• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.71-80
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• 2020

This paper provides a brief review of the advanced technologies for carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT), with a focus on current developments. Compared to photon beam therapy, treatment using heavy ions, especially a carbon beam, has potential advantages due to its physical and biological properties. Carbon ion beams with high linear energy transfer demonstrate high relative biological effectiveness in cell killing, particularly at the Bragg peak. With these unique properties, CIRT allows for accurate targeting and dose escalation for tumors with better sparing of adjacent normal tissues. Recently, the available CIRT technologies included fast pencil beam scanning, superconducting rotating gantry, respiratory motion management, and accurate beam modeling for the treatment planning system. These techniques provide precise treatment, operational efficiency, and patient comfort. Currently, there are 12 CIRT facilities worldwide; with technological improvements, they continue to grow in number. Ongoing technological developments include the use of multiple ion beams, effective beam delivery, accurate biological modeling, and downsizing the facility.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.386-392
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• 2018

Radiation therapy is highly effective for the management of pediatric malignant central nervous system (CNS) tumors including embryonal tumors. With the increment of long-term survivors from malignant CNS tumors, the radiation-related toxicities have become a major concern and we need to improve the treatment strategies to reduce the late complications without compromising the treatment outcomes. One of such strategies is to reduce the radiation dose to craniospinal axis or radiation volume and to avoid or defer radiation therapy until after the age of three. Another strategy is using particle beam therapy such as proton beams instead of photon beams. Proton beams have distinct physiologic advantages over photon beams and greater precision in radiation delivery to the tumor while preserving the surrounding healthy tissues. In this review, I provide the treatment principles of pediatric CNS embryonal tumors and the strategic improvements of radiation therapy to reduce treatment-related late toxicities, and finally introduce the increasing availability of proton beam therapy for pediatric CNS embryonal tumors compared with photon beam therapy.

• International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.68-71
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• 2008

Transdermal and topical drug delivery with minimal tissue damage has been an area of vigorous research for a number of years. Our research team has initiated the development of an effective method for delivering drug particles across the skin (transdermal) for systemic circulation, and to localized (topical) areas. The device consists of a micro particle acceleration system based on laser ablation that can be integrated with endoscopic surgical techniques. A layer of micro particles is deposited on the surface of a thin metal foil. The rear side of the foil is irradiated with a laser beam, which generates a shockwave that travels through the foil. When the shockwave reaches the end of the foil, it is reflected as an expansion wave and causes instantaneous deformation of the foil in the opposite direction. Due to this sudden deformation, the microparticles are ejected from the foil at very high speeds, and therefore have sufficient momentum to penetrate soft body tissues. We have demonstrated this by successfully delivering cobalt particles $3\;{\mu}m$ in diameter into gelatin models that represent soft tissue with remarkable penetration depth.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2008.03a
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• pp.566-569
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• 2008

Recently, the biolistic process is emerging as an effective needle-free drug delivery technique to transfer adequate concentrations of pharmacologic agents to soft living tissues with minimum side effects. We have started developing an effective method for delivering drug coated particles using laser ablation. A thin metal foil with deposited micro-particles on one side is irradiated with laser beam on the opposite side so that a shock wave is generated. This shock wave travels through the foil and is reflected, which causes and instantaneous deformation of the foil. Due to such a sudden deformation, the micro-particles are ejected at a very high speed. Here we present the experimental results of direct and confined laser ablation, which correspond to the initial stage of the whole experiment.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.165-170
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• 1991

In breast cancer, the treatment volume presents a relatively complex three dimensional structure. Effective radiation therapy requires the delivery of adequate dose to a large target volume using complex beam arrangements. The technique proposed here is our department's method using asymmetric jaw with appropriate couch, collimator and gantry rotation. This technique has the following advantages: 1) all treatments are given in a single clinical set up 2) it does not require half beam blocks 3) it produces exact geomatric match 4) it is very convenient and easy to use 5) it has daily reproducibility.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.10
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• pp.2410-2414
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• 2020

Heavy ions have a high potential for destroying deep tumors that carry the highest dose at the peak of Bragg. The peak caused by a single-energy carbon beam is too narrow, which requires special measures for improvement. Here, carbon-12 (¹²C) ion with different energies has been used as a source for calculating the dose distribution in the water phantom, soft tissue and bone by the code of Monte Carlobased FLUKA code. By increasing the energy of the initial beam, the amount of absorbed dose at Bragg peak in all three targets decreased, but the trend for this reduction was less severe in bone. While the maximum absorbed dose per bone-mass unit in energy of 200 MeV/u was about 30% less than the maximum absorbed dose per unit mass of water or soft tissue, it was merely 2.4% less than soft tissue in 400 MeV/u. The simulation result showed a good agreement with experimental data at GSI Darmstadt facility of biophysics group by 0.15 cm average accuracy in Bragg peak positioning. From 200 to 400 MeV/u incident energy, the Bragg peak location increased about 18 cm in soft tissue. Correspondingly, the bone and soft tissue revealed a reduction dose ratio by 2.9 and 1.9. Induced neutrons did not contribute more than 1.8% to the total energy deposited in the water phantom. Also during ¹²C ion bombardment, secondary fragments showed 76% and 24% of primary 200 and 400 MeV/u, respectively, were present at the Bragg-peak position. The combined treatment of carbon ions with neutron or electron beams may be more effective in local dose delivery and also treating malignant tumors.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.25-39
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• 2021

Brachytherapy, along with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), is an essential and effective radiation treatment process. In brachytherapy, in contrast to EBRT, the radiation source is radioisotopes. Because these isotopes can be positioned inside or near the tumor, it is possible to protect other organs around the tumor while delivering an extremely high-dose of treatment to the tumor. Brachytherapy has a long history of more than 100 years. In the early 1900s, the radioisotopes used for brachytherapy were only radium or radon isotopes extracted from nature. Over time, however, various radioisotopes have been artificially produced. As radioisotopes have high radioactivity and miniature size, the application of brachytherapy has expanded to high-dose-rate brachytherapy. Recently, advanced treatment techniques used in EBRT, such as image guidance and intensity modulation techniques, have been applied to brachytherapy. Three-dimensional images, such as ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography are used for accurate delineation of treatment targets and normal organs. Intensity-modulated brachytherapy is anticipated to be performed in the near future, and it is anticipated that the treatment outcomes of applicable cancers will be greatly improved by this treatment's excellent dose delivery characteristics.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.225-233
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• 2003

The goal of a radiation treatment plan is to deliver a homogeneous dose to a target with minimal irradiation of the adjacent normal tissues. Dose uniformity is especially important for stereotactic radiosurgery using a linear accelerator. The dose uniformity and high dose delivery of a single spherical dose distribution exceed 70％. This also results with a similar stereotactic radiosurgical plan using a Gamma Knife. The dose distribution produced in a stereotactic radiosurgical plan using a Gamma Knife and Linear accelerator is spherical, and the application of the sphere packing arrangement in a real radiosurgical plan requires much time and skill. In this study, we found a characteristic of dose distribution with transformation of beam parameters that must be considered in a radiosurgical plan for effective radiosurgery. First, we assumed a cylinder type tumor model and a cube type tumor model. Secondly, the results of the tumor models were compared and analyzed with dose profiles and DVH_(Dose Volume Histogram) representative dose distribution. We found the optimal composition of beam parameters_(i.e. collimator size, number of isocenter, gap of isocenters etc.), which allowed the tumor models to be involved in the isodose curve at a high level. In conclusion, the characteristics found in this study are helpful for improving the effectiveness and speed of a radiosurgical plan for stereotactic radiosurgery.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2002

This study is to enhance drug penetration via skin and investigate anti-inflammation effect following adoption of ultrasound. For this goal gel containing triamcinolone was prepared and the skin penetration rate and the change effects of blood plasma ingredients and serum enzyme were investigated. Using Franz type diffusion cell and the skin of hairless mouse, the permeation enhancing effect of ultrasound was tested. After the injury by direct trauma, the blood test was performed by measuring WBC, lymphocyte, and neutrophyl, and by analyzing CPK and LDH. The ultrasound transducer whose technical specification is geometric area(GA) $1.4\;cm^2$, effective radiation area(ERA) $0.8\;cm^2$, and beam non-uniformity ratio(BNR) 6.0 max was used. The influence of frequency having an effect on skin permeation rate was higher in the case of using 1MHz and continuous treatment. The temperature of receptor phase was not influenced in skin permeation by phonophoresis. Skin permeation increase attended by intensity of ultrasound, the permeation of triamcinolone was accelerated at $2.5\;w/cm^2\;than\;1.0\;w/cm^2$. Following muscle injury phonophoretic group the number of WBC, neutrophil and lympholyte were decreased significantly as compared with both control group and ultrasound group. The result of variation of serum CPK and LDH activity conformed to the phonophoretic effect as same pattern with the variation of WBC, neutrophil and lymphocyte.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.153-158
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• 2013

Purpose: After making two plans, the Double Scattering (DS) Mode and The Pencil Beam Scanning (PBS) Mode, of patients on early prostate cancer, we not only compare the dose conformity and the dose homogeneity by analyzing each DVH, CN and HI, but also evaluate normal structures's sparing effect on each mode. Materials and Methods: Planes about nine patients, who did proton therapy, on prostate cancer was setted using the Eclipse proton external beam planning system. The prescription dose, every $2.5 Gy{\times}28$ fractions=70 Gy, was delivered to the PTV. The CN and the HI were getted by anlazing each DVHs for the DS Plan and the PBS Plan. Also, normal structures' %volumes according to dose of the PBS are campared with those of the DS. Results: The average CN of the PTV is increase 16.63% from DS $0.68{\pm}0.07$ to PBS $0.79{\pm}0.01$, and the average IN of the PTV is decrease -22.66 % from DS $0.12{\pm}0.03$ to PBS $0.09{\pm}0.01$. The PBS has litter %Volumes of normal structures than the DS about every patient except Rectum. The average %Volume of Left Femoral Head receiving ${\geq}30$ Gy shows most high decreasing rate, -79.93%, from DS to PBS and the average %Volume of Rectum receiving ${\geq}70$ Gy shows most low decreasing rate, -3.03%, from DS to PBS. Conclusion: Therefore, the PBS is more effective achieving the dose conformity and the dose Homogeneity than DS, and better to reduce unnecessary dose arriving normal structures, especially the femoral heads.