3 research outputs found
A simplified model of the source channel of the Leksell Gamma Knife: testing multisource configurations with PENELOPE
A simplification of the source channel geometry of the Leksell Gamma
Knife, recently proposed by the authors and checked for a single
source configuration (Al-Dweri et al 2004), has been used to calculate the dose
distributions along the , and axes in a water phantom with a
diameter of 160~mm, for different configurations of the Gamma Knife including
201, 150 and 102 unplugged sources. The code PENELOPE (v. 2001) has been used
to perform the Monte Carlo simulations. In addition, the output factors for the
14, 8 and 4~mm helmets have been calculated. The results found for the dose
profiles show a qualitatively good agreement with previous ones obtained with
EGS4 and PENELOPE (v. 2000) codes and with the predictions of
GammaPlan. The output factors obtained with our model agree
within the statistical uncertainties with those calculated with the same Monte
Carlo codes and with those measured with different techniques. Owing to the
accuracy of the results obtained and to the reduction in the computational time
with respect to full geometry simulations (larger than a factor 15), this
simplified model opens the possibility to use Monte Carlo tools for planning
purposes in the Gamma Knife.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, 5 table
Effects of bone- and air-tissue inhomogeneities on the dose distributions of the Leksell Gamma Knife calculated with PENELOPE
Monte Carlo simulation with PENELOPE (v.~2003) is applied to calculate
Leksell Gamma Knife dose distributions for heterogeneous
phantoms. The usual spherical water phantom is modified with a spherical bone
shell simulating the skull and an air-filled cube simulating the frontal or
maxillary sinuses. Different simulations of the 201 source configuration of the
Gamma Knife have been carried out with a simplified model of the geometry of
the source channel of the Gamma Knife recently tested for both single source
and multisource configurations. The dose distributions determined for
heterogeneous phantoms including the bone- and/or air-tissue interfaces show
non negligible differences with respect to those calculated for a homogeneous
one, mainly when the Gamma Knife isocenter approaches the separation surfaces.
Our findings confirm an important underdosage (10%) nearby the air-tissue
interface, in accordance with previous results obtained with PENELOPE code with
a procedure different to ours. On the other hand, the presence of the spherical
shell simulating the skull produces a few percent underdosage at the isocenter
wherever it is situated.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, 2 table