PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M K Yu

Publications and source records attributed to M K Yu.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Analytical representation of head scatter factors for shaped photon beams using a two-component x-ray source model.

An analytic representation proposed for the relative intensity distribution of the extra-focal source in a two-component x-ray source model serves as the basis for calculation. From this representation, a closed-form expression for head scatter factors defined on the central beam axis is derived by integrating over the area of the extra-focal source plane visible from the measurement point. The resulting expression is applicable to photon beams from different Varian accelerators and different photon energies, and includes effects arising from beam shaping with cerrobend blocks or multileaf collimators (MLCs). For 6- and 15-MV photon beams from Varian 600 C and 2300 CD accelerators (Varian Oncology Systems, Palo Alto, CA), 361 measured head scatter factors for square, rectangular, asymmetric, and arbitrarily shaped fields, formed by either the X and Y jaws, the MLC and Y jaws, or by the MLC alone, were compared with model calculations. Results show that 93.4% of calculated values match corresponding experimental points to within 0.5%, the average deviation being 0.23% and the maximum deviation 0.9%. Thus, as a consequence of this work, the different influence of the X jaws, the Y jaws, and the MLC on head scatter factors is quantitatively described. In particular, it is demonstrated that in the case of radially symmetric scattering, the collimator exchange effect arises as a result of the different distances of the X and Y jaws from the focal spot.

Biophysical Phenomena↗

Parametrization of head-scatter factors for rectangular photon fields using an equivalent square formalism.

Head-scatter factors of symmetric square and rectangular fields (field center on the central beam axis) defined by the upper (Y) and lower (X) jaws for 6 and 15 MV photon beams from 2300CD and 600C accelerators (Varian Associates, Inc., Palo Alto, CA) were measured, as well as those for fields shaped by the Y jaws and the multileaf collimator (MLC) of the 2300CD. For rectangular fields, the head-scatter factor for the field (x = a and y = b) was different from that for the field (y = a and x = b). This difference was 2% -3% for fields defined by conventional collimators when [formula, see text] was large, and became 4%-5% when the MLC and YT jaws were used to shape the fields with the X jaws retracted. In order to calculate values for head-scatter factors of rectangular fields accurately using an equivalent square formalism, the side of the equivalent square should be obtained with different weights for lower and upper jaws, as proposed by Vadash and Bjärngard [Med. Phys. 20, 733-734 (1993)]. Our measurements demonstrate that the relative weight (G) of upper and lower jaws is strongly dependent on their distances from the x-ray source, while the beam energy has little effect on the value of G. We further show that G can be calculated simply from these distances. An analytical representation for head-scatter factors of square and rectangular fields is also developed in this paper. The quality of this representation was judged by the root-mean-square (rms) deviation from measured head-scatter factors, which ranged from 0.11%-0.27%.

Head↗