Program Information
Imaging Equipment Specification and Selection in Radiation Oncology Departments
C Hua1*, Y Cao2*, M Hunt3*, (1) St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, (2) The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, (3) Mem Sloan Kettering Cancer Ctr, New York, NY
Presentations
TU-G-201-0 (Tuesday, July 14, 2015) 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM Room: 201
This session will update therapeutic physicists on technological advancements and radiation oncology features of commercial CT, MRI, and PET/CT imaging systems. Also described are physicists’ roles in every stage of equipment selection, purchasing, and operation, including defining specifications, evaluating vendors, making recommendations, and optimal and safe use of imaging equipment in radiation oncology environment.
The first presentation defines important terminology of CT and PET/CT followed by a review of latest innovations, such as metal artifact reduction, statistical iterative reconstruction, radiation dose management, tissue classification by dual energy CT and spectral CT, improvement in spatial resolution and sensitivity in PET, and potentials of PET/MR. We will also discuss important technical specifications and items in CT and PET/CT purchasing quotes and their impacts.
The second presentation will focus on key components in the request for proposal for a MRI simulator and how to evaluate vendor proposals. MRI safety issues in radiation Oncology, including MRI scanner Zones (4-zone design), will be discussed. Basic MR terminologies, important functionalities, and advanced features, which are relevant to radiation therapy, will be discussed.
In the third presentation, justification of imaging systems for radiation oncology, considerations in room design and construction in a RO department, shared use with diagnostic radiology, staffing needs and training, clinical/research use cases and implementation, will be discussed. The emphasis will be on understanding and bridging the differences between diagnostic and radiation oncology installations, building consensus amongst stakeholders for purchase and use, and integrating imaging technologies into the radiation oncology environment.
Learning Objectives:
1. Learn the latest innovations of major imaging systems relevant to radiation therapy
2. Be able to describe important technical specifications of CT, MRI, and PET/CT
3. Understand the process of budget request, equipment justification, comparisons of technical specifications, site visits, vendor selection, and contract development
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