• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.179-186
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• 2006

Purpose: Photon beam data of linear accelerators in Korea are collected, analyzed, and a simple method for checking and verifying the dose calculations in a TPS are suggested. Materials and Methods: Photon beam data such as output calibration condition, output factor, wedge factor, percent depth dose, beam profile, and beam quality were collected from 26 institutions in Korea. In order to verify the accuracy of dose calculation, ten sample planning tests were peformed. These Include square, elongated, and blocked fields, wedge fields, off-axis dose calculation, SSD variation. The planned data were compared to that of manual calculations. Results: The average and standard deviation of photon beam quality for 6, 10, and 15 MV were $0.576{\pm}0.005,\;0.632{\pm}0.004,\;and\;0.647{\pm}0.006$, respectively. The output factors of 6 MV photon beam measured at depth of dose maximum for $5{\times}5cm,\;15{\times}15cm,\;20{\times}20cm\;were\;0.944{\pm}0.006,\;1.031{\pm}0.006,\;and\;1.055{\pm}0.007$. For 10 MV photon beam, the values were $0.935{\pm}0.006,\;1.031{\pm}0.007,\;1.054{\pm}0.0005$. The collected data were not enough to calculate average, the output factors for 15MV photon beam with field size of $5{\times}5cm,\;15{\times}15cm,\;20{\times}20cm\;were\;0.941{\pm}0.008,\;1.032{\pm}0.004,\;1.049{\pm}0.014$. There was seven institutions $e{\times}ceeding$ tolerance when monitor unit values calculated from treatment planning system and manually were compared. The measured average MU values for the machines calibrated at SAD setup were 3 MU and 5 MU higher than the machines calibrated at SSD for 6 MV and 10 MV, respectively except the wedge case. When the wedges were inserted, the MU values to deliver 100 cGy to 5 cm depends on manufactures. When the same wedge angle was used, Siemens machine requires more MUs then Varian machine. Conclusion: In this study, photon beam data are collected and analyzed to provide a baseline value for chocking beam data and the accuracy of dose calculation for a treatment planning system.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.120-125
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• 2010

For the measurements of an absorbed dose using the standard dosimetry based on an absorbed dose to water the variety of factors, whether big, small, or tiny, may influence the accuracy of dosimetry. The beam quality correction factor ${\kappa}_{Q,Q_0}$ of an ionization chamber might also be one of them. The cylindrical type of ionization chamber, the PTW30013 chamber, was chosen for this work and 9 chambers of the same type were collected from several institutes where the chamber types are used for the reference dosimetry. They were calibrated from the domestic Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory with the same electrometer and cable. These calibrated chambers were used to measure absorbed doses to water in the reference condition for the photon beam of 6 MV and 10 MV and the electron beam of 12 MeV from Siemens ONCOR. The biggest difference among chambers amounts to 2.4% for the 6 MV photon beam, 0.8% for the 10 MV photon beam, and 2.4% for the 12 MeV electron beam. The big deviation in the photon of 6 MV demonstrates that if there had been no problems with the process of measurements application of the same ${\kappa}_{Q,Q_0}$ to the chambers used in this study might have influenced the deviation in the photon 6 MV and that how important an external audit is.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.81-87
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• 1996

When high energy photon beam is incident upon an air cavity interface the effect of ionization build-up observed. This phenomenon is resulting from the surface layers of the lesions are significant deficiency of electrons reaching the layers because of the replacement of solid scattering material by the air cavity, that is lack of electronic equilibrium. Measurement have been made in an acrylic phantom with a parallel plate chamber and high energy Photon beams, CO-60, 4MV, 6MV and 10MV X-rays have been investigated. The result of our study show that a significant effect was measured and was determined to be very dependent on field size, air cavity dimension and photon energy. The reductions were much larger for 10MV beam, underdosage at the interface was 12, 12.2, 16.9 and 20.6% for the CO-60, 4 MV, 6MV and 10MV, respectively. It was found that this non-equilibrium effect at the interface is more severe for the higher energy beams than that of lower energy beams and the larger cavity dimensions it is, the larger beam reductions we have. This problem is of clinical concern when lesions such as carcinoma beyond air cavities are irradiated, such as larynx, glottic and the patients with maxillectomy and ethmoidectomy and so forth.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.256-260
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• 1999

Purpose : An investigation has been carried out on the factors which affect the response reading of thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD-100) loaded with thin material in high energy Photon. The aim of the study was to assess the energy response of TLD-100 to the therapeutic ranges of photon beam. Materials and Methods : In this technique, TLD-100 (abbreviated as TLD) chips and three different thin material (Tin, Gold, and Tissue equivalent plastic plate) which mounted on the TLD chip were used in the clinical photon beam. The thickness of each metal plates was 0.1 mm and TE plastic plate was 1 mm thick. These compared with the photon energy dependence of the sensitivities of TLD (normal chip), TLD loaded with Tin or Gold plate, for the photon energy range 6 MV to 15 MV, which was of interest in radiotherapy. Results : The enhancement of surface dose in the TLD with metal plate was clearly detected. The TLD chips with a Gold plate was found to larger response by a factor of 1.83 in 10 MV photon beam with respect to normal chip. The sensitivity of TLD loaded with Tin was less than that for normal TLD and TLD loaded with Gold. The relative sensitivity of TLD loaded with metal has little energy dependence. Conclusion : The good stability and linearity with respect to monitor units of TLD loaded with metal were demonstrated by relative measurements in high energy Photon ($6\~15$ MV) beams. The TLD laminated with metals embedded system in solid water phantom is a suitable detector for relative dose measurements in a small beam size and surface dose.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.126-130
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• 1992

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.115-124
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• 1990

The characteristics of 23 MV photon beam have been presented with respect to clinical parameters of central axis depth dose, tissue-maxi mum ratios, scatter-maximum ratios, surface dose and scatter correction factors. The nominal accelerating potential was found to be $18.5\pm0.5$ MV on the central axis. The half-value layer (HVL) of this photon beam was measured with narrow beam geometry from central axis, and it has been showed the thickness of $24.5\;g/cm^2$. The tissue-maximum ratio values have been determined from measured percentage depth dose data. In our experimental dosimetry, the surface dose of maximum showed only $9.6\%$ of maximum dose at $10\times10\;cm^2$, 100 cm SSD, without blocking tray in. The TMR'S of $0\times0$ field size have been determined to get average $2.3\%$ uncertainties from three different methodis; are zero effective attenuation coefficient, non-ilnear least square fit of TMR's data and effective linear attenuation coefficient from the HVL of 23 MV photon beams of dual energy linear accelerator.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.65-73
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• 2017

Purpose: Machine Performance Check (MPC) is a self-checking software based on the Electronic Portal Imaging Device (EPID) to measure daily beam outputs without external installation. The purpose of this study is to verify the usefulness of MPC by comparing and correlating daily beam output of QA Beamchecker PLUS. Materials and Methods: Linear accelerator (Truebeam 2.5) was used to measure 10 energies which are composed of photon beams(6, 10, 15 MV and 6, 10 MV-FFF) and electron beams(6, 9, 12, 16 and 20 MeV). A total of 80 cycles of data was obtained by measuring beam output measurement before treatment over five months period. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the consistency of the beam output between the MPC and the QA Beamchecker PLUS. In this study, if the Pearson correlation coefficient is; (1) 0.8 or higher, the correlation is very strong (2) between 0.6 and 0.79, the correlation is strong (3) between 0.4 and 0.59, the correlation is moderate (4) between 0.2 and 0.39, the correlation is weak (5) lower than 0.2, the correlation is very weak. Results: Output variations observed between MPC and QA Beamchecker PLUS were within 2 % for photons and electrons. The beam outputs variations of MPC were $0.29{\pm}0.26%$ and $0.30{\pm}0.26%$ for photon and electron beams, respectively. QA Beamchecker PLUS beam outputs were $0.31{\pm}0.24%$ and $0.33{\pm}0.24%$ for photon and electron beams, respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficient between MPC and QA Beamchecker PLUS indicated that photon beams were very strong at 15 MV, and strong at 6 MV, 10 MV, 6 MV-FFF and 10 MV-FFF. For electron beams, the Pearson correlation coefficient were strong at 16 MeV and 20 MeV, moderate at 9 MeV and 12 MeV, and very weak at 6 MeV. Conclusion: MPC showed significantly strong correlation with QA Beamchecker PLUS when testing with photon beams and high-energy electron beams in the evaluation of daily beam output, but the correlation when testing with low-energy electron beams (6 MeV) appeared to be low. However, MPC and QA Beamchecker PLUS are considered to be suitable for checking daily beam output, as they performed within 2 % of beam output consistency during the observation. MPC which can perform faster than the conventional daily beam output measurement tool, is considered to be an effective method for users.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.142-145
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• 1994

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.115-120
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• 1992

A mathematical model is presented for the calculation of the depth absorbed dose in water Phantom irradiated by high energy Photon beam (10MV X-ray), based on transport theory. The parameters of this model are obtained from the experimental values which were simulated by non-linear regression process method. The calculated absorbed dose distribution is extended to 3-D by using trial function from beam profile field sizes, SSD and depth in water phantom irradiated by high energy Photon beam. The calculated values using this model are in good agreement with the measured values.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.194-201
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• 2013

To investigate monitoring unit (MU) efficiency and plan quality of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) using flattening-filter free (FFF) photon beam in association with target size and location. A virtual patient was generated in Eclipse$^{TM}$ (ver. A10, Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, USA) treatment planning system. The length of major and minor axis in axial view was 50 cm and 30 cm, respectively. Cylindrical-shaped targets were generated inside that patient at the center (symmetric target) and in the periphery (asymmetric target, 7.5 cm away from the center of the patient to the right direction) of the virtual patient. The longitudinal length was 10 cm and the diameters were 2, 5, 10 and 15 cm. Total 8 targets were generated. RapidArc$^{TM}$ plans using TrueBeam STx$^{TM}$ were generated for each target. Two full arcs were used and the axis of rotation of the gantry was set to be at the center of the virtual patient. Total MU, homogeneity index (HI), target mean dose, the value of gradient measure and body mean dose were calculated. In the case of symmetric targets, averaged total MU of FFF plan was 23% and 19% higher than that of flattening filter (FF) plan when using 6 MV and 10 MV photons, respectively. The difference of HI, target mean dose, gradient measure and body mean dose between FF and FFF was less than 0.04, 2.6%, 0.1 cm and 2.2%, respectively. For the asymmetric targets, total MU of FFF plan was 21% and 32% was higher than that of FF when using 6 MV and 10 MV photons, respectively. The homogeneity of the target was always worse when using FFF than using FF. The maximum difference of HI was 0.22. The target mean dose of FFF was 3.2% and 4.1% higher than that of FF for the 6 MV and 10 MV, respectively. The difference of gradient measure was less than 0.1 cm. The body mean dose was higher when using FFF than FF about 4.2% and 2.8% for the 6 MV and 10 MV, respectively. No significant differences between VMAT plans of FFF beam and FF beam were observed in terms of quality of treatment plan. The HI was higher when using FFF 10 MV photons for the asymmetric targets. The MU was increased noticeably when using FFF photon beams.