University of Groningen
Real-time positron emission tomography for range verification of particle radiotherapy
Ozoemelam, Ikechi
DOI:
10.33612/diss.133158935
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Publication date: 2020
Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database
Citation for published version (APA):
Ozoemelam, I. (2020). Real-time positron emission tomography for range verification of particle radiotherapy. University of Groningen. https://doi.org/10.33612/diss.133158935
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Real-time Positron Emission Tomography for
Range Verification of Particle Radiotherapy
© 2020 Ikechi Ozoemelam
Printed by Copy 76
PhD thesis
To obtain the degree of PhD at the
University of Groningen
on the authority of the
Rector Magnificus Prof. C. Wijminga and in
accordance with
the decision by the College of Deans.
This thesis will be defended in public on
Monday 28 September 2020 at 9:00 am
Ikechi Samuel Ozoemelam
born on January 11, 1988
in Ikorodu, Nigeria
Real-time Positron Emission Tomography for
Range Verification of Particle Radiotherapy
Supervisor
Prof. S. Brandenburg
Co-supervisor
Dr. P. Dendooven
Assessment committee
Prof. J. M. Schippers
Prof. V. Rosso
Prof. B. Poppe
v
Contents
1. Introduction ... 1
1.1 Rationale for particle therapy ... 1
1.2 Emerging interest in helium therapy ... 3
1.3 Aim and Outline of the Thesis ... 5
1.4 References ... 7
2.
In vivo dose delivery verification... 112.1 Uncertainties in treatment dose delivery ... 11
2.2 In vivo verification of dose delivery in particle therapy ... 12
2.2.1 Positron emission tomography ... 13
2.2.2 Prompt gamma detection ... 18
2.2.3 Iono-acoustic imaging ... 19
2.3 Conclusion ... 20
2.4 References ... 21
3. The production of positron emitters with millisecond half-life during helium
beam radiotherapy ... 293.1 Introduction ... 31
3.2 Materials and methods ... 33
3.2.1 General consideration ... 33
3.2.2 An overview of the method ... 33
3.2.3 Setup of beam irradiation and detector ... 35
3.2.4 Data analysis ... 37
3.3 Results ... 38
3.3.1 Production of positron emitters ... 38
3.3.2 Corrections for escaping positrons and photon attenuation ... 45
3.3.3 Production of PET nuclides in tissue materials and PMMA ... 47
3.3.4 Number of beam-on PET decays ... 50
3.4 Discussion ... 53
3.4.1 Benchmarking of the method ... 53
Contents
vi
3.4.3 Beam-on PET decays ... 54
3.4.4 Feasibility of quasi-prompt range verification using short-lived nuclides . 55 3.5 Conclusion ... 56
3.6 References ... 57
3.7 Supplementary material ... 61
4. Real-Time PET imaging for range verification of helium radiotherapy ... 67
4.1 Introduction ... 69
4.2 Materials and Methods ... 71
4.2.1 Irradiation setup ... 71
4.2.2 Target and PET scanner setup ... 71
4.2.3 PET system... 73
4.2.4 Image Reconstruction ... 73
4.2.5 Reconstruction of the short-lived positron emitter contribution. ... 75
4.2.6 Detection of range shifts ... 75
4.3 Results ... 76
4.3.1 Time spectrum of activity ... 76
4.3.2 Imaging of 12N ... 77
4.3.3 Range verification using 12N ... 80
4.4 Discussion ... 85
4.5 Conclusion ... 89
4.6 References ... 90
5. Feasibility of Quasi-Prompt PET-based Range Verification in Proton Therapy
... 975.1 Introduction ... 99
5.2 Materials and Methods ... 101
5.2.1 Irradiation setup ... 101
5.2.2 Target configurations and irradiations... 102
5.2.3 PET Scanner Description ... 103
5.2.4 Scanner Sensitivity Measurement ... 105
5.2.5 Data Analysis ... 106
5.3 Results ... 109
5.3.1 Scanner sensitivity... 109
5.3.2 12N nuclide identification ... 110
5.3.3 Imaging of 12N ... 111
5.3.4 Range measurement using 12N ... 113
Contents
vii
5.4 Discussion ... 118
5.5 Conclusion ... 122
5.6 References ... 124
6. Summary and Outlook ... 129
6.1 Introduction ... 129
6.2 Real-time imaging of short-lived positron emitters during helium beam radiotherapy ... 129
6.2.1 Production of very short-lived positron emitters for PET imaging of helium radiotherapy ... 130
6.2.2 Imaging of short-lived positron emitters ... 131
6.3 Real-time imaging of short-lived positron emitters during proton therapy .... 131
6.4 Future developments of optimal scanners. ... 132
6.5 Towards clinical implementation ... 134
6.6 References ... 135
List of Publications ... 137
Nederlandse Samenvatting ... 139
Thesis Abstract ... 145
About the Authour... 147
