VirtualDose-IR: a cloud-based software for reporting organ doses in interventional radiology.

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiology
• Radiation Dosimetry

Background:

• Accurate estimation of organ and effective doses is crucial for patient safety in interventional radiology (IR).
• Existing methods for dose calculation in IR can be complex and time-consuming.
• A need exists for a user-friendly and accurate software tool to assess radiation doses in diverse patient populations undergoing IR procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate VirtualDose-IR, a cloud-based software for reporting organ and effective doses in interventional radiology.
• To assess the software's accuracy by comparing its results with Monte Carlo simulations and experimental data.
• To provide a tool for systematic comparison, evaluation, and optimization of IR plans.

Main Methods:

• Development of VirtualDose-IR software utilizing a database of Monte Carlo-generated organ doses from 21 realistic patient phantoms.
• Inclusion of diverse patient types (adults, obese, pregnant) and selectable parameters (kVp, filtration, beam direction, etc.).
• Validation through comparison of software-reported doses with Monte Carlo simulations and published measurement data.

Main Results:

• VirtualDose-IR demonstrated high accuracy, with dose differences less than 0.3 mGy compared to Monte Carlo simulations for most organs.
• Effective dose differences between VirtualDose-IR and measured data were within 2.5%.
• Organ dose errors compared to literature data were generally less than 40%, validating the software's precision.

Conclusions:

• VirtualDose-IR provides accurate and reliable organ dose and effective dose reporting for interventional radiology.
• The software's cloud-based, SaaS model allows for accessible, multi-platform use without local installation.
• VirtualDose-IR serves as a valuable tool for optimizing radiation dose management and patient safety in IR procedures.