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A feasibility study of using couch-based real time dosimetric device in external beam radiotherapy
Ramachandran Prabhakar1, Jim Cramb, Tomas Kron
1Physical Sciences, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Locked Bag 1, A' Beckett Street, Victoria 8006, Australia. Ramachandran.Prabhakar@petermac.org
Medical Physics
|December 14, 2011
Summary
A new couch-based real-time dosimetry system using a 2D diode array accurately measures radiation doses during external beam radiotherapy. This system enhances treatment verification and quality assurance for improved patient safety.
Area of Science:
- Medical Physics
- Radiation Oncology
- Radiotherapy Dosimetry
Background:
- Accurate measurement of radiation dose delivered during radiotherapy is crucial for patient safety and treatment efficacy.
- Existing methods for dose verification may have limitations in real-time patient monitoring during treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and demonstrate the utility and feasibility of a couch-based real-time dosimetric device for measuring patient doses during external beam radiotherapy.
- To evaluate the accuracy of a 2D array of diodes integrated into the treatment couch for dose measurement.
Main Methods:
- Two MAPCHECK devices were embedded in a treatment couch of a Varian linear accelerator.
- Angular dependence of detector response was studied.
- An Alderson Rando phantom was used with four treatment plans to compare measured and calculated dose distributions using the analytical anisotropic algorithm (AAA).
Main Results:
- Measured and computed dose distributions showed agreement with over 93% of pixels passing at 3% and 3 mm gamma criteria.
- The system is applicable for non-coplanar beams and offers advantages for beam stability checks, routine QA, and IMRT pretreatment verification.
- A limitation includes inability to measure dose at 90° or 270° gantry angles.
Conclusions:
- A 2D detector array integrated into the treatment couch can serve as a real-time patient dosimetry system.
- The system is suitable for real-time dose monitoring and routine quality assurance in radiotherapy.
- This preliminary study supports the use of couch-based dosimetry for enhanced accuracy in radiation oncology.
