espadon-package: espadon: Easy Study of Patient DICOM Data in Oncology

In espadon: Easy Study of Patient DICOM Data in Oncology

espadon: Easy Study of Patient DICOM Data in Oncology

Description

Read, process, and export DICOM and DICOM-RT files (structures, dosimetry, imagery) for medical physics and clinical research, with patient-oriented 2D-3D visualization.

espadon is designed for advanced medical imaging and dosimetry analysis, specializing in DICOM file handling (CT, MR, PT, RT-Dose, RT-Struct, RT-Image). It provides native, user-friendly tools for 3D image processing, referential transformations (REG), and contour manipulation —ideal for radiotherapy, medical physics, and machine learning workflows.

Key Features:

• Multi-format DICOM support: Seamlessly load, fuse, and process CT, MRI, PET, RT-Dose, RT-Struct, and RT-Image files.

• 3D Image Processing:

  • Referential changes (rigid registration)

  • Resampling, filtering, and interpolation

  • Mask application and structure transport across reference frames

• Contour & Segmentation Tools:

  • Boolean operations: Fusion, intersection, inversion, erosion, dilation, opening, closing

  • Image-based segmentation (e.g., for organs-at-risk or tumors)

  • Mesh generation for 3D visualization

• 2D/3D Visualization:

  • Slice-based rendering (CT, MR, RT-Dose)

  • 3D contour overlay (RT-Struct) with spatial accuracy

• Quantitative Metrics & Analysis:

  • Histograms (1D, 2D) and Dose-Volume Histograms (DVH) with Monte-Carlo simulations for organ motion

  • Geometric measurements: Surfaces, volumes, radii of curvature (on meshes)

  • Dosimetry indicators: Standard metrics (e.g., D95, V95) for treatment planning

  • Spatial similarity metrics: Dice, Hausdorff distance, etc.

  • Volume comparison: Error metrics (e.g., sCT vs. CT for ROI validation)

• DICOM Export: Generate custom DICOM objects (CT, MR, RT-Dose, RT-Struct) for interoperability.

In the calculation flow, various objects are created and accessible to the developer for his own use.

Example:

  library(espadon)
  # Load a DICOM CT series (auto-sorts slices by InstanceNumber)
  ct_volume <- load.obj.from.dicom("path/to/dicom/folder")

  # Load RT-Struct and overlay contours on CT
  rtstruct <- load.obj.from.dicom("path/to/rtstruct.dcm")
  display.plane (bottom = ct_volume, struct = rtstruct)

  # Export a modified DICOM CT
  export(modified_ct, file.dirname = "output_folder", file.name="new_CT")

Author(s)

Maintainer: Cathy Fontbonne [e-mail] (LPC-CAEN, France)

Authors:

• Cathy Fontbonne [e-mail] (LPC-CAEN, France)

• Jean-Marc Fontbonne (LPC-CAEN, France)

Other contributors:

• Nathan Azemar (LPC-CAEN, France) [contributor]

Cathy & Jean-Marc Fontbonne

See Also

Useful links:

• https://espadon.cnrs.fr

espadon documentation built on May 8, 2026, 9:07 a.m.