Design and clinical application evaluation of multi-leaf collimators / 中国辐射卫生

@#Multi-leaf collimators are devices to block rays from medical linear accelerators, which directly affect doses to targets and organs at risk by adjusting field shape and dose distribution in radiation therapy. As multi-leaf collimators are diversified in structure, there has been growing research on dosimetric comparison of various multi-leaf collimators. In this paper, we introduced the classifications of multi-leaf collimators according to their basic components, as well as the hardware structure and design features of the products of main accelerator manufacturers, including Varian’s Millennium MLC, HD120 MLC, and Halcyon, Elekta’s MLCi/i2 and Agility, and Accuray’s InCise 2 MLC and TomoTherapy. In terms of clinical application evaluation, focusing on radiotherapy plans for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, we reviewed comparative studies on the dosimetry performance of multi-leaf collimators and the effects of relevant parameters on dose distribution. We hope this review on the design and application evaluation of multi-leaf collimators can provide a reference for more innovative design and accelerator selection and parameter setting in clinical individualized treatment.

Study on the sensitivity of a volumetric modulated arc therapy plan verification equipment on multi-leaf collimator opening and closing errors and its gamma pass rate limit / 生物医学工程学杂志

To investigate the γ pass rate limit of plan verification equipment for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plan verification and its sensitivity on the opening and closing errors of multi-leaf collimator (MLC), 50 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma VMAT plan with clockwise and counterclockwise full arcs were randomly selected. Eight kinds of MLC opening and closing errors were introduced in 10 cases of them, and 80 plans with errors were generated. Firstly, the plan verification was conducted in the form of field-by-field measurement and true composite measurement. The γ analysis with the criteria of 3% dose difference, distance to agreement of 2 mm, 10% dose threshold, and absolute dose global normalized conditions were performed for these fields. Then gradient analysis was used to investigate the sensitivity of field-by-field measurement and true composite measurement on MLC opening and closing errors, and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to investigate the optimal threshold of γ pass rate for identifying errors. Tolerance limits and action limits for γ pass rates were calculated using statistical process control (SPC) method for another 40 cases. The error identification ability using the tolerance limit calculated by SPC method and the universal tolerance limit (95%) were compared with using the optimal threshold of ROC. The results show that for the true composite measurement, the clockwise arc and the counterclockwise arc, the descent gradients of the γ passing rate with per millimeter MLC opening error are 10.61%, 7.62% and 6.66%, respectively, and the descent gradients with per millimeter MLC closing error are 9.75%, 7.36% and 6.37%, respectively. The optimal thresholds obtained by the ROC method are 99.35%, 97.95% and 98.25%, respectively, and the tolerance limits obtained by the SPC method are 98.98%, 97.74% and 98.62%, respectively. The tolerance limit calculated by SPC method is close to the optimal threshold of ROC, both of which could identify all errors of ±2 mm, while the universal tolerance limit can only partially identify them, indicating that the universal tolerance limit is not sensitive on some large errors. Therefore, considering the factors such as ease of use and accuracy, it is suggested to use the true composite measurement in clinical practice, and to formulate tolerance limits and action limits suitable for the actual process of the institution based on the SPC method. In conclusion, it is expected that the results of this study can provide some references for institutions to optimize the radiotherapy plan verification process, set appropriate pass rate limit, and promote the standardization of plan verification.

Structural Design and Penumbra Analysis of Dynamic Multi-leaf Collimator Leaf End / 中国医疗器械杂志

Dynamic multi-leaf collimator, which has the function of radiation beam shaping, is a key executive component of tumor precise radiotherapy, and plays a core role in improving the accuracy, efficiency and quality of radiotherapy. A new type of collimator leaf end structure with circular arc and plane combination was studied, and collimator penumbra performance analysis model combining analytical expression and graphic analysis was developed. The influence of leaf end structure on penumbra was analyzed quantitatively, and a set of three-dimensional structure design of dynamic multi-leaf collimator was completed. The feasibility of the structural design and analysis model was verified through experimental measurements.

Impact of multi-leaf collimator positioning accuracy on quality control of volumetric modulation arc therapy plan for cervical cancer treated with Elekta linear accelerator / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the influence of positioning accuracy of the multi-leaf collimators (MLC) on the passing rate of the plan dose verification for volumetric modulation arc therapy (VMAT) of cervical cancer using an Elekta linear accelerator.@*METHODS@#The dose distributions were measured using Sun Nuclear's Mapcheck and Arccheck semiconductors matrix before and after MLC calibration in30 cervical cancer patients undergoing VMAT. Dosimetric comparisons were performed with 2D and 3D gamma passing rates of 3%, 3 mm and 2%, and 2 mm. The 3D gamma distribution was reconstructed with respect to the patient's anatomy using 3DVH software to evaluate the possible influence of MLC positioning accuracy.@*RESULTS@#Before and after MLC calibration, the gamma passing rates of Mapcheck were (88.80±1.81)% and (99.25 ± 0.53)% under 3% and 3 mm standard, respectively, with an average increase of 10.45%. The corresponding gamma passing rates of Arccheck were (87.61±1.98)% and (98.13±0.99)%, respectively, with an average increase of 10.52%. The gamma passing rates of 3DVH were (89.87±2.28)% and (98.3±1.15)%, respectively, with an average increase of 8.43%.@*CONCLUSION@#The MLC positioning accuracy is one of the main factors influencing dosimetric accuracy of VMAT for cervical cancer. The application of Autocal software facilitates MLC calibration and improves the accuracy and safety of VMAT delivery for cervical cancer.

Tolerance and dosimetric study of multi-leaf collimator leaf position accuracy for dynamic intensity-modulated radiotherapy / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the dosimetric effect of multi-leaf collimator (MLC) position error on dynamic intensity-modulated radiotherapy (dMLC-IMRT), aiming to provide guidance for the establishment of MLC quality control accuracy and operation tolerance.Methods:In the phantom study, the virtual water phantom established in the treatment planning system (TPS), and three dynamic sliding window test fields with gap width of 5 mm, 10 mm and 20 mm were designed. Clinical treatment plans of 7 common tumor types were extracted, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma, glioma, lung cancer, esophageal cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer, with 6 cases in each. MLC errors were introduced into the copy from original plan to generate the simulation plans. MLC errors included systematic open/close error, systematic deviation error and random error. The dosimetric differences between the original and simulation plans were compared.Results:The phantom study showed that the symbol of dose deviation was the same as that of systematic open/close error, and the value was increased with the increase of MLC error and decreased with the increase of gap width. The results of patient study showed that the systematic open/close error had a significant effect on dosimetry, the target volume dose sensitivities of different plans were 7.258-13.743%/mm, and were negatively correlated with the average field width. The dosimetric deviation caused by the systematic shift error below 2 mm was less than 2%. The dosimetric change caused by the random error below 2 mm could be neglected in clinical treatment.Conclusions:The minimal gap width should be limited in TPS, whereas the quality control of MLC should be strengthened. In addition, for the dynamic intensity-modulated treatment technology, 2 mm random error was suggested to be the operation tolerance during treatment delivery, and 0.2 mm alignment accuracy on each side (or 0.4 mm unilateral) is recommended to be the MLC quality control accuracy to ensure the dose accuracy of radiotherapy for different tumors.

Dosimetric effect of Varian high-definition multi-leaf collimator leaf position error on stereotactic body radiation therapy for lung tumors / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the effect of leaf position error of Varian high-definition multi-leaf collimator (HD120) on the dosimetry of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for lung tumors.Methods:Nine SBRT plans based on HD120 for lung tumors were selected as the reference plans. The parameters of the plans were modified by the in-house program based on the Varian Eclipse 15.6 scripting application program interface to generate the simulation plans with three types of leaf position errors including the isotropic systematic error, the anisotropic systematic error and the random error, respectively. Then, the dosimetric metric deviation between each simulation plan and the corresponding reference plan was calculated and regression analysis was performed to evaluate the dosimetric effect of three types of leaf position errors of HD120 on SBRT.Results:The planning target volume (PTV) D 99%, D 2cm and V 5Gy of double lungs were decreased quadraticly with the increase of the absolute value of the isotropic systematic error. The first-order sensitivity was -0.06%/mm to -0.26%/mm, and the second-order sensitivity was -0.55%/mm 2 to -1.17%/mm 2 ( R2=0.96-0.99, P<0.01). The maximum change of PTV D 99% was -3.13%. The linear regression analysis of the effects of the anisotropic systematic error and random error showed that the sensitivity of CI was 25.16%/mm ( R2=0.98, P<0.01) and -4.84%/mm( R2=0.99, P<0.01), and the sensitivity of other dosimetric deviations with the anisotropic systematic error was 4.80%/mm to 5.12%/mm ( R2=0.96-0.98, P<0.01), whereas the sensitivity with the random error was -0.47%/mm to -1.01%/mm ( R2=0.96-0.99, P=0-0.02). Conclusions:The dosimetric deviation of SBRT plan based on HD120 for lung cancer is highly sensitive to the anisotropic systematic error of leaf position, but less sensitive to the random error. In addition, the isotropic systematic error of leaf position will lead to the decrease of target coverage to a certain extent. Consequently, it is necessary to strictly control the systematic error of HD120 leaf position in the implementation of SBRT plan in clinical work.

Experience in repair and maintenance of the Varian Linear accelerator multi-leaf collimator / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

This thesis introduce the Multi-Leaf Collimator of Varian Linac,analyse the regular faults and show how to troubleshoot by every part.At the same time it introduce the daily maintenance of MLC and specific methods.

Study on the sensitivity of different 3D detectors to MLC positioning errors in volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plan for nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To compare the sensitivity of Deha4 and ArcCHECK 3D detectors to detect the multi-leaf collimator (MLC) positioning errors in the dose verification of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Methods Ten NPC patients receiving VMAT plans were selected.The positioning error of 0.5-4.0 mm was introduced into the leaves of each MLC segment in the original file to expand,contract or shift the whole segments.The possible positioning errors of MLC in the treatment of VMAT were simulated.The Delta4 and ArcCHECK were utilized to verify the measurements.The absolute gamma passing rate was compared between the calculated dose and the measured dose of the VMAT plan by using the paired t-test.Results When the evaluation criterion was taken as 3 mm/3％,the absolute passing rate verified by the original plans of two detectors was greater than 95％.The positioning errors of MLC expansion,contraction and shifting detected by Delta4 and ArcCHECK were 1.5 mm,1.0 mm,2.0 mm and 3.0 mm,1.0 mm,and 3.0 mm,respectively.When taking 2 mm/2％ as the evaluation criterion,the absolute passing rate verified by the original plan was decreased significantly.Delta4 and ArcCHECK detected that the positioning errors of MLC expansion,contraction and shifting were 1.0 mm,1.0 mm,2.0 mm and 1.5 mm,0.5 mm,and 2.0 mm,respectively.Conclusions The dose verification of the VMAT plan for NPC by Delta4 and ArcCHECK can detect different types and sizes of MLC positioning errors,whereas the detection sensitivity slightly differs between Delta4 and ArcCHECK.Both of them are not sensitive to detect the MLC positioning errors less than 1.0 mm.It is fairly necessary to strengthen the quality assurance of MLC in the daily work.

Analysis of failure of helical tomotherapy multi-leaf collimator system / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To analyze the failure and processing methods of helical tomotherapy multileaf collimator (MLC) and summarize relevant maintenance experience,aiming to accurately identify the faulty parts,shorten the downtime and enhance the work time.Methods The failure data of the helical tomotherapy MLC system in the past 48 months were analyzed to identify the common faulty parts,causes and processing methods.Results During the previous 48 months,the MLC failure occurred for 20 times,11 times for air compressor failure,4 times for position verification board failure,twice for leaf driver failure,twice for cushion valve failure and once for the slip of leaf position verification rod.The MLC failure was significantly correlated with the humidity of high-pressure gas.The work time of machine exerted significant effect upon the service time of MLC parts.Conclusions The structure of the helical tomotherapy MLC system is complex.The high-intensity work increases the failure rate.The humidity of high-pressure gas affects the normal operation of the MLC equipment.The faulty parts can be identified,the downtime can be reduced and the work time can be enhanced by summarizing the experience of MLC maintenance.

Research on multi-leaf collimator fault prediction model of Varian Novalis Tx medical linear accelerator based on BP Neural Network realized by R language / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To construct and investigate the multi-leaf collimator (MLC) fault prediction model of Varian NovalisTx medical linear accelerator based on BP neural network.Methods The MLC fault data applied in clinical trial for 18 months were collected and analyzed.The total use time of accelerator,the quantity of patients per month,average daily working hours of accelerator,volume of RapidArc plans and time interval between accelerator maintenance were used as the input factors and the prediction of MLC fault frequency was considered as the output result.The BP neural network model of MLC fault prediction was realized by AMORE package of R language and the simulation results were validated.Results The model contained 3 layers of network to realize the input-output switch.There were 5 nodes in the input layer,13 nodes in the hide layer and 1 node in the output layer,respectively.The transfer function from the input layer to the hide layer selected the tansig function and purelin function was used from the hide layer to the output layer.The maximum time of training was pre-set as 150 in the designed model.Actually,111 times of training were performed.The pre-set error was 3％ and the actual error was 2.7％,which indicated good convergence.The simulation results of MLC fault applied in clinical trial for 18 months were similar to the actual data.Conclusions The BP neural network model realized by R language of MLC fault prediction can describe the mapping relationship between fault factors and fault frequency,which provides references for the understanding of accelerator fault and management of spare parts inventory.

Dosimetric effects of multileaf collimator leaf width on inverse intensity-modulated radiotherapy in intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To compare the dosimetric effects of micro-multileaf collimator (MLC)(2 mm leaf width) and conventional MLC (10 mm leaf width) on inverse intensity-modulated radiotherapy(IMRT) in intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery(SRS). Methods In view of the fact that the micro-MLC has a small open field,30 patients with intracranial tumor with a<10 cm diameter were enrolled in this study. Their inverse dynamic IMRT plans were established using conventional MLC (conventional group) and micro-MLC (micro group) with the same other conditions. The radiation doses to the target volume and the organs at risk (OAR) were compared between the two groups with t test. Results Compared with the conventional group, the micro group had a significantly better dose distribution in the target volume (P=0.019). However, there were no significant differences in D98,D95,D50,and D3between the two groups (P=0.774,0.650,0.170,0.080). The micro group had a 58.7% lower mean homogeneity index and a 20.1% higher mean conformity index than the conventional group (P=0.000). The micro group had significantly lower radiation doses to OAR than the conventional group (P=0.044). The mean Dmeanand Dmaxof the brain stem in the micro group were 10.0% and 8.2%,respectively,lower than those in the conventional group (P=0.768,0.753). The mean Dmeanand Dmax of the right eye and left eye in the micro group were 16.5%,19.3%,21.4%,and 13.4%,respectively,lower than those in the conventional group (P=0.572,0.775 and 0.734,0.630). The mean Dmaxof the left lens, right lens, left optic nerve, right optic nerve, and optic chiasm in the micro group were 50.4%, 24.1%, 38.5%, 27.8%, and 5.7%, respectively, lower than those in the conventional group (P=0.172,0.467, 0.521,0.740,0.899). The PRV100,PRV50,and PRV25of the normal tissue in the micro group were no more than those in the conventional group(P=0.839,0.832,0.972). Conclusions In inverse IMRT in intracranial SRS,micro-MLC is better than conventional MLC because it can improve CI of the target volume and reduce the radiation doses to OAR.

Study of dose variations induced by MLC weight effect for IMRT delivery / 医疗卫生装备

Objective To evaluate dose variations induced by gravity of multi-leaf collimator to provide references for clinical intensity-modulated radiotherapy.Methods Two-dimensional dose distributions in the central plane of IMRT fields were measured by use of a 2D ion chamber array.All measurements were repeated at two collimator angles (C=0 and 90°),for each of the following gantry angles:G=0 and 270°.Comparisons were made to dose distributions generated at G=0°and their differences were analyzed using gamma index analysis (3％/3 mm and 1％/1 mm).Results Under the radiation field of 10 cm×10 cm,the gamma passing rate was higher than 99％ for 3％ 3 mm anch close to 95％ for 1％/1mm Under a 3％/3mm error standard,the average matching rate for step & shoot fields was (96.46±0.33)％ and for DMLC fields was (94.67±0.54)％ at C=0°;The average matching rate for step & shoot fields was (94.59±0.47)％ and for DMLC fields was (92.60±0.52)％ at C=90°.Under a 1％/1mm error standard,the average matching rate for step & shoot fields was (89.83 ±1.06)％ and for DMLC fields was (85.84±0.57)％ at C=0°;The average matching rate for step & shoot fields was (86.91 ±1.71)％ and for DMLC fields was (83.89±0.69)％ at C=90°.Concusion MLC weight effect affects IMRT delivery dose,and DMLC fields are more sensitive to gravity than step & shoot fields.

Analysis of multi-leaf collimator leaf position deviation in volumetric modulated arc therapy / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective To evaluate the position deviation of multi-leaf collimator (MLC) in volumetric modulated arc therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma and to verify a method of detecting the leaf position accuracy.Methods Thirty-two volumetric modulated arc plans of nasopharyngeal carcinoma were randomly selected.A clockwise arc with a gantry range of 181° to 179° and a counterclockwise arc with a gantry range of 179° to 181° were uscd for each plan.Each arc contained two leaf groups,groups A and B.By using the Argus software,the actual MLC leaf positions were extracted from the Dynalog files in the Varian Trilogy accelerator.The planed MLC leaf positions were compared with the actual positions,and the differences were calculated between them.Results The proportions of the leaf position errors within ± 2,± 1.5,± 1 and ± 0.5 mm were 99.99％,99.90％,99.07％ and 93.98％,respectively.The proportions of the leaf position errors within ± 1 mm were 98.08％,100％,98.97％ and 99.01％ for the first therapeutic arc (ARC1),second therapeutic arc (ARC2),A and B groups,respectively.The leaf position errors range of ARC1 and ARC2 were-2.95 to 2.99 and-0.22 to 0.23 mm (t =2.35,P ＜ 0.01).The leaf position errors range of leaf bank A and leaf bank B were-2.95 to 2.68 and-2.92 to 2.99 mm(P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions During the volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy,the leaf positions deviation are in control.The Dynalog files can be used as an effective way to analysis the leafposition errors.

Measurement of leaf position accuracy of dynamic multi-leaf collimator using electronic portal imaging device and EBT3 film dosimeter / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To establish a fast and accurate method for measurement of leaf position accuracy of dynamic multi-leaf collimator (MLC) using electronic portal imaging device (EPID) and EBT3 film dosimeter.Methods A Varian 6 MV accelerator was used with the gantry angle and the collimator angle fixed at zero degree.A total of 11 sliding window MLC fields were designed.Each field contained a group of strip fields with the same width.The width of a strip field ranged from 1 mm to 10 mm and the distance between two adjacent strip fields was 20 mm.The relationship between the width of the strip field (band width) and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) was calibrated using EPID and EBT3 as measurement tools.A field with a band width of 5 mm was designed in the same way and several MLC leaf deviations were made in different positions.EPID and EBT3 film dosimeter were used to analyze the leaf position accuracy.Results A good linear relationship between band width and FWHM was achieved when the band width was larger than 4 mm.The accuracy of band width,distance between peaks,and MLC leaf position were determined as ±0.2 mm,±0.1 mm,and ±0.1 mm by EPID and ±0.3 mm,±0.2 mm,and ± 0.2 mm by EBT3 film dosimeter,respectively.Conclusions This study provides a fast and accurate method for the measurement of MLC leaf position accuracy using EPID or EBT3 film dosimeter,which is helpful for quality assurance of MLC.

Influence of multileaf collimator leaf width on volumetric modulated arc therapy plans evaluated on AAPM standard phantom / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To develop double-arc volumetric modulated arc therapy ( VMAT) plans using standard phantom and standard target volume in AAPM119 report, and to investigate the dosimetric parameters of Agility and MLCi2 leafs according to the requirements for target dose in AAPM119 report. Methods The Cshape, Head and Neck, Prostate, and Multitarget structures for standard target volume delineation in AAPM119 report were used.The Elekta Agility multi-leaf collimator was used to develop plans, and then with other parameters remaining unchanged, Elekta MLCi2 was used for plan optimization and dose calculation.The target dose in AAPM119 report was used as the standard to analyze the differences in target volume and dose-volume parameters of organs at risk between the four structures for target volume delineation.Results According to the mean dose in AAPM119 report, in the Cshape, Head and Neck, and Multitarget target volumes, the radiotherapy plans developed with Agility had better dosimetric parameters compared with those developed with MLCi2.In the prostate target volume, the radiotherapy plans developed with MLCi 2 had better dosimetric parameters compared with those developed with Agility .Conclusions With the structures for target volume delineation, plan designing personnel, designing parameters, and evaluation criteria remaining the same, Elekta Agility can achieve the dose target better than Elekta MLCi2 in the aspect of strict dose limit.

Application of multi-leaf collimator quality assurance phantom on Truebeam / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective To perform a routine quality assurance procedure for Truebeam multi-leaf collimator (MLC) using MLC quality assurance (QA) phantom,verifying the reliability of MLC during the treatment.Methods MLC QA phantom was a specialized phantom for multi-leaf collimator QA,and contained five radio-opaque spheres that were embedded in an L-shape.The phantom was placed isocentrically on the Truebeam treatment couch for the tests.A quality assurance plan was settled up in the Eclipse v10.0 so that the fields for acquiring the necessary images could be created.The images were acquired by the electronic portal imaging device (EPID),and imported into the PIPSpro software for the analysis.The tests were delivered once a week for six weeks to verify consistency of the delivery,and the images were acquired in the same manner each time.Results For the leaf position test,the average position error was (0.21 ± 0.02) mm.The leaf width was measured at the isocenter,and the average error was (0.04±0.02) mm for the leaf width test.Multi-Port test showed the dynamic leaf shift error,the average error was (0.26 ± 0.04) mm.For the leaf transmission test,the average inter-leaf leakage value was 1.0％ ± 0.14％.Conclusions The MLC system of Truebeam could operate very well and the QA phantom is a useful test tool for the MLC QA.

A comparison of the dosimetric effects of systematic MLC leaf position errors on flattening filter and flattening filter-free IMRT for nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective To compare the dosimetric effects of systematic MLC leaf position errors on flattening filter (FF) and flattening filter-free (FFF) IMRT for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Methods In totaly of ten patients with NPC were enrolled in the current study.FF IMRT and FFF IMRT plans were designed for each patient, and in-house software was developed to modify the corresponding MLC files.Briefly, three kinds of systematic MLC error presented with 0.5 and 1 mm magnitudes error were simulated.The modified MLC files were re-imported into IMRT plans for dose recalculation, and differences in the dosimetry trends between FF-IMRT and FFF-IMRT plans were analyzed using a dosevolume histogram.Results Upon closed MLC, the average changes in D95％ of PTV and D of parotid glands in FFF-IMRT plans were more sensitive than in FF-IMRT plans (t =3.298-4.793, P ＜ 0.05).Otherwise, when MLC are shifted in the same direction, changes in D95％of PTV, D of PGTV, PTV as well as D of left parotid gland in FFF-IMRT plans were also more sensitive (t =2.372-6.844, P ＜ 0.05), whereas average changes in D of right parotid gland presented with less sensitivity (t =-4.049,-3.378, P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions For out-of-field or large organs, FFF-IMRT plans are more sensitive to leaf position error than FF-IMRT plans.

Methods of verification and measurement of MLC-defined small field output factors for eight medical accelerators in Henan province / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective To investigate muli-leaf collimator (MLC)-defined small field output factors calculated by the treatment planning system (TPS), and to study the measuring method of small field output factors verified by 0.015 cc PinPoint ionization chamber.Methods Eight medical accelerators for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) were investigated in Henan province, and TPS-calculated output factors for various small fields (6 cm ×6 cm,4 cm ×4 cm,3 cm ×3 cm and 2 cm ×2 cm) were compared with published values recommended by IAEA.If the relative deviation was more than ± 3％ for the 2 cm ×2 cm field size and ±2％ for the fields of 6 cm ×6 cm, 4 cm ×4 cm and 3 cm ×3 cm, which was beyond the scope of IAEA allowed, the output factors will be measured and verified using 0.015 cc PinPoint ionization chamber and Unidos electrometer.Results TPS-calculated small field output factors for eight medical accelerators were compared with published values.The relative deviation of small field output factors for five pieces of equipment, which accounted for 62.5％ of the total, met the IAEA's requirement, while the other three, which accounted for 37.5％ of the total, did not.After measuring with PinPoint ionization chamber, the results from only three pieces of equipment met minimum IAEA's requirement.Conclusions MLC-defined small field output factors calculated by TPS for some medical accelerators in Henan need to be measured and corrected using micro-ionization chamber, and the measured values could be taken as the basis of radiation treatment planning.

Development of the measurement method for MLC small field output factor in intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective To develop the methods for using 0.015 cc pinpoint chambers, 0.007 cc miniature chambers and diode detector to measure Multi-leaf collimator (MLC) small field in IMRT.Methods MAX4000 and Unidos electrometers were connected with different types of small chambers and diode detectors.MLC shaped fields of10 cm×10 cm, 6 cm×6 cm, 4 cm×4 cm, 3 cm×3 cm, 2 cm× 2 cm were defined at 100 cm SSD.The field sizes for the Varian accelerator were defined by the tertiary MLC, while the secondary jaws were kept at 10 cm × 10 cm field, with the monitor units of 250 MU.Each field was measured three times to obtain the average value.The readings of all small fields were normalized to 10 cm × 10 cm field values for comparison of measured and published output factors.Results The relative deviations of the MLC small field output factors from the published outputs are 1.0％ , 1.7％ , 1.5％ and 2.4％, respectively, for Unidos electrometer connected with 0.015 cc pinpoint chamber;0.2％, 0.8％, 0.8％ and 1.4％, respectively, for Unidos electrometer connected with 0.007 cc miniature chamber;and 0.1％, 0.5％, 0.5％ and 0.9％, respectively, for MAX4000 electrometer connected with 0.007 cc miniature chamber.Conclusions The 0.015 cc chamber-measured MLC output factors for 3 cm × 3 cm and 2 cm × 2 cm fields are excellent.As required by IAEA, the relative deviations of the measured output factor from the published output factor are within ± 2％ for 2 cm × 2 cm fields and ± 3％ for larger fields.The results measured using 0.007 cc chamber are better than those measured using 0.015 cc chamber.The measured results using the diode detector, normalized to the 10 cm × 10 cm field, are consistent with the minimum requirements and excellent when being normalized to the 4 cm × 4 cm field.For dosimetric consideration, MLC small field output factor should be measured using small chamber and diode detector.The method is accurate and reliable, therefore, all measured output factors for MLC small fields should be input into radiation treatment plan system.

Digital analysis of multi-leaf collimator position accuracy in static intensity modulated radiotherapy / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective To investigate the impact of gantry angles on the position accuracy of buildin multi-leaf collimator (MLC) during static (step & shoot) intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).Methods The position accuracy of MillenniumTM 60 pairs multi-leaf collimator (MLC) in Varian 23EX medical linear accelerator during 10 fractions of treatments with static intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) was retrospectively analyzed by resolving dynamic therapy log files and MLC planning files.The single leaf position deviation and gap deviation of each MLC pairs were compared between expected values and actual outcomes.The impact of gantry angle on MLC position accuracy was also investigated with paired t-test between vertical and horizontal beams.Results All the MLC position deviations ranged within ± 1.0 mm,while the gap deviations were at the range of ± 1.5 mm.The statistical standard deviation of MLC position deviations among fractions was less than 0.06 mm.After all the 60 pairs of MLC leaves were taken into account,the M LC position deviation in the field of 103° was smaller than in the field of 0° (t =58.74,P ＜ 0.01),but there was no significant difference between 257° and 0°,while only the moving leaves were put into consideration,the MLC position deviation in the field of 103° was still smaller than in the field of 0°,but the MLC position deviation in the field of 257° was slightly higher than in thefield of 0° (t =41.95、-4.47,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions The MillenniumTM 60 pairs MLC in Varian 23EX medical linear accelerator meets the mechanical quality assurance requirement during static IMRT treatments.The MLC positioning showed stable repeatability among treatment fractions.Although the MLC position accuracy is slightly affected by gravity from different gantry angles,but still meets the mechanical QA requirements for medical linear accelerator.This dynamic analysis method is expected to be a novel strategy which may improve the existing QA protocols.