• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.129-132
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• 2002

The practical virtual compensator, which uses a dynamic multi-leaf collimator (dMLC) and three-dimensional radiation therapy planning (3D RTP) system, was designed. And the feasibility study of the virtual compensator was done to verify that the virtual compensator acts a role as the replacement of the physical compensator. Design procedure consists of three steps. The first step is to generate the isodose distributions from the 3D RTP system (Render Plan, Elekta). Then isodose line pattern was used as the compensator pattern. Pre-determined compensating ratio was applied to generate the fluence map for the compensator design. The second step is to generate the leaf sequence file with Ma's algorithm in the respect of optimum MU-efficiency. All the procedure was done with home-made software. The last step is the QA procedure which performs the comparison of the dose distributions which are produced from the irradiation with the virtual compensator and from the calculation by 3D RTP. In this study, a phantom was fabricated for the verification of properness of the designed compensator. It is consisted of the styrofoam part which mimics irregular shaped contour or the missing tissues and the mini water phantom. Inhomogeneous dose distribution due to the styrofoam missing tissue could be calculated with the RTP system. The film dosimetry in the phantom with and without the compensator showed significant improvement of the dose distributions. The virtual compensator designed in this study was proved to be a replacement of the physical compensator in the practical point of view.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.187-194
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• 2002

In this work we investigated through Monte Carlo calculations the physical characteristics of the absorbed dose from the Ir-192 source used in brachytherapy The Monte Carlo calculations were performed using the code EGS4, which was extensively modified in order to handle cylindrical sources, phantoms, and energy distributions to suit out own purpose. From the results of the calculations for the $\beta$ -rays, it was found that they contribute on the average 0.02% to The total absorbed dose in the distance range of 0.5-5.0 cm from the source. This is due to the face that, although most of the primary $\beta$ -rays are absorbed in the source and encapsulation material, the resulting low energy braking radiation from them contribute to such a distance. The absorbed dose in the encapsulation material varied on the average from 2.8% for platinum down to 1.1% for iron. The radial dose functions obtained by our Monte Carlo calculations were consistent within $\pm$3% with those of the TG-43 report for the radial distance interval 0.5-10.0 cm from the source. The user code we wrote in this work can be used for other sources of different sizes and so it can be very useful in designing and producing the sources for brachytherapy.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2003

Methodology for calculating the organ equivalent doses and the effective doses of pediatric and adult patients undergoing medical X-ray examinations were established. The MIRD-type mathematical phantoms of 4 age groups were constructed with addition of the esophagus to the same phantoms. Two typical examination procedures, chest PA and abdomen AP, were simulated for the pediatric patients as well as the adult as illustrative examples. The results confirmed that patients pick up approximate 0.03 mSv of effective dose from a single chest PA examination, and 0.4 to 1.7 mSv from an abdomen AP examination depending on the ages. For dose calculations where irradiation is made with a limited field, the details of the position, size and shape of the organs and the organ depth from the entrance surface considerably affect the resulting doses. Therefore, it is important to optimize radiation protection by control of X-ray properties and beam examination field. The calculation result, provided in this study, can be used to implement optimization for medical radiation protection.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.437-446
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• 1993

More realistic calculation models for evaluating man's annual intakes of radionuclides released from operating nuclear facilities were established. For the application of these models, the harvest years of food and feed crops consumed in the year of dose assessment and every year's average concentrations of a radionuclide in air and in water for the whole period of real operation had to be taken into account. KFOOD, an existing equilibrium food chain computer code for the Korean dose assessment, was modified according to the models. Sample runs of the modified code on the assumption of a constant release during 10 years' operation were made with three kinds of the input data files enabling the dose assessment in the improved method, the KFOOD method and another existing method, respectively, and the results were compared. Annual committed effective doses to Korean adult by intakes of Mn-54, Co-60, Sr-90, I-131 and Cs-137 calculated in the improved method were about 11, 2, 5, 60 and 3%, respectively, lower than the corresponding KFOOD dose. To the intakes of the radionuclides except Sr-90 evaluated in the improved method, foliar uptake contributed much more than root uptake did but, in the case of Sr-90, the result was opposite.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.73-80
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• 2011

The radiation shielding analysis for a Burnup-credit (BUC) cask designed under the management of Korea Radioactive Waste Management Corporation (KRMC) was performed to examine the contribution of each radiation source affecting dose rate distribution around the cask. Various radiation sources, which contain neutron and gamma-ray sources placed in active fuel region and the activation source, and imaginary nuclear fuel were all considered in the MCNP calculation model to realistically simulate the actual situations. It was found that the maximum external and surface dose rates of the spent fuel cask were satisfied with the domestic standards both in normal and accident conditions. In normal condition, the radiation dose rate distribution around the cask was mainly influenced by activation source ($^{60}Co$ radioisotope); in another case, the neutron emitted in active fuel region contributed about 90% to external dose rate at 1m distance from side surface of the cask. Besides, the contribution level of activation source was dramatically increased to the dose rates in top and bottom regions of the cask. From this study, it was recognized that the detailed investigation on the radiation sources should be performed conservatively and accurately in the process of radiation shielding analysis for a BUC cask.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.201-209
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• 2016

The object of this study was to evaluate the separation distance from a temporary storage facility satisfying the dose criteria. The calculation of ambient dose rates took into account cover soil thickness, facility size, and facility type by using MCNPX code. Shielding effects of cover soil were 68.9%, 96.9% and 99.7% at 10 cm, 30 cm and 50 cm respectively. The on-ground type of storage facility had the highest ambient dose rate, followed by the semi-ground type and the underground type. The ambient dose rate did not vary with facility size (except $5{\times}5{\times}2m\;size$) due to the self-shielding of decontamination waste in temporary storage. The separation distances without cover soil for a $50{\times}50{\times}2m\;size$ facility were evaluated as 14 m (minimum radioactivity concentration), 33 m (most probably radioactivity concentration), and 57 m (maximum radioactivity concentration) for on-ground storage type, 9 m, 24 m, and 45 m for semi-underground storage type, and 6 m, 16 m, and 31 m for underground storage type.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.293-299
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• 2001

Prupose : LiF TLD has a problem to be used in vivo dosimetry because of the toxic property of LiF. The aim of this study is to develop new dosimeter with LiF TLD to be used in vivo dosimetry. Materials and methods : We designed and manufactured the teflon box(here after TLD holder) to put TLD in. The external size of TLD holder is $4\times4\times1\;mm^3$ To estimate the effect of TLD holder on TLD response for radiation, the linearity of TLD response to nominal dose were measured for TLD in TLD holder. Measurement were peformed in the 10 MV x-ray beam with LiF TLD using a solid water phantom at SSD of 100 cm. Percent Depth Dose (PDD) and Tissue-Maximum Ratio (TMR) with varying phantom thickness on TLD were measured to find the effect of TLD holder on the dose coefficient used for dose calculation in radiation therapy. Results : The linearity of response of TLD in TLD holder to the nominal dose was improved than TLD only used as dosimeter And in various measurement conditions, it makes a marginnal difference between TLD in TLD holder and TLD only in their responses. Conclusion : It was proven that the TLD in TLD holder as a new dosimetry could be used in vivo dosimetry.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.181-186
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• 2013

Purpose: This study executed therapy plans on prostate cancer (homogeneous density area) and lung cancer (non-homogeneous density area) using radiation treatment planning systems such as $Pinnacle^3$ (version 9.2, Philips Medical Systems, USA) and Eclipse (version 10.0, Varian Medical Systems, USA) in order to quantify the difference between dose calculation according to density in IMRT. Materials and Methods: The subjects were prostate cancer patients (n=5) and lung cancer patients (n=5) who had therapies in our hospital. Identical constraints and optimization process according to the Protocol were administered on the subjects. For the therapy plan of prostate cancer patients, 10 MV and 7Beam were used and 2.5 Gy was prescribed in 28 fx to make 70 Gy in total. For lung cancer patients, 6 MV and 6Beam were used and 2 Gy was prescribed in 33 fx to make 66 Gy in total. Through two therapy planning systems, maximum dose, average dose, and minimum dose of OAR (Organ at Risk) of CTV, PTV and around tumor were investigated. Results: In prostate cancer, both therapy planning systems showed within 2% change of dose of CTV and PTV and normal organs (Bladder, Both femur and Rectum out) near the tumor satisfied the dose constraints. In lung cancer, CTV and PTV showed less than 2% changes in dose and normal organs (Esophagus, Spinal cord and Both lungs) satisfied dose restrictions. However, the minimum dose of Eclipse therapy plan was 1.9% higher in CTV and 3.5% higher in PTV, and in case of both lungs there was 3.0% difference at V5 Gy. Conclusion: Each TPS according to the density satisfied dose limits of our hospital proving the clinical accuracy. It is considered more accurate and precise therapy plan can be made if studies on treatment planning for diverse parts and the application of such TPS are made.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.323-331
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• 2010

The Hi-Art system for TomoTherapy allows only three (1.0 cm, 2.5 cm, 5.0 cm) field widths and this can produce different dose distribution around the end of PTV (Planning target volume) in the direction of jaw movement. In this study, we investigated the effect of field width on the dose difference around the PTV using DQA (Delivery quality assurance) phantom and real clinical patient cases. In the analysis with DQA phantom, the calculated dose and irradiated films showed that the more dose was widely spreaded out in the end region of PTV as increase of field width. The 2.5 cm field width showed a 1.6 cm wider dose profile and the 5.0 cm field width showed a 4.2 cm wider dose profile compared with the 1.0 cm field width in the region of 50% of maximum dose. The analysis with four patient cases also showed the similar results with the DQA phantom which means that more dose was irradiated around the superior and inferior end of PTV as an increase of field width. The 5.0 cm field width produced the remarkable high dose distribution around the end region of PTV and we could evaluate the effect quantitatively with the calculation of DVH (Dose volume histogram) of the virtual PTVs which were delineated around the end of PTV in the direction of jaw variation. From these results, we could verify that the margin for PTV in the direction of table movement should be reduced compared with the conventional margin for PTV when the large field such as 5.0 cm was used in TomoTherapy.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.64-71
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• 2016

We develop a manufacture procedure for the production of a patient specific customized bolus (PSCB) using a 3D printer (3DP). The dosimetric accuracy of the 3D-PSCB is evaluated for electron beam therapy. In order to cover the required planning target volume (PTV), we select the proper electron beam energy and the field size through initial dose calculation using a treatment planning system. The PSCB is delineated based on the initial dose distribution. The dose calculation is repeated after applying the PSCB. We iteratively fine-tune the PSCB shape until the plan quality is sufficient to meet the required clinical criteria. Then the contour data of the PSCB is transferred to an in-house conversion software through the DICOMRT protocol. This contour data is converted into the 3DP data format, STereoLithography data format and then printed using a 3DP. Two virtual patients, having concave and convex shapes, were generated with a virtual PTV and an organ at risk (OAR). Then, two corresponding electron treatment plans with and without a PSCB were generated to evaluate the dosimetric effect of the PSCB. The dosimetric characteristics and dose volume histograms for the PTV and OAR are compared in both plans. Film dosimetry is performed to verify the dosimetric accuracy of the 3D-PSCB. The calculated planar dose distribution is compared to that measured using film dosimetry taken from the beam central axis. We compare the percent depth dose curve and gamma analysis (the dose difference is 3%, and the distance to agreement is 3 mm) results. No significant difference in the PTV dose is observed in the plan with the PSCB compared to that without the PSCB. The maximum, minimum, and mean doses of the OAR in the plan with the PSCB were significantly reduced by 9.7%, 36.6%, and 28.3%, respectively, compared to those in the plan without the PSCB. By applying the PSCB, the OAR volumes receiving 90% and 80% of the prescribed dose were reduced from $14.40cm^3$ to $0.1cm^3$ and from $42.6cm^3$ to $3.7cm^3$, respectively, in comparison to that without using the PSCB. The gamma pass rates of the concave and convex plans were 95% and 98%, respectively. A new procedure of the fabrication of a PSCB is developed using a 3DP. We confirm the usefulness and dosimetric accuracy of the 3D-PSCB for the clinical use. Thus, rapidly advancing 3DP technology is able to ease and expand clinical implementation of the PSCB.