AVS/express for the PC implementation of a 3D visualization module for radiotherapy

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Computer Science
• Radiotherapy

Background:

• Treatment planning systems (TPS) are crucial tools in cancer radiotherapy, simulating radiation effects on tumors and healthy tissues.
• Current TPS require advanced visualization capabilities for effective treatment design and verification.
• The increasing performance of personal computers facilitates the development of cost-effective, comprehensive 3D TPS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the implementation of 3D visualization modules for TPS.
• To assess the suitability of AVS/Express for developing advanced 3D TPS.
• To demonstrate the integration of AVS/Express with Microsoft Visual C++ on Windows NT.

Main Methods:

• A preliminary 3D visualization module was implemented for the ISIS TPS using AVS 5 on Open VMS.
• The study focused on utilizing AVS/Express, a next-generation tool, for broader development.
• Integration of AVS/Express with Microsoft Visual C++ was performed on the Windows NT operating system.

Main Results:

• Successful implementation of a basic 3D visualization for the ISIS TPS.
• AVS/Express demonstrated potential for large-scale TPS development.
• A functional 3D visualization module was developed on Windows NT using AVS/Express and Visual C++.

Conclusions:

• 3D visualization is a necessary advancement for modern TPS.
• AVS/Express is a viable tool for developing powerful and flexible 3D TPS.
• The integration approach on Windows NT provides a foundation for future TPS development.