Quantification of Artifacts and Image Distortions in 1.5 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Images of a Commercial Multi-Channel Vaginal Cylinder Brachytherapy Applicator Set

• Published in: Journal of biomedical physics and engineering 2023-12, Vol.13 (6), p.523-534
• Main Authors: Kanani, Abolfazl, Fatemi-Ardakani, Ali, Owrangi, Amir M, Yazdi, Mehran, Baghbani, Hadi, Mosleh-Shirazi, Mohammad Amin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: brachytherapy; endometrial cancer; gynecolgical; image processing; magnetic resonance imaging; Original; portio applicator; radiotherapy
• ISSN: 2251-7200; 2251-7200
• DOI: 10.31661/jbpe.v0i0.2309-1665

The BEBIG Portio multi-channel applicator provides better target dose coverage and sparing organs-at-risk compared to a single-channel cylinder. However, artifacts and distortions of Portio in magnetic resonance images (MRI) have not yet been reported. We aimed to quantify the artifacts and distortions in its 1.5-Tesla MR images before clinical use. In this experimental study, we employed a gelatin-filled phantom to conduct our measurements. T2-weighted (T2W) images were examined for artifacts and distortions. Computed tomography (CT) images were used as a reference to assess image distortions. Artifact severity was measured by recording the full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) image pixel values at various positions along the length of the applicator/channels. CT and MRI-based applicator reconstruction accuracy were then compared, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast were also determined for the applicator images. The applicator distortion level for the Portio applicator was less than the image spatial resolution (0.5±0.5 pixels). The average FWHM for the tandem applicator images was 5.23±0.39 mm, while it was 3.21±0.37 mm for all channels (compared to their actual diameters of 5.0 mm and 3.0 mm, respectively). The average applicator reconstruction difference between CT and MR images was 0.75±0.30 mm overall source dwell positions. The image SNR and contrast were both acceptable. These findings indicate that the Portio applicator has a satisfactory low level of artifacts and image distortions in 1.5-Tesla, T2W images. It may, therefore, be a promising option for MRI-guided multi-channel vaginal brachytherapy.