Monte Carlo simulation of scattering devices in radiotherapy.

The technological development of radiotherapeutic devices relies on understanding how ionizing radiation (X-rays, electrons, protons, heavier ions, etc.) scatters and loses energy while interacting with treatment devices. The Monte Carlo (MC) method has demonstrated high accuracy in modeling beam-modifying devices, imaging devices, radionuclide sources, and quantifying absorbed doses in patients and radiation detectors, among many other applications.

The TOPAS Collaboration, integrated by the University of California San Francisco and Massachusetts General Hospital, has developed the NIH/NCI-funded OpenTOPAS code for several years. OpenTOPAS brings the TOPAS project (project was first led by Dr. Paganetti (MGH) and then by Dr. Faddegon (UCSF) as Principal Investigators) to a new, open release stage software to facilitate the use of MC for Medical Physics applications.  

 

Relevant publications