Validation of GATE 6.1 for targeted radiotherapy of metastic melanoma using 131I-labeled benzamide

International audienceThe GATE 6.1 Monte Carlo simulation platform based on the GEANT4 toolkit is in constant improvement for dosimetric calculations. Here, we explore its use for calculating internal absorbed dose distribution in mice for the treatment of malignant melanoma after injection of a new specific radiopharmaceutical labeled with iodine 131. We estimate the dosimetric accuracy of GATE 6.1, by calculating first S values and by comparing them and absorbed doses to organswith EGSnrc for a digital mouse phantom and a CT scan based mouse phantom

Validation of the GATE Monte Carlo simulation platform for modelling a CsI(Tl) scintillation camera dedicated to small animal imaging

Monte Carlo simulations are increasingly used in scintigraphic imaging to model imaging systems and to develop and assess tomographic reconstruction algorithms and correction methods for improved image quantitation. GATE (GEANT 4 Application for Tomographic Emission) is a new Monte Carlo simulation platform based on GEANT4 dedicated to nuclear imaging applications. This paper describes the GATE simulation of a prototype of scintillation camera dedicated to small animal imaging and consisting of a CsI(Tl) crystal array coupled to a position sensitive photomultiplier tube. The relevance of GATE to model the camera prototype was assessed by comparing simulated 99mTc point spread functions, energy spectra, sensitivities, scatter fractions and image of a capillary phantom with the corresponding experimental measurements. Results showed an excellent agreement between simulated and experimental data: experimental spatial resolutions were predicted with an error less than 100 mu m. The difference between experimental and simulated system sensitivities for different source-to-collimator distances was within 2%. Simulated and experimental scatter fractions in a [98-182 keV] energy window differed by less than 2% for sources located in water. Simulated and experimental energy spectra agreed very well between 40 and 180 keV. These results demonstrate the ability and flexibility of GATE for simulating original detector designs. The main weakness of GATE concerns the long computation time it requires: this issue is currently under investigation by the GEANT4 and the GATE collaboration

Les grilles de calcul au service de la physique médicale

présenté par C.O. Thiam, proceedings sous forme de CDLes Simulations Monte Carlo GATE en radiothérapie nécessitent plusieurs heures de calculs. En effet, un résultat précis ne peut être obtenu qu'en générant beaucoup d'événements. Nous étudions donc les capacités des grilles de calcul notamment en terme de réduction des temps de calculs, et les services qu'elles offrent pour une utilisation future en milieu médical. Cette infrastructure, s'inscrit dans le cadre du projet européen EGEE. Ce projet consiste à mutualiser des ressources réparties sur différentes sites afin de pouvoir accéder à de la puissance de calcul, à des données partagées et de bénéficier d'une continuité de service

Etudes dosimétriques des sources I125I^{125} utilisant les simulations Monte-Carlo GATE sur grille de calcul EGEE

PCSV, présenté par C. Thiam, transparents sur site, résuméLa méthode de calcul Monte Carlo est reconnue aujourd'hui comme l'algorithme pouvant modéliser au plus près les phénomènes physiques liés aux dépôts d'énergie dans un milieu. Il est donc intéressent d'utiliser cette méthode dans la planification de traitement du cancer par rayonnement, les systèmes de planification de traitement (TPS) existant étant limités dans la précision des calculs pour certains cas spécifiques. Dans cette approche nous nous intéressons à la validation du code de calcul Monte Carlo GATE (basses énergies) pour les applications dosimétriques en physique médicale. Nous avons modélisé avec GATE des modèles de sources I125 sous forme de grains couramment utilisées en curiethérapie (les grains 2301 B.M.I., Symmetra UroMed/Bebig). Les caractéristiques de ces sources ont été simulées en respectant les extrémités soudées, la distribution radioactive, les matériaux et le rayonnement des spectres d'énergies. Pour effectuer nos calculs de dose, nous nous sommes référé aux travaux du groupe de travail « Task Group 43 » de l'American Association of Physicists in Medicine (A.A.P.M.) datant de 1995 et mis à jour en 2004. Les fonctions de dose radiale et d'anisotropie ainsi que la constante de débit de dose définissant les caractéristiques dosimétriques de ces sources ont été calculées avec différentes versions de GATE. Les résultats obtenus, en comparaison avec d'autres codes Monte Carlo (PTRAN, MCTP) ou mesures par thermoluminescence (TLD), sont en bon accord avec les valeurs publiées dans la littérature et par les travaux du TG 43. Les Simulations Monte Carlo GATE nécessitent en général plusieurs heures de calculs. Afin de réduire ces temps, nos simulations GATE ont été parallélisées sur une infrastructure de grille de calcul mise en place par le projet EGEE (Enabling Grids for E-sciencE). Les résultats obtenus par cette technique sont très prometteurs. Le temps nécessaire au calcul dans le cas des applications dosimétriques a été réduit d'un facteur 3

GATE simulation for medical physics with genius Web portal

présenté par C. ThiamPCSV team of the LPC laboratory in Clermont-Ferrand is involved in the deployment of biomedical applications on the grid architecture. One of these applications deals with the deployment of GATE (Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission) for medical physics application. The aim of the developments actually performed is to enable an application of the GATE platform in clinical routine. However, this perspective is only possible if the computing time and user time are highly reduced. The new grid architecture, developed within the framework of the European project Enabling Grid for E-sciencE (EGEE) is there to answer this requirement. The use of the grid resources must be transparent easy and rapid for the medical physicists. For this perpose, we adapted the GENIUS web portal in order to facilitate the GATE simulations planning on the grid. We will present a demonstration of the GENIUS portal which integrates all the functionalities of EGEE: to create, to submit and manage GATE jobs on the grid architecture. Our GATE activities for dosimetry application entered in to direct phase of evaluation by the cancer treatment center of Clermont Ferrand (Centre Jean perrin).A work station is currently available in this center to test the use of GATE application on the grid through GENIUS. This portal will allow in a long term to use GATE application in brachytherapy and radiotherapy treatment planning using medical data (medical images, DICOM, binary data dose calculation in the heterogeneous mediums) and to analyze the results obtained in visual form. Other functionalities are under development and will make possible to register medical data on grid storages elements and to manage them. However, these data must be anonymised before their recording on the grid. Their access via the GENIUS portal must be made safe and fast (compared simulation computing time). In order to be sure that the medical data are accessible for calculations, their replication on various storage element (SE) should be possible. The grid services give the possibility of managing this information in a free way and transparently. Operations of data handling and catalogues on the grid are ensured by the Replica Manager system which integrates all tools making it possible to manage data on the grid. The computing grid give promising results and meet a definite need: reach acceptable computing time for a future use of Monte Carlo simulations for treatment planning in brachytherapy and radiotherapy

Parallelization of monte Carlo simulations and submission to a grid environment

presentation L. Maign

La grille au service du développement médical en Afrique

PCSV, présenté par F. Jacq, pas de proceedingsObjectives: Telemedicine networks allow to train local physicians and to improve diagnosis by exchanging medical data. But the set-up of multipoint dynamic telemedicine requires moving towards GRID technologies. The objective is to develop telemedicine services for physicians from Burkina Faso and France with the perspective of setting up a grid infrastructure between the participating medical sites. Methods: A web site to exchange diagnosis on diabetic retinopathy was developed in PHP. Another application using web services was developed to exchange patient information on ophthalmology between two databases. Results: The main difficulty comes from limited resources in developing countries including staff skills, bandwidth and funding. But the collaboration with dispensaries opened a door to enhanced collaboration between physicians of France and Burkina Faso Conclusions: These applications are designed with the aim of their use on grids which opens the perspective of multipoint dynamic telemedicine. We are developing a new generation of telemedicine service using experience acquired in the last two years

HOPE, an open platform for medical data management on the grid

International audienc

GATE : a simulation toolkit for PET and SPECT

Monte Carlo simulation is an essential tool in emission tomography that can assist in the design of new medical imaging devices, the optimization of acquisition protocols, and the development or assessment of image reconstruction algorithms and correction techniques. GATE, the Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission, encapsulates the Geant4 libraries to achieve a modular, versatile, scripted simulation toolkit adapted to the field of nuclear medicine. In particular, GATE allows the description of time-dependent phenomena such as source or detector movement, and source decay kinetics. This feature makes it possible to simulate time curves under realistic acquisition conditions and to test dynamic reconstruction algorithms. A public release of GATE licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License can be downloaded at the address http://www-lphe.epfl.ch/GATE/

Towards grid-enabled telemedicine in Africa

Telemedicine services are very relevant tools to train local physicians and to improve diagnosis by exchanging medical data. Telemedicine networks allow these exchanges but the set-up of multipoint dynamic telemedicine requires moving towards GRID technologies. A healthgrid is an environment where data of medical interest can be stored and is easily available between the different actors of healthcare. Two telemedicine applications were developed to link physicians from Burkina Faso and France with the perspective of setting up a grid infrastructure between the participating medical sites. A web site to exchange diagnosis on diabetic retinopathy was developed in PHP and another application using web services was developed to exchange patient information between two databases.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, IST-Africa 2006 Conference, Pretoria, South Africa, to be published in the proceeding