espadon

espadon processes DICOM files in R to extract, convert, and analyze medical imaging and radiotherapy data for clinical research and treatment-plan evaluation.

Key Features:

• Conversion and Manipulation: Converts DICOM objects into espadon-specific objects and extracts data from CT, MR, PET, RTstruct, RTdose, and RTplan.
• Data Linking and Visualization: Links images, structures, and treatment plans in chronological order and provides 2D and 3D visualization of volumes and structures.
• Resampling and Segmentation: Performs volume resampling and segmentation and allows changes in geometric frames of reference.
• Dose-Volume Analysis: Computes dose-volume histograms and supports Monte Carlo calculations for random shifts of contours.
• Radiotherapy Indices Calculation: Automates calculation of radiotherapy indices including Gamma and Chi indices.
• Statistical and Machine Learning Applications: Enables automated extraction and calculation of features from DICOM files for statistical modeling and machine learning within R.

Scientific Applications:

• Treatment-plan evaluation and verification: Performs TPS-independent calculations to assess dose distributions and plan quality using DVHs and Gamma/Chi indices.
• Uncertainty and robustness analysis: Uses Monte Carlo random shifts of contours to evaluate dose-volume response to contour variability.
• Radiomics and predictive modeling: Supplies extracted imaging and dose features for statistical analysis and machine learning studies in R.

Methodology:

Implemented as an R script that decodes DICOM files while pseudonymizing patient data.