title: Ion range estimation by using dual energy computed tomography.
abstract: Inaccurate conversion of CT data to water-equivalent path length (WEPL) is one of the most important uncertainty sources in ion treatment planning. Dual energy CT (DECT) imaging might help to reduce CT number ambiguities with the additional information. In our study we scanned a series of materials (tissue substitutes, aluminum, PMMA, and other polymers) in the dual source scanner (Siemens Somatom Definition Flash). Based on the 80kVp/140SnkVp dual energy images, the electron densities ϱe and effective atomic numbers Zeff were calculated. We introduced a new lookup table that translates the ϱe to the WEPL. The WEPL residuals from the calibration were significantly reduced for the investigated tissue surrogates compared to the empirical Hounsfield-look-up table (single energy CT imaging) from (-1.0±1.8)% to (0.1±0.7)% and for non-tissue equivalent PMMA from -7.8% to -1.0%. To assess the benefit of the new DECT calibration, we conducted a treatment planning study for three different idealized cases based on tissue surrogates and PMMA. The DECT calibration yielded a significantly higher target coverage in tissue surrogates and phantom material (i.e. PMMA cylinder, mean target coverage improved from 62% to 98%). To verify the DECT calibration for real tissue, ion ranges through a frozen pig head were measured and compared to predictions calculated by the standard single energy CT calibration and the novel DECT calibration. By using this method, an improvement of ion range estimation from -2.1% water-equivalent thickness deviation (single energy CT) to 0.3% (DECT) was achieved. If one excludes raypaths located on the edge of the sample accompanied with high uncertainties, no significant difference could be observed.
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: n.huenemohr@dkfz.de.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hünemohr
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krauss
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dinkel
authors.forename: Clarissa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gillmann
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ackermann
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Jäkel
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Greilich
mesh_terms: D063193:Heavy Ion Radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D015900:Radiography, Dual-Energy Scanned Projection / Q000379:methods*; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Bremsvermögen; Heavy ion therapy; Protonentherapie; Schwerionentherapie; WEPL; dual energy CT; proton therapy; stopping powers