Description of Event or Problem · 1
THE PROD IN QUESTION IS "IPLAN RT IMAGE 3.0" FROM BRAINLAB. THIS IS COMPUTER SOFTWARE FOR RADIATION THERAPY THAT ALLOWS US TO SEGMENT - "CONTOUR" OR DRAW - REGIONS OF INTEREST IN ORDER TO DEFINE TREATMENT PARAMETERS. IN THE STRUCTURE SEGMENTATION PART OF THE PROD, THERE IS AN "OBJECT MANIPULATION" TOOL THAT ALLOWS VOLUMES TO BE EXPANDED BY DEFINED AMOUNTS. HOWEVER, THE EXPANSION TOOL SEEMS TO SYSTEMATICALLY EXPAND VOLUMES BY LESS THAN THE AMOUNT INPUT BY THE USER, DEPENDING ON THE PIXEL SIZE OF THE UNDERLYING IMAGE DATA -E.G. CT SCAN-. FOR EXAMPLE, A 3 MM EXPANSION IN THE SUPERIOR/INFERIOR DIRECTION PRODUCES NO EXPANSION AT ALL ON DATA SETS WITH 3 MM SLICE THICKNESS. IDEALLY, SUCH EXPANSION SHOULD ADD ONE SLICE SUPERIORLY AND ONE SLICE INFERIORLY TO THE VOLUME, AS WELL AS PROPAGATING THAT EXPANSION FOR INTERMEDIATE SLICES. OBVIOUSLY THE SOFTWARE CAN'T EXPAND VOLUMES BY LESS THAN THE RESOLUTION OF THE UNDERLYING DATA SET, BUT WHEN THE REQUESTED EXPANSION IS THE SAME AS THE UNDERLYING DATA SET, IT IS REASONABLE TO EXPECT THE EXPANSION TO OCCUR. DIAGNOSIS OR REASON FOR USE: STEROTACTIC RADIATION THERAPY TREATMENT PLANNING. DATES OF USE: 2007-2008.