Fiducial marker guided stereotactic liver radiotherapy: Is a time delay between marker implantation and planning CT needed?

To minimize the risk of marker migration in fiducial marker guided liver SBRT it is common to add a delay of a week between marker implantation and planning CT. This study found that such a delay is unnecessary and could be avoided to minimize the treatment preparation time.

Time-Resolved Intrafraction Target Translations and Rotations During Stereotactic Liver Radiation Therapy: Implications for Marker-based Localization Accuracy.

PURPOSE: Image guided liver stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) often relies on implanted fiducial markers. The target localization accuracy decreases with increased marker-target distance. This may occur partly because of liver rotations. The aim of this study was to examine time-resolved translations and rotations of liver marker constellations and investigate if time-resolved intrafraction rotational corrections can improve localization accuracy in liver SBRT. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Twenty-nine patients with 3 implanted markers received SBRT in 3 to 6 fractions. The time-resolved trajectory of each marker was estimated from the projections of 1 to 3 daily cone beam computed tomography scans and used to calculate the translation and rotation of the marker constellation. In all cone beam computed tomography projections, the time-resolved position of each marker was predicted from the position of another surrogate marker by assuming that the marker underwent either (1) the same translation as the surrogate marker; or (2) the same translation as the surrogate marker corrected by the rotation of the marker constellation. The localization accuracy was quantified as the root-mean-square error (RMSE) between the estimated and the actual marker position. For comparison, the RMSE was also calculated when the marker's position was estimated as its mean position for all the projections. RESULTS: The mean translational and rotational range (2nd-98th percentile) was 2.0 mm/3.9° (right-left), 9.2 mm/2.9° (superior-inferior), 4.0 mm/4.0° (anterior-posterior), and 10.5 mm (3-dimensional). Rotational corrections decreased the mean 3-dimensional RMSE from 0.86 mm to 0.54 mm (P<.001) and halved the RMSE increase per millimeter increase in marker distance. CONCLUSIONS: Intrafraction rotations during liver SBRT reduce the accuracy of marker-guided target localization. Rotational correction can improve the localization accuracy with a factor of approximately 2 for large marker-target distances.

Setup error and motion during deep inspiration breath-hold breast radiotherapy measured with continuous portal imaging.

BACKGROUND: The position and residual motion of the chest wall of breast cancer patients during treatment in deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) were investigated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 58 left-sided breast cancer patients treated with DIBH three-dimensional (3D) conformal radiotherapy in 15 or 25 fractions. The DIBH levels were monitored using an external marker block placed on the chest, either shifted 5 cm to the right at the level of the xiphoid process (Group 1, 27 consecutive patients) or placed medially on the inferior part of the sternum (Group 2, 31 consecutive patients). At every third treatment fraction, continuous portal images were acquired. The time-resolved chest wall position during treatment was compared with the planned position to determine the inter-fraction setup errors and the intra-fraction motion of the chest wall. RESULTS: The DIBH compliance was 95% during both recruitment periods. A tendency of smaller inter-fraction setup errors and intra-fraction motion was observed for group 2 (medial marker block position). However, apart from a significantly reduced inter-field random shift (σ = 1.7 mm vs. σ = 0.9 mm, p = 0.005), no statistically significant differences between the groups were found. In a combined analysis, the group mean inter-fraction setup error was M = - 0.1 mm, with random and systematic errors of σ = 1.7 mm and Σ = 1.4 mm. The group mean inter-field shift was M = 0.0 (σ = 1.3 mm and Σ = 1.1 mm) and the group mean standard deviation of the intra-field motion was 0.5 mm. The absolute setup error had a maximum of 16.3 mm, exceeding 5 mm in 2.2% of the imaged fields. CONCLUSION: Compared to free breathing treatments, the primary benefit of the DIBH technique was the separation of the heart from the target rather than more accurate targeting. Despite a small gating window, occasional large errors in the chest wall position were observed for some patients, illustrating limitations of the external marker block as surrogate in a broad patient population.

The first clinical treatment with kilovoltage intrafraction monitoring (KIM): a real-time image guidance method.

PURPOSE: Kilovoltage intrafraction monitoring (KIM) is a real-time image guidance method that uses widely available radiotherapy technology, i.e., a gantry-mounted x-ray imager. The authors report on the geometric and dosimetric results of the first patient treatment using KIM which occurred on September 16, 2014. METHODS: KIM uses current and prior 2D x-ray images to estimate the 3D target position during cancer radiotherapy treatment delivery. KIM software was written to process kilovoltage (kV) images streamed from a standard C-arm linear accelerator with a gantry-mounted kV x-ray imaging system. A 120° pretreatment kV imaging arc was acquired to build the patient-specific 2D to 3D motion correlation. The kV imager was activated during the megavoltage (MV) treatment, a dual arc VMAT prostate treatment, to estimate the 3D prostate position in real-time. All necessary ethics, legal, and regulatory requirements were met for this clinical study. The quality assurance processes were completed and peer reviewed. RESULTS: During treatment, a prostate position offset of nearly 3 mm in the posterior direction was observed with KIM. This position offset did not trigger a gating event. After the treatment, the prostate motion was independently measured using kV/MV triangulation, resulting in a mean difference of less than 0.6 mm and standard deviation of less than 0.6 mm in each direction. The accuracy of the marker segmentation was visually assessed during and after treatment and found to be performing well. During treatment, there were no interruptions due to performance of the KIM software. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, KIM has been used for real-time image guidance during cancer radiotherapy. The measured accuracy and precision were both submillimeter for the first treatment fraction. This clinical translational research milestone paves the way for the broad implementation of real-time image guidance to facilitate the detection and correction of geometric and dosimetric errors, and resultant improved clinical outcomes, in cancer radiotherapy.

Moving metal artifact reduction in cone-beam CT scans with implanted cylindrical gold markers.

PURPOSE: Implanted gold markers for image-guided radiotherapy lead to streaking artifacts in cone-beam CT (CBCT) scans. Several methods for metal artifact reduction (MAR) have been published, but they all fail in scans with large motion. Here the authors propose and investigate a method for automatic moving metal artifact reduction (MMAR) in CBCT scans with cylindrical gold markers. METHODS: The MMAR CBCT reconstruction method has six steps. (1) Automatic segmentation of the cylindrical markers in the CBCT projections. (2) Removal of each marker in the projections by replacing the pixels within a masked area with interpolated values. (3) Reconstruction of a marker-free CBCT volume from the manipulated CBCT projections. (4) Reconstruction of a standard CBCT volume with metal artifacts from the original CBCT projections. (5) Estimation of the three-dimensional (3D) trajectory during CBCT acquisition for each marker based on the segmentation in Step 1, and identification of the smallest ellipsoidal volume that encompasses 95% of the visited 3D positions. (6) Generation of the final MMAR CBCT reconstruction from the marker-free CBCT volume of Step 3 by replacing the voxels in the 95% ellipsoid with the corresponding voxels of the standard CBCT volume of Step 4. The MMAR reconstruction was performed retrospectively using a half-fan CBCT scan for 29 consecutive stereotactic body radiation therapy patients with 2-3 gold markers implanted in the liver. The metal artifacts of the MMAR reconstructions were scored and compared with a standard MAR reconstruction by counting the streaks and by calculating the standard deviation of the Hounsfield units in a region around each marker. RESULTS: The markers were found with the same autosegmentation settings in 27 CBCT scans, while two scans needed slightly changed settings to find all markers automatically in Step 1 of the MMAR method. MMAR resulted in 15 scans with no streaking artifacts, 11 scans with 1-4 streaks, and 3 scans with severe streaking artifacts. The corresponding numbers for MAR were 8 (no streaks), 1 (1-4 streaks), and 20 (severe streaking artifacts). The MMAR method was superior to MAR in scans with more than 8 mm 3D marker motion and comparable to MAR for scans with less than 8 mm motion. In addition, the MMAR method was tested on a 4D CBCT reconstruction for which it worked equally well as for the 3D case. The markers in the 4D case had very low motion blur. CONCLUSIONS: An automatic method for MMAR in CBCT scans was proposed and shown to effectively remove almost all streaking artifacts in a large set of clinical CBCT scans with implanted gold markers in the liver. Residual streaking artifacts observed in three CBCT scans may be removed with better marker segmentation.

Kilovoltage intrafraction motion monitoring and target dose reconstruction for stereotactic volumetric modulated arc therapy of tumors in the liver.

PURPOSE: To use intrafraction kilovoltage (kV) imaging during liver stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) delivered by volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) to estimate the intra-treatment target motion and to reconstruct the delivered target dose. METHODS: Six liver SBRT patients with 2-3 implanted gold markers received SBRT in three fractions of 18.75 Gy or 25 Gy. CTV-to-PTV margins of 5 mm in the axial plane and 10 mm in the cranio-caudal directions were applied. A VMAT plan was designed to give minimum target doses of 95% (CTV) and 67% (PTV). At each fraction, the 3D marker trajectory was estimated by fluoroscopic kV imaging throughout treatment delivery and used to reconstruct the actually delivered CTV dose. The reduction in D95 (minimum dose to 95% of the CTV) relative to the planned D95 was calculated. RESULTS: The kV position estimation had mean root-mean-square errors of 0.36 mm and 0.47 mm parallel and perpendicular to the kV imager, respectively. Intrafraction motion caused a mean 3D target position error of 2.9 mm and a mean D95 reduction of 6.0%. The D95 reduction correlated with the mean 3D target position error during a fraction. CONCLUSIONS: Kilovoltage imaging for detailed motion monitoring with dose reconstruction of VMAT-based liver SBRT was demonstrated for the first time showing large dosimetric impact of intrafraction tumor motion.

Inter- and intra-fraction geometric errors in daily image-guided radiotherapy of free-breathing breast cancer patients measured with continuous portal imaging.

BACKGROUND: Daily image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) using two orthogonal setup images may be inaccurate for breast cancer patients treated in free breathing because the setup images may capture the patient in a breathing phase that is not representative of the mean anatomy. The aim of this study was to quantify the setup errors in breast radiotherapy after image-guided setup correction based on two orthogonal setup images acquired in free breathing. METHODS AND MATERIALS: For 16 breast cancer patients with daily image-pair based IGRT, continuous portal imaging (7.5 Hz) were acquired at each treatment fraction during the delivery of the two tangential fields. For each portal image, the chest wall position relative to the planned position was determined in the imager direction orthogonal to the cranio-caudal direction. It yielded the time resolved setup error in this direction throughout the 16 treatment courses. RESULTS: The mean absolute setup error exceeded 5 mm in 0.9% (first field) and 1.8% (last field) of the treatments. The group mean error (M) and the standard deviations of the random (σ) and systematic (Σ) setup errors were M=-0.7 mm, Σ=1.1 mm, σ=1.5 mm (first field) and M=-0.2 mm, Σ=1.4 mm, σ=1.7 mm (last field). The negative sign of M indicates that less lung than planned was included in the treatment fields. Intra-field peak-to-peak chest wall motion amplitudes were patient dependent with patient mean values of 2.0±0.7 mm [range 1.1-3.2 mm]. The largest observed intra-field motion amplitude was 8 mm. CONCLUSION: Image-guided setup based on orthogonal planar images acquired in free breathing without synchronization with the respiratory phase was found to result in accurate tangential breast radiotherapy with only few outliers.

Variations in magnitude and directionality of respiratory target motion throughout full treatment courses of stereotactic body radiotherapy for tumors in the liver.

PURPOSE: To investigate the stability of target motion amplitude and motion directionality throughout full stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) treatments of tumors in the liver. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten patients with gold markers implanted in the liver received 11 courses of 3-fraction SBRT on a conventional linear accelerator. A four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) scan was obtained for treatment planning. The time-resolved marker motion was determined throughout full treatment field delivery using the kV and MV imagers of the accelerator. The motion amplitude and motion directionality of all individual respiratory cycles were determined using principal component analysis (PCA). The variations in motion amplitude and directionality within the treatment courses and the difference from the motion in the 4DCT scan were determined. RESULTS: The patient mean (± 1 standard deviation) peak-to-peak 3D motion amplitude of individual respiratory cycles during a treatment course was 7.9 ± 4.1 mm and its difference from the 4DCT scan was -0.8 ± 2.5 mm (max, 6.6 mm). The mean standard deviation of 3D respiratory cycle amplitude within a treatment course was 2.0 ± 1.6 mm. The motion directionality of individual respiratory cycles on average deviated 4.6 ± 1.6° from the treatment course mean directionality. The treatment course mean motion directionality on average deviated 7.6 ± 6.5° from the directionality in the 4DCT scan. A single patient-specific oblique direction in space explained 97.7 ± 1.7% and 88.3 ± 10.1% of all positional variance (motion) throughout the treatment courses, excluding and including baseline shifts between treatment fields, respectively. CONCLUSION: Due to variable breathing amplitudes a single 4DCT scan was not always representative of the mean motion amplitude during treatment. However, the motion was highly directional with a fairly stable direction throughout treatment, indicating a potential for more optimal individualized motion margins aligned to the preferred direction of motion.

A method of dose reconstruction for moving targets compatible with dynamic treatments.

PURPOSE: To develop a method that allows a commercial treatment planning system (TPS) to perform accurate dose reconstruction for rigidly moving targets and to validate the method in phantom measurements for a range of treatments including intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), volumetric arc therapy (VMAT), and dynamic multileaf collimator (DMLC) tracking. METHODS: An in-house computer program was developed to manipulate Dicom treatment plans exported from a TPS (Eclipse, Varian Medical Systems) such that target motion during treatment delivery was incorporated into the plans. For each treatment, a motion including plan was generated by dividing the intratreatment target motion into 1 mm position bins and construct sub-beams that represented the parts of the treatment that were delivered, while the target was located within each position bin. For each sub-beam, the target shift was modeled by a corresponding isocenter shift. The motion incorporating Dicom plans were reimported into the TPS, where dose calculation resulted in motion including target dose distributions. For experimental validation of the dose reconstruction a thorax phantom with a moveable lung equivalent rod with a tumor insert of solid water was first CT scanned. The tumor insert was delineated as a gross tumor volume (GTV), and a planning target volume (PTV) was formed by adding margins. A conformal plan, two IMRT plans (step-and-shoot and sliding windows), and a VMAT plan were generated giving minimum target doses of 95% (GTV) and 67% (PTV) of the prescription dose (3 Gy). Two conformal fields with MLC leaves perpendicular and parallel to the tumor motion, respectively, were generated for DMLC tracking. All treatment plans were delivered to the thorax phantom without tumor motion and with a sinusoidal tumor motion. The two conformal fields were delivered with and without portal image guided DMLC tracking based on an embedded gold marker. The target dose distribution was measured with a radiochromic film in the moving rod and compared with the reconstructed doses using gamma tests. RESULTS: Considerable interplay effects between machine motion and target motion were observed for the treatments without tracking. For nontracking experiments, the mean 2 mm∕2% gamma pass rate over all investigated scenarios was 99.6% between calculated and measured doses. For tracking experiments, the mean gamma pass rate was 99.4%. CONCLUSIONS: A method for accurate dose reconstruction for moving targets with dynamic treatments was developed and experimentally validated in a variety of delivery scenarios. The method is suitable for integration into TPSs, e.g., for reconstruction of the dose delivered to moving tumors or calculation of target doses delivered with DMLC tracking.

Kilovoltage intrafraction monitoring for prostate intensity modulated arc therapy: first clinical results.

PURPOSE: Most linear accelerators purchased today are equipped with a gantry-mounted kilovoltage X-ray imager which is typically used for patient imaging prior to therapy. A novel application of the X-ray system is kilovoltage intrafraction monitoring (KIM), in which the 3-dimensional (3D) tumor position is determined during treatment. In this paper, we report on the first use of KIM in a prospective clinical study of prostate cancer patients undergoing intensity modulated arc therapy (IMAT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Ten prostate cancer patients with implanted fiducial markers undergoing conventionally fractionated IMAT (RapidArc) were enrolled in an ethics-approved study of KIM. KIM involves acquiring kV images as the gantry rotates around the patient during treatment. Post-treatment, markers in these images were segmented to obtain 2D positions. From the 2D positions, a maximum likelihood estimation of a probability density function was used to obtain 3D prostate trajectories. The trajectories were analyzed to determine the motion type and the percentage of time the prostate was displaced ≥ 3, 5, 7, and 10 mm. Independent verification of KIM positional accuracy was performed using kV/MV triangulation. RESULTS: KIM was performed for 268 fractions. Various prostate trajectories were observed (ie, continuous target drift, transient excursion, stable target position, persistent excursion, high-frequency excursions, and erratic behavior). For all patients, 3D displacements of ≥ 3, 5, 7, and 10 mm were observed 5.6%, 2.2%, 0.7% and 0.4% of the time, respectively. The average systematic accuracy of KIM was measured at 0.46 mm. CONCLUSIONS: KIM for prostate IMAT was successfully implemented clinically for the first time. Key advantages of this method are (1) submillimeter accuracy, (2) widespread applicability, and (3) a low barrier to clinical implementation. A disadvantage is that KIM delivers additional imaging dose to the patient.

On-line use of three-dimensional marker trajectory estimation from cone-beam computed tomography projections for precise setup in radiotherapy for targets with respiratory motion.

PURPOSE: To develop and evaluate accurate and objective on-line patient setup based on a novel semiautomatic technique in which three-dimensional marker trajectories were estimated from two-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) projections. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Seven treatment courses of stereotactic body radiotherapy for liver tumors were delivered in 21 fractions in total to 6 patients by a linear accelerator. Each patient had two to three gold markers implanted close to the tumors. Before treatment, a CBCT scan with approximately 675 two-dimensional projections was acquired during a full gantry rotation. The marker positions were segmented in each projection. From this, the three-dimensional marker trajectories were estimated using a probability based method. The required couch shifts for patient setup were calculated from the mean marker positions along the trajectories. A motion phantom moving with known tumor trajectories was used to examine the accuracy of the method. Trajectory-based setup was retrospectively used off-line for the first five treatment courses (15 fractions) and on-line for the last two treatment courses (6 fractions). Automatic marker segmentation was compared with manual segmentation. The trajectory-based setup was compared with setup based on conventional CBCT guidance on the markers (first 15 fractions). RESULTS: Phantom measurements showed that trajectory-based estimation of the mean marker position was accurate within 0.3 mm. The on-line trajectory-based patient setup was performed within approximately 5 minutes. The automatic marker segmentation agreed with manual segmentation within 0.36 ± 0.50 pixels (mean ± SD; pixel size, 0.26 mm in isocenter). The accuracy of conventional volumetric CBCT guidance was compromised by motion smearing (≤21 mm) that induced an absolute three-dimensional setup error of 1.6 ± 0.9 mm (maximum, 3.2) relative to trajectory-based setup. CONCLUSIONS: The first on-line clinical use of trajectory estimation from CBCT projections for precise setup in stereotactic body radiotherapy was demonstrated. Uncertainty in the conventional CBCT-based setup procedure was eliminated with the new method.

Image-based dynamic multileaf collimator tracking of moving targets during intensity-modulated arc therapy.

PURPOSE: Intensity-modulated arc therapy (IMAT) enables efficient and highly conformal dose delivery. However, intrafraction motion may compromise the delivered target dose distribution. Dynamic multileaf collimator (DMLC) tracking can potentially mitigate the impact of target motion on the dose. The purpose of this study was to use a single kV imager for DMLC tracking during IMAT and to investigate the ability of this tracking to maintain the dose distribution. METHODS: A motion phantom carrying a two-dimensional (2D) ion chamber array and buildup material with an embedded gold marker reproduced eight representative tumor trajectories (four lung tumors, four prostate). For each trajectory, a low and high IMAT plan were delivered with and without DMLC tracking. The three-dimensional (3D) real-time target position signal for tracking was provided by fluoroscopic kV images acquired immediately before and during treatment. For each image, the 3D position of the embedded marker was estimated from the imaged 2D position by a probability-based method. The MLC leaves were continuously refitted to the estimated 3D position. For lung, prediction was used to compensate for the tracking latency. The delivered 2D dose distributions were measured with the ion chamber array and compared with a reference dose distribution delivered without target motion using a 3%/3 mm γ-test. RESULTS: For lung tumor motion, tracking reduced the mean γ-failure rate from 38% to 0.7% for low-modulation IMAT plans and from 44% to 2.8% for high-modulation plans. For prostate, the γ-failure rate reduction was from 19% to 0% (low modulation) and from 20% to 2.7% (high modulation). The dominant contributor to the residual γ-failures during tracking was target localization errors for most lung cases and leaf fitting errors for most prostate cases. CONCLUSION: Image-based tracking for IMAT was demonstrated for the first time. The tracking greatly improved the dose distributions to moving targets.

Megavoltage image-based dynamic multileaf collimator tracking of a NiTi stent in porcine lungs on a linear accelerator.

PURPOSE: To investigate the accuracy and potential limitations of MV image-based dynamic multileaf collimator (DMLC) tracking in a porcine model on a linear accelerator. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A thermo-expandable NiTi stent designed for kilovoltage (kV) X-ray visualization of lung lesions was inserted into the bronchia of three anaesthetized Göttingen minipigs. A four-dimensional computed tomography scan was used for planning a five-field conformal treatment with circular multileaf collimator (MLC) apertures. A 22.5 Gy single fraction treatment was delivered to the pigs. The peak-to-peak stent motion was 3 to 8 mm, with breathing periods of 1.2 to 4 s. Before treatment, X-ray images were used for image-guided setup based on the stent. During treatment delivery, continuous megavoltage (MV) portal images were acquired at 7.5 Hz. The stent was segmented in the images and used for continuous adaptation of the MLC aperture. Offline, the tracking error in beam's eye view of the treatment beam was calculated for each MV image as the difference between the MLC aperture center and the segmented stent position. The standard deviations of the systematic error Σ and the random error σ were determined and compared with the would-be errors for a nontracking treatment with pretreatment image-guided setup. RESULTS: Reliable stent segmentation was obtained for 11 of 15 fields. Segmentation failures occurred when image contrast was dominated by overlapping anatomical structures (ribs, diaphragm) rather than by the stent, which was designed for kV rather than MV X-ray visibility. For the 11 fields with reliable segmentation, Σ was 0.5 mm/0.4 mm in the two imager directions, whereas σ was 0.5 mm/1.1 mm. Without tracking, Σ and σ would have been 1.7 mm/1.4 mm and 0.8 mm/1.4 mm, respectively. CONCLUSION: For the first time, in vivo DMLC tracking has been demonstrated on a linear accelerator showing the potential for improved targeting accuracy. The study mimicked the envisioned patient workflow of future patient treatments. Clinical implementation of MV image-based tracking would require markers designed for MV visibility.

Robust automatic segmentation of multiple implanted cylindrical gold fiducial markers in cone-beam CT projections.

PURPOSE: Implanted fiducial markers, which are used to correct for day-to-day variations, may potentially also be used to correct for intrafraction motion measurements. However, before any treatment can make use of, and react to, the position of the inserted markers they have to be segmented, either manually through expert user intervention or automatically from an imaging system. In the current study, we aimed to establish a robust and autonomous segmentation method for implanted cylindrical gold markers in a single set of projections from a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). METHODS: Multiple cylindrical gold markers were segmented in the projection images of CBCT scans by five sequential steps. Initially, marker candidates were identified in all projections with a blob detection routine, and then traced in subsequent projections. Traces inconsistent with a 3D marker position were rejected, and the best remaining traces were identified and used for the construction of a 3D marker constellation model, consisting of the size, position and orientation of the markers. Finally, projections of the model were used to generate templates for the final template-based marker segmentation. Hereby, challenging situations such as overlap of markers and low contrast regions were taken into account. The segmentation method was tested in 63 CBCT scans from 11 patients with 2-4 cylindrical gold markers implanted in the prostate and for 62 CBCT scans from six patients each with 2-3 cylindrical gold markers implanted in the liver and up to two cylindrical markers placed externally on the abdomen. After segmentation all projections of the 125 scans were manually inspected, and a successful segmentation was registered if the segmented position was within the projection of the marker. RESULTS: For prostate markers, the segmentation was successful in 99.8% of the projections. For the liver patients, liver markers and external markers were segmented successfully in 99.9 and 99.8% of the projections, respectively. All markers were identified in the 3D marker constellation model. The most common source of segmentation error was low contrast and motion of markers relative to each other, which resulted in a discrepancy between the template and actual projection appearance during marker overlap. Markers were overlapping in 20, 2.7, and 0.1% of the projections for prostate, liver, and external, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We have successfully implemented a new method that, without prior knowledge on marker size, position, orientation, and number, autonomously segments cylindrical gold markers from CBCT projections with a high success rate, despite overlap, motion, and low contrast.

Geometric accuracy of dynamic MLC tracking with an implantable wired electromagnetic transponder.

BACKGROUND: Tumor motion during radiotherapy delivery can substantially deteriorate the target dose distribution. A promising method to overcome this problem is dynamic multi-leaf collimator (DMLC) tracking. The purpose of this phantom study was to integrate a wired electromagnetic (EM) transponder localization system with DMLC tracking and to investigate the geometric accuracy of the integrated system. MATERIAL AND METHODS: DMLC tracking experiments were performed on a Trilogy accelerator with a prototype DMLC tracking system. A wired implantable EM transponder was mounted on a motion stage with a 3 mm tungsten sphere used for target visualization in continuous portal images. The three dimensional (3D) transponder position signal was used for DMLC aperture adaption. The motion stage was programmed to reproduce eight representative patient-measured trajectories for prostate and for lung tumors. The tracking system latency was determined and prediction was used for the lung tumor trajectories to account for the latency. For each trajectory, three conformal fields with a 10 cm circular MLC aperture and 72 s treatment duration were delivered: (1) a 358° arc field; (2) an anterior static field; and (3) a lateral static field. The tracking error was measured as the difference between the marker position and the MLC aperture in the portal images. RESULTS: The tracking system latency was 140 ms. The mean root-mean-square (rms) of the 3D transponder localization error was 0.53/0.54 mm for prostate/lung tumor trajectories. The mean rms of the two dimensional (2D) tracking error was 0.69 mm (prostate) and 0.98 mm (lung tumors) with tracking and 3.4 mm (prostate) and 5.3 mm (lung tumors) without tracking. CONCLUSIONS: DMLC tracking was integrated with a wired EM transponder localization system and investigated for arc and static field delivery. The system provides sub-mm geometrical errors for most trajectories.

Tracking latency in image-based dynamic MLC tracking with direct image access.

PURPOSE: Target tracking is a promising method for motion compensation in radiotherapy. For image-based dynamic multileaf collimator (DMLC) tracking, latency has been shown to be the main contributor to geometrical errors in tracking of respiratory motion, specifically due to slow transfer of image data from the image acquisition system to the tracking system via image file storage on a hard disk. The purpose of the current study was to integrate direct image access with a DMLC tracking system and to quantify the tracking latency of the integrated system for both kV and MV image-based tracking. METHOD: A DMLC tracking system integrated with a linear accelerator was used for tracking of a motion phantom with an embedded tungsten marker. Real-time target localization was based on x-ray images acquired either with a portal imager or a kV imager mounted orthogonal to the treatment beam. Images were processed directly without intermediate disk access. Continuous portal images and system log files were stored during treatment delivery for detailed offline analysis of the tracking latency. RESULTS: The mean tracking system latency for kV and MV image-based tracking as function of the imaging interval ΔT(image) increased linearly with ΔT(image) as 148 ms + 0.58 * ΔT(image) (kV) and 162 ms + 1.1 * ΔT(image) (MV). The latency contribution from image acquisition and image transfer for kV image-based tracking was independent on ΔT(image) at 103 ± 14 ms. For MV-based tracking, it increased with ΔT(image) as 124 ms + 0.44 * ΔT(image). For ΔT(image) = 200 ms (5 Hz imaging), the total latency was reduced from 550 ms to 264 ms for kV image-based tracking and from 500 ms to 382 ms for MV image-based tracking as compared to the previously used indirect image transfer via image file storage on a hard disk. CONCLUSION: kV and MV image-based DMLC tracking was successfully integrated with direct image access. It resulted in substantial tracking latency reductions compared with image-based tracking without direct image access.

A method for robust segmentation of arbitrarily shaped radiopaque structures in cone-beam CT projections.

PURPOSE: Implanted markers are commonly used in radiotherapy for x-ray based target localization. The projected marker position in a series of cone-beam CT (CBCT) projections can be used to estimate the three dimensional (3D) target trajectory during the CBCT acquisition. This has important applications in tumor motion management such as motion inclusive, gating, and tumor tracking strategies. However, for irregularly shaped markers, reliable segmentation is challenged by large variations in the marker shape with projection angle. The purpose of this study was to develop a semiautomated method for robust and reliable segmentation of arbitrarily shaped radiopaque markers in CBCT projections. METHODS: The segmentation method involved the following three steps: (1) Threshold based segmentation of the marker in three to six selected projections with large angular separation, good marker contrast, and uniform background; (2) construction of a 3D marker model by coalignment and backprojection of the threshold-based segmentations; and (3) construction of marker templates at all imaging angles by projection of the 3D model and use of these templates for template-based segmentation. The versatility of the segmentation method was demonstrated by segmentation of the following structures in the projections from two clinical CBCT scans: (1) Three linear fiducial markers (Visicoil) implanted in or near a lung tumor and (2) an artificial cardiac valve in a lung cancer patient. RESULTS: Automatic marker segmentation was obtained in more than 99.9% of the cases. The segmentation failed in a few cases where the marker was either close to a structure of similar appearance or hidden behind a dense structure (data cable). CONCLUSIONS: A robust template-based method for segmentation of arbitrarily shaped radiopaque markers in CBCT projections was developed.

Influence of suture regularity on corneal astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether suture regularity affects corneal astigmatism after keratoplasty. METHODS: Twenty-one patients undergoing penetrating keratoplasty for various corneal diseases were included in the study. The grafts were sutured in place using a single-running Nylon 10-0 suture, taking 24 bites. Immediately after surgery, standard calibrated images of the grafted eye were captured and stored. Using a dedicated image analysis programme, stitches and needle points were identified, and a number of suture regularity variables were calculated. Corneal topographic images were obtained before suture removal (12 months after surgery) and 3 months after suture removal (18 months after surgery). Topographic measures of astigmatism [surface regularity (SRI), surface asymmetry index (SAI) and simulated keratometric astigmatism] were calculated and correlated with the computed suture regularity variables. RESULTS: The average stitch length was 3.04 ± 0.28 mm and the distance between the outer needle points was 2.53 ± 0.09 mm. The SRI was 1.26 ± 0.36 and the SAI was 1.59 ± 0.67 after 12 months; these decreased to 1.03 ± 0.48 and 0.92 ± 0.46 after 18 months, respectively. Corneal astigmatism was 6.38 ± 2.99 and 5.87 ± 3.13 dioptres after 12 and 18 months, respectively. Suture regularity did not affect SAI, SRI or corneal astigmatism significantly 12 months after surgery. Eighteen months after surgery (3 months after suture removal), the standard deviation on the original stitch length was found to significantly increase corneal astigmatism. In addition, the size of the counter-clockwise angle between stitch and graft radian was correlated significantly with a lower SRI. CONCLUSION: The origin of corneal astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty is multifaceted. Regular stitch length and stitch advancement on the surface appears to improve the optical quality of the graft after suture removal. Factors such as stitch depth, suture tension and variations in wound construction might also be important predictors of corneal astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty.

Three-year changes in epithelial and stromal thickness after PRK or LASIK for high myopia.

PURPOSE: To compare 3-year changes in corneal sublayer thickness after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) or laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). METHODS: Forty-six patients with spheroequivalent refraction of -6.0 to -8.0 diopters (D) were randomly assigned to PRK or LASIK. One eye from each patient was included in the study. Examinations included manifest refraction and confocal microscopy through focusing (CMTF) and were performed preoperatively and postoperatively at 1 week and at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 36 months. From CMTF scans, the thicknesses of the central cornea (CT), epithelium (ET), stroma (ST), LASIK flap (FT), and residual stromal bed (BT) were calculated. RESULTS: After LASIK, spheroequivalent refraction averaged -0.76 D by 1 week and -1.19 D by 1 month, with no subsequent significant change. ET increased 9.0 +/- 7.0 microm within 1 week and remained constant thereafter. ST increased 12.9 +/- 9.4 microm within 1 year because of increased BT. One week after PRK, refraction averaged -0.23 D and stabilized at -1.42 D by 6 months. By 1 week, ET was reduced by 7.5 +/- 5.7 microm, reached preoperative thickness by 6 months, and increased further 7.3 +/- 6.0 microm by 3 years. ST increased 25.3 +/- 17.2 microm during 1 year, correlating with the postoperative refractive regression. After both procedures, changes in CT also correlated with refractive changes. No other correlations were identified. CONCLUSIONS: PRK and LASIK induce a persistent increase in ET that stabilizes 1 week after LASIK and 1 year after PRK. Stromal regrowth is most pronounced after PRK. After LASIK, regrowth is restricted to the residual stromal bed. Postoperative refractive changes correlate with changes in ST (PRK) and CT (PRK and LASIK) but not with changes in ET.

Comparison of performance of conventional and minimally invasive surgery acetabular reamers.

UNLABELLED: Acetabular reaming in minimally invasive surgery can be done using a newly designed minimally invasive reamer. The new minimally invasive reamer is narrower and chamfered, which results in two sharp edges. This design may result in acetabular cavities with less ideal spheres than those achieved with conventional reaming. We compared the acetabular shapes in nine pairs of cadaver acetabula. Minimally invasive reaming was performed in one acetabulum of each pair, and conventional reaming was performed on the contralateral side. A new digitizing technique, optical three-dimensional scanning, was applied to the reamed acetabula to determine the reamers' performance. Best-fit spheres were calculated for the reamed cavities, and all reamers were measured for exact dimensions. There were small deviations between the diameters of the reamer and the reamed cavity for the minimally invasive (mean, 0.1 mm; standard deviation, 0.5 mm) and conventional (mean, 0.3 mm; standard deviation, 0.4 mm) reamers. There were no significant differences between minimally invasive and conventional reaming. The mean differences between the reamer domes and the measured values showed a discrepancy of 2.2 mm (standard deviation, 0.08 mm) in the minimally invasive surgery group and 2.8 mm (standard deviation, 0.09 mm) in the conventional group. Although the acetabular reamer design has been modified, there were no significant differences in the acetabular shapes after minimally invasive or conventional reaming. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Study, Level II (prospective comparative study with no statistically significant difference). See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.