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NSS Refresher Courses NSS Refresher 1: Gas Detectors Prof. Fabio Sauli
Since the introduction of multiwire chambers in the late sixties, gaseous detectors have been and are used in a variety of configurations and sizes in most experiments in physics and other fields. To cope with the increasingly stringent requirements of modern applications, both in terms of tracking accuracy and rate capability, new generations of devices have emerged, generally named Micro-Pattern Gas Detectors. In this introduction to the topic, I will briefly summarize the performances and limitations of the classic and improved generations of gaseous detectors, as well as indicate directions of research aimed at solving endemic problems such as rate capability, long term survivability at high radiation levels, energy, and position resolutions. NSS Refresher 2: Neutron Detection Nolan E. Hertel, Ph.D., P.E.
In recent years neutron detection has been the object of renewed interest largely due to detection needs for homeland security and various other nuclear security/safeguards applications. In many applications, 3He gas detectors were used as thermal neutron detectors and surrounded with moderating material to detect higher energy neutrons. There is now a shortage of 3He for neutron detection applications. As a result, research efforts have been encouraged to find a replacement detection material for 3He. This refresher course will review the basic physics mechanisms by which various energy neutrons are detected. The principal reactions and cross sections for detecting slow, fast and high-energy neutrons will be reviewed. The detector types that have been traditionally used for neutron detection will also be reviewed: namely gas-filled, scintillators, and semiconductor-based detectors. The detector requirements for neutron spectroscopy will be presented along with a short discussion of the deconvolution of pulse-height spectra usually required to obtain a spectrum. Some cursory information on the applications of neutron detectors will be presented and the challenges that must be addressed to provide neutron detection capabilities now of interest. The attendee should keep in mind that this is a refresher course and will not address anything but the fundamentals of neutron detection. M. Grazia Pia
This Refresher Course overviews Geant4 main features, with emphasis on Geant4 physics modeling capabilities and their use in Monte Carlo simulation applications. The selection of physics processes and models to be used in a simulation is one of the most critical tasks of Geant4 experimental applications. Geant4 users are invested of the responsibility of configuring the physics of their simulation, since Geant4 does not provide any default physics settings. The configuration of a user application requires in-depth knowledge of Geant4 physics functionality to identify appropriate processes and models, and understanding of their validity to estimate the reliability and accuracy of the simulation results This Geant4 simulation domain is by far the most difficult to master, not only for novice users, but also for more experienced ones, due to its intrinsic complexity and the large number of available options in the toolkit. This Refresher Course reviews Geant4 simulation capabilities and physics modeling options; it summarizes the current status of Geant4 physics validation and provides guidance to deal with Geant4 physics selection in experimental applications. MIC Refresher Courses Patents: why they matter to researchers, searching for prior art, and medical technology related issues Sascha Moehrs and Pau Montes
Academic research is more and more interacting with industrial partners and technology transfer institutions, which have a strong interest in commercialising their inventions and research results. At the same time, especially in academics, there seems to be a considerable lack of information on how to use intellectual property rights (IPR) to protect these results but also on how to make use of the enormous information published in patent applications. Consequently, the aim of this refresher course is to give researchers an insight into the world of patents with an emphasis on the European patent system. First an introduction to patents and practical information on the procedure to obtain a patent will be provided. Moreover, topics related to the search of patent literature will be presented, including an introduction to patent classification systems as well as an overview of public tools/databases for patent literature search and le inspection. Finally, patent related issues for medical technologies will be briefly addressed. e course includes presentations and a question and answer session to discuss the issues raised. Recent developments of Photon and Light Ion Radiation Therapy Anders Brahme
During the last 30 years radiation therapy has developed from classical rectangular beams via conformation therapy with largely uniform dose delivery but irregular field shapes to fully intensity modulated dose delivery where the total dose distribution in the tumor can be fully controlled in three dimensions. is last step has been developed during the last 15 – 20 years and has opened up the possibilities for truly optimized radiation therapy also with multiple radiation modalities. This refresher course will briefly discuss biological objective functions and the associated advantages in the treatment outcome using new approaches such as consideration of stochastic positioning and sensitivity uncertainties and angle of incidence and fractionation schedule optimization with intensity-modulated beams. Finally, future possibilities for realizing general three-dimensional intensity-modulated dose delivery with the wide spectrum of radiation modalities from electrons and photons to protons and light ions will be discussed. the clinical value of different radiation modalities will also be briefly reviewed. An Introduction to modern CT Willi A. Kalender
Thee refresher course aims at providing an introduction to basics, technology and applications of modern CT for “novices” in the field. The focus will be on the scan approaches and technology which are the basis for the amazingly high performance of modern CT. For this purpose the state of the art in clinical CT will be reviewed and recent development trends will be analysed briefly; 64-slice high-resolution spiral CT for whole-body imaging constitutes the standard today with rotation times below 0.3 s and total body scan times of just a few seconds. Performance has been enhanced significantly by the introduction of dual source CT. Further developments such as dedicated scanners for special applications and detector developments are key topics and will be outlined briefly to complete the overview. The basic physics of data acquisition and image reconstruction will be covered only briefly. Fundamentals of PET/MRI Imaging Sibylle Ziegler
During the last 30 years radiation therapy has developed from classical rectangular beams via conformation therapy with largely uniform dose delivery but irregular field shapes to fully intensity modulated dose delivery where the total dose distribution in the tumor can be fully controlled in three dimensions. is last step has been developed during the last 15 – 20 years and has opened up the possibilities for truly optimized radiation therapy also with multiple radiation modalities. PET/MR has attracted a lot of attention and the first systems are being used in the clinical arena. The major challenges in terms of detectors, system design, quantification, and protocols will be summarized. Different available hardware solutions in preclinical as well as clinical systems will be reviewed. Furthermore, issues and potential solutions for MR-based attenuation correction procedures will be covered. |