Sanjiv Samant, Ph.D.
Ph.D. , University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, 1988
Associate Professor

Research area of interest

The acquisition of portal images from megavoltage radiation allows for the verification on the adequacy of the radiation treatment fields. However these images generally suffer from low spatial and contrast resolution compared to their diagnostic counterparts due both to the physics of high energy radiation and the current technology available. Two types of prototype electronic portal imaging detectors (EPIDs) are being developed to significantly improve image quality: kinestatic charge detection (KCD) and thick scintillator based CCD systems. This represents a collaborative effort between St. Jude, the University of Tennessee, Memphis and the University of Memphis. Construction of a clinical prototype KCD system is currently underway, and a proof of concept prototype of a thick scintillator CCD has been successfully tested.

As part of the goal of conformal radiotherapy verification in a clinical setting, work at St. Jude has focused on the novel application of EPIDs in the verification of multileaf collimated (MLC) fields. MLC generated fields allow for the use of a large number of fields needed in conformal therapy with less treatment time and more accuracy than that associated with conventional cerrobend generated fields. The work has lead to the construction of a new edge detection algorithm, pattern recognition to automatically identify the radiation central axis, and the development of a calibration protocol, allowing for the automated verification of MLC fields. The goal is to have an automated system for verifying the adequacy of the treatment fields prior to and during patient treatment.

Recent publications:

• Sawant A, Zeman H, Samant S, Lovhoiden G, Weinberg B and Dibianca F, Theoretical Analysis and Experimental Evaluation of a CsI(Tl) Based Electronic Portal Imaging System, Med Phys 29(6):1042-1053, 2002.
• Samant SS, Zheng W, Parra NA, Chandler J, Gopal A, Wu J, Jain J, Zhu Y, Sontag M. Automated verification of multileaf collimation (MLC) using a Siemens BEAMVIEW EPID. Med Phys. 29(12):2900-2912, 2002. (Best paper award by Southeast Association of American Physicists in Medicine)
• Samant SS, Jain J. Manufacturing of the folded flexible circuit board. Int. J of Micro & Electronic Packaging, 25(1):88-99, 2002.
• Qi G, Goloubev M, FA DiBianca and Samant S. On modeling the kinesatic charge detector for digital radiographic diagnostic and portal imaging. J. of Medical Engineering and Technology, 5:193-198, 2002.
• Jain J, Samant S. Novel multilayering technique using folded flexible circuits. J. of Electronic Manufacturing, IEEE Trans, 28(3): 259-264, 2005.
• Wu J, SS Samant. An Automated Registration Quality Evaluator. Submitted to Med Phys.
• Samant SS, Gopal A. Analysis of the Kinestatic Charge Detector as a Megavoltage Electronic Portal Imaging Device (EPID). Med Phys. (in press)
• Samant SS, Gopal A, Sobczak D. A high quantum efficiency prototype video based portal imaging system. Journal of X-ray Sc. Tech. (In press)
• Samant SS, Gopal A, A Prototype High Quantum Efficiency Video Electronic Portal Imaging Device (EPID). Med Phys. (In press)