title: A new algorithm for autoreconstruction of catheters in computed tomography-based brachytherapy treatment planning.
abstract: This paper describes innovative software for automatic reconstruction, which we term autoreconstruction, of plastic and metallic brachytherapy catheters using computed tomography (CT) data. No such automatic facility has previously existed in any treatment planning software. The patient data consists of a set of post-implantation CT images with the catheters in situ in their final positions. This new software solves those difficulties which arise when the catheters are intersecting or when loop techniques are used. With the software algorithms, catheter reconstruction time is significantly reduced and accuracy is also improved when compared with that achieved using the classical manual method of CT-slice-by-CT-slice reconstruction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Strahlenklinik, Klinikum Offenbach, Germany. milickovic@aol.com
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Milickovic
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baltas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giannouli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lahanas
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zamboglou
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods*; D002404:Catheterization; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; D012984:Software; D012985:Software Design; D012986:Software Validation; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014584:User-Computer Interface