The expansion of CT dataset dimensions in a DICOM file prior to importation in a treatment planning system can allow a larger workspace for defining structures in systems where this functionality is limited. The ability to create structures beyond the patient, along with in-built CT density override functions, can allow the user to calculate dose to objects surrounding the patient.
This software, DICOM CT Expander, allows the user to expand CT dataset dimensions to an arbitrary number of pixels. The pixel data in each DICOM file specified is updated, along with with a number of timestamps (study, series, acquisition, and content dates and times) and the acquisition number is incremented.
Note: the existing files are replaced with the updated expansion files – maintain a separate copy if you want to keep the original images. The expanded CT files can be quite large and there may be issues importing and handling the large amount of data in the planning system.
The software was utilised in the evaluation of an simple method for EPID-based in vivo dosimetry presented at the World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering in Beijing, 2012, and at the EPI2k12 conference in Sydney, 2012. This work was published in:
- T. Kairn, S. B. Crowe, J. V. Trapp, “A simple method for EPID-based in vivo dosimetry for radiotherapy treatments of head-and-neck cancers”, IFMBE Proceedings 39: 1727-1730, 2013<
Users of the code should cite the paper listed above in any publications stemming from work made possible with this software. This work was inspired by the work of Reich and Bezak, who implemented similar code, published in:
- P. D. Reich, E. Bezak, “The use of a treatment planning system to investigate the potential for transmission dosimetry in detecting patient breathing during breast 3D CRT”, Australasian Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine 31(2): 110-121, 2008.
The software requires Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5, available on PC systems running Microsoft Windows Vista / 7 / 8. The installation files can be found here.