• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.25-29
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• 2008

Purpose: To monitor the changes of location of prostate gland using DIPS and to examine the adjustment and proton beam therapy depending on the movement of prostate gland in proton beam therapy for prostate gland in which a fiducial gold marker was inserted. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in ten patients with prostate cancer who received proton beam therapy since April of 2008. To monitor the change of prostate location, three fiducial gold markers were inserted prior to the treatment. To minimize the movement of prostate gland, patients were recommended to urinate prior to the treatment, to intake a certain amount of water and to concomitantly undergo rectal balloon. In these patients, the set-up position was identical to that for a CT-simulation. The PA (posterior-anterior) and lateral images were obtained using both DIPS (digital image positioning system) and a plain radiography, and they were compared between the two imaging modalities. Thus, the changes of the location of fiducial gold marker were assessed based on three coordinates (x, y, z) and then adjusted. This was followed by proton beam therapy. Results: Images which were taken using a plain radiography were compared with those which were taken using DIPS. In ten patients, according to a reference bony marker, the mean changes of the location of fiducial gold marker based on an iso-center were X-axis: $\pm$0.116 cm, Y-axis: $\pm$0.19 cm and Z-axis: $\pm$0.176 cm. These ten patients showed a difference in the changes of location of prostate gland and it ranged between RT: 0.04 cm and RT: 0.24 cm on the X-axis; between Inf: 0.03 cm and Sup: 0.42 cm on the Y-axis; and Post: 0.05 cm and Ant: 0.35 cm on the Z-axis. Conclusion: To minimize the movement of prostate gland, as the pre-treatment prior to the treatment. In all the patients, however, three fiducial gold markers showed a daily variation which were inserted in the prostate gland. Based on the above data, Thus, the requirement of gold marker matching system depending on the daily variation in the proton beam therapy for which more accurate establishment of target was confirmed. It is assumed that an accurate effect of proton beam therapy would be enhanced by adjusting the target-center depending on the location change of prostate gland using DIPS which was used in the current study.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2021

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) using X-rays is a standard technique implemented for treating head and neck cancer (HN C). Compared to 3D conformal RT, IMRT can significantly reduce the radiation dose to surrounding normal tissues by using a highly conformal dose to the tumor. Proton therapy is a type of RT that uses positively charged particles named protons. Proton therapy has a unique energy deposit (i.e., Bragg peak) and greater biological effectiveness than that of therapy using X-rays. These inherent properties of proton therapy make the technique advantageous for HNC treatment. Recently, advanced techniques such as intensity-modulated proton therapy have further decreased the dose to normal organs with a higher conformal dose to the tumor. The usage of proton therapy for HNC is becoming widespread as the number of operational proton therapy centers has increased worldwide. This paper aims to present the current clinical evidence of proton therapy utility to HNC clinicians through a literature review. It also discusses the challenges associated with proton therapy and prospective development of the technique.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.56-65
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• 2001

Localized in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was performed to evaluate metabolic alterations in the right and left frontal lobe before and after neuroleptic treatment of schizophrenic patients (n=24) and a group of healthy normal subjects (n=20). Proton metabolic ratios obtained from the 8㎤ yokels in the right and left frontal lobe were compared with the clinical assessment of PANSS for each subject. There was no significant difference in the metabolic ratios between the right and the left frontal lobes in either the schizophrenic group or the control group, indicating no laterality. Compared with those of the normal control group, NAA/Cr and (GABA+Glu)/Cr ratios of the schizophrenic patients showed significantly lower (p=0.023) and higher (p=0.005) value, respectively. The (GABA+Glu)/Cr ratio of the schizophrenic patients was generally decreased after neuroleptic treatment, while the NAA/Cr ratio was not changed. Significant correlation between the (GABA+Glu)/Cr ratio and the clinical symptom scores assessed by PANSS was established. The present study supports the “hypofrontality” hypothesis of schizophrenia on the basis of the altered metabolic ratios before and after neuroleptic treatment.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.192.1-192.1
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• 2015

We demonstrated the nonvolatile memory functionality of nano-crystalline silicon (nc-Si) and InGaZnOxide (IGZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) using mobile protons that are generated by very short time hydrogen neutral beam (H-NB) treatment in gate insulator (SiO2). The whole memory fabrication process kept under $50^{\circ}C$ (except SiO2 deposition process; $300^{\circ}C$). These devices exhibited reproducible hysteresis, reversible switching, and nonvolatile memory behaviors in comparison with those of the conventional FET devices. We also executed hydrogen treatment in order to figure out the difference of mobile proton generation between PECVD and H-NB CVD that we modified. Our study will further provide a vision of creating memory functionality and incorporating proton-based storage elements onto a probability of next generation flexible memorable electronics such as low power consumption flexible display panel.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2010

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common disorder caused by the reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus. According to the recent classification, GERD can elicit esophageal and extraesophageal syndromes. Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is defined as laryngeal symptoms with laryngeal inflammation caused by the acid reflux. The prevalence of GERD and LPR is increasing during the past decades in Korea and management of GERD and LPR is a challenging issue in clinical practice. Proton pump inhibitor is the most effective drug in the treatment of GERD. Most patients with LPR are given a 2-month trial of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), however, there is still little evidence on the diagnosis or the treatment of LPR. During the last years concern have been raised regarding the risk of averse events related to long-term use of PPI. We review the recent update on medical treatment of GERD/LPR.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2019

The remedial junction is found in the network of single walled carbon nanotubes after the irradiation of protons not only for the better mechanical strength but also for the higher property of electrical conductivity. The irradiated proton formed a beam transferred sufficient energy to change the sp2 structure of atomic carbon as much as damage of crystalline formation, however it is shown the cross bonding while recovery of structure. This improved network in 2-D atomic chain of carbon is expected to use in a critical part in space energy harvesting system related with the solar radiation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.1406-1416
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• 2019

In this research, a multi-slit prompt-gamma camera was developed to locate the distal dose falloff of the proton beam spots in spot scanning proton therapy. To see the performance of the developed camera, therapeutic proton beams were delivered to a solid plate phantom and then the prompt gammas from the phantom were measured using the camera. Our results show that the camera locates the 90% distal dose falloff (= d90%), within about 2-3 mm of error for the spots which are composed $3.8{\times}10^8$ protons or more. The measured location of d90% is not very sensitive to the irradiation depth of the proton beam (i.e., the depth of proton beam from the phantom surface toward which the camera is located). Considering the number of protons per spot for the most distal spots in typical treatment cases (i.e., 2 Gy dose divided in 2 fields), the camera can locate d90% only for a fraction of the spots depending on the treatment cases. However, the information of those spots is still valuable in that, in the multi-slit prompt-gamma camera, the distal dose falloff of the spots is located solely based on prompt gamma measurement, i.e., not referring to Monte Carlo simulation.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.80-87
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• 2022

Purpose: Proton therapy has different relative biological effectiveness (RBE) compared with X-ray treatment, which is the standard in radiation therapy, and the fixed RBE value of 1.1 is widely used. However, RBE depends on a charged particle's linear energy transfer (LET); therefore, measuring LET is important. We have developed a LET measurement method using the inefficiency characteristic of an EBT3 film on a proton beam's Bragg peak (BP) region. Methods: A Gafchromic EBT3 film was used to measure the proton beam LET. It measured the dose at a 10-cm pristine BP proton beam in water to determine the quenching factor of the EBT3 film as a reference beam condition. Monte Carlo (MC) calculations of dose-averaged LET (LET_d) were used to determine the quenching factor and validation. The dose-averaged LETs at the 12-, 16-, and 20-cm pristine BP proton beam in water were calculated with the quenching factor. Results: Using the passive scattering proton beam nozzle of the National Cancer Center in Korea, the LET_d was measured for each beam range. The quenching factor was determined to be 26.15 with 0.3% uncertainty under the reference beam condition. The dose-averaged LETs were measured for each test beam condition. Conclusions: We developed a method for measuring the proton beam LET using an EBT3 film. This study showed that the magnitude of the quenching effect can be estimated using only one beam range, and the quenching factor determined under the reference condition can be applied to any therapeutic proton beam range.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.129-133
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• 2017

The machine log files recorded by a scanning control unit in proton beam therapy system have been studied to be used as a quality assurance method of scanning beam deliveries. The accuracy of the data in the log files have been evaluated with a standard calibration beam scan pattern. The proton beam scan pattern has been delivered on a gafchromic film located at the isocenter plane of the proton beam treatment nozzle and found to agree within ${\pm}1.0mm$. The machine data accumulated for the scanning beam proton therapy of five different cases have been analyzed using a statistical method to estimate any systematic error in the data. The high-precision scanning beam log files in line scanning proton therapy system have been validated to be used for off-line scanning beam monitoring and thus as a patient-specific quality assurance method. The use of the machine log files for patient-specific quality assurance would simplify the quality assurance procedure with accurate scanning beam data.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.801-809
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to assess the additional neutron effective dose during passive scattering proton therapy. Monte Carlo code (Monte Carlo N-Particle 6) simulation was conducted based on a precise modeling of the National Cancer Center's proton therapy facility. A three-dimensional neutron effective dose profile of the interior of the treatment room was acquired via a computer simulation of the 217.8-MeV proton beam. Measurements were taken with a $^3He$ neutron detector to support the simulation results, which were lower than the simulation results by 16% on average. The secondary photon dose was about 0.8% of the neutron dose. The dominant neutron source was deduced based on flux calculation. The secondary neutron effective dose per proton absorbed dose ranged from $4.942{\pm}0.031mSv/Gy$ at the end of the field to $0.324{\pm}0.006mSv/Gy$ at 150 cm in axial distance.