Daily dosimetric quality control of the MM50 Racetrack Microtron using an electronic portal imaging device

Radiother Oncol. 1995 Oct;37(1):55-60. doi: 10.1016/0167-8140(95)01588-8.

Abstract

The MM50 Racetrack Microtron, suited for advanced three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy techniques, is a complex machine in various respects. Therefore, for a number of gantry angles, daily quality control of the absolute output and fluence profiles of the scanned beams are mandatory. For the applied photon beams, a fast method for these daily checks, based on dosimetric measurements with the Philips SRI-100 Electronic Portal Imaging Device (EPID), has been developed and tested. Open beams are checked for four different gantry angles; for gantry angle 0, a wedged field is checked as well. Performing and analyzing the measurements takes about 10 min. The applied EPID has favourable characteristics for dosimetric quality control measurements: absolute output measurements reproduce within 0.5% (1 SD) and the reproducibility of relative (2D) beam profile measurements is 0.2% (1 SD). The day-to-day sensitivity stability over a period of one month is 0.6% (1 SD). Measured grey scale values are within 0.2% linear with the applied dose. The 2D fluence profile of the 25 MV photon beam of the MM50 is very stable in time: during a period of 5 months a maximum fluctuation of 2.2% has been observed. Once, a deviation in the cGy/MU-value of 6% was detected. There is no interlock in the MM50-system that would have prevented patient treatment with this strongly deviating output. Based on the results of this study and on clinical requirements regarding acceptability of deviations of beam characteristics, a protocol has been developed including action levels for additional investigations and, if necessary, adjustment of the beam characteristics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Calibration
  • Fluoroscopy / instrumentation
  • Humans
  • Models, Structural
  • Photons
  • Quality Control*
  • Radiographic Image Enhancement
  • Radiography / instrumentation
  • Radiotherapy Dosage*
  • Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / instrumentation*
  • Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / standards
  • Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / statistics & numerical data
  • Radiotherapy, Computer-Assisted / instrumentation
  • Radiotherapy, High-Energy / instrumentation
  • Radiotherapy, High-Energy / standards
  • Radiotherapy, High-Energy / statistics & numerical data
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • X-Ray Intensifying Screens