SERA: Simulation Environment for Radiotherapy Applications

The Challenge

Accurate treatment planning is critical for effective application of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT), which combines boron-based pharmaceuticals with neutron irradiation to selectively target tumor tissue. Conventional radiotherapy planning tools are not designed to account for the specific transport behavior of neutrons and photons involved in BNCT. This creates a need for specialized modeling environments capable of handling neutron-photon interactions and dose distribution in complex anatomical geometries.

How It Works

SERA provides an integrated framework for three-dimensional treatment planning in BNCT. It supports:

• Patient-Specific Geometry Modeling: CT or MRI data are processed using seraImage and seraModel to generate uniform volume elements (univels) that represent tissue and tumor structures.

• 3D Visualization: The sera3d module enables visualization of the anatomical model and treatment configuration.

• Neutron and Photon Transport Simulation: seraCalc and seraMC calculate neutron and gamma transport from the source through patient anatomy using coupled neutron-photon transport models.

• Dose Calculation and Visualization: seraDose maps calculated dose distributions onto anatomical images, allowing evaluation of therapeutic and non-target tissue exposure.

Key Advantages

• Supports full BNCT workflow from image processing to dose visualization.

• Allows modeling of patient-specific tissue distributions using medical imaging data.

• Calculates spatial dose distributions accounting for neutron-photon interactions.

• Enables treatment planners to evaluate and refine BNCT configurations before clinical application.

Market Applications

• BNCT Treatment Centers: Plan and evaluate individualized BNCT treatment protocols.

• Medical Physics Research: Simulate neutron-photon interactions in radiotherapy environments.

• Radiation Dosimetry Training: Support academic programs in medical physics and radiotherapy modeling.

This software is open source and available at no cost. Download now by visiting the product's GitHub page.