The beam characteristics and dosimetric measurements of the 10 MV X-ray beam from a Mevatron KD linear accelerator are examined. The Percent Depth Dose (PDD) table and the Tissue Maximum Ratio (TMR) table are taken from measurement as a function of the field size and the depth. The calculated TMR table from PDD table is compared with those from measurement. Other beam characteristics such as output factor, beam profile (including flatness, symmetry and penumbra), wedge, and the variation of Dmax are presented.
Particle Accelerators*

In recent years there has been a growing interest in all forms of rotational therapy, and many different types of therapy machines designed for this kind of treatment have become available. To the medical radiation physicist, the dosimetry of rotation therapy has presented a number of interesting problems, and much useful work has been published on the basic date of dose distribution and dosage calculation. The setting dose for ARC therapy were obtained by computer calculation and measurement with cylindrical phantom. Authors compared computer calculation with measured value. And in ARC therapy, the region of maximum dose in shifted from the tumor center. The extent of shift was analyzed by isodose distribution for ARC therapy techniques.
Particle Accelerators*

A comprehensive set of dosimetric measurements has been made on the Varian Clinac 1800 15 MV photon beam. Beam quality percentage depth dose, dose in the build up region, output, symmetry and flatness, transmission through lead (Cerrobend), tray attenuation, isodose curves for the open and wedged fields were measured using 3 dimensional water phantom dosimetry system (including film densitometer system) and polystryrence phantoms. These dosimetric measurements sufficiently characterized the beam to permit clinical use. The depth dose characteristics of photon beam is dmax of 3.0 cm and percentage depth dose of 76.8% at 10 cm, 100 cm source-surface distance, field size of 10 x 10 cm2 for 15 MV X-ray beam. The Output factors ranged 0.927 for 4 X 4 cm2 field to 1.087 for 35 X 35 cm2 field. The build-up level of maximum dose was at 3.0 cm and surface dose was approximately 15.5% for a field size 10 x 10 cm2 . The stability of output is within+/-1% and flatness and symmetry are within+/-3%. The half value thickness (HVL) of lead is 13 mm, which corresponds to an attenuation coefficient of 0.053 mm-1. These figures compare favorably with the manufacturer's specifications.
Particle Accelerators* ; Water

A docking intraoperative electron beam applicator system, which is easily docking in the collimator for a linear accelerator after setting a sterilized transparent cone on the tumor bearing area in the operation room, has been designed to optimize dose distribution and to improve the efficiency of radiation treatment method with linear accelerator. This applicator system consisted of collimator holder with shielded metals and docking cone with transparent acrylic cylinder. A number of technical innovations have been used in the design of this system, this docking cone gives a improving latral dose coverage at therapeutic volume. The position of 90% isodose curve under surface of 8 cm diameter cone was extended 4~7 mm at 12 MeV electron and the isodose measurements beneath the cone wall showed hot spots as great as 106% for acrylic cone. The leakage radiation dose to tissues outside the cone wall was reduced as 3~5% of output dose. A comprehensive set of dosimetric characteristics of the intraoperative radiation therapy applicator system is presented.
Metals ; Particle Accelerators

PURPOSE: To evaluate the contralateral breast dose using a virtual wedge compared with that using a physical wedge and an open beam in a Siemens linear accelerator. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The contralateral breast dose was measured using diodes placed on a humanoid phantom. Diodes were placed at 5.5 cm (position 1), 9.5 cm (position 2), and 14 cm (position 3) along the medial-lateral line from the medial edge of the treatment field. A 6-MV photon beam was used with tangential irradiation technique at 50 and 230 degrees of gantry angle. Asymmetrically collimated 17 x 10 cm field was used. For the first set of experiment, four treatment set-ups were used, which were an open medial beam with a 30-degree wedged lateral beam (physical and virtual wedges, respectively) and a 15-degree wedged medial beam with a 15-degree wedged lateral beam (physical and virtual wedges, respectively). The second set of experiment consists of setting with medial beam without wedge, a 15-degree wedge, and a 60-degree wedge (physical and virtual wedges, respectively). Identical monitor units were delivered. Each set of experiment was repeated for three times. RESULTS: In the first set of experiment, the contralateral breast dose was the highest at the position 1 and decreased in order of the position 2 and 3. The contralateral breast dose was reduced with open beam on the medial side (2.70+/-1.46%) compared to medial beam with a wedge (both physical and virtual) (3.25+/-1.59%). The differences were larger with a physical wedge (0.99+/-0.18%) than a virtual wedge (0.10+/-0.01%) at all positions. The use of a virtual wedge reduced the contralateral breast dose by 0.12% to 1.20% of the prescribed dose compared to a physical wedge with same technique. In the second experiment, the contralateral breast dose decreased in order of the open beam, the virtual wedge, and the physical wedge at the position 1, and it decreased in order of a physical wedge, an open beam, and a virtual wedge at the position 2 and 3. CONCLUSION: The virtual wedge equipped in a Siemens linear accelerator was found to be useful in reducing dose to the contralateral breast. Our additional finding was that the surface dose distribution from the Siemens accelerator was different from a Varian accelerator.
Breast* ; Particle Accelerators

One of the most important task in commissioning intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) into a clinic is the characterization of dosimetry performance under small monitor unit delivery conditions. In this study, method of evaluating dose monitor linearity, beam flatness and symmetry, and MLC positioning accuracy using a diode array is investigated. Siemens Primus linear accelerator (LA) with 6 and 10 MV x-rays was used to deliver radiation and the characteristics were measured using a multi array diodes. Monitor unit stabilities were measured for both x-ray energies. The dose linearity errors for the 6 MV x-ray were 2.1, 3.4, 6.9, 8.6, and 15.4 % when 20 MU, 10 MU, 5 MU, 4 MU, and 2 MU was delivered, respectively. Greater errors were observed for 10 MV x-rays with a maximum of 22% when 2 MU was delivered. These errors were corrected by adjusting D1_C0 values and reduced to less than 2% in all cases. The beam flatness and symmetry were appropriate without any correction. The picket fence test performed using diode array and film measurement showed similar results. The use of diode array is a convenient method in characterizing beam stability, symmetry and flatness, and positioning accuracy of MLC for IMRT commissioning. In addition, adjustment of D1-C0 value must be performed when a Siemens LA is used for IMRT because factory value usually gives unacceptable beam stability error when the MU/segment is smaller than 20.
Organothiophosphorus Compounds ; Particle Accelerators

As radiation is irradiated from various directions in intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), longer treatment time than conventional treatment method is taken. In case of the patients who have problem to keep same posture for long time because of pain and injury, reducing treatment time through increased dose rate is a way for effective treatment. This study measured and found out the variation of dose and dose distribution in accordance with dose rate variation. IMRT treatment plan was set up to investigate from 5 directions - 0degrees, 72degrees, 144degrees, 216degrees, 288degrees - using ECLIPSE system (Varian, SomaVision 6.5, USA). To confirm dose and dose rate in accordance with dose rate variation, dose rate was set up as 100, 300, 500 MU/min, and dose and dose distribution were measured using ionization chamber (PTW, TN31014) and film dosimeter (EDR2, Kodak). At this time, film dosimeter was inserted into acrylic phantom, then installed to run parallel with beam's irradiating direction, 21EX-S (Varian, USA) was utilized as linear accelerator for irradiation. The measured film dosimeter was analyzed using VXR-16 (Vidar System Corporation) to confirm dose distribution.
Humans ; Particle Accelerators ; Posture

In this study, Geant4 based Monte Carlo simulations were carried out for medical linear accelerator. Modified Medical Linac2 toolkit was used for calculation. The energy spectrum, most probable energy and the photon mean energy compared with the published results using the EGS4 code. The results well agreed with published results. The calculated results of photon fluence, energy fluence and mean energy according to the radius from the centre of the beam were analyzed. Monte Carlo simulation using Medical Linac2 code is considered to be useful for analysis of medical linear accelerator. Because the calculated results varies depending on Physics List model for same head structure. It it important to choose the right model for research purpose. Monte Carlo simulation using GEANT4 Medical Linac2 is a valuable for any novice to adopt this code to the study related to 6 MV photon fluence from medical linear accelerator.
Head ; Particle Accelerators ; Radius

A method to get a size of the radiation isocenter of linear accelerators using star-shot images was presented and a computer program was developed to automate the method. Accuracy of the method was verified. The developed program was used to measure sizes of the radiation isocenters for a Clinac 21EX (Varian, USA) using data of quality assurance (QA) performed from June 2008 to December 2010. To calculated the size of radiation isocenter, positions of two points on each central ray of the star-shot image were found and the equation of the central ray was determined using the positions of two points. Using the equations of central rays the radius of the minimum circle intersecting all the central rays, which is one half of the size of radiation isocenter, was calculated. The program measured X-intercepts and y-intercepts of the central rays within errors of 0.084 mm and sizes of radiation isocenters within 0.053 mm. All the errors were less than the spatial resolution of star-shot images 0.085 mm. The radiation isocenter sizes of Clinac 21EX were 0.33+/-0.27 mm, 0.71+/-0.36 mm, 0.50+/-0.16 mm for collimator, gantry and couch respectively. During the measurement period all the measured sizes were less than 2.0 mm and within tolerance. The developed program could calculate the size of radiation isocenters and it would be helpful to routine QA.
Particle Accelerators ; Radius ; Software

The stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) describes a method of delivering a high dose of radiation to a small target volume in the brain, generally in a single fraction, while the dose delivered to the surrounding normal tissue should be minimized. To perform automatic plan of the SRS, a new method of multi-isocenter/shot linear accelerator (linac) and gamma knife (GK) radiosurgery treatment plan was developed, based on a physical lattice structure in target. The optimal radiosurgical plan had been constructed by many beam parameters in a linear accelerator or gamma knife-based radiation therapy. In this work, an isocenter/shot was modeled as a sphere, which is equal to the circular collimator/helmet hole size because the dimension of the 50% isodose level in the dose profile is similar to its size. In a computer-aided system, it accomplished first an automatic arrangement of multi-isocenter/shot considering two parameters such as positions and collimator/helmet sizes for each isocenter/shot. Simultaneously, an irregularly shaped target was approximated by cubic structures through computation of voxel units. The treatment planning method by the technique was evaluated as a dose distribution by dose volume histograms, dose conformity, and dose homogeneity to targets. For irregularly shaped targets, the new method performed optimal multi-isocenter packing, and it only took a few seconds in a computer-aided system. The targets were included in a more than 50% isodose curve. The dose conformity was ordinarily acceptable levels and the dose homogeneity was always less than 2.0, satisfying for various targets referred to Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) SRS criteria. In conclusion, this approach by physical lattice structure could be a useful radiosurgical plan without restrictions in the various tumor shapes and the different modality techniques such as linac and GK for SRS.
Brain ; Particle Accelerators ; Radiosurgery*