To improve diagnosis and
individual planning of radiotherapy treatments for External Beam Radiotherapy
(EBRT) and Targeted Radionuclide Therapy (TRT), combined analysis of both
anatomical (e.g. CT or MRI) and functional (PET, SPECT) image-data is of
increasing relevance. The task of volume segmentation - defining anatomical
structures and tumours and precise estimation of their volumes - is crucial for
the accuracy of calculated absorbed doses, as well in EBRT as for TRT.
Figure 1: Threshold-limited maximum intensity
projection (MIP) of PET-study of bronchus carcinoma of the medial lobe
T2 N2 M0 and corresponding GTV/PTVs:
A: ventral field, B: corresponding left view and C: overlay with Sum-Projection
of co-registered CT-dataset.
To implement patient-specific dosimetry for TRT on an automated base,
calculations have to be performed based on both known spatial and temporal
distribution of the radioactive agent and established electron density
distribution in the nearest neighbourhood of spots with relevant source
concentrations. Due to the nature of TRT, dose distributions show high dose
gradients, making these calculations rather critical.
As TRT
is an inherently multidisciplinary approach and volume segmentation is a shared
central task for TRT and EBRT, this project is designed in collaboration of
multiple institutes. The development of stochastic methods, based on
Monte-Carlo-Calculation together with new deterministic calculation methods is
provided by Medical Physics Department of ARCs. Biophysical aspects are
supported by the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the University Salzburg.
Development of new combined methods for automatic segmentation of co-registered
PET and CT–studies as data-input for dosimetric calculations is covered by
radART institute and the Department of Radiotherapy and Radio-Oncology of the
Scientific
Computing
 |
Following the curriculum of Michael T. Heath from the University of Illinois a
number of lectures from Prof. M. Vajtersic at the Salzburg University are
presenting a broad overviw of numerical methods for solving all major problems
in scientific computing, including linear and nonlinear equations, least
squares, eigenvalues, optimization, interpolation, integration, ordinary and
partial differential equation, fast Fourier transform, and random number
generators. |
The lectures
are dealing with topics higly relevant for computional problems to be solved in scientific research of the University Clinic
of Radiotherapy and the radART Institute concerning Image Guided Radiotherapy.
Methods have to be developed and implemented in a propriate manner, considering
risks of usage of computional software in medical applications. Additional
effort has to be spent in acceleration of computional algorithms for their
implementation in time-critical processes within clinical workflow of planning
and treating patients with high-energy linear accelerators.
Lecture notes of M.T.Heaths book Scientific Computing, An Introductory Survey
CE-Certification
of Software for Imaging and Managing Processes in Clinical Radiotherpeutic
Practice - QA of Medical Devices
RT² -
Visual Control is a high-sophisticated software for
managing clinical workflow in the University Clinic of Radiotherapy and
Radio-Oncology of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg. RT² was developed
by radART Institute, mainly by it’s administrative
head, Mag. H. Deutschmann. Efforts are empowered to assure highest levels of
Quality Assurance during the whole life-cycle of every single unit.
Installing
and running an appropriate Quality Management System, covering demands of
Software LifeCycle Management, analyzing and integrating clinical processes are
the major tasks of this project.
Focal
point of Life Cycle Mangagement and Risk-Management are medical requirements
and regulations. Focal point of clinical processes partly rests on patients
comfort. However, risk management and assurance of high standards of medical
requirements are dealed with high priority.