Prototyping a large field size IORT applicator for a mobile linear accelerator

Abstract

The treatment of large tumors such as sarcomas with intra-operative radiotherapy using a Mobetron® is often complicated because of the limited field size of the primary collimator and the available applicators (max Ø100 mm). To circumvent this limitation a prototype rectangular applicator of 80 × 150 mm2 was designed and built featuring an additional scattering foil located at the top of the applicator. Because of its proven accuracy in modeling linear accelerator components the design was based on the EGSnrc Monte Carlo simulation code BEAMnrc. First, the Mobetron® treatment head was simulated both without an applicator and with a standard 100 mm applicator. Next, this model was used to design an applicator foil consisting of a rectangular Al base plate covering the whole beam and a pyramid of four stacked cylindrical slabs of different diameters centered on top of it. This foil was mounted on top of a plain rectangular Al tube. A prototype was built and tested with diode dosimetry in a water tank. Here, the prototype showed clinically acceptable 80 × 150 mm2 dose distributions for 4 MeV, 6 MeV and 9 MeV, obviating the use of complicated multiple irradiations with abutting field techniques. In addition, the measurements agreed well with the MC simulations, typically within 2%/1 mm.