Tissue Equivalent Patient Phantoms

SRS commissioning and treatment verification

Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) necessitates a high degree of accuracy in target localization and dose delivery. Small errors can result in significant under treatment of portions of the tumor volume and overdose of nearby normal tissues. The CIRS Stereotactic End-to-End Verification Phantom (STEEV) provides a means to check all necessary steps of a treatment planning system — from diagnostic imaging with CT, MR and PET, to treatment plan verification.

Accurate patient simulation

STEEV’s anthropomorphic exterior allows for use of multiple positioning and fixation devices as used in clinical application. Internal details such as cortical and trabecular bone, brain, spinal cord, teeth, sinuses and trachea provide the most realistic clinical simulation to evaluate the challenging effects of complex intra- and extra-cranial anatomies. Geometric and organic target inserts provide means for comprehensive image QA, geometric machine QA and TPS QA for increased confidence in system performance.

Multi-modality Imaging

STEEV accommodates five interchangeable multi-modality inserts. These inserts come with a variety of internal targets and must be filled with MRI or PET compatible liquids. Five external MRI/ CT fiducials enable additional alignment and distortion evaluation along three orthogonal axes.

Dose measurements at isocenter and off isocenter positions

STEEV accommodates a variety of interchangeable tissue equivalent inserts suitable for small field dosimetry including: micro- and pinpoint ion chambers, film, MOSFET, TLD, and OSL (nanoDot TM*). When used in conjunction with the various imaging inserts, STEEV provides the most comprehensive end-to-end testing and QA solution for SRS systems.

Features:

• Perform end-to-end testing for commissioning as directed by AAPM TG-101
• Verify patient positioning using frame/frameless systems, head and shoulder masks or other positioning fixation devices
• Verify patient treatment plan in critical regions
• Perform geometric machine QA; Winston-Lutz isocenter verification tests and localization/repositioning with couch shift
• Perform IGRT QA procedure for X-ray and onboard kV and MV imagers including CBCT
• Assess image fusion, image transfer QA, accuracy verification and TPS testing with Multi-modality imaging capabilities (CT, MRI and PET)
• TPS Deformable Image registration algorithm accuracy QA

NOTE: This product or an optional accessory of this product requires a CIRS dosimetry cavity code before an order can be placed.

Versatile Dosimetry Investigation and Verification

The ATOM family consists of six clinically relevant ages including, a newborn, 1-year old, 5-year old, 10-year old, adult male, and adult female.

Each phantom age accounts for key variations in tissue composition due to age or sex and accounts for variations in bone mineral density. This results in a more precise physical model with which to investigate the interaction of radiation with different tissues. It allows for more accurate dose calculations in different age groups.

For over 35 years, CIRS tissue simulation technology has been validated through third-party testing, and continually refined by monitoring manufacturing applications on a global platform. CIRS has developed materials that mimic the linear attenuation curves of real tissue. With target parameters for tissue simulation based on gold standard ICRP 23 and ICRU 48 reports.

The ATOM phantom line has tissue differentiations between cartilage, spinal cord, spinal disks, lung, brain, sinus, average bone, and average soft tissue.

All phantoms are precision sliced into 25 mm thick sections and drilled with an array of holes for dosimeter placement. No coatings are applied to the mating surfaces of the phantom to maintain continuous imaging characteristics. Stacked phantoms are secured with an assembly device and small internal alignment pins between sections; neither of which will interfere with the life-like imaging properties of the phantom.

There are many different phantom configurations available to accommodate your needs and use cases. Limb and breast attachments are also available as optional accessories to measure peripheral and scattered radiation.

Features:

• Phantom models cover a wide range of patient ages
• Organ specific dosimetry with minimal detectors
• Superior tissue simulation and lifelike imaging properties
• Homogeneous bone
• Accommodates wide variety of detectors
• Age appropriate references

NOTE: This product or an optional accessory of this product requires a CIRS dosimetry cavity code before an order can be placed.

High Fidelity Simulation for VMAT & IMRT

The CIRS Shoulder, Head and Neck End-to-End Verification Phantom (SHANE) is designed for end-to-end testing of treatment planning systems. The phantom can be used for every step in this process from imaging acquisition to dosimetry verification and patient-specific QA during head-and-neck VMAT and IMRT procedures.

The head and shoulders are cut in the coronal plane to receive large radiochromic or radiographic film for treatment plan verification. The phantom also receives ion chambers or other detectors, which can be positioned in four parallel holes drilled through the phantom in the Inferior-Superior direction.

The high-fidelity anthropomorphic design contains complex internal anatomy that provides a realistic clinical simulation to evaluate the challenging effects of intra- and extracranial anatomies.

Head and shoulder portions are manufactured as a single piece to enable use with various fixation devices. The shoulder portion contains thoracic vertebrae, which enable TPS verification to the level of T2 vertebra. Shoulders also include tissue inserts for electron density calibration.

Benefits:

• High fidelity phantom-patient
• Suitable for use with various commercially available fixation devices
• Enables dose measurements in large regions of head and neck through use of radiographic film
• Allows dose measurements with ion chambers
• Performs Electron Density calibration in shoulders

The Next Generation in Anthropomorphic Phantoms

The CIRS Model 801-P phantom is our most realistic, tissue equivalent phantom available. The phantom was designed for use in diagnostic radiology and radiation therapy for imaging dosimetry teaching and demonstration applications. All anatomical dimensions of the phantom are based on The Visible Human Project (VHP) data sets that serve as a reference for the study of human anatomy and are available through the National Library of Medicine.

CIRS has combined this anatomical detail with our advanced tissue mimicking technology. The phantom is made from proprietary epoxy materials that mimic the density and radiation attenuation properties of human tissue within 1% from 50 keV to 25 MeV. It contains anatomically precise bone, cartilage, spinal cord, vertebral disks, muscle, intestines, bladder, prostate, rectum and interstitial fat.

Just like the CIRS ATOM® line of phantoms, the VHP Phantom can be purchased uncut or segmented into 25mm thick contiguous sections. CIRS offers a hole grid options of 3 cm x 3 cm.

The grid contains 5mm diameter through holes filled with homogeneous tissue equivalent plugs for TLD placement. Hole locations are optimized for internal organ dosimetry. Ion chamber cavities, other grid patterns and hole diameters are available upon request.

Features:

• Based on the Visible Human Project data set
• Superior tissue simulation and lifelike imaging properties
• Accommodates wide variety of detectors

“END-TO-END” SBRT Testing Solution

The high dose per fraction associated with SBRT necessitates a high degree of accuracy in target localization and dose delivery. Small errors can result in significant under treatment of portions of the tumor volume and over dosage of nearby normal tissues. The E2E ® SBRT Phantom with Removable Spine provides a means to check the entire treatment chain during commissioning and routine QA.

Our Model 036S-CVXX-xx* is an anthropomorphic thorax body containing articulated spine, ribs, and lungs. All materials are suitable for use in kV and MV energies. The thorax section contains two lung tumor volumes with ionization chamber cavities in the center of each target*. The phantom also includes a lung insert with an irregular-shaped lung target. The proximity of the lung target to the vertebral body allows clinicians to measure high-resolution dose distribution to the target and dose to the spinal cord in a single delivery. The surface of the thorax body is machined with concentric circle targets and alignment marks for daily system checks.

Our Model 036S has more options for dose verification in the spine as an organ at risk, including a removable split spine. The removable spine facilitates the use of radiochromic film in the sagittal orientation in the inferior half of the spine rod. Ion chambers cavities are located in the spinal cord and the vertebrae in the superior half of the removable spine rod. Alignment marks at 0, 90, 180 & 270 degrees allow for consistent re-positioning. Precision-cut films with integral registration holes are available for both the lung insert and spine insert.

An optional abdominal section (Model 036-01) with 3D spine anatomy for film and nanoDotTM dosimetry is available separately. It can also accommodate the CBCT Image Quality phantom (Model 062QA-35). The Model 036-01 provides extra bolus to allow dose assessments with the abdomen due to non-coplanar beams.

Features:

• Thorax with articulated spine, ribs and lungs
• Optional Abdomen with film insert
• High Resolution Anthropomorphic Characteristics
• Center point fiducial and offset target for daily system checks
• Ideal for commissioning an SBRT program
• Excellent test environment for Monte Carlo dose calculation verification
• Supports use and testing of Image Guidance capabilities

NOTE: This product or an optional accessory of this product requires a CIRS dosimetry cavity code before an order can be placed.

Tissue Equivalent for Proton and Photon Therapy

The CIRS Proton Therapy Dosimetry Head is an anthropomorphic head phantom designed for commissioning and treatment planning system (TPS) verification with any conformal or IMRT Proton Therapy system.

The phantom is constructed of CIRS tissue-equivalent materials, which mimic reference tissues within 1.5% for protons and within 1% for photons from 50 KeV to 15 MeV. The Proton Therapy Head can be used during all standard IMRT procedures from CT image acquisition to proton beam delivery verification.

Tissue equivalency of detailed internal structures makes the phantom ideal for treatment plan evaluation in high density-gradient locations, which are specifically important in proton therapy2, such as air cavity vs. bone structures. Internal structures include brain, bone with cortical and trabecular distinction, larynx, trachea, fully-open sinus cavities, nasal and mouth cavities, and teeth with distinct dentine, enamel and root structure.

Model 731-HN approximates the average male human head in both size and structure to allow for intuitive set up with any patient positioning or fixation device.

One half of the phantom is sectioned in 2 cm increments for three film locations in the cranio-caudal direction starting from the approximate center of the sagittal plane. Because slices are orthogonal to the CT axial plane, artifacts caused by residual air gaps are noticeably reduced compared to standard axial slices.

Proton system commissioning is enhanced by placement of a tungsten BB in a molar and a titanium prosthesis attached by two screws at C3 and C5 vertebra.

Features:

• Detailed internal anatomy including bone and air
• Three film locations in sagittal direction
• Tissue Equivalent for protons and photons
• Dental filling and spine prothesis