MOQUI: an open-source GPU-based Monte Carlo code for proton dose calculation with efficient data structure. 2022

Hoyeon Lee, and Jungwook Shin, and Joost M Verburg, and Mislav Bobić, and Brian Winey, and Jan Schuemann, and Harald Paganetti
Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, United States of America.

Objective.Monte Carlo (MC) codes are increasingly used for accurate radiotherapy dose calculation. In proton therapy, the accuracy of the dose calculation algorithm is expected to have a more significant impact than in photon therapy due to the depth-dose characteristics of proton beams. However, MC simulations come at a considerable computational cost to achieve statistically sufficient accuracy. There have been efforts to improve computational efficiency while maintaining sufficient accuracy. Among those, parallelizing particle transportation using graphic processing units (GPU) achieved significant improvements. Contrary to the central processing unit, a GPU has limited memory capacity and is not expandable. It is therefore challenging to score quantities with large dimensions requiring extensive memory. The objective of this study is to develop an open-source GPU-based MC package capable of scoring those quantities.Approach.We employed a hash-table, one of the key-value pair data structures, to efficiently utilize the limited memory of the GPU and score the quantities requiring a large amount of memory. With the hash table, only voxels interacting with particles will occupy memory, and we can search the data efficiently to determine their address. The hash-table was integrated with a novel GPU-based MC code, moqui.Main results.The developed code was validated against an MC code widely used in proton therapy, TOPAS, with homogeneous and heterogeneous phantoms. We also compared the dose calculation results of clinical treatment plans. The developed code agreed with TOPAS within 2%, except for the fall-off and regions, and the gamma pass rates of the results were >99% for all cases with a 2 mm/2% criteria.Significance.We can score dose-influence matrix and dose-rate on a GPU for a 3-field H&N case with 10 GB of memory using moqui, which would require more than 100 GB of memory with the conventionally used array data structure.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009010 Monte Carlo Method In statistics, a technique for numerically approximating the solution of a mathematical problem by studying the distribution of some random variable, often generated by a computer. The name alludes to the randomness characteristic of the games of chance played at the gambling casinos in Monte Carlo. (From Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed, 1993) Method, Monte Carlo
D011522 Protons Stable elementary particles having the smallest known positive charge, found in the nuclei of all elements. The proton mass is less than that of a neutron. A proton is the nucleus of the light hydrogen atom, i.e., the hydrogen ion. Hydrogen Ions,Hydrogen Ion,Ion, Hydrogen,Ions, Hydrogen,Proton
D011879 Radiotherapy Dosage The total amount of radiation absorbed by tissues as a result of radiotherapy. Dosage, Radiotherapy,Dosages, Radiotherapy,Radiotherapy Dosages
D011880 Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted Computer-assisted mathematical calculations of beam angles, intensities of radiation, and duration of irradiation in radiotherapy. Computer-Assisted Radiotherapy Planning,Dosimetry Calculations, Computer-Assisted,Planning, Computer-Assisted Radiotherapy,Calculation, Computer-Assisted Dosimetry,Calculations, Computer-Assisted Dosimetry,Computer Assisted Radiotherapy Planning,Computer-Assisted Dosimetry Calculation,Computer-Assisted Dosimetry Calculations,Dosimetry Calculation, Computer-Assisted,Dosimetry Calculations, Computer Assisted,Planning, Computer Assisted Radiotherapy,Radiotherapy Planning, Computer Assisted
D000465 Algorithms A procedure consisting of a sequence of algebraic formulas and/or logical steps to calculate or determine a given task. Algorithm
D061766 Proton Therapy The use of an external beam of PROTONS as radiotherapy. Proton Beam Radiation Therapy,Proton Beam Therapy,Proton Beam Therapies,Proton Therapies,Therapies, Proton,Therapies, Proton Beam,Therapy, Proton,Therapy, Proton Beam
D019047 Phantoms, Imaging Devices or objects in various imaging techniques used to visualize or enhance visualization by simulating conditions encountered in the procedure. Phantoms are used very often in procedures employing or measuring x-irradiation or radioactive material to evaluate performance. Phantoms often have properties similar to human tissue. Water demonstrates absorbing properties similar to normal tissue, hence water-filled phantoms are used to map radiation levels. Phantoms are used also as teaching aids to simulate real conditions with x-ray or ultrasonic machines. (From Iturralde, Dictionary and Handbook of Nuclear Medicine and Clinical Imaging, 1990) Phantoms, Radiographic,Phantoms, Radiologic,Radiographic Phantoms,Radiologic Phantoms,Phantom, Radiographic,Phantom, Radiologic,Radiographic Phantom,Radiologic Phantom,Imaging Phantom,Imaging Phantoms,Phantom, Imaging

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