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Abstract
The goal of quality assurance (QA) for a radiation oncology medical LINAC is to maintain an acceptable level of equipment performance and reliability. The increasing complexity of Radiation Oncology equipment and treatment techniques have led to increased demands on the work load of the medical physicist. Regular testing needs to be as efficient as possible. Generally, the QA tests, as recommended by the AAPM Task Group 40 for medical LINACs, can be grouped into two categories: dosimetry and mechanical checks. A new QA device has been developed that facilitates many of the daily and monthly mechanical QA checks. Its efficiency and speed is achieved through a set of QA tools that are mounted on a single platform, which is designed to fit into the accessory mount of the medical LINAC. Named Mini‐GARD (MG), it verifies the accuracy of the digital readouts for gantry angles, collimator angles, and field sizes. It also tests crosshair position, the optical distance indicator (ODI), and patient setup laser alignment. It uses two calibrated digital levels for the gantry and collimator angle verification, an electronic tape measure for ODI verification, and a calibrated transparent projection scale for the remaining tests. This paper evaluates the stability and accuracy of the device in clinical tests over a period of a year. Results show that the MG is reliable and capable of measuring gantry and collimator angle constancy to ±0.3°, ODI constancy to ±0.05 cm, and field size accuracies to ±0.05 cm.PACS number(s): 87.56.Fc
Highlights
A reliable quality assuranceQAprogram for a medical LINAC is necessary to ensure that the prescribed radiation dose is accurately and reproducibly delivered to the patient’s target volume
It is of fundamental importance to test and verify the geometric and mechanical accuracy of every medical LINAC on a regular basis
The increasing complexity of both medical LINACs and patient treatment techniques has raised the QA measurement burden of the medical physicist, and the manpower needs of the institution
Summary
A reliable quality assuranceQAprogram for a medical LINAC is necessary to ensure that the prescribed radiation dose is accurately and reproducibly delivered to the patient’s target volume. It is of fundamental importance to test and verify the geometric and mechanical accuracy of every medical LINAC on a regular basis.. The increasing complexity of both medical LINACs and patient treatment techniques has raised the QA measurement burden of the medical physicist, and the manpower needs of the institution. In order to help reduce this burden and increase efficiency, a new device, designated Mini-GARDGeometric Accuracy Radiotherapy Devicehas been developed that facilitates many of the daily and monthly geometrical and mechanical parameter verifications as recommended by the AAPM Task Group 40.1 The Mini-GARDMGis a lightweight assembly that slides into the accessory mount of the medical linear accelerator and can be used to test the following LINAC geometrical and mechanical systems: gantry and collimator angle readout, field sizes readout, optical distance indicatorODI, crosshair centricity, and transverse and overhead patient setup lasers. The purpose of this paper is to describe the designed uses of the MG, and to determine its accuracy and reproducibility in the clinical environment over the period of a year
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