Patient set-up using portal images: 2D/2D image registration using mutual information

Conformal radiation therapy requires accurate patient set-up for each fraction delivery. Electronic portal imaging devices allow the acquisition of portal images just before and even during dose delivery. However, the quantitative interpretation of these images in determining and correcting the patient's position remains uncertain, and automated methods are therefore being developed. Such methods must be usable for the different radiation therapy techniques. They must be robust and as automated as possible for use in clinical routines. This work was undertaken to establish the feasibility of 2D/2D registration for portal/portal and portal/simulator images in radiotherapy.

This paper describes an automated method based on the combination of calibration algorithms and pixel-based registration algorithms. We present experiments with the different imaging techniques, some of which use a phantom with and without a gold standard. Preliminary results obtained using patient data are also presented and discussed.

The results obtained with a phantom demonstrated that this automated method for 2D/2D registration is fast, accurate, and robust, even in the case of blurred images for small treatment fields.

Mutual information is a feasible method for 2D/2D portal/portal and portal/simulator image registration in radiotherapy.