The TOPAS Tool for Particle Simulation, a Monte Carlo Simulation Tool for Physics, Biology and Clinical Research

用于粒子模拟的Topas工具于2009年由NCI资助推出，是一个突破性的软件项目 这消除了限制癌症研究和治疗的可用性障碍。改进到 放射治疗和成像需要了解亚原子粒子如何通过仪器和组织。 这种运动的最精确计算遵循蒙特卡罗(MC)方法。然而，MC的心血 专门的计算机编程技术使其仅限于少数专家使用。 Topas为每个物理学家带来了可靠的、经过实验验证的、易于使用的MC工具。 Topas不需要编程知识，可以提供几乎无限的灵活性。它使临床上 应用(例如高精度的患者剂量计算)和尖端研究(例如四维 用于探测器开发的飞行时间模拟)，而其设计促进了机构间合作。 2013年，在NCI的第二个奖项上，TOPAS从最初专注于质子治疗物理学扩展到 讲授辐射生物学。TOPAS已被广泛接受用于质子治疗物理和生物学，其中272 24个国家121个机构的用户，但那些从事其他放射治疗方式和医疗工作的人 成像缺乏这样的工具。我们寻求满足这些需求，创建唯一完全集成的平台 先进的放射治疗，包括多种形式的治疗和广泛的影像引导。我们将： 具体目标1：增强TOPAS环境以便于用户友好地进行交互建模和仿真 ·扩展对多处理器、群集、云和网格环境的支持 ·提高与其他医学物理标准的I/O兼容性 ·提高计算速度和图形用户界面 具体目标2：为翻译和临床应用程序扩展TOPAS功能 ·放射治疗和成像组件库，简化复杂治疗、质量保证和屏蔽的模拟 ·辐射防护和临床前研究的生物模型 ·成像系统和患者模拟，包括更复杂的患者模型 具体目标3：维护所有用户社区的TOPA ·对底层软件包和操作系统的变化做出响应 ·扩展用于质量控制的自动化回归测试系统 具体目标4：在充分参与ITCR方案活动的情况下传播TOPAs ·通过在关键会议和网站上举办讲习班来传播TOPA ·通过在线用户论坛、基于网络的培训和每年两次的面对面培训提供用户支持 ·开展TOPAS用户协作，启动项目以满足获奖后确定的关键用户需求， 维护用户交换定制和扩展的保管库，将Topas移至开源

The TOPAS TOol for PArticle Simulation, launched on NCI funding in 2009, is a breakthrough software project that struck down a usability barrier that was limiting cancer research and treatment. Improvements to radiotherapy and imaging require understanding how subatomic particles travel through apparatus and tissue. The most precise calculations of such motion follow the Monte Carlo (MC) method. Yet MC's painstaking specialized computer programming techniques had limited its availability to a small number of specialists. TOPAS brings a reliable, experimentally validated and easy-to-use MC tool within reach of every physicist. Requiring no programming knowledge, TOPAS provides nearly unlimited flexibility. It enables both clinical applications (e.g. high precision patient dose calculation) and cutting edge research (e.g. four dimensional time-of-flight simulations for detector developments), while its design promotes inter-institutional collaboration. In 2013, on a second NCI award, TOPAS was expanded from its initial focus on proton therapy physics to also cover radiation biology. TOPAS has been widely accepted in proton therapy physics and biology with 272 users at 121 institutions in 24 countries, but those working on other radiotherapy modalities and medical imaging lack such a tool. We seek to address these needs, creating the only fully integrated platform for advanced radiotherapy including multi-modality treatments and a broad range of image guidance. We shall: Specific Aim 1: Enhance the TOPAS Environment for User-Friendly Interactive Modeling and Simulation · Expand support for multi-processor, cluster, cloud and grid environments · Improve I/O compatibility with other medical physics standards · Improve computational speed and Graphical User Interface Specific Aim 2: Extend TOPAS Capabilities for Translational and Clinical Applications · Library of radiotherapy and imaging components, simplify simulation of complex therapy, QA and shielding · Biological models for radiation protection and pre-clinical research · Imaging systems and patient simulation, including more complex patient models Specific Aim 3: Maintain TOPAS for all User Communities · Respond to changes in underlying software packages and operating systems · Expand automated regression testing system for quality control Specific Aim 4: Disseminate TOPAS with Full Participation in ITCR Program Activities · Disseminate TOPAS through workshops at key conferences and web site · Provide user support through online user forum, web-based training and twice-yearly in-person trainings · Develop TOPAS user collaboration, initiate projects to address key user needs identified post-award, maintain depository for users to exchange customizations and extensions, move TOPAS to open source