Impact of tomotherapy beam block on the room shielding thickness

Abstract

Objective To study the calculation of the room shielding thickness of tomotherapy accelerator,a new type of radiotherapy facility,especially the impact of the beam block on the shielding design.Methods According to the relevant standards,combined with the room geometry,the shielding thickness was calculated without the presence of the beam block,considering the primary beam,the scattered beam and leakage.Meanwhile,the shielding thickness was also calculated as comparison with the presence of the beam block,based on the characteristics of tomotherapy facility and its radiation field.Results There was statistical difference between the shielding thicknesses calculated with the presence of the beam block and those without the beam block,to the primary beam direction including the south wall,north wall,the roof and the floor,the shielding thickness were decreased by 95.59%,63.63% ,80.73%and 51.30% ,respectively.Conclusions For the tomotherapy accelerator,the beam block could be of great help to minify the shielding thickness of the room.The radiation field of the tomotherapy facility could be used for the calculation to improve accuracy,and the shielding thickness can also be estimated by subtracting the initial shielding thickness without beam block of the beam block equivalent thickness in the primary beam direction alternatively. Key words: Tomotherapy accelerator; Shielding; Radiation protection