Quality assurance measurements of a-Si EPID performance

The performance stability of a Varian aS500 amorphous silicon (a-Si) electronic portal imaging device (EPID) was monitored over an 18-month period using a variety of standard quality assurance (QA) tests. The tests were selected to provide ongoing information about image quality and dose response from the time of EPID acceptance into clinical service. To evaluate imaging performance, we made spatial resolution and contrast measurements using both PortalVision and QC-3V phantoms for 6- and 15-MV photon beams at repetition rates of 100, 300, and 400 MU/min in standard scanning mode. To assess operational stability for dosimetry applications, we measured central axis radiation response and beam pulse variability for the same image acquisition modes. Using the QC-3V phantom, values for the critical frequency of 0.435 +/- 0.005 lp/mm for 6 MV and 0.382 +/- 0.003 lp/mm for 15 MV were obtained. The contrast-to-noise ratio was found to be approximately 20% higher for the lower photon energy. Beam pulse variability remained within the tolerance of 3% set by the manufacturer. The central axis pixel response of the EPID remained constant within +/-1% over a 5-month period for the 6-MV beam, but fell approximately 4% over the same period for the 15-MV beam. The Varian aS500 EPID studied exhibited consistent image quality and a stable radiation response. These characteristics render it suitable for quantitative applications such as clinical dose measurement.