Automated quality assurance of HDR brachytherapy: Evaluation of Dwell‐position accuracy and Dwell‐time linearity via image processing of radiochromic films.

Purpose: To develop and validate a fully automated quality assurance method for high‐dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, enabling the precise evaluation of source dwell‐position accuracy and dwell‐time linearity using radiochromic film analysis and advanced image processing algorithms. Methods: A novel a...

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Publicado en:Precision Radiation Oncology Vol. 10; no. 2; pp. 137 - 147
Autores principales: Yuan, Qingqing, Bi, Suyan, Lou, En, Jia, YaJun, Dai, Zhitao
Formato: equations & formulas pictorial research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell Jun2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jun2026
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      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
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        194812428
        190428543
        194812428
        194812428
        10.1002/pro6.70040
        194812428
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        atl: Automated quality assurance of HDR brachytherapy: Evaluation of Dwell‐position accuracy and Dwell‐time linearity via image processing of radiochromic films.
      aug:
        au:
          Yuan, Qingqing
          Bi, Suyan
          Lou, En
          Jia, YaJun
          Dai, Zhitao
        affil: National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital and Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, China
      sug:
        subj:
          Brachytherapy Equipment and Supplies
          Quality Assurance
          Automation
          Image Processing, Computer Assisted Methods
          Systems Development
          Systems Validation
          Algorithms
          Validity
          X-Ray Film
          Human
          Experimental Studies
          Repeated Measures
          Comparative Studies
          Scanners
          Software
          Linear Regression
          Correlation Coefficient
          Data Analysis Software
          Descriptive Statistics
          Funding Source
      ab: Purpose: To develop and validate a fully automated quality assurance method for high‐dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, enabling the precise evaluation of source dwell‐position accuracy and dwell‐time linearity using radiochromic film analysis and advanced image processing algorithms. Methods: A novel analytical framework was established to verify HDR source positional precision and dwell‐time linearity. Radiochromic films were irradiated under predefined treatment plans. Image preprocessing involved grayscale conversion, median filtering, rotation correction, and absolute coordinate calibration. The centroid of each dwell position was determined using two‐dimensional Gaussian fitting. Temporal linearity analysis employed radial grayscale summation within the radii of 250–400 pixels. Linearity was quantified using the coefficient of determination (R2), with R2 approaching 1 indicating optimal performance. Results: Automated Gaussian fitting achieved sub‐millimeter positional accuracy (maximum error ≤ 0.6 mm), eliminating manual intervention. Rotation correction algorithms effectively mitigated positional errors caused by film misalignment. Comparative analysis with commercial software yielded nearly identical results, validating the reliability of the method. Dwell‐time analysis demonstrated excellent linearity (R2≥0.999) over summation radii ranging from 150 to 400 dpi. Conclusions: This study presents a robust and fully automated quality assurance (QA) solution for HDR brachytherapy that simultaneously verifies sub‐millimeter‐level dwell‐position accuracy and temporal linearity. The integration of radiochromic film dosimetry with algorithmic image processing eliminates manual intervention and standardizes QA workflows, representing a substantial advancement in treatment safety and efficiency.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        equations & formulas
        pictorial
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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