• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.49-55
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• 1994

Multileaf Collimator is an essential tool for conformal therapy. We have measured the scallop penumbars of a poligon-shape field produced by Multileaf Collimator(MLC) with various leaf widths and the penumbra from conventional block, and compared the difference between them for the energy of photons, leaf widths, and angle of filed edges in order to find out the optimum leaf width. In addition, we have simulated a treatment of 20 factionations with errors of patient positioning. Optimum cost-benefit balanced leaf width is 8 mm.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.45-48
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• 1994

We have studied about leaf-width distribution of Multileaf Collimator(MLC). We have analyzed 1169 treatment fields from 303 patients who have treated by radiation therapy. From this analysis, we can design an unevenly leaf-width distributed MLC, by placing the smaller leaf widths for more frequent blocking region and the larger for less. The average width of total leaves is 0.8 cm, but the effective block width is 0.5-0.6 cm for frequently blocking region(3-6 cm from the field center).

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.24-28
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• 1998

A conventional treatment machine shapes x-ray fields by a set of dense metal collimators(jaws) built into the machine. These collimators are positioned by the therapist using hand controls in the treatment room, and usually remain stationary during treatment. The collimator jaws of treatment machines produce rectangular beams. Conventional beam shaping is accomplished through the use of a combination of these collimator jaws and secondary custom beam blocks attached to the accelerator beyond the collimator Jaws. The jaw positions for a particular field can be retrieved from a computer. One application of this increased capability is replacement of beam blocks for field-shaping with the MLC. There are three basic applications of the MLC. The first application is to replace conventional blocking. A second function of the MLC is related to conformal therapy, adjusting the field shape to match the beam's eye view projection of a planning target volume during treatment. The third application is the use of the MLC to achieve beam intensity modulation. The aim of this paper is to provide basic principle and to state fundamental concepts needed to implement the use of a multileaf collimator in the conventional clinical setting. The use of MLC field shaping is likely to save time and to incur a lower operating cost when compared to the use of beam blocks.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.74-82
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• 2002

In Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT), radiation is delivered in a multiple of Multileaf Collimator (MLC) subfields. A subfield with a small leaf-to-leaf opening is highly sensitive to a leaf-positional error. We introduce a method of identifying and rejecting IMRT plans that are highly sensitive to a systematic MLC gap error (sensitivity to possible random leaf-positional errors is not addressed here). There are two sources of a systematic MLC gap error: Centerline Mechanical Offset (CMO) and, in the case of a rounded end MLC, Radiation Field Offset (RFO). In IMRT planning system, using an incorrect value of RFO introduces a systematic error ΔRFO that results in all leaf-to-leaf gaps that are either too large or too small by (2ㆍΔRFO), whereas assuming that CMO is zero introduces systematic error ΔCMO that results in all gaps that are too large by ΔCMO = CMO. We introduce a concept of the Average Leaf Pair Opening (ALPO) that can be calculated from a dynamic MLC delivery file. We derive an analytic formula for a fractional average fluence error resulting from a systematic gap error of Δ$\chi$ and show that it is inversely proportional to ALPO; explicitly it is equal to, (equation omitted) in which $\varepsilon$ is generally of the order of 1 mm and Δx=2ㆍΔRFO+CMO. This analytic relationship is verified with independent numerical calculations.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.61-66
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• 1999

The use of multileaf collimator(MLC) to replace conventional field-shaping techniques is not in itself expected to improve the local control of malignancy. The purpose for using MLCs in conventional radiation oncology is to improve the efficiency of treatment delivery. For effective clinical application of MLCs to shaped radiation field, field outline must be translated into MLC leaf position tables. The intended leaf positions contained in these tables must then be communicated to the control computer that drives the MLC. There are currently at least three techniques utilized by manufacturers of MLCs and treatment planning systems for doing this. The Varian series use a workstation employing a manual digitizer and light box especially. It has a third level MLC configuration and also has the option of placing the wedges above or below the block tray. The C language are used for development of software and three leaf coverage have been used for positioning MLC loaves at the nominal field boundary. The fit of the leaf shape to treatment target volumes are optimized by the rotation of the direction in leaf travel. The clinical application of this software are investigated for Varian MLCs used in linear accelerator of Yonsei Cancer Center. The advantage of the results with using this software is to prescribe and calculate exposed and blocked area in MLCs field.

• 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.15 no.1
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• pp.17-22
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• 2004

Multileaf collimator (MLC) is now rapidly replacing the lead ahoy block to shape the radiation treatment field. In addition to its defect of rectangular field shaping and increased penumbra width, it has another possible problem, and that is of radiation transmission between leaves, which needs to be maintained at as low a level as is permissible. The authors measured and analyzed the inter-leaf and cross-leaf transmissions of MLC by Varian Associates Inc, before its clinical application. The inter-leaf and cross-leaf transmissions were calculated by comparing the measured point doses in the polystyrene phantom in the open field and in a total closure of MLC. The beam profile of the inter-leaf and cross-leaf transmissions were depicted by using a water phantom. A photon beam of 6 MV was used in the measurement. The inter-leaf transmission was 1.63∼1.67%, indicating that the shielding effect of MLC is excellent. However, the cross-leaf transmission in the central area was 18.4∼18.7% and this is well over the clinically acceptable limitation of 5%. The beam profile of cross-leaf transmission displayed 80∼90% transmission near the field edge, so that the cross-leaf transmission was 14∼17% in this area. The multileaf collimator has an excellent shi디ding effect and the inter-leaf transmission is negligible so that it can be used in clinic as a good replacement of the conventional lead alloy block. However, care must be taken to avoid the cross-leaf transmission in the radiation field.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1996 no.05
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• pp.49-51
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• 1996

We have developed the prototype Multi-leaf Collimator(MLC) for Medical linear acclerator. In this study, we have examined the mechanical characteristics of newly developed multileaf collimator. The leaf movement in clinical situation and the modification of accessories is good. such as the block tray mount and the wedges, due to the new MLC installation are efficient. But it was that bolts and nuts for the leaf control should have better performance.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.88-93
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• 1998

Multileaf collimator is essential equipment in conformal radiation therapy, however the use is limitted by increase of penumbra width and undulating dose distribution at the field edge. The purpose of this study is to improve the penumbra and dose distribution in the multileaf collimator field edge. Measurement were performed with X-omat V film in solid water phantom using 6MV photon beam from Siemens linear accelerator. All the measurement were made along the central axis of $5{\times}5cm,\;10{\times}10cm$ circular field for constant SSD of 100 cm. To improve the penumbra and dose distribution collimator was rotated by 15 degrees from 0 to 90 degrees (collimator rotation method) and center was shifted to the longitudinal direction by fourth of lead width (center shift method). We compare the penumbra and dose distribution at the field edge to alloy block. Dose distribution and penumbra width at the feild edge of MLC showed undulated dose pattern and increased penumbra compared with alloy block. However, in the collimator rotation method and center shift method we abtained simular results with alloy block. Through the study we expected that clinical use of MLC will be increase.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.305-312
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• 2014

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to analyze the mechanical and leaf speed accuracy of the dynamic multileaf collimator (DMLC) and determine the appropriate period of quality assurance (QA). Materials and Methods : The quality assurance of the DMLC equipped with Millennium 120 leaves has been performed total 92 times from January 2012 to June 2014. The the accuracy of leaf position and isocenter coincidence for MLC were checked using the graph paper and Gafchromic EBT film, respectively. The stability of leaf speed was verified using a test file requiring the leaves to reach maximum leaf speed during the gantry rotation. At the end of every leaf speed QA, dynamic dynalog files created by MLC controller were analyzed using dynalog file viewer software. This file concludes the information about the planned versus actual position for all leaves and provides error RMS (root-mean square) for individual leaf deviations and error histogram for all leaf deviations. In this study, the data obtained from the leaf speed QA were used to screen the performance degradation of leaf speed and determine the need for motor replacement. Results : The leaf position accuracy and isocenteric coincidence of MLC was observed within a tolerance range recommanded from TG-142 reports. Total number of motor replacement were 56 motors over whole QA period. For all motors replaced from QA, gradually increased patterns of error RMS values were much more than suddenly increased patterns of error RMS values. Average error RMS values of gradually and suddenly increased patterns were 0.298 cm and 0.273 cm, respectively. However, The average error RMS values were within 0.35 cm recommended by the vendor, motors were replaced according to the criteria of no counts with misplacement > 1 cm. On average, motor replacement for gradually increased patterns of error RMS values 22 days. 28 motors were replaced regardless of the leaf speed QA. Conclusion : This study performed the periodic MLC QA for analyzing the mechanical and leaf speed accuracy of the dynamic multileaf collimator (DMLC). The leaf position accuracy and isocenteric coincidence showed whthin of MLC evaluation is observed within the tolerance value recommanded by TG-142 report. Based on the result obtained from leaf speed QA, we have concluded that QA protocol of leaf speed for DMLC was performed at least bimonthly in order to screen the performance of leaf speed. The periodic QA protocol can help to ensure for delivering accurate IMRT treatment to patients maintaining the performance of leaf speed.