GATE 10 Monte Carlo particle transport simulation: I. Development and new features

Physics in Medicine and Biology, vol. 71, pp. 015042

Abstract

We present GATE version 10, a major evolution of the open-source Monte Carlo simulation application for medical physics, built on Geant4. This release marks a transformative evolution, featuring a modern Python-based user interface, enhanced multithreading and multiprocessing capabilities, the ability to be embedded as a library within other software, and a streamlined framework for collaborative development. In this Part 1 paper, we outline GATE's position among other Monte Carlo codes, the core principles driving this evolution, and the robust development cycle employed. We also detail the new features and improvements. Part 2 will focus on the architectural innovations and technical challenges. By combining an open, collaborative framework with cutting-edge features, such a Monte Carlo platform supports a wide range of academic and industrial research, solidifying its role as a critical tool for innovation in medical physics.

Authors 32

1. David Sarrut corresponding

   Lyon 1 Université · Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Inserm · Université de Lyon · Centre Léon Bérard · Centre de Recherche en Acquisition et Traitement de l'Image pour la Santé · Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon

   Affiliation as printed

   Université de Lyon; CREATIS; CNRS UMR5220; Inserm U1294; INSA-Lyon; Université Lyon 1, Lyon, France

   Centre Léon Bérard, CREATIS, 28 rue Laënnec, LYON, 69373, FRANCE

2. Nicolas Arbor corresponding

   Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien · Université de Strasbourg

   Affiliation as printed

   Université de Strasbourg, IPHC, CNRS, UMR7178, F-67037 Strasbourg, France

   Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, 23 rue du loess, Strasbourg, 67037, FRANCE

3. Thomas Baudier corresponding

   Lyon 1 Université · Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Inserm · Université de Lyon · Centre Léon Bérard · Centre de Recherche en Acquisition et Traitement de l'Image pour la Santé · Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon

   Affiliation as printed

   Université de Lyon; CREATIS; CNRS UMR5220; Inserm U1294; INSA-Lyon; Université Lyon 1, Lyon, France

   Centre Léon Bérard, CREATIS, 28 rue Laënnec, LYON, 69373, FRANCE

4. Julien Bert corresponding

   Inserm · Université de Bretagne Occidentale · Laboratoire de Traitement de l'Information Médicale

   Affiliation as printed

   LaTIM, INSERM UMR1101, University of Brest, Brest, France

   LaTIM, INSERM, UMR1101, U.F.R. Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, 22, Av. Camille Desmoulins, Brest, 29238, FRANCE

5. Konstantinos Chatzipapas corresponding

   Inserm · Université de Bretagne Occidentale · Laboratoire de Traitement de l'Information Médicale · Delft University of Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Radiation Science and Technology, Technical University of Delft, Delft, The Netherlands

   LaTIM, INSERM UMR1101, University of Brest, Brest, France

   Department of Radiation Science and Technology, TU Delft, Mekelweg 15, Delft, ZH, 2629 JB, NETHERLANDS

6. Martina Favaretto corresponding

   MedAustron

   Affiliation as printed

   MedAustron Ion Therapy Center, Wiener Neustadt, Austria

   MedAustron, Marie-Curie-Straße 5, Wiener Neustadt, Lower Austria, 2700, AUSTRIA

7. H. Fuchs corresponding

   Vienna General Hospital · Medical University of Vienna

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

   Department of Radiation Oncology & Christian Doppler Laboratory for Medical Radiation Research for Radiation Oncology, Medizinische Universitaet Wien, Div Medical Radiation Physics, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, AKH Vienna, Vienna, Vienna, 1090, AUSTRIA

8. Loïc Grevillot corresponding

   MedAustron

   Affiliation as printed

   MedAustron Ion Therapy Center, Wiener Neustadt, Austria

   Medical Physics, MedAustron, Marie Curie-Straße 5, Wiener Neustadt, 2700, AUSTRIA

9. Hussein Harb corresponding

   Inserm · Université de Bretagne Occidentale · Laboratoire de Traitement de l'Information Médicale

   Affiliation as printed

   LaTIM, INSERM UMR1101, University of Brest, Brest, France

   LaTIM, INSERM, UMR1101, U.F.R. Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, 22, Av. Camille Desmoulins, 29238 Brest Cedex, Brest, 29238, FRANCE

10. Maxime Jacquet corresponding

    Lyon 1 Université · Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Inserm · Université de Lyon · Centre de Recherche en Acquisition et Traitement de l'Image pour la Santé · Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon

    Affiliation as printed

    Université de Lyon; CREATIS; CNRS UMR5220; Inserm U1294; INSA-Lyon; Université Lyon 1, Lyon, France

    CREATIS, Rue Laënnec, Villeurbanne, 69621, FRANCE

11. Sébastien Jan corresponding

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Inserm · Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives · Université Paris-Saclay · Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale Multimodale Paris-Saclay

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, CNRS, CEA, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale Multimodale (BioMaps), Orsay, France

    Université Paris-Saclay, 4 place du général Leclerc, Orsay, 91401, FRANCE

12. Yihan Jia corresponding

    MedAustron · Medical University of Vienna

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    MedAustron Ion Therapy Center, Wiener Neustadt, Austria

    Medical Physics, MedAustron, Marie Curie-Straße 5, Wiener Neustadt, Lower Austria, 2700, AUSTRIA

13. George C. Kagadis corresponding

    University of Patras

    Affiliation as printed

    3DMI Research Group, Department of Medical Physics, University of Patras, Rion, Greece

    Department of Medical Physics, University of Patras, School of Medicine, Patras, 26500, GREECE

14. Han Gyu Kang corresponding

    National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology · National Institute of Radiological Sciences

    Affiliation as printed

    National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba, Japan

    Department of Nuclear Medicine Science, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Imaging Physics Group, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba Japan, Chiba, Chiba, 263-8555, JAPAN

15. Paul Klever corresponding Aachen

    University Medical Center Groningen · University of Groningen · FH Aachen

    Affiliation as printed

    FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Aachen, Germany

    University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Heinrich-Mußmann-Strasse 1, Jülich, 52428, GERMANY

16. O. Kochebina corresponding

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Inserm · Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives · Université Paris-Saclay · Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale Multimodale Paris-Saclay

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, CNRS, CEA, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale Multimodale (BioMaps), Orsay, France

    Université Paris-Saclay, 4 Place du général Leclerc, Orsay, 91401, FRANCE

17. W. Krzemień corresponding

    National Centre for Nuclear Research

    Affiliation as printed

    High Energy Physics Division, National Centre for Nuclear Research, Andrzeja Soltana 7, Otwock, Swierk PL-05-400, Poland

    National Centre for Nuclear Research, Andrzeja Sołtana 7/3, Otwock, 05-400, POLAND

18. Lydia Maigne corresponding

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Clermont Auvergne · Laboratoire de Physique de Clermont Auvergne

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Clermont Auvergne, Laboratoire de Physique de Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Laboratoire de Physique de Clermont, University Clermont Auvergne, Campus Universitaire des Cézeaux, 4, avenue Blaise Pascal, TSA 60026, Aubière, 63178, FRANCE

19. Philipp Mohr corresponding

    University Medical Center Groningen · University of Groningen

    Affiliation as printed

    University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, Groningen, 9713 GZ, NETHERLANDS

20. Guneet Mummaneni corresponding

    University of California, Davis

    Affiliation as printed

    University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America

    Department of Computer Science, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, 95616-5270, UNITED STATES

21. V. Paneta corresponding
    Affiliation as printed

    Bioemission Technology Solutions, BIOEMTECH, Athens, Greece

    BIOEMETECH, 271 Kleisthenous St, Gerakas, Athens, 153 44, GREECE

22. Panagiotis Papadimitroulas corresponding

    University of Thessaly

    Affiliation as printed

    Bioemission Technology Solutions, BIOEMTECH, Athens, Greece

    University of Thessaly, Department of Medicine, Medical Informatics Laboratory, Larissa, Greece

    BIOEMTECH, Mesogeion Av. 387, Athens, 15343, GREECE

23. Alexis Pereda corresponding

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Clermont Auvergne · Laboratoire de Physique de Clermont Auvergne

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Clermont Auvergne, Laboratoire de Physique de Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Université Clermont Auvergne, 4 Av. Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand, 63001, FRANCE

24. Axel Rannou corresponding

    Inserm · Université de Bretagne Occidentale · Laboratoire de Traitement de l'Information Médicale

    Affiliation as printed

    LaTIM, INSERM UMR1101, University of Brest, Brest, France

    University of Brest, 22 Avenue Camille Desmoulins, Brest, 29238, FRANCE

25. Andreas Franz Resch corresponding

    MedAustron

    Affiliation as printed

    MedAustron Ion Therapy Center, Wiener Neustadt, Austria

    Medical Physics, MedAustron, Marie-Curie-Straße 5, Wiener Neustadt, 2700 , AUSTRIA

26. Emilie Roncali corresponding

    University of California, Davis

    Affiliation as printed

    University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America

    Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California - Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, Davis, California, 95616, UNITED STATES

27. Maxime Toussaint corresponding

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université de Sherbrooke · Inserm · Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie et Immunologie Intégrée Nantes Angers · Nantes Université

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada

    Laboratoire CRCI2NA, INSERM, CNRS, Nantes Université, Nantes, France

    Computer Science, Universite de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1K 2R1, CANADA

28. Carlotta Trigila corresponding

    University of California, Davis

    Affiliation as printed

    University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America

    Department of Computer Science, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, 95616-5270, UNITED STATES

29. Charalampos Tsoumpas corresponding

    University Medical Center Groningen · University of Groningen

    Affiliation as printed

    University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    NGMB, University Medical Centre Groningen, Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands, Groningen, 9700 RB, NETHERLANDS

30. Jing Zhang corresponding

    Inserm · Université de Bretagne Occidentale · Laboratoire de Traitement de l'Information Médicale · Université de Bretagne Occidentale

    Affiliation as printed

    LaTIM, INSERM UMR1101, University of Brest, Brest, France

    Université de Brest, 12 Av. Foch, Brest, Brittany, 29238, FRANCE

31. K. Ziemons corresponding Aachen Faculty of Medical Engineering and TM

    FH Aachen

    Affiliation as printed

    FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Aachen, Germany

    Faculty of Medical Engineering and TM, Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Heinrich-Mußmann-Straße 1, Jülich, NRW, 52428, GERMANY

32. Nils Krah corresponding

    Lyon 1 Université · Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Inserm · Université de Lyon · Centre de Recherche en Acquisition et Traitement de l'Image pour la Santé · Holland Particle Therapy Center · Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Research and Development, Holland Proton Therapy Centre Delft, Delft, The Netherlands

    Université de Lyon; CREATIS; CNRS UMR5220; Inserm U1294; INSA-Lyon; Université Lyon 1, Lyon, France

    Beam line scientist, HollandPTC, Huismansingel 4, JH Delft, 2629, NETHERLANDS