Non-voxel-based broad beam framework: A summary

THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE general purpose graphic processing unit (GPU) with data parallel streaming processor evoked many innovative approaches of handling massive computation, such as in the field of medical physics as reviewed in References 1,2. Many algorithms were redesigned to take advantage of GPU’s parallel processing power and to accommodate its relatively small memory compared with the central processing unit (CPU). This is no exception in the field of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). The nonvoxel-based broad-beam (NVBB) framework [3] was developed to handle IMRT optimization and proved to be effective. This chapter gives a summary review of the NVBB framework.