µ-RayStation 5: Expanding functionality of a clinical treatment planning system towards application for image-guided small animal radiotherapy

Introduction:

The Small Animal Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (SAIGRT) system has been developed at OncoRay by downsizing treatment technology of human radiation oncology towards small animal experiments [1,2]. The system consists of a gantry module, covered by a radiation protection housing, and a supply module. The gantry module comprises (1) a stationary unit incorporating a 3D computerised animal stage positioner and (2) a 360° rotating arm holding a 225 kV X-ray tube as radiation source, a system of flat aperture collimators for beam shaping and a flat-panel detector for X-ray imaging. Supported by dedicated software, the SAIGRT system allows for a precise and accurate, conformal irradiation and X-ray imaging of small animals using an experimental workflow resembling the patient treatment process. However, only simplified treatment planning has been applied so far, in lack of a full 3D treatment planning system (TPS).
Materials & Methods:
RayStation 5 is an advanced, clinical TPS by RaySearch Laboratories AB, which works across different external beam radiotherapy devices (e.g. linear accelerators, proton therapy). Import / export options are available for various image modalities. Furthermore, it provides versatile manual and automatic tools for contouring as well as different methods for rigid and deformable image registration. Various irradiation devices can be modelled by specifying characteristics of design features and beam shaping components (e.g. material, motion, geometry) as well as dosimetric properties of the irradiation field. For plan design, the software comprises machine-dependent functions and dose calculation engines resulting in realistic dose distributions. In addition, different features for plan evaluation and comparison are accessible. However, all tools are intended for patients and thereby not suitable for the submillimetre dimensions of small animals. For this reason, µ-RayStation 5 has been developed in collaboration with RaySearch. Based on a research version of the clinical TPS, functionality has been expanded to comply with the requirements of small animal irradiators such as the SAIGRT system.
Results:
Tools for contouring and image registration as well as the dose grid have been modified to support dimensions down to 0.1 mm. The machine model for small animal irradiators includes characteristics such as the geometry of cone-shaped beams (e.g. distances, aperture sizes), a focal spot model (e.g. 2D Gaussian distribution) and a photon energy spectrum of an X-ray tube with several hundred kV accelerating potential. Plan design is supported for 3D conformal radiotherapy using fixed beams and static arcs. Dose calculation is performed by the VMC++ Monte-Carlo engine [6]. The number of simulated histories and the dose quantity (dose to water or medium) can be selected. Monitor units have been replaced by irradiation time. The SAIGRT system was successfully modelled using a 200 kV spectrum generated from SpekCalc [3-5] showing good agreement with verification measurements.
Conclusion:
µ-RayStation 5 provides comprehensive functionality of a clinical TPS for small animal studies allowing an efficient experimental workflow for experienced Raystation users. Flexibility of the software facilitates adaption to other small animal irradiators and expansion of usage for preclinical research in our institute especially for commencing small animal proton irradiations.
References:
[1] Tillner et al. (2014), Z Med Phys. 24(4): 335-51
[2] Tillner et al. (2016), Phys Med Biol. 61(8): 3084-108
[3] Poludniowski GG, Evans PM (2007), Med Phys. 34(6): 2164-74
[4] Poludniowski GG (2007), Med Phys. 34(6): 2175-86
[5] Poludniowski GG et al. (2009), Phys Med Biol. 54(19): 433-8
[6] Kawrakow I, Fippel M (2000), In: The Use of Computers in Radiation Therapy, Springer: 126-8