The Plaque window is used to select a plaque, load sources into a plaque, and design new plaques. In this example the plaque file EP1824-25-n-p-f-r.iplq6 has been loaded. Plaque file naming conventions are fully explained in the plaque name page of this guide. For example, the "p" in the file name indicates that this plaque model includes an embedded scanned photo of the plaque. The extension ".iplq6" indicates that this is a PS version 6 plaque file. PS version 6 plaques are packages (a package is a folder masquerading as a file) which contains an xml file describing the plaque and .png files with pictures of the shell and seed carrier if there is one. PS version 5 files were binary files. PS version 6 can import and convert most version 5 binary files.
The status line just below the tool bar indicates the active plaque index (P1..P4) and information concerning the current radionuclide inventory selection.
To load sources into a plaque, select a batch of sources from the radionuclide inventory database by clicking on the Source button. The status line will change to reflect the active inventory selection. Set the cursor mode to Load slot, and then click on a slot position placeholder. Slot placeholders typically appear as thin brown lines. Filled positions are drawn with a 3D rendering of the source. To return a source to the inventory, simply click on it. As you add sources to the plaque they will also appear in any other windows which display sources.
In addition to the buttons in this window, many other plaque related parameters and functions are accessible from the Plaque menu which appears on the menu bar any time this window is frontmost.
The toolbar buttons near the top of the window select which plaque is currently being edited, cursor function, and window layout. Plaque simulator supports up to 4 plaques per plan. The default condition is to allow only one of these plaques to be "active", or "editable", for dosimetry purposes. In most instances you will simply use plaque #1 for planning, with plaques 2..4 reserved to optionally compare alternate plaque designs and loading patterns.
The buttons on the left of the Plaque window (from top to bottom) control various aspects of the plaque and its display in this window:
Note: contributions can not be calculated for empty source placeholders, you must first load seeds into the plaque. For example, to assure dosimetric coverage of a peripapilary tumor overlying the disc, initially load a notched plaque with seeds of uniform strength and take note of which seeds contribute the largest percentage of dose to the disc. Intensity modulate only those seeds.
When the Plaque window is frontmost, the Edit menu provides access to a few special functions.
If NO sources are selected, copies the current source loading data for all sources to the clipboard. You can later paste these sources into a different plaque.
If ANY sources are selected, copies the current source loading data for those currently selected sources to the clipboard. You can later paste these sources into a different plaque.
Pastes previously copied source loading data into the current plaque.
Option-click the Edit menu to access the special copy function which transfers the center coordinates of all of a plaque's sources and placeholders to the clipboard in X,Y,Z tab delimited text format. You can then paste the coordinates into a spreadsheet or text editor.