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Related Experiment Videos

The flatness of Siemens linear accelerator x-ray fields.

B A Faddegon1, P O'Brien, D L Mason

  • 1Toronto-Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Center, North York, Ontario, Canada.

Medical Physics
|March 17, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Siemens linear accelerators have a mismatch between their defined field size and actual photon output. A new large field flattener, designed using Monte Carlo simulations, improves beam uniformity for radiation therapy.

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Area of Science:

  • Medical Physics
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Radiotherapy Equipment

Background:

  • Siemens MXE and MDX linear accelerators have a discrepancy between the projected field size and the actual photon beam profile.
  • The flattening filter limits the field size, impacting clinical applications, especially for large rectangular or asymmetric fields.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To address the clinical implications of the field size mismatch in Siemens linear accelerators.
  • To design and evaluate a large field flattener for the Siemens MXE 6 MV beam to improve beam uniformity.

Main Methods:

  • Monte Carlo simulations were used to design a large field flattener for the Siemens MXE 6 MV treatment head and water phantom.
  • Key parameters for accurate dose distribution calculations, including electron beam energy, focal spot size, and material compositions, were investigated.

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  • The designed flattener was machined from brass and experimentally validated on an MXE treatment unit.

    • Main Results:

    • Photon fluence measurements showed a drop to 95% at 18 cm radius, smaller than the 25 cm defined radius.
    • Monte Carlo simulations identified critical parameters influencing dose distribution accuracy, with profiles being more sensitive than central axis depth doses.
    • The newly designed and implemented large field flattener extended the useful field radius to 22 cm.

    Conclusions:

    • A novel large field flattener effectively improves the uniformity of the photon beam from Siemens MXE linear accelerators.
    • Accurate simulation of source and geometry details is crucial for predicting dose distributions in radiotherapy.
    • The developed flattener enhances the usable beam radius, offering improved treatment capabilities.