TOPAS: Fast and easy to use Monte Carlo system for proton therapy

描述(申请人提供)：随着质子治疗加入放射治疗的主流，蒙特卡罗模拟(MC)已经成为驱动高精度剂量传递的研究引擎。用于粒子模拟的Topas工具是在上一个资金周期中开发的，它使MC可以前所未有地进行访问。随着放射治疗迈向下一个挑战，物理学和生物学结合在一起，TOPAS将弥合这两个研究领域之间的分歧。TOPAS可以通过任何类型的治疗头跟踪任何类型的粒子，导入患者几何图形、计分剂量、剂量等，具有先进的图形和计分功能，并且完全是四维的，可以处理模拟的所有依赖时间的方面。研究物理学家使用TOPAS来改进质子输送系统，以实现更安全和更有效的治疗，从而轻松地建立和运行复杂的MC模拟，过去MC专家需要几个月的准备时间。临床物理学家使用TOPAS来优化治疗比例，在MC的完全精度下模拟患者特定的治疗计划 只需按一下按钮。我们将为放射生物界带来同样的好处。在放射生物学研究之前受到物理学家和生物学家之间跨学科合作不足的影响时，TOPAS将弥合这一差距。TOPAS将允许生物学家研究他们实验的详细物理方面，并允许物理学家将最新的放射生物学结果应用于临床。TOPAS将为质子治疗设施、生物实验室和大学提供一个共同的研究平台。具体目标1：扩展TOPAS以促进器官效应生物学的研究a.为肿瘤和正常组织结果建模提供一个框架b.通过复制已发表的关于质子束正常组织并发症的数据来验证具体目标2：扩展TOPAS以促进细胞效应生物学的研究a.为细胞效应RBE建模提供一个框架b.通过计算质子束的相对生物有效性来验证特定目标3：扩展TOPAS以促进亚细胞效应生物学的研究a.为亚细胞效应机制建模提供一个框架b.通过复制关于电离频率和DNA损伤特异性的数据来验证4：支持和共享TOPAS对于所有用户社区a.在质子治疗物理方面支持当前的TOPAS用户社区b.在其他治疗模式和成像方面接触到新的用户社区c.持续的软件创新，增强的图形用户界面及更多功能

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): As proton therapy has joined the mainstream of radiation treatment, Monte Carlo simulation (MC) has been the research engine driving highly accurate dose delivery. The TOPAS Tool for Particle Simulation, developed in the previous funding cycle, makes MC accessible as never before. As radiation therapy pushes to the next challenge, where physics and biology come together, TOPAS will bridge the divide between these two research domains. TOPAS can track any kind of particle through any kind of treatment head, import a patient geometry, score dose, fluence, etc., has advanced graphics and scoring features, and is fully four-dimensional to handle all time-dependent aspects of a simulation. Research physicists use TOPAS to improve proton delivery systems towards safer and more effective treatments, easily setting up and running complex MC simulations that used to take MC specialists months to prepare. Clinical physicists use TOPAS to optimize the therapeutic ratio, simulating patient- specific treatment plans with the full accuracy of MC at the touch of a button. We will bring the same benefits to the radiobiological community. Where radiobiology research has previously suffered from insufficient interdisciplinary collaboration between physicists and biologists, TOPAS will bridge the gap. TOPAS will let biologists study detailed physics aspects of their experiments and let physicists employ the latest radiobiology results in the clinic. TOPAS will provide a common research platform to proton therapy facilities, biology laboratories and universities. Specific Aim 1: Expand TOPAS to facilitate research on organ effect biology a. Provide a framework for tumor and normal tissue outcome modeling b. Validate by reproducing published data on proton beam normal tissue complications Specific Aim 2: Expand TOPAS to facilitate research on cellular effect biology a. Provide a framework for cellular effect RBE modeling b. Validate by calculating the relative biological effectiveness f proton beams Specific Aim 3: Expand TOPAS to facilitate research on sub-cellular effect biology a. Provide a framework for sub-cellular effect mechanistic modeling b. Validate by reproducing data on ionization frequencies and DNA damage Specific Aim 4: Support and share TOPAS for all user communities a. Support current TOPAS user communities in proton therapy physics b. Reach out to new user communities in other therapy modalities and imaging c. Continuing software innovation, enhanced graphical user interfaces and beyond