Term Test 2 Flashcards
what allows for an accurate prescribed dose to a target volume
Accurate calibration at reference conditions in a uniform water phantom
Dose at any point in patient must be calculated and correlated to the calibration dose
What do we have to consider when calculating photon dose
1) non infinite patient
2) inhomogeneities
Deposition of energy from a photon beam has two stages. What are they
- TERMA : total energy released per unit MAss (interaction of a photon with an atom: energy is transferred from photon to charged particles and scattered photons) \
- Electrons set in motion (KERMA) then transfer energy to tissues via excitations and ionizations (DOSE step)
How do inhomogeneities change TERMA and dose
- absorption of primary photon beam (changes number of photon interactions - changes in the probability of attenuation (changes in u and u/p)
- pattern and mean free path of scattered photons (mean free path is the average distance between photon interactions)
- change number in number of electrons produced
- change in range of electrons produced
What is charged particle equilibrium (CPE)
- number of electrons entering and leaving small volume are equal, so ionizations due to all tracks are accounted for
What is needed for full CPE
- must be along axis beam and laterality
Why is calculating dose easier when CPE is established
- do not have to calculate all electron paths
When does CPE exist
- volume is surrounded by material with same properties
- minimum thickness equal to maximum range of electrons produced
When (or where) does CPE not exist
- in the build up region
- for very small fields and high photon energies
- at the interface between tissues with different properties
At beam edges
What is the relative PRIMARY photon interactions in a low density inhomogeneous tissue compared to homogenous tissue with higher density
Fewer in photon interactions in lower densities
What is the relative scattered photon interactions in a low density inhomogeneous tissue
Number of scattered photons will be similar to a water density but the average energy of scattered electrons will be greater . Scattered photons have more space to move around and interact with other photons to set them in motion. Therefore more dose in less dense areas
What is the relative electron interactions in a low density inhomogeneous tissue
Average energy of electrons is higher in lower density but dose will be equal or slightly greater
Within a low density inhomogeneity (where CPE exists) describe the number of photons, energy of scattered photons, and secondary electrons relative to a homogeneous situation
Number of primary photons is much greater
Energy of scattered photons is slightly greater
Secondary electrons have a slightly higher energy
Overall: dose is greater in lower density
When going from water, to air, to back to water, describe the dose at each interface
- interface 1: water into air - dose drops due to loss of photon/electron back scatter
Interface 2: interface at air.- dose drops due to loss of CPE
Interface 3: air to water - dose increase due to increase in electron back scatter
Interface 4: water start - dose build up (drops locally) higher dose than if we had all water
What is the bone density
1.69
In bone inhomogeneties, for MV photons, which interactions dominate?
- Compton interactions dominate
What is the atomic number of bone
13.5
In bone homogeneities for KV photons, which interactions will dominate
Photoelectric interactions
For KV photons and MV photons, what is their comparison to dose in water at the same point?
- MV dose will be lower
- KV dose will be higher
- dose to bone will be the same
For very high energy photons, which interactions will dominate in bone inhomogeneties
- pair production
What are some correction based algorithms
- flat contour
- homogenous
- dose measures at points along central axis
- symmetric field
- beam axis perpendicular to phantom surface
- infinite volume relative to range of scatter
Due to primary photons, how does energy and depth effect dose ?
- dose increases as energy increase
- dose decreases as depth increases
Due to scattered, how does field size, energy and depth effect dose ?
- dose increases and field size increases
- dose increases as energy decreases
- dose increases as depth increases