Characterization of radiotherapy component impact on MR imaging quality for an MRgRT system

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MR-guided radiotherapy requires strong imaging spatial integrity to deliver high quality plans and provide accurate dose calculation. The MRI system, however, can be compromised by the integrated linear accelerator (Linac), resulting in inaccurate imaging isocenter position and geometric distortion. Dependence on gantry position further complicates the correction of distortions. This work presents a new clinical application of a commercial phantom and software system that quantifies isocenter alignment and geometric distortion, as well as providing a deformation vector field (DVF). A large distortion phantom and a smaller grid phantom were imaged at multiple gantry angles from 0 to 330 • on a 0.35 T integrated MR-Linac. The software package was used to assess geometric distortion and generate DVFs to correct distortions within the phantom volume. The DVFs were applied to the grid phantom with resampling software then evaluated using structural similarity index measure (SSIM). Scans were also performed with a ferromagnetic clip near the phantom to investigate the correction of more severe artifacts. The mean magnitude isocenter shift was 0.67 mm, ranging from 0.25 to 1.04 mm across all angles. The DVF had a mean component value of 0.27 ± 0.02, 0.24 ± 0.01, and 0.19 ± 0.01 mm in the rightleft (RL), anterior-posterior (AP), and superior-inferior (SI) directions. The ferromagnetic clip increased isocenter position error from 1.98 mm to 2.20 mm and increased mean DVF component values in the RL and AP directions. The resampled grid phantom had an increased SSIM for all gantry angles compared to original images, increasing from 0.26 ± 0.001 to 0.70 ± 0.004. Through this clinical assessment, we were able to correct geometric distortion and isocenter shift related to gantry position on a 0.35 T MR-Linac using the distortion phantom and software package. This provides encouragement that it could be used for quality assurance and clinically to correct systematic distortion caused by imaging at different gantry angles.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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First clinical experience of correcting phantom‐based image distortion related to gantry position on a 0.35T MR‐Linac

Lewis

Shin

Quinn³

et al. 2021

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“…In addition, image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) can enhance the treatment accuracy. Magnetic resonance guided radiation therapy (MRgRT) based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been increasingly favored due to the advantage of high soft tissue contrast compared to the conventional IGRT based on X‐ray 2,3 . The advancement of techniques has further complicated the treatment procedures with a potential increase in errors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Magnetic resonance guided radiation therapy (MRgRT) based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been increasingly favored due to the advantage of high soft tissue contrast compared to the conventional IGRT based on X-ray. 2,3 The advancement of techniques has further complicated the treatment procedures with a potential increase in errors.Thus,the quality assurance (QA) of radiation therapy machine and imaging device is important. The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) provides a QA guideline through task group 142 (TG-142).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

3D star shot analysis using MAGAT gel dosimeter for integrated imaging and radiation isocenter verification of MR‐Linac system

Kim

Shin

et al. 2022

This study aims to investigate a star shot analysis using a threedimensional (3D) gel dosimeter for the imaging and radiation isocenter verification of a magnetic resonance linear accelerator (MR-Linac). Methods: A mixture of methacrylic acid, gelatin, and tetrakis (hydroxymethyl) phosphonium chloride, called MAGAT gel, was fabricated. One MAGAT gel for each Linac and MR-Linac was irradiated under six gantry angles. A 6 MV photon beam of Linac and a 6 MV flattening filter free beam of MR-Linac were delivered to two MAGAT gels and EBT3 films. MR images were acquired by MR-Linac with a clinical sequence (i.e., TrueFISP). The 3D star shot analysis for seven consecutive slices of the MR images with TrueFISP was performed. The 2D star shot analysis for the central plane of the gel was compared to the results from the EBT3 films. The radius of isocircle (IC r ) and the distance between the center of the circle and the center marked on the image (IC d ) were evaluated. Results: For MR-Linac with MAGAT gel measurements, IC d at the central plane was 0.46 mm for TrueFISP. Compared to EBT3 film measurements, the differences in IC d and IC r for both Linac and MR-Linac were within 0.11 and 0.13 mm, respectively. For the 3D analysis, seven consecutive slices of TrueFISP images were analyzed and the maximum radii of isocircles (IC r_max ) were 0.18 mm for Linac and 0.73 mm for MR-Linac. The tilting angles of radiation axis were 0.31 • for Linac and 0.10 • for MR-Linac. Conclusion:The accuracy of 3D star shot analysis using MAGAT gel was comparable to that of EBT3 film, having a capability for integrated analysis for imaging isocenter and radiation isocenter.3D star shot analysis using MAGAT gel can provide 3D information of radiation isocenter, suggesting a quantitative extent of gantry-tilting.

System‐dependent image distortion related to gantry positions of a 0.35 T MRgRT: Characterization and the corresponding correction

Marasini

Quinn²,

Cole³

et al. 2022

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Purpose MR‐guided radiotherapy with high accuracy treatment planning requires addressing MR imaging artifacts that originate from system imperfections. This work presents the characterization and corresponding correction of gantry‐related imaging distortions including geometric distortion and isocenter shift in a 0.35 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐guided radiotherapy (MRgRT) system using distortion vector fields (DVFs). Methods Two phantoms, the magnetic resonance imaging distortion in 3D (MRID3D) phantom and the Fluke phantom, along with a human volunteer were imaged at different gantry angles on a 0.35 T MR‐Linac. The geometric distortion and isocenter shift were characterized for both phantom images. DVFs with a field of view extended beyond the physical boundary of the MRID3D phantom were extracted from images taken at 30° gantry angle increments, with vendor‐provided distortion correction turned on and off (DstOff). These extended DVFs were then applied to the relevant phantom images to correct their geometric distortions and isocenter shift at the respective gantry angles. The extended DVFs produced from the MRID3D phantom were also applied to Fluke phantom and human MR images at their respective gantry angles. The resampled images were evaluated using structural similarity index measure (SSIM) comparison with the vendor corrected images from the MRgRT system. Results Geometric distortion with “mean (± SD) distortion” of 3.2 ± 0.02, 2.9 ± 0.02, and 1.8 ± 0.01 mm and isocenter shift (±SD) of 0.49 ± 0.3, 0.05 ± 0.2, and 0.01 ± 0.03 mm were present in the DstOff MRID3D phantom images in right–left (RL), anterior–posterior (AP), and superior–inferior (SI) directions, respectively. After resampling the originally acquired images by applying extended DVFs, the distortion was corrected to 0.18 ± 0.02, 0.09 ± 0.01, 0.15 ± 0.01 mm, and isocenter shift was corrected to 0.14 ± 0.05, −0.02 ± 0.04, and −0.07 ± 0.05 mm in RL, AP, and SI directions, respectively. The Fluke phantom average geometric distortion with “mean (± SD) distortion” of 2.7 ± 0.1 mm was corrected to 0.2 ± 0. 1 mm and the average isocenter shift (± SD) of 0.51 ± 0.2 mm, and 0.05 ± 0.03 was corrected to −0.08 ± 0.03 mm, and −0.05 ± 0.01 in RL and AP directions, respectively. SSIM (mean ± SD) of the original images to resampled images was increased from 0.49 ± 0.02 to 0.78 ± 0.01, 0.45 ± 0.02 to 0.75 ± 0.01, and 0.86 ± 0.25 to 0.98 ± 0.08 for MRID3D phantom, Fluke phantom, and human MR images, respectively, for all the gantry angles compared to the vendor corrected images. Conclusion The gantry‐related MR imaging distortion including geometric distortion and isocenter shift was characterized and a corresponding correction was demonstrated using extended DVFs on 0.35 T MRgRT system. The characterized gantry‐related isocenter shift can be combined with geometric distortion correction to provide a technique for the correction of the full system‐dependent distortion in an MRgRT system.