S. Mazzaglia - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by S. Mazzaglia

Research paper thumbnail of Hadrontherapy: a Geant4-Based Tool for Proton/Ion-Therapy Studies

Progress in Nuclear Science and Technology, 2011

Hadrontherapy is a C++ , free and open source application developed using the Geant4 Monte Carlo ... more Hadrontherapy is a C++ , free and open source application developed using the Geant4 Monte Carlo libraries. The basic version of Hadrontherapy is contained in the official Geant4 distribution (www.cern.ch/Geant4/download), inside the category of the advanced examples. This version permits the simulation of a typical proton/ion transport beam line and the calculation of dose and fluence distributions inside a test phantom. A more complete version of the program is separately maintained and released by the authors and it offers a wider set of tools useful for Users interested in proton/ion-therapy studies. It gives the possibility to retrieve ion stopping powers in arbitrary geometrical configuration, to calculate 3D distributions of fluences, dose deposited and LET of primary and of the generated secondary beams, to simulate typical nuclear physics experiments, to interactively switch between different implemented geometries, etc. In this work the main characteristics of the actual full version of Hadrontherapy will be reported and results discussed and compared with the available experimental data. For more information the reader can refer to the Hadrontherapy website.

Research paper thumbnail of Geant 4 Monte Carlo simulations and applications in medical physics

Monte Carlo (MC) methods are currently considered the most powerful approaches in the medical phy... more Monte Carlo (MC) methods are currently considered the most powerful approaches in the medical physics field, from the absolute and relative dose calculation to the verification of the Treatment Planning Systems. MC approaches are also useful for the simulation of transport beam lines, in order to predict the output beam characteristics also for non-conventional accelerated input. In this report, MC applications developed at LNS with the GEANT4 toolkit are presented.

Research paper thumbnail of Monte Carlo evaluation of the Filtered Back Projection method for image reconstruction in proton computed tomography

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of A Monte Carlo study for the calculation of the average linear energy transfer (LET) distributions for a clinical proton beam line and a radiobiological carbon ion beam line

Physics in Medicine and Biology, 2014

Fluence, depth absorbed dose and linear energy transfer (LET) distributions of proton and carbon ... more Fluence, depth absorbed dose and linear energy transfer (LET) distributions of proton and carbon ion beams have been investigated using the Monte Carlo code Geant4 (GEometry ANd Tracking). An open source application was developed with the aim to simulate two typical transport beam lines, one used for ocular therapy and cell irradiations with protons and the other for cell irradiations with carbon ions. This tool allows evaluation of the primary and total dose averaged LET and predict their spatial distribution in voxelized or sliced geometries. In order to reproduce the LET distributions in a realistic way, and also the secondary particles' contributions due to nuclear interactions were considered in the computations. Pristine and spread-out Bragg peaks were taken into account both for proton and carbon ion beams, with the maximum energy of 62 MeV/n. Depth dose distributions were compared with experimental data, showing good agreement. Primary and total LET distributions were analysed in order to study the influence of contributions of secondary particles in regions at different depths. A non-negligible influence of high-LET components was found in the entrance channel for proton beams, determining the total dose averaged LET by the factor 3 higher than the primary one. A completely different situation was obtained for carbon ions. In this case, secondary particles mainly contributed in the tail that is after the peak. The results showed how the weight of light and heavy secondary ions can considerably influence the computation of LET depth distributions. This has an important role in F Romano et al the interpretation of results coming from radiobiological experiments and, therefore, in hadron treatment planning procedures.

Research paper thumbnail of The proton and carbon therapy experience of the medical physics group at the Italian Southern Laboratories: Monte Carlo simulation and experiment

At the Italian Southern Laboratories (LNS) of the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics ... more At the Italian Southern Laboratories (LNS) of the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics the first, and actually unique, Italian proton therapy center is installed and operating. Up to now, 140 patients have been treated. In this environment a big effort is devoted towards Monte Carlo simulation expeciallt with the GEANT4 Toolkit. The authors of this work belong to the Geant4 Collaboration and they use the toolkit in their research programs. They maintain a Monte Carlo application devoted to the complete simulation of a generic hadron-therapy beam line and take active part in the study of fragmentation processes. Moreover they are working in the development of a prototype of a proton Computed tomographic system. In this work we will report our results in the field of proton and carbon therapy either in the simulation as well in the experimental side of our activity.

Research paper thumbnail of Monte Carlo evaluation of the Filtered Back Projection method for image reconstruction in proton computed tomography

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 2011

In this paper the use of the Filtered Back Projection (FBP) Algorithm, in order to reconstruct to... more In this paper the use of the Filtered Back Projection (FBP) Algorithm, in order to reconstruct tomographic images using the high energy (200-250 MeV) proton beams, is investigated. The algorithm has been studied in detail with a Monte Carlo approach and image quality has been analysed and compared with the total absorbed dose. A proton Computed Tomography (pCT) apparatus, developed by our group, has been fully simulated to exploit the power of the Geant4 Monte Carlo toolkit. From the simulation of the apparatus, a set of tomographic images of a test phantom has been reconstructed using the FBP at different absorbed dose values. The images have been evaluated in terms of homogeneity, noise, contrast, spatial and density resolution.

Research paper thumbnail of Hadrontherapy: a Geant4-Based Tool for Proton/Ion-Therapy Studies

Progress in Nuclear Science and Technology, 2011

Hadrontherapy is a C++ , free and open source application developed using the Geant4 Monte Carlo ... more Hadrontherapy is a C++ , free and open source application developed using the Geant4 Monte Carlo libraries. The basic version of Hadrontherapy is contained in the official Geant4 distribution (www.cern.ch/Geant4/download), inside the category of the advanced examples. This version permits the simulation of a typical proton/ion transport beam line and the calculation of dose and fluence distributions inside a test phantom. A more complete version of the program is separately maintained and released by the authors and it offers a wider set of tools useful for Users interested in proton/ion-therapy studies. It gives the possibility to retrieve ion stopping powers in arbitrary geometrical configuration, to calculate 3D distributions of fluences, dose deposited and LET of primary and of the generated secondary beams, to simulate typical nuclear physics experiments, to interactively switch between different implemented geometries, etc. In this work the main characteristics of the actual full version of Hadrontherapy will be reported and results discussed and compared with the available experimental data. For more information the reader can refer to the Hadrontherapy website.

Research paper thumbnail of Geant 4 Monte Carlo simulations and applications in medical physics

Monte Carlo (MC) methods are currently considered the most powerful approaches in the medical phy... more Monte Carlo (MC) methods are currently considered the most powerful approaches in the medical physics field, from the absolute and relative dose calculation to the verification of the Treatment Planning Systems. MC approaches are also useful for the simulation of transport beam lines, in order to predict the output beam characteristics also for non-conventional accelerated input. In this report, MC applications developed at LNS with the GEANT4 toolkit are presented.

Research paper thumbnail of Monte Carlo evaluation of the Filtered Back Projection method for image reconstruction in proton computed tomography

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of A Monte Carlo study for the calculation of the average linear energy transfer (LET) distributions for a clinical proton beam line and a radiobiological carbon ion beam line

Physics in Medicine and Biology, 2014

Fluence, depth absorbed dose and linear energy transfer (LET) distributions of proton and carbon ... more Fluence, depth absorbed dose and linear energy transfer (LET) distributions of proton and carbon ion beams have been investigated using the Monte Carlo code Geant4 (GEometry ANd Tracking). An open source application was developed with the aim to simulate two typical transport beam lines, one used for ocular therapy and cell irradiations with protons and the other for cell irradiations with carbon ions. This tool allows evaluation of the primary and total dose averaged LET and predict their spatial distribution in voxelized or sliced geometries. In order to reproduce the LET distributions in a realistic way, and also the secondary particles' contributions due to nuclear interactions were considered in the computations. Pristine and spread-out Bragg peaks were taken into account both for proton and carbon ion beams, with the maximum energy of 62 MeV/n. Depth dose distributions were compared with experimental data, showing good agreement. Primary and total LET distributions were analysed in order to study the influence of contributions of secondary particles in regions at different depths. A non-negligible influence of high-LET components was found in the entrance channel for proton beams, determining the total dose averaged LET by the factor 3 higher than the primary one. A completely different situation was obtained for carbon ions. In this case, secondary particles mainly contributed in the tail that is after the peak. The results showed how the weight of light and heavy secondary ions can considerably influence the computation of LET depth distributions. This has an important role in F Romano et al the interpretation of results coming from radiobiological experiments and, therefore, in hadron treatment planning procedures.

Research paper thumbnail of The proton and carbon therapy experience of the medical physics group at the Italian Southern Laboratories: Monte Carlo simulation and experiment

At the Italian Southern Laboratories (LNS) of the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics ... more At the Italian Southern Laboratories (LNS) of the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics the first, and actually unique, Italian proton therapy center is installed and operating. Up to now, 140 patients have been treated. In this environment a big effort is devoted towards Monte Carlo simulation expeciallt with the GEANT4 Toolkit. The authors of this work belong to the Geant4 Collaboration and they use the toolkit in their research programs. They maintain a Monte Carlo application devoted to the complete simulation of a generic hadron-therapy beam line and take active part in the study of fragmentation processes. Moreover they are working in the development of a prototype of a proton Computed tomographic system. In this work we will report our results in the field of proton and carbon therapy either in the simulation as well in the experimental side of our activity.

Research paper thumbnail of Monte Carlo evaluation of the Filtered Back Projection method for image reconstruction in proton computed tomography

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 2011

In this paper the use of the Filtered Back Projection (FBP) Algorithm, in order to reconstruct to... more In this paper the use of the Filtered Back Projection (FBP) Algorithm, in order to reconstruct tomographic images using the high energy (200-250 MeV) proton beams, is investigated. The algorithm has been studied in detail with a Monte Carlo approach and image quality has been analysed and compared with the total absorbed dose. A proton Computed Tomography (pCT) apparatus, developed by our group, has been fully simulated to exploit the power of the Geant4 Monte Carlo toolkit. From the simulation of the apparatus, a set of tomographic images of a test phantom has been reconstructed using the FBP at different absorbed dose values. The images have been evaluated in terms of homogeneity, noise, contrast, spatial and density resolution.