IMRT Head and Neck Phantom
The RQA Lab Head & Neck phantom is identical to the phantom designed by the RPC for use with NCI-sponsored clinical trials. It consists of a clear plastic shell that is shipped empty to the institution and is filled with water upon receipt. The phantom includes a base to allow it to stand upright for handling, and to help level it when positioned for imaging and irradiation.
The phantom includes an insert containing imageable targets that simulate a posterior nasopharynx tumor wrapped partially around an organ at risk (the spinal cord), and a peripheral lymph node. The insert also contains thermoluminescent dosimeters and radiochromic film, to allow determination of the delivered dose distribution.
The user images the phantom with CT, plans an IMRT treatment, and delivers the IMRT treatment to the head and neck phantom. The report specifies the absorbed dose at the center of each of the targets and the organ at risk, profiles along three axes, and maps of the dose distribution in two planes in the region of the target volumes. The measurements are compared with the institution’s treatment plan.
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The left
photo shows the phantom with the insert. The right figure shows an axial CT plane which demonstrates the visibility of the target volumes and critical structure.
Paper:
Andrea Molineu M.S., David S. Followill Ph.D., Peter A. Balter Ph.D., William F. Hanson Ph.D., Michael T. Gillin Ph.D., M. Saiful Huq Ph.D., Avraham Eisbruch M.D. and Geoffrey S. Ibbott Ph.D.