Radiation Physics

The Radiation Physics Division provides support and expertise in Radiation therapy, Medical Imaging, and Radiological Safety. The department is responsible for ensuring that the equipment and procedures used for cancer treatment are safe, effective, and accurate. The roles and responsibilities of the department include Quality assurance of radiation therapy equipment by periodic mechanical and dosimetric calibration to maintain accurate patient dose delivery consistent with the various treatment plan which includes 3DCRT, IMRT, Gated-IGRT, VMAT, SRS, SRT, SBRT, TBI, TSET, ECRT Prone breast RT, Ultrasound guided real time prostate brachytherapy, MR/CT based conformal brachytherapy, Intra-luminal brachytherapy. To ensure the safety of patients, staff and the general public from any potential exposure to ionizing radiation the department is also entrusted with Radiation safety of the Radiotherapy, Nuclear Medicine and Radio diagnosis installations in the institute.

The division is also involved in teaching radiation physics and radiation safety to various undergraduate and postgraduate students (including MBBS, MD, MDS, Dip RP, MSc, DRT etc.) and also to the related staff of the institute.

The division further looks into the recent development in radiotherapy treatment planning and delivery technology and implement it in the institute for the betterment of patient.

The division is actively involved in research activities to improve cancer treatment outcomes and to develop and implement advanced treatment techniques. This division is a research center for PhD students of various universities like- University of Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala University of Health Sciences, NIMS etc.

The following treatment unit/equipment are available in the division:

1. Halcyon-E M/s Varian Medical Systems
2. Vital Beam linear accelerator with 6 MV, 10 MV flattened, 6 MV FFF, and 6, 9,12,15,18 MeV electrons equipped with millennium 120 leaves MLC.
3. True Beam linear accelerator with 6 MV, 10 MV flattened, 6 MV, 10 MV FFF, and 6, 9,12,15,18 MeV electrons. Equipped with 6D couch HD-120 MLC.
4. Clinac iX linear accelerator with dual photons (6 & 15 MV) and electron energies (4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 MeV). This has 120 leaves MLC and additional Micro MLC (3 mm) from M/S Brainlab.
5. Synergy Linear Accelerator from M/s Elekta with dual photons (4 & 6MV) and electron energies (4, 6,8,10,12,15,18 MeV). The unit has 160 leaves (5mm) ‘Agility’ MLC.
6. Treatment Planning Systems- ‘Eclipse’ from M/s Varian Medical Systems (10Nos) and ‘Oncentra brachy’ (1No) and Oncentra Prostate (1No) from M/s Elekta Medical Systems.
7. MicroSelectron HDR (V3) 18 channel Brachytherapy Unit M/s Elekta Medical Systems.
8. Radiotherapy simulator from M/s Elekta with aSi Flat panel detector.
9. CT Simulator 16 Slice ‘Optima 580W’ from M/s GE Medical Systems.
10. Mould Room Facility
11. All Quality Assurance Tools like Dosimeters, Radiation Field Analyzers (Blue Phantom (2No), SNC 3D Scan (1No)), MyQA Daily, SNC DailyQA, kV and MV QA devices etc.
12. Patient Specific QA Devices: ArcCheck, Mobius3D, Imatrix, ImRT Verification Phantom, Portal Dosimetry etc.

• Various Immobilization Devices
• Radiation Monitoring Devices
• Calibration Instruments
• Maintenance Tools
• Quality control equipment

The division is involved in the following teaching programmes:

The division conducts a one-year Post MSc Diploma (Dip RP) in Radiological Physics course with one-year internship under Kerala University of Health Sciences.

1. Design, development, and evaluation of an indigenous computer-controlled remote after-loading system for the treatment of Cancer of Uterine Cervix.
2. Studies on the physical parameters in the treatment of malignant disease by using external beams.
3. Design, fabrication & dosimetric aspects of beam modifying devices in radiotherapy.
4. Quality control & physical parameters in diagnostic units.
5. Ultrasound & radionuclide imaging of the renal system- physical & clinical studies.
6. Design & development of a balloon device and its evaluation in patients with cancer of the uterine cervix undergoing HDR brachytherapy.
7. Evaluation of different radiotherapy treatment planning systems and dose calculation algorithms for the management of breast cancer
8. Design and fabrication of a Head Phantom for dosimetric verification of radiotherapy treatment plans.
9. Dosimetric Evaluation of Small Fields used in Intracranial Stereotactic Treatments Utilizing an Indigenously Developed Phantom.
10. Implementation of the Monte Carlo model of a linear accelerator for dose verification and quality assurance in radiotherapy

1. Development of a quality assurance protocol, dose measurement, and radiation safety evaluation in CT scanners
2. Design and development of Quality Assurance protocol for ultrasound Imaging.
3. Developing an Audit System for Advanced Modalities of Radiation Treatments in the State of Kerala
4. A study to establish regional Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) for various Diagnostic Radiology and interventional procedures for optimizing the exposure parameters to minimize patient dose
5. Evaluation of dose verification methods for the Volumetric Modulated Arc Radiotherapy of Head and Neck Cancers

Several projects were undertaken with funding made available by external agencies like ICMR, KSCSTE, AERB, HRF, Japan, etc. Projects Completed:

• Fabrication & evaluation of pencil shields for Co60 & 4MV X RAYS
• Development of indigenous wedge filters for Co60 & 4MV X RAYS
• Development of indigenous remote after loader (LDR)
• Dose measurement in patients undergoing diagnostic X RAY exams including special investigations
• Dosimetry of early Head & Neck Cancers, Mantle Field & CA CX treatment with special ref to radiation protection
• Cytogenetic effects of radiotherapy in patients of carcinoma of the uterine cervix

• Nil