SU-E-T-301: A Novel Daily QA Device for Proton Therapy

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Oncology
• Proton Therapy Technology

Background:

• Proton therapy requires rigorous daily quality assurance (QA) to ensure treatment system readiness and patient safety.
• Existing QA protocols can be time-consuming and complex, necessitating streamlined solutions for clinical implementation.
• The IBA Proton Therapy System requires comprehensive checks of its mechanical, imaging, and dosimetric functionalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and implement a user-friendly daily QA device for the IBA Proton Therapy System.
• To enable radiation therapists to efficiently verify system readiness, including connectivity, positioning, mechanical, imaging, and dosimetric parameters.
• To reduce the time required for daily QA procedures while maintaining accuracy and reliability.

Main Methods:

• A commercial QA device (rf-DailyQA3) was integrated with a custom acrylic phantom and mechanical indexing jig.
• The system utilizes fiducial markers for imaging system accuracy checks and ion chambers for beam output, range, and symmetry measurements.
• In-house software was developed for calculating beam range and symmetry variations from ion chamber readings.

Main Results:

• The device has been successfully used for daily QA in two proton treatment centers since June 2010.
• QA tests are performed by radiation therapists and reviewed by medical physicists, with completion time under 20 minutes per room.
• Measurement data are recorded in the Oncology Information System (OIS) and validated against independent measurements, demonstrating data integrity.

Conclusions:

• The developed daily QA device is robust, reliable, and user-friendly for proton therapy systems.
• Trend analyses confirm the system's stable and accurate performance over time.
• This streamlined QA approach enhances efficiency and ensures consistent system readiness for proton therapy.