NEWSLETTER IOP Institute of Physics Issue No 3 Medical Physics Group December 2010
A Word from the MPG Chair
Welcome to the latest Medical Physics Group Newsletter! In this edition we follow up on ongoing issues relevant to clinical, industrial and academic physicists; firstly the department of health’s Modernising Scientific Careers (MSC) programme is set to be implemented (see Modernising Scientific Careers, the UK Way Forward: (www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_113990.pdf), having a significant impact on the training for healthcare scientists. Peter Sharp gives us an update on progress and the next steps. Secondly, in light of the recommendations of the 2008 Wakeham review of academic physics departments (www.rcuk.ac.uk/ review/physics), we have the first of a number of articles spot-lighting on successful collaborations between clinical and academic departments by Nick Stone and Dareyoush Rassi. We would welcome similar contributions from any MPG members who have successfully bridged the gap between clinical or industrial applications and academic physics departments. The Group’s now traditional one day meeting and AGM, held during IPEM’s Medical Physics and Engineering Conference (Nottingham 14th–16th September), was this time organised jointly with the Biological Physics Group on Mathematical and Computational Modelling in Medicine and Biology. The meeting was well attended and covered modelling on scales from the atomic to the whole body. Martin Robinson and Sarah Harris report on the invited and proffered talks. We have several reports on scientific meetings attended by research students receiving IOP travel bursaries. Applications are welcome centrally for PhD students (www.iop.org/about/grants/research_student/page_38808.html) or alternatively via the MPG committee directly for anyone early in their career who is not studying for a PhD but is presenting scientific work at an international conference. Additional group activities include working with related IOP groups to update and develop medical physics teaching materials for schools and responding to national consultations on issues relevant to the group where appropriate. As always the MPG committee would welcome input from its members, currently standing at just under 800 in total, such as newsletter contributions and suggestions for scientific, outreach and educational activities. Colin Baker MPG Chair
48th meeting of the Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group (PTCOG), 28th Sept – 3rd Oct 2009, Heidelberg, Germany
The PTCOG meetings are becoming ever concepts by Dr. Markus Roth, covering The sheer scale of the 600 ton ion more popular year-on-year, following the dielectric wall (DWA) and fixed-field isocentric gantry, rotatable with millimetre the expanding uptake of radiotherapy alternating gradient (FFAG) accelerators accuracy (the mechanical extent of with protons and ions at an almost as well as the burgeoning field of laser- which is hidden from patient view) was exponential rate. The meeting is aimed at plasma acceleration. Also of significant awesome. This technology means that a mainly medical physicists and oncology interest was the presentation given by patient lying on a couch can be treated physicians in the field of particle therapy, Dr. Christoph Bert on the interplay effects with a beam of protons or carbon ions in order to share information between of target motion when using a raster- (and in the future helium-3 and oxygen particle therapy centres and research scanned particle beam, which set the ions) from any angle, maximising institutes on the latest technological and scene for several talks later in the week treatment capabilities. It is the first raster clinical progress that has been made. on different ways of dealing with tumour scanning ion-beam radiotherapy gantry in motion during irradiation. the world. This year’s meeting was a great success, and attracted several hundred delegates For the scientific session, aside from a lot By attending this meeting, I have learnt over the 6 day meeting. It was hosted of clinical data on local control and 3- and greatly from the wealth of information in the picturesque town of Heidelberg in 5-year survival rates for a wide range of presented and also the opportunity to Germany, and organised by the members tumour types, the main physical issues make new contacts and discuss research of the Heidelberg Ion Therapy (HIT) which were presented were ways of with other people in the field of particle centre where an impressive multiple- coping with uncertainties of particle range therapy. It also gave me the opportunity ion therapy facility has been built and is in real patients, the latest radiobiological to present my work in the dosimetry of soon to come online for treatment. Many models for determining the biological a laser-proton source in the form of a luminary figures in the field attended, and dose to patients, and how to make poster, and to also see the research this provided an excellent opportunity treatment plans more robust to intra- and being done by other students in the field. for discussion and networking outside of inter-fractional motion. Daniel Kirby the talks. The first 3 days comprised an There were two opportunities during the The University of Birmingham educational session, where the highlights week for delegates to tour the new HIT included a talk on new ion accelerator facility, and this was a notable highlight. IOP y Medical Physics Group
Biophotonics Research Unit, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and Cranfield University Biophotonics – ‘the use of light to measure biological changes that relate to disease’
In 1995 a collaboration was established for in vivo and in vitro discrimination of Shepherd (Consultant Histopathologist). between Cranfield University and early cancers. Other work by the group Doctoral research students are Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. This includes mid-IR hyperspectral imaging multidisciplinary from physicists and combined academic research with of tissues for pathological diagnostics; chemists to biologists and surgeons. surgical expertise (Prof Hugh Barr) and optical coherence tomography for real-time Jointly supervised research studentships Medical Physics (Prof Angela Newing). surgical targeting of disease and biopsy (based in Gloucester and registered at The entity was established as the Cranfield selection; photodynamic therapy for early Cranfield) include 7 PhDs, 4 DMs and 1 Postgraduate Medical School. This cancers and dysplasias; “sniffing” disease MSc by research (registered at Bristol). developed over the years to include other with electronic noses (volatile analysis The unit’s work includes exploring district general hospitals Bedford and techniques) for the detection of infections. basic science coupled to numerous Northampton. The Unit functions as an academic unit collaborative translational research The Biophotonics Research Unit in within the hospital and is fully funded by studies leading to publication of over Gloucestershire was formed from a research grants. Staff are employed by the 100 peer reviewed papers, book chapter, shared vision for cutting edge healthcare Trust and given honorary appointments at international proceedings and patents; innovation. Prof Nick Stone (a NIHR Senior the university to enable them to undertake leading three national clinical trials (within Research Fellow) leads the Biophotonics their academic roles with the same status the Cancer Research Network Portfolio); Research Unit based at Gloucester. as the salaried staff (but without the collaboration with at least 20 senior clinical The Unit’s goals are to pioneer the salary!). The Unit currently has a senior staff and their teams within the Trust; field of novel optical diagnostics within lecturer and three other postdoctoral collaboration with numerous commercial, the clinical environment. This involves staff – Dr Catherine Kendall (S Lec), academic and NHS institutions within the numerous local, national and international Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellow, Royal UK and internationally; numerous prizes collaborations with clinical, academic Society; Dr Joanne Hutchings, NIHR for excellence; raising grant funding of and commercial partners. A strong, Postdoctoral Research Fellow; Dr Gavin around £5.5 million. internationally recognised, multidisciplinary Rhys Lloyd, postdoctoral research fellow Nick Stone group has been established made up and Dr Gavin Erry who is a senior scientist Biophotonics Research Unit of scientists (physicists, chemists and at the National Physical Laboratory. The Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation biologists) and clinicians (surgeons team support and lead the research of Trust mainly). The group is leading research the unit in conjunction with Prof Hugh into Raman spectroscopic diagnostics Barr (Consultant Surgeon) and Prof Neil
A team from the Unit won Best Medical Technology in the Biotechnology YES competition in 2009
2 IOP y Medical Physics Group
International Nuclear Conference 2009 & Exhibition (INC’09), 29th June – 1st July 2009, Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The International Nuclear Conference, nuclear power programme can start with the seminar. It is a more established field held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 29th a small nuclear power plant as a power of nuclear science in Malaysia and this is June to 1st July 2009 had attracted demonstrator reactor before larger and seen as an entry point to a nuclear power 200 delegates across the globe and more cost-competitive plants are built. program. Few participants presented assembled the decision makers, power This is similar to approach taken by Japan, their research in medical applications of generation institutions, financial institutions, which started with a power demonstration nuclear technology on the second day of researchers, academics, private entities, reactor generating only 13 megawatts the seminar. This included the application vendors, utility operators, legal practitioners, of electricity from 1963 to 1982 before of radioisotopes in nuclear imaging and regulators, engineers, equipment building 53 larger plants with capacities dosimetry techniques. In this conference, manufacturers, environmentalists and of between 340 and 1,300 megawatts that myself had presented part of my PhD work students. The conference focused on supplied almost 30 percent of Japan’s total on a novel dosimetry of optical fibre for the future of a nuclear power program electricity requirements. South Korea also radiotherapy application, this study was in Malaysia as well as the non power had shown that various types of small-scale done by the dosimetry group in Department application of nuclear technology including nuclear reactors are capable of providing 40 of Physics, University of Surrey, lead by application in medicine and healthcare. percent of the country’s power needs. Dr David A Bradley. Such non-power application has been In order to support nuclear technology This conference had become a successful the main focus of nuclear technology applications, development of the platform to share knowledge and development in Malaysia until now, and this relevant legal framework and regulatory experiences among the participants, conference was an initiative to expand this provisions by various regulatory agencies as well as to discuss all the aspects of and provided a forum to discuss the issues in Malaysia is required. Experts are also nuclear power and non power application. and problems regarding the growth of a very much needed for the development Hopefully, the initiative on developing a nuclear power program. and the maintenance of this technology nuclear power program in Malaysia had to Experience shared by nuclear power and this can be achieved through the grasp loads of input from this conference plant experts from countries such as establishment of appropriate academic and and will become a reality. China, Finland, German, Japan and South training programmers with support from AT Abdul Rahman Korea as well as regulation bodies such international cooperation. University of Surrey as IAEA, which plays an important part The non power application of nuclear in influencing discussions on Malaysia’s technology was also discussed during nuclear power program. Malaysia’s
CARS 2010, 23rd–26th June, Geneva, Switzerland
The 24th Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery Conference I represented UCL with an oral talk on computer aided diagnosis of (CARS) was held in Geneva on 23-26 June 2010. CARS focuses on intervertebral disc herniation from magnetic resonance images of research and development for computer assisted systems and their the lumbar spine. applications in radiology and surgery. It hosts satellite conferences My personal highlights of the conference include the invited lecture and meetings on Computer Aided Surgery, Picture Archiving by Professor Bram van Ginneken on computer aided diagnosis of and Communication Systems, Computer Aided Diagnosis and lung cancer from CT images, and the workshop on computer aided Maxillofacial Imaging. diagnosis systems with live demonstrations of research prototypes. This year more than 900 people participated in CARS with the All conference papers have been published in the International audience being a mixture of physicists and engineers from Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery (Vol. 5, Supl. academia and industry, as well as, clinical experts mostly 1, 2010) and can be found online at www.springerlink.com. radiologists and surgeons. The organisers put together a well structured scientific program comprising oral presentations, posters Concluding, this conference not only presented the latest research and tutorials, with up to four key research areas running in parallel in computer assisted radiology and surgery, but also offered an sessions. Sessions started with invited lectures introducing state insight on the application of research results in clinical practice. of the art research in each field, followed by oral talks presenting CARS promotes the exchange of ideas between clinical experts, the latest research. Sessions were lively, with multiple questions engineers and physicists, and is a good place for meeting following each presentation and strong participation in panel leading scientists in the field of medical imaging and starting new discussions. The poster session comprised more than 150 posters collaborations. grouped according to subject, and was open throughout the conference. In addition to the talks and posters, an industrial CARS 2011 will be held in Berlin, next June. fair complemented the conference presenting the latest medical I would like to thank the Institute of Physics for sponsoring my technological developments in medical image processing and participation in this outstanding event. computer assisted surgery. Sofia Michopoulou University College London
3 IOP y Medical Physics Group
Computational Biomedical Physics Meeting, Nottingham, 2010
This was a new one day meeting enhanced X-ray imaging (Zdenka Kuncic, organised jointly between the Medical Syndney). The poster presentations were Physics Group and the Biological Physics similarly diverse. Group of the IOP on 14th September An atomistic model of the protein MUP, 2010. It was an extension to the Institute showing a bound ligand. Thank you to of Physics and Engineering in Medicine Steve Homans for providing the simulation (IPEM) annual Medical Physics and data and Kate Howarth for making the Engineering Conference (MPEC) which picture. was held in Nottingham this year. The meeting also featured a questionnaire The aim of this computational section where delegates were asked for their of the conference was to bring together opinions about the barriers to collaboration researchers in Biological Physics and between “academic” and “clinical” Medical Physics modelling to inspire new modellers, their ideas as to how these collaborations between the two fields. The might be overcome, and the potential meeting covered time and length scales scientific benefits to the two disciplines. from atomistic simulation to models of the This generated a lively debate, and many whole body. There were between 30 and interesting ideas. 40 attendees present at the meeting. An atomistic model of the protein MUP, showing a bound ligand. Thank you to Steve The barriers to communication that were They enjoyed talks by five invited Homans for providing the simulation data and identified were the different languages speakers, who covered topics as diverse Kate Howarth for making the picture. and priorities of the two communities. as simulations of individual biomolecules Suggestions for overcoming these (Charlie Laughton, Nottingham), were future meetings involving the two “reinventing the wheel”. It would also mesoscopic models of DNA and lipids for communities, the standardisation of provide modellers with access to clinical drug delivery (Syma Khalid, Southampton), computer codes and computational data to validate their models. A common heart modelling (Richard Clayton, methodologies, PhD studentships theme was achieving overlap between the Sheffield), modelling of solid cancerous jointly supervised between the two various time and length scales (molecular, tumours (Helen Byrne, Nottingham) and disciplines, developing simple language cellular networks, tissue modelling) that models of the activity of the brain (David for communication, and most importantly are vital to both Biological and Biomedical Halliday, York). Contributed talks also taking the time to effectively communicate Physics. Clearly, this is an area in which covered a wide range of computational with colleagues from the opposite further communication and collaboration research projects, including modulating discipline. should be strongly encouraged. protein/protein interactions with drugs (Jon Fuller, Leeds), systems biology of The potential scientific benefits that were Sarah Harris cell death (Tongli Zhang, Oxford), fractal identified, however, indicated that this University of Leeds dimensions of cell growth (Jon Blackledge, increased effort could be well worth the Martin Robinson Dublin), the dielectric response of tissues investment. Firstly, such collaboration University of York (Janet Clegg, York) and polarisation would prevent one or the other discipline
International Symposium on Standards, Applications and Quality Assurance in Medical Dosimetry, IAEA, Vienna, Austria
In early November, I attended the International Symposium on courses there were also round table discussions. These consisted of Standards, Applications and Quality Assurance in Medical Radiation a group of experts each making initial points followed by discussion Dosimetry (IDOS) at the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA), with the delegates. Topics discussed included: When Dosimetry Vienna. I presented a poster on ‘simulated clinical effect of in-vivo Goes Wrong in Therapy and Imaging, Dosimetry Challenges diode perturbation in megavoltage photon beam radiotherapy’ Associated with New Technology, Education and Training for which was research work undertaken during my Part 1 radiotherapy Radiation Dosimetry, and What Does Calibration Traceability Mean to training at Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust. You. As delegates from 72 countries were attending it was fascinating to hear their comments on these issues. The conference was opened by presentations from the IAEA, Bureau International des Poids et Mesures, and International Commission I was particularly interested in the talks given on nuclear medicine on Radiation Unites and Measurements. The IAEA launched their dosimetry. A result, discussed at the symposium, which I found new portal http://humanhealth.iaea.org which is worth visiting as it most surprising, was the high failure rate of radiotherapy beams contains a wealth of e-learning material. The IAEA also announced from an audit in the USA. The audit defined a fail as one where a that they would be publishing, in January 2012, handbooks for beam at a site had an output outside a 5% tolerance. They found Nuclear Medicine and Diagnostic Radiology to complement their that 15% of centres had a fail. They also examined changes in existing handbook on Radiotherapy. compliance and found it was improving over time but that each time a new methodology for calibration was published the compliance The slides of almost all the presentations given at IDOS are available dropped (far less surprising!). at http://nucleus.iaea.org/HHW/MedicalPhysics/IDOS/IDOS_web.pdf. Each morning courses were run at 8 am, prior to the conference I would like to express my thanks to the IOP Medical Physics Group starting, which were very well attended (especially considering the for their financial support which enabled me to present my work at time!). These were on Formalism for Internal Dosimetry in Nuclear this symposium. Medicine, Clinical Dosimetry in Paediatric Imaging, and Beyond Daniel McGowan TG-43 to Improve Brachytherapy Dosimetry. Again, the slides from Oxford Cancer Centre these are available at: http://nucleus.iaea.org/HHW/MedicalPhysics/ Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust IDOS/IDOS_courses.pdf. In addition to plenary sessions and
4 IOP y Medical Physics Group
International Thermal Spray Conference (ITSC) 2009, 4–7 May 2009, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
The International Thermal Spray Conference (ITSC) is a well of surface roughness and surface-connected porosity, coating established conference which has been running for a number adhesion, tribological properties etc were also discussed. of years by ASM international. As well as the more general and Both talks I gave (“Strength of the Interface between Cells and traditional symposiums run at the conference, there were also a Titanium Oxide-Based Coatings, measured using an Ultracentrifuge” number of Special Symposia including one focused on Biomedical and “In Vitro Human Osteoblast Responses to Titanium Oxide- Applications. Based Surfaces with Varying Topology and Composition”) were The Special Biomedical Symposium was the symposium in well attended. The presentations went smoothly and seemed to which the two talks I gave were presented. I attended all of these be positively received, with multiple questions asked afterwards. symposia as well as some more general sessions. Given the Questions predominantly focused on the biological techniques breadth of applications to thermal spray technology there were a used, with which many attendees were less familiar, due to the lot of attendees whose work focuses on very different applications conference attracting predominantly physical scientists. from mine, such as thermal barrier coatings. The symposia Similar themes arose in multiple presentations throughout the day, were staggered so only a few overlapped with each other which such as the importance of which phase of titania (rutile or anatase) enabled one to attend all the talks in your area of specific interest, is present in coatings which are formed and how this can affect alongside some in other fields as well. There were consequently how cells sense a surface, and there was a lively exchange of some attendees of the biomedical symposium with a large amount ideas between many of us present and ideas have been sparked of of experience in coating technologies, but who less familiar with further work I could carry out. The conference was very successful the biomedical genre, but could still give some useful input into in getting to know others working in a similar field due to the lively discussions within the symposium. debates which occurred after talks throughout the symposium. The symposium was focused on developments concerning the use It was reassuring to discover that the challenges we have identified of thermal spray and related surface engineering technologies to working in this field and the questions we have and are trying to produce coatings and surface conditions designed for biomedical understand are the same that others working in this area have applications. These included conventional thermal spraying of identified. Discussing these questions with each other was very hydroxy-apatite for the promotion of osteo-integration of prostheses, helpful. I now have a number of people in labs across the world but will also encompassed various novel developments related to whom I can email to bounce ideas of which is likely to prove very the control of cell-surface interactions, cell adhesion mechanisms, useful in the future. cell proliferation etc. Issues relating to the tailoring of surfaces including biochemical compatibility, the scale and morphology Helen Griffiths
Modernising Scientific Careers
As mentioned in a previous Newsletter, the both by introducing more generic skills into require people to undertake the formal way in which physicists are trained to work the syllabus at the expenses of physics, and training programme while, at the same time, as Medical Physicists in the NHS is currently in requiring more specialisation in a particular ensuring that they have the same skills and under review. A consultation on the proposed branch of medical physics. In the past many experience as those who do. Ironically, at the system, known as Modernising Scientific of the generic, professional skills, were moment anyone undertaking the new MSC Careers (MSC), was carried out in early 2009. provided outside the MSc course, and the training will not be eligible for registration The outcome of that exercise, “Modernising specialisation raises concerns that this will although it is expected that this will be Scientific Careers: The UK Way Forward”, produce a physicist who is less qualified to resolved before these people complete the was issued in February 2010. Not surprising, deal with changes as their career progresses. 3 years of training. despite there being many concerns It would appear that the intention is to There is much in the MSC programme that expressed about the process, this document concentrate training in a small number of is good but also much that has not been differed very little from the original proposal. centres although the tender for those centres thought through. This is reflected in the fact The situation now appears to be that the has yet to be issued. What will happen to the that, for the moment physicists in Scotland first people to be trained according to MSC other MSc courses is obviously unknown at will continue to be trained under the old will be recruited in early 2011, for a start present. system. The existing training programme is in September 2011. Part of MSC is a part recognised as delivering the workforce that The main concern of the IOP Medical time MSc in Healthcare Science (Medical Scotland needs and they intend to explore Physics Group is that, unless more flexibility Physics). The IPEM hosted two meetings how they can adapt it to ensure that it is is demonstrated than has been in the past, earlier in the year when members of the aligned with MSC, retaining the flexible we will have a system that, by requiring all MSC team met with the providers of current routes to registration, rather than simply entrants to the profession to undertake a rigid MSc programmes in Medical Physics. This adopting a new, untried, and, possibly, more training scheme, will make it impossible to was the first time that providers had seen expensive training programme. bring in from academia or industry physicists a version of the curriculum and learning with new skills. The barrier to such people Prof. Peter F. Sharp outcomes and it was clear that there were entering the profession will be whether they Bio-Medical Physics & Bio-Engineering significant differences between what it are eligible for registration with the Health University of Aberdeen & NHS Grampian required and what was currently being Professions Council, a statutory requirement. delivered. In general there was concern that At the moment there is a route to registration it reduced the academic content significantly, that addresses that issue and does not
5 IOP y Medical Physics Group
ISMRM 2010, 1st–7th May 2010, Stockholm, Sweden
This year I attended the conference for the International about different methodologies and approaches to a problem Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) in or to obtain advice as to how best to use a new technique. Stockholm, Sweden. The ISMRM brings together researchers Also as the presenter, advice can be given on how to solve a from a wide range of disciplines; including physicists, problem you may have been having with your work. engineers, computer scientists and clinicians. There are I presented a talk and three posters during the week; this gave around 6000 attendees and the conference lasts six and a half me an excellent opportunity to talk to researchers in my field. days. Allowing for ideas to develop my own work and to see what is The first two days are given over to the Educational Weekend, being done at different labs worldwide. where experts hold a host of lectures on a wide variety of Apart from the scientific sessions there were plenty of social topics. These introduce the techniques and give the theory events to get to know people from different labs. The ISMRM behind them. Several parallel sessions run allowing for topics hosted an evening at the City Hall in central Stockholm so that ranging from MR Physics, MR Safety and Cancer Imaging to students could meet established researchers. The City Hall is be covered. These give people new to the field an excellent where the meal for the Nobel Prize winners is hosted, so we introduction, and with ample opportunity to ask questions it is were all hoping that we might be back there some day! The very helpful. closing ceremony included an ABBA tribute band and was a The next five days are used for the presentation of papers, fun way to close the conference. with posters, electronic poster presentations and talk sessions Emma L. Hall being held. There were also sessions for debates of “hot Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre topics” such as “Will 7T ever go clinical?”. With approximately University of Nottingham 2000 posters, it can be overwhelming but they are a great way to discuss the work. This is very helpful as you can learn
RADAM 2009 Conference, 1st–4th July 2009, Frankfurt, Germany
This event was the sixth in the RADAM series which appears to have the possibility to the dose deposited in tumours while sparing of conferences, which primarily involve substantially increase the quality of treatment healthy tissue. Early experiments have scientists working on the interactions of for numerous classes of cancer – with shown that the traditional approach of simply electrons, ions and photons with molecular successful treatment rates as high at 90% considering dose do not give an accurate targets, with a focus on attempting to fully compared to less than 30% for traditional picture of the effects of these particles, and understand the interactions of ionising therapies. In addition, there was a talk on so a better understanding of the underlying radiation with biological material. The the development of the new Heidelberg Ion interactions is necessary to accurately predict applications of this knowledge are numerous, Therapy centre which will be a dedicated how best to use these particles to improve but probably the most important is the health- centre for the treatment of cancer patients the quality of treatment. related aspects, both in terms of radiation with proton, oxygen and carbon ion based As a result, many of the talks at this meeting as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of radiotherapy, beginning to treat patients this were of great interest as they provided many cancer, as well as a potential environmental autumn, which we had the great opportunity useful ideas and models which may be able hazard. The conferences have proved highly to tour after the conference. to inform the future development of our successful, continuing well beyond their On the theoretical front, there is increasing understanding of this system. In addition, original four-year action plan and bringing in interest in fully mapping out the series there was also substantial interest in the scientists from many different fields. of interactions leading from the arrival of content of my presentation on the current This year’s event was no exception, with ionising radiation to the eventual damage state of our modelling of the interaction of attendees ranging from theorists and to DNA. In most current applications a gold nanoparticles with radiation, as they experimentalists working on the fundamental value of “dose” (that is, deposited energy) are an exciting prospect for radiotherapy interactions of individual particles and is calculated whose eventual relation to dose enhancement, with numerous groups molecules, through studies on radiation damage is empirically determined by beginning to study their interactions with effects in more complex biological systems, experiment. However, with increasing various different forms of radiation. up to those working on human-scale computational power it is becoming possible All in all, it was a very useful conference, radiation protection for space science and to more completely map out the effects of which will likely be very valuable in informing clinical trials for novel therapeutic techniques radiation on the level of individual molecules, future work within our group, and I would like such as the heavy ion radiation facility at GSI. which offers a tremendous potential to to thank the IOP Medical Physics Group for improve our understanding of the effects There were numerous very interesting talks, helping me attend it. of radiation, and potentially how we can showing the substantial contribution that modify it to increase the effectiveness of Stephen McMahon physics can and is making to the field of radiotherapy. Queen’s University Belfast radiation biology. One particularly exciting application was outlined across several This is the area of particular relevance to talks by delegates from the GSI facility my work, as I am investigating the effects focusing on their work on the use of heavy of gold nanoparticle contrast agents, which ions (particularly carbon) to treat cancer, offer the possibility of substantially increasing
6 IOP y Medical Physics Group
Thirty Five Years of Collaboration in Medical Physics Swansea University, founded by Royal to extend its research expertise into other Medical Physics services at Singleton Charter in 1920, shares the picturesque areas, such as magnetopneumography for Hospital received their PhDs for research setting of Singleton Park overlooking the in vivo assessment of particulate lung carried out on early SIVARG projects. Many Swansea Bay with Singleton Hospital, a contamination, and SQUID susceptometry other MPCE and SU personnel are also major teaching hospital providing cancer for non-invasive determination of hepatic SIVARG graduates. services for the whole of Southwest Wales. iron levels. Further development of SQUID- On the teaching side, a successful “Physics This physical proximity has naturally led to based instrumentation at SU has led to with Medical Physics” BSc degree was close contacts between the two institutions, a versatile and portable system for fetal offered in Swansea for many years. The MSc which in the case of Medical Physics has heart monitoring. Closely related was the in Medical Radiation Physics, accredited by resulted in a long-standing and fruitful development of an electromagnetic method IPEM as a Clinical Scientist training route, collaboration in research and teaching. for the measurement of body water and body has been running at Swansea since the fat which was made possible through further Initial contacts between the Physics 1980s and has more than 50 graduates. In Welsh Office support from the WSDHSR Department at Swansea University (SU) 2008 Dr. Richard Hugtenburg was jointly scheme. and the Department of Medical Physics appointed by the University and the NHS and Clinical Engineering (MPCE) at The SU submission to the Welsh Office in (on a half academic, half clinical contract) to Singleton Hospital were established through 1986 for the establishment of a School of lead this MSc course, which is delivered by undergraduate projects on computerisation Postgraduate Studies in Medical and Health both MPCE and SU staff. This appointment of radiotherapy treatment planning. These Care strongly supported its case by quoting and plans for further recruitment of clinical early contacts led to the establishment, in the existing links between SU and the NHS science academics strengthen the existing 1976, of a collaborative research group and inter alia stated that: “Probably the most links in Medical Physics between MPCE which came to be known as Swansea In Vivo well developed local collaboration to date and SU and set a valuable precedent for the Analysis Research Group (SIVARG). is the Swansea In Vivo Analysis Research future. Dr. Hugtenburg’s research includes Group (SIV ARG). This group already the modelling and design of high-resolution, The objective of this group was to develop perceives the need for a medical research solid-state dosimeters for the monitoring physics-based methods for the in vivo presence within the School, which will of small-field and intensity-modulated determination of body elements and body provide supervision of medical postgraduate radiotherapy. composition and to deploy them clinically. personnel involved in clinical projects The first directors of SIVARG were Dr David In 2001, with funding from the Welsh utilising the new powerful and sophisticated Phillips-Miles of the West Glamorgan Health Assembly Government, the BSc in Clinical techniques which are now at an advanced Authority, Mr Arthur Sivyer, Head of MPCE Technology degree scheme was launched stage of development. In addition to the at Singleton Hospital and Professor Jack at Swansea University. This four-year degree stimulus provided by the close interaction Dutton, Professor of Physics at SU. In this scheme (now accredited by IPEM) combines between College and Medical Staff within way, the close collaboration of clinicians academic modules, taught at the University, the proposed school, the existence of a and medical physicists from the NHS with with hospital placements and trains its high level of expertise in sophisticated physicists from the University was ensured graduates to the level sufficient for direct technologies existing within the College from the beginning. entry into the Voluntary Register for Clinical can be of considerable help to the general Technologists. The group obtained financial support, medical services of the region if it can be initially, from the Welsh Office through the focused through the School”. A recent funding innovation to emerge at the Welsh Scheme for the Development of post-graduate level is a five year programme The acceptance of the case by the Welsh Health and Social Research (WSDHSR) of grants supporting domestic and Office and subsequent establishment of the and from the then Science and Engineering European-origin students studying towards School did indeed lead to the envisaged Research Council through the award of an M.Sc. The premise of the programme is increased interaction between SIVARG and CASE research studentships. These enabled to link students with local industry sponsors, the local medical community and thus to the group to develop prototype systems providing dissertation project supervision. many clinically worthwhile projects. These for the in vivo detection of heavy metals Students on the MSc in Medical Radiation are reported in over 100 papers published in the body and apply them to clinical Physics have worked with Swansea by the group in scientific journals, and in projects such as the investigation of possible companies developing miniature heart- the book entitled “The Swansea Trial”. The links between smoking, hypertension and pumps, intense pulsed light (IPL) devices for project was a collaborative one organised cadmium exposure, for example. hair removal, stem-cell cytometry, and novel by Drs Alan Howard and Stephen Kreitzman use of MRI for structural analysis in disease. After obtaining general support and of the Howard Foundation Research, encouragement from joint discussions Cambridge and involving Addenbrooke’s With the expansion of cancer services based between members of SIVARG, the College Hospital, the University of Liverpool and at MPCE, and the substantial support for Officers and the Chief Medical Officer and his SIVARG. The project concerned the changes clinical and health-related areas at SU, as colleagues at the Welsh Office, application in body composition resulting from Very Low recently evident from the success of the was made to the Medical Research Council Calorie Diet. It utilised a wide range of the Institute of Life Science (ILS) there are even (MRC) for financial support for the next existing SIVARG modalities and in a foreword greater possibilities for collaboration in phase of the research and this resulted in the to the book, Lord Butterfield (formerly Medical Physics on the horizon. Construction award of three inter-related Project Grants Head of the Clinical School, University of of a second research institute, ILS2, is for the development of three technically Cambridge) expressed the view “that the currently under-way which is planned to sophisticated clinical systems, based on Swansea Trial has greatly changed the whole host a range of high-tech physics and neutron activation, x-ray fluorescence and intellectual climate in the field of obesity engineering-based projects, including neutron inelastic scattering, for the in vivo research and I not only commend the team nanotechnology in medicine and CT and analysis of both major and trace elements involved for their efforts but also this book MRI facilities for clinical research. Swansea within the human body. report for its impact”. is destined to remain a showcase for a successful symbiotic relationship between In parallel with these developments, a Close research collaboration between academia and the NHS. successful application was made to the MPCE and SU has continued to the present Wellcome Trust for the establishment of a and has resulted in more than 30 jointly Dareyoush Rassi Wellcome Trust Lectureship in Magnetism supervised PhD projects. Both current Heads College of Human and Health Sciences Applied to Medicine. This enabled SIVARG of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine Swansea University
7 IOP y Medical Physics Group
KTN meeting on “Position Detectors for Physics, Medicine and Security” Hamilton House, Euston, London, 12th May 2010
The Research Instrumentation Group (RIG) showcasing the use of imaging detectors technology push. Dr. Jaap Velthius from is one of the Knowledge Transfer Networks in radiotherapy. A number of different Bristol University talked about techniques (KTN) run by the Technology Strategy purposes were identified, like the correct used in high energy physics experiments Board, which aims to promote innovation diagnosis and visualisation of the extent for charge particle tracking and the in the UK. KTN’s are national network of the disease, patient positioning during possibility of transfer them for medical that act as open forums (participation treatment and treatment verification, all applications. Examples were given by is free of charge) in specific fields of aiming to maximise the therapeutic gain using Monolithic Active Pixels Sensors technology or business applications, with the minimum amount of radiation (the scientific variant of CMOS sensors) which brings together people from dose. Detector requirements, however, in radiotherapy for the measurement businesses, universities, research, finance differ depending on the imaging technique of 2D dose distributions in real time. and technology organisations in order to used, e.g. PET or SPECT or dose Dr. Spyros Manolopoulos from the stimulate innovation through knowledge distribution measurement of MV X-Rays. radiotherapy department of University transfer and sharing of ideas. RIG aims Hospital in Birmingham presented his The next session had presentations from to improve UK industry engagement with work on using high energy physics technology providers. Dr Cliff Weatherup UK universities and international research detectors (Si microstrip) for dosimetry from e2V Ltd. presented examples from facilities by brokering partnerships and measurements in stereotactic radiosurgery. the company’s extensive portfolio on collaborative R&D projects. This was the result of the first project imaging sensors, CCDs and more recent to be commonly funded by STFC’s A KTN meeting on “Position Detectors CMOS, predominantly used in astronomic predecessor (CCLTC) and the Department for Physics, Medicine and Security” applications. The impressive evolution of Health (project DOSI) with its results was organised by RIG’s subgroup on of sensors size and resolution was presented in international conferences Sensors & Instrumentation, as a platform demonstrated with the number of pixels and peer reviewed scientific journals, like for the high energy physics, security and from around 1M pixels for a 1990 sensor Medical Physics and Physics in Medicine medical sectors to interact. The meeting to more than 100M pixels nowadays, with and Biology. DOSI was shown to help tried to explored synergies between high future missions planning to use sensors improving the radiotherapy services energy physics, security and medicine with 1B pixels! Examples were also shown provided by UHB by enabling the use applications, especially in the use of in improvements in quantum efficiency of smaller stereotactic beams, make it advanced position sensitive radiation across the optical spectrum and beyond, possible to treat even smaller lesions. detectors, through a series of talks by as well noise reduction, e.g. less than 4 e Mr. Paul Seller presented on detectors invited speakers. for at 1 MHz readout. Keith Barnes from and electronics developed at STFC. Salex Galileo presented Infrared detectors The meeting started with a welcoming Finally, Dr. Andy Boston for Liverpool used in security, scientific and industrial address by Oliver Stigley, who explained University presented on various projects applications. The typical sensor structure the mission, structure and activities of that transferred detector technology was of a 2D detector array (from CdHgTe the Sensors & Instrumentation KTN. (segmented HpGe and CZT) from Nuclear on GaAs substrate) to be bump bonded The subsequent talks were organised Physics (gamma ray tracking; AGATA to a matching 2D array of an electronics in 3 sessions covering the speaker’s collaboration) to applications in medicine read-out chip. Once again there was a perspective, i.e. a technology provider (SmartPET/ProSPECTus), the environment need for increased spatial resolution and or user, as well as demonstrators of (decommissioning, PorGamRays) and read-out speed as well as noise reduction technology transfer. safety (drugs and explosives). and improvements in quantum efficiency. The “Users Perspectives” session The final talk of the session was from The day concluded with time for started with Prof. Phil Allport of Liverpool Glenn Tyrell from Applied Scintillation discussions and networking, as well as University, who provided a comprehensive Technologies Ltd., who presented the time to visit exhibition stands of industrial report of the “state of the art” position company’s development on position vendors: Hamamatsu, Higher Crystals, detector technology used in particle sensitive scintillators. These were Tl Dexela, Sens-Tech Ltd. and Applied physics. Then D. Ed Morton of Rapiscan doped CsI scintillating crystals grown Scintillation Technologies. systems presented needs in security in a columnar format and coupled to an applications, e.g. baggage scanning, and imaging device (CCD or CMOS 2D arrays), Links the implications on detector technology. normally used in X-ray radiography. www.innovateuk.org/ Apart from improvements in image quality Examples were also shown scintillators for https://ktn.innovateuk.org/web/research- (contrast, resolution) the ability for material neutron imaging. instrumentation/position-detectors-event identification as a means to identify The last session of the day was on explosives was made evident. Spyros Manolopoulos experience with “real life” from cases Dr. Phil Evans from the Institute of Cancer University Hospitals Birmingham NHS demonstrating detector technology Research presented on the perspectives Foundation Trust transfer, academic innovations and of a detector user in healthcare,
This newsletter is also available on the web MPG Committee Contacts and in larger print sizes Chair Treasurer The contents of this newsletter do not necessarily represent the views or policies Dr. Colin Baker Dr. Dareyoush Rassi of the Institute of Physics, except where Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] explicitly stated. The Institute of Physics, 76 Portland Place, Secretary Newsletter Editor W1B 1NT, UK. Dr. Mairead Butler Dr Dimitra Darambara Tel: 020 7470 4800 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Fax: 020 7470 4848
8