Michael W Kissick | PubMed Health

PubMed2005

Modelling simple helically delivered dose distributions.

In a previous paper, we described quality assurance procedures for Hi-Art helical tomotherapy machines. Here, we develop further some ideas discussed briefly in that paper. Simple helically generated dose distributions are modelled, and relationships between these dose distributions and underlying characteristics of Hi-Art treatment systems are elucidated. In particular, we describe the dependence of dose levels along the central axis of a cylinder aligned coaxially with a Hi-Art machine on fan beam width, couch velocity and helical delivery lengths. The impact on these dose levels of angular variations in gantry speed or output per linear accelerator pulse is also explored.

Body Burden↗

PubMed2005

Confirmation, refinement, and extension of a study in intrafraction motion interplay with sliding jaw motion.

The interplay between a constant scan speed and intrafraction oscillatory motion produces interesting fluence intensity modulations along the axis of motion that are sensitive to the motion function, as originally shown in a classic paper by Yu et al. [Phys. Med. Biol. 43, 91-104 (1998)]. The fluence intensity profiles are explored in this note for an intuitive understanding, then compared with Yu et al., and finally further explored for the effects of low scan speed and random components of both intrafraction and interfraction motion. At slow scan speeds typical of helical tomotherapy, these fluence intensity modulations are only a few percent. With the addition of only a small amount of cycle-to-cycle randomness in frequency and amplitude, the fluence intensity profiles change dramatically. It is further shown that after a typical 30-fraction treatment, the sensitivities displayed in the single fraction fluence intensity profiles greatly diminish.

Body Burden↗