Abstract
Due to intensive use of multileaf collimators (MLCs) in clinics, finding an optimum design for the leaves becomes essential. There are several studies which deal with comparison of MLC systems, but there is no article with a focus on offering an optimum design using accurate methods like Monte Carlo. In this study, we describe some characteristics of MLC systems including the leaf tip transmission, beam hardening, leakage radiation and penumbra width for Varian and Elekta 80‐leaf MLCs using MCNP4C code. The complex geometry of leaves in these two common MLC systems was simulated. It was assumed that all of the MLC systems were mounted on a Varian accelerator and with a similar thickness as Varian's and the same distance from the source. Considering the obtained results from Varian and Elekta leaf designs, an optimum design was suggested combining the advantages of three common MLC systems and the simulation results of this proposed one were compared with the Varian and the Elekta. The leakage from suggested design is 29.7% and 31.5% of the Varian and Elekta MLCs. In addition, other calculated parameters of the proposed MLC leaf design were better than those two commercial ones. Although it shows a wider penumbra in comparison with Varian and Elekta MLCs, taking into account the curved motion path of the leaves, providing a double focusing design will solve the problem. The suggested leaf design is a combination of advantages from three common vendors (Varian, Elekta and Siemens) which can show better results than each one. Using the results of this theoretical study may bring about superior practical outcomes.PACS number: 87.56.nk, 87.55.K, 87.56.N
Highlights
The aim of radiation therapy is to eradicate tumor cells without seriously damaging normal tissue, especially without seriously damaging radiation-sensitive structures
As the intent of this paper is to focus on leaf design, multileaf collimators (MLCs) models were assumed to have the same leaf width of 10 mm at isocenter and 80-leaf pairs
After all studies were performed for Varian and Elekta MLC systems, they were done for the proposed leaf design, too
Summary
The aim of radiation therapy is to eradicate tumor cells without seriously damaging normal tissue, especially without seriously damaging radiation-sensitive structures. There are cases where conventional conformal treatment planning and delivery techniques fail and using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) can solve these problems. To generate intensity-modulated photon fields, a modern linear electron accelerator (linac) equipped with a multileaf collimator (MLC) can be used. Monte Carlo simulation of radiation transport is considered a highly accurate method of radiation therapy dose calculation. It makes no assumptions regarding radiation equilibrium, so it can be accurate for every small field sizes and in regions of disequilibrium.[8] the Monte Carlo code can trace the photons or electrons through the MLC, even in a moving one
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