SU‐E‐T‐434: Evaluation of the Machine Performance Check (MPC) Program for Truebeam 2.0

Abstract

Purpose:Machine Performance Check (MPC) is a software application used to verify that the TrueBeam machine is operating within major specifications prior to treatment. Used in combination with a phantom named Isocal, it verifies beam output, beam uniformity, treatment isocenter size, coincidence of treatment and imaging isocenters, positioning accuracy of kV and MV imaging systems, accuracy of collimator and gantry rotation angle, positioning accuracy of jaws and MLC leafs, and couch positioning. The tests can be performed semi‐automatically and requires approximately 10 minutes of machine time. It is the purpose of this study to report the performance of this program.Methods:A pre‐release version of the MPC tool was installed on a Truebeam linac with 6D couch at our center. Baseline beam output measurements were taken for 5 photon beams (6–15 MV, 6 FFF, 10 FFF) and 5 electron beams (6–20 MeV). Deviations from the baseline output were subsequently recorded for several days and compared against independent measurements from a PTW farmer chamber and our daily QA device (Fluke Biomedical Tracker) as part of an ongoing evaluation.Results:The beam output deviations between the MPC and the PTW chamber measurements were within ±0.7% for photons beams and ±1.0% for electrons beams. This was similar to the tracker performance. There were some isolated incidents where the MPC measurements had unexplained spikes (>3%) that disappeared on a repeat measurement. MPC was also able to detect maximum positioning errors in the jaws (1.12 mm), MLCs (1.14 mm), and couch roll (0.11°).Conclusion:Overall, the ability of the MPC to monitor linac output stability was comparable to that of ionization chamber‐based measurements. MPC also provided fast daily mechanical tests not currently available in the clinic. How best to utilize this previously unavailable data is still under investigation.