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Technological features and clinical feasibility of megavoltage CT scanning

  • Computed Tomography
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Abstract

Megavoltage CT scanning using 4-MV and 6-MV radiotherapy beams has been developed and applied to verify errors in patient positioning. A detect or system composed of 120 pairs of cadmium tungstate scintillators with photodiodes is mounted to the treatment unit at a distance of 160 cm from the beam source. Image reconstruction is performed with a standard filtered back-projection algorithm. Scanning time and reconstruction time for a slice is approximately 35 s and 60 s respectively. Although spatial resolution is as large as 4 mm, it has sufficient image quality to be applied for treatment planning and verification. The delivered dose with 4 MV and 6 MV is about 1.4 cGy and 28. cGY respectively. When a megavoltage CT image is taken in treatment position, the positioning errors are easily detected by comparing it with diagnostic CT sections for treatment planning. Several clinical examples are presented.

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Nakagawa, K., Aoki, Y., Akanuma, A. et al. Technological features and clinical feasibility of megavoltage CT scanning. Eur. Radiol. 2, 184–189 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00595825

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