• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.225-232
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• 1994

Purpose : This study was to obtain the basic dosimetric data using the 10 MV X-ray for the total body irradiation. Materials and Methods : A linear accelerator photon beam is planned to be used as a radiation source for total body irradiation (TBI) in Chonnam University Hospital. The planned distance from the target to the midplane of a patient is 360cm and the maximum geometric field size is 144cm x 144cm. Polystyrene phantom sized $30{\times}30{\times}30.2cm^3$ and consisted of several sheets with various thickness, and a parallel plate ionization chamber were used to measure surface dose and percent depth dose (PDD) at 345cm SSD, and dose profiles. To evaluate whether a beam modifier is necessary for TBI, dosimetry in build up region was made first with no modifier and next with an 1cm thick acryl plate 20cm far from the polystyrene phantom surface. For a fixed sourec-chamber distance, output factors were measured for various depth. Results : As any beam modifier was not on the way of radiation of 10MV X-ray, the $d_{max}$ and surface dose was 1.8cm and $61\%$, respectively, for 345cm SSD. When an 1cm thick acryl plate was put 20cm far from polystyrene phantom for the SSD, the $d_{max}$ and surface dose were 0.8cm and $94\%$, respectively. With acryl as a beam spoiler, the PDD at 10cm depth was $78.4\%$ and exit dose was a little higher than expected dose at interface of exit surface. For two-opposing fields for a 30cm phantom thick phantom, the surface dose and maximum dose relative to mid-depth dose in our experiments were $102.5\%$ and $106.3\%$, respectively. The off-axis distance of that point of $95\%$ of beam axis dose were 70cm on principal axis and 80cm on diagonal axis. Conclusion: 1. To increase surface dose for TBI by 10MV X-ray at 360cm SAD, 1cm thick acrylic spoiler was sufficient when distance from phantom surface to spoiler was 20cm. 2. At 345cm SSD, 10MV X-ray beam of full field produced a satisfiable dose uniformity for TBI within $7\%$ in the phantom of 30cm thickness by two-opposing irradiation technique. 3. The uniform dose distribution region was 67cm on principal axis of the beam and 80cm on diagonal axis from beam axis. 4. The output factors at mid-point of various thickness revealed linear relation with depth, and it could be applicable to practical TBI.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.10-19
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• 2018

Background: Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is the most accurate for calculating radiation dose distribution and determining patient dose. In MC simulations of the therapeutic accelerator, the characteristics of the initial electron must be precisely determined in order to achieve accurate simulations. However, It has been computation-, labor-, and time-intensive to predict the beam characteristics through predominantly empirical approach. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between electron beam parameters and dose distribution, with the goal of simplifying the MC commissioning process. Materials and Methods: The Varian Clinac 2300 IX machine was modeled with the Geant4 MC-toolkit. The percent depth dose (PDD) and lateral beam profiles were assessed according to initial electron beam parameters of mean energy, radial intensity distribution, and energy distribution. Results and Discussion: The PDD values increased on average by 4.36% when the mean energy increased from 5.6 MeV to 6.4 MeV. The PDD was also increased by 2.77% when the energy spread increased from 0 MeV to 1.019 MeV. In the lateral dose profile, increasing the beam radial width from 0 mm to 4 mm at the full width at half maximum resulted in a dose decrease of 8.42% on the average. The profile also decreased by 4.81% when the mean energy was increased from 5.6 MeV to 6.4 MeV. Of all tested parameters, electron mean energy had the greatest influence on dose distribution. The PDD and profile were calculated using parameters optimized and compared with the golden beam data. The maximum dose difference was assessed as less than 2%. Conclusion: The relationship between the initial electron and treatment beam quality investigated in this study can be used in Monte Carlo commissioning of medical linear accelerator model.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.687-695
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• 2022

To find a 3D printer material that can replace lead used as a shield for high-energy electron beam treatment, the shielding composites were simulated by using MCNP6 programs. The Percent Depth Dose (PDD), Flatness, and Symmetry of linear accelerators emitting high-energy electron beams were measured, and the linear accelerator was compared with MCNP6 after simulation, confirming that the source term between the actual measurement and simulation was consistent. By simulating the lead shield, the appropriate thickness of the lead shield capable of shielding 95% or more of the absorbed dose was selected. Based on the absorption dose data for lead shield with a thickness of 3 mm, the shielding performance was analyzed by simulating 1, 5, 10, and 15 mm thicknesses of ABS+W (10%), ABS+Bi (10%), and PLA+Fe (10%). Each prototype was manufactured with a 3D printer, measured and analyzed under the same conditions as in the simulation, and found that when ABS+W (10%) material was formed to have a thickness of at least 10mm, it had a shielding performance that could replace lead with a thickness of 3mm. The surface morphology and atomic composition of the ABS+W (10%) material were evaluated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). From these results, it was confirmed that replacing the commercialized lead shield with ABS+W (10%) material not only produces a shielding effect such as lead, but also can be customized to patients using a 3D printer, which can be very useful for high-energy electron beam treatment.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.85-91
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• 1988

For the physical characterization of neutron beam, dosimetric measurements had been performed to obtain physical data of KCCH cyclotron-produced neutrons for clinical use. The results are presented and compared with the data of other institutions from the literatures. The central axis percent depth dose, build-up curves and open and wedge isodose curve values are intermediate between that of a 4 and 6 MV X-rays. The build-up level of maximum dose was at 1.35cm and entrance dose was approximately $40\%$. Flatness of the beam was $9\%$ at Dmax and less $than{\pm}3\%$ at the depth of $80\%$ isodose line. Penumbra begond the $20\%$ line is wider than corresponding photon beam. The output factors ranged 0.894 for $6\times6cm$ field to 1.187 for $30\times30cm$ field. Gamma contamination of neutron beam was $4.9\%$ at 2 cm depth in $10\times10cm$ field.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.195-203
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• 1999

It is difficult to determine dosimetric characteristics for small field photon beams since such small fields do not achieve complete lateral electronic equilibrium and have steep dose gradients. Dosimetric characteristics of small field 4, 6, and 10 MeV photon beams have been measured in water with a diamond detector and compared to measurements using small volume cylindrical and plane parallel ionization chambers. Percent depth dose (PDD) and beam profiles for 6 and 10 MeV photon beams were measured with diamond detector and cylindrical ion chamber for small fields ranging from $1{\times}1\;to\;4{\times}4cm^2$. Total scatter factors($S_{c,p}$) for 4, 6, and 10 MeV photon beams were measured with diamond detector, cylindrical and plane parallel ion chambers for small fields ranging from $1{\times}1\;to\;4{\times}4cm^2$. The $S_{c,p}$ factors obtained with three detectors for 4, 6, and 10 MeV photon beams agreed well ($\pm1.2%$) for field sizes greater than $2{\times}2,\;2.5{\times}2.5,\;and\;3{\times}3\;cm^2$, respectively. For smaller field sizes, the cylindrical and plane parallel ionization chambers measure a smaller $S_{c,p}$ factor, as a result of the steep dose gradients across their sensitive volumes. The PDD values obtained with diamond detector and cylindrical ionization chamber for 6 and 10MeV photon beams agreed well ($\pm1.5%$) for field sizes greater than $4{\times}4\;cm^2$. For smaller field sizes, diamond detector produced a depth-dose curve which had a significantly shallower falloff than that obtained from the measurements of relative depth-dose with a cylindrical ionization chamber. For the measurements of beam profiles, a distortion in terms of broadened penumbra was observed with a cylindrical ionization chamber since diamond detector exhibited higher spatial resolution. The diamond detector with small sensitive volume, near water equivalent, and high spatial resolution is suitable detector compared to ionization chambers for the measurements of small field photon beams.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.91-104
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• 2000

Recently linear accelerator in radiation therapy in asymmetric field has been easily used since the improvement and capability of asymmetrical field adjustment attached to the machine. It has been thought there have been some significant errors in dose calculation when asymmetrical radiation fields have been utilized in practice of radiation treatments if the fundamental data for dose calculation have been measured in symmetrical standard fields. This study investigated how much the measured data of dose distributions and their isodose curves are different between in asymmetrical and symmetrical standard fields, and how much there difference affect the error in dose calculation in conventional method measured in symmetrical standard field. The distributions of radiation dose were measured by photon diode detector in the water phantom (RFA-300P, Scanditronix, Sweden) as tissue equivalent material on utilization of 6 MV linear accelerator with source surface distance (SSD) 1000 mm. The photon diode detector has the velocity of 1 mm per second from water surface to 250 mm depth in the field size of $40mm{\times}40mm\;to\;250mm{\times}250mm\;symmetric\;field\;and\;40mm{\times}20mm\;to\;250mm{\times}125mm$ asymmetrical fields. The measurements of percent depth dose (PDD) and subsequent plotting of their isodose curves were performed from water surface to 250mm dmm from Y-center axis in $100mm{\times}50mm$ field in order to absence the variability of depth dose according to increasing field sizes and their affects to plotted isodose curves. The difference of PDD between symmetric and asymmetric field was maximum $4.1\%\;decrease\;in\;40mm{\times}20mm\;field,\;maximum\;6.6\%\;decrease\;in\;100mm{\times}50mm\;and\;maximum\;10.2\%\;decrease\;200mm{\times}100mm$, the larger decrease difference of PDD as the greater field size and as greater the depth, The difference of PDD between asymmetrical field and equivalent square field showed maximum $2.4\%\;decrease\;in\;60mm{\times}30mm\;field,\;maximum\;4.8\%\;decrease\;in\;150mm{\times}75mm\;and\;maximum\;6.1\%\;decrease\;in\;250mm{\times}125mm$, and the larger decreased differenced PDD as the greater field size and as greater the depth, these differences of PDD were out of $5\%$ of dose calculation as defined by international Commission on radiation unit and Measurements(ICRU). In the dose distribution of asymmetrical field (half beam) the plotted isodose curves were observed to have deviations by decreased PDD as greater as the blocking of the beam moved closer to the central axis, and as the asymmetrical field increased by moving the block 10 mm keeping away from the central axis, the PDD increased and plotted isodose curves were gradually more flattened, due to reduced amount of the primary beam and the fraction of low energy soft radiations by passing thougepth in asymmetrical field by moving independent jaw each 10 h beam flattening filter. As asymmetrical radiation field as half beam radiation technique is used, the radiation dosimetry calculated in utilizing the fundamental data which measured in standard symmetrical field should be converted on bases of nearly measured data in asymmetrical field, measured beam data flies of various asymmetrical field in various energy and be necessary in each institution.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.223-228
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• 2015

Double-focused micro-Multileaf Collimator (${\mu}MLC$) is able to create radiation fields having sharper dose gradients at the field edges than common MLC. Therefore, ${\mu}MLC$ has been used for the stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SRT). We evaluated the dosimetric characteristics of a doublefocused Dynamic-${\mu}MLC$ (DMLC) attached to the Elekta Synergy linear accelerator. For this study, the dosimetric parameters including, Percent Depth Dose (PDD), Leaf leakage and penumbra, have been measured by using of the radiochromic films (GafChromic EBT2), EDGE diode detector and three-dimensional water phantom. All datas were measured on 6 MV x-ray. As a result, The DMLC shows transmission below to 1% and because of double-focused construction of the DMLC, the penumbras of fields with DMLC are independent from the field sizes. In this paper, the resulting dosimetric evaluations proved the applicability of the DMLC attached to the Elekta Synergy linear accelerator.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.225-232
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• 2014

We evaluated the effect of scatter on a build-up region based on the measured percent depth dose (PDD) of high-energy photon beams that penetrated a handmade build-up modifier (BM) as a substitute of bolus. BM scatter factors ($S_{BM}$) were calculated based on the PDDs of photon beams that penetrated through the BM. The calculated $S_{BM}$ values were normalized to 1 at the square field side (SFS) of 30 mm without a BM. For the largest SFS (200 mm), the SBM values for a 6-MV beam were 1.331, 1.519, 1.598, 1.641, and 1.657 for the corresponding BM thickness values. For a 10-MV beam, the $S_{BM}$ values were 1.384, 1.662, 1.825, 1.913, and 2.001 for the corresponding BM thickness values. The BM yielded 76% of the bolus efficiency. We expect BM to become useful devices for deep-set patient body parts to which it is difficult to apply a bolus.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.179-186
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• 2006

Purpose: Photon beam data of linear accelerators in Korea are collected, analyzed, and a simple method for checking and verifying the dose calculations in a TPS are suggested. Materials and Methods: Photon beam data such as output calibration condition, output factor, wedge factor, percent depth dose, beam profile, and beam quality were collected from 26 institutions in Korea. In order to verify the accuracy of dose calculation, ten sample planning tests were peformed. These Include square, elongated, and blocked fields, wedge fields, off-axis dose calculation, SSD variation. The planned data were compared to that of manual calculations. Results: The average and standard deviation of photon beam quality for 6, 10, and 15 MV were $0.576{\pm}0.005,\;0.632{\pm}0.004,\;and\;0.647{\pm}0.006$, respectively. The output factors of 6 MV photon beam measured at depth of dose maximum for $5{\times}5cm,\;15{\times}15cm,\;20{\times}20cm\;were\;0.944{\pm}0.006,\;1.031{\pm}0.006,\;and\;1.055{\pm}0.007$. For 10 MV photon beam, the values were $0.935{\pm}0.006,\;1.031{\pm}0.007,\;1.054{\pm}0.0005$. The collected data were not enough to calculate average, the output factors for 15MV photon beam with field size of $5{\times}5cm,\;15{\times}15cm,\;20{\times}20cm\;were\;0.941{\pm}0.008,\;1.032{\pm}0.004,\;1.049{\pm}0.014$. There was seven institutions $e{\times}ceeding$ tolerance when monitor unit values calculated from treatment planning system and manually were compared. The measured average MU values for the machines calibrated at SAD setup were 3 MU and 5 MU higher than the machines calibrated at SSD for 6 MV and 10 MV, respectively except the wedge case. When the wedges were inserted, the MU values to deliver 100 cGy to 5 cm depends on manufactures. When the same wedge angle was used, Siemens machine requires more MUs then Varian machine. Conclusion: In this study, photon beam data are collected and analyzed to provide a baseline value for chocking beam data and the accuracy of dose calculation for a treatment planning system.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.150-157
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• 2022

Purpose: Elekta synergy^® was commissioned in the Seoul National University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Recently, Chung-Ang University Gwang Myeong Hospital commissioned Elekta Versa HD^TM. The beam characteristics of both machines are similar because of the same Agility^TM MLC Model. We compared measured beam data calculated using the Elekta treatment planning system, Monaco^®, for each institute. Methods: Beam of the commissioning Elekta linear accelerator were measured in two independent institutes. After installing the beam model based on the measured beam data into the Monaco^®, Monte Carlo (MC) simulation data were generated, mimicking the beam data in a virtual water phantom. Measured beam data were compared with the calculated data, and their similarity was quantitatively evaluated by the gamma analysis. Results: We compared the percent depth dose (PDD) and off-axis profiles of 6 MV photon and 6 MeV electron beams with MC calculation. With a 3%/3 mm gamma criterion, the photon PDD and profiles showed 100% gamma passing rates except for one inplane profile at 10 cm depth from VMTH. Gamma analysis of the measured photon beam off-axis profiles between the two institutes showed 100% agreement. The electron beams also indicated 100% agreement in PDD distributions. However, the gamma passing rates of the off-axis profiles were 91%-100% with a 3%/3 mm gamma criterion. Conclusions: The beam and their comparison with MC calculation for each institute showed good performance. Although the measuring tools were orthogonal, no significant difference was found.