• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.177-184
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• 2016

Recently linear accelerator of radiation therapy intensity modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic radiation therapy are widely used. Such radiation treatment techniques are generally difficult to exclude the small field by using the inverse treatment plan. It is necessary to dose an accurate measurement of characteristics of the small field. Thus, using different detectors to measure the volume of the effective percentage depth dose, beam profile, and the output factor of the small field was to evaluate the dose characteristics of each detector. Experimental results for the X-ray beam 6 MV energy beam quality($PDD_{20}/PDD_{10}$) is $10{\times}10cm^2$ Diode detector is as high as 2.4% compared to Pinpoint detector. All field size to lesser effective volume of Diode detector shows that it is far better than other detectors by more than 50% of small penumbra, therefore spatial resolution far excellent. In field size $2{\times}2cm^2$ Semiflex detector was measured about 2% less than the other detector. Field size $1{\times}1cm^2$ is that there is no judgment about the validity show the difference between 20%. Field size $1{\times}1cm^2$ from the measured values of the Diode detector and Pinpoint detector showed a 13% difference. Less than field size $3{\times}3cm^2$ the feed to the difference between the output factor of the effective volume of the detector to be used for the effective volume available to the detector.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.265-273
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• 2012

Aquisition of accurate beam data is very important to calculate a reliable dose distribution of the treatment planning system for small radiation fields in intensity-modulated radiation therapy(IMRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery(SRS). For the measurement of small fields, the choice of a suitable detector is important due to the shape gradient in profile penumbra, the lack of lateral electronic equilibrium, and the effect of effective detector volume. Therefore, this study was to analyze the dosimetric characteristics of various detectors in measurement of beam data for small fields of linear accelerator. 0.01cc and 0.13cc ion chambers (CC01 and CC13) and a stereotactic diode detector(SFD) were used for measurement of small fields. The beam data, including the percent depth dose, output factor, and beam profile were acquired under 6 MV and 15 MV photon beams. Measurements were performed with the field size ranging from $2{\times}2cm^2$ to $5{\times}5cm^2$. For $2{\times}2cm^2$ field size, the differences of the ratios of $PDD_{20}$ and $PDD_{10}$ measured by CC01 and SFD detectors were 1.02% and 0.12% for 6 MV and 15 MV photon beams, respectively. For field sizes larger than $3{\times}3cm^2$, the differences of values of $PDD_{20}/PDD_{10}$ obtained from each detector were 1.15% and 0.71% for 6 MV and 15 MV photon beams, respectively. The output factors obtained from CC01 and SFD for $2{\times}2cm^2$ field size were within 0.5% and 1.5% for 6 MV and 15 MV, respectively. The differences in output factor of three detectors for $3{\times}3cm^2$ to $5{\times}5cm^2$ field sizes were within 0.5%. Profile penumbras measured by the SFD, CC01, and CC13 detectors at three depths were average 2.7 mm and 3.5 mm, 3.4 mm and 4.3 mm, and 5.2 mm and 6.1 mm for 6 MV and 15 MV photon beams, respectively. In conclusion, it could be possible to use of the CC01 and SFD detectors for the measurement of percent depth dose and output factor for $2{\times}2cm^2$ field size, and to use of three detectors for $3{\times}3cm^2$ to $5{\times}5cm^2$ field sizes. CC01 and SFD detectors, consider ably smaller than the radiation field, should be used in order to accurately measure the profile penumbra for small field sizes.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.168-173
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• 2011

This study investigated characteristics of dose distribution at junction field of X-ray and electron beams according to the method for fabricating the insert block on the electron cone. Insert block were fabricated to the divergency cutout block and the straight cutout block. For the 6 MV X-ray and 10 MeV nominal energy of electron beam, we was adjacent to the light field of X-ray and electron beam at a surface of matrix chamber and measured to beam profile of abutted field in the 0, 1, 2, 3 cm measurement depth. As a result, characteristics of dose distribution at junction field, straight block was existent that over dose area exceed the give dose more than 5% and under dose area with a rapid change in dose distribution. However, divergency block had remarkably decreased the over dose area caused by the lateral scattering effects of decrease, and being existed uniformity dose distribution in the junction field. Therefore, divergency block were the benefits of radiation dose delivery, in order to applied the clinical, measurement of electron beams according to the fabrication method of the block should be considered carefully.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.195-202
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• 1998

Purpose : In order to obtain basic data for treatment plan in radiosurgery, we measured small fields of 6 MV X-rays and compared the measured data with our Monte Carlo simulations for the small fields. Materials and Methods : The small fields of 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 cm in diameter were used in this study. Percentage depth dose (PDD) and beam Profiles of those fields were measured and calculated. A small semiconductor detector, water phantoms, and a remote control system were used for the measurement Monte Carlo simulations were Performed using the EGS4 code with the input data prepared for the energy distribution of 6 MV X-rays, beam divergence, circular fields and the geometry of the water phantoms. Results : In the case of PDD values, the calculated values were lower than the measured values for all fields and depths, with the differences being 0.3 to 5.7% at the depths of 20 to 20.0 cm and 0.0 to 8.9% at the surface regions. As a result of the analysis of beam profiles for all field sizes at a depth of loom in water phantom, the measured 90% dose widths were in good agreement with the calculated values, however, the calculated Penumbra radii were 0.1 cm shorter than measured values. Conclusion : The measured PDDs and beam profiles agreement with the Monte Carlo calculations approximately. However, it is different when it comes to calculations in the area of phantom surface and penumbra because the Monte Carlo calculations were performed under the simplified geometries. Therefore, we have to study how to include the actual geometries and more precise data for the field area in Monte Carlo calculations. The Monte Carlo calculations will be used as a useful tool for the very complicated conditions in measurement and verification.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.113-119
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• 2010

Software for GafChromic EBT2 film dosimetry was developed in this study. The software provides film calibration functions based on color channels, which are categorized depending on the colors red, green, blue, and gray. Evaluations of the correction effects for light scattering of a flat-bed scanner and thickness differences of the active layer are available. Dosimetric results from EBT2 films can be compared with those from the treatment planning system ECLIPSE or the two-dimensional ionization chamber array MatriXX. Dose verification using EBT2 films is implemented by carrying out the following procedures: file import, noise filtering, background correction and active layer correction, dose calculation, and evaluation. The relative and absolute background corrections are selectively applied. The calibration results and fitting equation for the sensitometric curve are exported to files. After two different types of dose matrixes are aligned through the interpolation of spatial pixel spacing, interactive translation, and rotation, profiles and isodose curves are compared. In addition, the gamma index and gamma histogram are analyzed according to the determined criteria of distance-to-agreement and dose difference. The performance evaluations were achieved by dose verification in the $60^{\circ}$-enhanced dynamic wedged field and intensity-modulated (IM) beams for prostate cancer. All pass ratios for the two types of tests showed more than 99% in the evaluation, and a gamma histogram with 3 mm and 3% criteria was used. The software was developed for use in routine periodic quality assurance and complex IM beam verification. It can also be used as a dedicated radiochromic film software tool for analyzing dose distribution.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.269-278
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• 2012

Aquaplast Thermoplastic (AT) is a tissue-equivalent oral compensator that has been developed to improve dose uniformity at the common boundary and around the treated area during radiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer. In order to assess the usefulness of AT, the degree of improvement in dose distribution and physical properties were compared to those of oral compensators made using paraffin, alginate, and putty, which are materials conventionally used in dental imprinting. To assess the physical properties, strength evaluations (compression and drop evaluations) and natural deformation evaluations (volume change over time) were performed; a Gafchromic EBT2 film and a glass dosimeter inserted into a developed phantom for dose verification were used to measure the common boundary dose and the beam profile to assess the dose delivery. When the natural deformation of the oral compensators was assessed over a two-month period, alginate exhibited a maximum of 80% change in volume from moisture evaporation, while the remaining tissue-equivalent properties, including those of AT, showed a change in volume that was less than 3%. In a free-fall test at a height of 1.5 m (repeated 5 times as a strength evaluation), paraffin was easily damaged by the impact, but AT exhibited no damage from the fall. In compressive strength testing, AT was not destroyed even at 8 times the force needed for paraffin. In dose verification using a glass dosimeter, the results showed that in a single test, the tissue-equivalent (about 80 Hounsfield Units [HU]) AT delivered about 4.9% lower surface dose in terms of delivery of an output coefficient (monitor unit), which was 4% lower than putty and exhibited a value of about 1,000 HU or higher during a dose delivery of the same formulation. In addition, when the incident direction of the beam was used as a reference, the uniformity of the dose, as assessed from the beam profile at the boundary after passing through the oral compensators, was 11.41, 3.98, and 4.30 for air, AT, and putty, respectively. The AT oral compensator had a higher strength and lower probability of material transformation than the oral compensators conventionally used as a tissue-equivalent material, and a uniform dose distribution was successfully formed at the boundary and surrounding area including the mouth. It was also possible to deliver a uniformly formulated dose and reduce the skin dose delivery.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.71-79
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• 1998

Purpose : The objective of this study is to introduce our installation of a non-commercial 3D Planning system, Plunc and confirm it's clinical applicability in various treatment situations. Materials and Methods : We obtained source codes of Plunc, offered by University of North Carolina and installed them on a Pentium Pro 200MHz (128MB RAM, Millenium VGA) with Linux operating system. To examine accuracy of dose distributions calculated by Plunc, we input beam data of 6MV Photon of our linear accelerator(Siemens MXE 6740) including tissue-maximum ratio, scatter-maximum ratio, attenuation coefficients and shapes of wedge filters. After then, we compared values of dose distributions(Percent depth dose; PDD, dose profiles with and without wedge filters, oblique incident beam, and dose distributions under air-gap) calculated by Plunc with measured values. Results : Plunc operated in almost real time except spending about 10 seconds in full volume dose distribution and dose-volume histogram(DVH) on the PC described above. As compared with measurements for irradiations of 90-cm 550 and 10-cm depth isocenter, the PDD curves calculated by Plunc did not exceed $1\%$ of inaccuracies except buildup region. For dose profiles with and without wedge filter, the calculated ones are accurate within $2\%$ except low-dose region outside irradiations where Plunc showed $5\%$ of dose reduction. For the oblique incident beam, it showed a good agreement except low dose region below $30\%$ of isocenter dose. In the case of dose distribution under air-gap, there was $5\%$ errors of the central-axis dose. Conclusion : By comparing photon dose calculations using the Plunc with measurements, we confirmed that Plunc showed acceptable accuracies about $2-5\%$ in typical treatment situations which was comparable to commercial planning systems using correction-based a1gorithms. Plunc does not have a function for electron beam planning up to the present. However, it is possible to implement electron dose calculation modules or more accurate photon dose calculation into the Plunc system. Plunc is shown to be useful to clear many limitations of 2D planning systems in clinics where a commercial 3D planning system is not available.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2003

In this work we developed a EGS4 control code to calculate the dose distributions for high energy electron beams in water phantom applied longitudinal magnetic field. We reviewed the electron's motion in magnetic field and delivered equations for direction changs of the electron by the external magnetic field. The mathematical results are inserted into the EGS4 code system to account for the presence of external magnetic fields in phantom. The electron pencil beam paths of 6 MeV in water phantom are calculated for magnetic fields of 1-3 T and the dose distributions for a field of 1.0 cm in diameter are calculated for magnetic fields of 0.6-1 T using the code. From the results of path calculations we found that the lateral ranges of the electrons are reduced in the magnetic field of 3 T. For a field of 1 cm diameter and a magnetic field of 1 T, the small dose enhancement near the range of the electrons on the depth dose and the penumbra reduction of 0.15 cm on the beam profile are observed. We discussed and evaluated the results from the theoretical concepts.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.59-62
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• 2004

We developed very small parallel plate radiation detector by using our existing experience of mating radiation dosimeter and capability of analyzing characteristics of dosimeter. The radiation detector was consisted of microfilm and carbon electrode. The detector was parallel plate type of all-filled ionization chamber. The ionization chamber had been fabricated using an acrylic plate for the air cavity and carbon coated microfilm for electrical configuration. The alr gap between two electrodes was 0.48 mm. The diameters of collect electrode and guard electrode were 3.3 mm, 5 mm respectively. The diameter of high voltage electrode was 5 mm. Nominal sensitive volume of the chamber was 0.016 ㎤. The major parameters of the chamber characteristics such as leakage current, reproducibility, dose rate effect, and polarity effect were measured. The experimental results were as followings. Leakage current was 0.1 pA. Standard deviation of reproducibility was less than 0.1%. Dose rate effect was less than 1.5%. Polarity effect was less than 2.4%. These data were comparable to those of commercially available dosimetric system for QA-purpose. As the result, we found that the radiation detector consisting of the ionization chamber, microfilm and carbon electrode, was satisfactory for the purpose of the small field dosimetry in size and characteristics. In the future, We will try to refine the dosimeter for use in very small volume.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.133-141
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• 2010

The evaluation of Varian enhanced dynamic wedges (EDW) were performed in terms of quality assurance in external radiotherapy. The seven (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45, 60 deg.) EDW angles were evaluated for 6 and 15 MV x-rays in Varian Linac. The STT (segmented treatment table) for a field were calculated and compared with actual movement of the jaw using Dynalog files in order to evaluate mechanical operation. Two dimensional array detector and an ionization chamber were used to measure dose distributions in phantom from Linac. The mechanical movement of jaw was agreed with its expectation and two dimensional dose distributions including beam profiles were in agreement with RTP data approximately. In comparison with RTP calculations the percentage difference of output dose values for 100 MU irradiation was less than 2.9% and measured wedge factor was less than 2.6%. These results are shown that there is no problem in clinical applications of EDW equipped on this linac.