[Failure analysis of medical linear accelerator with reliability analyses].

We analyzed a number of cases about the Linac troubles in our hospital and have examined the effect of preventive maintenance with Weibull analysis and exponential distribution from April 2001 to March 2012. The total failure by irradiation disabled was 1, 192. (1) Medical linear accelerator (MLC) system was 24.0%, (2) radiation dosimetry system 13.1%, and the (3) cooling-water system was 26.5%. It accounts for 63.6% of the total number of failures. Each parameter value m, which means the shape parameter, and the failure period expectancy of parts µ were (1) 1.21, 1.46/3.9, 3.8 years. 3.7, 3.6 years. (2) 2.84, 1.59/6.6, 4.3 years. 6.7, 5.9 years. (3) 5.12, 4.16/6.1, 8.5 years. 6.1, 8.5 years. Each shape parameter was m>1. It is believed that they are in the worn-out failure period. To prevent failure, MLC performance should be overhauled once every 3 years and a cooling unit should be overhauled once every 7 years. Preventive maintenance is useful in assessing the failure of radiation therapy equipment. In a radiation dosimetry part, you can make a preemptive move before the failure by changing the monitor's dosimeter board with a new part from the repairs stockpiled every 6 months for maintenance.

[Improvement of dose distribution of esophageal irradiation using the field-within-a-field technique].

The wide radiation field for mediastinal dose distribution should be inhomogeneous with the usual simple opposed beam irradiation. The purpose of this study was to improve the dose distribution of the mediastinum using a conventional planning system with a dose-volume histogram (DVH) and the field-in-field technique. Three-dimensional (3D) dose distribution is obtained in bilateral opposed-field irradiation. An overdose area obtained from the 3D dose distribution is defined and reprojected into the irradiation field. A new reduced field is created by removing the reprojected overdose area. A 3D dose distribution is again obtained and compared with the results from first one. Procedures were repeated until each of the target volumes was within +/-5% of the prescribed dose and the irradiation volume within 107% or less of the prescribed dose. From the DVH analysis, our field-within-a-field technique resulted in a more uniform dose distribution within the conventional planning. The field-within-a-field technique involves many parameters, and an inverse planning algorithm is suitable for computation. However, with our method, the forward planning system is adequate for planning, at least in a relatively straightforward planning system such as bilateral opposed fields therapy.