TG106 Flashcards
what is TG-106
Accelerator beam data commissioning equipment and procedures
max data variation among different people taking measurements
< 1 %
issues with using golden beam data
-variations in beam parameters between beams with same nominal energies
-on-site changes such as steering won’t be modelled
-jaw velocity onsite for wedges could affect wedge model
-although acceptable agreement with the golden data set may be found in individual checks, it may be that some clinical setups will have multiple errors, which combine to produce unaccept-able results
difference between acceptance testing and commissioning
acceptance testing- verification that the machine meets standards agreed to with vendor
commissioning- obtain dataset for patient treatment
task report wants measurement error to be within what?
+/- 1 %
time for commissioning of a linac
-1.5 weeks photon beam scanning
-pt data collection 1 week
-electrons 1-2 weeks
-analysis 1-2 weeks
4-6 weeks total
additional time to validate TPS etc
when can you cut down on commissioning if you have 2 identical machines?
-proper analysis of sample data set is done and agreement is within 1 %
2 types of data acquired during commissioning
-scanned data
-pt data
what to do if algae starts growing in water tank
-add detergent
why do you periodically check the water tank level?
water evaporates
how big does scanning water tank need to be?
1.6 X max field size
-75x75 cm2 is optimal
how to get diagonal profile info
-rotate tank not collimator
-collimator rotated will not give FF info that diagonal profiles are intended to provide
-potentially need to take half-scans at deeper depths (large FS required)
acceptable asymmetry for using half-scans
< 0.5%
what can you use solid water for at commissioning?
-output factors
-surface dose
-leakage/transmission
-wedge factors
how to measure Sc
volume of standard vs mini vs micro ion chamber
standard = 0.6 cm3
mini = 0.05 cm3
micro = 0.007 cm3
pros of diodes
-quick reponse time
-excellent spatial resolution
-high sensitivity
-no external bias
-energy independenc eof mass collision stopping power ratios
-however, temperature, dose rate, energy, and angular dependent
what detector do you use for dynamic wedge measurement?
-either diode or ion chamber array
pros of diamond detectors
-no directional dependence
-tissue equivalent
-small (1-6 mm3)
-small dependence on dose rate
accuracy of TLD
+/- 5 %
cons of TLDs
-some energy dependence
-fading
-non-linear dose response
-these effects are small in MV beams
what does film dosimetry depend on?
-field size
-depth
-beam energy
-processing
why use film for electron beam?
Silver halide films exhibit strong energydependence for photon beams but their response is relativelyindependent in megavoltage electron beams.
pros of MOSFETS
-small size
-similar to conventional dosimeters in reproducibility, linearity, energy, and angular reponse
-total dose it can measure is small
-cannot be used for commissioning… just pt doses
BANG gels
-3D dose map
-tissue equivalent
-energy dependent
-need to be imaged with MRI, CT, or optical CT (not practical)
detectors used in scanning water tank
-ion chamber, diode, diamond
issues with small fields
-need small volume chambers
Small volume chambers and diodes tend to have different characteristics for large fields compared to small field and should not be used for all field sizes
-if truly cannot find small chamber, can use complicated deconvolution method to account for volume averaging
why do we have reference detector when tank scanning?
removes the instantaneous fluctua-tions or drifts in the incident beam output.
where should reference detector be placed?
anywhere in the beam where it does not shadow the field detector for the entire area of programmed positions
For very small fields,where the reference detector may shadow the field detector, a time integration method could be used instead of the refer-ence chamber
voltage for diamond detector and diode
diode is none
diamond is 100 V
acceptable polarity (difference between + and - bias voltage)
0.5%
how to investigate diode energy response
compared PDD in large field with ion chamber measurement
If the diode curve does not drop off as rapidly as the ion chamber PDD, then this is an indication of energy response. Generally, diodes should not be used for PDD measurements in large x-ray fields
BNC connection
-twist-on attachment
-both co-axial and triaxial cables
TNC is threaded version of BNC
acceptable leakageforelectrometer
10^-13 to 10^-14 A
what range do electromers read
10^-6 to 10^-14 C
good SNR for tank scanning
100
can adjust gain; make sure not to saturate detector
differences between x and y profiles
+/- 1 %
how to check if probe “walks” when going from surface to depth
-close the jaws to 1 mm, follow the crosshair and jaw definition as you move probe up and down