Yakov Pipman - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Yakov Pipman
Medical Physics, 2016
The desperate need for radiotherapy in low and mid-income countries (LMICs) has been well documen... more The desperate need for radiotherapy in low and mid-income countries (LMICs) has been well documented. Roughly 60 % of the worldwide incidence of cancer occurs in these resource-limited settings and the international community alongside governmental and non-profit agencies have begun publishing reports and seeking help from qualified volunteers. However, the focus of several reports has been on how dire the situation is and the magnitude of the problem, leaving most to feel overwhelmed and unsure as to how to help and why to get involved. This session will help to explain the specific ways that Medical Physicists can uniquely assist in this grand effort to help bring radiotherapy to grossly-underserved areas. Not only can these experts fulfill an important purpose, they also can benefit professionally, academically, emotionally and socially from the endeavor. By assisting others worldwide with their skillset, Medical Physicists can end up helping themselves. LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Understand the need for radiotherapy in LMICs. 2. Understand which agencies are seeking Medical Physicists for help in LMICs. 3. Understand the potential research funding mechanisms are available to establish academic collaborations with LMIC researchers/physicians. 4. Understand the potential social and emotional benefits for both the physicist and the LMIC partners when collaborations are made. 5. Understand the potential for collaboration with other high-income scientists that can develop as the physicist partners with other large institutions to assist LMICs. Wil Ngwa - A recent United Nations Study reports that in developing countries more people have access to cell phones than toilets. In Africa, only 63% of the population has access to piped water, yet, 93% of Africans have cell phone service. Today, these cell phones, Skype, WhatsApp and other information and communication technologies (ICTs) connect us in unprecedented ways and are increasingly recognized as powerful, indispensable to global health. Thanks to ICTs, there are growing opportunities for Medical Physicists to reach out beyond the bunker and impact the world far beyond, without even having to travel. These growing opportunities in global health for Medical Physicists, powered by ICTs, will be highlighted in this presentation, illustrated by high impact examples/models across the globe that are improving patient safety and healthcare outcomes, saving lives. LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Published definitions of global health and the emerging field of global radiation oncology 2. Learn about the transformative potential of ICTs in global radiation oncology care, research and education with focus on Medical Physics 3. Learn about high impact examples of ICT-powered global radiation oncology and the increasing opportunities for participation by Medical Physicists. Yakov Pipman - The number and scope of volunteer Medical Physics activities in support of low-to-middle income countries has been increasing gradually. This happens through a variety of formal channels and to some extent through less formal but personal initiatives. A good deal of effort is dedicated by many, but many more could be recruited through a structured framework to volunteer. We will look into typical volunteer activities and how they fit with organizations already involved in advancing Medical Physics in LMIC. We will identify the range of these organizational activities and their scope to reveal areas of further need. We will point to a few key features of MPWB (www.mpwb.org) as a volunteering and collaborating structure and how members can get involved and contribute to these efforts at the grass roots level. The goal is that scarce resources can thus be channeled to complement rather than compete with those already in place. LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Understand the strengths and limitations of various organizations that support Medical Physics efforts in LMIC. 2. Learn about ways to volunteer and contribute to Global Health through a grass roots organization focused on Medical Physics in LMIC. Perry Sprawls - With the growing capability and complexity of medical imaging methods in all countries of the world, the expanding role of medical physicists includes optimizing imaging procedures with respect to image quality, radiation dose, and other conflicting factors. With access to appropriate educational resources local medical physicists in all countries can provide direct clinical support and educational for other medical professionals. This is being supported through the process of Collaborative Teaching that combines the capabilities and experience of medical physicists in countries spanning the spectrum of economic, technological, and clinical development. The supporting resources are on the web at: www.sprawls.org/resources. LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Identify the medical physics educational needs to support effective and optimized medical imaging procedures. 2. Use collaborative teaching resources to…
Medical Physics, 2015
AAPM projects and collaborations in Africa Adam Shulman (AA-SC Chair) The African Affairs Subcomm... more AAPM projects and collaborations in Africa Adam Shulman (AA-SC Chair) The African Affairs Subcommittee (AA-SC) of the AAPM will present a multi-institutional approach to medical physics support in Africa. Current work to increase the quality of care and level of safety for the medical physics practice in Senegal, Ghana, and Zimbabwe will be presented, along with preliminary projects in Nigeria and Botswana. Because the task of addressing the needs of medical physics in countries across Africa is larger than one entity can accomplish on its own, the AA-SC has taken the approach of joining forces with multiple organizations such as Radiating Hope and TreatSafely (NGO’s), the IAEA, companies like BrainLab, Varian and Elekta, medical volunteers and academic institutions such as NYU and Washington University. Elements of current projects include: 1) Distance training and evaluation of the quality of contouring and treatment planning, teaching treatment planning and other subjects, and troubleshooting using modern telecommunications technology in Senegal, Ghana, and Zimbabwe; 2) Assistance in the transition from 2D to 3D in Senegal and Zimbabwe; 3) Assistance in the transition from 3D to IMRT using in-house compensators in Senegal; 4) Modernizing the cancer center in Senegal and increasing safety and; 5) Training on on 3D techniques in Ghana; 6) Assisting a teaching and training radiation oncology center to be built in Zimbabwe; 7) Working with the ISEP Program in Sub-Saharan Africa; 8) Creating instructional videos on linac commissioning; 9) Working on a possible collaboration to train physicists in Nigeria. Building on past achievements, the subcommittee seeks to make a larger impact on the continent, as the number and size of projects increases and more human resources become available. The State of Medical Physics Collaborations and Projects in Latin America Sandra Guzman (Peru) The lack of Medical Physicists (MP) in many Latin American (LA) countries leads to recruitment of professionals with incomplete education. In most LA countries only one MP responsible for each Center is currently mandated. Currently there is a large disparity among MP training programs and there is significant debate about the standards of MP graduate education in many LA countries. There are no commonly recognized academic programs, not enough clinical training sites and clinical training is not typically considered as part of the MP work. Economic pressures and high workloads also impede the creation of more training centers. The increasing need of qualified MPs require establishing a coordinated system of national Education & Training Centers (ETC), to meet the international standards of education and training in Medical Physics. This shortfall calls for support of organizations such as the IOMP, AAPM, ALFIM, IAEA, etc. Examples from various LA countries, as well as some proposed solutions, will be presented. In particular, we will discuss the resources that the AAPM and its members can offer to support regional programs. The ‘Medical Imaging’ physicist in the emerging world: Challenges and opportunities - Caridad Borras (WGNIMP Chair) While the role of radiation therapy physicists in the emerging world is reasonably well established, the role of medical imaging physicists is not. The only perceived needs in radiology departments are equipment quality control and radiation protection, tasks that can be done by a technologist or a service engineer. To change the situation, the International Basic Safety Standard, which is adopted/adapted world-wide as national radiation protection regulations, states: “For diagnostic radiological procedures and image guided interventional procedures, the requirements of these Standards for medical imaging, calibration, dosimetry and quality assurance, including the acceptance and commissioning of medical radiological equipment, are fulfilled by or under the oversight of, or with the documented advice of a medical physicist, whose degree of involvement is determined by the complexity of the radiological procedures and the associated radiation risks”. Details on how these requirements can be carried out in resource-limited settings will be described. IAEA support to medical physics in Africa and Latin America: achievements and challenges Ahmed Meghzifene (IAEA) Shortage of clinically qualified medical physicists in radiotherapy and imaging, insufficient and inadequate education and training programs, as well as a lack of professional recognition were identified as the main issues to be addressed by the IAEA. The IAEA developed a series of integrated projects aiming specifically at promoting the essential role of medical physicists in health care, developing harmonized guidelines on dosimetry and quality assurance, and supporting education and clinical training programs. The unique feature of the IAEA approach is support it provides for implementation of guidelines and education programs in Member…
Medical Physics, 2016
PURPOSE The Equipment Donation Sub-Committee has developed a new, formalized process for both don... more PURPOSE The Equipment Donation Sub-Committee has developed a new, formalized process for both donating and requesting donated equipment. The purpose of the framework is to increase the likelihood that available, working-order equipment is put to good use at functional, deserving clinics. METHODS A consensus approach was used to develop a fresh approach to equipment donation and requesting equipment for donation. The committee developed specific forms for people who wish to donate equipment and for those who are seeking specific donated equipment. The forms include a summary of the equipment as well as questions designed to inform the committee with respect to the condition of the equipment, the resources of the clinic that is requesting equipment, the specific need for requested equipment, whether or not additional components or software are required for its proper functioning, and ancillary considerations such as regulatory and import rules that may affect the donation. Following submission of the forms the equipment, or request, are entered into a database, reviewed by the committee, and compatibility matches are proposed. RESULTS This is the first time a formalized, consensus-based approach has been used by the Equipment Donation Sub-Committee. Forms are available on the aapm.org website and should be emailed to equipment.donation@aapm.org. The first applications using this new process will be summarized and discussed. CONCLUSION We anticipate this process will facilitate and expedite the process of equipment donation and will serve as a tool for assessing and improving the program.
Radiotherapy and oncology : journal of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Jan 16, 2018
Australasian Physical & Engineering Sciences in Medicine, 2016
Gamma index comparison has been established as a method for patient specific quality assurance in... more Gamma index comparison has been established as a method for patient specific quality assurance in IMRT. Detector arrays can replace radiographic film systems to record 2D dose distributions and fulfill quality assurance requirements. These electronic devices present spatial resolution disadvantages with respect to films. This handicap can be partially overcome with a multiple acquisition sequence of adjacent 2D dose distributions. The detector spatial response influence can also be taken into account through the convolution of the calculated dose with the detector spatial response. A methodology that employs both approaches could allow for enhancements of the quality assurance procedure. 35 beams from different step and shoot IMRT plans were delivered on a phantom. 2D dose distributions were recorded with a PTW-729 ion chamber array for individual beams, following the multiple acquisition methodology. 2D dose distributions were also recorded on radiographic films. Measured dose distributions with films and with the PTW-729 array were processed with the software RITv5.2 for Gamma index comparison with calculated doses. Calculated dose was also convolved with the ion chamber 2D response and the Gamma index comparisons with the 2D dose distribution measured with the PTW-729 array was repeated. 3.7 ± 2.7% of points surpassed the accepted Gamma index when using radiographic films compared with calculated dose, with a minimum of 0.67 and a maximum of 13.27. With the PTW-729 multiple acquisition methodology compared with calculated dose, 4.1 ± 1.3% of points surpassed the accepted Gamma index, with a minimum of 1.44 and a maximum of 11.26. With the PTW-multiple acquisition methodology compared with convolved calculated dose, 2.7 ± 1.3% of points surpassed the accepted Gamma index, with a minimum of 0.42 and a maximum of 5.75. The results obtained in this work suggest that the comparison of merged adjacent dose distributions with convolved calculated dose represents an enhancement in the methodology for IMRT patient specific quality assurance with the PTW-729 ion chamber array.
Medical Physics, 2016
PURPOSE The global burden of cancer is considerable, particularly in low and middle-income countr... more PURPOSE The global burden of cancer is considerable, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute have partnered with the oncology community and government of Botswana to form BOTSOGO (BOTSwana Oncology Global Outreach) to address the rising burden of cancer in Botswana. Currently, radiation therapy (RT) is only available at a single linear accelerator (LINAC) in Gaborone Private Hospital (GPH). BOTSOGO worked to limit the absence of RT during a LINAC upgrade and ensure a safe transition to modern radiotherapy techniques. METHODS The existing Elekta Precise LINAC was decommissioned in November 2015 and replaced with a new Elekta VERSA-HD with IMRT/VMAT/CBCT capability. Upgraded treatment planning and record-and-verify systems were also installed. Physicists from GPH and MGH collaborated during an intensive on-site visit in Botswana during the commissioning process. Measurements were performed using newly purchased Sun Nuclear equipment. Photon beams were matched with an existing model to minimize the time needed for beam modeling and machine down time. Additional remote peer review was also employed. Independent dosimetry was performed by irradiating OSLDs, which were subsequently analyzed at MGH. RESULTS Photon beam quality agreed with reference data within 0.2%. Electron beam data agreed with example clinical data within 3%. Absolute dose calibration was performed using both IAEA and AAPM protocols. Absolute dose measurements with OSLDs agreed within 5%. Quentry cloud-based software was installed to facilitate remote review of treatment plans. Patient treatments resumed in February 2016. The time without RT was reduced, therefore likely resulting in reduced patient morbidity/mortality. CONCLUSION A global physics collaboration was utilized to commission a modern LINAC in a resource-constrained setting. This can be a useful model in other areas with limited resources. Further use of technology and on-site exchanges will facilitate the introduction of more advanced techniques in Botswana. We acknowledge funding support from the AAPM International Educational Activities Committee and the NCI Federal Share Proton Beam Program Income Grant.
International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, 2016
Medical Physics, 2011
Purpose: To perform an inter‐comparison of TPS results for different IMRT delivery systems. Metho... more Purpose: To perform an inter‐comparison of TPS results for different IMRT delivery systems. Methods: Patient data with prostate cancer was selected. Same geometries and energy were employed for fixed gantry angle plans. Treatment includes simultaneous irradiation, prostate to 82Gy and seminal vesicles to 64Gy (41 fractions). Plans were normalized to achieve 82Gy minimum dose to prostate. Plan 1 : step&shoot with 1cm leaf‐width (MLC‐Optifocus), TPS Konrad v2.2 (Siemens). Plan 2: same plan 1 but with TPS iPlan v4.1 (BrainLAB). Plan 3: step&shoot with 0.25cm leaf‐width (mMLC‐Moduleaf, Siemens), TPS iPlan v4.1. Plan 4: dynamic with 0.5cm leaf‐width (MLC‐Millenium), TPS Eclipse v8.1 (Varian). Plan 5: Tomotherapy TPS v3.1.4.7. Longitudinal field size 2.5cm, pitch 0.277 and modulation factor 1.783, leaf width 6.25mm Results: Total numbers of MU were 508, 488, 570, 577 and 3219 for Plan 1 to 5. D98% (V82Gy) for PTV prostate were 81.6Gy (95.7%), 80.7Gy (94.9%), 81.8Gy (97.4%), 80.1Gy (84.6%) and 79.9Gy (82.6%) for Plan 1 to 5. V64Gy for PTV seminal vesicle were 98.2%, 99.9%, 100%, 92.1% and 97.8% for Plan 1 to 5. Rectum EUD (V40Gy) were 65.1Gy (56.6%), 62.7Gy (53.1%), 61.9Gy (44.3%), 63.3Gy (55.7%) and 61.9Gy (39%) for Plan 1 to 5. Rectum wall EUD was 66.4Gy, 65.2Gy, 64.8Gy, 64.9Gy and 65.2Gy for Plan 1 to 5. Bladder EUD (V65Gy) were 47.9Gy (27.4%), 47.4Gy (24.8%), 46.6Gy (24.6%), 46.2Gy (24.4%) and 45.8Gy (20.1%) for Plan 1 to 5. Femoral head D10% were 31.8Gy, 34.5Gy, 33.9Gy, 39.3Gy and 26.1Gy for Plan 1 to 5. Conclusions: MUs are lower with step&shoot MLC. MicroMLC produces slightly better conformation of PTVs. Better sparing of rectum and bladder with mMLC and Tomotherapy. For rectum wall EUD shows that mMLC produce the better results. Better sparing of femoral head is obtained with Tomotherapy. All techniques give the OAR's similar EUD (+/−2Gy), except for femoral heads.
Medical Physics, 2011
Purpose: The purpose was to analyze the influence of the step size during head&neck IMRT trea... more Purpose: The purpose was to analyze the influence of the step size during head&neck IMRT treatments. Methods: Ten patients with head&neck IMRT treatment plan were selected. Treatment plans were done using nine 6MV photon‐beams on a Primus linac (Siemens) with Optifocus MLC (10mm leaf width) and a dose rate of 200MU/min. The TPS used was Konrad v2.2 (Siemens) with leaves step size of 10, 5 and 3mm. For each step‐size, plans were evaluated in terms of MU, segments number, treatment time, PTV's (66Gy and 50Gy) dose uniformity and OAR (parotids and spinal cord) doses. Variations between measured and calculated total plan doses were obtained using solid water phantom and PTW PinPoint ionization chamber. Results: The MU number for 10mm step‐size plans was 624 [495,770] and increased 51% [36%, 87%] for 5mm and 124% [93%, 171%] for 3mm. The segments number for 10mm step‐size plans was 111 [99,129] and increased 41% [27%, 52%] for 5mm and 102% [71%, 125%] for 3mm. The treatment time for 10mm step‐size plans was 11.47min [11.08min, 12.45min] and increased 24% [9%, 33%] for 5mm and 65% [27%, 74%] for 3mm. Reducing the step‐size from 10mm to 5mm leads to better PTV_66Gy dose uniformity within ICRU50 tolerance (no difference observed between 5mm and 3mm). Step‐size diminution from 10mm to 3mm leads to a better coverage of PTV_50Gy especially in patient surface regions. For all the studied plans there are no differences in the parotids mean doses and spinal cord maximum dose. The variation between measured and calculated doses was 1.1% for 10mm step‐size. It increased 1.7% and 2.4% for 5mm and 3mm respectively. Conclusions: Using 10mm step‐size produces plans with adequate OAR doses. PTV Dose uniformity and volume coverage could be improved by 5mm step‐size whereas 3mm step‐size produces larger treatment times without advantages in dose distribution.
Medical Physics, 2011
Purpose: Step&shoot IMRTTreatment planning requires the conversion of an optimized fluence in... more Purpose: Step&shoot IMRTTreatment planning requires the conversion of an optimized fluence into deliverable sequences of MLC segments. The objective of this paper is to study the effects of varying the intensity levels (IL's) number in prostate step&shoot IMRT treatments. Methods: Patient data with prostate cancer and IMRT treatment indication was selected. Treatment planning was done using a 6MV 7‐field arrangement (Primus linac, Optifocus MLC, 10mm leaf‐width) and Konrad v2.2 (Siemens) TPS. The treatment plan includes the simultaneous irradiation of the prostate to 82Gy and the seminal vesicles to 64Gy in 41 fractions. Four plans were generated using 5, 7, 10 and 15 IL's and normalized to deliver the same minimum dose to the prostate. Comparisons between plans were done in terms of total segment number, MU, treatment time and DVH for PTVs and OARs (rectum, bladder and femoral heads). Results: The total segment numbers were 44, 60, 84 and 116 from 5 to 15 IL's. The MU's total numbers decreased with the increase of the IL's (527, 522, 518 and 508). Increasing the number of IL's was accompanied by the treatment times raise (11%, 23% and 37% in relation to 5 IL's, 387seg) and resulted in increases of Prostate PTV dose homogeneity and conformity index (CI). The maximum dose (CI) was 87.7Gy (0.957) and 89.7Gy (0.836) for 15 and 5 IL respectively. No difference in minimum dose and CI was found for the seminal vesicle PTV. All plans showed insignificant OAR DVH differences. Conclusions: The increment in the IL's number resulted in an improvement of the Prostate PTV homogeneity and treatment time without any extra sparing to OAR. The benefit of a better uniform dose in the Prostate PTV should be analyzed for each treatment in order to set planning guidelines.
Medical Physics, 2010
Purpose Verification of the accuracy of multileaf collimator(MLC) leaf positioning is a vital com... more Purpose Verification of the accuracy of multileaf collimator(MLC) leaf positioning is a vital component in a quality control program in any Radiation Therapy Department. The decline of film‐based dosimetric systems reinforces the trend to use 2D detector arrays. This work introduces a new method, based on the principle of partial volume response of detectors that overcomes the problem of the somehow inferior resolution of a 2D ion chamber array. Method and Material The 2D array PTW‐729 was used for the verification of the 82 leaf‐MLC Optifocus of a Primus linear accelerator, Siemens. The partial volume response curve for each ion chamber was obtained by irradiating variable rectangular patterns, similar to that used in the Bayouth Test, so that each leaf covered a specific detector in a known proportion. Afterwards, it was developed an algorithm implemented into Matlab to predict the position of the leaf from the detector normalized response. Planes with intentionally introduced deviations of the leaf positions of ±1mm and ±2mm were irradiated upon the PTW‐729 and the predicted positions were compared with those included in the planification files. Result It was possible to detect, and correctly quantify, all the positioning errors into leaves positioning files, with a minimum number of false errors. The results obtained with this method compare favorably with those obtained with the Bayouth test using the same radiation patterns. Conclusion This method provides a superior substitute for film based QA method of MLC performance, with excellent spatial resolution. It detects and correctly quantified all the positioning errors intentionally introduced. It provides and effective and easy to use tool for quantitative measurement of MLC leaf positions, without compromising resolution. It can be easy applied to other 2D array as log as they exhibit a partial volume detector response.
Medical Physics, 2011
Purpose: To compare step&shoot and dynamic MLC‐based IMRT for prostate treatment. Methods: Pa... more Purpose: To compare step&shoot and dynamic MLC‐based IMRT for prostate treatment. Methods: Patient data with prostate cancer was selected. Same beam geometries and energy were used. Treatment plan includes simultaneous irradiation of prostate to 82Gy and seminal vesicles to 64Gy (41 fractions). Plans were normalized to achieve 82Gy minimum dose to prostate. Step&shoot was delivered using Primus linac (Optifocus MLC, 10mm leaf‐width, 200MU/min) and Konrad v2.2 TPS (Siemens). MLC step‐size of 0.5cm, minimum of 3 MU per segment and 15 intensity levels was used. Dynamic was delivered using Clinac 21EX (Millenium MLC, 0.5cm leaf‐width, 300MU/min) and Eclipse v8.1 TPS (Varian). MLC step‐size was 0.2cm. Plans dose distributions were compared in PCRT3D TPS (TRF). Optimization and dose calculation time, treatment time, MUs, PTVs and OAR DVH analysis and treatment plan QA were compared for both techniques. Results: Optimization and dose calculation time was 220seg for S&S and 360seg for dynamic. Total MU was 508 for S&S and 577 for dynamic. D98% (V82Gy) for PTV prostate were 81.5Gy (95.7%) for step&shoot and 80.1Gy (84.6%) for dynamic respectively. D98% (V64Gy) for PTV seminal vesicle were 64.2Gy (98.2%) for S&S and 62Gy (92.3%) for dynamic respectively. Rectum, V40Gy, V65Gy and EUD were 56.6cc, 21.2cc and 65.1Gy for S&S and 55.7cc, 19.7cc and 63.3Gy for dynamic respectively. Bladder V65Gy and EUD were 27.4cc and 47.9Gy for S&S and 24.4cc, and 46.2Gy for dynamic. Femoral head D10% were 40.4Gy for S&S and 39.3Gy for dynamic. Treatment time was 531seg for S&S and 271 seg for dynamic. Both treatment plans QA are within tolerances. Conclusions: Both IMRT modalities could be used for prostate treatment. Calculation time and MU are lower with S&S. D98%, V82Gy and V64Gy are slightly better using S&S. OAR doses are few percent better using dynamic. Treatment time is 50% less with dynamic.
2006 International Conference on Numerical Simulation of Semiconductor Optoelectronic Devices, 2006
Most approaches to semantics in computational linguistics represent meaning in terms of words or ... more Most approaches to semantics in computational linguistics represent meaning in terms of words or abstract symbols. Grounded-language research bases the meaning of natural language on perception and/or action in the (real or virtual) world. Machine learning has become the most effective approach to constructing natural-language systems; however, current methods require a great deal of laboriously annotated training data. Ideally, a computer would be able to acquire language like a child, by being exposed to language in the context of a relevant but ambiguous environment, thereby grounding its learning in perception and action. We will review recent research in grounded language learning and discuss future directions. Raymond J. Mooney is a professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin. He received his Ph.D. in 1988 from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign. He is an author of over 150 published research papers, primarily in the areas o...
ABSTRACT Following successful 2012–2013 International Professional Symposiums as a part of Annual... more ABSTRACT Following successful 2012–2013 International Professional Symposiums as a part of Annual AAPM meetings, representatives of AAPM and International Organization of Medical Physics (IOMP) suggested to make this tradiational Symposium a permanent part of Annual AAPM meetings in future. Following the tradition, this session includes presentations of representatives of AAPM, IOMP, European Federation of Medical Physics (EFOMP), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP). The speakers will cover various aspects of International collaboration such as educational, professional, and scientific issues, as well as help to developing countries. With further developments of medicine and technology and increased communication with our colleagues overseas, Medical Physics becomes more and more global profession. Use of the same technology, significant progress in medical physics research and developing practical regulations worldwide makes it increasingly useful to organize global collaboration of medical physicists. Several international organizations are tasked to promote such collaboration and provide help to developing countries. Not all AAPM members are fully aware of these international efforts. It is very useful for medical physicists to know about success of our profession in other countries. Different schools present different approaches to the same problem, which allows to find the best solution. By communicating with colleagues overseas, one can learn more than from just reading scientific publications. At this session the attendees will receive a glimpse of International Medical Physics activities. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the globalization of Medical Physics profession and advantages of collaboration with foreign colleagues. 2. See what role AAPM is playing in establishing contacts with colleagues overseas. 3. Understand the role of IOMP and main directions of its activity. 4. Learn about IAEA and how it helps developing countries. 5. Learn about activity of EFOMP and how can help the global development of Medical Physics. 6. Find out about ICTP and its educational programs.
Medical Physics, 2016
The desperate need for radiotherapy in low and mid-income countries (LMICs) has been well documen... more The desperate need for radiotherapy in low and mid-income countries (LMICs) has been well documented. Roughly 60 % of the worldwide incidence of cancer occurs in these resource-limited settings and the international community alongside governmental and non-profit agencies have begun publishing reports and seeking help from qualified volunteers. However, the focus of several reports has been on how dire the situation is and the magnitude of the problem, leaving most to feel overwhelmed and unsure as to how to help and why to get involved. This session will help to explain the specific ways that Medical Physicists can uniquely assist in this grand effort to help bring radiotherapy to grossly-underserved areas. Not only can these experts fulfill an important purpose, they also can benefit professionally, academically, emotionally and socially from the endeavor. By assisting others worldwide with their skillset, Medical Physicists can end up helping themselves. LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Understand the need for radiotherapy in LMICs. 2. Understand which agencies are seeking Medical Physicists for help in LMICs. 3. Understand the potential research funding mechanisms are available to establish academic collaborations with LMIC researchers/physicians. 4. Understand the potential social and emotional benefits for both the physicist and the LMIC partners when collaborations are made. 5. Understand the potential for collaboration with other high-income scientists that can develop as the physicist partners with other large institutions to assist LMICs. Wil Ngwa - A recent United Nations Study reports that in developing countries more people have access to cell phones than toilets. In Africa, only 63% of the population has access to piped water, yet, 93% of Africans have cell phone service. Today, these cell phones, Skype, WhatsApp and other information and communication technologies (ICTs) connect us in unprecedented ways and are increasingly recognized as powerful, indispensable to global health. Thanks to ICTs, there are growing opportunities for Medical Physicists to reach out beyond the bunker and impact the world far beyond, without even having to travel. These growing opportunities in global health for Medical Physicists, powered by ICTs, will be highlighted in this presentation, illustrated by high impact examples/models across the globe that are improving patient safety and healthcare outcomes, saving lives. LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Published definitions of global health and the emerging field of global radiation oncology 2. Learn about the transformative potential of ICTs in global radiation oncology care, research and education with focus on Medical Physics 3. Learn about high impact examples of ICT-powered global radiation oncology and the increasing opportunities for participation by Medical Physicists. Yakov Pipman - The number and scope of volunteer Medical Physics activities in support of low-to-middle income countries has been increasing gradually. This happens through a variety of formal channels and to some extent through less formal but personal initiatives. A good deal of effort is dedicated by many, but many more could be recruited through a structured framework to volunteer. We will look into typical volunteer activities and how they fit with organizations already involved in advancing Medical Physics in LMIC. We will identify the range of these organizational activities and their scope to reveal areas of further need. We will point to a few key features of MPWB (www.mpwb.org) as a volunteering and collaborating structure and how members can get involved and contribute to these efforts at the grass roots level. The goal is that scarce resources can thus be channeled to complement rather than compete with those already in place. LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Understand the strengths and limitations of various organizations that support Medical Physics efforts in LMIC. 2. Learn about ways to volunteer and contribute to Global Health through a grass roots organization focused on Medical Physics in LMIC. Perry Sprawls - With the growing capability and complexity of medical imaging methods in all countries of the world, the expanding role of medical physicists includes optimizing imaging procedures with respect to image quality, radiation dose, and other conflicting factors. With access to appropriate educational resources local medical physicists in all countries can provide direct clinical support and educational for other medical professionals. This is being supported through the process of Collaborative Teaching that combines the capabilities and experience of medical physicists in countries spanning the spectrum of economic, technological, and clinical development. The supporting resources are on the web at: www.sprawls.org/resources. LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Identify the medical physics educational needs to support effective and optimized medical imaging procedures. 2. Use collaborative teaching resources to…
Medical Physics, 2015
AAPM projects and collaborations in Africa Adam Shulman (AA-SC Chair) The African Affairs Subcomm... more AAPM projects and collaborations in Africa Adam Shulman (AA-SC Chair) The African Affairs Subcommittee (AA-SC) of the AAPM will present a multi-institutional approach to medical physics support in Africa. Current work to increase the quality of care and level of safety for the medical physics practice in Senegal, Ghana, and Zimbabwe will be presented, along with preliminary projects in Nigeria and Botswana. Because the task of addressing the needs of medical physics in countries across Africa is larger than one entity can accomplish on its own, the AA-SC has taken the approach of joining forces with multiple organizations such as Radiating Hope and TreatSafely (NGO’s), the IAEA, companies like BrainLab, Varian and Elekta, medical volunteers and academic institutions such as NYU and Washington University. Elements of current projects include: 1) Distance training and evaluation of the quality of contouring and treatment planning, teaching treatment planning and other subjects, and troubleshooting using modern telecommunications technology in Senegal, Ghana, and Zimbabwe; 2) Assistance in the transition from 2D to 3D in Senegal and Zimbabwe; 3) Assistance in the transition from 3D to IMRT using in-house compensators in Senegal; 4) Modernizing the cancer center in Senegal and increasing safety and; 5) Training on on 3D techniques in Ghana; 6) Assisting a teaching and training radiation oncology center to be built in Zimbabwe; 7) Working with the ISEP Program in Sub-Saharan Africa; 8) Creating instructional videos on linac commissioning; 9) Working on a possible collaboration to train physicists in Nigeria. Building on past achievements, the subcommittee seeks to make a larger impact on the continent, as the number and size of projects increases and more human resources become available. The State of Medical Physics Collaborations and Projects in Latin America Sandra Guzman (Peru) The lack of Medical Physicists (MP) in many Latin American (LA) countries leads to recruitment of professionals with incomplete education. In most LA countries only one MP responsible for each Center is currently mandated. Currently there is a large disparity among MP training programs and there is significant debate about the standards of MP graduate education in many LA countries. There are no commonly recognized academic programs, not enough clinical training sites and clinical training is not typically considered as part of the MP work. Economic pressures and high workloads also impede the creation of more training centers. The increasing need of qualified MPs require establishing a coordinated system of national Education & Training Centers (ETC), to meet the international standards of education and training in Medical Physics. This shortfall calls for support of organizations such as the IOMP, AAPM, ALFIM, IAEA, etc. Examples from various LA countries, as well as some proposed solutions, will be presented. In particular, we will discuss the resources that the AAPM and its members can offer to support regional programs. The ‘Medical Imaging’ physicist in the emerging world: Challenges and opportunities - Caridad Borras (WGNIMP Chair) While the role of radiation therapy physicists in the emerging world is reasonably well established, the role of medical imaging physicists is not. The only perceived needs in radiology departments are equipment quality control and radiation protection, tasks that can be done by a technologist or a service engineer. To change the situation, the International Basic Safety Standard, which is adopted/adapted world-wide as national radiation protection regulations, states: “For diagnostic radiological procedures and image guided interventional procedures, the requirements of these Standards for medical imaging, calibration, dosimetry and quality assurance, including the acceptance and commissioning of medical radiological equipment, are fulfilled by or under the oversight of, or with the documented advice of a medical physicist, whose degree of involvement is determined by the complexity of the radiological procedures and the associated radiation risks”. Details on how these requirements can be carried out in resource-limited settings will be described. IAEA support to medical physics in Africa and Latin America: achievements and challenges Ahmed Meghzifene (IAEA) Shortage of clinically qualified medical physicists in radiotherapy and imaging, insufficient and inadequate education and training programs, as well as a lack of professional recognition were identified as the main issues to be addressed by the IAEA. The IAEA developed a series of integrated projects aiming specifically at promoting the essential role of medical physicists in health care, developing harmonized guidelines on dosimetry and quality assurance, and supporting education and clinical training programs. The unique feature of the IAEA approach is support it provides for implementation of guidelines and education programs in Member…
Medical Physics, 2016
PURPOSE The Equipment Donation Sub-Committee has developed a new, formalized process for both don... more PURPOSE The Equipment Donation Sub-Committee has developed a new, formalized process for both donating and requesting donated equipment. The purpose of the framework is to increase the likelihood that available, working-order equipment is put to good use at functional, deserving clinics. METHODS A consensus approach was used to develop a fresh approach to equipment donation and requesting equipment for donation. The committee developed specific forms for people who wish to donate equipment and for those who are seeking specific donated equipment. The forms include a summary of the equipment as well as questions designed to inform the committee with respect to the condition of the equipment, the resources of the clinic that is requesting equipment, the specific need for requested equipment, whether or not additional components or software are required for its proper functioning, and ancillary considerations such as regulatory and import rules that may affect the donation. Following submission of the forms the equipment, or request, are entered into a database, reviewed by the committee, and compatibility matches are proposed. RESULTS This is the first time a formalized, consensus-based approach has been used by the Equipment Donation Sub-Committee. Forms are available on the aapm.org website and should be emailed to equipment.donation@aapm.org. The first applications using this new process will be summarized and discussed. CONCLUSION We anticipate this process will facilitate and expedite the process of equipment donation and will serve as a tool for assessing and improving the program.
Radiotherapy and oncology : journal of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Jan 16, 2018
Australasian Physical & Engineering Sciences in Medicine, 2016
Gamma index comparison has been established as a method for patient specific quality assurance in... more Gamma index comparison has been established as a method for patient specific quality assurance in IMRT. Detector arrays can replace radiographic film systems to record 2D dose distributions and fulfill quality assurance requirements. These electronic devices present spatial resolution disadvantages with respect to films. This handicap can be partially overcome with a multiple acquisition sequence of adjacent 2D dose distributions. The detector spatial response influence can also be taken into account through the convolution of the calculated dose with the detector spatial response. A methodology that employs both approaches could allow for enhancements of the quality assurance procedure. 35 beams from different step and shoot IMRT plans were delivered on a phantom. 2D dose distributions were recorded with a PTW-729 ion chamber array for individual beams, following the multiple acquisition methodology. 2D dose distributions were also recorded on radiographic films. Measured dose distributions with films and with the PTW-729 array were processed with the software RITv5.2 for Gamma index comparison with calculated doses. Calculated dose was also convolved with the ion chamber 2D response and the Gamma index comparisons with the 2D dose distribution measured with the PTW-729 array was repeated. 3.7 ± 2.7% of points surpassed the accepted Gamma index when using radiographic films compared with calculated dose, with a minimum of 0.67 and a maximum of 13.27. With the PTW-729 multiple acquisition methodology compared with calculated dose, 4.1 ± 1.3% of points surpassed the accepted Gamma index, with a minimum of 1.44 and a maximum of 11.26. With the PTW-multiple acquisition methodology compared with convolved calculated dose, 2.7 ± 1.3% of points surpassed the accepted Gamma index, with a minimum of 0.42 and a maximum of 5.75. The results obtained in this work suggest that the comparison of merged adjacent dose distributions with convolved calculated dose represents an enhancement in the methodology for IMRT patient specific quality assurance with the PTW-729 ion chamber array.
Medical Physics, 2016
PURPOSE The global burden of cancer is considerable, particularly in low and middle-income countr... more PURPOSE The global burden of cancer is considerable, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute have partnered with the oncology community and government of Botswana to form BOTSOGO (BOTSwana Oncology Global Outreach) to address the rising burden of cancer in Botswana. Currently, radiation therapy (RT) is only available at a single linear accelerator (LINAC) in Gaborone Private Hospital (GPH). BOTSOGO worked to limit the absence of RT during a LINAC upgrade and ensure a safe transition to modern radiotherapy techniques. METHODS The existing Elekta Precise LINAC was decommissioned in November 2015 and replaced with a new Elekta VERSA-HD with IMRT/VMAT/CBCT capability. Upgraded treatment planning and record-and-verify systems were also installed. Physicists from GPH and MGH collaborated during an intensive on-site visit in Botswana during the commissioning process. Measurements were performed using newly purchased Sun Nuclear equipment. Photon beams were matched with an existing model to minimize the time needed for beam modeling and machine down time. Additional remote peer review was also employed. Independent dosimetry was performed by irradiating OSLDs, which were subsequently analyzed at MGH. RESULTS Photon beam quality agreed with reference data within 0.2%. Electron beam data agreed with example clinical data within 3%. Absolute dose calibration was performed using both IAEA and AAPM protocols. Absolute dose measurements with OSLDs agreed within 5%. Quentry cloud-based software was installed to facilitate remote review of treatment plans. Patient treatments resumed in February 2016. The time without RT was reduced, therefore likely resulting in reduced patient morbidity/mortality. CONCLUSION A global physics collaboration was utilized to commission a modern LINAC in a resource-constrained setting. This can be a useful model in other areas with limited resources. Further use of technology and on-site exchanges will facilitate the introduction of more advanced techniques in Botswana. We acknowledge funding support from the AAPM International Educational Activities Committee and the NCI Federal Share Proton Beam Program Income Grant.
International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, 2016
Medical Physics, 2011
Purpose: To perform an inter‐comparison of TPS results for different IMRT delivery systems. Metho... more Purpose: To perform an inter‐comparison of TPS results for different IMRT delivery systems. Methods: Patient data with prostate cancer was selected. Same geometries and energy were employed for fixed gantry angle plans. Treatment includes simultaneous irradiation, prostate to 82Gy and seminal vesicles to 64Gy (41 fractions). Plans were normalized to achieve 82Gy minimum dose to prostate. Plan 1 : step&shoot with 1cm leaf‐width (MLC‐Optifocus), TPS Konrad v2.2 (Siemens). Plan 2: same plan 1 but with TPS iPlan v4.1 (BrainLAB). Plan 3: step&shoot with 0.25cm leaf‐width (mMLC‐Moduleaf, Siemens), TPS iPlan v4.1. Plan 4: dynamic with 0.5cm leaf‐width (MLC‐Millenium), TPS Eclipse v8.1 (Varian). Plan 5: Tomotherapy TPS v3.1.4.7. Longitudinal field size 2.5cm, pitch 0.277 and modulation factor 1.783, leaf width 6.25mm Results: Total numbers of MU were 508, 488, 570, 577 and 3219 for Plan 1 to 5. D98% (V82Gy) for PTV prostate were 81.6Gy (95.7%), 80.7Gy (94.9%), 81.8Gy (97.4%), 80.1Gy (84.6%) and 79.9Gy (82.6%) for Plan 1 to 5. V64Gy for PTV seminal vesicle were 98.2%, 99.9%, 100%, 92.1% and 97.8% for Plan 1 to 5. Rectum EUD (V40Gy) were 65.1Gy (56.6%), 62.7Gy (53.1%), 61.9Gy (44.3%), 63.3Gy (55.7%) and 61.9Gy (39%) for Plan 1 to 5. Rectum wall EUD was 66.4Gy, 65.2Gy, 64.8Gy, 64.9Gy and 65.2Gy for Plan 1 to 5. Bladder EUD (V65Gy) were 47.9Gy (27.4%), 47.4Gy (24.8%), 46.6Gy (24.6%), 46.2Gy (24.4%) and 45.8Gy (20.1%) for Plan 1 to 5. Femoral head D10% were 31.8Gy, 34.5Gy, 33.9Gy, 39.3Gy and 26.1Gy for Plan 1 to 5. Conclusions: MUs are lower with step&shoot MLC. MicroMLC produces slightly better conformation of PTVs. Better sparing of rectum and bladder with mMLC and Tomotherapy. For rectum wall EUD shows that mMLC produce the better results. Better sparing of femoral head is obtained with Tomotherapy. All techniques give the OAR's similar EUD (+/−2Gy), except for femoral heads.
Medical Physics, 2011
Purpose: The purpose was to analyze the influence of the step size during head&neck IMRT trea... more Purpose: The purpose was to analyze the influence of the step size during head&neck IMRT treatments. Methods: Ten patients with head&neck IMRT treatment plan were selected. Treatment plans were done using nine 6MV photon‐beams on a Primus linac (Siemens) with Optifocus MLC (10mm leaf width) and a dose rate of 200MU/min. The TPS used was Konrad v2.2 (Siemens) with leaves step size of 10, 5 and 3mm. For each step‐size, plans were evaluated in terms of MU, segments number, treatment time, PTV's (66Gy and 50Gy) dose uniformity and OAR (parotids and spinal cord) doses. Variations between measured and calculated total plan doses were obtained using solid water phantom and PTW PinPoint ionization chamber. Results: The MU number for 10mm step‐size plans was 624 [495,770] and increased 51% [36%, 87%] for 5mm and 124% [93%, 171%] for 3mm. The segments number for 10mm step‐size plans was 111 [99,129] and increased 41% [27%, 52%] for 5mm and 102% [71%, 125%] for 3mm. The treatment time for 10mm step‐size plans was 11.47min [11.08min, 12.45min] and increased 24% [9%, 33%] for 5mm and 65% [27%, 74%] for 3mm. Reducing the step‐size from 10mm to 5mm leads to better PTV_66Gy dose uniformity within ICRU50 tolerance (no difference observed between 5mm and 3mm). Step‐size diminution from 10mm to 3mm leads to a better coverage of PTV_50Gy especially in patient surface regions. For all the studied plans there are no differences in the parotids mean doses and spinal cord maximum dose. The variation between measured and calculated doses was 1.1% for 10mm step‐size. It increased 1.7% and 2.4% for 5mm and 3mm respectively. Conclusions: Using 10mm step‐size produces plans with adequate OAR doses. PTV Dose uniformity and volume coverage could be improved by 5mm step‐size whereas 3mm step‐size produces larger treatment times without advantages in dose distribution.
Medical Physics, 2011
Purpose: Step&shoot IMRTTreatment planning requires the conversion of an optimized fluence in... more Purpose: Step&shoot IMRTTreatment planning requires the conversion of an optimized fluence into deliverable sequences of MLC segments. The objective of this paper is to study the effects of varying the intensity levels (IL's) number in prostate step&shoot IMRT treatments. Methods: Patient data with prostate cancer and IMRT treatment indication was selected. Treatment planning was done using a 6MV 7‐field arrangement (Primus linac, Optifocus MLC, 10mm leaf‐width) and Konrad v2.2 (Siemens) TPS. The treatment plan includes the simultaneous irradiation of the prostate to 82Gy and the seminal vesicles to 64Gy in 41 fractions. Four plans were generated using 5, 7, 10 and 15 IL's and normalized to deliver the same minimum dose to the prostate. Comparisons between plans were done in terms of total segment number, MU, treatment time and DVH for PTVs and OARs (rectum, bladder and femoral heads). Results: The total segment numbers were 44, 60, 84 and 116 from 5 to 15 IL's. The MU's total numbers decreased with the increase of the IL's (527, 522, 518 and 508). Increasing the number of IL's was accompanied by the treatment times raise (11%, 23% and 37% in relation to 5 IL's, 387seg) and resulted in increases of Prostate PTV dose homogeneity and conformity index (CI). The maximum dose (CI) was 87.7Gy (0.957) and 89.7Gy (0.836) for 15 and 5 IL respectively. No difference in minimum dose and CI was found for the seminal vesicle PTV. All plans showed insignificant OAR DVH differences. Conclusions: The increment in the IL's number resulted in an improvement of the Prostate PTV homogeneity and treatment time without any extra sparing to OAR. The benefit of a better uniform dose in the Prostate PTV should be analyzed for each treatment in order to set planning guidelines.
Medical Physics, 2010
Purpose Verification of the accuracy of multileaf collimator(MLC) leaf positioning is a vital com... more Purpose Verification of the accuracy of multileaf collimator(MLC) leaf positioning is a vital component in a quality control program in any Radiation Therapy Department. The decline of film‐based dosimetric systems reinforces the trend to use 2D detector arrays. This work introduces a new method, based on the principle of partial volume response of detectors that overcomes the problem of the somehow inferior resolution of a 2D ion chamber array. Method and Material The 2D array PTW‐729 was used for the verification of the 82 leaf‐MLC Optifocus of a Primus linear accelerator, Siemens. The partial volume response curve for each ion chamber was obtained by irradiating variable rectangular patterns, similar to that used in the Bayouth Test, so that each leaf covered a specific detector in a known proportion. Afterwards, it was developed an algorithm implemented into Matlab to predict the position of the leaf from the detector normalized response. Planes with intentionally introduced deviations of the leaf positions of ±1mm and ±2mm were irradiated upon the PTW‐729 and the predicted positions were compared with those included in the planification files. Result It was possible to detect, and correctly quantify, all the positioning errors into leaves positioning files, with a minimum number of false errors. The results obtained with this method compare favorably with those obtained with the Bayouth test using the same radiation patterns. Conclusion This method provides a superior substitute for film based QA method of MLC performance, with excellent spatial resolution. It detects and correctly quantified all the positioning errors intentionally introduced. It provides and effective and easy to use tool for quantitative measurement of MLC leaf positions, without compromising resolution. It can be easy applied to other 2D array as log as they exhibit a partial volume detector response.
Medical Physics, 2011
Purpose: To compare step&shoot and dynamic MLC‐based IMRT for prostate treatment. Methods: Pa... more Purpose: To compare step&shoot and dynamic MLC‐based IMRT for prostate treatment. Methods: Patient data with prostate cancer was selected. Same beam geometries and energy were used. Treatment plan includes simultaneous irradiation of prostate to 82Gy and seminal vesicles to 64Gy (41 fractions). Plans were normalized to achieve 82Gy minimum dose to prostate. Step&shoot was delivered using Primus linac (Optifocus MLC, 10mm leaf‐width, 200MU/min) and Konrad v2.2 TPS (Siemens). MLC step‐size of 0.5cm, minimum of 3 MU per segment and 15 intensity levels was used. Dynamic was delivered using Clinac 21EX (Millenium MLC, 0.5cm leaf‐width, 300MU/min) and Eclipse v8.1 TPS (Varian). MLC step‐size was 0.2cm. Plans dose distributions were compared in PCRT3D TPS (TRF). Optimization and dose calculation time, treatment time, MUs, PTVs and OAR DVH analysis and treatment plan QA were compared for both techniques. Results: Optimization and dose calculation time was 220seg for S&S and 360seg for dynamic. Total MU was 508 for S&S and 577 for dynamic. D98% (V82Gy) for PTV prostate were 81.5Gy (95.7%) for step&shoot and 80.1Gy (84.6%) for dynamic respectively. D98% (V64Gy) for PTV seminal vesicle were 64.2Gy (98.2%) for S&S and 62Gy (92.3%) for dynamic respectively. Rectum, V40Gy, V65Gy and EUD were 56.6cc, 21.2cc and 65.1Gy for S&S and 55.7cc, 19.7cc and 63.3Gy for dynamic respectively. Bladder V65Gy and EUD were 27.4cc and 47.9Gy for S&S and 24.4cc, and 46.2Gy for dynamic. Femoral head D10% were 40.4Gy for S&S and 39.3Gy for dynamic. Treatment time was 531seg for S&S and 271 seg for dynamic. Both treatment plans QA are within tolerances. Conclusions: Both IMRT modalities could be used for prostate treatment. Calculation time and MU are lower with S&S. D98%, V82Gy and V64Gy are slightly better using S&S. OAR doses are few percent better using dynamic. Treatment time is 50% less with dynamic.
2006 International Conference on Numerical Simulation of Semiconductor Optoelectronic Devices, 2006
Most approaches to semantics in computational linguistics represent meaning in terms of words or ... more Most approaches to semantics in computational linguistics represent meaning in terms of words or abstract symbols. Grounded-language research bases the meaning of natural language on perception and/or action in the (real or virtual) world. Machine learning has become the most effective approach to constructing natural-language systems; however, current methods require a great deal of laboriously annotated training data. Ideally, a computer would be able to acquire language like a child, by being exposed to language in the context of a relevant but ambiguous environment, thereby grounding its learning in perception and action. We will review recent research in grounded language learning and discuss future directions. Raymond J. Mooney is a professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin. He received his Ph.D. in 1988 from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign. He is an author of over 150 published research papers, primarily in the areas o...
ABSTRACT Following successful 2012–2013 International Professional Symposiums as a part of Annual... more ABSTRACT Following successful 2012–2013 International Professional Symposiums as a part of Annual AAPM meetings, representatives of AAPM and International Organization of Medical Physics (IOMP) suggested to make this tradiational Symposium a permanent part of Annual AAPM meetings in future. Following the tradition, this session includes presentations of representatives of AAPM, IOMP, European Federation of Medical Physics (EFOMP), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP). The speakers will cover various aspects of International collaboration such as educational, professional, and scientific issues, as well as help to developing countries. With further developments of medicine and technology and increased communication with our colleagues overseas, Medical Physics becomes more and more global profession. Use of the same technology, significant progress in medical physics research and developing practical regulations worldwide makes it increasingly useful to organize global collaboration of medical physicists. Several international organizations are tasked to promote such collaboration and provide help to developing countries. Not all AAPM members are fully aware of these international efforts. It is very useful for medical physicists to know about success of our profession in other countries. Different schools present different approaches to the same problem, which allows to find the best solution. By communicating with colleagues overseas, one can learn more than from just reading scientific publications. At this session the attendees will receive a glimpse of International Medical Physics activities. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the globalization of Medical Physics profession and advantages of collaboration with foreign colleagues. 2. See what role AAPM is playing in establishing contacts with colleagues overseas. 3. Understand the role of IOMP and main directions of its activity. 4. Learn about IAEA and how it helps developing countries. 5. Learn about activity of EFOMP and how can help the global development of Medical Physics. 6. Find out about ICTP and its educational programs.