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Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (Image 1)
Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (Image 1)
An intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) planning algorithm operates by using the outlines of the prostate and other radiation-sensitive organs in a CT scan to arrive at matrices of beamlet intensities that are delivered from several external angles. In this case, the beamlet intensities were produced using a new algorithm based on a sensitivity analysis over a large number of previously planned patients. The algorithm produced a clinically acceptable radiation plan in about 10 minutes compared to the hours it might take a human. The automatic planning algorithm results in beamlet intensities that produce the pictured equal-dose contours. The prostate (center) receives a high amount of dose, while the nearby rectum (just above it) receives a low dose.
This work was supported in part by CenSSIS, the National Science Foundation (NSF) Center for Subsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems, NSF grant EEC 99-86821. [See related image here.] (Date of Image: 2006)
Credit: Rich Radke, Dept. of ECSE, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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