title: Applying graphics processor units to Monte Carlo dose calculation in radiation therapy.
abstract: We investigate the potential in using of using a graphics processor unit (GPU) for Monte-Carlo (MC)-based radiation dose calculations. The percent depth dose (PDD) of photons in a medium with known absorption and scattering coefficients is computed using a MC simulation running on both a standard CPU and a GPU. We demonstrate that the GPU's capability for massive parallel processing provides a significant acceleration in the MC calculation, and offers a significant advantage for distributed stochastic simulations on a single computer. Harnessing this potential of GPUs will help in the early adoption of MC for routine planning in a clinical environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bakhtiari
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chaudhary
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Walters
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nazareth