Implementation of enhanced dynamic wedge into the Multidata DSS radiotherapy treatment planning system

The Radiotherapy Treatment Planning (RTP) system used in Hull is the Multidata Decision Support System version 2.35 (Multidata Systems Intl. Corp., St. Louis, MO). The implementation philosophy described herein relates to the software version listed above, utilizing the "Revision A Wedge" routines and requires no additional "Dynamic Wedge" software module. The Enhanced Dynamic Wedge (EDW) is entered into the system as if it were a hard wedge. The RTP system uses a Bentley-Milan algorithm and we have shown that our implementation of EDW into the Multidata commercial planning system is consistent with this philosophy and works very well. This report will cover required beam data, validation (Quality control) of the profiles produced by the RTP computations and calculation of wedge factors (hence Monitor Units) for a general EDW field. The beam data collection was performed without the use of sophisticated measurement equipment such as linear diode arrays or ion chamber arrays, hence the methodology is designed to be as user friendly as possible and to require only a small set of data.