Clinical Medical Physics at CSU VTH

1. Diagnostic Radiological Physics Therapeutic Radiological Physics Medical-Health Physics Medical Nuclear Physics Clinical Medical Physics at CSU VTH • What is medical Physics? • An applied branch of physics concerned with the application of the concepts and methods of physics to the diagnosis • and treatment of disease • In order to practice medical physics, one must have an appropriate advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.), formal clinical • training (residency), board certification (e.g. American Board of Radiology) and, in most states, a license or registration • What does a medical physicist do in a clinical setting? • Medical physicists contribute to the effectiveness of radiological imaging procedures by assuring radiation safety and improving imaging techniques • They contribute to development of therapeutic techniques, collaborate with radiation oncologists to design treatment plans, and monitor equipment and • procedures to ensure that cancer patients receive the prescribed dose of radiation to the correct location Diagnostic Radiology Image Quality & Radiation Safety Testing Commissioning and Testing of Medical Linear Accelerators High Energy e- e- Target Primary Collimator Flattening Filter Photon Depth Dose Ion Chambers CT Performance Phantom Photon Beam Profiles MRI Performance Phantom PET & SPECT Performance Phantom Secondary Collimation Antimatter used in PET Imaging! Physical Wedge Electron Depth Dose Example of Ultrasound Phantom Image Sensitometry Low Contrast Performance Impact of Metal Wedge on Beam Profile Example of Water Phantoms, Ion Chambers & Electrometer used for Radiotherapy Calibration and Beam Data Collection Example of Photon and Electron Beam Data Collected for Trilogy Linear Accelerator. Data us used by State-of-the-Art Calculation Algorithm to Plan Patient Treatments. High Contrast Resolution Examples of MRI Phantom Images Example of PET Phantom Image Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) QA Development of Patient Specific Treatment Devices Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) 2-D Comparison of Isodose Curves 2-D “Gamma” Analysis Cranial Immobilization Device Developed for Canine & Feline Radiotherapy Patients Development of Phantoms for Special Dosimetry Studies Each of the 7 Beams in this Plan Generates a Unique Fluence Pattern (example in upper right) using the MLC device (upper left) Customized for the Tumor 1-D Analysis of Isodose Profiles Example of orthogonal pair of radiographs, obtained at time of radiotherapy treatment, compared to digitally reconstructed radiographs generated from CT based plan. Example of typical quality assurance (QA) testing performed for patient specific IMRT treatment. Complex dose distribution created by moving Tungsten leaves is measured and compared to the calculated dose. Limb Phantom and Radiochromic Film used to Characterize Skin Dose for Osteosarcoma Patients