials, minimizing the thermally induced deformations, withstanding accidents and accepting high radiation doses. Phase II jaw assembly is made up of a molybdenum back-stiffener ensuring high geometrical stability and a modular jaw split in threes sectors. Each sector is equipped with a high-efficiency independent cooling circuit. Beam position monitors (BPM) are embedded in the jaws to fasten setup time and improve beam monitoring. An adjustment system will permit to fine-tune the jaw flat...

Efficacy of a dynamic collimator for overranging dose reduction in a second- and third-generation dual source CT scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Booij, Ronald; Dijkshoorn, Marcel L.; Straten, Marcel van

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of the renewed dynamic collimator in a third-generation dual source CT (DSCT) scanner and to determine the improvements over the second-generation scanner. Collimator efficacy is defined as the percentage overranging dose in terms of dose-length product (DLP) that is blocked by the dynamic collimator relative to the total overranging dose in case of a static collimator. Efficacy was assessed at various pitch values and different scan lengths. The number of additional rotations due to overranging and effective scan length were calculated on the basis of reported scanning parameters. On the basis of these values, the efficacy of the collimator was calculated. The second-generation scanner showed decreased performance of the dynamic collimator at increasing pitch. Efficacy dropped to 10% at the highest pitch. For the third-generation scanner the efficacy remained above 50% at higher pitch. Noise was for some pitch values slightly higher at the edge of the imaged volume, indicating a reduced scan range to reduce the overranging dose. The improved dynamic collimator in the third-generation scanner blocks the overranging dose for more than 50% and is more capable of shielding radiation dose, especially in high pitch scan modes. (orig.)

Efficacy of a dynamic collimator for overranging dose reduction in a second- and third-generation dual source CT scanner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Booij, Ronald; Dijkshoorn, Marcel L.; Straten, Marcel van [Erasmus MC, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, P.O. Box 2240, Rotterdam (Netherlands)

2017-09-15

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of the renewed dynamic collimator in a third-generation dual source CT (DSCT) scanner and to determine the improvements over the second-generation scanner. Collimator efficacy is defined as the percentage overranging dose in terms of dose-length product (DLP) that is blocked by the dynamic collimator relative to the total overranging dose in case of a static collimator. Efficacy was assessed at various pitch values and different scan lengths. The number of additional rotations due to overranging and effective scan length were calculated on the basis of reported scanning parameters. On the basis of these values, the efficacy of the collimator was calculated. The second-generation scanner showed decreased performance of the dynamic collimator at increasing pitch. Efficacy dropped to 10% at the highest pitch. For the third-generation scanner the efficacy remained above 50% at higher pitch. Noise was for some pitch values slightly higher at the edge of the imaged volume, indicating a reduced scan range to reduce the overranging dose. The improved dynamic collimator in the third-generation scanner blocks the overranging dose for more than 50% and is more capable of shielding radiation dose, especially in high pitch scan modes. (orig.)

SU-F-E-20: A Mathematical Model of Linac Jaw Calibration Integrated with Collimator Walkout

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Y; Corns, R; Huang, V [Fraser Valley Cancer Centre - BC Cancer Agency, Surrey, BC (United Kingdom)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Accurate jaw calibration is possible, but it does not necessarily achieve good junctions because of collimator rotation walkout. We developed a mathematical model seeking to pick an origin for calibration that minimizes the collimator walkout effect. Methods: We use radioopaque markers aligned with crosshair on the EPID to determine the collimator walkout at collimator angles 0°, 90° and 270°. We can accurately calibrate jaws to any arbitrary origin near the radiation field centre. While the absolute position of an origin moves with the collimator walkout, its relative location to the crosshair is an invariant. We studied two approaches to select an optimal origin. One approach seeks to bring all three origin locations (0°–90°–270°) as close as possible by minimizing the perimeter of the triangle formed by these points. The other approach focuses on the gap for 0°–90° junctions. Results: Our perimeter cost function has two variables and non-linear behaviour. Generally, it does not have zero-perimeter-length solution which leads to perfect jaw matches. The zero solution can only be achieved, if the collimator rotates about a single fixed axis. In the second approach, we can always get perfect 0°–0° and 0°–90° junctions, because we ignore the 0°–270° situation. For our TrueBeams, both techniques for selecting an origin improved junction dose inhomogeneities to less than ±6%. Conclusion: Our model considers the general jaw matching with collimator rotations and proposes two potential solutions. One solution optimizes the junction gaps by considering all three collimator angles while the other only considers 0°–90°. The first solution will not give perfect matching, but can be clinically acceptable with minimized collimator walkout effect, while the second can have perfect junctions at the expense of the 0°–270° junctions. Different clinics might choose between these two methods basing on their clinical practices.

SU-F-E-20: A Mathematical Model of Linac Jaw Calibration Integrated with Collimator Walkout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Y; Corns, R; Huang, V

2016-01-01

Purpose: Accurate jaw calibration is possible, but it does not necessarily achieve good junctions because of collimator rotation walkout. We developed a mathematical model seeking to pick an origin for calibration that minimizes the collimator walkout effect. Methods: We use radioopaque markers aligned with crosshair on the EPID to determine the collimator walkout at collimator angles 0°, 90° and 270°. We can accurately calibrate jaws to any arbitrary origin near the radiation field centre. While the absolute position of an origin moves with the collimator walkout, its relative location to the crosshair is an invariant. We studied two approaches to select an optimal origin. One approach seeks to bring all three origin locations (0°–90°–270°) as close as possible by minimizing the perimeter of the triangle formed by these points. The other approach focuses on the gap for 0°–90° junctions. Results: Our perimeter cost function has two variables and non-linear behaviour. Generally, it does not have zero-perimeter-length solution which leads to perfect jaw matches. The zero solution can only be achieved, if the collimator rotates about a single fixed axis. In the second approach, we can always get perfect 0°–0° and 0°–90° junctions, because we ignore the 0°–270° situation. For our TrueBeams, both techniques for selecting an origin improved junction dose inhomogeneities to less than ±6%. Conclusion: Our model considers the general jaw matching with collimator rotations and proposes two potential solutions. One solution optimizes the junction gaps by considering all three collimator angles while the other only considers 0°–90°. The first solution will not give perfect matching, but can be clinically acceptable with minimized collimator walkout effect, while the second can have perfect junctions at the expense of the 0°–270° junctions. Different clinics might choose between these two methods basing on their clinical practices.

Parallel hole collimator acceptance tests for SPECT and planar studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babicheva, R.R.; Bennie, D.N.; Collins, L.T.; Gruenwald, S.M.

1998-01-01

Full text: Different kinds of collimator damage can occur either during shipping or from regular use. Imperfections of construction along the strips or their connections give rise to nonperpendicular hole alignments to the crystal face and can produce potential problems such as ring artifacts and image degradation. Gamma camera collimator hole alignments and integrity were compared in four parallel hole high resolution collimators-two new cast and two used foil collimators, one with damage to the protective surface. [1] The point source flood image of the defective collimator was non-circular as were the images of cast collimators. The image of new foil collimator was circular. [2] High count sheet flood did not show any imperfections. [3] Bone mineral densitometer was used to perform collimated X-ray beam. The collimator was placed on the scanning bed with an X-ray cassette placed directly above it. The damaged area was well demonstrated. [4] The COR offset test was taken at two extreme radii. The offset value with the defective collimator is increased by 0.53 pixel or 129% with increase of COR from radius 14 cm to 28cm. [5] The collimator hole alignment test involves performing multiple measurements of COR along the length of the collimator, and checking for variations in COR with both position of source and angle of rotation. The maximum variation in COR of the defective collimator hole alignment was 1.13 mm. Collimators require testing when new and at regular intervals, or following damage. The point source test can be used for foil collimators. The most sensitive tests were collimated X-ray source, COR offset test and collimator hole alignment

Crystal collimator systems for high energy frontier

Science.gov (United States)

Sytov, A. I.; Tikhomirov, V. V.; Lobko, A. S.

2017-07-01

Crystalline collimators can potentially considerably improve the cleaning performance of the presently used collimator systems using amorphous collimators. A crystal-based collimation scheme which relies on the channeling particle deflection in bent crystals has been proposed and extensively studied both theoretically and experimentally. However, since the efficiency of particle capture into the channeling regime does not exceed ninety percent, this collimation scheme partly suffers from the same leakage problems as the schemes using amorphous collimators. To improve further the cleaning efficiency of the crystal-based collimation system to meet the requirements of the FCC, we suggest here a double crystal-based collimation scheme, to which the second crystal is introduced to enhance the deflection of the particles escaping the capture to the channeling regime in its first crystal. The application of the effect of multiple volume reflection in one bent crystal and of the same in a sequence of crystals is simulated and compared for different crystal numbers and materials at the energy of 50 TeV. To enhance also the efficiency of use of the first crystal of the suggested double crystal-based scheme, we propose: the method of increase of the probability of particle capture into the channeling regime at the first crystal passage by means of fabrication of a crystal cut and the method of the amplification of nonchanneled particle deflection through the multiple volume reflection in one bent crystal, accompanying the particle channeling by a skew plane. We simulate both of these methods for the 50 TeV FCC energy.

Development and Beam Tests of an Automatic Algorithm for Alignment of LHC Collimators with Embedded BPMs

CERN Document Server

Valentino, G; Gasior, M; Mirarchi, D; Nosych, A A; Redaelli, S; Salvachua, B; Assmann, R W; Sammut, N

2013-01-01

Collimators with embedded Beam Position Monitor (BPM) buttons will be installed in the LHC during the upcoming long shutdown period. During the subsequent operation, the BPMs will allow the collimator jaws to be kept centered around the beam trajectory. In this manner, the best possible beam cleaning efficiency and machine protection can be provided at unprecedented higher beam energies and intensities. A collimator alignment algorithm is proposed to center the jaws automatically around the beam. The algorithm is based on successive approximation, as the BPM measurements are affected by non-linearities, which vary with the distance between opposite buttons, as well as the difference between the beam and the jaw centers. The successful test results, as well as some considerations for eventual operation in the LHC are also presented.

Method to assist conception of collimators in nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gantet, P.; Esquerre, J.P.; Danet, B.; Roux, G.; Guiraud, R.

1990-01-01

Designing a collimator should begin by an accurate computation of its performances in order to minimize the usual expensive and time consuming phase of trial and error. The authors briefly describe several methods currently used, and present a method of simulation of the percussional response of collimators. The computation takes into account the attenuation of photons by the collimator septas. An other benefit is its ability to be used whatever the geometric specifications of the collimator. The program computes spatial resolution, geometric efficiency, septal penetration, as well as slice thickness when the collimator is used with a SPECT device. The study presents the results concerning two collimators: a general purpose parallel hole commercially available and a focused parallel one dedicated to a single slice SPECT system. In conclusion, this deterministic method which takes attenuation into account for collimators performances computation should be useful tool to assist conception of new collimators in nuclear medicine [fr

ON THE USE OF THIN SCRAPERS FOR MOMENTUM COLLIMATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

CATALAN-LASHERAS, N.

2001-01-01

In transverse collimation systems, thin scrapers are used as primary collimators to interact with the beam halo and increase its impact parameter on the secondary collimators or absorbers. In the same way, placing the primary collimator in a dispersion region is used for momentum collimation. However, the use of scrapers for momentum collimation presents an additional disadvantage when handling medium-low energy beams. The energy lost by ionization is non negligible and the proton can be kicked out of the RF bucket. The material and thickness of the scraper have to be carefully adjusted according to the position of secondary collimators and momentum aperture of the machine. We derive simple analytical expressions for a generic case. The same calculations have been applied to the case of the SNS accumulator ring. After careful considerations, the use of scrapers for momentum collimation was ruled out in favor of a beam in gap kicker system

Parasternal lymphoscintigraphy using the bilateral collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohtake, Eiji; Iio, Masahiro; Toyama, Hinako; Kawaguchi, Shinichiro; Murata, Hajime

1981-01-01

A new method for measuring the depth of the parasternal lymph node was studied. The bilateral collimator used in this study consisted of two arrays of parallel holes which were slanted at +-30 degrees, respectively, to the vertical line. When the collimator was set to image the object in both sides of the field, the object and the dual images formed a regular triangle. The distance (D) from the image (crystal) plane to the object can be expressed by the equation: D = 1/2.L.cot30 0 = 0.866.L where L is the interval between the dual images calibrated to the real length. The distance from the collimator surface to the object is obtained by subtracting the effective thickness (T) between the image plane and the collimator surface from D. T was experimentally measured by the above equation, placing point sources on the collimator surface. The principle was applied to measure the depth of the parasternal lymph node. The parasternal lymphoscintigram was obtained four hours after bilateral subcostal injection of sup(99m)Tc-sulfur colloid and the image was taken by a Searle Pho/Gamma LFOV camera equipped with the bilateral collimator. When the scintigraphic image was made, radioactive markers were placed at the body surface to measure the distance from the collimator surface to the body surface Nineteen patients were examined. As a result, the lymph nodes were found to be located in the depths ranging widely from 0.4 to 6.5 cm from the anterior surface of the chest wall. These lymph nodes were thought to contain the deeply seated mediastinal nodes, and the superficial nodes located directly beneath the skin. Model studies were also performed to estimate the accuracy of this method and satisfactory results were obtained. (author)

Intensity modulation of therapeutic photon beams using a rotating multileaf collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otto, Karl

2004-01-01

The thesis describes the development and implementation of a novel method of delivering intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) that provides greater accuracy and spatial resolution than currently available methods. Through improvements in multileaf collimator (MLC) based fluence generation, a dose distribution may be generated that conforms more closely to the tumour target volume. Healthy tissue surrounding the target volume will therefore receive less dose, reducing the probability of side effects and allowing the physician to increase the prescribed tumor dose (dose escalation). As a preamble to the description of the IMRT delivery method a new model for evaluating the spatial resolution capabilities of dose delivery techniques is presented. Flexibility and complexity in patient treatment due to advances in radiotherapy techniques necessitates a simple method for evaluating spatial resolution capabilities of the dose delivery device. The model is based on linear systems theory and is analogous to methods used to describe resolution degradation in imaging systems. The spatial resolution capabilities of different delivery components can be quantified separately, providing a simple method for comparing different treatment machine characteristics. Also, the model provides the ability to evaluate spatial resolution changes independent of the tumor that is being treated, providing a means of comparing delivery techniques that is not biased by the characteristics of any particular treatment volume. MLC based IMRT techniques are well established but suffer several physical limitations. Dosimetric spatial resolution is limited by the MLC leaf width, interleaf leakage and tongue-and-groove effects degrade dosimetric accuracy and the range of leaf motion limits the maximum deliverable field size. Based on observations from the linear systems model it is hypothesized that, by rotating the entire MLC between each sub-field, improvements will be obtained in spatial

Development of a Method to Assess the Precision Of the z-axis X-ray Beam Collimation in a CT Scanner

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yon-Min

2018-05-01

Generally X-ray equipment specifies the beam collimator for the accuracy measurement as a quality control item, but the computed tomography (CT) scanner with high dose has no collimator accuracy measurement item. If the radiation dose is to be reduced, an important step is to check if the beam precisely collimates at the body part for CT scan. However, few ways are available to assess how precisely the X-ray beam is collimated. In this regard, this paper provides a way to assess the precision of z-axis X-ray beam collimation in a CT scanner. After the image plate cassette had been exposed to the X-ray beam, the exposed width was automatically detected by using a computer program developed by the research team to calculate the difference between the exposed width and the imaged width (at isocenter). The result for the precision of z-axis X-ray beam collimation showed that the exposed width was 3.8 mm and the overexposure was high at 304% when a narrow beam of a 1.25 mm imaged width was used. In this study, the precision of the beam collimation of the CT scanner, which is frequently used for medical services, was measured in a convenient way by using the image plate (IP) cassette.

Properties of a new variable collimator at orthovoltage energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, K.; Butson, M.; Metcalfe, P.; University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW

1996-01-01

Full text: Beam characteristics of a Therapax DXT 300 Orthovoltage Machine are investigated using fixed collimators or 'cones' and a variable collimator. Previously, fixed collimators have always been used throughout patient treatments. The variable collimator is an optional accessory to the DXT 300 machine and has just been implemented at our centre. The variable collimator mounts to the DXT 300 at the same position as the fixed collimators and produces rectangular field sizes up to 20 x 20 cmm at 50 cm FSD. Surface/near surface charge measurements were performed for the variable collimator and various configurations of cones for a 10 x 10 cm field at 250kVp and a FSD of 50cm in solid water using a Markus Type 329 parallel plate ionisation chamber connected via a shielded triaxial cable to a 2570/1 NE Farmer electrometer. Central axis percentage depth doses and beam profiles were measured using a Scanditronix RK ionisation chamber in a RFA300 water tank for both cones and the variable collimator. This data was then transferred to the Target Series 2 computer planning system for isodose display. Measurements were performed at 250 kVp. Beam profiles were scanned both perpendicular to and along the cathode-anode direction. A change in charge measured at the surface and to 1 mm depth for the variable collimator and the cones was observed. The normal cone and the variable collimator have surface charges of 100% and 98% respectively. Maximum surface charge occurred for the open-end 'lead' cone. A comparison was made between the central axis percentage depth dose produced by the cones and variable collimator for field sizes of 10 x 10cm and 20 x 20 cm. Maximum dose for the cones is deposited at the surface whereas for the variable collimator there is a slight build-up region before maximum dose is deposited at a depth of 1 mm. Upon comparing the beam profiles produced by the variable collimator and the cones, it was observed that the width of the penumbra differed by

Some new insights into collimator design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metz, C.E.; Atkins, F.B.; Tsui, B.M.W.; Beck, R.N.

1978-01-01

Relationships among collimator design parameters, physical properties of the resulting images, and human observer performance are discussed. The insight provided by these relationships hopefully will prove useful to the individual who must design or select a collimator for a particular imaging task

Method and apparatus for examining a body by means of penetrating radiation such as x-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnea, D.I.

1984-01-01

An image-reconstructive technique for examining a body by means of penetrating radiation, such as X-rays, is described. A pre-body collimator having a two-dimensional array of radiation-transmitting holes each bordered by radiation non-transmitting walls is disposed between the body and the source of radiation, and a plurality of exposures are made onto a radiation-sensitive surface, in which the radiation is projected through the collimator while the radiation source is at a plurality of different locations, such that during the successive exposures, the radiation from the source passes through different ray paths defined by the holes in the pre-body collimator. The radiation level received by each of the radiation-sensitive surface elements is detected, stored, and processed to reconstruct the two-dimensional radiation pattern but with enhanced resolution. Preferably a post-body collimator is also used to suppress scattering. Described are a four-exposure procedure and a nine-exposure procedure

Single photon emission computed tomography by using fan beam collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akiyama, Yoshihisa

1992-01-01

A multislice fan beam collimator which has parallel collimation along the cephalic-caudul axis of a patient and converging collimation within planes that are perpendicular to that axis was designed for a SPECT system with a rotating scintillation camera, and it was constructed by the lead casting method which was developed in recent years. A reconstruction algorithm for fan beam SPECT was formed originally by combining the reconstruction algorithm of the parallel beam SPECT with that of the fan beam X-ray CT. The algorithm for fan beam SPECT was confirmed by means of computer simulation and a head phantom filled with diluted radionuclide. Not only 99m Tc but also 123 I was used as a radionuclide. A SPECT image with the fan beam collimator was compared with that of a parallel hole, low energy, high resolution collimator which was routinely used for clinical and research SPECT studies. Both system resolution and sensitivity of the fan beam collimator were ∼20% better than those of the parallel hole collimator. Comparing SPECT images obtained from fan beam collimator with those of parallel hole collimator, the SPECT images using fan beam collimator had far better resolution. A fan beam collimator is a useful implement for the SPECT study. (author)

Soller collimators for small angle neutron scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crawford, R.K.; Epperson, J.E.; Thiyagarajan, P.

1989-01-01

The neutron beam transmitted through the soller collimators on the SAD (Small Angle Diffractometer) instrument at IPNS (Intense Pulsed Neutron Source) showed wings about the main beam. These wings were quite weak, but were sufficient to interfere with the low-Q scattering data. General considerations of the theory of reflection from homogeneous absorbing media, combined with the results from a Monte Carlo simulation, suggested that these wings were due to specular reflection of neutrons from the absorbing material on the surfaces of the collimator blades. The simulations showed that roughness of the surface was extremely important, with wing background variations of three orders of magnitude being observed with the range of roughness values used in the simulations. Based on the results of these simulations, new collimators for SAD were produced with a much rougher 10 B-binder surface coating on the blades. These new collimators were determined to be significantly better than the original SAD collimators. This work suggests that any soller collimators designed for use with long wavelengths should be fabricated with such a rough surface coating, in order to eliminate (or at least minimize) the undesirable reflection effects which otherwise seem certain to occur. 4 refs., 6 figs

Ion beam collimating grid to reduce added defects

Science.gov (United States)

Lindquist, Walter B.; Kearney, Patrick A.

2003-01-01

A collimating grid for an ion source located after the exit grid. The collimating grid collimates the ion beamlets and disallows beam spread and limits the beam divergence during transients and steady state operation. The additional exit or collimating grid prevents beam divergence during turn-on and turn-off and prevents ions from hitting the periphery of the target where there is re-deposited material or from missing the target and hitting the wall of the vessel where there is deposited material, thereby preventing defects from being deposited on a substrate to be coated. Thus, the addition of a collimating grid to an ion source ensures that the ion beam will hit and be confined to a specific target area.

Verification of Radiation Isocenter on Linac Beam 6 MV using Computed Radiography

Science.gov (United States)

Irsal, Muhammad; Hidayanto, Eko; Sutanto, Heri

2017-06-01

Radiation isocenter is more important part of quality assurance for the linear accelerator (Linac) due to radiation isocenter is a main location in irradiation radiotherapy, isocenter can shift when the gantry and collimator rotation. In general, the radiation isocenter verification using a special film. This research was conducted radiation isocenter verification using computed radiography with digital image processing techniques. Image acquisition was done using the modalities of Linac 6 MV with star shot method is star-shaped beam due to rotation of the collimator, gantry and couch. Then do the delineation on each beam to determine the centroid and beam diameter. By the results of verification of radiation isocenter performed on collimator and the couch, it shows that the size diameter for rotational collimator is 0.632 mm and 0.458 mm for the couch. Based on AAPM report 40 about the size of the Linac radiation isocenter diameter used in this study is still in good condition and worth to be operated because the value of the radiation isocenter diameter is below 2 mm.

Verification of Radiation Isocenter on Linac Beam 6 MV using Computed Radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Irsal, Muhammad; Hidayanto, Eko; Sutanto, Heri

2017-01-01

Radiation isocenter is more important part of quality assurance for the linear accelerator (Linac) due to radiation isocenter is a main location in irradiation radiotherapy, isocenter can shift when the gantry and collimator rotation. In general, the radiation isocenter verification using a special film. This research was conducted radiation isocenter verification using computed radiography with digital image processing techniques. Image acquisition was done using the modalities of Linac 6 MV with star shot method is star-shaped beam due to rotation of the collimator, gantry and couch. Then do the delineation on each beam to determine the centroid and beam diameter. By the results of verification of radiation isocenter performed on collimator and the couch, it shows that the size diameter for rotational collimator is 0.632 mm and 0.458 mm for the couch. Based on AAPM report 40 about the size of the Linac radiation isocenter diameter used in this study is still in good condition and worth to be operated because the value of the radiation isocenter diameter is below 2 mm. (paper)

[A review of progress of real-time tumor tracking radiotherapy technology based on dynamic multi-leaf collimator].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Fubo; Li, Guangjun; Shen, Jiuling; Li, Ligin; Bai, Sen

2017-02-01

While radiation treatment to patients with tumors in thorax and abdomen is being performed, further improvement of radiation accuracy is restricted by the tumor intra-fractional motion due to respiration. Real-time tumor tracking radiation is an optimal solution to tumor intra-fractional motion. A review of the progress of real-time dynamic multi-leaf collimator(DMLC) tracking is provided in the present review, including DMLC tracking method, time lag of DMLC tracking system, and dosimetric verification.

One primary collimator with optional crystal feature, tested with beam

CERN Document Server

EuCARD, Collaboration

2014-01-01

The WP8 of EuCARD aims at the design of more advanced materials and collimator concepts for high beam power in particle accelerators like LHC and FAIR. Deliverable 8.3.1 concerned the production and the validation by beam tests of an advanced collimator prototype to improve various aspects of the LHC collimation system, such as the accuracy of the collimator jaw alignment to the circulating beam, the duration of collimator setup time and the overall halo cleaning performance. A collimator prototype was built and installed in the SPS for beam tests in the running period between 2010 and 2012. Crystal collimation aspects were dealt with in a dedicated SPS experiment, which also profited from EuCARD contributions.

Collimation and material science studies (ColMat) at GSI.

CERN Document Server

Stadlmann, J; Kollmus, H; Krause, M; Mustafin, E; Petzenhauser, I; Spiller, P; Strasik, I; Tahir, N; Tomut, M; Trautmann, C

2010-01-01

Within the frame of the EuCARD program, the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt is performing accelerator R&D in workpackage 8: ColMat. The coordinated effort is focussed on materials aspects important for building the FAIR accelerator facility at GSI and the LHC upgrade at CERN. Accelerator components and especially protection devices have to be operated in high dose environments. The radiation hazard occurs either by the primary proton and ion beams or the secondary radiation after initial beam loss. Detailed numerical simulations have been carried out to study the damage caused to solid targets by the full impact of the LHC beam as well as the SPS beam. Tungsten, copper and graphite as possible collimator materials have been studied. Experimental an theoretical studies on radiation damage on materials used for the LHC upgrade and the FAIR accelerators are performed at the present GSI experimental facilities. Technical decisions based on these results will have an impact on the F...

Trapped Mode Study in the LHC Rotatable Collimator

CERN Document Server

Xiao, L; Smith, J C; Caspers, F

2010-01-01

A rotatable collimator is proposed for the LHC phase II collimation upgrade. When the beam crosses the collimator, trapped modes will be excited that result in beam energy loss and collimator power dissipation. Some of the trapped modes can also generate transverse kick on the beam and affect the beam operation. In this paper the parallel eigensolver code Omega3P is used to search for all the trapped modes below 2GHz in the collimator, including longitudinal modes and transverse modes. The loss factors and kick factors of the trapped modes are calculated as function of the jaw positions. The amplitude ratio between transverse and longitudinal trapped mode intensity can be used as a direct measure of the position of the beam. We present simulation results and discuss the results.

Characteristic and quality control test in sector collimator gamma knife perfexion at Siloam hospital

Science.gov (United States)

Wesly Manik, Jhon; Hidayanto, Eko; Sutanto, Heri

2017-01-01

In this study conducted to evaluate the collimator 4 mm, 8 mm, 16 mm to determine the level of precision Gamma Knife Perfexion there three years and eight months has not carried out measurements after the first year and verify the alignment of sector 1-8. Measurement with three axes (x-axis, y-axis, z-axis) using the film Gafcromic EBT-3, which will be signaled to a central point in the film to be measured and given a dose of 5 Gy for 10 minutes and then scanned and analyzed using ImageJ softwere 1.50 and dose rate in film comparison with measurent dose rate using electrometer. Alignment of Patient-Positioning System (PPS) with Radiation Focal Point (RFP) determination of quality control testing each collimator 4 mm in the standard test with 0.4 mm passive voice AAPM 54. The results of the standard are still in conformity item 0.21 mm for 4 mm and corelasi dose rate film and measurent using electrometer collimator 4 mm = 0.965, 8 mm = 0.964, 16 mm = 0.959.

Characteristic and quality control test in sector collimator gamma knife perfexion at Siloam hospital

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manik, Jhon Wesly; Hidayanto, Eko; Sutanto, Heri

2017-01-01

In this study conducted to evaluate the collimator 4 mm, 8 mm, 16 mm to determine the level of precision Gamma Knife Perfexion there three years and eight months has not carried out measurements after the first year and verify the alignment of sector 1-8. Measurement with three axes (x-axis, y-axis, z-axis) using the film Gafcromic EBT-3, which will be signaled to a central point in the film to be measured and given a dose of 5 Gy for 10 minutes and then scanned and analyzed using ImageJ softwere 1.50 and dose rate in film comparison with measurent dose rate using electrometer. Alignment of Patient-Positioning System (PPS) with Radiation Focal Point (RFP) determination of quality control testing each collimator 4 mm in the standard test with < 0.1 and > 0.4 mm passive voice AAPM 54. The results of the standard are still in conformity item 0.21 mm for 4 mm and corelasi dose rate film and measurent using electrometer collimator 4 mm = 0.965, 8 mm = 0.964, 16 mm = 0.959. (paper)

Computation of the efficiency distribution of a multichannel focusing collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balasubramanian, A.; Venkateswaran, T.V.

1977-01-01

This article describes two computer methods of calculating the point source efficiency distribution functions of a focusing collimator with round tapered holes. The first method which computes only the geometric efficiency distribution is adequate for low energy collimators while the second method which computes both geometric and penetration efficiencies can be made use of for medium and high energy collimators. The scatter contribution to the efficiency is not taken into account. In the first method the efficiency distribution of a single cone of the collimator is obtained and the data are used for computing the distribution of the whole collimator. For high energy collimator the entire detector region is imagined to be divided into elemental areas. Efficiency of the elemental area is computed after suitably weighting for the penetration within the collimator septa, which is determined by three dimensional geometric techniques. The method of computing the line source efficiency distribution from point source distribution is also explained. The formulations have been tested by computing the efficiency distribution of several commercial collimators and collimators fabricated by us. (Auth.)

Optimization of planar self-collimating photonic crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Rumpf, Raymond C; Pazos, Javier J

2013-07-01

Self-collimation in photonic crystals has received a lot of attention in the literature, partly due to recent interest in silicon photonics, yet no performance metrics have been proposed. This paper proposes a figure of merit (FOM) for self-collimation and outlines a methodical approach for calculating it. Performance metrics include bandwidth, angular acceptance, strength, and an overall FOM. Two key contributions of this work include the performance metrics and identifying that the optimum frequency for self-collimation is not at the inflection point. The FOM is used to optimize a planar photonic crystal composed of a square array of cylinders. Conclusions are drawn about how the refractive indices and fill fraction of the lattice impact each of the performance metrics. The optimization is demonstrated by simulating two spatially variant self-collimating photonic crystals, where one has a high FOM and the other has a low FOM. This work gives optical designers tremendous insight into how to design and optimize robust self-collimating photonic crystals, which promises many applications in silicon photonics and integrated optics.

Collimator for the SPS extracted beam

CERN Multimedia

CERN PhotoLab

1976-01-01

This is a water cooled copper collimator (TCSA) which has exactly the shape of the cross section of the downstream magnetic beam splitter. Parts of the blown up primary proton beam pass above/below and left through this collimator. A small part of the protons is absorbed in the thin copper wedges. In this way the downstream magnetic splitter of the same cross section receives already a beam where its magnetic wedges are no longer hit by protons. The upstream, water cooled collimator, more resistant to protons, has cast a 'shadow' onto the downstream magnetic splitter, less resistant to protons. Gualtero Del Torre stands on the left.

Imaging electron flow from collimating contacts in graphene

Science.gov (United States)

Bhandari, S.; Lee, G. H.; Watanabe, K.; Taniguchi, T.; Kim, P.; Westervelt, R. M.

2018-04-01

The ballistic motion of electrons in graphene opens exciting opportunities for electron-optic devices based on collimated electron beams. We form a collimating contact in a hBN-encapsulated graphene hall bar by adding zigzag contacts on either side of an electron emitter that absorb stray electrons; collimation can be turned off by floating the zig-zag contacts. The electron beam is imaged using a liquid-He cooled scanning gate microscope (SGM). The tip deflects electrons as they pass from the collimating contact to a receiving contact on the opposite side of the channel, and an image of electron flow can be made by displaying the change in transmission as the tip is raster scanned across the sample. The angular half width Δθ of the electron beam is found by applying a perpendicular magnetic field B that bends electron paths into cyclotron orbits. The images reveal that the electron flow from the collimating contact drops quickly at B  =  0.05 T when the electron orbits miss the receiving contact. The flow for the non-collimating case persists longer, up to B  =  0.19 T, due to the broader range of entry angles. Ray-tracing simulations agree well with the experimental images. By fitting the fields B at which the magnitude of electron flow drops in the experimental SGM images, we find Δθ  =  9° for electron flow from the collimating contact, compared with Δθ  =  54° for the non-collimating case.

Tests of a silicon wafer based neutron collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cussen, L.D.; Vale, C.J.; Anderson, I.S.; Hoeghoj, P.

2001-01-01

A Soller slit neutron collimator has been prepared by stacking 160 μm thick single crystal silicon wafers coated on one surface with 4 μm of gadolinium metal. The collimator has an angular width of 20 min full width at half maximum and an effective length of 2.75 cm. The collimator has beam dimensions of 1 cm wide by 5.3 cm high. Tests at neutron wavelengths 7.5A and 1.8A showed a peak transmission of 88% within 2% of the optimum theoretical possibility. The background suppression in the wings is comparable with that of conventional neutron collimators

Tests of a silicon wafer based neutron collimator

CERN Document Server

Cussen, L D; Anderson, I S; Hoeghoj, P

2001-01-01

A Soller slit neutron collimator has been prepared by stacking 160 mu m thick single crystal silicon wafers coated on one surface with 4 mu m of gadolinium metal. The collimator has an angular width of 20 min full width at half maximum and an effective length of 2.75 cm. The collimator has beam dimensions of 1 cm wide by 5.3 cm high. Tests at neutron wavelengths 7.5A and 1.8A showed a peak transmission of 88% within 2% of the optimum theoretical possibility. The background suppression in the wings is comparable with that of conventional neutron collimators.

Collimator setting optimization in intensity modulated radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, M.; Hoban, P.

2001-01-01

Full text: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of collimator angle and bixel size settings in IMRT when using the step and shoot method of delivery. Of particular interest is minimisation of the total monitor units delivered. Beam intensity maps with bixel size 10 x 10 mm were segmented into MLC leaf sequences and the collimator angle optimised to minimise the total number of MU's. The monitor units were estimated from the maximum sum of positive-gradient intensity changes along the direction of leaf motion. To investigate the use of low resolution maps at optimum collimator angles, several high resolution maps with bixel size 5 x 5 mm were generated. These were resampled into bixel sizes, 5 x 10 mm and 10 x 10 mm and the collimator angle optimised to minimise the RMS error between the original and resampled map. Finally, a clinical IMRT case was investigated with the collimator angle optimised. Both the dose distribution and dose-volume histograms were compared between the standard IMRT plan and the optimised plan. For the 10 x 10 mm bixel maps there was a variation of 5% - 40% in monitor units at the different collimator angles. The maps with a high degree of radial symmetry showed little variation. For the resampled 5 x 5 mm maps, a small RMS error was achievable with a 5 x 10 mm bixel size at particular collimator positions. This was most noticeable for maps with an elongated intensity distribution. A comparison between the 5 x 5 mm bixel plan and the 5 x 10 mm showed no significant difference in dose distribution. The monitor units required to deliver an intensity modulated field can be reduced by rotating the collimator and aligning the direction of leaf motion with the axis of the fluence map that has the least intensity. Copyright (2001) Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine

Optimization of Collimator Jaw Locations for the LHC

CERN Document Server

Kaltchev, D I; Servranckx, R V; Jeanneret, J B

1996-01-01

A highly effective collimation scheme is required in the LHC to limit heating of the vacuum chamber and superconducting magnets by protons either uncaptured at injection or scattered from the collision points. The proposed system would consist of one set of primary collimators followed by three sets of secondary collimators downstream to clean up protons scattered from the primaries. Each set of collimators would consist of four pairs of jaws - horizontal, vertical, and 45 o and 135 o skew. A study is reported of the optimization of the longitudinal positions of these jaws with the aim of minimizing the maximum betatron amplitudes of protons surviving the collimation system. This is performed using an analytical representation of the action of the jaws and is confirmed by tracking. Significant improvement can be obtained by omitting inactive jaws and adding skew jaws.

Preliminary assessment of beam impact consequences on LHC Collimators

CERN Document Server

Cauchi, M; Bertarelli, A; Bruce, R; Carra, F; Dallocchio, A; Deboy, D; Mariani, N; Rossi, A; Lari, L; Mollicone, P; Sammut, N

2011-01-01

The correct functioning of the LHC collimation system is crucial to attain the desired LHC luminosity performance. However, the requirements to handle high intensity beams can be demanding. In this respect, the robustness of the collimators plays an important role. An accident, which causes the proton beam to hit a collimator, might result in severe beam-induced damage and, in some cases, replacement of the collimator, with consequent downtime for the machine. In this paper, several case studies representing different realistic beam impact scenarios are shown. A preliminary analysis of the thermal response of tertiary collimators to beam impact is presented, from which the most critical cases can be identified. Such work will also help to give an initial insight on the operational constraints of the LHC by taking into account all relevant collimator damage limits.

Induced radioactivity in a patient-specific collimator used in proton therapy

CERN Document Server

Silari, M; Mauro, Egidio; Silari, Marco

2010-01-01

This paper discusses the activation of a patient-specific collimator, calculating dose rates, total activities and activities per unit mass of the mixture of radionuclides generated by proton irradiation in the energy range 100-250 MeV. Monte Carlo simulations were first performed for a generic case, using an approximate geometry and on the basis of assumptions on beam intensity and irradiation profile. A collimator used for a prostate cancer treatment was obtained from the MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Houston, USA, from which a number of samples were cut and analyzed by gamma spectrometry. The results of the gamma spectrometry are compared with the results of Monte Carlo simulations performed using geometrical and irradiation data specific to the unit. The assumptions made for the simulations and their impact on the results are discussed. Dose rate measurements performed in a low-background area at CERN and routine radiation protection measurements at the MDACC are also reported. It is shown that it sh...

On the Design and Test of a Neutron Collimator for Real-time Neutron Imaging in the MeV Energy Range

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beaumont, Jonathan; Colling, Bethany; Joyce, Malcolm J.; Mellor, M.

2013-06-01

A neutron collimator has been designed in MCNP5 and tested for feasibility of use in imaging applications. Tungsten, polyethylene, PVC and lead have been compared as collimating materials for neutrons in the MeV energy range; tungsten is predicted to be the most successful material for a restricted volume, giving the highest signal-to-noise ratio and the best resolving power. Experimental data has been used to confirm that tungsten works effectively as a neutron collimator although some discrepancies between real and MCNP5 results were observed. A suspension of tungsten powder in polyethylene has also been tested to address the machining difficulties, mass and cost issues associated with tungsten. This material performs midway between tungsten and polyethylene for a constant volume, and more successfully than tungsten for a constant mass therefore giving this material potential as a collimation material in some scenarios. Further MCNP5 modelling has been performed by varying model parameters and monitoring the collimator functions produced by these changes. These results are conclusive but dependent on the applications of the imaging system. (authors)

TECHNIQUE OF ESTIMATION OF ERROR IN THE REFERENCE VALUE OF THE DOSE DURING THE LINEAR ACCELERATOR RADIATION OUTPUT CALIBRATION PROCEDURE. Part 2. Dependence on the characteristics of collimator, optical sourse-distance indicator, treatment field, lasers and treatment couch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. V. Tsitovich

2016-01-01

Full Text Available To ensure the safety of radiation oncology patients needed to provide consistent functional characteristics of the medical linear accelerators, which affect the accuracy of dose delivery. To this end, their quality control procedures, which include the calibration of radiation output of the linac, the error in determining the dose reference value during which must not exceed 2 %, is provided. The aim is to develop a methodology for determining the error (difference between a measured value of quantity and its true value in determining this value, depending on the characteristics of the collimator, the source to surface distance pointer, lasers, radiation field and treatment table. To achieve the objectives have been carried out dosimetric measurements of Trilogy S/N 3567 linac dose distributions, on the basis of which dose errors depending on the accuracy setting the zero position of the collimator, the deviation of the collimator rotation isocenter, the sourcesurface distance pointer accuracy, field size accuracy, the accuracy of lasers and treatment table positioning were obtained. It was found that the greatest impact on the value of the error has the error in the optical SSD indication and the error in the lasers position in the plane perpendicular to the plane of incidence of the radiation beam (up to 3.64 % for the energy of 6 MV. Dose errors caused by error in the field size were different for two photon energies, and reached 2.54 % for 6 MeV and 1.33% for 18 MeV. Errors caused by the rest of the characteristic do not exceed 1 %. Thus, it is possible to express the results of periodic quality control of these devices integrated in linac in terms of dose and use them to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the possibility of clinical use of a linear accelerator for oncology patients irradiation on the basis of the calibration of radiation output in case of development of techniques that allow to analyze the influence dosimetric

Intensity-modulated stereotactic radiosurgery using dynamic micro-multileaf collimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benedict, Stanley H.; Cardinale, Robert M.; Wu Qiuwen; Zwicker, Robert D.; Broaddus, William C.; Mohan, Radhe

2001-01-01

Purpose: The implementation of dynamic leaf motion on a micro-multileaf collimator system provides the capability for intensity-modulated stereotactic radiosurgery (IMSRS), and the consequent potential for improved dose distributions for irregularly shaped tumor volumes adjacent to critical organs. This study explores the use of IMSRS to provide improved tumor coverage and normal tissue sparing for small cranial tumors relative to plans based on multiple fixed uniform-intensity beams or traditional circular collimator arc-based stereotactic techniques. Methods and Materials: Four patient cases involving small brain lesions are presented and analyzed. The cases were chosen to include a representative selection of target shapes, number of targets, and adjacent critical areas. Patient plans generated for these comparisons include standard arcs with multiple circular collimators, and fixed noncoplanar static fields with uniform-intensity beams and IMSRS. Parameters used for evaluation of the plans include the percentage of irradiated volume to tumor volume (PITV), normal tissue dose-volume histograms, and dose-homogeneity ratios. All IMSRS plans were computed using previously established IMRT techniques adapted for use with the BrainLAB M3 micro-multileaf collimator. The algorithms comprising the IMRT system for optimization of intensity distributions and conversion into leaf trajectories of the BrainLab M3 were developed at our institution. The ADAC Pinnacle 3 radiation treatment-planning system was used for dose calculations and for input of contours for target volumes and normal critical structures. Results: For all cases, the IMSRS plans showed a high degree of conformity of the dose distribution with the target shape. The IMSRS plans provided either (1) a smaller volume of normal tissue irradiated to significant dose levels, generally taken as doses greater than 50% of the prescription, or (2) a lower dose to an important adjacent critical organ. The reduction in

Brain SPECT with short focal-length cone-beam collimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Mi-Ae; Moore, Stephen C.; Kijewski, Marie Foley

2005-01-01

Single-photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT) imaging of deep brain structures is compromised by loss of photons due to attenuation. We have previously shown that a centrally peaked collimator sensitivity function can compensate for this phenomenon, increasing sensitivity over most of the brain. For dual-head instruments, parallel-hole collimators cannot provide variable sensitivity without simultaneously degrading spatial resolution near the center of the brain; this suggests the use of converging collimators. We have designed collimator pairs for dual-head SPECT systems to increase sensitivity, particularly in the center of the brain, and compared the new collimation approach to existing approaches on the basis of performance in estimating activity concentration of small structures at various locations in the brain. The collimator pairs we evaluated included a cone-beam collimator, for increased sensitivity, and a fan-beam collimator, for data sufficiency. We calculated projections of an ellipsoidal uniform background, with 0.9-cm-radius spherical lesions at several locations in the background. From these, we determined ideal signal-to-noise ratios (SNR CRB ) for estimation of activity concentration within the spheres, based on the Cramer-Rao lower bound on variance. We also reconstructed, by an ordered-subset expectation-maximization (OS-EM) procedure, images of this phantom, as well as of the Zubal brain phantom, to allow visual assessment and to ensure that they were free of artifacts. The best of the collimator pairs evaluated comprised a cone-beam collimator with 20 cm focal length, for which the focal point is inside the brain, and a fan-beam collimator with 40 cm focal length. This pair yielded increased SNR CRB , compared to the parallel-parallel pair, throughout the imaging volume. The factor by which SNR CRB increased ranged from 1.1 at the most axially extreme location to 3.5 at the center. The gains in SNR CRB were relatively robust to mismatches

Description and benefits of dynamic collimation in digital breast tomosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popova, Y.; Hersemeule, G.; Klausz, R.; Souchay, H.

2015-01-01

X-ray field to image receptor active area alignment is usually tested in mammographic QC. In digital breast tomosynthesis (dBT), the source moves during the acquisition, generating a displacement of the X-ray beam edges relative to the detector, in or out of the detector active area. To minimise unnecessary radiation while maximising the useful field of view, a solution consisting in adjusting the collimation with the source rotation was implemented on the GE SenoClaire dBT system. This solution is described and tested using three different methods based on: (1) images from the detector, (2) a non-screen film and (3) a semiconductor tool providing the X-ray intensity profile. Method 1 demonstrated a maximum positioning error of 0.3 mm. Method 2 was found non-applicable; Method 3 provided measurements within 1.5 mm. Dynamic collimation enables maintaining an X-ray field to detector congruence comparable with 2D. Measuring the position of the X-ray field edges using a dedicated tool makes routine QC possible. (authors)

A comparison of two prompt gamma imaging techniques with collimator-based cameras for range verification in proton therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Hsin-Hon; Chang, Hao-Ting; Chao, Tsi-Chian; Chuang, Keh-Shih

2017-08-01

In vivo range verification plays an important role in proton therapy to fully utilize the benefits of the Bragg peak (BP) for delivering high radiation dose to tumor, while sparing the normal tissue. For accurately locating the position of BP, camera equipped with collimators (multi-slit and knife-edge collimator) to image prompt gamma (PG) emitted along the proton tracks in the patient have been proposed for range verification. The aim of the work is to compare the performance of multi-slit collimator and knife-edge collimator for non-invasive proton beam range verification. PG imaging was simulated by a validated GATE/GEANT4 Monte Carlo code to model the spot-scanning proton therapy and cylindrical PMMA phantom in detail. For each spot, 108 protons were simulated. To investigate the correlation between the acquired PG profile and the proton range, the falloff regions of PG profiles were fitted with a 3-line-segment curve function as the range estimate. Factors including the energy window setting, proton energy, phantom size, and phantom shift that may influence the accuracy of detecting range were studied. Results indicated that both collimator systems achieve reasonable accuracy and good response to the phantom shift. The accuracy of range predicted by multi-slit collimator system is less affected by the proton energy, while knife-edge collimator system can achieve higher detection efficiency that lead to a smaller deviation in predicting range. We conclude that both collimator systems have potentials for accurately range monitoring in proton therapy. It is noted that neutron contamination has a marked impact on range prediction of the two systems, especially in multi-slit system. Therefore, a neutron reduction technique for improving the accuracy of range verification of proton therapy is needed.

Decreasing the LHC impedance with a nonlinear collimation system

CERN Document Server

Resta-López, J; Zimmermann, F

2007-01-01

A two-stage nonlinear collimation system based on a pair of skew sextupoles is presented for the LHC.We show the details of the optics design and study the halo cleaning efficiency of such a system. This nonlinear collimation system would allow opening up collimator gaps, and thereby reduce the collimator impedance, which presently limits the LHC beam intensity. Assuming the nominal LHC beam at 7 TeV, the transverse coherent tune shifts of rigid-dipole coupled-bunch modes are computed for both the baseline linear collimation system and the proposed nonlinear one. In either case, the tune shifts of the most unstable modes are compared with the stability diagrams for Landau damping.

Status report of the baseline collimation system of CLIC. Part I

CERN Document Server

Resta-Lopez, J.; Dalena, B.; Fernandez-Hernando, J.L.; Jackson, F.; Schulte, D.; Seryi, A.; Tomas, R.

2011-01-01

Important efforts have recently been dedicated to the characterisation and improvement of the design of the post-linac collimation system of the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC). This system consists of two sections: one dedicated to the collimation of off-energy particles and another one for betatron collimation. The energy collimation system is further conceived as protection system against damage by errant beams. In this respect, special attention is paid to the optimisation of the energy collimator design. The material and the physical parameters of the energy collimators are selected to withstand the impact of an entire bunch train. Concerning the betatron collimation section, different aspects of the design have been optimised: the transverse collimation depths have been recalculated in order to reduce the collimator wakefield effects while maintaining a good efficiency in cleaning the undesired beam halo; the geometric design of the spoilers has been reviewed to minimise wakefields; in addition, the opti...

Status report of the baseline collimation system of CLIC. Part II

CERN Document Server

Resta-Lopez, J.; Dalena, B.; Fernandez-Hernando, J.L.; Jackson, F.; Schulte, D.; Seryi, A.; Tomas, R.

2011-01-01

Important efforts have recently been dedicated to the characterisation and improvement of the design of the post-linac collimation system of the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC). This system consists of two sections: one dedicated to the collimation of off-energy particles and another one for betatron collimation. The energy collimation system is further conceived as protection system against damage by errant beams. In this respect, special attention is paid to the optimisation of the energy collimator design. The material and the physical parameters of the energy collimators are selected to withstand the impact of an entire bunch train. Concerning the betatron collimation section, different aspects of the design have been optimised: the transverse collimation depths have been recalculated in order to reduce the collimator wakefield effects while maintaining a good efficiency in cleaning the undesired beam halo; the geometric design of the spoilers has been reviewed to minimise wakefields; in addition, the opti...

Assembly of gamma radiation detection with directivity properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoica, M.; Talpalariu, C.

2016-01-01

An assembly of gamma radiation detection with directivity properties and small size enables the development of portable equipment or robots specialized in finding and signaling radioactively contaminated areas in case of nuclear incidents or decommissioning of nuclear installations. Directivity characteristic of the assembly of gamma radiation detection is very important when aiming to build an equipment for searching radioactively contaminated areas. In order to obtain a suitable directivity characteristics in terms of detection of gamma rays, it was necessary to construct a lead collimator with a cylindrical shape. The detector, preamplifier and amplifier pulse were placed inside the collimator and pulse discriminator circuit and power source were placed beside the collimator, all being disposed within the housing cylindrical experimental. A PIN photodiode type was used as a detector of gamma radiation. (authors)

Characterization of an add-on multileaf collimator for electron beam therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gauer, T; Sokoll, J; Cremers, F; Schmidt, R [Department of Radiotherapy and Radio-Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany); Harmansa, R [3D Line, Schwarzenbruck (Germany); Luzzara, M [3D Line, Milan (Italy)], E-mail: t.gauer@uke.uni-hamburg.de

2008-02-21

An add-on multileaf collimator for electrons (eMLC) has been developed that provides computer-controlled beam collimation and isocentric dose delivery. The design parameters result from the design study by Gauer et al (2006 Phys. Med. Biol. 51 5987-6003) and were configured such that a compact and light-weight eMLC with motorized leaves can be industrially manufactured and stably mounted on a conventional linear accelerator. In the present study, the efficiency of an initial computer-controlled prototype was examined according to the design goals and the performance of energy- and intensity-modulated treatment techniques. This study concentrates on the attachment and gantry stability as well as the dosimetric characteristics of central-axis and off-axis dose, field size dependence, collimator scatter, field abutment, radiation leakage and the setting of the accelerator jaws. To provide isocentric irradiation, the eMLC can be placed either 16 or 28 cm above the isocentre through interchangeable holders. The mechanical implementation of this feature results in a maximum field displacement of less than 0.6 mm at 90{sup 0} and 270{sup 0} gantry angles. Compared to a 10 x 10 cm applicator at 6-14 MeV, the beam penumbra of the eMLC at a 16 cm collimator-to-isocentre distance is 0.8-0.4 cm greater and the depth-dose curves show a larger build-up effect. Due to the loss in energy dependence of the therapeutic range and the much lower dose output at small beam sizes, a minimum beam size of 3 x 3 cm is necessary to avoid suboptimal dose delivery. Dose output and beam symmetry are not affected by collimator scatter when the central axis is blocked. As a consequence of the broader beam penumbra, uniform dose distributions were measured in the junction region of adjacent beams at perpendicular and oblique beam incidence. However, adjacent beams with a high difference in a beam energy of 6 to 14 MeV generate cold and hot spots of approximately 15% in the abutting region. In

Characterization of an add-on multileaf collimator for electron beam therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gauer, T; Sokoll, J; Cremers, F; Schmidt, R; Harmansa, R; Luzzara, M

2008-01-01

An add-on multileaf collimator for electrons (eMLC) has been developed that provides computer-controlled beam collimation and isocentric dose delivery. The design parameters result from the design study by Gauer et al (2006 Phys. Med. Biol. 51 5987-6003) and were configured such that a compact and light-weight eMLC with motorized leaves can be industrially manufactured and stably mounted on a conventional linear accelerator. In the present study, the efficiency of an initial computer-controlled prototype was examined according to the design goals and the performance of energy- and intensity-modulated treatment techniques. This study concentrates on the attachment and gantry stability as well as the dosimetric characteristics of central-axis and off-axis dose, field size dependence, collimator scatter, field abutment, radiation leakage and the setting of the accelerator jaws. To provide isocentric irradiation, the eMLC can be placed either 16 or 28 cm above the isocentre through interchangeable holders. The mechanical implementation of this feature results in a maximum field displacement of less than 0.6 mm at 90 0 and 270 0 gantry angles. Compared to a 10 x 10 cm applicator at 6-14 MeV, the beam penumbra of the eMLC at a 16 cm collimator-to-isocentre distance is 0.8-0.4 cm greater and the depth-dose curves show a larger build-up effect. Due to the loss in energy dependence of the therapeutic range and the much lower dose output at small beam sizes, a minimum beam size of 3 x 3 cm is necessary to avoid suboptimal dose delivery. Dose output and beam symmetry are not affected by collimator scatter when the central axis is blocked. As a consequence of the broader beam penumbra, uniform dose distributions were measured in the junction region of adjacent beams at perpendicular and oblique beam incidence. However, adjacent beams with a high difference in a beam energy of 6 to 14 MeV generate cold and hot spots of approximately 15% in the abutting region. In order to

A comparative study of collimation in bedside chest radiography for preterm infants in two teaching hospitals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stollfuss, J.; Schneider, K.; Krüger-Stollfuss, I.

2015-01-01

•Potential factors influencing non-optimal image collimation in the setting of bedside chest X-ray in preterm infants were investigated.•A comparable rate of optimal images was observed in two hospitals.•Size, weight or disease severity had no influence on collimation quality.•Unrelated to the years of experience a large variation of the technician in correct collimation was noted (18–86%).•Individualized quality control and education is necessary. Potential factors influencing non-optimal image collimation in the setting of bedside chest X-ray in preterm infants were investigated. A comparable rate of optimal images was observed in two hospitals. Size, weight or disease severity had no influence on collimation quality. Unrelated to the years of experience a large variation of the technician in correct collimation was noted (18–86%). Individualized quality control and education is necessary. Unnecessary exposure of the abdomen, arms or head may lead to a substantial increase of the radiation dose in portable chest X-rays on the neonatal intensive care unit. The objective was to identify potential factors influencing inappropriate exposure of non-thoracic structures in two teaching hospitals. The study analysed 200 consecutive digital chest radiographs in 20 preterm neonates (mean gestation 25 ± 1 weeks). Demographical data, tube settings and exposure parameters were recorded. To grade the collimation, we used a scoring system with a maximum of 12 exposed non-thoracic structures. Length of gestation, age, the radiographer, years of experience in performing X-rays and the number of in situ catheters or lines, were correlated with collimation quality. There was no significant difference between the rates of optimal images obtained in the two hospitals (0.32 vs 0.39, n.s.). Scores showed that most suboptimal images had only mildly reduced image quality (1.40 ± 1.38 vs 1.20 ± 1.43, n.s.). Length of gestation or presence of surgical drains, catheters and

Acoustic measurements in the collimation region of the LHC

CERN Document Server

Deboy, D; Baccigalupi, C; Burkart, F; Cauchi, M; Derrez, C S; Lendaro, J; Masi, A; Spiezia, G; Wollmann, D

2011-01-01

The LHC accelerator at CERN has the most advanced collimation system ever being installed. The collimators intercept unavoidable particle losses and therefore are essential to avoid beam induced quenches of the superconducting magnets. In addition, they provide passive machine protection against mis-kicked beams. During material robustness tests on a LHC collimator prototype in 2004 and 2006, vibration and acoustic measurements have shown that a beam impact detection system should be feasible using accelerometers and microphones as sensors in the LHC. Recently, such sensors have been installed close to the primary collimators in the LHC tunnel. First analyses of raw data show that the system is sensitive enough to detect beam scraping on collimators. Therefore, the implementation of a sophisticated acousticmonitoring system is under investigation. It may be useful not only to detect beam impacts on primary collimators in case of failure, but also to derive further information on beam losses that occur during ...

Mini-beam collimator applications at the Advanced Photon Source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu Shenglan, E-mail: sxu@anl.gov [GM/CA CAT, Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); Keefe, Lisa J.; Mulichak, Anne [IMCA CAT, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); Yan Lifen; Alp, Ercan E.; Zhao Jiyong [X-ray Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); Fischetti, Robert F. [GM/CA CAT, Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States)

2011-09-01

In 2007, the General Medicine and Cancer Institutes Collaborative Access Team (GM/CA CAT, Sector 23, Advanced Photon Source) began providing mini-beam collimators to its users. These collimators contained individual, 5- or 10-{mu}m pinholes and were rapidly exchangeable, thereby allowing users to tailor the beam size to their experimental needs. The use of these collimators provided a reduction in background noise, and thus improved the signal-to-noise ratio . Recent improvements in the collimator design include construction of the device from a monolithic piece of molybdenum with multiple pinholes mounted inside . This allows users to select from various size options from within the beamline control software without the realignment that was previously necessary. In addition, a new, 20-{mu}m pinhole has been added to create a 'quad-collimator', resulting in greater flexibility for the users. The mini-beam collimator is now available at multiple crystallographic beamlines and also is a part of the first Moessbauer Microscopic system at sector 3-ID.

Mini-beam collimator applications at the Advanced Photon Source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Shenglan; Keefe, Lisa J.; Mulichak, Anne; Yan Lifen; Alp, Ercan E.; Zhao Jiyong; Fischetti, Robert F.

2011-01-01

In 2007, the General Medicine and Cancer Institutes Collaborative Access Team (GM/CA CAT, Sector 23, Advanced Photon Source) began providing mini-beam collimators to its users. These collimators contained individual, 5- or 10-μm pinholes and were rapidly exchangeable, thereby allowing users to tailor the beam size to their experimental needs. The use of these collimators provided a reduction in background noise, and thus improved the signal-to-noise ratio . Recent improvements in the collimator design include construction of the device from a monolithic piece of molybdenum with multiple pinholes mounted inside . This allows users to select from various size options from within the beamline control software without the realignment that was previously necessary. In addition, a new, 20-μm pinhole has been added to create a 'quad-collimator', resulting in greater flexibility for the users. The mini-beam collimator is now available at multiple crystallographic beamlines and also is a part of the first Moessbauer Microscopic system at sector 3-ID.

A statistical theory of cell killing by radiation of varying linear energy transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hawkins, R.B.

1994-01-01

A theory is presented that provides an explanation for the observed features of the survival of cultured cells after exposure to densely ionizing high-linear energy transfer (LET) radiation. It starts from a phenomenological postulate based on the linear-quadratic form of cell survival observed for low-LET radiation and uses principles of statistics and fluctuation theory to demonstrate that the effect of varying LET on cell survival can be attributed to random variation of dose to small volumes contained within the nucleus. A simple relation is presented for surviving fraction of cells after exposure to radiation of varying LET that depends on the α and β parameters for the same cells in the limit of low-LET radiation. This relation implies that the value of β is independent of LET. Agreement of the theory with selected observations of cell survival from the literature is demonstrated. A relation is presented that gives relative biological effectiveness (RBE) as a function of the α and β parameters for low-LET radiation. Measurements from microdosimetry are used to estimate the size of the subnuclear volume to which the fluctuation pertains. 11 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs

LOR-interleaving image reconstruction for PET imaging with fractional-crystal collimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yusheng; Matej, Samuel; Karp, Joel S; Metzler, Scott D

2015-01-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) has become an important modality in medical and molecular imaging. However, in most PET applications, the resolution is still mainly limited by the physical crystal sizes or the detector’s intrinsic spatial resolution. To achieve images with better spatial resolution in a central region of interest (ROI), we have previously proposed using collimation in PET scanners. The collimator is designed to partially mask detector crystals to detect lines of response (LORs) within fractional crystals. A sequence of collimator-encoded LORs is measured with different collimation configurations. This novel collimated scanner geometry makes the reconstruction problem challenging, as both detector and collimator effects need to be modeled to reconstruct high-resolution images from collimated LORs. In this paper, we present a LOR-interleaving (LORI) algorithm, which incorporates these effects and has the advantage of reusing existing reconstruction software, to reconstruct high-resolution images for PET with fractional-crystal collimation. We also develop a 3D ray-tracing model incorporating both the collimator and crystal penetration for simulations and reconstructions of the collimated PET. By registering the collimator-encoded LORs with the collimator configurations, high-resolution LORs are restored based on the modeled transfer matrices using the non-negative least-squares method and EM algorithm. The resolution-enhanced images are then reconstructed from the high-resolution LORs using the MLEM or OSEM algorithm. For validation, we applied the LORI method to a small-animal PET scanner, A-PET, with a specially designed collimator. We demonstrate through simulated reconstructions with a hot-rod phantom and MOBY phantom that the LORI reconstructions can substantially improve spatial resolution and quantification compared to the uncollimated reconstructions. The LORI algorithm is crucial to improve overall image quality of collimated PET, which

Mechanical Engineering and Design of Novel Collimators for HL-LHC

CERN Document Server

Carra, F; Dallocchio, A; Gentini, L; Gradassi, P; Maitrejean, G; Manousos, A; Mariani, N; Mounet, N; Quaranta, E; Redaelli, S; Vlachoudis, V

2014-01-01

In view of High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) upgrades, collimator materials may become a limit to the machine performance: the high RF impedance of Carbon-Carbon composites used for primary and secondary collimators can lead to beam instabilities, while the Tungsten alloy adopted in tertiary collimators exhibits low robustness in case of beam-induced accidents. An R&D program has been pursued to develop new materials overcoming such limitations. Molybdenum-Graphite, in addition to its outstanding thermal conductivity, can be coated with pure molybdenum, reducing collimator impedance by a factor of 10. A new secondary collimator is being designed around this novel composite. New high-melting materials are also proposed to improve the robustness of tertiary collimators. New collimators will also be equipped with BPMs, significantly enhancing the alignment speed and the beta-star reach. This implies additional constraints of space, as well as detailed static and fatigue calculations on cables and connectors. This...

An energy-optimized collimator design for a CZT-based SPECT camera

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weng, Fenghua; Bagchi, Srijeeta; Zan, Yunlong; Huang, Qiu; Seo, Youngho

2016-01-01

In single photon emission computed tomography, it is a challenging task to maintain reasonable performance using only one specific collimator for radiotracers over a broad spectrum of diagnostic photon energies, since photon scatter and penetration in a collimator differ with the photon energy. Frequent collimator exchanges are inevitable in daily clinical SPECT imaging, which hinders throughput while subjecting the camera to operational errors and damage. Our objective is to design a collimator, which is independent of the photon energy, performs reasonably well for commonly used radiotracers with low- to medium-energy levels of gamma emissions. Using the Geant4 simulation toolkit, we simulated and evaluated a parallel-hole collimator mounted to a CZT detector. With the pixel-geometry-matching collimation, the pitch of the collimator hole was fixed to match the pixel size of the CZT detector throughout this work. Four variables, hole shape, hole length, hole radius/width and the source-to-collimator distance were carefully studied. Scatter and penetration of the collimator, sensitivity and spatial resolution of the system were assessed for four radionuclides including "5"7Co, "9"9"mTc, "1"2"3I and "1"1"1In, with respect to the aforementioned four variables. An optimal collimator was then decided upon such that it maximized the total relative sensitivity (TRS) for the four considered radionuclides while other performance parameters, such as scatter, penetration and spatial resolution, were benchmarked to prevalent commercial scanners and collimators. Digital phantom studies were also performed to validate the system with the optimal square-hole collimator (23 mm hole length, 1.28 mm hole width, and 0.32 mm septal thickness) in terms of contrast, contrast-to-noise ratio and recovery ratio. This study demonstrates promise of our proposed energy-optimized collimator to be used in a CZT-based gamma camera, with comparable or even better imaging performance versus

Freeform lens design for LED collimating illumination.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jin-Jia; Wang, Te-Yuan; Huang, Kuang-Lung; Liu, Te-Shu; Tsai, Ming-Da; Lin, Chin-Tang

2012-05-07

We present a simple freeform lens design method for an application to LED collimating illumination. The method is derived from a basic geometric-optics analysis and construction approach. By using this method, a highly collimating lens with LED chip size of 1.0 mm × 1.0 mm and optical simulation efficiency of 86.5% under a view angle of ± 5 deg is constructed. To verify the practical performance of the lens, a prototype of the collimator lens is also made, and an optical efficiency of 90.3% with a beam angle of 4.75 deg is measured.

Collimated trans-axial tomographic scintillation camera

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

The objects of this invention are first to reduce the time required to obtain statistically significant data in trans-axial tomographic radioisotope scanning using a scintillation camera. Secondly, to provide a scintillation camera system to increase the rate of acceptance of radioactive events to contribute to the positional information obtainable from a known radiation source without sacrificing spatial resolution. Thirdly to reduce the scanning time without loss of image clarity. The system described comprises a scintillation camera detector, means for moving this in orbit about a cranial-caudal axis relative to a patient and a collimator having septa defining apertures such that gamma rays perpendicular to the axis are admitted with high spatial resolution, parallel to the axis with low resolution. The septa may be made of strips of lead. Detailed descriptions are given. (U.K.)

Simulations of hybrid system varying solar radiation and microturbine response time

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yolanda Fernández Ribaya

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Hybrid power systems, such as combinations of renewable power sources with intermittent power production and non-renewable power sources, theoretically increase the reliability and thus integration of renewable sources in the electrical system. However, a recent increase in the number of hybrid installations has sparked interest in the effects of their connection to the grid, especially in remote areas. This paper analyses a photovoltaic-gas microturbine hybrid system dimensioned to be installed in La Paz (Mexico.The research presented in this paper studies and quantifies the effects on the total electric power produced, varying both the solar radiation and the gas microturbine response time. The gas microturbine and the photovoltaic panels are modelled using Matlab/Simulink software, obtaining a platform where different tests to simulate real conditions have been executed. They consist of diverse ramps of irradiance that replicate solar radiation variations, and different microturbine response times reproduced by the time constants of a first order transfer function that models the microturbine dynamic response. The results obtained show that when radiation varies quickly it does not produce significant differences in the power guarantee or the microturbine gas consumption, to any microturbine response time. However, these two parameters are highly variable with smooth radiance variations. The maximum total power variation decreases greatly as the radiation variation gets lower. In addition, by decreasing the microturbine response time, it is possible to appreciably increase the power guarantee although the maximum power variation and gas consumption increase. Only in cases of low radiation variation is there no appreciable difference in the maximum power variation obtained by the different turbine response times.

Simulations of hybrid system varying solar radiation and microturbine response time

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernández Ribaya, Yolanda, E-mail: fernandezryolanda@uniovi.es; Álvarez, Eduardo; Paredes Sánchez, José Pablo; Xiberta Bernat, Jorge [Department of Energy E.I.M.E.M., University of Oviedo. 13 Independencia Street 2" n" d floor, 36004, Oviedo (Spain)

2015-07-15

Hybrid power systems, such as combinations of renewable power sources with intermittent power production and non-renewable power sources, theoretically increase the reliability and thus integration of renewable sources in the electrical system. However, a recent increase in the number of hybrid installations has sparked interest in the effects of their connection to the grid, especially in remote areas. This paper analyses a photovoltaic-gas microturbine hybrid system dimensioned to be installed in La Paz (Mexico).The research presented in this paper studies and quantifies the effects on the total electric power produced, varying both the solar radiation and the gas microturbine response time. The gas microturbine and the photovoltaic panels are modelled using Matlab/Simulink software, obtaining a platform where different tests to simulate real conditions have been executed. They consist of diverse ramps of irradiance that replicate solar radiation variations, and different microturbine response times reproduced by the time constants of a first order transfer function that models the microturbine dynamic response. The results obtained show that when radiation varies quickly it does not produce significant differences in the power guarantee or the microturbine gas consumption, to any microturbine response time. However, these two parameters are highly variable with smooth radiance variations. The maximum total power variation decreases greatly as the radiation variation gets lower. In addition, by decreasing the microturbine response time, it is possible to appreciably increase the power guarantee although the maximum power variation and gas consumption increase. Only in cases of low radiation variation is there no appreciable difference in the maximum power variation obtained by the different turbine response times.

A Simple and Inexpensive Collimator for Neutron Radiography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, J.; Mortensen, L.

1974-01-01

A neutron beam collimator was constructed by means of plastic drinking “straws”. The properties of the collimator were investigated, and especially the distribution of the neutrons at different distances....

The usefulness of cardiofocal collimator in static renal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evren, I.; Durak, H.; Degirmenci, B.; Derebek, E.; Oezbilek, E.; Capa, G.

2001-01-01

Static renal imaging is best performed using pinhole collimator. But this technique takes too much time and generally parallel hole collimators are preferred for static renal imaging in nuclear medicine departments. The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of the cardio-focal collimator used for myocardial perfusion imaging in static renal scintigraphy

The proton collimation system of HERA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seidel, M.

1994-06-01

This thesis is concerned with the two stage collimation system in HERA-p which is supposed to suppress this kind of background. The HERA-p collimation system consists of 12 movable tungsten jaws at three locations in the ring. A manual operation of the system is therefore rather time consuming, but also dangerous in the case of an operational mistake. The development of partially automised controls for the system is therefore an important topic of this thesis as well. In order to control the precise positioning of the jaws at the beam edge the induced hadronic showers are monitored immediately downstream the collimators. Small PIN-diode based shower detectors are used for this purpose. A detailed analysis of these shower rates turned out to be a sensitive source of information on the beam. A large section of the thesis is therefore concerned with the diagnostic possibilities of collimators in a proton machine. A passive method for the determination of the machine acceptance is presented. A second topic is the determination of diffusion rates in the beam halo. A stepwise movement of a beam limiting collimator jaw induces relaxation processes in the beam halo. From an analysis of the transient time evolution of the loss rates after the movement one can determine the diffusion coefficient in the beam halo. A completely new method is the frequency analysis of the halo induced shower rates. If the beam oscillates it scrapes periodically at the collimator which results in a modulation of the measured loss rates. The method allows measurements of slow orbit oscillations in the range of some μm. In the last section of the thesis the diffusion of halo protons as a result of beam-beam interaction is investigated. A little collection of diffusion measurements as a function of particle amplitude is presented. With the help of tracking simulations it is demonstrated that diffusion rates of the observed size can be generated by a certain modulation of the betatron frequency

Scatter and leakage contributions to the out-of-field absorbed dose distribution in water phantom around the medical LINAC radiation beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bordy, J.M.; Bessiere, I.; Ostrowsky, A.; Poumarede, B.; Sorel, S.; Vermesse, D.

2013-01-01

This work is carried out within the framework of EURADOS Working Group 9 (WG9) whose general objective is 'to assess non-target organ doses in radiotherapy and the related risks of second cancers, with the emphasis on dosimetry'. The objective of the present work is to provide reference values (i) to evaluate the current methods of deriving three-dimensional dose distributions in and around the target volume using passive dosimeters, (ii) to derive the leakage dose from the head of the medical linear accelerator (LINAC) and the doses due to scattered radiation from the collimator edges and the body (phantom) itself. Radiation qualities of 6, 12 and 20 MV are used with standard calibration conditions described in IAEA TRS 398 and nonstandard conditions at a reference facility at the Laboratoire National Henri Becquerel (CEA LIST/LNE LNHB). An ionisation chamber is used to measure profile and depth dose in especially design water phantom built to enable investigation of doses up to 60 cm from the beam axis. A first set of experiments is carried out with the beam passing through the tank. From this first experiment, penumbra and out-of-field dose profiles including water and collimator scatter and leakage are found over three orders of magnitude. Two further sets of experiments using the same experimental arrangement with the beam outside the tank, to avoid water scatter, are designed to measure collimator scatter and leakage by closing the jaws of the collimator. It is shown that the ratios between water scatter, collimator scatter and leakage depend on the photon energy. Depending on the energy, typical leakage and collimator scatter represents 10-40% and 30-50% of the total out-of-field doses respectively. Water scatter decreases with energy while leakage increases with energy, and collimator scatter varies only slowly with energy. (authors)

Applications of slant collimators to cardiovascular nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishimura, Tsunehiko; Uehara, Toshio; Hayashi, Makoto; Kagawa, Masaaki; Kozuka, Takahiro

1980-01-01

The RI examination of hearts is attracting increasingly interest as cardiovascular nuclear medicine in recent years. As for the background, there are the development of such radioactive agents with high heart-muscle specificity as 201 TICI and the minicomputer capability of measuring rapid contraction and expansion of hearts. Under the situation, the variety of contrivance in collimators is attempted for higher accuracy in grasping the form and function of hearts. With a 30 deg inclination slant type collimator (made by EDC firm) which became available, its applications as cardiovascular nuclear medicine have been examined in heart-muscle scintigraphy and heart RI angiography. These results are described. In the above connection, a bifocal collimator and a seven pinhole collimator are also explained briefly. (J.P.N.)

The Mechanical Design for the LHC Collimators

CERN Document Server

Bertarelli, A; Assmann, R W; Chiaveri, Enrico; Kurtyka, T; Mayer, M; Perret, R; Sievers, P

2004-01-01

The design of the LHC collimators must comply with the very demanding specifications entailed by the highly energetic beam handled in the LHC: these requirements impose a temperature on the collimating jaws not exceeding 50ºC in steady operations and an unparalleled overall geometrical stability of 25 micro-m on a 1200 mm span. At the same time, the design phase must meet the challenging deadlines required by the general time schedule. To respond to these tough and sometimes conflicting constraints, the chosen design appeals to a mixture of traditional and innovative technologies, largely drawing from LEP collimator experience. The specifications impose a low-Z material for the collimator jaws, directing the design towards such graphite or such novel materials as 3-d Carbon/carbon composites. An accurate mechanical design has allowed to considerably reduce mechanical play and optimize geometrical stability. Finally, all mechanical studies were supported by in-depth thermo-mechanical analysis concerning tempe...

Construction and bench testing of a prototype rotatable collimator for the LHC

CERN Document Server

Markiewicz, T; Keller, L; Aberle, O; Bertarelli, A; Gradassi, P; Marsili, A; Redaelli, S; Rossi, A; Salvachua, B; Valentino, G

2014-01-01

A second generation prototype rotatable collimator has been fabricated at SLAC and delivered to CERN for further vacuum, metrology, function and impedance tests. The design features two cylindrical Glidcop jaws designed to each absorb 12 kW of beam in steady state and up to 60 kW in transitory beam loss with no damage and minimal thermal distortion [1]. The design is motivated by the use of a radiation resistant high Z low impedance readily available material. A vacuum rotation mechanism using the standard LHC collimation jaw positioning motor system allows each jaw to be rotated to present a new 2 cm high surface to the beam if the jaw surface were to be damaged by multiple full intensity beam bunch impacts in a asynchronous beam abort. Design modifications to improve on the first generation prototype, pre-delivery functional tests performed at SLAC and post-delivery test results at CERN are presented.

The application of the bilateral collimator to parasternal lymphoscintigraphy: a new method to measure the depth of the lymph node

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohtake, E.; Toyama, H.; Iio, M.; Noguchi, M.; Kawaguchi, S.; Murata, H.; Chiba, K.; Yamada, H.

1980-01-01

The bilateral collimator has been widely adopted for obtaining two simultaneous views of the heart in nuclear cardiology. As an additional useful clinical application of the bilateral collimator, it has been used for parasternal lymphoscintigraphy. Lymphography with a contrast medium for the parasternal lymphatics is technically very difficult and the radionuclide method is adopted. Lymphoscintigraphy has been used in order to determine the existence of malignant invasion to the lymph nodes, and also to find the depth of the lymph node as a guide to operation and radiation therapy of the nodes. (author)

Evaluation of parathyroid imaging methods with 99mTc-MIBI. The comparison of planar images obtained using a pinhole collimator and a parallel-hole collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujii, Hirofumi; Iwasaki, Ryuichiro; Hashimoto, Jun; Nakamura, Kayoko; Kunieda, Etsuo; Sanmiya, Toshikazu; Kubo, Atsushi; Ogawa, Koichi; Inagaki, Kazutoshi

1999-01-01

Parathyroid scintigraphy with 99m Tc-MIBI was performed using two kinds of collimators, namely, a pinhole one and a parallel-hole one, to evaluate which one was more suitable for the detection of hyperfunctioning parathyroid lesions. In the studies using 99m Tc source, the pinhole collimator showed better efficiency and spatial resolution in the distance where the parathyroid scan are actually performed. In the phantom study, the nodular activities modeling parathyroid lesions were visualized better on the images obtained using the pinhole collimator. In clinical studies for 30 patients suspicious of hyperparathyroidism, hyperfunctioning parathyroid nodules were better detected when the pinhole collimator was used. In conclusion, the pinhole collimator was thought to be more suitable for parathyroid scintigraphy with 99m Tc-MIBI than the parallel-hole collimator. (author)

SU-D-206-07: CBCT Scatter Correction Based On Rotating Collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, G; Feng, Z; Yin, Y; Qiang, L; Li, B; Huang, P; Li, D

2016-01-01

Purpose: Scatter correction in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has obvious effect on the removal of image noise, the cup artifact and the increase of image contrast. Several methods using a beam blocker for the estimation and subtraction of scatter have been proposed. However, the inconvenience of mechanics and propensity to residual artifacts limited the further evolution of basic and clinical research. Here, we propose a rotating collimator-based approach, in conjunction with reconstruction based on a discrete Radon transform and Tchebichef moments algorithm, to correct scatter-induced artifacts. Methods: A rotating-collimator, comprising round tungsten alloy strips, was mounted on a linear actuator. The rotating-collimator is divided into 6 portions equally. The round strips space is evenly spaced on each portion but staggered between different portions. A step motor connected to the rotating collimator drove the blocker to around x-ray source during the CBCT acquisition. The CBCT reconstruction based on a discrete Radon transform and Tchebichef moments algorithm is performed. Experimental studies using water phantom and Catphan504 were carried out to evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme. Results: The proposed algorithm was tested on both the Monte Carlo simulation and actual experiments with the Catphan504 phantom. From the simulation result, the mean square error of the reconstruction error decreases from 16% to 1.18%, the cupping (τcup) from 14.005% to 0.66%, and the peak signal-to-noise ratio increase from 16.9594 to 31.45. From the actual experiments, the induced visual artifacts are significantly reduced. Conclusion: We conducted an experiment on CBCT imaging system with a rotating collimator to develop and optimize x-ray scatter control and reduction technique. The proposed method is attractive in applications where a high CBCT image quality is critical, for example, dose calculation in adaptive radiation therapy. We want to thank Dr. Lei

SU-D-206-07: CBCT Scatter Correction Based On Rotating Collimator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, G; Feng, Z [Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong (China); Yin, Y [Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, China, Jinan, Shandong (China); Qiang, L [Zhang Jiagang STFK Medical Device Co, Zhangjiangkang, Suzhou (China); Li, B [Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong provice (China); Huang, P [Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Image Processing Te, Ji’nan, Shandong province (China); Li, D [School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong (China)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Scatter correction in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has obvious effect on the removal of image noise, the cup artifact and the increase of image contrast. Several methods using a beam blocker for the estimation and subtraction of scatter have been proposed. However, the inconvenience of mechanics and propensity to residual artifacts limited the further evolution of basic and clinical research. Here, we propose a rotating collimator-based approach, in conjunction with reconstruction based on a discrete Radon transform and Tchebichef moments algorithm, to correct scatter-induced artifacts. Methods: A rotating-collimator, comprising round tungsten alloy strips, was mounted on a linear actuator. The rotating-collimator is divided into 6 portions equally. The round strips space is evenly spaced on each portion but staggered between different portions. A step motor connected to the rotating collimator drove the blocker to around x-ray source during the CBCT acquisition. The CBCT reconstruction based on a discrete Radon transform and Tchebichef moments algorithm is performed. Experimental studies using water phantom and Catphan504 were carried out to evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme. Results: The proposed algorithm was tested on both the Monte Carlo simulation and actual experiments with the Catphan504 phantom. From the simulation result, the mean square error of the reconstruction error decreases from 16% to 1.18%, the cupping (τcup) from 14.005% to 0.66%, and the peak signal-to-noise ratio increase from 16.9594 to 31.45. From the actual experiments, the induced visual artifacts are significantly reduced. Conclusion: We conducted an experiment on CBCT imaging system with a rotating collimator to develop and optimize x-ray scatter control and reduction technique. The proposed method is attractive in applications where a high CBCT image quality is critical, for example, dose calculation in adaptive radiation therapy. We want to thank Dr. Lei

Gonadal shielding and collimation information for pelvic radiography in podiatric practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalin, A.G.

1976-01-01

Pelvic x-rays are often necessary in podiatric practice, to aid in the diagnosis of podiatric and foot-related disorders. The disorders which warrant such x-rays are reviewed. The author urges caution in the administration of pelvic x-rays, citing the possible genetic effects of gonadal exposure to x-rays. Various methods of dose reduction are discussed, with special emphasis on collimators to confine radiation to the smallest body area and gonadal shields to protect the gonads when they fall within the direct x-ray beam

Gonadal shielding and collimation information for pelvic radiography in podiatric practice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalin, A.G.

1976-01-01

Pelvic x-rays are often necessary in podiatric practice, to aid in the diagnosis of podiatric and foot-related disorders. The disorders which warrant such x-rays are reviewed. The author urges caution in the administration of pelvic x-rays, citing the possible genetic effects of gonadal exposure to x-rays. Various methods of dose reduction are discussed, with special emphasis on collimators to confine radiation to the smallest body area and gonadal shields to protect the gonads when they fall within the direct x-ray beam.

Gallium-67 imaging with low collimators and energy weighted acquisition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamill, J.J.; DeVito, R.P.

1990-01-01

This paper reports that the medium and high energy collimators used in 67 Ga imaging have poorer resolution than low-energy collimators, such as the LEAP. The low energy collimators could be used for gallium imaging if the background under the 93 and 185 keV peaks could be reduced without degrading the signal-to-noise ratio unacceptably. energy weighted acquisition provides a means of accomplishing this background reduction. The authors have developed weighing functions for gallium imaging through LEAP and high resolution collimators. The resolution of the low energy collimators is realized while the background is comparable to, or better than, the background in normal, energy-window imaging with the medium energy collimator. The pixel noise is somewhat greater than the Poisson noise in normal gallium imaging, and some noise correlations, or noise texture, is introduced

Use of an amorphous silicon electronic portal imaging device for multileaf collimator quality control and calibration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, S J K; Budgell, G J; MacKay, R I

2005-01-01

Multileaf collimator (MLC) calibration and quality control is a time-consuming procedure typically involving the processing, scanning and analysis of films to measure leaf and collimator positions. Faster and more reliable calibration procedures are required for these tasks, especially with the introduction of intensity modulated radiotherapy which requires more frequent checking and finer positional leaf tolerances than previously. A routine quality control (QC) technique to measure MLC leaf bank gain and offset, as well as minor offsets (individual leaf position relative to a reference leaf), using an amorphous silicon electronic portal imaging device (EPID) has been developed. The technique also tests the calibration of the primary and back-up collimators. A detailed comparison between film and EPID measurements has been performed for six linear accelerators (linacs) equipped with MLC and amorphous silicon EPIDs. Measurements of field size from 4 to 24 cm with the EPID were systematically smaller than film measurements over all field sizes by 0.4 mm for leaves/back-up collimators and by 0.2 mm for conventional collimators. This effect is due to the gain calibration correction applied by the EPID, resulting in a 'flattening' of primary beam profiles. Linac dependent systematic differences of up to 0.5 mm in individual leaf/collimator positions were also found between EPID and film measurements due to the difference between the mechanical and radiation axes of rotation. When corrections for these systematic differences were applied, the residual random differences between EPID and film were 0.23 mm and 0.26 mm (1 standard deviation) for field size and individual leaf/back-up collimator position, respectively. Measured gains (over a distance of 220 mm) always agreed within 0.4 mm with a standard deviation of 0.17 mm. Minor offset measurements gave a mean agreement between EPID and film of 0.01 ± 0.10 mm (1 standard deviation) after correction for the tilt of the

LHC collimator controls for a safe LHC operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Redaelli, S.; Assmann, R.; Losito, R.; Donze, M.; Masi, A.

2012-01-01

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) collimation system is designed to protect the machine against beam losses and consists of 108 collimators, 100 of which are movable, located along the 27 km long ring and in the transfer lines. The cleaning performance and machine protection role of the system depend critically on accurate jaw positioning. A fully redundant control system has been developed to ensure that the collimators dynamically follow optimum settings in all phases of the LHC operational cycle. Jaw positions and collimator gaps are interlocked against dump limits defined redundantly as functions of time, beam energy and the β functions, which describe the focusing property of the beams. In this paper, the architectural choices that guarantee a safe LHC operation are presented. Hardware and software implementations that ensure the required performance are described. (authors)

TU-CD-304-10: Development and Optimization of “Compton Lens” Collimator Design for Increased Dose Rate in SRS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shepard, A; Bender, E [The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: To provide a proof of concept for a new collimator design to increase the dose rate at isocenter for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatments by taking advantage of off axis Compton scattered photons which are attenuated in current collimators. Methods: A fundamentally new collimator design was developed and optimized by introducing a series of slits to a standard block collimator. The introduction of slits allowed for initially off axis radiation that was scattered in the direction of the target to contribute to the target dose. For optimization, the design was broken into two parts: an upper interaction plate where primary scattering occurs, and a lower “Compton slit” region which allows for scattered photons traveling toward the target to reach isocenter. To optimize the design, a series of simulations were performed using MCNP6 in which several key parameters were adjusted and the output was compared to a standard collimator. Key parameters modified included the collimator material, cone size, and interaction plate thickness. The effects of using energies different than the traditional 6 MV beam were also explored. Results: An optimized collimator design utilizing a solid interaction plate with a Cesium-137 beam and a 4 mm cone size resulted in a dose rate increase on the order of 5% relative to standard collimators in use. Currently, designs incorporating a Cesium-137 source are the most feasible due to necessary size and weight concerns for 6 MV beams. Conclusion: Preliminary designs provide a proof of concept and indicate a potential to improve upon the dose rate of current collimators while not largely compromising the sharp dose falloff inherent to SRS. Further optimization into the geometry and positioning of the interaction plate, as well as slit optimization, will likely lead to further dose rate increases than were observed in this study. Funding for this work was provided by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). Authors have

Multipinhole collimator with 20 apertures for a brain SPECT application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Tzu-Cheng; Ellin, Justin R.; Shrestha, Uttam; Seo, Youngho, E-mail: youngho.seo@ucsf.edu [Physics Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, California 94107 (United States); Huang, Qiu [School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030 (China); Gullberg, Grant T. [Department of Radiotracer Development and Imaging Technology, Life Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94702 (United States)

2014-11-01

Purpose: Several new technologies for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) instrumentation with parallel-hole collimation have been proposed to improve detector sensitivity and signal collection efficiency. Benefits from improved signal efficiency include shorter acquisition times and lower dose requirements. In this paper, the authors show a possibility of over an order of magnitude enhancement in photon detection efficiency (from 7.6 × 10{sup −5} to 1.6 × 10{sup −3}) for dopamine transporter (DaT) imaging of the striatum over the conventional SPECT parallel-hole collimators by use of custom-designed 20 multipinhole (20-MPH) collimators with apertures of 0.75 cm diameter. Methods: Quantifying specific binding ratio (SBR) of {sup 123}I-ioflupane or {sup 123}I-iometopane’s signal at the striatal region is a common brain imaging method to confirm the diagnosis of the Parkinson’s disease. The authors performed imaging of a striatal phantom filled with aqueous solution of I-123 and compared camera recovery ratios of SBR acquired between low-energy high-resolution (LEHR) parallel-hole collimators and 20-MPH collimators. Results: With only two-thirds of total acquisition time (20 min against 30 min), a comparable camera recovery ratio of SBR was achieved using 20-MPH collimators in comparison to that from the LEHR collimator study. Conclusions: Their systematic analyses showed that the 20-MPH collimator could be a promising alternative for the DaT SPECT imaging for brain over the traditional LEHR collimator, which could give both shorter scan time and improved diagnostic accuracy.

Radiation dose reduction in fluoroscopic procedures: left varicocele embolization as a model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verstandig, Anthony G.; Shraibman, Vladimir [Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Interventional Radiology Unit, POB 3235, Jerusalem (Israel); Shamieh, Bashar [St. Joseph Hospital, Department of Radiology, Jerusalem (Israel); Raveh, David [Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Infectious Diseases Unit, POB 3235, Jerusalem (Israel)

2015-06-01

To investigate the effect of a radiation reduction program on total dose, fluoroscopy dose per second corrected for body habitus and degree of collimation in left varicocele embolizations (LVE). A radiation reduction program for LVE was implemented, consisting of a technique minimizing fluoroscopy time, using low-dose presets, virtual collimation, and virtual patient positioning. Height, weight, fluoroscopy time, kerma area product (KAP) and reference air kerma (Ka,r) were recorded for 100 consecutive cases satisfying the inclusion criteria. For each patient, a device specific dose correction factor, determined using a phantom, was used to standardize the KAP to that of the cylindrical diameter of the standard man and a collimation index was derived from the KAP and Ka,r. Median fluoroscopy time was 3 minutes (mean 4.5, range 1-23.8). Median KAP was 0.54 Gy/cm{sup 2} (mean 0.82, range 0.12-6.52). There was a significant decrease in KAP/second corrected for cylindrical diameter (p < 0.001) and the collimation index (p < 0.001) over time. This study shows that a dedicated dose reduction program can achieve very low total radiation dose rates for LVE. The significant decrease in collimation index and standardized KAP per second during this study suggest a learning curve for collimation. (orig.)

Beam diffusion measurements using collimator scans in the LHC

CERN Document Server

Valentino, Gianluca; Bruce, Roderik; Burkart, Florian; Previtali, Valentina; Redaelli, Stefano; Salvachua, Belen; Stancari, Giuliov; Valishev, Alexander

2013-01-01

The time evolution of beam losses during a collimator scan provides information on halo diffusion and population. This is an essential input for machine performance characterization and for the design of collimation systems. Beam halo measurements in the CERN Large Hadron Collider were conducted through collimator scrapings in a dedicated beam study for the first time at 4 TeV. Four scans were performed with two collimators, in the vertical plane for beam 1 and horizontally for beam 2, before and after bringing the beams into collisions. Inward and outward steps were performed. A diffusion model was used to interpret the observed loss rate evolution in response to the collimator steps. With this technique, diffusion coefficients were estimated as a function of betatron oscillation amplitude from approximately 3 to 7 standard deviations of the transverse beam distribution. A comparison of halo diffusion and core emittance growth rates is also presented.

Mechanical approach to the neutrons spectra collimation and detection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sadeghi, H.; Roshan, M. V. [Energy Engineering and Physics Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2014-11-15

Neutrons spectra from most of known sources require being collimated for numerous applications; among them one is the Neutron Activation Analysis. High energy neutrons are collimated through a mechanical procedure as one of the most promising methods. The output energy of the neutron beam depends on the velocity of the rotating Polyethylene disks. The collimated neutrons are then measured by an innovative detection technique with high accuracy.

Evaluation of parathyroid imaging methods with {sup 99m}Tc-MIBI. The comparison of planar images obtained using a pinhole collimator and a parallel-hole collimator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujii, Hirofumi; Iwasaki, Ryuichiro; Hashimoto, Jun; Nakamura, Kayoko; Kunieda, Etsuo; Sanmiya, Toshikazu; Kubo, Atsushi [Keio Univ., Tokyo (Japan). School of Medicine; Ogawa, Koichi; Inagaki, Kazutoshi

1999-07-01

Parathyroid scintigraphy with {sup 99m}Tc-MIBI was performed using two kinds of collimators, namely, a pinhole one and a parallel-hole one, to evaluate which one was more suitable for the detection of hyperfunctioning parathyroid lesions. In the studies using {sup 99m}Tc source, the pinhole collimator showed better efficiency and spatial resolution in the distance where the parathyroid scan are actually performed. In the phantom study, the nodular activities modeling parathyroid lesions were visualized better on the images obtained using the pinhole collimator. In clinical studies for 30 patients suspicious of hyperparathyroidism, hyperfunctioning parathyroid nodules were better detected when the pinhole collimator was used. In conclusion, the pinhole collimator was thought to be more suitable for parathyroid scintigraphy with {sup 99m}Tc-MIBI than the parallel-hole collimator. (author)

Feasibility study of segmented-parallel-hole collimator for stationary cardiac SPECT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mao, Yanfei [Utah Univ., Salt Lake City, UT (United States). Center for Advanced Imaging Research (UCAIR); Utah Univ., Salt Lake City, UT (United States). Dept. of Bioengineering; Zeng, Gengsheng L. [Utah Univ., Salt Lake City, UT (United States). Center for Advanced Imaging Research (UCAIR)

2011-07-01

The goal of this research is to propose a stationary cardiac SPECT system using the segmented parallel-beam collimator and to perform some computer simulations to test the feasibility. A stationary system has a benefit of acquiring temporally consistent projections. The most challenging issue in building a stationary system is to provide sufficient projection view-angles. A 2-detector, multi-segment collimator system with 14 view-angles over 180 in the transaxial direction and 3 view-angles in the axial directions was designed, where the two detectors are configured 90 apart in an L-shape. We applied the parallel-beam imaging geometry and used segmented parallel-hole collimator to acquire SPECT data. To improve the system condition due to data truncation, we measured more rays within the field-of-view (FOV) of the detector by using a relatively small detector bin-size. In image reconstruction, we used the maximum-likelihood expectation-maximization (ML-EM) algorithm. The criterion for evaluating the system is the summed pixel-to-pixel distance that measures the discrepancy between the 3D gold-standard image and the reconstructed 3D region of interest (ROI) with truncated data. Effects of limited number of view-angles, data truncation, varying body habitus, attenuation, and noise were considered in the system design. As a result, our segmented-parallel-beam stationary cardiac SPECT system is able to acquire sufficient data for cardiac imaging and has a high sensitivity gain. (orig.)

Beam diffusion measurements using collimator scans in the LHC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gianluca Valentino

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The time evolution of beam losses during a collimator scan provides information on halo diffusion and population. This is an essential input for machine performance characterization and for the design of collimation systems. Beam halo measurements in the CERN Large Hadron Collider were conducted through collimator scrapings in a dedicated beam study for the first time at 4 TeV. Four scans were performed with two collimators, in the vertical plane for beam 1 and horizontally for beam 2, before and after bringing the beams into collisions. Inward and outward steps were performed. A diffusion model was used to interpret the observed loss rate evolution in response to the collimator steps. With this technique, diffusion coefficients were estimated as a function of betatron oscillation amplitude from approximately 3 to 7 standard deviations of the transverse beam distribution. A comparison of halo diffusion and core emittance growth rates is also presented.

FINAL IMPLEMENTATION AND PERFORMANCE OF THE LHC COLLIMATOR CONTROL SYSTEM

CERN Document Server

Redaelli, S; Masi, A; Losito, R

2009-01-01

The 2008 collimation system of the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) included 80 movable collimators for a total of 316 degrees of freedom. Before beam operation, the final controls implementation was deployed and commissioned. The control system enabled remote control and appropriate diagnostics of the relevant parameters. The collimator motion is driven with time-functions, synchronized with other accelerator systems, which allows controlling the collimator jaw positions with a micrometer accuracy during all machine phases. The machine protection functionality of the system, which also relies on function-based tolerance windows, was also fully validated. The collimator control challenges are reviewed and the final system architecture is presented. The results of the remote system commissioning and the overall performance are discussed.

Collimator scatter and 2D dosimetry in small proton beams

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Luijk, P.; van 't Veld, A.A.; Zelle, H.D.; Schippers, J.M.

Monte Carlo simulations have been performed to determine the influence of collimator-scattered protons from a 150 MeV proton beam on the dose distribution behind a collimator. Slit-shaped collimators with apertures between 2 and 20 mm have been simulated. The Monte Carlo code GEANT 3.21 has been

MERLIN Cleaning Studies with Advanced Collimator Materials for HL-LHC

CERN Document Server

Valloni, A.; Mereghetti, A.; Molson, J. G.; Appleby, R.; Bruce, R.; Quaranta, E.; Redaelli, S.

2016-01-01

The challenges of the High-Luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider require improving the beam collimation system. An intense R&D program has started at CERN to explore novel materials for new collimator jaws to improve robustness and reduce impedance. Particle tracking simulations of collimation efficiency are performed using the code MERLIN which has been extended to include new materials based on composites. After presenting two different implementations of composite materials tested in MERLIN, we present simulation studies with the aim of studying the effect of the advanced collimators on the LHC beam cleaning.

Slit-Slat Collimator Equipped Gamma Camera for Whole-Mouse SPECT-CT Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Liji; Peter, Jörg

2012-06-01

A slit-slat collimator is developed for a gamma camera intended for small-animal imaging (mice). The tungsten housing of a roof-shaped collimator forms a slit opening, and the slats are made of lead foils separated by sparse polyurethane material. Alignment of the collimator with the camera's pixelated crystal is performed by adjusting a micrometer screw while monitoring a Co-57 point source for maximum signal intensity. For SPECT, the collimator forms a cylindrical field-of-view enabling whole mouse imaging with transaxial magnification and constant on-axis sensitivity over the entire axial direction. As the gamma camera is part of a multimodal imaging system incorporating also x-ray CT, five parameters corresponding to the geometric displacements of the collimator as well as to the mechanical co-alignment between the gamma camera and the CT subsystem are estimated by means of bimodal calibration sources. To illustrate the performance of the slit-slat collimator and to compare its performance to a single pinhole collimator, a Derenzo phantom study is performed. Transaxial resolution along the entire long axis is comparable to a pinhole collimator of same pinhole diameter. Axial resolution of the slit-slat collimator is comparable to that of a parallel beam collimator. Additionally, data from an in-vivo mouse study are presented.

Errors generated with the use of rectangular collimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parks, E.T.

1991-01-01

This study was designed to determine whether various techniques for achieving rectangular collimation generate different numbers and types of errors and remakes and to determine whether operator skill level influences errors and remakes. Eighteen students exposed full-mouth series of radiographs on manikins with the use of six techniques. The students were grouped according to skill level. The radiographs were evaluated for errors and remakes resulting from errors in the following categories: cone cutting, vertical angulation, and film placement. Significant differences were found among the techniques in cone cutting errors and remakes, vertical angulation errors and remakes, and total errors and remakes. Operator skill did not appear to influence the number or types of errors or remakes generated. Rectangular collimation techniques produced more errors than did the round collimation techniques. However, only one rectangular collimation technique generated significantly more remakes than the other techniques

Mechanical Design for Robustness of the LHC Collimators

CERN Document Server

Bertarelli, Alessandro; Assmann, R W; Calatroni, Sergio; Dallocchio, Alessandro; Kurtyka, Tadeusz; Mayer, Manfred; Perret, Roger; Redaelli, Stefano; Robert-Demolaize, Guillaume

2005-01-01

The functional specification of the LHC Collimators requires, for the start-up of the machine and the initial luminosity runs (Phase 1), a collimation system with maximum robustness against abnormal beam operating conditions. The most severe cases to be considered in the mechanical design are the asynchronous beam dump at 7 TeV and the 450 GeV injection error. To ensure that the collimator jaws survive such accident scenarios, low-Z materials were chosen, driving the design towards Graphite or Carbon/Carbon composites. Furthermore, in-depth thermo-mechanical simulations, both static and dynamic, were necessary.This paper presents the results of the numerical analyses performed for the 450 GeV accident case, along with the experimental results of the tests conducted on a collimator prototype in Cern TT40 transfer line, impacted by a 450 GeV beam of 3.1·1013

Model-Based Normalization of a Fractional-Crystal Collimator for Small-Animal PET Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yusheng; Matej, Samuel; Karp, Joel S; Metzler, Scott D

2017-05-01

Previously, we proposed to use a coincidence collimator to achieve fractional-crystal resolution in PET imaging. We have designed and fabricated a collimator prototype for a small-animal PET scanner, A-PET. To compensate for imperfections in the fabricated collimator prototype, collimator normalization, as well as scanner normalization, is required to reconstruct quantitative and artifact-free images. In this study, we develop a normalization method for the collimator prototype based on the A-PET normalization using a uniform cylinder phantom. We performed data acquisition without the collimator for scanner normalization first, and then with the collimator from eight different rotation views for collimator normalization. After a reconstruction without correction, we extracted the cylinder parameters from which we generated expected emission sinograms. Single scatter simulation was used to generate the scattered sinograms. We used the least-squares method to generate the normalization coefficient for each LOR based on measured, expected and scattered sinograms. The scanner and collimator normalization coefficients were factorized by performing two normalizations separately. The normalization methods were also verified using experimental data acquired from A-PET with and without the collimator. In summary, we developed a model-base collimator normalization that can significantly reduce variance and produce collimator normalization with adequate statistical quality within feasible scan time.

Apparatus and Experimental Procedures to Test Crystal Collimation

CERN Document Server

Montesano, S

2012-01-01

UA9 is an experimental setup operated in the CERN-SPS in view of investigating the feasibility of halo collimation assisted by bent crystals. The test collimation system is composed of one crystal acting as primary halo deflector in the horizontal plane and an absorber. Different crystals are tested in turn using two-arm goniometers with an angular reproducibility of better than 10 microrad. The performance of the system is assessed through the study of the secondary and tertiary halo in critical areas, by using standard machine instrumentation and few customized equipments. The alignment of the crystal is verified by measuring the loss rate close to the crystal position. The collimation efficiency is computed by intercepting the deflected halo with a massive collimator or with an imaging device installed into a Roman Pot. The leakage of the system is evaluated in the dispersion suppressor by means of movable aperture restrictions. In this contribution the setup and the experimental methods in use are revisit...

Collimated fast electron beam generation in critical density plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iwawaki, T., E-mail: iwawaki-t@eie.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp; Habara, H.; Morita, K.; Tanaka, K. A. [Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1, Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan); Baton, S.; Fuchs, J.; Chen, S. [LULI, CNRS-Ecole Polytechnique-Université Pierre et Marie Curie-CEA, 91128 Palaiseau (France); Nakatsutsumi, M. [LULI, CNRS-Ecole Polytechnique-Université Pierre et Marie Curie-CEA, 91128 Palaiseau (France); European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser Facility (XFEL) GmbH (Germany); Rousseaux, C. [CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon (France); Filippi, F. [La SAPIENZA, University of Rome, Dip. SBAI, 00161 Rome (Italy); Nazarov, W. [School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, Scotland (United Kingdom)

2014-11-15

Significantly collimated fast electron beam with a divergence angle 10° (FWHM) is observed when an ultra-intense laser pulse (I = 10{sup 14 }W/cm{sup 2}, 300 fs) irradiates a uniform critical density plasma. The uniform plasma is created through the ionization of an ultra-low density (5 mg/c.c.) plastic foam by X-ray burst from the interaction of intense laser (I = 10{sup 14 }W/cm{sup 2}, 600 ps) with a thin Cu foil. 2D Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulation well reproduces the collimated electron beam with a strong magnetic field in the region of the laser pulse propagation. To understand the physical mechanism of the collimation, we calculate energetic electron motion in the magnetic field obtained from the 2D PIC simulation. As the results, the strong magnetic field (300 MG) collimates electrons with energy over a few MeV. This collimation mechanism may attract attention in many applications such as electron acceleration, electron microscope and fast ignition of laser fusion.

Grazing function g and collimation angular acceptance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen G. Peggs

2009-11-01

Full Text Available The grazing function g is introduced—a synchrobetatron optical quantity that is analogous (and closely connected to the Twiss and dispersion functions β, α, η, and η^{′}. It parametrizes the rate of change of total angle with respect to synchrotron amplitude for grazing particles, which just touch the surface of an aperture when their synchrotron and betatron oscillations are simultaneously (in time at their extreme displacements. The grazing function can be important at collimators with limited acceptance angles. For example, it is important in both modes of crystal collimation operation—in channeling and in volume reflection. The grazing function is independent of the collimator type—crystal or amorphous—but can depend strongly on its azimuthal location. The rigorous synchrobetatron condition g=0 is solved, by invoking the close connection between the grazing function and the slope of the normalized dispersion. Propagation of the grazing function is described, through drifts, dipoles, and quadrupoles. Analytic expressions are developed for g in perfectly matched periodic FODO cells, and in the presence of β or η error waves. These analytic approximations are shown to be, in general, in good agreement with realistic numerical examples. The grazing function is shown to scale linearly with FODO cell bend angle, but to be independent of FODO cell length. The ideal value is g=0 at the collimator, but finite nonzero values are acceptable. Practically achievable grazing functions are described and evaluated, for both amorphous and crystal primary collimators, at RHIC, the SPS (UA9, the Tevatron (T-980, and the LHC.

How can the co-ordinate transformation method of beam matching be extended to include separately labelled collimators?

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan-Fletcher, S; McKenzie, A L

1996-03-01

The problem of matching radiation beams was tackled by Siddon in 1980 using co-ordinate transformations. Since then, the need to distinguish between individual collimators in prescriptions of treatment set-up, brought about by the widespread use of 3-D treatment planning systems and asymmetric fields, as well as a reversal of the rotation sense in the turntable co-ordinate system proposed by the International Electrotechnical Commission, have made it necessary to revisit this particular problem. This paper builds upon Siddon's general equations for the particular case of matching beams, and derives expressions for calculating treatment-unit settings which may be used in a computer program without the need to perform matrix manipulation. The expression treat the individual collimator jaws separately.

Orthovoltage computer planning with a new type of variable collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beckham, W.A.; Hill, R.F.; Perez, M.D.

1996-01-01

Full text: The Liverpool Hospital Radiation Oncology Department has recently installed and commissioned a Pantak Therapax DXT-300 orthovoltage therapy treatment unit. Purchased with this was a variable collimator capable of producing rectangular fields up to 20 x 20 cm 2 . Occasionally patients who are treated with, for example, mediastinal deep therapy portals go on to have further megavoltage therapy (eg. total body irradiation (TBI)). The orthovoltage dose distribution in lung tissue can be the limiting factor in terms of proceeding with TBI due to the inherent risk of radiation induced pneumonitis. The present work assesses the ability of the Department's Varian Cadplan treatment planning system (TPS) to calculate dosage distribution for orthovoltage radiation fields delineated by the variable collimator. Data was collected using a Scanditronix RFA-300 beam data acquisition system (BDAS). For each of four qualities (0.85, 1.7, 2.6, and 3.8 mm Cu) profile data at five depths and central axis depth dose data were collected for square field sizes of 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15 and 20 cm 2 , as input to the TPS. Isodose distributions produced by the TPS were then checked against the BDAS collected isodoses. Good agreement was found under these conditions of irradiation of a homogeneous medium. Work is ongoing to assess the accuracy of the TPS for simple heterogeneities which are introduced to these orthovoltage beams. It is expected that the heterogeneity correction method used by the TPS will be in error when higher atomic number (Z) media are introduced (eg. bone analogues) due to the fact that the algorithm assumes that tissue attenuation is related solely to electron density, which is generally valid for megavoltage photon beams where Compton interactions are predominant. With the increasing contribution from photo-electric interaction processes as the orthovoltage beam quality decreases, preliminary results have shown increasing TPS deviation under these

Simulation study for high resolution alpha particle spectrometry with mesh type collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Seunghoon; Kwak, Sungwoo; Kang, Hanbyeol; Shin, Jungki; Park, Iljin

2014-01-01

An alpha particle spectrometry with a mesh type collimator plays a crucial role in identifying specific radionuclide in a radioactive source collected from the atmosphere or environment. The energy resolution is degraded without collimation because particles with a high angle have a longer path to travel in the air. Therefore, collision with the background increases. The collimator can cut out particles which traveling at a high angle. As a result, an energy distribution with high resolution can be obtained. Therefore, the mesh type collimator is simulated for high resolution alpha particle spectrometry. In conclusion, the collimator can improve resolution. With collimator, the collimator is a role of cutting out particles with a high angle, so, low energy tail and broadened energy distribution can be reduced. The mesh diameter is found out as an important factor to control resolution and counting efficiency. Therefore, a target particle, for example, 235 U, can be distinguished by a detector with a collimator under a mixture of various nuclides, for example: 232 U, 238 U, and 232 Th

Compatibility of metal additive manufactured tungsten collimator for SPECT/MRI integration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samudi, Amine M [INTEC, Ghent University/iMinds, Ghent (Belgium); Van Audenhaege, Karen [ELIS, Ghent University/iMinds, Gent (Belgium); Vermeeren, Gunter; Martens, Luc [INTEC, Ghent University/iMinds, Ghent (Belgium); Van Holen, Roel [ELIS, Ghent University/iMinds, Gent (Belgium); Joseph, Wout [INTEC, Ghent University/iMinds, Ghent (Belgium)

2015-05-18

We optimized the MR-compatibility of a novel tungsten collimator, produced with metal additive manufacturing that is part of a microSPECT insert for a preclinical SPECT/MRI scanner. We characterized the current density due to the gradient field and adapted the collimators by smart design to reduce the induced eddy currents. The z-gradient coil and the collimator were modeled with SEMCAD. The gradient strength was 510 mT/m, the gradient efficiency was about 3.4 mT/m/A. The setup was simulated with a working frequency of 10 kHz. The system consists of 7 identical collimators and digital silicon photomultipliers assembled in a ring. We evaluated the global reduction in current density J (reduction) based on the sum of all current densities in the collimator. We applied the following optimizations on the collimator: 1. We reduced the excessive material in the flanges. 2. We applied horizontal slits of 2 mm in the collimator surface. 3. We reduced material in the core; the photons are attenuated before they reach the core. The collimator will need a supporting structure. 4. The supporting structure can be avoided by using two vertical slits in the middle of the collimator. 5. We used a Z-shaped slit instead of the vertical slit. Results of simulations show that smaller flanges reduce the current density with 23%. The horizontal slits reduce the eddy currents with 6%. Using less material in the core or applying vertical slits results in the same reduction of current density. However, the vertical slits are cheaper because a hollow collimator requires supporting structures during production. Both can be combined if z-shaped slits are used to prevent attenuation problems. The reduction is then 27%. Finally, when all previous adaptations are combined, the reduction in eddy currents is about 56.3%.

Compatibility of metal additive manufactured tungsten collimator for SPECT/MRI integration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samudi, Amine M; Van Audenhaege, Karen; Vermeeren, Gunter; Martens, Luc; Van Holen, Roel; Joseph, Wout

2015-01-01

We optimized the MR-compatibility of a novel tungsten collimator, produced with metal additive manufacturing that is part of a microSPECT insert for a preclinical SPECT/MRI scanner. We characterized the current density due to the gradient field and adapted the collimators by smart design to reduce the induced eddy currents. The z-gradient coil and the collimator were modeled with SEMCAD. The gradient strength was 510 mT/m, the gradient efficiency was about 3.4 mT/m/A. The setup was simulated with a working frequency of 10 kHz. The system consists of 7 identical collimators and digital silicon photomultipliers assembled in a ring. We evaluated the global reduction in current density J (reduction) based on the sum of all current densities in the collimator. We applied the following optimizations on the collimator: 1. We reduced the excessive material in the flanges. 2. We applied horizontal slits of 2 mm in the collimator surface. 3. We reduced material in the core; the photons are attenuated before they reach the core. The collimator will need a supporting structure. 4. The supporting structure can be avoided by using two vertical slits in the middle of the collimator. 5. We used a Z-shaped slit instead of the vertical slit. Results of simulations show that smaller flanges reduce the current density with 23%. The horizontal slits reduce the eddy currents with 6%. Using less material in the core or applying vertical slits results in the same reduction of current density. However, the vertical slits are cheaper because a hollow collimator requires supporting structures during production. Both can be combined if z-shaped slits are used to prevent attenuation problems. The reduction is then 27%. Finally, when all previous adaptations are combined, the reduction in eddy currents is about 56.3%.

The LHC Collimator Controls Architecture - Design and beam tests

CERN Document Server

Redaelli, S; Gander, P; Jonker, M; Lamont, M; Losito, R; Masi, A; Sobczak, M

2007-01-01

The LHC collimation system will require simultaneous management by the LHC control system of more than 500 jaw positioning mechanisms in order to ensure the required beam cleaning and machine protection performance in all machine phases, from injection at 450 GeV to collision at 7 TeV. Each jaw positionis a critical parameter for the machine safety. In this paper, the architecture of the LHC collimator controls is presented. The basic design to face the accurate control of the LHC collimators and the interfaces to the other components of LHC Software Application and control infrastructures are described. The full controls system has been tested in a real accelerator environment in the CERN SPS during beam tests with a full scale collimator prototype. The results and the lessons learned are presented.

Beam Loss and Beam Shape at the LHC Collimators

CERN Document Server

Burkart, Florian

In this master thesis the beam loss and the beam shape at the LHC collimators was measured, analysed, presented and discussed. Beginning with a short introduction of the LHC, the experiments, the supercon- ducting magnet system, the basics on linear beam dynamics and a describtion of the LHC collimation system are given. This is followed by the presentation of the performance of the LHC collimation sys- tem during 2011. A method to convert the Beam Loss Monitor signal in Gy/s to a proton beam loss rate will be introduced. Also the beam lifetime during the proton physics runs in 2011 will be presented and discussed. Finally, the shape of the LHC beams is analysed by using data obtained by scraping the beam at the LHC primary collimators.

LHC Collimators with Embedded Beam Position Monitors: a New Adbanced Mechanical Design

CERN Document Server

Dallocchio, A; Boccard, C; Carra, F; Gasior, M; Gentini, L; Timmins, M

2011-01-01

The LHC collimation system, ensuring both functions of beam cleaning and machine protection, is potentially submitted to high-energy beam impacts. Currently the collimators setup is performed by monitoring beam losses generated by the collimator jaws when approaching the particle beam. This procedure is applied to all LHC collimators (almost one hundred), taking several hours, and needs to be repeated if beam settings change significantly. Furthermore, during the beam-based alignment, the LHC tertiary collimators are potentially exposed to abnormal losses entailing possible damage to their tungsten jaws. To improve the efficiency of the machine operation and better control the particle beam a new advanced design embedding Beam Position Monitors (BPM) into the movable collimator jaws has been developed. This paper describes the mechanical design of various types of future collimators with embedded BPMs. Experimental measurements performed on a simplified functional prototype installed in the CERN SPS showed th...

LHC Collimators with Embedded Beam Position Monitors: A New Advanced Mechanical Design

CERN Document Server

Dallocchio, A; Boccard, C; Carra, F; Gasior, M; Gentini, L; Timmins, M A

2011-01-01

The LHC collimation system, ensuring both functions of beam cleaning and machine protection, is potentially submitted to high-energy beam impacts. Currently the collimators setup is performed by monitoring beam losses generated by the collimator jaws when approaching the particle beam. This procedure is applied to all LHC collimators (almost one hundred), taking several hours, and needs to be repeated if beam settings change significantly. Furthermore, during the beam-based alignment, the LHC tertiary collimators are potentially exposed to abnormal losses entailing possible damage to their tungsten jaws. To improve the efficiency of the machine operation and better control the particle beam a new advanced design embedding Beam Position Monitors (BPM) into the movable collimator jaws has been developed. This paper describes the mechanical design of various types of future collimators with embedded BPMs. Experimental measurements performed on a simplified functional prototype installed in the CERN SPS showed th...

SU-F-T-527: A Novel Dynamic Multileaf Collimator Leaf-Sequencing Algorithm in Radiation Therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jing, J; Lin, H [Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui (China); Chow, J [Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON (Canada)

2016-06-15

Purpose: A novel leaf-sequencing algorithm is developed for generating arbitrary beam intensity profiles in discrete levels using dynamic multileaf collimator (MLC). The efficiency of this dynamic MLC leaf-sequencing method was evaluated using external beam treatment plans delivered by intensity modulated radiation therapy technique. Methods: To qualify and validate this algorithm, integral test for the beam segment of MLC generated by the CORVUS treatment planning system was performed with clinical intensity map experiments. The treatment plans were optimized and the fluence maps for all photon beams were determined. This algorithm started with the algebraic expression for the area under the beam profile. The coefficients in the expression can be transformed into the specifications for the leaf-setting sequence. The leaf optimization procedure was then applied and analyzed for clinical relevant intensity profiles in cancer treatment. Results: The macrophysical effect of this method can be described by volumetric plan evaluation tools such as dose-volume histograms (DVHs). The DVH results are in good agreement compared to those from the CORVUS treatment planning system. Conclusion: We developed a dynamic MLC method to examine the stability of leaf speed including effects of acceleration and deceleration of leaf motion in order to make sure the stability of leaf speed did not affect the intensity profile generated. It was found that the mechanical requirements were better satisfied using this method. The Project is sponsored by the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, State Education Ministry.

SU-F-T-527: A Novel Dynamic Multileaf Collimator Leaf-Sequencing Algorithm in Radiation Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jing, J; Lin, H; Chow, J

2016-01-01

Purpose: A novel leaf-sequencing algorithm is developed for generating arbitrary beam intensity profiles in discrete levels using dynamic multileaf collimator (MLC). The efficiency of this dynamic MLC leaf-sequencing method was evaluated using external beam treatment plans delivered by intensity modulated radiation therapy technique. Methods: To qualify and validate this algorithm, integral test for the beam segment of MLC generated by the CORVUS treatment planning system was performed with clinical intensity map experiments. The treatment plans were optimized and the fluence maps for all photon beams were determined. This algorithm started with the algebraic expression for the area under the beam profile. The coefficients in the expression can be transformed into the specifications for the leaf-setting sequence. The leaf optimization procedure was then applied and analyzed for clinical relevant intensity profiles in cancer treatment. Results: The macrophysical effect of this method can be described by volumetric plan evaluation tools such as dose-volume histograms (DVHs). The DVH results are in good agreement compared to those from the CORVUS treatment planning system. Conclusion: We developed a dynamic MLC method to examine the stability of leaf speed including effects of acceleration and deceleration of leaf motion in order to make sure the stability of leaf speed did not affect the intensity profile generated. It was found that the mechanical requirements were better satisfied using this method. The Project is sponsored by the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, State Education Ministry.

Effect of detector collimator and sample thickness on 0.662 MeV multiply Compton-scattered gamma rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Manpreet; Singh, Gurvinderjit; Sandhu, B.S.; Singh, Bhajan

2006-01-01

The simultaneous effect of detector collimator and sample thickness on 0.662 MeV multiply Compton-scattered gamma photons was studied experimentally. An intense collimated beam, obtained from 6-Ci 137 Cs source, is allowed to impinge on cylindrical aluminium samples of varying diameter and the scattered photons are detected by a 51 mmx51 mm NaI(Tl) scintillation detector placed at 90 o to the incident beam. The full energy peak corresponding to singly scattered events is reconstructed analytically. The thickness at which the multiply scattered events saturate is determined for different detector collimators. The parameters like signal-to-noise ratio and multiply scatter fraction (MSF) have also been deduced and support the work carried out by Shengli et al. [2000. EGS4 simulation of Compton scattering for nondestructive testing. KEK proceedings 200-20, Tsukuba, Japan, pp. 216-223] and Barnea et al. [1995. A study of multiple scattering background in Compton scatter imaging. NDT and E International 28, 155-162] based upon Monte Carlo calculations

Vectorial analysis of the collimated beam of a small Gaussian source

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Changqing; Wang, Ting; Zeng, Xiaodong; Feng, Zhejun; Zhang, Wenrui; Zhang, Xiaobing; Chen, Kun

2018-03-01

A vectorial analysis method to describe the collimated beam is proposed, the formulas of the intensity distribution and divergence angles represented in terms of Bessel functions are derived, and the propagation properties such as the vectorial structure of the collimated field and the shape of the beam spot are discussed in detail. Omitting the vectorial nature of the collimated beam can cause an error of 7.6% in determining the intensity distribution on the optical axis of the collimated beam.

Comparison of measured and Monte Carlo calculated dose distributions from circular collimators for radiosurgical beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esnaashari, K. N.; Allahverdi, M.; Gharaati, H.; Shahriari, M.

2007-01-01

Stereotactic radiosurgery is an important clinical tool for the treatment of small lesions in the brain, including benign conditions, malignant and localized metastatic tumors. A dosimetry study was performed for Elekta 'Synergy S' as a dedicated Stereotactic radiosurgery unit, capable of generating circular radiation fields with diameters of 1-5 cm at iso centre using the BEAM/EGS4 Monte Carlo code. Materials and Methods: The linear accelerator Elekta Synergy S equipped with a set of 5 circular collimators from 10 mm to 50 mm in diameter at iso centre distance was used. The cones were inserted in a base plate mounted on the collimator linac head. A PinPoint chamber and Wellhofer water tank chamber were selected for clinical dosimetry of 6 MV photon beams. The results of simulations using the Monte Carlo system BEAM/EGS4 to model the beam geometry were compared with dose measurements. Results: An excellent agreement was found between Monte Carlo calculated and measured percentage depth dose and lateral dose profiles which were performed in water phantom for circular cones with 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 cm in diameter. The comparison between calculation and measurements showed up to 0.5 % or 1 m m difference for all field sizes. The penumbra (80-20%) results at 5 cm depth in water phantom and SSD=95 ranged from 1.5 to 2.1 mm for circular collimators with diameter 1 to 5 cm. Conclusion: This study showed that BEAMnrc code has been accurate in modeling Synergy S linear accelerator equipped with circular collimators

Radiation damage in stainless steel under varying temperature neutron irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoshida, Naoaki [Kyushu Univ., Kasuga, Fukuoka (Japan). Research Inst. for Applied Mechanics

1998-03-01

Microstructural evolution of model alloys of 316SS was examined by neutron irradiation at JMTR under cyclic temperature varying condition. In the case of Fe-16Cr-17Ni, formation of interstitial loops and voids are strongly suppressed by varying the temperature from 473K to 673K. By adding Ti as miner element (0.25wt%), however, abnormal accumulation of vacancies (void swelling of 11%dpa at 0.1dpa) was observed. Theoretical analysis standing on the rate theory of defect clustering and simulation irradiation experiments with heavy ions indicates that the vacancy-rich condition which appears temporally during and after changing the temperature from low to high brings these results. It was also shown that only 1 dpa pre-irradiation at low temperature changes swelling behavior at high temperature above several 10 dpa. The understanding of non-steady-state defect processes under temperature varying irradiation is very important to estimate the radiation damage under fusion environment where short-term and long-term temperature variation is expected. (author)

Cardiac single-photon emission-computed tomography using combined cone-beam/fan-beam collimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gullberg, Grant T.; Zeng, Gengsheng L.

2004-01-01

The objective of this work is to increase system sensitivity in cardiac single-photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT) studies without increasing patient imaging time. For imaging the heart, convergent collimation offers the potential of increased sensitivity over that of parallel-hole collimation. However, if a cone-beam collimated gamma camera is rotated in a planar orbit, the projection data obtained are not complete. Two cone-beam collimators and one fan-beam collimator are used with a three-detector SPECT system. The combined cone-beam/fan-beam collimation provides a complete set of data for image reconstruction. The imaging geometry is evaluated using data acquired from phantom and patient studies. For the Jaszazck cardiac torso phantom experiment, the combined cone-beam/fan-beam collimation provided 1.7 times greater sensitivity than standard parallel-hole collimation (low-energy high-resolution collimators). Also, phantom and patient comparison studies showed improved image quality. The combined cone-beam/fan-beam imaging geometry with appropriate weighting of the two data sets provides improved system sensitivity while measuring sufficient data for artifact free cardiac images

A high-orbit collimating infrared earth simulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Guoyu; Jiang Huilin; Fang Yang; Yu Huadong; Xu Xiping; Wang, Lingyun; Liu Xuli; Huang Lan; Yue Shixin; Peng Hui

2007-01-01

The earth simulator is the most important testing equipment ground-based for the infrared earth sensor, and it is also a key component in the satellite controlling system. for three orbit heights 18000Km, 35786Km and 42000Km, in this paper we adopt a project of collimation and replaceable earth diaphragm and develop a high orbit collimation earth simulator. This simulator can afford three angles 15.19 0 , 17.46 0 and 30.42 0 , resulting simulating the earth on the ground which can be seen in out space by the satellite. In this paper we introduce the components, integer structure, and the earth's field angles testing method of the earth simulator in detail. Germanium collimation lens is the most important component in the earth simulator. According to the optical configuration parameter of Germanium collimation lens, we find the location and size of the earth diaphragm and the hot earth by theoretical analyses and optics calculation, which offer foundation of design in the study of the earth simulator. The earth angle is the index to scale the precision of earth simulator. We test the three angles by experiment and the results indicate that three angles errors are all less than ±0.05 0

A facility to produce collimated neutron beams at the Legnaro Laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colautti, P.; Talpo, G.; Tornielli, G.

1988-01-01

The 7 MV Van de Graaff and the 16 MV Tandem accelerators at the Legnaro National Laboratories can be used to produce fast neutron fluxes of moderate intensity, ranging in energy from 1 MeV to 50 MeV. A W-polyethylene-Pb cylindrical collimator has been constructed in order to produce a collimated neutron beam, with well defined dose and microdose characteristics for radiobiological experiments. The collimator can be assembled in different configurations allowing both for different thicknesses and different beam apertures. Dosimetric measurements have been made with a d(4.5)+Be source. These demonstrate sharp beam edges with attenuation behind the shield of 20% with the 15 cm collimator and 1.5% with the 50 cm collimator. (author)

An inversion formula for the exponential Radon transform in spatial domain with variable focal-length fan-beam collimation geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen Junhai; Liang Zhengrong

2006-01-01

Inverting the exponential Radon transform has a potential use for SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) imaging in cases where a uniform attenuation can be approximated, such as in brain and abdominal imaging. Tretiak and Metz derived in the frequency domain an explicit inversion formula for the exponential Radon transform in two dimensions for parallel-beam collimator geometry. Progress has been made to extend the inversion formula for fan-beam and varying focal-length fan-beam (VFF) collimator geometries. These previous fan-beam and VFF inversion formulas require a spatially variant filtering operation, which complicates the implementation and imposes a heavy computing burden. In this paper, we present an explicit inversion formula, in which a spatially invariant filter is involved. The formula is derived and implemented in the spatial domain for VFF geometry (where parallel-beam and fan-beam geometries are two special cases). Phantom simulations mimicking SPECT studies demonstrate its accuracy in reconstructing the phantom images and efficiency in computation for the considered collimator geometries

Collimator fast failure losses for various HL-LHC configurations

CERN Document Server

Lari, L; Redaelli, S

2014-01-01

The upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), in terms of beam intensity and energy, implies an increasing risk of severe damage in particular in case of beam losses during fast failures. For this reason, efforts were put in developing simulation tools to allow studies of asynchronous dump accidents, including realistic additional failure scenarios. The scope of these studies is to understand realistic beam loads in different collimators, in order to improve the actual LHC collimation system design, to provide feedbacks on optics design and to elaborate different mitigation actions. Simulations were set up with a modified SixTrack collimation routine able to simulate erroneous firing of a single dump kicker or the simultaneous malfunction of all the 15 kickers. In such a context, results are evaluated from the whole LHC collimation system point of view.

Collimator Layouts for HL-LHC in the Experimental Insertions

CERN Document Server

Bruce, R; Esposito, Luigi Salvatore; Jowett, John; Lechner, Anton; Quaranta, Elena; Redaelli, Stefano; Schaumann, Michaela; Skordis, Eleftherios; Eleanor Steele, G; Garcia Morales, H; Kwee-Hinzmann, Regina

2015-01-01

This paper presents the layout of collimators for HL-LHC in the experimental insertions. On the incoming beam, we propose to install additional tertiary collimators to protect potential new aperture bottlenecks in cells 4 and 5, which in addition reduce the experimental background. For the outgoing beam, the layout of the present LHC with three physics debris absorbers gives sufficient protection for highluminosity proton operation. However, collisional processes for heavy ions cause localized beam losses with the potential to quench magnets. To alleviate these losses, an installation of dispersion suppressor collimators is proposed.

Jet collimation by turbulent viscosity. I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henriksen, R.N.

1987-01-01

In this paper it is assumed that the subscale turbulent eddies induced in an ambient medium by the emergence of a (already collimated) jet from a galactic nucleus (VLBI jet) are the source of the viscosity which causes material to be entrained into the large-scale (VLA) jet. New analytic solutions are derived by a generalization of the self-similar Ansatz used in the Landau-Squires solution to include variable density and viscosity. It is shown that such a process of viscous collimation of the VLA jets can account for the observed collimation-luminosity correlation, the magnetic flux, and the inferred mass flux of these jets. Order of magnitude comparisons of velocity and density fields with recently observed emission-line flow regions near radio jets are made. All of the viscosity-dependent observational checks imply roughly the same plausible value for the eddy viscosity. It is emphasized that storing the initial VLBI jet energy in the intermediate scales occupied by the turbulent eddies allows this energy to be largely undetected. 35 references

Backscattered radiation into a transmission ionization chamber: Measurement and Monte Carlo simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshizumi, Maira T.; Yoriyaz, Helio; Caldas, Linda V.E.

2010-01-01

Backscattered radiation (BSR) from field-defining collimators can affect the response of a monitor chamber in X-radiation fields. This contribution must be considered since this kind of chamber is used to monitor the equipment response. In this work, the dependence of a transmission ionization chamber response on the aperture diameter of the collimators was studied experimentally and using a Monte Carlo (MC) technique. According to the results, the BSR increases the chamber response of over 4.0% in the case of a totally closed collimator and 50 kV energy beam, using both techniques. The results from Monte Carlo simulation confirm the validity of the simulated geometry.

Joint optimization of collimator and reconstruction parameters in SPECT imaging for lesion quantification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McQuaid, Sarah J; Southekal, Sudeepti; Kijewski, Marie Foley; Moore, Stephen C

2011-01-01

Obtaining the best possible task performance using reconstructed SPECT images requires optimization of both the collimator and reconstruction parameters. The goal of this study is to determine how to perform this optimization, namely whether the collimator parameters can be optimized solely from projection data, or whether reconstruction parameters should also be considered. In order to answer this question, and to determine the optimal collimation, a digital phantom representing a human torso with 16 mm diameter hot lesions (activity ratio 8:1) was generated and used to simulate clinical SPECT studies with parallel-hole collimation. Two approaches to optimizing the SPECT system were then compared in a lesion quantification task: sequential optimization, where collimation was optimized on projection data using the Cramer–Rao bound, and joint optimization, which simultaneously optimized collimator and reconstruction parameters. For every condition, quantification performance in reconstructed images was evaluated using the root-mean-squared-error of 400 estimates of lesion activity. Compared to the joint-optimization approach, the sequential-optimization approach favoured a poorer resolution collimator, which, under some conditions, resulted in sub-optimal estimation performance. This implies that inclusion of the reconstruction parameters in the optimization procedure is important in obtaining the best possible task performance; in this study, this was achieved with a collimator resolution similar to that of a general-purpose (LEGP) collimator. This collimator was found to outperform the more commonly used high-resolution (LEHR) collimator, in agreement with other task-based studies, using both quantification and detection tasks.

Three-dimensional radiative transfer in an isotropically scattering, plane-parallel medium: generalized X- and Y-functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, D.W.; Crosbie, A.L.

2005-01-01

The topic of this work is the generalized X- and Y-functions of multidimensional radiative transfer. The physical problem considered is spatially varying, collimated radiation incident on the upper boundary of an isotropically scattering, plane-parallel medium. An integral transform is used to reduce the three-dimensional transport equation to a one-dimensional form, and a modified Ambarzumian's method is used to derive coupled, integro-differential equations for the source functions at the boundaries of the medium. The resulting equations are said to be in double-integral form because the integration is over both angular variables. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the computational characteristics of the formulation

Non-dosimetric quality assurance for the three-dimensional radiation treatment planning systems using a multi-leaf collimator phantom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tateoka, Kunihiko; Nagase, Daiki; Sato, Takahito; Shimizume, Kazunari; Ouchi, Atsushi; Nakata, Kensei; Hareyama, Masato

2008-01-01

Evaluation of errors and limitations in simulation software for three-dimensional radiation treatment systems (3D-RTPS) is an important issue. Non-dosimetric quality assurance (QA) of the simulation software of 3D-RTPS was evaluated by graphical displays of JAW and multi-leaf collimator (MLC) settings in a 3D-RTPS. The influence of observations made using the phantom depends on human errors and several parameters of the CT scan set, such as slice thickness and spacing, pixel size, partial volume effects and the reconstructed image orientation. We explored the methods that were minimally influenced by these errors and parameters. The QA phantom (MLC phantom) has been designed for checking a JAW and MLC settings in a 3D-RTPS is used for non-dosimetric QA. We analyzed the CT value of the boundary the structures of the MLC phantom. The relative CT value for thickness 1 mm slice in border of each structure body of MLC phantom respectively shows a decrease of about 2%, 4%, 10% by 2 mm, 3 mm and 5 mm. In case of thickness 5 mm slice, the mean deference of border of virtual radiation beams and phantom was 0.8 mm, and standard deviation of them was 0.6 mm. And the mean difference of border of a DRR image and phantom was 0.08 mm and the standard deviation of them 0.6 mm. In case of thickness 2 mm slice, the mean deference of border of virtual radiation beams and phantom was -0.18 mm, and standard deviation of them was 0.32 mm. And the mean difference of border of a DRR image and phantom was 0.87 mm and the standard deviation of them 0.54 mm. The result of the study is useful for improvement in a precision of non-dosimetric QA. Our method of non-dosimetric QA can minimize human error and influence of several parameters of the CT scan set. The MLC phantom is a useful tool in the QA of radiation therapy with application to 3D-RTPS, CT simulators, and virtual simulation packages with MLC display capabilities. (author)

Loss Control and Collimation for the LHC

Science.gov (United States)

Burkhardt, H.

2005-06-01

The total energy stored in the LHC is expected to reach 360 Mega Joule, which is about two orders of magnitude higher than in HERA or the Tevatron. Damage and quench protection in the LHC require a highly efficient and at the same time very robust collimation system. The currently planned system, the status of the project and the expected performance of the collimation system from injection up to operation with colliding beams will be presented.

Loss Control and Collimation for the LHC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burkhardt, H.

2005-01-01

The total energy stored in the LHC is expected to reach 360 Mega Joule, which is about two orders of magnitude higher than in HERA or the Tevatron. Damage and quench protection in the LHC require a highly efficient and at the same time very robust collimation system. The currently planned system, the status of the project and the expected performance of the collimation system from injection up to operation with colliding beams will be presented

Installing collimators in the next long shut-down: plans, status and challenges

CERN Document Server

Parma, V

2011-01-01

The first part of the collimation upgrade plan features the installation of 4 collimators in the 2 DS of point 3, in addition to the upgrade of the existing collimation system. What makes this upgrade so special is that for the first time collimators will be placed within the continuous cryostat of the LHC sectors. For this purpose, 16 main dipoles and 8 main quadrupoles will have to be disconnected and displaced by about 4.5 m, as well as the 2 electrical feedboxes (DFBAs) on either side of the DS, in order to create the space required for installing the additional collimators. The collimators themselves, although remaining of the warm type, feature a design substantially different from the others, mainly imposed by tight space constraints. These collimator modules will have to be complemented by a special bypass cryostat whose function is to preserve the continuity of the technical systems along the arcs (magnet powering, cryogenics and insulation vacuum), while providing cold to warm transitions to the bea...

Self-collimation-based photonic crystal notch filters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Sun-Goo; Kim, Seong-Han; Kee, Chul-Sik; Kim, Kap-Joong

2017-01-01

We introduce a design concept of an optical notch filter (NF) utilizing two perfectly reflecting mirrors and a beam splitter. Based on the new design concept, a photonic crystal (PC)-NF based on the self-collimation phenomenon in a two-dimensional PC is proposed and studied through finite-difference time-domain simulations and experimental measurements in a microwave region. The transmission properties of the self-collimation-based PC-NF were demonstrated to be controlled by adjusting the values of parameters such as the radius of rods in the line-defect beam splitter, distance between the two perfectly reflecting mirrors, and radius of rods on the outermost surface of the perfectly reflecting mirrors. Our results indicate that the proposed design concept could provide a new approach to manipulate light propagation, and the PC-NF could increase the applicability of the self-collimation phenomenon in a PC. (paper)

Applications of Elpasolites as a Multimode Radiation Sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Guckes, Amber

This study consists of both computational and experimental investigations. The computational results enabled detector design selections and confirmed experimental results. The experimental results determined that the CLYC scintillation detector can be applied as a functional and field-deployable multimode radiation sensor. The computational study utilized MCNP6 code to investigate the response of CLYC to various incident radiations and to determine the feasibility of its application as a handheld multimode sensor and as a single-scintillator collimated directional detection system. These simulations include: • Characterization of the response of the CLYC scintillator to gamma-rays and neutrons; • Study of the isotopic enrichment of 7Li versus 6Li in the CLYC for optimal detection of both thermal neutrons and fast neutrons; • Analysis of collimator designs to determine the optimal collimator for the single CLYC sensor directional detection system to assay gamma rays and neutrons; Simulations of a handheld CLYC multimode sensor and a single CLYC scintillator collimated directional detection system with the optimized collimator to determine the feasibility of detecting nuclear materials that could be encountered during field operations. These nuclear materials include depleted uranium, natural uranium, low-enriched uranium, highly-enriched uranium, reactor-grade plutonium, and weapons-grade plutonium. The experimental study includes the design, construction, and testing of both a handheld CLYC multimode sensor and a single CLYC scintillator collimated directional detection system. Both were designed in the Inventor CAD software and based on results of the computational study to optimize its performance. The handheld CLYC multimode sensor is modular, scalable, low?power, and optimized for high count rates. Commercial?off?the?shelf components were used where possible in order to optimize size, increase robustness, and minimize cost. The handheld CLYC multimode

Modeling skin collimation using the electron pencil beam redefinition algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chi, Pai-Chun M.; Hogstrom, Kenneth R.; Starkschall, George; Antolak, John A.; Boyd, Robert A.

2005-01-01

Skin collimation is an important tool for electron beam therapy that is used to minimize the penumbra when treating near critical structures, at extended treatment distances, with bolus, or using arc therapy. It is usually made of lead or lead alloy material that conforms to and is placed on patient surface. Presently, commercially available treatment-planning systems lack the ability to model skin collimation and to accurately calculate dose in its presence. The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the use of the pencil beam redefinition algorithm (PBRA) in calculating dose in the presence of skin collimation. Skin collimation was incorporated into the PBRA by terminating the transport of electrons once they enter the skin collimator. Both fixed- and arced-beam dose calculations for arced-beam geometries were evaluated by comparing them with measured dose distributions for 10- and 15-MeV beams. Fixed-beam dose distributions were measured in water at 88-cm source-to-surface distance with an air gap of 32 cm. The 6x20-cm 2 field (dimensions projected to isocenter) had a 10-mm thick lead collimator placed on the surface of the water with its edge 5 cm inside the field's edge located at +10 cm. Arced-beam dose distributions were measured in a 13.5-cm radius polystyrene circular phantom. The beam was arced 90 deg. (-45 deg. to +45 deg. ), and 10-mm thick lead collimation was placed at ±30 deg. . For the fixed beam at 10 MeV, the PBRA-calculated dose agreed with measured dose to within 2.0-mm distance to agreement (DTA) in the regions of high-dose gradient and 2.0% in regions of low dose gradient. At 15 MeV, the PBRA agreed to within a 2.0-mm DTA in the regions of high-dose gradient; however, the PBRA underestimated the dose by as much as 5.3% over small regions at depths less than 2 cm because it did not model electrons scattered from the edge of the skin collimation. For arced beams at 10 MeV, the agreement was 1-mm DTA in the high-dose gradient regions, and 2

Multi-detector row CT colonography: effect of collimation, pitch, and orientation on polyp detection in a human colectomy specimen.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Stuart A; Halligan, Steve; Bartram, Clive I; Morgan, Paul R; Talbot, Ian C; Fry, Nicola; Saunders, Brian P; Khosraviani, Kirosh; Atkin, Wendy

2003-10-01

To investigate the effects of orientation, collimation, pitch, and tube current setting on polyp detection at multi-detector row computed tomographic (CT) colonography and to determine the optimal combination of scanning parameters for screening. A colectomy specimen containing 117 polyps of different sizes was insufflated and imaged with a multi-detector row CT scanner at various collimation (1.25 and 2.5 mm), pitch (3 and 6), and tube current (50, 100, and 150 mA) settings. Two-dimensional multiplanar reformatted images and three-dimensional endoluminal surface renderings from the 12 resultant data sets were examined by one observer for the presence and conspicuity of polyps. The results were analyzed with Poisson regression and logistic regression to determine the effects of scanning parameters and of specimen orientation on polyp detection. The percentage of polyps that were detected significantly increased when collimation (P =.008) and table feed (P =.03) were decreased. Increased tube current resulted in improved detection only of polyps with a diameter of less than 5 mm. Polyps of less than 5 mm were optimally depicted with a collimation of 1.25 mm, a pitch of 3, and a tube current setting of 150 mA; polyps with a diameter greater than 5 mm were adequately depicted with 1.25-mm collimation and with either pitch setting and any of the three tube current settings. Small polyps in the transverse segment (positioned at a 90 degrees angle to the z axis of scanning) were significantly less visible than those in parallel or oblique orientations (P detector row CT is highly dependent on collimation, pitch, and, to a lesser extent, tube current. Collimation of 1.25 mm, combined with pitch of 6 and tube current of 50 mA, provides for reliable detection of polyps 5 mm or larger while limiting the effective radiation dose. Polyps smaller than 5 mm, however, may be poorly depicted with use of these settings in the transverse colon. Copyright RSNA, 2003

Single photon image from PET with insertable collimator for boron neutron capture therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Jooyoung; Suh, Tae Suk; Hong, Key Jo

2014-01-01

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a radiation therapy technique for treating deep-seated brain tumors by irradiation with a thermal neutron in which boron-labelled low molecular weight compounds. Once completed, a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan is conducted to investigate for the region of therapy using an isotope exclusive to SPECT. In the case of an existing PET/SPECT combination system, at least two types of isotopes should be used for each scan with their purposes. Recently, researchers examined the effects of PET/SPECT dual modality on animal imaging systems. They reported that the PET/SPECT combination system was effective for simultaneous achievement of a single event and coincidence. The aim of our proposed system is to confirm the feasibility of extraction of two types of images from one PET module with an insertable collimator for brain tumor treatment during the BNCT. We attempted to acquire the PET and SPECT images simultaneously using only PET without an additional isotope. Single photon images were acquired using an insertable collimator on a PET detector

Simultaneous Tc-99m/I-123 dual-radionuclide myocardial perfusion/innervation imaging using Siemens IQ-SPECT with SMARTZOOM collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du, Yong; Frey, Eric C; Bhattacharya, Manojeet

2014-01-01

Simultaneous dual-radionuclide myocardial perfusion/innervation SPECT imaging can provide important information about the mismatch between scar tissue and denervated regions. The Siemens IQ-SPECT system developed for cardiac imaging uses a multifocal SMARTZOOM collimator to achieve a four-fold sensitivity for the cardiac region, compared to a typical parallel-hole low-energy high-resolution collimator, but without the data truncation that can result with conventional converging-beam collimators. The increased sensitivity allows shorter image acquisition times or reduced patient dose, making IQ-SPECT ideal for simultaneous dual-radionuclide SPECT, where reduced administrated activity is desirable in order to reduce patient radiation exposure. However, crosstalk is a major factor affecting the image quality in dual-radionuclide imaging. In this work we developed a model-based method that can estimate and compensate for the crosstalk in IQ-SPECT data. The crosstalk model takes into account interactions in the object and collimator-detector system. Scatter in the object was modeled using the effective source scatter estimation technique (ESSE), previously developed to model scatter with parallel-hole collimators. The geometric collimator-detector response was analytically modeled in the IQ-SPECT projector. The estimated crosstalk was then compensated for in an iterative reconstruction process. The new method was validated with data from both Monte Carlo simulations and physical phantom experiments. The results showed that the estimated crosstalk was in good agreement with simulated and measured results. After model-based compensation the images from simultaneous dual-radionuclide acquisitions were similar in quality to those from single-radionuclide acquisitions that did not have crosstalk contamination. The proposed model-based method can be used to improve simultaneous dual-radionuclide images acquired using IQ-SPECT. This work also demonstrates that ESSE scatter

Magnetized and collimated millimeter scale plasma jets with astrophysical relevance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brady, Parrish C.; Quevedo, Hernan J.; Valanju, Prashant M.; Bengtson, Roger D.; Ditmire, Todd

2012-01-01

Magnetized collimated plasma jets are created in the laboratory to extend our understanding of plasma jet acceleration and collimation mechanisms with particular connection to astrophysical jets. In this study, plasma collimated jets are formed from supersonic unmagnetized flows, mimicking a stellar wind, subject to currents and magnetohydrodynamic forces. It is found that an external poloidal magnetic field, like the ones found anchored to accretion disks, is essential to stabilize the jets against current-driven instabilities. The maximum jet length before instabilities develop is proportional to the field strength and the length threshold agrees well with Kruskal-Shafranov theory. The plasma evolution is modeled qualitatively using MHD theory of current-carrying flux tubes showing that jet acceleration and collimation arise as a result of electromagnetic forces.

Collimation quench test with 6.5 TeV proton beams

CERN Document Server

Salvachua Ferrando, Belen Maria; Bruce, Roderik; Hermes, Pascal Dominik; Holzer, Eva Barbara; Jacquet, Delphine; Kalliokoski, Matti; Mereghetti, Alessio; Mirarchi, Daniele; Redaelli, Stefano; Skordis, Eleftherios; Valentino, Gianluca; Valloni, Alessandra; Wollmann, Daniel; Zerlauth, Markus; CERN. Geneva. ATS Department

2016-01-01

We show here the analysis of the MD test that aimed to quench the superconducting magnets in the dispersion suppressor region downstream of the main betatron collimation system. In Run I there were several attempts to quench the magnets in the same region. This was done by exciting the Beam 2 in a controlled way using the transverse damper and generating losses leaking from the collimation cleaning. No quench was achieved in 2013 with a maximum of 1 MW of beam power loss absorbed by the collimation system at 4 TeV beam energy. In 2015 a new collimation quench test was done at 6.5 TeV aiming at similar power loss over longer period, 5-10 s. The main outcome of this test is reviewed.

Review of SPECT collimator selection, optimization, and fabrication for clinical and preclinical imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Audenhaege, Karen, E-mail: karen.vanaudenhaege@ugent.be; Van Holen, Roel; Vandenberghe, Stefaan; Vanhove, Christian [Department of Electronics and Information Systems, MEDISIP-IBiTech, Ghent University–iMinds Medical IT, De Pintelaan 185 block B/5, Ghent B-9000 (Belgium); Metzler, Scott D. [Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States); Moore, Stephen C. [Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 (United States)

2015-08-15

In single photon emission computed tomography, the choice of the collimator has a major impact on the sensitivity and resolution of the system. Traditional parallel-hole and fan-beam collimators used in clinical practice, for example, have a relatively poor sensitivity and subcentimeter spatial resolution, while in small-animal imaging, pinhole collimators are used to obtain submillimeter resolution and multiple pinholes are often combined to increase sensitivity. This paper reviews methods for production, sensitivity maximization, and task-based optimization of collimation for both clinical and preclinical imaging applications. New opportunities for improved collimation are now arising primarily because of (i) new collimator-production techniques and (ii) detectors with improved intrinsic spatial resolution that have recently become available. These new technologies are expected to impact the design of collimators in the future. The authors also discuss concepts like septal penetration, high-resolution applications, multiplexing, sampling completeness, and adaptive systems, and the authors conclude with an example of an optimization study for a parallel-hole, fan-beam, cone-beam, and multiple-pinhole collimator for different applications.

An improved scattering routine for collimation tracking studies at LHC

CERN Document Server

Tambasco, Claudia; Salvachua Ferrando, Maria Belen; Cavoto, Gianluca

The present Master thesis work has been carried out at CERN in the framework of the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) Collimation project. The LHC accelerates proton beams up to 7 TeV colliding in the experiment detectors installed in four points of the accelerator ring. The LHC is built to store a energy of 360MJ for each beam. The energy deposition induced by local beam losses could quench the superconducting magnets located around the accelerator beam pipes. To prevent and keep under control dangerous beam losses, an efficient collimation system is required. In addition, the achievable LHC beam intensity is related to the beam loss rate and, consequently, to the cleaning efficiency of the collimation system. Collimation studies at LHC are carried out also by means of simulations by using SixTrack, a dedicated simulation tool that tracks a large numbers of particles for many turns around the ring. The SixTrack code includes a scattering routine to model proton interactions with the material of the collimators j...

Electromagnetic radiation detector

Science.gov (United States)

Benson, Jay L.; Hansen, Gordon J.

1976-01-01

An electromagnetic radiation detector including a collimating window, a cathode member having a photoelectric emissive material surface angularly disposed to said window whereby radiation is impinged thereon at acute angles, an anode, separated from the cathode member by an evacuated space, for collecting photoelectrons emitted from the emissive cathode surface, and a negatively biased, high transmissive grid disposed between the cathode member and anode.

Beam Loss Patterns at the LHC Collimators Measurements & Simulations

CERN Document Server

Böhlen, Till Tobias

2008-01-01

The Beam Loss Monitoring (BLM) system of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) detects particle losses of circulating beams and initiates an emergency extraction of the beam in case that the BLM thresholds are exceeded. This protection is required as energy deposition in the accelerator equipment due to secondary shower particles can reach critical levels; causing damage to the beam-line components and quenches of superconducting magnets. Robust and movable beam line elements, so-called collimators, are the aperture limitations of the LHC. Consequently, they are exposed to the excess of lost beam particles and their showers. Proton loss patterns at LHC collimators have to be determined to interpret the signal of the BLM detectors and to set adequate BLM thresholds for the protection of collimators and other equipment in case of unacceptably increased loss rates. The first part of this work investigates the agreement of BLM detector measurements with simulations for an LHC-like collimation setup. The setup consists ...

COLLIMATORS AND MATERIALS FOR HIGH INTENSITY HEAVY ION SYNCHROTRONS

CERN Document Server

Stadlmann, J; Kollmus, H; Spiller, P; Strasik, I; Tahir, N A; Tomut, M; Trautmann, C

2012-01-01

The operation of high power high brightness accelerators requires huge efforts for beam cleaning and machine protection. Within the WP 8 (ColMat) of the EU research framework EuCARD[1] we investigate new materials and methods for beam collimation and machine protection. We present an overview of these activities at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum f¨ur Schwerionenforschung, Darmstadt. Simulations of accidental beam losses in LHC and SIS100 have been performed. Scenarios for halo collimation of heavy ions and protons in SIS100 routine operation have been investigated. A prototype of a cryogenic collimator for charge exchange losses during intermediate charge state heavy ion operation in SIS100 has been build and tested with beam. Several candidates of advanced composite materials for collimation system upgrades of present and future high power accelerators have been irradiated and their properties are being characterized. Most deliverables and milestones of the R&D programme were already reached before the end of...

DOUBLE-WALL COLLIMATOR DESIGN OF THE SNS PROJECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

SIMOS, N.; LUDEWIG, H.; CATALAN-LASHERAS, N.; CRIVELLO, S.

2001-01-01

The collimator absorber array of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) project is responsible for stopping the 1.0 GeV protons that are in the halo of the beam. It is estimated that 0.1% of the 2 MW beam will be intercepted by the adopted collimating scheme implemented at various sections of the beam transport and accumulation. This paper summarizes the conceptual design of the collimator absorber as well as the supporting detailed analysis that were performed and guided the design process. Key requirement in the design process is the need for the collimator beam tube to minimize beam impedance while closely following its beta function. Due to lack of available experimental data, the long-term behavior of irradiated materials in an environment where they interface with coolant flow becomes an issue. Uncertainties in the long-term behavior prompted a special double-wall design that will enable not only beam halo interception but also the efficient transfer of deposited energy both under normal and off-normal conditions to the coolant flow. The thermo-mechanical response of the double wall beam tube and of a particle bed surrounding it are discussed in detail in the paper

Characterization of a multileaf collimator system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galvin, J.M.; Smith, A.R.; Lally, B.

1993-01-01

Commissioning measurements for a multileaf collimator installed on a dual energy accelerator with 6 and 15 MV photons are described. Detailed dosimetric characterization of the multileaf collimator is a requirement for modeling the collimator with treatment planning software. Measurements include a determination of the penumbra width, leaf transmission, between-leaf leakage, and localization of the leaf ends and sides. Standard radiographic film was used for the penumbra measurements, and separate experiments using radiochromic film and thermoluminescent dosimeters were performed to verify that distortions of the dose distribution at an edge due to changing energy sensitivity of silver bromide film are negligible. Films were analyzed with a scanning laser densitometer with a 210 micron spot. Little change in the penumbra edge distribution was noted for different positions of a leaf in the field. Experiments localizing the physical end of the leaves showed less than 1 mm deviation from the 50% decrement line. This small difference is attributed to the shaped end on the leaves. One side of a single leaf corresponded to the 50% decrement line, but the opposite face was aligned with a lower value. This difference is due to the tongue and groove used to decrease between-leaf leakage. For both energies, approximately 2% of photons incident on the multileaf collimator are transmitted and an additional 0.5% leakage occurs between the leaves. Alignment of the leaves to form a straight edge results in a penumbra profile which compares favorably with the standard technique of using alloy blocks. When the edge is stepped, the isodose lines follow the leaf pattern and the boundary is poorly defined compared to divergent blocks. 19 refs., 13 figs

Response matrix of an extended range Bonner sphere spectrometer for the characterization of collimated neutron beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bedogni, R.; Esposito, A.; Gomez-Ros, J.M.

2010-01-01

Accelerator-based neutron beams are becoming popular tools for material testing, radiation hardness and soft errors studies. The characterization of these beams in terms of dosimetric and spectrometric quantities is a challenging task, mainly due to their wide energy interval (from thermal up to hundreds MeV) and, in certain facilities like VESUVIO - ISIS (RAL, UK), to their small dimension (few cm in radius). Extended Range Bonner Sphere Spectrometers (ERBSS) would be a valuable tool, due to their wide energy range, good photon discrimination and possibility to choose among different central detectors according to the intensity, photon component and time structure of the field. Nevertheless, the non-uniform irradiation of the spheres could lead to important systematic errors. With the aim of bringing the advantages of ERBSS into the characterization of collimated beams, a dedicated study was performed using the VESUVIO spallation-based collimated beam at ISIS (Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxford). Here a 3.21 cm radius collimated beam was characterized using a Dysprosium activation foil-based ERBSS whose response matrix was recalculated for this specific beam diameter. Besides the results of the experimental campaign, this paper presents the calculation of the response matrix and its dependence on the beam dimension.

First Sub-arcsecond Collimation of Monochromatic Neutrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wagh, Apoorva G; Abbas, Sohrab; Treimer, Wolfgang, E-mail: nintsspd@barc.gov.in

2010-11-01

We have achieved the tightest collimation to date of a monochromatic neutron beam by diffracting neutrons from a Bragg prism, viz. a single crystal prism operating in the vicinity of Bragg incidence. An optimised silicon {l_brace}111{r_brace} Bragg prism has collimated 5.26A neutrons down to 0.58 arcsecond. In conjunction with a similarly optimised Bragg prism analyser of opposite asymmetry, this ultra-parallel beam yielded a 0.62 arcsecond wide rocking curve. This beam has produced the first SUSANS spectrum in Q {approx} 10{sup -6} A{sup -1} range with a hydroxyapatite casein protein sample and demonstrated the instrument capability of characterising agglomerates upto 150 {mu}m in size. The super-collimation has also enabled recording of the first neutron diffraction pattern from a macroscopic grating of 200 {mu}m period. An analysis of this pattern yielded the beam transverse coherence length of 175 {mu}m (FWHM), the greatest achieved to date for A wavelength neutrons.

Beam feasibility study of a collimator with in-jaw beam position monitors

Science.gov (United States)

Wollmann, Daniel; Nosych, Andriy A.; Valentino, Gianluca; Aberle, Oliver; Aßmann, Ralph W.; Bertarelli, Alessandro; Boccard, Christian; Bruce, Roderik; Burkart, Florian; Calvo, Eva; Cauchi, Marija; Dallocchio, Alessandro; Deboy, Daniel; Gasior, Marek; Jones, Rhodri; Kain, Verena; Lari, Luisella; Redaelli, Stefano; Rossi, Adriana

2014-12-01

At present, the beam-based alignment of the LHC collimators is performed by touching the beam halo with both jaws of each collimator. This method requires dedicated fills at low intensities that are done infrequently and makes this procedure time consuming. This limits the operational flexibility, in particular in the case of changes of optics and orbit configuration in the experimental regions. The performance of the LHC collimation system relies on the machine reproducibility and regular loss maps to validate the settings of the collimator jaws. To overcome these limitations and to allow a continuous monitoring of the beam position at the collimators, a design with jaw-integrated Beam Position Monitors (BPMs) was proposed and successfully tested with a prototype (mock-up) collimator in the CERN SPS. Extensive beam experiments allowed to determine the achievable accuracy of the jaw alignment for single and multi-turn operation. In this paper, the results of these experiments are discussed. The non-linear response of the BPMs is compared to the predictions from electromagnetic simulations. Finally, the measured alignment accuracy is compared to the one achieved with the present collimators in the LHC.

Heavy-ion collimation at the Large Hadron Collider. Simulations and measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hermes, Pascal Dominik

2016-12-19

The CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) stores and collides proton and {sup 208}Pb{sup 82+} beams of unprecedented energy and intensity. Thousands of superconducting magnets, operated at 1.9 K, guide the very intense and energetic particle beams, which have a large potential for destruction. This implies the demand for a multi-stage collimation system to provide protection from beam-induced quenches or even hardware damage. In heavy-ion operation, ion fragments with significant rigidity offsets can still scatter out of the collimation system. When they irradiate the superconducting LHC magnets, the latter risk to quench (lose their superconducting property). These secondary collimation losses can potentially impose a limitation for the stored heavy-ion beam energy. Therefore, their distribution in the LHC needs to be understood by sophisticated simulations. Such simulation tools must accurately simulate the particle motion of many different nuclides in the magnetic LHC lattice and simulate their interaction with the collimators. Previous simulation tools used simplified models for the simulation of particle-matter interaction and showed discrepancies compared to the measured loss patterns. This thesis describes the development and application of improved heavy-ion collimation simulation tools. Two different approaches are presented to provide these functionalities. In the first presented tool, called STIER, fragmentation at the primary collimator is simulated with the Monte-Carlo event generator FLUKA. The ion fragments scattered out of the primary collimator are subsequently tracked as protons with ion-equivalent rigidities in the existing proton tracking tool SixTrack. This approach was used to prepare the collimator settings for the 2015 LHC heavy-ion run and its predictions allowed reducing undesired losses. More accurate simulation results are obtained with the second presented simulation tool, in which SixTrack is extended to track arbitrary heavy ions. This new

Heavy-ion collimation at the Large Hadron Collider. Simulations and measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hermes, Pascal Dominik

2016-01-01

The CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) stores and collides proton and 208 Pb 82+ beams of unprecedented energy and intensity. Thousands of superconducting magnets, operated at 1.9 K, guide the very intense and energetic particle beams, which have a large potential for destruction. This implies the demand for a multi-stage collimation system to provide protection from beam-induced quenches or even hardware damage. In heavy-ion operation, ion fragments with significant rigidity offsets can still scatter out of the collimation system. When they irradiate the superconducting LHC magnets, the latter risk to quench (lose their superconducting property). These secondary collimation losses can potentially impose a limitation for the stored heavy-ion beam energy. Therefore, their distribution in the LHC needs to be understood by sophisticated simulations. Such simulation tools must accurately simulate the particle motion of many different nuclides in the magnetic LHC lattice and simulate their interaction with the collimators. Previous simulation tools used simplified models for the simulation of particle-matter interaction and showed discrepancies compared to the measured loss patterns. This thesis describes the development and application of improved heavy-ion collimation simulation tools. Two different approaches are presented to provide these functionalities. In the first presented tool, called STIER, fragmentation at the primary collimator is simulated with the Monte-Carlo event generator FLUKA. The ion fragments scattered out of the primary collimator are subsequently tracked as protons with ion-equivalent rigidities in the existing proton tracking tool SixTrack. This approach was used to prepare the collimator settings for the 2015 LHC heavy-ion run and its predictions allowed reducing undesired losses. More accurate simulation results are obtained with the second presented simulation tool, in which SixTrack is extended to track arbitrary heavy ions. This new tracking

Collimation of particle beams from thick accretion discs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sikora, M [N. Copernicus Astronomical Center, Warszawa (Poland); Wilson, D B [Cambridge Univ. (UK). Inst. of Astronomy

1981-11-01

The acceleration and collimation of particle beams in the funnel of thick accretion discs is studied in the approximation that the flow is optically thin. Such flows can be collimated to within approximately 0.1 radians by sufficiently thick discs. The flow cannot convert more than a small fraction of the disc's (super-Eddington) luminosity into the energy flow of a narrow beam without being optically thick.

First Design of a Proton Collimation System for 50 TeV FCC-hh

CERN Document Server

Fiascaris, Maria; Mirarchi, Daniele; Redaelli, Stefano

2016-01-01

We present studies aimed at defining a first conceptual solution for a collimation system for the hadron-hadron option for the Future Circular Collider (FCC-hh). The baseline collimation layout is based on the scaling of the present LHC collimation system to the FCC-hh energy. It currently includes a dedicated betatron cleaning insertion as well as collimators in the experimental insertions to protect the inner triplets. An aperture model for the FCC-hh is defined and the geometrical acceptance is calculated at top energy taking into account mechanical and optics imperfections. Based on these studies the collimator settings needed to protect the machine are defined. The performance of the collimation system is then assessed with particle tracking simulation tools assuming a perfect machine.

Dental radiography technique and equipment: How they influence the radiation dose received at the level of the thyroid gland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rush, E.R. [School of Health Sciences, University of Ulster, Shore Road, Newtownabbey, Belfast BT37 0QB (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: emmaroserush@hotmail.com; Thompson, N.A. [School of Health Sciences, University of Ulster, Shore Road, Newtownabbey, Belfast BT37 0QB (United Kingdom)

2007-08-15

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence that collimator and technique choice had on the radiation dose detected at the thyroid gland position, during intra-oral examinations of the upper and lower teeth. Radiation dose reduction from a different perspective, other than the application of lead-rubber shielding, was addressed. Methods: A study was performed at a regional dental school with the use of a phantom head/neck and a radiation dosemeter, to measure the radiation dose detected at the thyroid gland position. The radiation dose was assessed for two intra-oral techniques (paralleling and bisecting angle), and two collimators (rectangular and circular). The radiation dose was also assessed with and without the application of a thyroid shield. Standard descriptive statistics, followed by inferential statistics were applied to the data. Results: There was a significant reduction in the radiation dose detected at the thyroid gland position, when employing the paralleling technique (66.7%) and rectangular collimator (45.5%). Other factors, for example the tooth/teeth under examination, were also found to influence the radiation dose detected. Conclusion: Radiation dose reductions using the paralleling technique and rectangular collimator were outlined. The use of this low dose combination within dental practices remains limited, therefore, continued awareness and acceptance of radiation hazards need to be addressed.

Dental radiography technique and equipment: How they influence the radiation dose received at the level of the thyroid gland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rush, E.R.; Thompson, N.A.

2007-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence that collimator and technique choice had on the radiation dose detected at the thyroid gland position, during intra-oral examinations of the upper and lower teeth. Radiation dose reduction from a different perspective, other than the application of lead-rubber shielding, was addressed. Methods: A study was performed at a regional dental school with the use of a phantom head/neck and a radiation dosemeter, to measure the radiation dose detected at the thyroid gland position. The radiation dose was assessed for two intra-oral techniques (paralleling and bisecting angle), and two collimators (rectangular and circular). The radiation dose was also assessed with and without the application of a thyroid shield. Standard descriptive statistics, followed by inferential statistics were applied to the data. Results: There was a significant reduction in the radiation dose detected at the thyroid gland position, when employing the paralleling technique (66.7%) and rectangular collimator (45.5%). Other factors, for example the tooth/teeth under examination, were also found to influence the radiation dose detected. Conclusion: Radiation dose reductions using the paralleling technique and rectangular collimator were outlined. The use of this low dose combination within dental practices remains limited, therefore, continued awareness and acceptance of radiation hazards need to be addressed

Off-momentum collimation and cleaning in the energy ramp in the LHC

CERN Document Server

Quaranta, Elena; Giulini Castiglioni Agosteo, Stefano Luigi Maria

This Master thesis work has been carried out at CERN in the framework of the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) Collimation project. The LHC is a two-beam proton collider, built to handle a stored energy of 360MJ for each beam. Since the energy deposition from particle losses could quench the superconducting magnets, a system of collimators has been installed in two cleaning insertions in the ring and in the experimental areas. The achievable LHC beam intensity is directly coupled to the beam loss rate and, consequently, to the cleaning eciency of the collimation system. This study analyses the collimation cleaning performance in dierent scenarios inside the accelerator. First, simulations are performed of the transverse losses in the LHC collimation system during the acceleration process. The results are compared with data taken during a dedicated session at the LHC machine. Simulations are also performed to predict the collimation eciency during future operation at higher energy. Furthermore, an investigation of t...

Three-dimensional single-photon emission computed tomography using cone beam collimation (CB-SPECT)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaszczak, R.J.; Floyd, C.E. Jr.; Manglos, S.H.; Greer, K.L.; Coleman, R.E.

1986-01-01

A simple and economically practical method of improving the sensitivity of camera-based SPECT was developed using converging (cone-beam) collimation. This geometry is particularly advantageous for SPECT devices using large field-of-view cameras in imaging smaller, centrally located activity distributions. Geometric sensitivities, spatial resolutions, and fields-of-view of a cone-beam collimator having a focal length of 48 cm and a similarly designed parallel hole collimator were compared analytically. At 15 cm from the collimator surface the point-source sensitivity of the cone-beam collimator was 2.4 times the sensitivity of the parallel-hole collimator. SPECT projection data (simulated using Monte Carlo methodology) were reconstructed using a 3-D filtered backprojection algorithm. Cone-beam emission CT (CB-SPECT) seems potentially useful for animal investigations, pediatric studies, and for brain imaging

A collimator optimization method for quantitative imaging: application to Y-90 bremsstrahlung SPECT.

Science.gov (United States)

Rong, Xing; Frey, Eric C

2013-08-01

Post-therapy quantitative 90Y bremsstrahlung single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has shown great potential to provide reliable activity estimates, which are essential for dose verification. Typically 90Y imaging is performed with high- or medium-energy collimators. However, the energy spectrum of 90Y bremsstrahlung photons is substantially different than typical for these collimators. In addition, dosimetry requires quantitative images, and collimators are not typically optimized for such tasks. Optimizing a collimator for 90Y imaging is both novel and potentially important. Conventional optimization methods are not appropriate for 90Y bremsstrahlung photons, which have a continuous and broad energy distribution. In this work, the authors developed a parallel-hole collimator optimization method for quantitative tasks that is particularly applicable to radionuclides with complex emission energy spectra. The authors applied the proposed method to develop an optimal collimator for quantitative 90Y bremsstrahlung SPECT in the context of microsphere radioembolization. To account for the effects of the collimator on both the bias and the variance of the activity estimates, the authors used the root mean squared error (RMSE) of the volume of interest activity estimates as the figure of merit (FOM). In the FOM, the bias due to the null space of the image formation process was taken in account. The RMSE was weighted by the inverse mass to reflect the application to dosimetry; for a different application, more relevant weighting could easily be adopted. The authors proposed a parameterization for the collimator that facilitates the incorporation of the important factors (geometric sensitivity, geometric resolution, and septal penetration fraction) determining collimator performance, while keeping the number of free parameters describing the collimator small (i.e., two parameters). To make the optimization results for quantitative 90Y bremsstrahlung SPECT more

SU-E-T-515: Field-In-Field Compensation Technique Using Multi-Leaf Collimator to Deliver Total Body Irradiation (TBI) Dose

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lakeman, T [The State University of New York at Buffalo (United States); Wang, IZ [The State University of New York at Buffalo (United States); Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY (United States)

2014-06-01

Purpose: Total body irradiation (TBI) uses large parallel-opposed radiation fields to suppress the patient's immune system and eradicate the residual cancer cells in preparation of recipient for bone marrow transplant. The manual placement of lead compensators has been used conventionally to compensate for the varying thickness through the entire body in large-field TBI. The goal of this study is to pursue utilizing the modern field-in-field (FIF) technique with the multi-leaf collimator (MLC) to more accurately and efficiently deliver dose to patients in need of TBI. Method: Treatment plans utilizing the FIF technique to deliver a total body dose were created retrospectively for patients for whom CT data had been previously acquired. Treatment fields include one pair of opposed open large fields (collimator=45°) with a specific weighting and a succession of smaller fields (collimator=90°) each with their own weighting. The smaller fields are shaped by moving MLC to block the sections of the patient which have already received close to 100% of the prescribed dose. The weighting factors for each of these fields were calculated using the attenuation coefficient of the initial lead compensators and the separation of the patient in different positions in the axial plane. Results: Dose-volume histograms (DVH) were calculated for evaluating the FIF compensation technique. The maximum body doses calculated from the DVH were reduced from the non-compensated 179.3% to 148.2% in the FIF plans, indicating a more uniform dose with the FIF compensation. All calculated monitor units were well within clinically acceptable limits and exceeded those of the original lead compensation plan by less than 50 MU (only ~1.1% increase). Conclusion: MLC FIF technique for TBI will not significantly increase the beam on time while it can substantially reduce the compensator setup time and the potential risk of errors in manually placing lead compensators.

A proposal for quality assurance of multi-leaf collimators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hounsell, A R; Jordan, T J; Williams, P C

1995-01-01

Multi-leaf collimators (MLC's) are rapidly entering clinical service in many Institutes through-out the World. Commercial MLC's are reliable but highly complex devices that have new and sometimes complex maintenance and quality assurance (QA) requirements. The experience gained from installing the prototype Philips MLC and from using and maintaining two production model Philips MLC's - one four years old, one six months old - will be used to define the requirements of a QA schedule for MLC's. Problems specific to MLC's such as leaf positioning and radiation leakage between the leaves will be discussed and methods for measuring these problems presented. Recommendations for the frequency for performing these checks based on our experiences will be made. Preventative maintenance times, machine down times due to the MLC and planned Quality Control down times will be reported

Betatron-collimation Studies for Heavy Ions in the FCC-hh

CERN Multimedia

Logothetis Agaliotis, Efstathios

2018-01-01

One of the biggest challenges in the design of the FCC-hh is the collimation system. From LHC experience it is known that a collimation system optimized for proton cleaning has a significantly reduced efficiency for heavy ions. The study presented in this contribution evaluates the betatron-collimation efficiency for the heavy-ion operation with lead nuclei at a beam energy of 50 Z TeV in the system designed for proton operation. The fragmentation processes of the main beam particles in the primary collimator are simulated with FLUKA and fragments are individually tracked with SixTrack until being lost in the downstream aperture. In this way a first-impact loss-map is obtained, identifying locations where high energy deposition are to be expected. This provides a first-level assessment of feasibility and allows to include countermeasures in the conceptual accelerator design.

Characterization of plastic and boron carbide additive manufactured neutron collimators

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, M. B.; Siddel, D. H.; Elliott, A. M.; Anderson, D.; Abernathy, D. L.

2017-12-01

Additive manufacturing techniques allow for the production of materials with complicated geometries with reduced costs and production time over traditional methods. We have applied this technique to the production of neutron collimators for use in thermal and cold neutron scattering instrumentation directly out of boron carbide. We discuss the design and generation of these collimators. We also provide measurements at neutron scattering beamlines which serve to characterize the performance of these collimators. Additive manufacturing of parts using neutron absorbing material may also find applications in radiography and neutron moderation.

Experimental research on rear collimator in γ-ray industrial CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Zhifang; Liu Jinhui

2009-01-01

Rear collimator is one of the key components in the γ-ray industrial CT, which plays an important role in removing scattering influence and improving the CT spatial resolution. High-performance CT is always associated with a high-quality collimator. By means of experiments, this paper discusses the behavior of collimators with different shapes and structures from the aspects of detector output signal, mass attenuation coefficient of the inspected object and quality of the actual CT image. The qualitative and quantitative results are reached, which are helpful for the design of high-performance industrial CT.

Tomographic images of cerebral blood flow using a slant hole collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wraight, E.P.; Barber, R.W.; Crossland, P.; Maltby, P.

1983-01-01

The feasibility of using a rotating slant hole (RSH) collimator on simple tomographic equipment such as a standard gamma camera interfaced to a general purpose Nuclear Medicine computer is reported for producing images of cerebral blood flow following the administration of 123 I-iodoamphetamine to patients. Initial studies produced satisfactory images, thus opening the possibility of tomographic cerebral blood flow imaging to centres not possessing sophisticated tomographic equipment. Planar resolution is superior to that reported for a 25 0 RSH collimator. Axial resolution is not as good at small source distances but is comparable at distances beyond 10 cm. Sensitivity is comparable to other RSH collimators and is similar to Technicare's parallel hole general all purpose collimator. (UK)

Comparison of LHC collimator beam-based alignment to BPM-Interpolated centers

CERN Document Server

Valentino, G; Assmann, R W; Bruce, R; Muller, G J; Redaelli, S; Rossi, A; Lari, L

2012-01-01

The beam centers at the Large Hadron Collider collimators are determined by beam-based alignment, where both jaws of a collimator are moved in separately until a loss spike is detected on a Beam LossMonitor downstream. Orbit drifts of more than a few hundred micrometers cannot be tolerated, as they would compromise the performance of the collimation system. Beam Position Monitors (BPMs) are installed at various locations around the LHC ring, and a linear interpolation of the orbit can be obtained at the collimator positions. In this paper, the results obtained from beam-based alignment are compared with the orbit interpolated from the BPM data throughout the 2011 and 2012 LHC proton runs.

An investigation of the dose distribution effect related with collimator angle in volumetric arc therapy of prostate cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bora Tas

2016-01-01

Full Text Available To investigate the dose-volume variations of planning target volume (PTV and organ at risks (OARs in eleven prostate cancer patients planned with single and double arc volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT when varying collimator angle. Single and double arc VMAT treatment plans were created using Monaco5.0® with collimator angle set to 0°. All plans were normalized 7600 cGy dose to the 95% of clinical target volume (CTV volume. The single arc VMAT plans were reoptimized with different collimator angles (0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, and 90°, and for double arc VMAT plans (0–0°, 15°–345, 30–330°, 45–315°, 60–300°, 75–285°, 90–270° using the same optimization parameters. For the comparison the parameters of heterogeneity index (HI, dose-volume histogram and minimum dose to the 95% of PTV volume (D95 PTV calculated and analyzed. The best plans were verified using 2 dimensional ion chamber array IBA Matrixx® and three-dimensional IBA Compass® program. The comparison between calculation and measurement were made by the γ-index (3%/3 mm analysis. A higher D95 (PTV were found for single arc VMAT with 15° collimator angle. For double arc, VMAT with 60–300° and 75–285° collimator angles. However, lower rectum doses obtained for 75–285° collimator angles. There was no significant dose difference, based on other OARs which are bladder and femur head. When we compared single and double arc VMAT's D95 (PTV, we determined 2.44% high coverage and lower HI with double arc VMAT. All plans passed the γ-index (3%/3 mm analysis with more than 97% of the points and we had an average γ-index for CTV 0.36, for PTV 0.32 with double arc VMAT. These results were significant by Wilcoxon signed rank test statistically. The results show that dose coverage of target and OAR's doses also depend significantly on the collimator angles due to the geometry of target and OARs. Based on the results we have decided to plan prostate

The practical Pomeron for high energy proton collimation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Appleby, R.B. [University of Manchester, The Cockcroft Institute, Manchester (United Kingdom); Barlow, R.J.; Toader, A. [The University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield (United Kingdom); Molson, J.G. [Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS/IN2P3, Universite Paris-Saclay, LAL, Orsay (France); Serluca, M. [CERN, Geneva (Switzerland)

2016-10-15

We present a model which describes proton scattering data from ISR to Tevatron energies, and which can be applied to collimation in high energy accelerators, such as the LHC and FCC. Collimators remove beam halo particles, so that they do not impinge on vulnerable regions of the machine, such as the superconducting magnets and the experimental areas. In simulating the effect of the collimator jaws it is crucial to model the scattering of protons at small momentum transfer t, as these protons can subsequently survive several turns of the ring before being lost. At high energies these soft processes are well described by Pomeron exchange models. We study the behaviour of elastic and single-diffractive dissociation cross sections over a wide range of energy, and show that the model can be used as a global description of the wide variety of high energy elastic and diffractive data presently available. In particular it models low mass diffraction dissociation, where a rich resonance structure is present, and thus predicts the differential and integrated cross sections in the kinematical range appropriate to the LHC. We incorporate the physics of this model into the beam tracking code MERLIN and use it to simulate the resulting loss maps of the beam halo lost in the collimators in the LHC. (orig.)

The practical Pomeron for high energy proton collimation

Science.gov (United States)

Appleby, R. B.; Barlow, R. J.; Molson, J. G.; Serluca, M.; Toader, A.

2016-10-01

We present a model which describes proton scattering data from ISR to Tevatron energies, and which can be applied to collimation in high energy accelerators, such as the LHC and FCC. Collimators remove beam halo particles, so that they do not impinge on vulnerable regions of the machine, such as the superconducting magnets and the experimental areas. In simulating the effect of the collimator jaws it is crucial to model the scattering of protons at small momentum transfer t, as these protons can subsequently survive several turns of the ring before being lost. At high energies these soft processes are well described by Pomeron exchange models. We study the behaviour of elastic and single-diffractive dissociation cross sections over a wide range of energy, and show that the model can be used as a global description of the wide variety of high energy elastic and diffractive data presently available. In particular it models low mass diffraction dissociation, where a rich resonance structure is present, and thus predicts the differential and integrated cross sections in the kinematical range appropriate to the LHC. We incorporate the physics of this model into the beam tracking code MERLIN and use it to simulate the resulting loss maps of the beam halo lost in the collimators in the LHC.

Geometric beam coupling impedance of LHC secondary collimators

Science.gov (United States)

Frasciello, Oscar; Tomassini, Sandro; Zobov, Mikhail; Salvant, Benoit; Grudiev, Alexej; Mounet, Nicolas

2016-02-01

The High Luminosity LHC project is aimed at increasing the LHC luminosity by an order of magnitude. One of the key ingredients to achieve the luminosity goal is the beam intensity increase. In order to keep beam instabilities under control and to avoid excessive power losses a careful design of new vacuum chamber components and an improvement of the present LHC impedance model are required. Collimators are among the major impedance contributors. Measurements with beam have revealed that the betatron coherent tune shifts were higher by about a factor of 2 with respect to the theoretical predictions based on the LHC impedance model up to 2012. In that model the resistive wall impedance has been considered as the dominating impedance contribution for collimators. By carefully simulating also their geometric impedance we have contributed to the update of the LHC impedance model, reaching also a better agreement between the measured and simulated betatron tune shifts. During the just ended LHC Long Shutdown I (LSI), TCS/TCT collimators were replaced by new devices embedding BPMs and TT2-111R ferrite blocks. We present here preliminary estimations of their broad-band impedance, showing that an increase of about 20% is expected in the kick factors with respect to previous collimators without BPMs.

MD1878: Operation with primary collimators at tighter settings

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2078850; Amorim, David; Biancacci, Nicolo; Bruce, Roderik; Buffat, Xavier; Carver, Lee Robert; Fiascaris, Maria; Mereghetti, Alessio; Redaelli, Stefano; Rossi, Roberto; Salvachua Ferrando, Belen Maria; Soderen, Martin; Trad, Georges; CERN. Geneva. ATS Department

2017-01-01

Primary (TCP) collimators of the betatron cleaning insertion determine the betatron cut of the LHC beam. During the 2016 they were set at 5.5 nominal beam sigmas at 6.5 TeV (i.e. by using a normalized emittance ε* = 3:5 μm is used). Reducing their settings is a possible way to push the ß* at the LHC, which depends on the collimation hierarchy. This study aims at understanding possible limitations of operating the LHC with tighter settings of the primary collimators. This is a crucial input to the choice of operational configuration in terms of ß* at the LHC as well as at the HL-LHC. This study follows a successful MD done in block 3 to understand limitations from TCP impedance [1]. The outcome of this MD can also have an impact for the design of the FCC collimation system, which is currently based on the present TCP gaps. Studies of beam stability as a function of octupole current, transverse feedback gain (ADT) and transverse separation at the IPs were also carried out.

EPICS Controlled Collimator for Controlling Beam Sizes in HIPPO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Napolitano, Arthur Soriano [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Vogel, Sven C. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-08-03

Controlling the beam spot size and shape in a diffraction experiment determines the probed sample volume. The HIPPO - High-Pressure-Preferred Orientation– neutron time-offlight diffractometer is located at the Lujan Neutron Scattering Center in Los Alamos National Laboratories. HIPPO characterizes microstructural parameters, such as phase composition, strains, grain size, or texture, of bulk (cm-sized) samples. In the current setup, the beam spot has a 10 mm diameter. Using a collimator, consisting of two pairs of neutron absorbing boron-nitride slabs, horizontal and vertical dimensions of a rectangular beam spot can be defined. Using the HIPPO robotic sample changer for sample motion, the collimator would enable scanning of e.g. cylindrical samples along the cylinder axis by probing slices of such samples. The project presented here describes implementation of such a collimator, in particular the motion control software. We utilized the EPICS (Experimental Physics Interface and Control System) software interface to integrate the collimator control into the HIPPO instrument control system. Using EPICS, commands are sent to commercial stepper motors that move the beam windows.

A circular multifocal collimator for 3D SPECT imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guillemaud, R.; Grangeat, P.

1993-01-01

In order to improve sensitivity of 3D Single Photon Emission Tomography (SPECT) image, a cone-beam collimator can be used. A new circular multifocal collimator is proposed. The multiple focal points are distributed on a transaxial circle which is the trajectory of the focal points during the circular acquisition. This distribution provides a strong focusing at the center of the detector like a cone-beam collimator, with a good sensitivity, and a weak transaxial focusing at the periphery. A solution for an analytical multifocal reconstruction algorithm has been derived. Grangeat algorithm is proposed to use for this purpose in order to reconstruct with a good sensitivity the region of interest. (R.P.) 3 refs

Towards Optimum Material Choices for HL-LHC Collimator Upgrade

CERN Document Server

Quaranta, E.; Biancacci, N.; Bruce, R.; Carra, F.; Métral, E.; Redaelli, S.; Rossi, A.; Salvant, B.

2016-01-01

properties that address different limitations of the present collimation system, solutions have been found to fulfil various upgrade challenges. This paper describes the proposed staged approach to deploy new materials in the upgraded HL-LHC collimation system. Beam tests at the CERN HiRadMat facility were also performed to benchmark simulation methods and constitutive material models.

A study on the performance evaluation of small gamma camera collimators using detective quantun efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeon, Ho Sang

2008-02-01

The anger-type gamma camera and novel marker compound using Tc-99m were firstly introduced in 1963. The gamma camera systems have being improved and applied to various fields, for example, medical, industrial, and environmental fields. Gamma camera is mainly composed of collimator, detector, and signal processor. And the radiative source is namely the imaging object. The collimator is essential component of gamma camera system because the imaging performance of system is mainly dependent on the collimator. The performance evaluation of collimators can be done by using evaluating factors. In this study, the novel factors for gamma camera evaluation are suggested. The established evaluating factors by NEMA are FWHM, sensitivity, and uniformity. They have some limitations in spite of their usefulness. Firstly, performance evaluation by those factors give insensitive and indirect results only. Secondly, the evaluation of noise property is ambiguous. Thirdly, there is no synthetic evaluation of system performance. Simulation with Monte Carlo code and experiment with a small camera camera were simultaenuously performed to verify novel evaluating factors. For the evaluation of spatial resolution, MTF was applied instead of FWHM. The MTF values presents excellent linear relationship with FWHM values. The NNPS was applied instead of uniformity and sensitivity for the evaluation of noise fluctuation. The NNPS values also presents linear relationship with sensitivity and unifomity. Moreover, these novel factors give quantities as the function of spatial frequencies. Finally, the DQE values were given by calculations with MTF, NNPS, and input SNR. DQE effectively presents the synthetic evaluation of gamma camera performance. It is the conclusion that MTF, NNPS, and DQE can be novel evaluating factors for gamma camera systems and the new factor for synthetic evaluation is derived

Energy budget in collimated gamma-ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tudose, Valeriu; Biermann, Peter

2003-01-01

There is increasing evidence for the existence of collimation in some, if not most, of the gamma-ray bursts. This would have direct implications, for instance, on the energy budget, the rate of events, but also indirect consequences for the theoretical models because it provides a tool to differentiate between their predictions. We consider the case of a structured jet, i.e. we assume the energy within the jet varies as a power-law, being a function of the angle between the jet axis and an arbitrary direction. We analyze first the situation in which the jet axis and the line of sight have a particular orientation, then we relax this assumption by allowing for an arbitrary viewing angle with respect to the symmetry axis of the jet. A qualitative study of the total energy content of the jet is performed. It turns out that the 'real' energy could be higher than what is inferred from observations. (authors)

RadBall Technology Testing and MCNP Modeling of the Tungsten Collimator.

Science.gov (United States)

Farfán, Eduardo B; Foley, Trevor Q; Coleman, J Rusty; Jannik, G Timothy; Holmes, Christopher J; Oldham, Mark; Adamovics, John; Stanley, Steven J

2010-01-01

The United Kingdom's National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) has developed a remote, non-electrical, radiation-mapping device known as RadBall(™), which can locate and quantify radioactive hazards within contaminated areas of the nuclear industry. RadBall(™) consists of a colander-like outer shell that houses a radiation-sensitive polymer sphere. The outer shell works to collimate radiation sources and those areas of the polymer sphere that are exposed react, becoming increasingly more opaque, in proportion to the absorbed dose. The polymer sphere is imaged in an optical-CT scanner, which produces a high resolution 3D map of optical attenuation coefficients. Subsequent analysis of the optical attenuation matrix provides information on the spatial distribution of sources in a given area forming a 3D characterization of the area of interest. RadBall(™) has no power requirements and can be positioned in tight or hard-to reach locations. The RadBall(™) technology has been deployed in a number of technology trials in nuclear waste reprocessing plants at Sellafield in the United Kingdom and facilities of the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). This study focuses on the RadBall(™) testing and modeling accomplished at SRNL.

RadBall™ Technology Testing and MCNP Modeling of the Tungsten Collimator

Science.gov (United States)

Farfán, Eduardo B.; Foley, Trevor Q.; Coleman, J. Rusty; Jannik, G. Timothy; Holmes, Christopher J.; Oldham, Mark; Adamovics, John; Stanley, Steven J.

2010-01-01

The United Kingdom’s National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) has developed a remote, non-electrical, radiation-mapping device known as RadBall™, which can locate and quantify radioactive hazards within contaminated areas of the nuclear industry. RadBall™ consists of a colander-like outer shell that houses a radiation-sensitive polymer sphere. The outer shell works to collimate radiation sources and those areas of the polymer sphere that are exposed react, becoming increasingly more opaque, in proportion to the absorbed dose. The polymer sphere is imaged in an optical-CT scanner, which produces a high resolution 3D map of optical attenuation coefficients. Subsequent analysis of the optical attenuation matrix provides information on the spatial distribution of sources in a given area forming a 3D characterization of the area of interest. RadBall™ has no power requirements and can be positioned in tight or hard-to reach locations. The RadBall™ technology has been deployed in a number of technology trials in nuclear waste reprocessing plants at Sellafield in the United Kingdom and facilities of the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). This study focuses on the RadBall™ testing and modeling accomplished at SRNL. PMID:21617740

Comparison of fan beam, slit-slat and multi-pinhole collimators for molecular breast tomosynthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

van Roosmalen, Jarno; Beekman, Freek J; Goorden, Marlies C

2018-05-16

Recently, we proposed and optimized dedicated multi-pinhole molecular breast tomosynthesis (MBT) that images a lightly compressed breast. As MBT may also be performed with other types of collimators, the aim of this paper is to optimize MBT with fan beam and slit-slat collimators and to compare its performance to that of multi-pinhole MBT to arrive at a truly optimized design. Using analytical expressions, we first optimized fan beam and slit-slat collimator parameters to reach maximum sensitivity at a series of given system resolutions. Additionally, we performed full system simulations of a breast phantom containing several tumours for the optimized designs. We found that at equal system resolution the maximum achievable sensitivity increases from pinhole to slit-slat to fan beam collimation with fan beam and slit-slat MBT having on average a 48% and 20% higher sensitivity than multi-pinhole MBT. Furthermore, by inspecting simulated images and applying a tumour-to-background contrast-to-noise (TB-CNR) analysis, we found that slit-slat collimators underperform with respect to the other collimator types. The fan beam collimators obtained a similar TB-CNR as the pinhole collimators, but the optimum was reached at different system resolutions. For fan beam collimators, a 6-8 mm system resolution was optimal in terms of TB-CNR, while with pinhole collimation highest TB-CNR was reached in the 7-10 mm range.

Global and Local Loss Suppression in the UA9 Crystal Collimation Experiment

CERN Document Server

Montesano, S

2012-01-01

UA9 was operated in the CERN-SPS for some years in view of investigating the feasibility of the halo collimation assisted by bent crystals. Silicon crystals 2 mm long with bending angles of about 150 μrad are used as primary collimators. The crystal collimation process is obtained consistently through channeling with high efficiency. The loss profiles in the area of the crystal collimator setup and in the downstream dispersion suppressor area show a steady reduction of slightly less than one order of magnitude at the onset of the channeling process. This result holds both for protons and for lead ions. The corresponding loss map in the accelerator ring is accordingly reduced. These observations strongly support our expectation that the coherent deflection of the beam halo by a bent crystal should enhance the collimation efficiency in hadron colliders, such as LHC.

Synchrotron Radiation in eRHIC Interaction Region

CERN Document Server

Beebe-Wang, Joanne; Montag, Christoph; Rondeau, Daniel J; Surrow, Bernd

2005-01-01

The eRHIC currently under study at BNL consists of an electron storage ring added to the existing RHIC complex. The interaction region of this facility has to provide the required low-beta focusing while accommodating the synchrotron radiation generated by beam separation close to the interaction point. In the current design, the synchrotron radiation caused by 10GeV electrons bent by low-beta triplet magnets will be guided through the interaction region and dumped 5m downstream. However, it is unavoidable to stop a fraction of the photons at the septum where the electron and ion vacuum system are separated. In order to protect the septum and minimize the backward scattering of the synchrotron radiation, an absorber and collimation system will be employed. In this paper, we first present the overview of the current design of the eRHIC interaction region with special emphasis on the synchrotron radiation. Then the initial design of the absorber and collimation system, including their geometrical and physical p...

Dynamic and Stagnating Plasma Flow Leading to Magnetic-Flux-Tube Collimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

You, S.; Yun, G.S.; Bellan, P.M.

2005-01-01

Highly collimated, plasma-filled magnetic-flux tubes are frequently observed on galactic, stellar, and laboratory scales. We propose that a single, universal magnetohydrodynamic pumping process explains why such collimated, plasma-filled magnetic-flux tubes are ubiquitous. Experimental evidence from carefully diagnosed laboratory simulations of astrophysical jets confirms this assertion and is reported here. The magnetohydrodynamic process pumps plasma into a magnetic-flux tube and the stagnation of the resulting flow causes this flux tube to become collimated

Coronal Jet Collimation by Nonlinear Induced Flows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vasheghani Farahani, S.; Hejazi, S. M. [Department of Physics, Tafresh University, Tafresh 39518 79611 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2017-08-01

Our objective is to study the collimation of solar jets by nonlinear forces corresponding to torsional Alfvén waves together with external forces. We consider a straight, initially non-rotating, untwisted magnetic cylinder embedded in a plasma with a straight magnetic field, where a shear between the internal and external flows exists. By implementing magnetohydrodynamic theory and taking into account the second-order thin flux tube approximation, the balance between the internal nonlinear forces is visualized. The nonlinear differential equation containing the ponderomotive, magnetic tension, and centrifugal forces in the presence of the shear flow is obtained. The solution presents the scale of influence of the propagating torsional Alfvén wave on compressive perturbations. Explicit expressions for the compressive perturbations caused by the forces connected to the torsional Alfvén wave show that, in the presence of a shear flow, the magnetic tension and centrifugal forces do not cancel each other’s effects as they did in its absence. This shear flow plays in favor of the magnetic tension force, resulting in a more efficient collimation. Regarding the ponderomotive force, the shear flow has no effect. The phase relations highlight the interplay of the shear flow and the plasma- β . As the shear flow and plasma- β increase, compressive perturbation amplitudes emerge. We conclude that the jet collimation due to the torsional Alfvén wave highly depends on the location of the jet. The shear flow tightens the collimation as the jet elevates up to the solar corona.

Thermostructural characterization and structural elastic property optimization of novel high luminosity LHC collimation materials at CERN

Science.gov (United States)

Borg, M.; Bertarelli, A.; Carra, F.; Gradassi, P.; Guardia-Valenzuela, J.; Guinchard, M.; Izquierdo, G. Arnau; Mollicone, P.; Sacristan-de-Frutos, O.; Sammut, N.

2018-03-01

The CERN Large Hadron Collider is currently being upgraded to operate at a stored beam energy of 680 MJ through the High Luminosity upgrade. The LHC performance is dependent on the functionality of beam collimation systems, essential for safe beam cleaning and machine protection. A dedicated beam experiment at the CERN High Radiation to Materials facility is created under the HRMT-23 experimental campaign. This experiment investigates the behavior of three collimation jaws having novel composite absorbers made of copper diamond, molybdenum carbide graphite, and carbon fiber carbon, experiencing accidental scenarios involving the direct beam impact on the material. Material characterization is imperative for the design, execution, and analysis of such experiments. This paper presents new data and analysis of the thermostructural characteristics of some of the absorber materials commissioned within CERN facilities. In turn, characterized elastic properties are optimized through the development and implementation of a mixed numerical-experimental optimization technique.

Thermostructural characterization and structural elastic property optimization of novel high luminosity LHC collimation materials at CERN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Borg

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The CERN Large Hadron Collider is currently being upgraded to operate at a stored beam energy of 680 MJ through the High Luminosity upgrade. The LHC performance is dependent on the functionality of beam collimation systems, essential for safe beam cleaning and machine protection. A dedicated beam experiment at the CERN High Radiation to Materials facility is created under the HRMT-23 experimental campaign. This experiment investigates the behavior of three collimation jaws having novel composite absorbers made of copper diamond, molybdenum carbide graphite, and carbon fiber carbon, experiencing accidental scenarios involving the direct beam impact on the material. Material characterization is imperative for the design, execution, and analysis of such experiments. This paper presents new data and analysis of the thermostructural characteristics of some of the absorber materials commissioned within CERN facilities. In turn, characterized elastic properties are optimized through the development and implementation of a mixed numerical-experimental optimization technique.

Design of a pre-collimator system for neutronics benchmark experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Xinggang; Liu Jiantao; Nie Yangbo; Bao Jie; Ruan Xichao; Lu Yanxia

2013-01-01

Benchmark experiment is an important means to inspect the reliability and accuracy of the evaluated nuclear data, the effect/background ratios are the important parameters to weight the quality of experimental data. In order to obtain higher effect/background ratios, a pre-collimator system was designed for benchmark experiment. This system mainly consists of a pre-collimator and a shadow cone, The MCNP-4C code was used to simulate the background spectra under various conditions, from the results we found that with the pre-collimator system have a very marked improvement in the effect/background ratios. (authors)

Analysis and experimental investigation for collimator reflective mirror surface deformation adjustment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chia-Yen Chan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Collimator design is essential for meeting the requirements of high-precision telescopes. The collimator diameter should be larger than that of the target for alignment. Special supporting structures are required to reduce the gravitational deformation and control the surface deformation induced by the mounting force when inspecting large-aperture primary mirrors (M1. A ZERODURÂŽ mirror 620 mm in diameter for a collimator was analyzed using the finite element method to obtain the deformation induced by the supporting structures and adjustment mechanism. Zernike polynomials were also adopted to fit the optical surface and separate corresponding aberrations. The computed and measured wavefront aberration configurations for the collimator M1 were obtained complementally. The wavefront aberrations were adjusted using fine adjustment screws using 3D optical path differences map of the mirror surface. Through studies using different boundary conditions and inner ring support positions, it is concluded that the optical performance was excellent under a strong enough supporter. The best adjustment position was attained and applied to the actual collimator M1 to prove the correctness of the simulation results.

Do we really need a collimator upgrade?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Redaelli, S.

2012-01-01

Several improvements are foreseen for the LHC collimation system during the LS1 and beyond. The changes are matched to the required performance reach during the HL-LHC era. The scenarios for system upgrades are determined based on the present operational experience with the operation at 3.5 TeV, well about the beam stored energy regime of 100 MJ. The present upgrade strategy, and the uncertainties on the performance extrapolation to 7 TeV are presented. The collimation activities in LS1 are outlined and the possible works for LS2 and LS3 are presented. (author)

Characteristics of a commercial Hi-pSi detector for dosimetry of stereotactic collimators with very small diameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foerster, U.; Grebe, G.; Pfaender, M.

2002-01-01

Background: Conformal stereotactic radiosurgery and radiotherapy with linear accelerators and hole collimators yield a dose concentration in the target volume by rotation of the gantry. For small target volumes collimators with isocentre diameters of 4-45 mm are used. In this paper dosimetric measurements with a commercial high doped p-type silicon detector are demonstrated and compared to measurements with diamond detector and ionisation chamber. Material and Methods: The properties of the silicon detector SFD trademark from Scanditronix were investigated with the radiation of a Gammatron trademark S and a Varian 2100 CD trademark at 6 MV. The results were compared with those of a calibrated ionisation chamber (0.3 cm 3 ) and a diamond detector. Measurements and Results: At the beginning the reproducibility of the registered dose and dose rate and the temperature dependence of the Si-detector were investigated at the Gammatron S. For the comparison the absorbed dose was measured with the ionisation chamber in air. The sensitivity decreases slightly with dose and dose rate. After a period of several days without radiation again higher doses were registered. The temperature dependence causes deviations of 0.25%/K. The signal-to-noise ratio and the spatial resolution were investigated with the linear accelerator. The signal-to-noise ratio is clearly lower compared with that of the diamond detector, whereas the resolution is nearly the same. Conclusions: The Si-detector is qualified for dosimetry of very small fields because of the insignificant dose and dose rate dependence and in spite of some disadvantages regarding dosimetric properties compared with the diamond detector. The advantage is the availability and the cost. Measurement with ionisation chambers are not useful for collimator diameters below 20 mm. (orig.) [de

Collimator duct for neutron radiographs using a source of 241Am-Be

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, K.A.M. de; Crispim, V.R.; Silva, A.X.

2009-01-01

With the aim of designing a collimator system to realize Neutron Radiographs using source of 241 Am-Be, a collimator was designed using two removable modules. One parameter of merit to be considered in the building of a collimator is the intensity of the neutron beam on the image plane. Therefore, the choice of the inner coating material is of utmost importance. As the scattered neutrons can reduce the resolution of the neutron radiographic image, it would be opportune to capture them so that the neutron beam is aligned. Thus, an aligning module made of an absorbent material was designed, to coat the wall end extensions of the collimator. Two other parameters are essential to configure a collimator system: the length, L, and diameter of the opening, D. Geometric resolution of the neutron radiographic image is defined by the ratio L/D, as well as the neutron flux on the image plane. Simulations with code MCNP-4B were conducted to select the geometry of the collimator, the materials for the structure and coating and the dimensions for the L and D parameters and aluminum was chosen as the structural material and cadmium for coating. (author)

Lumbar spine radiography--poor collimation practices after implementation of digital technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Zetterberg, L G; Espeland, A

2011-06-01

The transition from analogue to digital radiography may have reduced the motivation to perform proper collimation, as digital techniques have made it possible to mask areas irradiated outside the area of diagnostic interest (ADI). We examined the hypothesis that collimation practices have deteriorated since digitalisation. After defining the ADI, we compared the proportion of the irradiated field outside the ADI in 86 digital and 86 analogue frontal lumbar spine radiographs using the Mann-Whitney test. 50 digital images and 50 analogue images were from a Norwegian hospital and the remainder from a Danish hospital. Consecutive digital images were compared with analogue images (from the hospitals' archives) produced in the 4 years prior to digitalisation. Both hospitals' standard radiographic procedures remained unchanged during the study. For digital images, the irradiated field was assessed using non-masked raw-data images. The proportion of the irradiated field outside the ADI was larger in digital than in analogue images (mean 61.7% vs 42.4%, p<0.001), and also in a subsample of 39 image pairs that could be matched for patient age (p<0.001). The mean total field size was 46% larger in digital than in analogue images (791 cm(2) vs 541 cm(2)). Following the implementation of digital radiography, considerably larger areas were irradiated. This causes unnecessarily high radiation doses to patients.

Development of hollow electron beams for proton and ion collimation

CERN Document Server

Stancari, G; Kuznetsov, G; Shiltsev, V; Still, D A; Valishev, A; Vorobiev, L G; Assmann, R; Kabantsev, A

2012-01-01

Magnetically confined hollow electron beams for controlled halo removal in high-energy colliders such as the Tevatron or the LHC may extend traditional collimation systems beyond the intensity limits imposed by tolerable material damage. They may also improve collimation performance by suppressing loss spikes due to beam jitter and by increasing capture efficiency. A hollow electron gun was designed and built. Its performance and stability were measured at the Fermilab test stand. The gun will be installed in one of the existing Tevatron electron lenses for preliminary tests of the hollow-beam collimator concept, addressing critical issues such as alignment and instabilities of the overlapping proton and electron beams.

Development of hollow electron beams for proton and ion collimation

CERN Document Server

Stancari, G.; Kuznetsov, G.; Shiltsev, V.; Still, D.A.; Valishev, A.; Vorobiev, L.G.; Assmann, R.; Kabantsev, A.

2010-01-01

Magnetically confined hollow electron beams for controlled halo removal in high-energy colliders such as the Tevatron or the LHC may extend traditional collimation systems beyond the intensity limits imposed by tolerable material damage. They may also improve collimation performance by suppressing loss spikes due to beam jitter and by increasing capture efficiency. A hollow electron gun was designed and built. Its performance and stability were measured at the Fermilab test stand. The gun will be installed in one of the existing Tevatron electron lenses for preliminary tests of the hollow-beam collimator concept, addressing critical issues such as alignment and instabilities of the overlapping proton and electron beams

Magnetic collimation and metal foil filtering for electron range and fluence modulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phaisangittisakul, N.; D'Souza, W.D.; Ma Lijun

2004-01-01

We investigated the use of magnetically collimated electron beams together with metal filters for electron fluence and range modulation. A longitudinal magnetic field collimation method was developed to reduce skin dose and to improve the electron beam penumbra. Thin metal foils were used to adjust the energies of magnetically collimated electrons. The effects for different types of foils such as Al, Be, Cu, Pb, and Ti were studied using Monte Carlo calculations. An empirical pencil beam dose calculation model was developed to calculate electron dose distributions under magnetic collimation and foil modulation. An optimization method was developed to produce conformal dose distributions for simulated targets such as a horseshoe-shaped target. Our results show that it is possible to produce an electron depth dose enhancement peak using similar techniques of producing a spread-out Bragg peak. In conclusion, our study demonstrates new aspects of using magnetic collimation and foil filtration for producing fluence and range modulated electron dose distributions

Channeling and Volume Reflection Based Crystal Collimation of Tevatron Circulating Beam Halo

CERN Document Server

Shiltsev, V.; Drozhdin, A.; Johnson, T.; Legan, A.; Mokhov, N.; Reilly, R.; Still, D.; Tesarek, R.; Zagel, J.; Peggs, S.; Assmann, R.; Previtali, V.; Scandale, W.; Chesnokov, Y.; Yazynin, I.; Guidi, V.; Ivanov, Y.

2010-01-01

The T980 crystal collimation experiment is underway at the Tevatron to determine if this technique could increase 980 GeV beam-halo collimation efficiency at high-energy hadron colliders such as the Tevatron and the LHC. T980 also studies various crystal types and parameters. The setup has been substantially enhanced during the Summer 2009 shutdown by installing a new O-shaped crystal in the horizontal goniometer, as well as adding a vertical goniometer with two alternating crystals (O-shaped and multi-strip) and additional beam diagnostics. First measurements with the new system are quite encouraging, with channeled and volume-reflected beams observed on the secondary collimators as predicted. Investigation of crystal collimation efficiencies with crystals in volume reflection and channeling modes are described in comparison with an amorphous primary collimator. Results on the system performance are presented for the end-of-store studies and for entire collider stores. The first investigation of colliding be...

Optimization of a collimator size for the pin-hole camera of X-rays, and proposal of a method to correct degradations of efficiencies in neighboring parts of the image

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayashi, Hiroaki; Nishihara, Sadamitsu; Taniuchi, Shou; Kamiya, Naotaka

2012-01-01

A visual image of the scattered X-ray distributions gives us useful information for beginners to study radiation physics. A pin-hole camera for X-rays can be made by use of simple materials as well as a two-dimensional X-ray detector (imaging plate: IP). In contrast with a pin-hole camera for the visible radiations, a pin-hole camera for X-rays uses a collimator, having a sufficient thickness to reduce X-rays. This design causes the following problem: in the case in which the X-rays are incident to the collimator from the diagonal direction, the some X-rays are absorbed by the wall of the collimator. Namely, the images in the surrounding part of the IP are underrepresented. The aim of this study is to suggest a correction method of the underrepresentation. We used a pin-hole camera (320 mm(long)×270 mm(wide)×300 mm(depth)) by means of the clinically applied IP (10×12 inch). In order to determine proper conditions for a size of collimators (pin-hole), experiments using medical X-ray equipments were carried out. The efficiencies and resolutions were experimentally determined for the collimator sizes of 2 to 8 mm φ . Then, images of scattered X-ray distributions were measured by the irradiation of a head phantom, and considerations were taken for a practical use of the pin-hole camera. Moreover, an exponential absorption of X-rays in the phantom was visualized by our camera in order to indicate a potential of quantitative analysis based on the image of scattered X-ray distributions. (author)

Validation of corrections for errors in collimation during measurement of gastric emptying of nuclide-labeled meals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Deventer, G.; Thomson, J.; Graham, L.S.; Thomasson, D.; Meyer, J.H.

1983-03-01

The study was undertaken to validate phantom-derived corrections for errors in collimation due to septal penetration or scatter, which vary with the size of the gastric region of interest (ROI). Six volunteers received 495 ml of 20% glucose labeled with both In-113m DTPA and Tc-99m DTPA. Gastric emptying of each nuclide was monitored by gamma camera as well as by periodic removal and reinstillation of the meal through a gastric tube. Serial aspirates from the gastric tube confirmed parallel emptying of In-113m and Tc-99m, but analyses of gamma-camera data yielded parallel emptying only when adequate corrections were made for errors in collimation. Analyses of ratios of gastric counts from anterior to posterior, as well as analyses of peak-to-scatter ratios, revealed only small, insignificant anteroposterior movement of the tracers within the stomach during emptying. Accordingly, there was no significant improvement in the camera data when corrections were made for attenuation with intragastric depth.

SPECT imaging of 131I (364 keV): importance of collimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clarke, L.P.; Saw, C.B.; Leong, L.K.; Serafini, A.N.

1985-01-01

A low sensitivity medium energy collimator (LSMEC) designed with thick septa and long bore (theoretical leakage 131 I for a SPECT system operated in both planar and tomographic imaging modes. The collimator was designed to minimize the influence of photon penetration on spatial resolution, in particular the resolution index FWTM. Overall spatial resolution for the planar imaging mode at 10 cm from the collimator face was found to be 11.6 mm FWHM and 21.6 mm FWTM. The corresponding transverse plane and slice thickness resolution was of the order of 17 mm FWHM and 31 mm FWTM, for a radius of rotation of 16 cm. A SPECT resolution phantom was imaged. Two quadrants of cold rods were well resolved, with rod dimensions of 16 and 12.7 mm respectively, the resolution being comparable to that obtained using 99 Tcsup(m) (140 keV) and a low-energy high-resolution collimator. NEMA sensitivity obtained was 75 cpm/μCi 131 I. The resolution measurements obtained suggest that this collimator should be useful for SPECT imaging with 131 I in either radioimmunoimaging or radioimmunotherapy. (author)

[Evaluation of Dose Reduction of the Active Collimator in Multi Detector Row CT].

Science.gov (United States)

Ueno, Hiroyuki; Matsubara, Kosuke

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of active collimator by changing acquisition parameters and obtaining dose profiles in z-axis direction. Dose profiles along z-axis were obtained using XRQA2 Gafchromic film. As a result, the active collimator reduced overranging about 55% compared to that without the active collimator. In addition, by changing the combination of X-ray beam width (32 mm, 40 mm), pitch factor (1.4, 0.6), and the X-ray tube rotation time (0.5 s/rot, 1.0 s/rot), the overranging changed from 19.4 to 34.9 mm. Although the active collimator is effective for reducing overranging, it is necessary to adjust acquisition parameters by taking the properties of the active collimator for acquisition parameters, especially setting beam width, into consideration.

Observation of strong leakage reduction in crystal assisted collimation of the SPS beam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scandale, W. [CERN, European Organization for Nuclear Research, CH-1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland); Laboratoire de l' Accelerateur Lineaire (LAL), Universite Paris Sud Orsay, Orsay (France); INFN Sezione di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Rome (Italy); Arduini, G.; Butcher, M.; Cerutti, F.; Garattini, M.; Gilardoni, S.; Lechner, A.; Losito, R.; Masi, A.; Mereghetti, A.; Metral, E. [CERN, European Organization for Nuclear Research, CH-1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland); Mirarchi, D. [CERN, European Organization for Nuclear Research, CH-1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland); Imperial College, London (United Kingdom); Montesano, S.; Redaelli, S. [CERN, European Organization for Nuclear Research, CH-1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland); Rossi, R. [CERN, European Organization for Nuclear Research, CH-1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland); INFN Sezione di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Rome (Italy); Schoofs, P.; Smirnov, G. [CERN, European Organization for Nuclear Research, CH-1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland); Bagli, E.; Bandiera, L.; Baricordi, S. [INFN Sezione di Ferrara, Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara (Italy); and others

2015-09-02

In ideal two-stage collimation systems, the secondary collimator–absorber should have its length sufficient to exclude practically the exit of halo particles with large impact parameters. In the UA9 experiments on the crystal assisted collimation of the SPS beam a 60 cm long tungsten bar is used as a secondary collimator–absorber which is insufficient for the full absorption of the halo protons. Multi-turn simulation studies of the collimation allowed to select the position for the beam loss monitor downstream the collimation area where the contribution of particles deflected by the crystal in channeling regime but emerging from the secondary collimator–absorber is considerably reduced. This allowed observation of a strong leakage reduction of halo protons from the SPS beam collimation area, thereby approaching the case with an ideal absorber.

Augmented reality aiding collimator exchange at the LHC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martínez, Héctor; Fabry, Thomas; Laukkanen, Seppo; Mattila, Jouni; Tabourot, Laurent

2014-01-01

Novel Augmented Reality techniques have the potential to have a large positive impact on the way remote maintenance operations are carried out in hazardous areas, e.g. areas where radiation doses that imply careful planning and optimization of maintenance operations are present. This paper describes an Augmented Reality strategy, system and implementation for aiding the remote collimator exchange in the LHC, currently the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. The proposed system relies on marker detection and multi-modal augmentation in real-time. A database system has been used to ensure flexibility. The system has been tested in a mock-up facility, showing real time performance and great potential for future use in the LHC. The technical-scientific difficulties identified during the development of the system and the proposed solutions described in this paper may help the development of future Augmented Reality systems for remote handling in scientific facilities

Augmented reality aiding collimator exchange at the LHC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martínez, Héctor, E-mail: hector.martinez@sensetrix.com [SenseTrix, PL 20 FI-00101 Helsinki (Finland); Fabry, Thomas [European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN, CH-1211 Genève 23 (Switzerland); Laukkanen, Seppo [SenseTrix, PL 20 FI-00101 Helsinki (Finland); Mattila, Jouni [Tampere University of Technology, PO Box 527, FI-33101 Tampere (Finland); Tabourot, Laurent [SYMME, Université de Savoie, Polytech Annecy-Chambéry, 5 chemin de Bellevue, 74944 Annecy le Vieux (France)

2014-11-01

Novel Augmented Reality techniques have the potential to have a large positive impact on the way remote maintenance operations are carried out in hazardous areas, e.g. areas where radiation doses that imply careful planning and optimization of maintenance operations are present. This paper describes an Augmented Reality strategy, system and implementation for aiding the remote collimator exchange in the LHC, currently the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. The proposed system relies on marker detection and multi-modal augmentation in real-time. A database system has been used to ensure flexibility. The system has been tested in a mock-up facility, showing real time performance and great potential for future use in the LHC. The technical-scientific difficulties identified during the development of the system and the proposed solutions described in this paper may help the development of future Augmented Reality systems for remote handling in scientific facilities.

Sci-Thur PM – Brachytherapy 05: Surface Collimation Applied to Superficial Flap High Dose-Rate Brachytherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Derek; Sabondjian, Eric; Lawrence, Kailin; Sankreacha, Raxa [University of Toronto, Carlo Fidani Peel Regional Cancer Center, Carlo Fidani Peel Regional Cancer Center, University of Toronto (Canada)

2016-08-15

Purpose: To apply surface collimation for superficial flap HDR skin brachytherapy utilizing common clinical resources and to demonstrate the potential for OAR dose reduction within a clinically relevant setting. Methods: Two phantom setups were used. 3 mm lead collimation was applied to a solid slab phantom to determine appropriate geometries relating to collimation and dwell activation. The same collimation was applied to the temple of an anthropomorphic head phantom to demonstrate lens dose reduction. Each setup was simulated and planned to deliver 400 cGy to a 3 cm circular target to 3 mm depth. The control and collimated irradiations were sequentially measured using calibrated radiochromic films. Results: Collimation for the slab phantom attenuated the dose beyond the collimator opening, decreasing the fall-off distances by half and reducing the area of healthy skin irradiated. Target coverage can be negatively impacted by a tight collimation margin, with the required margin approximated by the primary beam geometric penumbra. Surface collimation applied to the head phantom similarly attenuated the surrounding normal tissue dose while reducing the lens dose from 84 to 68 cGy. To ensure consistent setup between simulation and treatment, additional QA was performed including collimator markup, accounting for collimator placement uncertainties, standoff distance verification, and in vivo dosimetry. Conclusions: Surface collimation was shown to reduce normal tissue dose without compromising target coverage. Lens dose reduction was demonstrated on an anthropomorphic phantom within a clinical setting. Additional QA is proposed to ensure treatment fidelity.

Sci-Thur PM – Brachytherapy 05: Surface Collimation Applied to Superficial Flap High Dose-Rate Brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Derek; Sabondjian, Eric; Lawrence, Kailin; Sankreacha, Raxa

2016-01-01

Purpose: To apply surface collimation for superficial flap HDR skin brachytherapy utilizing common clinical resources and to demonstrate the potential for OAR dose reduction within a clinically relevant setting. Methods: Two phantom setups were used. 3 mm lead collimation was applied to a solid slab phantom to determine appropriate geometries relating to collimation and dwell activation. The same collimation was applied to the temple of an anthropomorphic head phantom to demonstrate lens dose reduction. Each setup was simulated and planned to deliver 400 cGy to a 3 cm circular target to 3 mm depth. The control and collimated irradiations were sequentially measured using calibrated radiochromic films. Results: Collimation for the slab phantom attenuated the dose beyond the collimator opening, decreasing the fall-off distances by half and reducing the area of healthy skin irradiated. Target coverage can be negatively impacted by a tight collimation margin, with the required margin approximated by the primary beam geometric penumbra. Surface collimation applied to the head phantom similarly attenuated the surrounding normal tissue dose while reducing the lens dose from 84 to 68 cGy. To ensure consistent setup between simulation and treatment, additional QA was performed including collimator markup, accounting for collimator placement uncertainties, standoff distance verification, and in vivo dosimetry. Conclusions: Surface collimation was shown to reduce normal tissue dose without compromising target coverage. Lens dose reduction was demonstrated on an anthropomorphic phantom within a clinical setting. Additional QA is proposed to ensure treatment fidelity.

Successive approximation algorithm for beam-position-monitor-based LHC collimator alignment

Science.gov (United States)

Valentino, Gianluca; Nosych, Andriy A.; Bruce, Roderik; Gasior, Marek; Mirarchi, Daniele; Redaelli, Stefano; Salvachua, Belen; Wollmann, Daniel

2014-02-01

Collimators with embedded beam position monitor (BPM) button electrodes will be installed in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) during the current long shutdown period. For the subsequent operation, BPMs will allow the collimator jaws to be kept centered around the beam orbit. In this manner, a better beam cleaning efficiency and machine protection can be provided at unprecedented higher beam energies and intensities. A collimator alignment algorithm is proposed to center the jaws automatically around the beam. The algorithm is based on successive approximation and takes into account a correction of the nonlinear BPM sensitivity to beam displacement and an asymmetry of the electronic channels processing the BPM electrode signals. A software implementation was tested with a prototype collimator in the Super Proton Synchrotron. This paper presents results of the tests along with some considerations for eventual operation in the LHC.

Physics strategies for sparing neural stem cells during whole-brain radiation treatments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirby, Neil; Chuang, Cynthia; Pouliot, Jean; Hwang, Andrew; Barani, Igor J.

2011-01-01

Purpose: Currently, there are no successful long-term treatments or preventive strategies for radiation-induced cognitive impairments, and only a few possibilities have been suggested. One such approach involves reducing the dose to neural stem cell compartments (within and outside of the hippocampus) during whole-brain radiation treatments for brain metastases. This study investigates the fundamental physics issues associated with the sparing of neural stem cells during photon radiotherapy for brain metastases. Methods: Several factors influence the stem cell dose: intracranial scattering, collimator leakage, beam energy, and total number of beams. The relative importance of these factors is investigated through a set of radiation therapy plans, which are all variations of an initial 6 MV intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plan designed to simultaneously deliver a whole-brain dose of 30 Gy and maximally reduce stem cell compartment dose. Additionally, an in-house leaf segmentation algorithm was developed that utilizes jaw motion to minimize the collimator leakage. Results: The plans are all normalized such that 50% of the PTV receives 30 Gy. For the initial 6 MV IMRT plan, 50% of the stem cells receive a dose greater than 6.3 Gy. Calculations indicate that 3.6 Gy of this dose originates from intracranial scattering. The jaw-tracking segmentation algorithm, used in conjunction with direct machine parameter optimization, reduces the 50% stem cell dose to 4.3 and 3.7 Gy for 6 and 10 MV treatment beams, respectively. Conclusions: Intracranial scattering alone is responsible for a large dose contribution to the stem cell compartment. It is, therefore, important to minimize other contributing factors, particularly the collimator leakage, to maximally reduce dose to these critical structures. The use of collimator jaw tracking in conjunction with modern collimators can minimize this leakage.

Monte Carlo simulation based study of a proposed multileaf collimator for a telecobalt machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahani, G.; Dash Sharma, P. K.; Hussain, S. A.; Dutt Sharma, Sunil; Sharma, D. N.

2013-01-01

Purpose: The objective of the present work was to propose a design of a secondary multileaf collimator (MLC) for a telecobalt machine and optimize its design features through Monte Carlo simulation. Methods: The proposed MLC design consists of 72 leaves (36 leaf pairs) with additional jaws perpendicular to leaf motion having the capability of shaping a maximum square field size of 35 × 35 cm 2 . The projected widths at isocenter of each of the central 34 leaf pairs and 2 peripheral leaf pairs are 10 and 5 mm, respectively. The ends of the leaves and the x-jaws were optimized to obtain acceptable values of dosimetric and leakage parameters. Monte Carlo N-Particle code was used for generating beam profiles and depth dose curves and estimating the leakage radiation through the MLC. A water phantom of dimension 50 × 50 × 40 cm 3 with an array of voxels (4 × 0.3 × 0.6 cm 3 = 0.72 cm 3 ) was used for the study of dosimetric and leakage characteristics of the MLC. Output files generated for beam profiles were exported to the PTW radiation field analyzer software through locally developed software for analysis of beam profiles in order to evaluate radiation field width, beam flatness, symmetry, and beam penumbra. Results: The optimized version of the MLC can define radiation fields of up to 35 × 35 cm 2 within the prescribed tolerance values of 2 mm. The flatness and symmetry were found to be well within the acceptable tolerance value of 3%. The penumbra for a 10 × 10 cm 2 field size is 10.7 mm which is less than the generally acceptable value of 12 mm for a telecobalt machine. The maximum and average radiation leakage through the MLC were found to be 0.74% and 0.41% which are well below the International Electrotechnical Commission recommended tolerance values of 2% and 0.75%, respectively. The maximum leakage through the leaf ends in closed condition was observed to be 8.6% which is less than the values reported for other MLCs designed for medical linear

Gantry and isocenter displacements of a linear accelerator caused by an add-on micromultileaf collimator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Riis, H. L.; Zimmermann, S. J.; Hjelm-Hansen, M.

2013-01-01

Purpose: The delivery of high quality stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) treatments to the patient requires knowledge of the position of the isocenter to submillimeter accuracy. To meet the requirements the deviation between the radiation and mechanical isocenters...... isocenter was measured using a ball-bearing phantom and the electronic portal image device system. These measurements were based on 8 MV photon beams irradiated onto the ball from the four cardinal angles and two opposed collimator angles. The measurements and analysis of the data were carried out...

A new approach to evaluate the response functions for conical and cylindrical collimators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gigante, G.E.

1989-01-01

A new approach to the evaluation of the conical collimator response function is shown. The basic collimator formulae are reviewed. The collimator response function has been found in a very easy way. An approximate solution has been introduced. Studying the response of a measuring system, the use of this approximation strongly reduces the complexity of the relations to be used; therefore it would provide a useful starting point for a Monte Carlo calculation. The errors introduced are less than 10%. Approximate relations that allow the evaluation of the response of conical and cylindrical collimators to plane and line sources are also given. (orig.)

Synchrotron radiation

CERN Document Server

Kunz, C

1974-01-01

The production of synchrotron radiation as a by-product of circular high-energy electron (positron) accelerators or storage rings is briefly discussed. A listing of existing or planned synchrotron radiation laboratories is included. The following properties are discussed: spectrum, collimation, polarization, and intensity; a short comparison with other sources (lasers and X-ray tubes) is also given. The remainder of the paper describes the experimental installations at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) and DORIS storage rings, presents a few typical examples out of the fields of atomic, molecular, and solid-state spectroscopy, and finishes with an outlook on the use of synchrotron radiation in molecular biology. (21 refs).

Performance study of a fan beam collimator designed for a multi-modality small animal imaging device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabbir Ahmed, ASM; Kramer, Gary H.; Semmler, Wolfrad; Peter, Jorg

2011-01-01

This paper describes the methodology to design and conduct the performances of a fan beam collimator. This fan beam collimator was designed to use with a multi-modality small animal imaging device and the performance of the collimator was studied for a 3D geometry. Analytical expressions were formulated to calculate the parameters for the collimator. A Monte Carlo model was developed to analyze the scattering and image noises for a 3D object. The results showed that the performance of the fan beam collimator was strongly dependent on the source distribution and position. The fan beam collimator showed increased counting efficiency in comparison to a parallel hole collimator. Inside attenuating medium, the increased attenuating effect outweighed the fan beam increased counting efficiency.

Cerrobend collimation effect on electron beams; Efeito de colimacoes de cerrobend em feixes de eletrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Furnari, Laura; Albino, Lucas D.; Ribeiro, Victor A.B.; Santos, Gabriela R., E-mail: laurafurnari@hotmail.com [Universidade de Sao Paulo (InRad/FM/USP), SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Medicina. Hospital das Clinicas. Instituto de Radiologia

2012-12-15

The aim of this work was to discuss about the cerrobend collimation effect on clinical electron beams. When a cerrobend collimation is used, both the percentage depth dose (PDD) and the absolute dose that is delivered to the patient changes. It was analyzed how those parameters change and it was evaluated in which cases a correction factor should be applied due to this collimation. It was founded that, when the smallest dimension of the collimation is smaller than the minimum radius to lateral scatter equilibrium, the collimation will change the PDD in such a way that it should take into account in the treatment planning. For one specific collimation usually applied in head and neck treatments, it was found that no correction factor is necessary. (author)

Impact of Multileaf Collimator Configuration Parameters on the Dosimetric Accuracy of 6-MV Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Treatment Plans.

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, Nick; Perrin, David; Newhauser, Wayne; Zhang, Rui

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of selected configuration parameters that govern multileaf collimator (MLC) transmission and rounded leaf offset in a commercial treatment planning system (TPS) (Pinnacle 3 , Philips Medical Systems, Andover, MA, USA) on the accuracy of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) dose calculation. The MLC leaf transmission factor was modified based on measurements made with ionization chambers. The table of parameters containing rounded-leaf-end offset values was modified by measuring the radiation field edge as a function of leaf bank position with an ionization chamber in a scanning water-tank dosimetry system and comparing the locations to those predicted by the TPS. The modified parameter values were validated by performing IMRT quality assurance (QA) measurements on 19 gantry-static IMRT plans. Planar dose measurements were performed with radiographic film and a diode array (MapCHECK2) and compared to TPS calculated dose distributions using default and modified configuration parameters. Based on measurements, the leaf transmission factor was changed from a default value of 0.001 to 0.005. Surprisingly, this modification resulted in a small but statistically significant worsening of IMRT QA gamma-index passing rate, which revealed that the overall dosimetric accuracy of the TPS depends on multiple configuration parameters in a manner that is coupled and not intuitive because of the commissioning protocol used in our clinic. The rounded leaf offset table had little room for improvement, with the average difference between the default and modified offset values being -0.2 ± 0.7 mm. While our results depend on the current clinical protocols, treatment unit and TPS used, the methodology used in this study is generally applicable. Different clinics could potentially obtain different results and improve their dosimetric accuracy using our approach.

Impact of multileaf collimator configuration parameters on the dosimetric accuracy of 6-MV Intensity-Modulated radiation therapy treatment plans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nick Petersen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of selected configuration parameters that govern multileaf collimator (MLC transmission and rounded leaf offset in a commercial treatment planning system (TPS (Pinnacle3, Philips Medical Systems, Andover, MA, USA on the accuracy of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT dose calculation. The MLC leaf transmission factor was modified based on measurements made with ionization chambers. The table of parameters containing rounded-leaf-end offset values was modified by measuring the radiation field edge as a function of leaf bank position with an ionization chamber in a scanning water-tank dosimetry system and comparing the locations to those predicted by the TPS. The modified parameter values were validated by performing IMRT quality assurance (QA measurements on 19 gantry-static IMRT plans. Planar dose measurements were performed with radiographic film and a diode array (MapCHECK2 and compared to TPS calculated dose distributions using default and modified configuration parameters. Based on measurements, the leaf transmission factor was changed from a default value of 0.001 to 0.005. Surprisingly, this modification resulted in a small but statistically significant worsening of IMRT QA gamma-index passing rate, which revealed that the overall dosimetric accuracy of the TPS depends on multiple configuration parameters in a manner that is coupled and not intuitive because of the commissioning protocol used in our clinic. The rounded leaf offset table had little room for improvement, with the average difference between the default and modified offset values being −0.2 ± 0.7 mm. While our results depend on the current clinical protocols, treatment unit and TPS used, the methodology used in this study is generally applicable. Different clinics could potentially obtain different results and improve their dosimetric accuracy using our approach.

Successive approximation algorithm for beam-position-monitor-based LHC collimator alignment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gianluca Valentino

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Collimators with embedded beam position monitor (BPM button electrodes will be installed in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC during the current long shutdown period. For the subsequent operation, BPMs will allow the collimator jaws to be kept centered around the beam orbit. In this manner, a better beam cleaning efficiency and machine protection can be provided at unprecedented higher beam energies and intensities. A collimator alignment algorithm is proposed to center the jaws automatically around the beam. The algorithm is based on successive approximation and takes into account a correction of the nonlinear BPM sensitivity to beam displacement and an asymmetry of the electronic channels processing the BPM electrode signals. A software implementation was tested with a prototype collimator in the Super Proton Synchrotron. This paper presents results of the tests along with some considerations for eventual operation in the LHC.

Collimator optimization studies for the new MIT epithermal neutron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riley, K.J.; Ali, S.J.; Harling, O.K.

2000-01-01

A patient collimator has been designed for the epithermal neutron facility now being commissioned at MIT. Collimator performance both in and out of field was evaluated using the Monte Carlo code MCNP. A two piece design that can accommodate different circular field sizes will be manufactured using a composite lead, epoxy, boron and lithium mixture. (author)

Efficient Collimation and Machine Protection for the Compact Linear Collider

CERN Document Server

Assmann, R W

2006-01-01

We present a new approach to machine protection and collimation in CLIC, separating these two functions: If emergency dumps in the linac protect the downstream beam line against drive-beam failures, the energy collimation only needs to clean the beam tails and can be compact. Overall, the length of the beam-delivery system (BDS) is significantly reduced.

SU-E-T-604: Dosimetric Dependence On the Collimator Angle in Prostate Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khan, M; Rehman, J; Khan, M [The Islaimia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Punjab (Pakistan); Chow, J [Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, ON (Canada)

2014-06-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the dose-volume variations of planning target volume (PTV) and organs-at-risk (OARs) in prostate volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) when using different collimator angles. It is because collimator angle awareness is essential for planner to produce an optimal prostate VMAT plan in a rational time. Methods: Single-arc VMAT plans at different collimator angles (0o, 15o, 30o, 45o, 60o, 75o and 90o) were created systematically using a Harold heterogeneous pelvis phantom. For each change of collimator angle, a new plan was re-optimized for that angle. The prescription dose was 78 Gy per 39 fractions. Conformity index (CI), homogeneity index (HI), gradient index, machine monitor unit, dose-volume histogram, the mean and maximum doses of the PTV were calculated and analyzed. On the other hand, dose-volume histogram, the mean and maximum doses of the OARs such as bladder, rectum and femoral heads for different collimator angles were determined from the plans. Results: There was no significance difference, based on the plan dose-volume evaluation criteria, found in the VMAT optimizations for all studied collimator angles. Higher CI and lower HI were found for the 45o collimator angle. In addition, the 15o collimator angle provided lower HI similar to the 45o collimator angle. The 75o and 90o collimator angle were found good for the rectum sparing, and the 75o and 30o collimator angle were found good for the right and left femur sparing, respectively. The PTV dose coverage for each plan was comparatively independent of the collimator angle. Conclusion: The dosimetric results in this study are useful to the planner to select different collimator angles to improve the PTV coverage and OAR sparing in prostate VMAT.

SU-E-T-604: Dosimetric Dependence On the Collimator Angle in Prostate Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, M; Rehman, J; Khan, M; Chow, J

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the dose-volume variations of planning target volume (PTV) and organs-at-risk (OARs) in prostate volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) when using different collimator angles. It is because collimator angle awareness is essential for planner to produce an optimal prostate VMAT plan in a rational time. Methods: Single-arc VMAT plans at different collimator angles (0o, 15o, 30o, 45o, 60o, 75o and 90o) were created systematically using a Harold heterogeneous pelvis phantom. For each change of collimator angle, a new plan was re-optimized for that angle. The prescription dose was 78 Gy per 39 fractions. Conformity index (CI), homogeneity index (HI), gradient index, machine monitor unit, dose-volume histogram, the mean and maximum doses of the PTV were calculated and analyzed. On the other hand, dose-volume histogram, the mean and maximum doses of the OARs such as bladder, rectum and femoral heads for different collimator angles were determined from the plans. Results: There was no significance difference, based on the plan dose-volume evaluation criteria, found in the VMAT optimizations for all studied collimator angles. Higher CI and lower HI were found for the 45o collimator angle. In addition, the 15o collimator angle provided lower HI similar to the 45o collimator angle. The 75o and 90o collimator angle were found good for the rectum sparing, and the 75o and 30o collimator angle were found good for the right and left femur sparing, respectively. The PTV dose coverage for each plan was comparatively independent of the collimator angle. Conclusion: The dosimetric results in this study are useful to the planner to select different collimator angles to improve the PTV coverage and OAR sparing in prostate VMAT

Plasma tubes becoming collimated as a result of magnetohydrodynamic pumping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, Gunsu S.; Bellan, Paul M.

2010-01-01

Collimated magnetized plasma structures are commonly observed on galactic, stellar, and laboratory scales. The Caltech plasma gun produces magnetically driven plasma jets bearing a striking resemblance to astrophysical jets and solar coronal loops by imposing boundary conditions analogous to those plasmas. This paper presents experimental observations of gun-produced plasma jets that support a previously proposed magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) pumping model [P. M. Bellan, Phys. Plasmas 10, 1999 (2003)] as a universal collimation mechanism. For any initially flared, magnetized plasma tube with a finite axial current, the model predicts (i) magnetic pumping of plasma particles from a constricted region into a bulged region and (ii) tube collimation if the flow slows down at the bulged region leading to accumulation of mass and thus concentrating the azimuthal magnetic flux frozen in the mass flow (i.e., increasing the pinch force). Time- and space-resolved spectroscopic measurements of gun-produced plasmas have confirmed the highly dynamic nature of the process leading to a collimated state, namely, (i) suprathermal Alfvenic flow (30-50 km/s), (ii) large density amplification from ∼10 17 to ∼10 22 m -3 in an Alfvenic time scale (5-10 μs), and (iii) flow slowing down and mass accumulation at the flow front, the place where the tube collimation occurs according to high-speed camera imaging. These observations are consistent with the predictions of the MHD pumping model, and offer valuable insight into the formation mechanism of laboratory, solar, and astrophysical plasma structures.

UA9 Results from Crystal Collimation Tests in the SPS & Future Strategy

CERN Document Server

Scandale, W

2013-01-01

The UA9 Collaboration, with support by EuCARD-AccNet, is investigating how bent crystals, used as primary collimators, could assist and improve the collimation process in modern hadron colliders like the LHC. From 2009 onwards the UA9 Collaboration has successfully tested silicon crystals at the SPS, performing measurements of the associated collimation efficiency by means of various methods and detectors. This report presents the main UA9 results, obtained with protons and Pb ions at 120 GeV/c and 270 GeV/c per charge from 2009 to 2012, which indicate that crystal assisted collimation is well mastered and understood. Specifically, reduced loss rates were demonstrated close to the crystal, as well as in a downstream off-momentum region, and, indeed, all around the ring. In addition, the importance of the crystal miscut angle was elucidated and a first industrial goniometer compliant with LHC specifications has become available. At the end of the report, the near-term plan for LHC crystal collimation is descri...

The HURRA filter: An easy method to eliminate collimator artifacts in high-energy gamma camera images.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Garcia, H; Barquero, R

The correct determination and delineation of tumor/organ size is crucial in 2-D imaging in 131 I therapy. These images are usually obtained using a system composed of a Gamma camera and high-energy collimator, although the system can produce artifacts in the image. This article analyses these artifacts and describes a correction filter that can eliminate those collimator artifacts. Using free software, ImageJ, a central profile in the image is obtained and analyzed. Two components can be seen in the fluctuation of the profile: one associated with the stochastic nature of the radiation, plus electronic noise and the other periodically across the position in space due to the collimator. These frequencies are analytically obtained and compared with the frequencies in the Fourier transform of the profile. A specially developed filter removes the artifacts in the 2D Fourier transform of the DICOM image. This filter is tested using a 15-cm-diameter Petri dish with 131 I radioactive water (big object size) image, a 131 I clinical pill (small object size) image, and an image of the remainder of the lesion of two patients treated with 3.7GBq (100mCi), and 4.44GBq (120mCi) of 131 I, respectively, after thyroidectomy. The artifact is due to the hexagonal periodic structure of the collimator. The use of the filter on large-sized images reduces the fluctuation by 5.8-3.5%. In small-sized images, the FWHM can be determined in the filtered image, while this is impossible in the unfiltered image. The definition of tumor boundary and the visualization of the activity distribution inside patient lesions improve drastically when the filter is applied to the corresponding images obtained with HE gamma camera. The HURRA filter removes the artifact of high-energy collimator artifacts in planar images obtained with a Gamma camera without reducing the image resolution. It can be applied in any study of patient quantification because the number of counts remains invariant. The filter makes

High contrast laser beam collimation testing using two proximately placed holographic optical elements

Science.gov (United States)

Rajkumar; Dubey, Rajiv; Debnath, Sanjit K.; Chhachhia, D. P.

2018-05-01

Accuracy in laser beam collimation is very important in systems used for precision measurements. The present work reports a technique for collimation testing of laser beams using two proximately placed holographic optical elements (HOEs). The required HOEs are designed and fabricated such that upon illumination with the test beam, they release two laterally sheared wavefronts, at desired angles from the directly transmitted beam, that superimpose each other to generate straight interference fringes. Deviation from the collimation of the test beam results in orientation of these otherwise horizontal fringes. The novelty of this setup comes from the fact that HOEs are lightweight, as well as easy to fabricate as compared to conventional wedge plates used for collimation testing, and generate high contrast fringes compared to other interferometry, holography, Talbot and Moiré based techniques in a compact manner. The proposed technique is experimentally validated by measuring the orientation of fringes by an angle of 16.4° when a collimating lens of focal length 200 mm is defocused by 600 μm. The accuracy in the setting of this collimation position is obtained to be 10 μm.

Design of a Multi-Pinhole Collimator for I-123 DaTscan Imaging on Dual-Headed SPECT Systems in Combination with a Fan-Beam Collimator.

Science.gov (United States)

King, Michael A; Mukherjee, Joyeeta M; Könik, Arda; Zubal, I George; Dey, Joyoni; Licho, Robert

2016-02-01

For the 2011 FDA approved Parkinson's Disease (PD) SPECT imaging agent I-123 labeled DaTscan, the volume of interest (VOI) is the interior portion of the brain. However imaging of the occipital lobe is also required with PD for calculation of the striatal binding ratio (SBR), a parameter of significance in early diagnosis, differentiation of PD from other disorders with similar clinical presentations, and monitoring progression. Thus we propose the usage of a combination of a multi-pinhole (MPH) collimator on one head of the SPECT system and a fan-beam on the other. The MPH would be designed to provide high resolution and sensitivity for imaging of the interior portion of the brain. The fan-beam collimator would provide lower resolution but complete sampling of the brain addressing data sufficiency and allowing a volume-of-interest to be defined over the occipital lobe for calculation of SBR's. Herein we focus on the design of the MPH component of the combined system. Combined reconstruction will be addressed in a subsequent publication. An analysis of 46 clinical DaTscan studies was performed to provide information to define the VOI, and design of a MPH collimator to image this VOI. The system spatial resolution for the MPH was set to 4.7 mm, which is comparable to that of clinical PET systems, and significantly smaller than that of fan-beam collimators employed in SPECT. With this set, we compared system sensitivities for three aperture array designs, and selected the 3 × 3 array due to it being the highest of the three. The combined sensitivity of the apertures for it was similar to that of an ultra-high resolution fan-beam (LEUHRF) collimator, but smaller than that of a high-resolution fan-beam collimator (LEHRF). On the basis of these results we propose the further exploration of this design through simulations, and the development of combined MPH and fan-beam reconstruction.

Self-collimation in photonic crystals. Applications and opportunities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noori, Mina; Soroosh, Mohammad; Baghban, Hamed

2018-01-01

A comprehensive review considering recent advances in self-collimation and its applications in optical integration is covered in the current article. Self-collimation is compared to the conventional technique of photonic bandgap engineering to control the light propagation in photonic crystal-based structures. It is fully discussed how the self-collimation phenomenon can be tailored to be independent of the incident angle and polarization. This adds substantial flexibility to the structure to overcome light coupling challenges and simultaneously aids in the omission of bulk and challenging elements, including polarizers and lenses from optical integrated circuits. Additionally, designed structures have the potential to be rescaled to operate in any desired frequency range thanks to the scalability rule in the field of electromagnetics. Moreover, it is shown that one can boost the coupling efficiency by applying an anti-reflection property to the structure, which provides not only efficient index matching but also the matching between external waves with uniform amplitude and Bloch waves with periodic amplitude. (copyright 2017 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Advantage of fan beam collimators for contrast recovery of hyperfixation in clinical SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vera, P.

1997-01-01

The influence of the collimator on the contrast recovery of hyperfixation was studied using a dual-headed single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT) system with standard clinical acquisition parameters. Three parallel collimator sets and two fan beam collimator sets were tested with a Jaszczak phantom. The six spheres of the phantom were filled with 99m Tc, and four background levels were progressively obtained by adding radioactivity to the cylinder of the phantom, providing four hyperfixation levels. The effects of angular sampling and reconstruction filters have been tested. The statistical analysis was performed with analysis of variance (ANOVA). This study demonstrates the advantage of ultra-high resolution fan beam collimators for contrast recovery of hyperfixation with SPECT when using 64 projections over 360 degree, in particular when the contrast is low. The authors also demonstrate that fan beam collimators permit smaller size hyperfixation detection

Choreographing Couch and Collimator in Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Yingli; Zhang Pengpeng; Happersett, Laura; Xiong Jianping; Yang Jie; Chan, Maria; Beal, Kathryn; Mageras, Gig; Hunt, Margie

2011-01-01

Purpose: To design and optimize trajectory-based, noncoplanar subarcs for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) deliverable on both Varian TrueBEAM system and traditional accelerators; and to investigate their potential advantages for treating central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Methods and Materials: To guide the computerized selection of beam trajectories consisting of simultaneous couch, gantry, and collimator motion, a score function was implemented to estimate the geometric overlap between targets and organs at risk for each couch/gantry angle combination. An initial set of beam orientations is obtained as a function of couch and gantry angle, according to a minimum search of the score function excluding zones of collision. This set is grouped into multiple continuous and extended subarcs subject to mechanical limitations using a hierarchical clustering algorithm. After determination of couch/gantry trajectories, a principal component analysis finds the collimator angle at each beam orientation that minimizes residual target-organ at risk overlaps. An in-house VMAT optimization algorithm determines the optimal multileaf collimator position and monitor units for control points within each subarc. A retrospective study of 10 CNS patients compares the proposed method of VMAT trajectory with dynamic gantry, leaves, couch, and collimator motion (Tra-VMAT); a standard noncoplanar VMAT with no couch/collimator motion within subarcs (Std-VMAT); and noncoplanar intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans that were clinically used. Results: Tra-VMAT provided improved target dose conformality and lowered maximum dose to brainstem, optic nerves, and chiasm by 7.7%, 1.1%, 2.3%, and 1.7%, respectively, compared with Std-VMAT. Tra-VMAT provided higher planning target volume minimum dose and reduced maximum dose to chiasm, optic nerves, and cochlea by 6.2%, 1.3%, 6.3%, and 8.4%, respectively, and reduced cochlea mean dose by 8.7%, compared with IMRT. Tra-VMAT averaged

Crystal Collimation with Lead Ion Beams at Injection Energy in the LHC

CERN Document Server

Rossi, Roberto; Andreassen, Arvid; Butcher, Mark; Dionisio Barreto, Cristovao Andre; Masi, Alessandro; Mirarchi, Daniele; Montesano, Simone; Lamas Garcia, Inigo; Redaelli, Stefano; Scandale, Walter; Serrano Galvez, Pablo; Rijllart, Adriaan; Valentino, Gianluca; Galluccio, Francesca; CERN. Geneva. ATS Department

2015-01-01

During this MD, performed on December 2nd 2015, bent silicon crystals were tested with ion beams for a possible usage of crystal-assisted collimation. Tests were performed at injection energy, using both horizontal and vertical crystals. Ion channeling was observed for the first time with LHC beams at the record energy of 450 GeV and the channeled beams were probed with scans performed with secondary collimators. Measurements of cleaning efficiency of a crystal-based collimation system were also performed.

Device for forming the image of a radiation source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tosswill, C.H.

1980-01-01

An improvement can be made to the space resolution of systems providing the image of a radiation source by means of a slit collimator. In order to do so, a lateral movement of the collimator (with its detectors) is superimposed on the movement of the collimator, in a transversal direction in relation to the transmission direction through the collimator as well as in relation to the walls defining the slits. The total amplitude of the lateral movement is at least equal to the distance between centres of a slit and the following one. In the near field operating system, the lateral movement is a rectilinear movement perpendicular to the walls of the slits. In the distance field operating systems, it is an angular movement about an axis perpendicular to the direction of transmission through the slits [fr

The design of the detector and collimators for a hybrid scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vauramo, E.; Virjo, A.

1977-01-01

The hybrid scanner is a scanning device in which a long crystal with two or more photomultiplier (PM) tubes acts as a gamma camera along the crystal axis; the device acts as a linear scanner in a direction perpendicular to the crystal axis. A detailed analysis of the intrinsic resolution and uniformity is given for a two-PM-tube hybrid scanner (with one PM tube at each end) and the expressions derived should help the designer to choose the best crystal system. Collimation theory is discussed for the general hybrid scanner. Expressions and graphs are given to help in the design of a collimator with the best balance between the conflicting requirements of resolution, sensitivity, depth independence and freedom from artifacts (collimator holes may be seen in the image at high energy). Examples of practical collimators are given for energies of 80 to 140, 364, 511, 662 and 840 keV. (author)

Studies on heavy ion losses from collimation cleaning at the LHC

CERN Document Server

Hermes, P D; Jowett, J M; Redaelli, S; Salvachua, B M; Valentino, G; Wollmann, D

2015-01-01

The LHC collimation system protects superconducting magnets from beam losses. By design, it was optimized for the high-intensity proton challenges but so far provided adequate protection also during the LHC heavy-ion runs with 208Pb82+ ions up to a beam energy of 4 Z TeV. Ion beam cleaning brings specific challenges due to different physical interactions with the collimator materials and might require further improvements for operation at 7 Z TeV. In this article, we study heavy-ion beam losses leaking out of the LHC collimation system, both in measurement and simulations. The simulations are carried out using both ICOSIM, with a simplified ion physics model implemented, and SixTrack, including more detailed starting conditions from FLUKA but without including online scattering in subsequent collimator hits. The results agree well with measurements overall, although some discrepancies are present. The reasons for the discrepancies are investigated and, on this basis, the requirements for an improved simulatio...

Investigation of collimator materials for the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2085459; Bertarelli, Alessandro; Redaelli, Stefano

This PhD thesis work has been carried out at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland), in the framework of the High Luminosity (HL) upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The HL-LHC upgrade will bring the accelerator beyond the nominal performance: it is planning to reach higher stored beam energy up to 700 MJ, through more intense proton beams. The present multi-stage LHC collimation system was designed to handle 360 MJ stored beam energy and withstand realistic losses only for this nominal beam. Therefore, the challenging HL-LHC beam parameters pose strong concerns for beam collimation, which call for important upgrades of the present system. The objective of this thesis is to provide solid basis for optimum choices of materials for the different collimators that will be upgraded for the baseline layout of the HL-LHC collimation system. To achieve this goal, material-related limitations of the present system are identified and novel advanced composite materials are se...

Performance evaluation of a crystal-enhanced collimation system for the LHC

CERN Document Server

Previtali, Valentina; Assmann, Ralph

2010-01-01

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has been constructed at CERN (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, Geneva, Switzerland), and recently started up. The LHC beams, currently accelerated to 3.5 TeV, are meant to reach the nominal energy of 7 TeV, and a total stored energy, in nominal conditions, of 360 MJ per beam. The contrast between the huge stored power and the delicate cryogenic environment calls for a sophisticated collimation system. For overcoming the limitations of the actual collimation system, different upgrade solutions have been considered; this Ph.D. work gives a first performance evaluation of a crystal-enhanced collimation system by analytical, experimental and simulation investigations. In this work, two crystal collimation experiments are described: the T980 (Teva- tron, Chicago, U.S.) and the UA9 (SPS, CERN, Geneva, Switzerland). The data are analyzed and actual crystal performances are measured. These experimental results and their cross-check with dedicated simulations constitute...

Impedance study on HL-LHC’s collimation and protection system

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2206357; Migliorati, Mauro; salvant, Benoit; Biancacci, Nicolo

In this thesis work the coupling impedance of the foreseen HL-LHC’s (High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider) collimation and protection system will be analyzed in detail. In particular the devices of interest will be the TCSPM and the TDIS, which are a secondary collimator and an injection protection system. This work is structured in two parts, the first one is composed by three chapters in which it will be explained: what are the LHC and the collimators, which formulas were used in order to carry out this study, which tools and measurements techniques were adopted to characterize the different materials. The second part is composed of two chapters and it will show and comment the results obtained during a year of studies.

Updated Simulation Studies of Damage Limit of LHC Tertiary Collimators

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2085459; Bertarelli, Alessandro; Bruce, Roderik; Carra, Federico; Cerutti, Francesco; Gradassi, Paolo; Lechner, Anton; Redaelli, Stefano; Skordis, Eleftherios

2015-01-01

The tertiary collimators (TCTs) in the LHC, installed in front of the experiments, in standard operation intercept fractions of 10−3 halo particles. However, they risk to be hit by high-intensity primary beams in case of asynchronous beam dump. TCT damage thresholds were initially inferred from results of destructive tests on a TCT jaw, supported by numerical simulations, assuming simplified impact scenarios with one single bunch hitting the jaw with a given impact parameter. In this paper, more realistic failure conditions, including a train of bunches and taking into account the full collimation hierarchy, are used to derive updated damage limits. The results are used to update the margins in the collimation hierarchy and could thus potentially have an influence on the LHC performance.

Astrophysics of magnetically collimated jets generated from laser-produced plasmas.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciardi, A; Vinci, T; Fuchs, J; Albertazzi, B; Riconda, C; Pépin, H; Portugall, O

2013-01-11

The generation of astrophysically relevant jets, from magnetically collimated, laser-produced plasmas, is investigated through three-dimensional, magnetohydrodynamic simulations. We show that for laser intensities I∼10(12)-10(14) W cm(-2), a magnetic field in excess of ∼0.1  MG, can collimate the plasma plume into a prolate cavity bounded by a shock envelope with a standing conical shock at its tip, which recollimates the flow into a supermagnetosonic jet beam. This mechanism is equivalent to astrophysical models of hydrodynamic inertial collimation, where an isotropic wind is focused into a jet by a confining circumstellar toruslike envelope. The results suggest an alternative mechanism for a large-scale magnetic field to produce jets from wide-angle winds.

Trapped Mode Study For A Rotatable Collimator Design For The LHC Upgrade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiao, Liling; Ng, Cho-Kuen; Smith, Jeffery Claiborne; Caspers, Fritz; /SLAC /CERN

2009-06-23

A rotatable collimator is proposed for the LHC phase II collimation upgrade. When the beam crosses the collimator, it will excite trapped modes that can contribute to the beam energy loss and power dissipation on the vacuum chamber wall. Transverse trapped modes can also generate transverse kicks on the beam and may thus affect the beam quality. In this paper, the parallel eigensolver code Omega3P is used to search for all the trapped modes below 2 GHz in two collimator designs, one with rectangular and the other with circular vacuum chamber. It is found that the longitudinal trapped modes in the circular vacuum chamber design may cause excessive heating. Adding ferrite tiles on the circular vacuum chamber wall can strongly damp these trapped modes. We will present and discuss the simulation results.

Novel Materials for Collimators at LHC and its Upgrades

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2108536; Dallocchio, Alessandro; Garlasche, Marco; Gentini, Luca; Gradassi, Paolo; Guinchard, Michael; Redaelli, Stefano; Rossi, Adriana; Sacristan De Frutos, Oscar; Carra, Federico; Quaranta, Elena

2015-01-01

Collimators for last-generation particle accelerators like the LHC, must be designed to withstand the close interaction with intense and energetic particle beams, safely operating over an extended range of temperatures in harsh environments, while minimizing the perturbing effects, such as instabilities induced by RF impedance, on the circulating beam. The choice of materials for collimator active components is of paramount importance to meet these requirements, which are to become even more demanding with the increase of machine performances expected in future upgrades, such as the High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC). Consequently, a farreaching R&D program has been launched to develop novel materials with excellent thermal shock resistance and high thermal and electrical conductivity, replacing or complementing materials used for present collimators. Molybdenum Carbide - Graphite and Copper-Diamond composites have been so far identified as the most promising materials. The manufacturing methods, properties and...

Characterization of parallel-hole collimator using Monte Carlo Simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pandey, Anil Kumar; Sharma, Sanjay Kumar; Karunanithi, Sellam; Kumar, Praveen; Bal, Chandrasekhar; Kumar, Rakesh

2015-01-01

Accuracy of in vivo activity quantification improves after the correction of penetrated and scattered photons. However, accurate assessment is not possible with physical experiment. We have used Monte Carlo Simulation to accurately assess the contribution of penetrated and scattered photons in the photopeak window. Simulations were performed with Simulation of Imaging Nuclear Detectors Monte Carlo Code. The simulations were set up in such a way that it provides geometric, penetration, and scatter components after each simulation and writes binary images to a data file. These components were analyzed graphically using Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Corporation, USA). Each binary image was imported in software (ImageJ) and logarithmic transformation was applied for visual assessment of image quality, plotting profile across the center of the images and calculating full width at half maximum (FWHM) in horizontal and vertical directions. The geometric, penetration, and scatter at 140 keV for low-energy general-purpose were 93.20%, 4.13%, 2.67% respectively. Similarly, geometric, penetration, and scatter at 140 keV for low-energy high-resolution (LEHR), medium-energy general-purpose (MEGP), and high-energy general-purpose (HEGP) collimator were (94.06%, 3.39%, 2.55%), (96.42%, 1.52%, 2.06%), and (96.70%, 1.45%, 1.85%), respectively. For MEGP collimator at 245 keV photon and for HEGP collimator at 364 keV were 89.10%, 7.08%, 3.82% and 67.78%, 18.63%, 13.59%, respectively. Low-energy general-purpose and LEHR collimator is best to image 140 keV photon. HEGP can be used for 245 keV and 364 keV; however, correction for penetration and scatter must be applied if one is interested to quantify the in vivo activity of energy 364 keV. Due to heavy penetration and scattering, 511 keV photons should not be imaged with HEGP collimator

Reduction of the unnecessary dose from the over-range area with a spiral dynamic z-collimator: comparison of beam pitch and detector coverage with 128-detector row CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Shirasaka, Takashi; Funama, Yoshinori; Hayashi, Mutsukazu; Awamoto, Shinichi; Kondo, Masatoshi; Nakamura, Yasuhiko; Hatakenaka, Masamitsu; Honda, Hiroshi

2012-01-01

Our purpose in this study was to assess the radiation dose reduction and the actual exposed scan length of over-range areas using a spiral dynamic z-collimator at different beam pitches and detector coverage. Using glass rod dosimeters, we measured the unilateral over-range scan dose between the beginning of the planned scan range and the beginning of the actual exposed scan range. Scanning was performed at detector coverage of 80.0 and 40.0 mm, with and without the spiral dynamic z-collimator. The dose-saving ratio was calculated as the ratio of the unnecessary over-range dose, with and without the spiral dynamic z-collimator. In 80.0 mm detector coverage without the spiral dynamic z-collimator, the actual exposed scan length for the over-range area was 108, 120, and 126 mm, corresponding to a beam pitch of 0.60, 0.80, and 0.99, respectively. With the spiral dynamic z-collimator, the actual exposed scan length for the over-range area was 48, 66, and 84 mm with a beam pitch of 0.60, 0.80, and 0.99, respectively. The dose-saving ratios with and without the spiral dynamic z-collimator for a beam pitch of 0.60, 0.80, and 0.99 were 35.07, 24.76, and 13.51%, respectively. With 40.0 mm detector coverage, the dose-saving ratios with and without the spiral dynamic z-collimator had the highest value of 27.23% with a low beam pitch of 0.60. The spiral dynamic z-collimator is important for a reduction in the unnecessary over-range dose and makes it possible to reduce the unnecessary dose by means of a lower beam pitch.

Lumbar spine radiography — poor collimation practices after implementation of digital technology

Science.gov (United States)

Zetterberg, L G; Espeland, A

2011-01-01

Objectives The transition from analogue to digital radiography may have reduced the motivation to perform proper collimation, as digital techniques have made it possible to mask areas irradiated outside the area of diagnostic interest (ADI). We examined the hypothesis that collimation practices have deteriorated since digitalisation. Methods After defining the ADI, we compared the proportion of the irradiated field outside the ADI in 86 digital and 86 analogue frontal lumbar spine radiographs using the Mann–Whitney test. 50 digital images and 50 analogue images were from a Norwegian hospital and the remainder from a Danish hospital. Consecutive digital images were compared with analogue images (from the hospitals' archives) produced in the 4 years prior to digitalisation. Both hospitals' standard radiographic procedures remained unchanged during the study. For digital images, the irradiated field was assessed using non-masked raw-data images. Results The proportion of the irradiated field outside the ADI was larger in digital than in analogue images (mean 61.7% vs 42.4%, p<0.001), and also in a subsample of 39 image pairs that could be matched for patient age (p<0.001). The mean total field size was 46% larger in digital than in analogue images (791 cm2 vs 541 cm2). Conclusion Following the implementation of digital radiography, considerably larger areas were irradiated. This causes unnecessarily high radiation doses to patients. PMID:21606070

Directional radiometry and radiative transfer: A new paradigm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishchenko, Michael I.

2011-01-01

Measurements with directional radiometers and calculations based on the radiative transfer equation (RTE) have been at the very heart of weather and climate modeling and terrestrial remote sensing. The quantification of the energy budget of the Earth's climate system requires exquisite measurements and computations of the incoming and outgoing electromagnetic energy, while global characterization of climate system's components relies heavily on theoretical inversions of observational data obtained with various passive and active instruments. The same basic problems involving electromagnetic energy transport and its use for diagnostic and characterization purposes are encountered in numerous other areas of science, biomedicine, and engineering. Yet both the discipline of directional radiometry and the radiative transfer theory (RTT) have traditionally been based on phenomenological concepts many of which turn out to be profound misconceptions. Contrary to the widespread belief, a collimated radiometer does not, in general, measure the flow of electromagnetic energy along its optical axis, while the specific intensity does not quantify the amount of electromagnetic energy transported in a given direction. The recently developed microphysical approach to radiative transfer and directional radiometry is explicitly based on the Maxwell equations and clarifies the physical nature of measurements with collimated radiometers and the actual content of the RTE. It reveals that the specific intensity has no fundamental physical meaning besides being a mathematical solution of the RTE, while the RTE itself is nothing more than an intermediate auxiliary equation. Only under special circumstances detailed in this review can the solution of the RTE be used to compute the time-averaged local Poynting vector as well as be measured by a collimated radiometer. These firmly established facts make the combination of the RTE and a collimated radiometer useful in a well-defined range of

Execution of mantle field with multileaf collimator: A simple approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prabhakar Ramachandran

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Until very recently mantle field radiotherapy remained the gold standard for the treatment of favorable early-stage Hodgkin′s lymphoma. The classic mantle includes all the major lymph nodes above the diaphragm and extends from the inferior portion of the mandible to the level of the insertion of the diaphragm. Aims: To describe a simple technique that has been devised to treat the mantle field with the help of multileaf collimator and using computed tomography (CT-based treatment planning. Materials and Methods: CT scan was performed with the patient in the supine position and the datasets were transferred to the Eclipse™ treatment planning system. Elekta Precise™ linear accelerator equipped with 40 pairs of multileaf collimator (MLC was used for the execution of the mantle field. The MLC′s shapes were designed to take the shape of the conventional customized blocks used for treatment of mantle field. The anterior mantle field was divided into three separate MLC segments with the collimator kept at 0°. The first MLC segment was shaped to cover the neck, clavicular regions, and mediastinum. The second and the third MLC segments covered the right and left axilla, respectively. The posterior fields were opposed to the anterior subfields in a similar fashion. The dose was prescribed at the midplane, using reference points. Results and Conclusion: The technique described in this study is very simple, easy to implement, and avoids unnecessary delay in the execution of the mantle field. The mantle field can be easily shaped with the multileaf collimators, without any collimator rotation.

WE-AB-209-06: Dynamic Collimator Trajectory Algorithm for Use in VMAT Treatment Deliveries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MacDonald, L [Department of Medical Physics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CA (Canada); Thomas, C; Syme, A [Department of Medical Physics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CA (Canada); Department of Radiation Oncology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada); Medical Physics, Nova Scotia Cancer Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To develop advanced dynamic collimator positioning algorithms for optimal beam’s-eye-view (BEV) fitting of targets in VMAT procedures, including multiple metastases stereotactic radiosurgery procedures. Methods: A trajectory algorithm was developed, which can dynamically modify the angle of the collimator as a function of VMAT control point to provide optimized collimation of target volume(s). Central to this algorithm is a concept denoted “whitespace”, defined as area within the jaw-defined BEV field, outside of the PTV, and not shielded by the MLC when fit to the PTV. Calculating whitespace at all collimator angles and every control point, a two-dimensional topographical map depicting the tightness-of-fit of the MLC was generated. A variety of novel searching algorithms identified a number of candidate trajectories of continuous collimator motion. Ranking these candidate trajectories according to their accrued whitespace value produced an optimal solution for navigation of this map. Results: All trajectories were normalized to minimum possible (i.e. calculated without consideration of collimator motion constraints) accrued whitespace. On an acoustic neuroma case, a random walk algorithm generated a trajectory with 151% whitespace; random walk including a mandatory anchor point improved this to 148%; gradient search produced a trajectory with 137%; and bi-directional gradient search generated a trajectory with 130% whitespace. For comparison, a fixed collimator angle of 30° and 330° accumulated 272% and 228% of whitespace, respectively. The algorithm was tested on a clinical case with two metastases (single isocentre) and identified collimator angles that allow for simultaneous irradiation of the PTVs while minimizing normal tissue irradiation. Conclusion: Dynamic collimator trajectories have the potential to improve VMAT deliveries through increased efficiency and reduced normal tissue dose, especially in treatment of multiple cranial metastases

WE-AB-209-06: Dynamic Collimator Trajectory Algorithm for Use in VMAT Treatment Deliveries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacDonald, L; Thomas, C; Syme, A

2016-01-01

Purpose: To develop advanced dynamic collimator positioning algorithms for optimal beam’s-eye-view (BEV) fitting of targets in VMAT procedures, including multiple metastases stereotactic radiosurgery procedures. Methods: A trajectory algorithm was developed, which can dynamically modify the angle of the collimator as a function of VMAT control point to provide optimized collimation of target volume(s). Central to this algorithm is a concept denoted “whitespace”, defined as area within the jaw-defined BEV field, outside of the PTV, and not shielded by the MLC when fit to the PTV. Calculating whitespace at all collimator angles and every control point, a two-dimensional topographical map depicting the tightness-of-fit of the MLC was generated. A variety of novel searching algorithms identified a number of candidate trajectories of continuous collimator motion. Ranking these candidate trajectories according to their accrued whitespace value produced an optimal solution for navigation of this map. Results: All trajectories were normalized to minimum possible (i.e. calculated without consideration of collimator motion constraints) accrued whitespace. On an acoustic neuroma case, a random walk algorithm generated a trajectory with 151% whitespace; random walk including a mandatory anchor point improved this to 148%; gradient search produced a trajectory with 137%; and bi-directional gradient search generated a trajectory with 130% whitespace. For comparison, a fixed collimator angle of 30° and 330° accumulated 272% and 228% of whitespace, respectively. The algorithm was tested on a clinical case with two metastases (single isocentre) and identified collimator angles that allow for simultaneous irradiation of the PTVs while minimizing normal tissue irradiation. Conclusion: Dynamic collimator trajectories have the potential to improve VMAT deliveries through increased efficiency and reduced normal tissue dose, especially in treatment of multiple cranial metastases

High-frequency impedance of small-angle tapers and collimators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Stupakov

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Collimators and transitions in accelerator vacuum chambers often include small-angle tapering to lower the wakefields generated by the beam. While the low-frequency impedance is well described by Yokoya’s formula (for axisymmetric geometry, much less is known about the behavior of the impedance in the high-frequency limit. In this paper we develop an analytical approach to the high-frequency regime for round collimators and tapers. Our analytical results are compared with computer simulations using the code ECHO.

Thermomechanical response of Large Hadron Collider collimators to proton and ion beam impacts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marija Cauchi

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC is designed to accelerate and bring into collision high-energy protons as well as heavy ions. Accidents involving direct beam impacts on collimators can happen in both cases. The LHC collimation system is designed to handle the demanding requirements of high-intensity proton beams. Although proton beams have 100 times higher beam power than the nominal LHC lead ion beams, specific problems might arise in case of ion losses due to different particle-collimator interaction mechanisms when compared to protons. This paper investigates and compares direct ion and proton beam impacts on collimators, in particular tertiary collimators (TCTs, made of the tungsten heavy alloy INERMET® 180. Recent measurements of the mechanical behavior of this alloy under static and dynamic loading conditions at different temperatures have been done and used for realistic estimates of the collimator response to beam impact. Using these new measurements, a numerical finite element method (FEM approach is presented in this paper. Sequential fast-transient thermostructural analyses are performed in the elastic-plastic domain in order to evaluate and compare the thermomechanical response of TCTs in case of critical beam load cases involving proton and heavy ion beam impacts.

Optical radiative properties of ablating polymers exposed to high-power arc plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Becerra, Marley; Pettersson, Jonas

2018-03-01

The radiative properties of polymers exposed to high-intensity radiation are of importance for the numerical simulation of arc-induced ablation. The paper investigates the optical properties of polymethylmethacrylate PMMA and polyamide PA6 films exposed to high-power arc plasmas, which can cause ablation of the material. A four-flux radiative approximation is first used to estimate absorption and scattering coefficients of the tested materials in the ultraviolet (UV) and in the visible (VIS) ranges from spectrophotometric measurements. The temperature-induced variation of the collimated transmissivity of the polymers is also measured from room temperature to the glass temperature of PMMA and the melting temperature of PA6. Furthermore, band-averaged absorption and scattering coefficients of non-ablating and ablating polymers are estimated from the UV to the short-wavelength infrared (SWIR), covering the range of interest for the simulation of arc-induced ablation. These estimates are obtained from collimated transmissivities measured with an additional in situ photometric system that uses a high-power, transient arc plasma to both illuminate the samples and to induce ablation. It is shown that the increase in the bulk temperature of PA6 leads to a strong reversible increase in collimated transmissivity, significantly reducing the absorption and scattering coefficients of the material. A weaker but opposite effect of temperature on the optical properties is found in PMMA. As a consequence, it is suggested that the absorption coefficient of polymers used for arc-induced ablation estimates should not be taken directly from direct collimated transmissivity measurements at room temperature. The band-averaged radiation measurements also show that the layer of products released by ablation of PMMA produces scattering radiation losses mainly in the VIS-SWIR ranges, which are only a small fraction of the total incident arc radiation. In a similar manner, the ablation layer

Reliability review of the LHC collimators low level control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masi, A.; Donze, M.; Losito, R.

2011-01-01

The LHC collimators' low level control system is responsible for the positioning, with an accuracy of a few um, of more than 500 motor axes located around the entire LHC tunnel and synchronized at us level,The collimators' axes position is verified in Real Time, monitoring at 100 Hz more than 700 LVDT positioning sensors. Apart from the challenging requirements of timing and positioning accuracy, the system is characterized by a high level of reliability since the collimators have the crucial function of machine protection. In this paper we focus on the architectural and technical choices adopted to guarantee the level of reliability required by the application. We also present the tools and solutions developed to manage this huge control system making the support easier and faster for its operation. (authors)

Simulation of the collimator of the residual stress instrument

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Jian; Wang, Xiaoying; Xie, Chaomei

2009-04-01

In order to understand the detailed influence from the collimator system to the main index of the Residual Stress Nertron Diffractometer (RSND) such as the flux at sample position, and the resolution of the spectrometer, the MCStas simulation software is used to build the proper Model of the Collimator system to complete the calculation and simulation. During the simulation, the authors setup the divergence and length of each collimator to check if it had big effect to the whole system. Based on the simulation, the authors obtained an optimized result: When the α 1 =α 2 =30', the horizontal flux at the sample position can be 2.3 x 10 6 n·cm -2 ·s -1 , the vertical flux can be 3.5 x 10 6 n·cm -2 ·s -1 , and when the α 1 =α 2 =10' the best resolution of the spectrometer can be 0.2 degree. This is a valuable result for the RDND. (authors)

Optical effects on neutron guide tubes produced by collimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Margaca, F.M.A.; Falcao, A.N.; Sequeira, A.D.; Salgado, J.F.

1991-01-01

The collimation of a neutron beam carried by a guide tube is shown to procedure extensive regions of umbra and penumbra on the inner walls of the guide tube whenever a diaphragm is used at the exit. The region of umbra renders useless a certain length of the guide-tube end while in the region of penumbra the guide exhibits a faint luminosity. These optical effects are particularly important for stringent collimation. It is shown that these effects render impossible the implementation of the 'equal-flight-paths' design currently used for small-angle neutron scattering instruments, which use guide segments and a diaphragm in the collimation assembly. As a consequence, these operate most of the time in strongly unmatched configurations. It is shown that the optimized design formerly proposed by the authors, in which, whenever possible, the full luminous source area is used, not only avoids the optical effects mentioned but also guarantees the highest detector count rate. (orig.)

Design and fabrication of multigrid X-ray collimators. [For airborne x-ray spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Acton, L W; Joki, E G; Salmon, R J [Lockheed Missiles and Space Co., Palo Alto, Calif. (USA). Lockheed Palo Alto Research Lab.

1976-08-01

Multigrid X-ray collimators continue to find wide application in space research. This paper treats the principles of their design and fabrication and summarizes the experience obtained in making and flying thirteen such collimators ranging in angular resolution from 10 to 0.7 arc min FWHM. Included is a summary of a survey of scientist-users and industrial producers of collimator grids regarding grid materials, precision, plating, hole quality and results of acceptance testing.

Radiative effects of interannually varying vs. interannually invariant aerosol emissions from fires

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. S. Grandey

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Open-burning fires play an important role in the earth's climate system. In addition to contributing a substantial fraction of global emissions of carbon dioxide, they are a major source of atmospheric aerosols containing organic carbon, black carbon, and sulfate. These “fire aerosols” can influence the climate via direct and indirect radiative effects. In this study, we investigate these radiative effects and the hydrological fast response using the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5. Emissions of fire aerosols exert a global mean net radiative effect of −1.0 W m−2, dominated by the cloud shortwave response to organic carbon aerosol. The net radiative effect is particularly strong over boreal regions. Conventionally, many climate modelling studies have used an interannually invariant monthly climatology of emissions of fire aerosols. However, by comparing simulations using interannually varying emissions vs. interannually invariant emissions, we find that ignoring the interannual variability of the emissions can lead to systematic overestimation of the strength of the net radiative effect of the fire aerosols. Globally, the overestimation is +23 % (−0.2 W m−2. Regionally, the overestimation can be substantially larger. For example, over Australia and New Zealand the overestimation is +58 % (−1.2 W m−2, while over Boreal Asia the overestimation is +43 % (−1.9 W m−2. The systematic overestimation of the net radiative effect of the fire aerosols is likely due to the non-linear influence of aerosols on clouds. However, ignoring interannual variability in the emissions does not appear to significantly impact the hydrological fast response. In order to improve understanding of the climate system, we need to take into account the interannual variability of aerosol emissions.

Note: Detector collimators for the nanoscale ordered materials diffractometer instrument at the Spallation Neutron Source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tamalonis, A. [Materials Development, Inc., Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004 (United States); Weber, J. K. R., E-mail: rweber@anl.gov; Alderman, O. L. G. [Materials Development, Inc., Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004 (United States); Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); Neuefeind, J. C.; Carruth, J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830 (United States); Skinner, L. B. [Materials Development, Inc., Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004 (United States); Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794 (United States); Benmore, C. J. [Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States)

2015-09-15

Five neutron collimator designs were constructed and tested at the nanoscale ordered materials diffractometer (NOMAD) instrument. Collimators were made from High Density PolyEthylene (HDPE) or 5% borated HDPE. In all cases, collimators improved the signal to background ratio and reduced detection of secondary scattering. In the Q-range 10-20 Å{sup −1}, signal to background ratio improved by factors of approximately 1.6 and 2.0 for 50 and 100 mm deep collimators, respectively. In the Q-range 40-50 Å{sup −1}, the improvement factors were 1.8 and 2.7. Secondary scattering as measured at Q ∼ 9.5 Å{sup −1} was significantly decreased when the collimators were installed.

Analysis of directional radiative behavior and heating efficiency for a gas-fired radiant burner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, B.X.; Lu, Y.P.; Liu, L.H.; Kudo, K.; Tan, H.P.

2005-01-01

For the purpose of energy conservation and uniform heating of object surface, a gas-fired porous radiant burner with a bundle of reflecting tubes is developed. A physical model is developed to simulate the directional radiative behavior of this heating device, in which the Monte Carlo method based on the concept of radiation distribution factor is used to compute the directional radiative behavior. The effects of relating parameters on the directional behavior of radiative heating and the heating efficiency are analyzed. With the increase of the length-to-radius ratio of tube, the radiation heating efficiency decreases, but the radiation energy incident on the object surface is more collimated. The radiation heating efficiency increases with the specular reflectivity. With the increase in length of tube segment with specular reflective surface, the radiation heating efficiency increases, but the extent of concentration and collimation of radiative energy decreases. For real design of the heating device, some trade-offs are needed to balance the radiation heating efficiency and the uniformity of radiative heating of object surface

System geometry optimization for molecular breast tomosynthesis with focusing multi-pinhole collimators

Science.gov (United States)

van Roosmalen, Jarno; Beekman, Freek J.; Goorden, Marlies C.

2018-01-01

Imaging of 99mTc-labelled tracers is gaining popularity for detecting breast tumours. Recently, we proposed a novel design for molecular breast tomosynthesis (MBT) based on two sliding focusing multi-pinhole collimators that scan a modestly compressed breast. Simulation studies indicate that MBT has the potential to improve the tumour-to-background contrast-to-noise ratio significantly over state-of-the-art planar molecular breast imaging. The aim of the present paper is to optimize the collimator-detector geometry of MBT. Using analytical models, we first optimized sensitivity at different fixed system resolutions (ranging from 5 to 12 mm) by tuning the pinhole diameters and the distance between breast and detector for a whole series of automatically generated multi-pinhole designs. We evaluated both MBT with a conventional continuous crystal detector with 3.2 mm intrinsic resolution and with a pixelated detector with 1.6 mm pixels. Subsequently, full system simulations of a breast phantom containing several lesions were performed for the optimized geometry at each system resolution for both types of detector. From these simulations, we found that tumour-to-background contrast-to-noise ratio was highest for systems in the 7 mm-10 mm system resolution range over which it hardly varied. No significant differences between the two detector types were found.

Status of UA9, the Crystal Collimation Experiment in the SPS

CERN Document Server

Scandale, W

2011-01-01

UA9 was operated at the CERN-SPS for more than two years to investigate the feasibility of halo collimation with bent crystals. Silicon crystals 2 mm long with bending angles of about 170 μrad were used as primary collimators. The crystal collimation process was steadily achieved through channeling, with high efficiency. The crystal orientation was easily set and optimized with an installed goniometer that has an angular accuracy of about ± 10 μrad. In channeling orientation, the loss rate of the halo particles interacting with the crystal is reduced by half an order of magnitude, whilst the residual off momentum halo escaping from the crystal-collimator area is reduced by a factor two to five. The crystal channeling efficiency of about 75% is reasonably consistent with simulations and with single pass data collected in the extracted proton beam of the SPS North Experimental Area. The accumulated observations, shown in this paper, support our expectation that the coherent deflection of the beam halo by a b...

A new collimator for measurement of rCBF by means of gamma camera

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zechmann, W.; Oberladstaetter, M.; Raccabona, G.; Vogl, G.; Gerstenbrand, F.

1982-01-01

Atraumatic measurement of rCBF by means of gamma camera and conventional collimators requires high doses of 133 Xenon to obtain high count rates over the cerebral ROI's. The input of time-activity curve of breathing air by means of a probe measurement is not possible on line without difficulties. A new collimator, developed by ours, which is comparable with standard rCBF-Multiprobe systems, which allows high countrates and low dose of 133 Xenon is presented. A special air bypass enables to get the breathing curve with simple ROI technique. The collimator can easily be adapted to the camera by means of an insert adapter ring. With this collimator the rCBF measurement with conventional equipment of a nuclear medicine department is possible. (Author)

Lumbar spine radiography — poor collimation practices after implementation of digital technology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zetterberg, Lars Gøran; Espeland, Ansgar

2011-01-01

Objectives: The transition from analogue to digital radiography may have reduced the motivation to perform proper collimation, as digital techniques have made it possible to mask areas irradiated outside the area of diagnostic interest (ADI). We examined the hypothesis that collimation practices...

Impedance Studies for the Phase 2 LHC Collimators

CERN Document Server

Métral, E; Grudiev, A; Kroyer, T; Zotter, B; Roncarolo, F; Salvant, B

2010-01-01

The LHC phase 2 collimation project aims at gaining a factor ten in cleaning efficiency, robustness and impedance reduction. From the impedance point of view, several ideas emerged during the last year, such as using dielectric collimators, slots or rods in copper plates, or Litz wires. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the possible choices, showing analytical estimates, electromagnetic simulations performed using Maxwell, HFSS and GdFidL, and preliminary bench measurements. The corresponding complex tune shifts are computed for the different cases and compared on the stability diagram defined by the settings of the Landau octupoles available in the LHC at 7 TeV.

Applications of multi-pinhole gamma camera collimation to tomography and image enhancement

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, D. R.

1981-06-01

Multi-pinhole gamma camera collimation was introduced in the field of emission tomography. This collimation process simultaneously produces several images covering a limited angular range, which may then be recombined to obtain tomographic slices of the object imaged. A possible method for improving the images obtained by this technique by combining two multi-pinhole views taken 90 deg apart was investigated. Collimators were designed and built both for tomography and imaging tablet disintegration, and computer programs were written to reconstruct the images by simple backprojection and by filtered backprojection. The use of multi-pinhole collimators to image the disintegration of tablets in vivo was clearly demonstrated. Phantom tests done in vitro were capable of imaging defects as small as 5 sq mm, while images made with real tablets both in vitro and in vivo readily showed the onset and progress of the tablet disintegration.

Review of BLM thresholds at tertiary LHC collimators

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2257482; Zanetti, Marco

The Large Hadron Collider is designed to accelerate protons at the unprecedented energy of 7 TeV. With a total stored energy of 360 MJ, even tiny losses can cause machine downtime or induce damage to sensitive accelerator components. The Beam Loss Monitors (BLMs) are an important component of the complex LHC protection system. They consist of a series of ionisation chambers located all around the ring to detect secondary particle showers induced by beam losses. The monitors are assigned thresholds such that if the radiation generated by the loss is too high, the BLM triggers a beam dump, preventing the loss to grow excessively. BLM signals are recorded for different integration windows, in order to detect losses on very different time scales, ranging from the extremely short ones (taking place over half a turn) to those very close to steady state (i.e. lasting for more than a minute). The LHC is equipped with a complex collimation system, to provide the machine with passive protection in case of transient los...

Compact collimators designed with a modified point approximation for light-emitting diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Tao; Wang, Gang

2017-09-01

We present a novel freeform lens design method for an application to LED collimating illumination. The method is derived from a basic geometric-optics analysis and construction approach. By using this method, a compact collimated lenses with Aspect Ratio = 0.219 is presented. Moreover, the utility efficiency (UE) inside the angle defined by ideal concentrator hypothesis with different lens-to-LED size ratios for both this lens and TIR lens are presented. A prototype of the collimator lens is also made to verify the practical performance of the lens, which has light distribution very compatible with the simulation results.

Radiation absorbed doses in cephalography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eliasson, S.; Julin, P.; Richter, S.; Stenstroem, B.

1984-01-01

Radiation absorbed doses to different organs in the head and neck region in lateral (LAT) and postero-anterior (PA) cephalography were investigated. The doses were measured by thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLD) on a tissue equivalent phantom head. Lanthanide screens in speed group 4 were used at 90 and 85 k Vp. A near-focus aluminium dodger was used and the radiation beam was collimated strictly to the face. The maximum entrance dose from LAT was 0.25 mGy and 0.42 mGy from a PA exposure. The doses to the salivary glands ranged between 0.2 and 0.02 mGy at LAT and between 0.15 and 0.04 mGy at PA exposures. The average thyroid gland dose without any shielding was 0.11 mGy (LAT) and 0.06 mGy (PA). When a dodger was used the dose was reduced to 0.07 mGy (LAT). If the thyroid gland was sheilded off, the dose was further reduced to 0.01 mGy and if the thyroid region was collimated out of the primary radiation field the dose was reduced to only 0.005 mGy. (authors)

Radiation at planar channeling of relativistic electrons in thick crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baier, V.N.; Katkov, V.M.; Strakhovenko, V.M.

1983-01-01

The distribution kinetics with respect to the transverse energy at electron channeling is discussed. The asymptotic expressions for the radiation intensity into a given collimator at electron channeling in thick crystals are derived. An optimal thickness at which the radiation output is maximal is found. The spectral distribution of the radiation intensity is analysed for the case of a single diamond crystal. (author)

Target and peripheral dose from radiation sector motions accompanying couch repositioning of patient coordinates with the Gamma Knife® Perfexion™

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tran, Tuan-Anh; Wu, Vincent; Malhotra, Harish; Steinman, James P.; Prasad, Dheerendra; Podgorsak, Matthew B.

2011-01-01

The GammaPlan ™ treatment planning system (TPS) does not fully account for shutter dose when multiple shots are required to deliver a patient’s treatment. The unaccounted exposures to the target site and its periphery are measured in this study. The collected data are compared to a similar effect from the Gamma Knife ® model 4C. A stereotactic head frame was attached to a Leksell ® 16 cm diameter spherical phantom; using a fiducial-box, CT images of the phantom were acquired and registered in the TPS. Measurements give the relationship of measured dose to the number of repositions with the patient positioning system (PPS) and to the collimator size. An absorbed dose of 10 Gy to the 50% isodose line was prescribed to the target site and all measurements were acquired with an ionization chamber. Measured dose increases with frequency of repositioning and with collimator size. As the radiation sectors transition between the beam on and beam off states, the target receives more shutter dose than the periphery. Shutter doses of 3.53±0.04 and 1.59±0.04 cGy/reposition to the target site are observed for the 16 and 8 mm collimators, respectively. The target periphery receives additional dose that varies depending on its position relative to the target. The radiation sector motions for the Gamma Knife ® Perfexion ™ result in an additional dose due to the shutter effect. The magnitude of this exposure is comparable to that measured for the model 4C

Verification of source and collimator configuration for Gamma Knife Perfexion using panoramic imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Young-Bin; Prooijen, Monique van; Jaffray, David A.; Islam, Mohammad K.

2010-01-01

Purpose: The new model of stereotactic radiosurgery system, Gamma Knife Perfexion, allows automatic selection of built-in collimation, eliminating the need for the time consuming manual collimator installation required with previous models. However, the configuration of sources and collimators inside the system does not permit easy access for the verification of the selected collimation. While the conventional method of exposing a film at the isocenter is useful for obtaining composite dose information, it is difficult to interpret the data in terms of the integrity of each individual source and corresponding collimation. The primary aim of this study was to develop a method of verifying the geometric configuration of the sources and collimator modules of the Gamma Knife Perfexion. In addition, the method was extended to make dose measurements and verify the accuracy of dose distributions calculated by the mathematical formalism used in the treatment planning system, Leksell Gamma Plan. Methods: A panoramic view of all of 192 cobalt sources was simultaneously acquired by exposing a radiochromic film wrapped around the surface of a cylindrical phantom. The center of the phantom was mounted at the isocenter with its axis aligned along the longitudinal axis of the couch. The sizes and shapes of the source images projected on the phantom surface were compared to those calculated based on the manufacturer's design specifications. The measured dose at various points on the film was also compared to calculations using the algorithm of the planning system. Results: The panoramic images allowed clear identification of each of the 192 sources, verifying source integrity and selected collimator sizes. Dose on the film surface is due to the primary beam as well as phantom scatter and leakage contributions. Therefore, the dose at a point away from the isocenter cannot be determined simply based on the proportionality of collimator output factors; the use of a dose computation

Online virtual isocenter based radiation field targeting for high performance small animal microirradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, James M. P.; Ansell, Steve; Lindsay, Patricia E.; Jaffray, David A.

2015-12-01

Advances in precision microirradiators for small animal radiation oncology studies have provided the framework for novel translational radiobiological studies. Such systems target radiation fields at the scale required for small animal investigations, typically through a combination of on-board computed tomography image guidance and fixed, interchangeable collimators. Robust targeting accuracy of these radiation fields remains challenging, particularly at the millimetre scale field sizes achievable by the majority of microirradiators. Consistent and reproducible targeting accuracy is further hindered as collimators are removed and inserted during a typical experimental workflow. This investigation quantified this targeting uncertainty and developed an online method based on a virtual treatment isocenter to actively ensure high performance targeting accuracy for all radiation field sizes. The results indicated that the two-dimensional field placement uncertainty was as high as 1.16 mm at isocenter, with simulations suggesting this error could be reduced to 0.20 mm using the online correction method. End-to-end targeting analysis of a ball bearing target on radiochromic film sections showed an improved targeting accuracy with the three-dimensional vector targeting error across six different collimators reduced from 0.56+/- 0.05 mm (mean  ±  SD) to 0.05+/- 0.05 mm for an isotropic imaging voxel size of 0.1 mm.

Design of a radiation facility for very small specimens used in radiobiology studies

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, Manuel; Jeraj, Robert

2008-06-01

A design of a radiation facility for very small specimens used in radiobiology is presented. This micro-irradiator has been primarily designed to irradiate partial bodies in zebrafish embryos 3-4 mm in length. A miniature x-ray, 50 kV photon beam, is used as a radiation source. The source is inserted in a cylindrical brass collimator that has a pinhole of 1.0 mm in diameter along the central axis to produce a pencil photon beam. The collimator with the source is attached underneath a computer-controlled movable table which holds the specimens. Using a 45° tilted mirror, a digital camera, connected to the computer, takes pictures of the specimen and the pinhole collimator. From the image provided by the camera, the relative distance from the specimen to the pinhole axis is calculated and coordinates are sent to the movable table to properly position the samples in the beam path. Due to its monitoring system, characteristic of the radiation beam, accuracy and precision of specimen positioning, and automatic image-based specimen recognition, this radiation facility is a suitable tool to irradiate partial bodies in zebrafish embryos, cell cultures or any other small specimen used in radiobiology research.

Radiation Templates of Spent Fuel in Casks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vanier, Peter

2018-05-07

BNL and INL propose to perform a scoping study, using heavily collimated gamma and fast neutron detectors, to obtain passive radiation templates of dry storage casks containing spent fuel. The goal is to demonstrate sufficient spatial resolution and sensitivity to detect a missing fuel assembly. Such measurements, combined with detailed modeling and decay corrections should provide confidence that the cask contents have not been altered, despite loss of continuity of knowledge (CoK). The concept relies on the leakage of high energy gammas and neutrons through the shielding of the casks. Tests will emphasize organic scintillators with pulse shape discrimination, but baseline comparisons will be made to high purity germanium (HPGe) and collimated moderated 3He detectors deployed in the same locations. Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) detectors and data acquisition electronics will be used with custom-built collimators and shielding.

Effectiveness of the use of emission data by fan beam collimator for TCT on TCT/ECT simultaneous acquisition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Yasuyuki; Nishimura, Yoshihiro; Murase, Kenya

2003-01-01

On transmission CT (TCT)/emission CT (ECT) simultaneous acquisition in the three detector SPECT system (one fan beam collimator for TCT and two parallel-hole collimators for ECT), count loss of the ECT data of the fan beam collimator for TCT occurs, which may deteriorate image quality. We thought that it might be possible to retrieve the ECT counts and improve image quality, when ECT data of the fan beam collimator for TCT were added to ECT data of two other parallel-hole collimators. To prove our hypothesis, we performed a phantom and clinical studies. We compared the ECT images of the following protocols: ECT data of a fan beam collimator+ECT data of two parallel beam collimators with attenuation correction (protocol A), ECT data of two parallel beam collimators with attenuation correction (protocol B), ECT data of two parallel beam collimators without attenuation correction (protocol C). In the phantom study, pixel counts of protocol A were as 1.3 to 1.6 times as protocol B. Profile curve improved up to 7 to 10%. Clinical images also improved. In conclusion, ECT data of the fan beam collimator for TCT can be retrieved to increase ECT counts, which improved image quality. (author)

SU-E-T-11: A Dosimetric Comparison of Robotic Prostatic Radiosugery Using Multi- Leaf Collimation Vs Circular Collimators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng, J; Yang, J; Lamond, J; Lavere, N; Laciano, R; Ding, W; Arrigo, S; Brady, L [Philadelphia Cyberknife, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

2014-06-01

Purpose: The study compared the dosimetry plans of Stereotatic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) prostate cancer patients using the M6 Cyberknife with Multi-leaf Collimation (MLC) compared with the plans using G4 Cyberknife with circular collimators. Methods: Eight previously treated prostate cancer patients' SBRT plans using circular collimators, designed with Multiplan v3.5.3, were used as a benchmark. The CT, contours and the optimization scripts were imported into Multiplan v5.0 system and replanned with MLC. The same planning objectives were used: more than 95% of PTV received 36.25Gy, 90% of prostate received 40Gy and maximum dose <45Gy, in five fractions. For organs at risk, less than 1cc of rectum received 36Gy and less than 10cc of bladder received 37Gy. Plans were evaluated on parameters derived from dose volume. The beam number, MU and delivery time were recorded to compare the treatment efficiency. Results: The mean CTV volume was 41.3cc (27.5∼57.6cc) and mean PTV volume was 76.77cc (59.1∼99.7cc). The mean PTV coverage was comparable between MLC (98.87%) and cone (98.74%). MLC plans had a slightly more favorable homogeneity index (1.22) and conformity index (1.17), than the cone (1.24 and 1.15). The mean rectum volume of 36 Gy (0.52cc) of MLC plans was slightly larger than cone (0.38cc) and the mean bladder volume of 37 Gy was smaller in MLC (1.82cc) than in cone plans (3.09cc). The mean number of nodes and beams were 65.9 and 80.5 in MLC vs 65.9 and 203.6 in cone. The mean MUs were significantly less for MLC plans (24,228MUs) than cone (32,347MUs). The total delivery time (which included 5 minutes for setup) was less, 29.6min (26∼32min) for MLC vs 45min (35∼55min) for cone. Conclusion: While the differences in the dosimetry between the MLC and circular collimator plans were rather minor, the MLC plans were much more efficient and required significantly less treatment time.

Collimation in the Transfer Lines to the LHC

CERN Document Server

Burkhardt, Helmut; Kadi, Yacine; Kain, Verena; Risselada, Thys; Weterings, Wim

2005-01-01

Injection intensities for the LHC are over an order of magnitude above damage level. The TI 2 and TI 8 transfer lines between the SPS and LHC are each about 2.5 km long and comprise many active elements running in pulsed mode. The collimation system in the transfer lines is designed to dilute the beam energy sufficiently in case of accidental beam loss or mis-steered beam. A system using three collimator families spaced by 60 degrees in phase advance, both in the horizontal and the vertical plane has been chosen. We discuss the reasons for this choice, the layout and, the expected performance of the system in terms of maximum amplitudes and energy deposition.

Segmental and dynamic intensity-modulated radiotherapy delivery techniques for micro-multileaf collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agazaryan, Nzhde; Solberg, Timothy D.

2003-01-01

A leaf sequencing algorithm has been implemented to deliver segmental and dynamic multileaf collimated intensity-modulated radiotherapy (SMLC-IMRT and DMLC-IMRT, respectively) using a linear accelerator equipped with a micro-multileaf collimator (mMLC). The implementation extends a previously published algorithm for the SMLC-IMRT to include the dynamic MLC-IMRT method and several dosimetric considerations. The algorithm has been extended to account for the transmitted radiation and minimize the leakage between opposing and neighboring leaves. The underdosage problem associated with the tongue-and-groove design of the MLC is significantly reduced by synchronizing the MLC leaf movements. The workings of the leaf sequencing parameters have been investigated and the results of the planar dosimetric investigations show that the sequencing parameters affect the measured dose distributions as intended. Investigations of clinical cases suggest that SMLC and DMLC delivery methods produce comparable results with leaf sequences obtained by root-mean-square (RMS) errors specification of 1.5% and lower, approximately corresponding to 20 or more segments. For SMLC-IMRT, there is little to be gained by using an RMS error specification smaller than 2%, approximately corresponding to 15 segments; however, more segments directly translate to longer treatment time and more strain on the MLC. The implemented leaf synchronization method does not increase the required monitor units while it reduces the measured TG underdoses from a maximum of 12% to a maximum of 3% observed with single field measurements of representative clinical cases studied

SU-E-T-59: Calculations of Collimator Scatter Factors (Sc) with and Without Custom-Made Build-Up Caps for CyberKnife

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wokoma, S; Yoon, J; Jung, J [East Carolina University, Greenville, NC (United States); Lee, S [Rhode Island Hospital / Warren Alpert Medical, Providence, RI (United States)

2014-06-01

Purpose: To investigate the impact of custom-made build-up caps for a diode detector in robotic radiosurgery radiation fields with variable collimator (IRIS) for collimator scatter factor (Sc) calculation. Methods: An acrylic cap was custom-made to fit our SFD (IBA Dosimetry, Germany) diode detector. The cap has thickness of 5 cm, corresponding to a depth beyond electron contamination. IAEA phase space data was used for beam modeling and DOSRZnrc code was used to model the detector. The detector was positioned at 80 cm source-to-detector distance. Calculations were performed with the SFD, with and without the build-up cap, for clinical IRIS settings ranging from 7.5 to 60 mm. Results: The collimator scatter factors were calculated with and without 5 cm build-up cap. They were agreed within 3% difference except 15 mm cone. The Sc factor for 15 mm cone without buildup was 13.2% lower than that with buildup. Conclusion: Sc data is a critical component in advanced algorithms for treatment planning in order to calculate the dose accurately. After incorporating build-up cap, we discovered differences of up to 13.2 % in Sc factors in the SFD detector, when compared against in-air measurements without build-up caps.

A synchrotron-based X-ray exposure station for radiation biology experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, A.C.; Blakely, E.A.; Bjornstad, K.A.; Chang, P.Y.; Rosen, C.J.; Schwarz, R.I.

2007-01-01

Synchrotron X-ray sources enable radiation biology experiments that are difficult with conventional sources. A synchrotron source can easily deliver a monochromatic, tunable energy, highly collimated X-ray beam of well-calibrated intensity. An exposure station at beamline 10.3.1 of the Advanced Light Source (ALS) has been developed which delivers a variable energy (5-20 keV) X-ray fan beam with very sharp edges (10-90% in less than 3 μm). A series of experiments have been done with a four-well slide where a stripe (100 μm widex18 mm long) of cells in each well has been irradiated and the dose varied from well to well. With this facility we have begun a series of experiments to study cells adjacent to irradiated cells and how they respond to the damage of their neighbors. Initial results have demonstrated the advantages of using synchrotron radiation for these experiments