SU-E-T-553: Measurement of Incident Electron Spots On TrueBeam.

PURPOSE: Lateral dimensions of the incident electron beam (spot sizes) are essential for accurate modelling of x-ray fields, especially for small field output factors and penumbrae. We present spot sizes measured on the Varian TrueBeam linac and propose an explanation for the observed shapes. METHODS: Spot were measured on 3 TrueBeam linacs using the 4X, 6X, 6FFF, 8X, 10X, 10FFF, and 15X beams. Two methods were used: a spot camera, and an edge CT reconstruction based on images of a thin plate with edge intersecting the beam at different collimator rotations. 2-dimensional Gaussian functions were fit to the data, with the spot orientation used as a fitting parameter. RESULTS: Spots were consistent for the 3 linacs. Sigmas of the fitted Gaussians were between 0.47 and 1.05 mm for all the beams. The 6X, 6FFF, and 15X beams had a distinct shape: the major axes were 30-40% larger than the minor axes, and the major axes were oriented 40 degrees from the inplane direction. The remaining spots were more symmetric, with major axes at most 15% larger than minor, and a similar orientation. The spot shapes could be explained by positing a helical electron motion at the entrance to the bend magnet, and using the known (non-achromatic) transport through the magnet. Fringe fields of the bend magnet, solenoid, or steering coils could produce the helical motion; the precise source is not known. Spots measured with the edge technique were 10% smaller in size than those measured with the camera. The 10FFF spots were 10% smaller than the 10X spots, as measured with the camera, but the 6X and 6FFF spots were similar to each other. CONCLUSION: Representative spots for TrueBeam are presented. Values may be used for input to modelling of fluence output, for example using Monte Carlo methods. Several of the authors are employees of Varian Medical Systems, as noted in the affiliations.

Duke Scholars

Author Qiuwen Wu Radiation Oncology

Author Anna E Rodrigues Radiation Oncology

Author Qingrong Wu Radiation Oncology