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A monitor unit “odometer” for measuring linac workload
Author(s) -
Evans M. D. C.,
Larkin J. J.,
Léger P.,
Podgorsak E. B.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
medical physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.473
H-Index - 180
eISSN - 2473-4209
pISSN - 0094-2405
DOI - 10.1118/1.1418722
Subject(s) - linear particle accelerator , odometer , workload , monitor unit , quality assurance , computer science , medical physics , nuclear medicine , engineering , physics , artificial intelligence , beam (structure) , medicine , optics , operations management , operating system , external quality assessment
The annual linac workload is often required by regulatory agencies to assess compliance with license conditions. Summation of the monitor units produced by the machine is generally used for this purpose. Various methods of estimating this value have inherent inaccuracies. We have built an integrating Monitor Unit “odometer” that is able to automatically accumulate all MUs delivered by the linac and segregate the total by mode (photon or electron) and energy. The device has been used to record clinical linac MU workloads for 10 months, and was installed in a new dual‐energy linac during the acceptance and commissioning process.