Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece.
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Patras, Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece.
Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2023 Aug 9;199(13):1357-1366. doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncad189.
This work aimed to develop and validate software that calculates the shielding thickness required for a radiotherapy room with a linear accelerator utilising geometric and dosimetric data. The software "Radiotherapy Infrastructure Shielding Calculations" (RISC) was developed using MATLAB programming. It does not require the installation of the MATLAB platform, and the user only needs to download and install the application, which displays a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI includes empty cells to insert numerical values for several parameters to calculate the proper shielding thickness. The GUI comprises two main interfaces, one for the primary and one for the secondary barrier calculation. The interface of the primary barrier is divided into four tabs: (a) primary radiation, (b) patient scattered and leakage radiation, (c) IMRT techniques and (d) the shielding cost calculations. The interface of the secondary barrier includes three tabs: (a) patient scattered and leakage radiation, (b) IMRT techniques and (c) the shielding cost calculations. Each tab consists of two sections: one for input and one for output of the necessary data. The RISC is based on the methods and formulae of the NCRP 151 and calculates the primary and secondary barrier thickness for ordinary concrete with a density of 2.35 g/cm3 and the cost for a radiotherapy room with a linear accelerator that performs conventional or IMRT techniques. Calculations can be performed for photon energies of 4, 6, 10, 15, 18, 20, 25 and 30 MV of a dual-energy linear accelerator, while instantaneous dose rate (IDR) calculations are also performed. The RISC has been validated using all comparative examples of NCRP 151 and the calculations from shielding reports of the Varian IX linear accelerator at Methodist Hospital of Willowbrook and Elekta Infinity at the University Hospital of Patras. The RISC is accompanied by two text files: (a) "Terminology," extensively describing all parameters, and (b) "User's Manual," providing useful instructions to the user. The RISC is user-friendly, simple, fast and precise, providing accurate shielding calculations and quickly and easily reproducing different shielding scenarios for a radiotherapy room with a linear accelerator. Additionally, it could be used during the educational process of shielding calculations by graduate students or trainee medical physicists. As a future work, the RISC will be updated with new features such as skyshine radiation, door shielding, and other types of machines and shielding materials.
这项工作旨在开发和验证一种利用几何和剂量学数据为配备线性加速器的放射治疗室计算所需屏蔽厚度的软件。该软件名为“放射治疗基础设施屏蔽计算”（RISC），使用 MATLAB 编程开发。它不需要安装 MATLAB 平台，用户只需下载并安装应用程序，该程序会显示一个图形用户界面（GUI）。GUI 包括用于插入几个参数数值的空单元格，以计算适当的屏蔽厚度。GUI 包括两个主要界面，一个用于初级屏蔽计算，另一个用于次级屏蔽计算。初级屏蔽计算界面分为四个选项卡：（a）初级辐射，（b）患者散射和漏射线，（c）调强放射治疗技术，（d）屏蔽成本计算。次级屏蔽计算界面包括三个选项卡：（a）患者散射和漏射线，（b）调强放射治疗技术，（c）屏蔽成本计算。每个选项卡都由两个部分组成：一个用于输入必要数据，另一个用于输出必要数据。RISC 基于 NCRP 151 的方法和公式，为密度为 2.35 g/cm3 的普通混凝土计算初级和次级屏蔽厚度，并为配备执行常规或调强放射治疗技术的线性加速器的放射治疗室计算成本。可以为双能线性加速器的 4、6、10、15、18、20、25 和 30 MV 光子能量进行计算，同时还可以进行瞬时剂量率（IDR）计算。RISC 已使用 NCRP 151 的所有比较示例以及 Methodis 医院 Willowbrook 的瓦里安 IX 线性加速器和 Patras 大学医院的 Elekta Infinity 的屏蔽报告的计算进行了验证。RISC 附带两个文本文件：（a）“术语”，详细描述所有参数，（b）“用户手册”，为用户提供有用的说明。RISC 用户友好、简单、快速、精确，可提供准确的屏蔽计算，并快速轻松地为配备线性加速器的放射治疗室重现不同的屏蔽场景。此外，它可以在放射屏蔽计算的研究生或实习医学物理学家的教育过程中使用。作为未来的工作，RISC 将更新具有天空散射辐射、门屏蔽和其他类型的机器和屏蔽材料等新功能。
