Dose accumulation and uncertainty estimation
Planned secondments: UMCG (Netherland), University of Liubjana (Slovenia) and Cosylab (Slovenia).
Project description
As part of the adaptive process, new volumetric images of the patient are acquired every day, immediately prior to treatment. In order to accurately record the treatment dose delivered to the patient, it is then necessary to accumulate the daily fraction dose distribution on a common anatomy. For this process a deformable image registration (DIR) between each daily volumetric image and the reference image has to be performed. Although there are many DIR algorithms available nowadays, this task is inherently ambiguous, in that there are many different solutions to the DIR problem between any two data sets, none of which is necessarily correct. Consequently, the dose accumulation is also inherently uncertain.
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In particular, as the uncertainty in the DIR algorithm is related to the lack of features in the data sets to be registered, our hypothesis is that it is possible to correlate measurable parameters of image quality to DIR uncertainty and finally to the corresponding dosimetric uncertainties. The main goal of the PhD project is to recognise regions and treatment plans with a reduced sensitivity to DIR uncertainties and with an increased robustness of the accumulated dose.
This candidate will address this (i) by improving the quality of the DIR algorithm and (ii) by developing a visualization tool to guide the user to the selection of the treatment plan more robust to (i.e. less affected by) DIR uncertainties.
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The project will be mainly carried out at the Center of Proton Therapy (CPT) at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), supervised by Dr Francesca Albertini. The PhD degree will be awarded by the Swiss Federal institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), under the supervision of Prof Antony Lomax.
The CPT is the world leader in the development and clinical implementation of pencil beam scanning and Intensity Modulated Proton therapy , both of which have been pioneered at PSI. The PSI is the largest research institute for natural and engineering sciences within Switzerland. Cutting-edge research in the fields of matter and materials, energy and environment and human health are there performed. ETH is one of the universities in Europe which focuses most intensively on research. As such, the PSI in combination with the ETH provide a unique possibility to combine high level of research with technological developments and transferable skills.
For more information concerning the research project please contact: Francesca Albertini
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The RAPTOR -Real-time Adaptive Particle Therapy Of Cancer Innovative Training Network (ITN) is recruiting 15 highly motivated PhD students. The offered positions are available with a starting date in summer 2021. More information is available at Recruitment documentation.
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