[Subjective Contrast of Pulmonary Tissues in CsI-FPD Chest Radiography Using Model Phantom by Monte Carlo Simulation].

OBJECTIVE: Subject contrast of pulmonary tissues was investigated for five X-ray beams (70 kV without filter, 90 kV with 0.15 mm Cu filter, 90 kV with 0.2 mm Cu filter, 120 kV without filter, and 120 kV with 0.2 mm Cu filter) in CsI-FPD chest radiography using two types of model phantoms by Monte Carlo simulation. METHODS: A total of 72 million photons were entered to the model lung phantom (width, 300 mm; length, 300 mm; thickness, 200 mm; air space, 120 mm) and model mediastinum phantom (width, 300 mm; length, 300 mm; thickness, 200 mm; air space, 40 mm). Individual primary and secondary photon's process (absorption, scattering, and penetration) in the phantom and CsI-detector was recorded by Monte Carlo simulation. Subject contrast was calculated by entered and absorbed photon's number in the CsI-detector. RESULTS: Subject contrast pulmonary tissues were high to low energy X-ray beam; however, the ones of soft tissue and soft tissue overlaying bone had few differences for beam quality except 70 kV without filter. Moreover, the subject contrast by absorbed photons was higher compared to the one by entered photons in CsI. CONCLUSION: It was shown that the subject contrast study by Monte Carlo calculation can be replaced by the way of physical chest phantom, and that the subject contrast by absorbed photons and by injected photons in CsI was different. Furthermore, be verified that the subject contrast of soft tissue and soft tissue overlaying bone differs hardly.

[Study of X-ray Beam Quality and Contrast-to-Noise Ratio of Lung Nodules in Chest FPD Radiography: Monte Carlo Simulation Using Chest Model Phantom].

OBJECTIVES: Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of four X-ray beams (90 kV with 0.15-mm Cu filter, 90 kV with 0.2-mm Cu filter, 120 kV without filter and 120 kV with 0.2-mm Cu filter) in CsI-flat panel detector (FPD) radiography for lung cancer diagnosis was investigated using Monte Carlo simulation. METHOD: Two billion photons were injected to the chest phantom model (width: 300 mm, length: 300 mm, thickness: 200 mm) with imitated lung nodules (10 mm diameter, CT value: +30 Hounsfield unit (HU), -375 HU, and -620 HU). Individual primary and secondary photon's process (absorption, scattering and penetration) in the phantom and CsI-detector was recorded by Monte Carlo simulation. CNR was calculated using primary and secondary absorbed photon's number in the CsI-detector. RESULTS: CNR of 90 kV X-ray beam with 0.15 mm and 0.2 mm Cu filters was higher to 120 kV X-ray beam because of higher primary object contrast and photon's contribution, and high photon's absorption to CsI. CONCLUSION: By Monte Carlo calculation, it was verified that 90 kV X-ray beam with 0.15 mm and 0.2 mm Cu filters yielded higher CNR to 120 kV X-ray beam.

[Optimal Beam Quality in Chest Radiography Using CsI-flat Panel Detector for Detection of Pulmonary Nodules].

OBJECTIVES: Optimal beam quality for detection of pulmonary nodules in digital chest radiography using CsI-flat panel detector (FPD) was investigated in consideration of image quality and patient dose. METHODS: The human chest phantom with inserted imitated nodules (diameter: 10 mm, CT value: +30 Hounsfield unit (HU), -375 HU, -620 HU) was used for the measurement of contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of imitated nodules by twenty beams arranged by five tube voltages and four filters. RESULTS: The CNR varies with X-ray tube voltage and added filter. CNR correlates weakly to the tube voltage, fairly to the effective energy in second-order polynomial and strongly to the quality index (effective energy divided X-ray tube voltage). In order to improve the CNR, the effective energy and the quality index are kept about 50 keV and more than 0.5, respectively, using an 80-100 kV beam with a copper filter. CONCLUSION: A 90 kV (2.5 mm Al inherent filtration) beam with a 0.15 mm copper filter and a 90 kV or 100 kV (2.5 mm Al inherent filtration) beam with a 0.2 mm copper filter are appropriate for chest radiography using CsI-FPD.

[Evaluation of 90 kV Beam with 0.15 mm Cu Filter in Chest Radiography Using CsI-flat Panel Detector].

PURPOSE: To compare the visibility of anatomic structure in chest radiography acquired with different beam quality (120 kV beam and 90 kV beam with 0.15 mmCu) using CsI-flat panel detector. METHOD: Pair image obtained by different beam quality of 100 person's chest radiographies which were taken periodical health examination were compared with the visibility of normal structures (pulmonary vessels) and abnormal opacities by two pulmonologists and four radiological technologists. Moreover, the spectrum of the two beam quality were calculated using Monte Carlo simulation. RESULT: Dominant observers gave high score significantly (p<0.01) to the 90 kV beam's image in spite of 20% less dose. Monte Carlo simulation showed that 90 kV beam with 0.15 mmCu were much absorbed primary photon than 120 kV beam to CsI detector, and less absorbed secondary photon. CONCLUSION: The visibility of anatomic structure and abnormal opacities in FPD chest radiography was improved by using the 90 kV beam with 0.15 mmCu than traditional 120 kV beam's chest radiography.

Microdosimetry of proton and carbon ions.

PURPOSE: To investigate microdosimetry properties of 160 MeV/u protons and 290 MeV/u(12)C ion beams in small volumes of diameters 10-100 nm. METHODS: Energy distributions of primary particles and nuclear fragments in the beams were calculated from simulations with the general purpose code SHIELD-HIT, while energy depositions by monoenergetic ions in nanometer volumes were obtained from the event-by-event Monte Carlo track structure ion code PITS99 coupled with the electron track structure code KURBUC. RESULTS: The results are presented for frequencies of energy depositions in cylindrical targets of diameters 10-100 nm, dose distributions yd(y) in lineal energy y, and dose-mean lineal energies yD. For monoenergetic ions, the yD was found to increase with an increasing target size for high-linear energy transfer (LET) ions, but decrease with an increasing target size for low-LET ions. Compared to the depth dose profile of the ion beams, the maximum of the yD depth profile for the 160 MeV proton beam was located at ∼ 0.5 cm behind the Bragg peak maximum, while the yD peak of the 290 MeV/u (12)C beam coincided well with the peak of the absorbed dose profile. Differences between the yD and dose-averaged linear energy transfer (LETD) were large in the proton beam for both target volumes studied, and in the (12)C beam for the 10 nm diameter cylindrical volumes. The yD determined for 100 nm diameter cylindrical volumes in the (12)C beam was approximately equal to the LETD. The contributions from secondary particles to the yD of the beams are presented, including the contributions from secondary protons in the proton beam and from fragments with atomic number Z = 1-6 in the (12)C beam. CONCLUSIONS: The present investigation provides an insight into differences in energy depositions in subcellular-size volumes when irradiated by proton and carbon ion beams. The results are useful for characterizing ion beams of practical importance for biophysical modeling of radiation-induced DNA damage response and repair in the depth profiles of protons and carbon ions used in radiotherapy.

Microdosimetry of low-energy electrons.

PURPOSE: To investigate differences in energy depositions and microdosimetric parameters of low-energy electrons in liquid and gaseous water using Monte Carlo track structure simulations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: KURBUC-liq (Kyushu University and Radiobiology Unit Code for liquid water) was used for simulating electron tracks in liquid water. The inelastic scattering cross sections of liquid water were obtained from the dielectric response model of Emfietzoglou et al. (Radiation Research 2005;164:202-211). Frequencies of energy deposited in nanometre-size cylindrical targets per unit absorbed dose and associated lineal energies were calculated for 100-5000 eV monoenergetic electrons and the electron spectrum of carbon K edge X-rays. The results for liquid water were compared with those for water vapour. RESULTS: Regardless of electron energy, there is a limit how much energy electron tracks can deposit in a target. Phase effects on the frequencies of energy depositions are largely visible for the targets with diameters and heights smaller than 30 nm. For the target of 2.3 nm by 2.3 nm (similar to dimension of DNA segments), the calculated frequency- and dose-mean lineal energies for liquid water are up to 40% smaller than those for water vapour. The corresponding difference is less than 12% for the targets with diameters ≥ 30 nm. CONCLUSIONS: Condensed-phase effects are non-negligible for microdosimetry of low-energy electrons for targets with sizes smaller than a few tens of nanometres, similar to dimensions of DNA molecular structures and nucleosomes.

Physical and biophysical properties of proton tracks of energies 1 keV to 300 MeV in water.

PURPOSE: To investigate physical and biophysical properties of proton tracks 1 keV-300 MeV using Monte Carlo track structure methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We present model calculations for cross sections and methods for simulations of full-slowing-down proton tracks. Protons and electrons were followed interaction-by-interaction to cut-off energies, considering elastic scattering, ionisation, excitation, and charge-transfer. RESULTS: Model calculations are presented for singly differential and total cross sections, and path lengths and stopping powers as a measure of the code evaluation. Depth-dose distributions for 160 MeV protons are compared with experimental data. Frequencies of energy loss by electron interactions increase from ∼ 3% for 10 keV to ∼ 77% for 300 MeV protons, and electrons deposit  >70% of the dose in 160 MeV tracks. From microdosimetry calculations, 1 MeV protons were found to be more effective than 5-300 MeV in energy depositions greater than 25, 50, and 500 eV in cylinders of diameters and lengths 2, 10, and 100 nm, respectively. For lower-energy depositions, higher-energy protons are more effective. Decreasing the target size leads to the reduction of frequency- and dose-mean lineal energies for protons <1 MeV, and conversely for higher-energy protons. CONCLUSIONS: Descriptions of proton tracks at molecular levels facilitate investigations of track properties, energy loss, and microdosimetric parameters for radiation biophysics, radiation therapy, and space radiation research.

A model of carbon ion interactions in water using the classical trajectory Monte Carlo method.

In this paper, model calculations for interactions of C(6+) of energies from 1 keV u(-1) to 1 MeV u(-1) in water are presented. The calculations were carried out using the classical trajectory Monte Carlo method, taking into account the dynamic screening of the target core. The total cross sections (TCS) for electron capture and ionisation, and the singly and doubly differential cross sections (SDCS and DDCS) for ionisation were calculated for the five potential energy levels of the water molecule. The peaks in the DDCS for the electron capture to continuum and for the binary-encounter collision were obtained for 500-keV u(-1) carbon ions. The calculated SDCS agree reasonably well with the z(2) scaled proton data for 500 keV u(-1) and 1 MeV u(-1) projectiles, but a large deviation of up to 8-folds was observed for 100-keV u(-1) projectiles. The TCS for ionisation are in agreement with the values calculated from the first born approximation (FBA) at the highest energy region investigated, but become smaller than the values from the FBA at the lower-energy region.

Monte Carlo simulation of energy spectra for (123)I imaging.

(123)I is a radionuclide frequently used in nuclear medicine imaging. The image formed by the 159 keV photopeak includes a considerable scatter component due to high energy gamma-ray emission. In order to evaluate the fraction of scattered photons, a Monte Carlo simulation of a scintillation camera used for (123)I imaging was undertaken. The Monte Carlo code consists of two modules, the HEXAGON code modelled the collimator with a complex hexagonal geometry and the NAI code modelled the NaI detector system including the back compartment. The simulation was carried out for various types of collimators under two separate conditions of the source locations in air and in water. Energy spectra of (123)I for every pixel (matrix size = 256 x 256) were obtained by separating the unscattered from the scattered and the penetrated photons. The calculated energy spectra (cps MBq(-1) keV(-1)) agreed with the measured spectra with approximately 20% deviations for three different collimators. The difference of the sensitivities (cps MBq(-1)) for the window of 143-175 keV was less than 10% between the simulation and the experiment. The partial sensitivities for the scattered and the unscattered components were obtained. The simulated fraction of the unscattered photons to the total photons were 0.46 for LEHR, 0.54 for LEGP and 0.90 for MEGP for the 'in air' set-up, and 0.35, 0.40 and 0.68 for the 'in water' set-up, respectively. The Monte Carlo simulation presented in this work enabled us to investigate the design of a new collimator optimum for (123)I scintigraphy.

Monte Carlo simulation of water radiolysis for low-energy charged particles.

The paper describes the development of chemical modules simulating the prechemical and chemical stages of charged particle tracks in pure liquid water. These calculations are based on our physical track structure codes for electrons and ions (KURBUC, LEPHIST and LEAHIST) which provide the initial spatial distribution of H2O+, H2O* and subexcitation electrons at approximately 10(-15) s. We considered 11 species and 26 chemical reactions. A step-by-step Monte Carlo approach was adopted for the chemical stage between 10(-12) s and 10(-6) s. The chemistry codes enabled to simulate the non-homogeneous chemistry that pertains to electron, proton and alpha-particle tracks of various linear energy transfers (LET). Time-dependent yields of chemical species produced by electrons and ions of different energies were calculated. The calculated primary yields (G values at 10(-6) s) of 2.80 for OH and 2.59 for e(aq)- for 1 MeV electrons are in good agreement with the published values. The calculated G values at 10(-6) s for a wide range LETs from of 0.2 to 235 keV microm(-1) were obtained. The calculations show the LET dependence for OH and H2O2. The electron penetration ranges were calculated in order to discuss the role of low energy electrons.