Dosimetric characteristics of Novalis shaped beam surgery unit

The dosimetric characteristics of a new dedicated radiosurgical treatment unit are systematically measured in terms of its percent depth dose, beam profile, and relative scatter factor. High-resolution diode detector, mini-ion-chamber detector, and conventional Kodak XV films are used to measure dosimetric data for a range of field sizes from 6x6 mm to 100x100 mm. The effects of collimator size, micro-multileaf collimator shape, and detector type on the dosimetric data are investigated. Results indicate that, with careful design, accurate dosimetric data could be acquired using either a dedicated diode detector or a mini-ion-chamber detector, and film detector. Special attention is required when measuring dosimetric data for small field sizes such as 6x6 mm.