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SU‐E‐T‐376: Report on Use of a Methodology for Commissioning and Quality Assurance of a VMAT System
Author(s) -
Mayo C,
Fong de los Santos L,
Kruse J,
Blackwell C,
McLemore L,
Pafundi D,
Stoker J,
Herman M
Publication year - 2012
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 - 10.1118/1.4735463
Subject(s) - quality assurance , imaging phantom , calibration , detector , nuclear medicine , false positive paradox , range (aeronautics) , dosimetry , medical physics , computer science , mathematics , physics , optics , medicine , statistics , engineering , external quality assessment , pathology , aerospace engineering
Introduction: Results of use of methodology for VMAT commissioning and quality assurance, utilizing both control point tests and dosimetric measurements are presented. Methods : A generalizable, phantom measurement approach is used to characterize the accuracy of the measurement system. Correction for angular response of the measurement system and inclusion of couch structures are used to characterize the full range gantry angles desirable for clinical plans. A dose based comprehensive daily QA measurement approach is defined. Results : Agreement in the static vs. VMAT picket fence control point test was better than 0.5 mm. Control point tests varying gantry rotation speed, leaf speed and dose rate, demonstrated agreement with predicted values better than 1%. Angular dependence of the MatriXX array, varied over a range of 0.94 –1.06, with respect to the calibration condition. Phantom measurements demonstrated central axis dose accuracy for un‐modulated four field box plans was =2.5 % vs. 1% with and without angular correction respectively with better results for VMAT (0.4%) vs. IMRT (1.6%) plans. Daily QA results demonstrated average agreement of all three chambers within 0.4% over 9 month period with no false positives at a 3% threshold. Conclusions : The methodology described is simple in design and characterizes both the inherit limitations of the measurement system as well at the dose based measurements that may be directly related to patient plan QA.