Acceptance Testing

Geoffrey S. Ibbott, Ph.D.

Chairman, Department of Radiation Physics
 Purpose

Assure that the accelerator performs

according to specifications.
Specifications stated by manufacturer
Additional specifications agreed to at
time of purchase
Make sure to read the instructions carefully
 Purchase Specifications

Manufacturer dictates terms of acceptance

Purchaser must include any additional
specifications before PO is signed
 Additional Specifications

Specific beam energies

Matching to other equipment:
Energies, scales
Tighter isocenter (for SRS)
Electron applicator sizes
Additional or different dose rates
Steps in Acceptance Testing

1. Configuration
6. Radiation isocenter
2. Options
test
3. Equipment
7. Beam characteristics
needed
8. Dosimetry
4. Protection survey
9. Dynamic therapy
5. Mechanical tests
 Configuration

Confirm that you

received what you
asked for
All items are
present, including
accessories
Elekta Acceptance Test Procedure
Introductory steps
 Options
Confirm that any optional items were
included:
High dose-rate capability
Special electron cones
Special couch top
Decorative panels
 Equipment Needed

Manufacturer may demand that certain equipment

be available and used for acceptance testing
Manufacturer may provide some test equipment
Customer may elect to use own equipment
If the accelerator fails any test, the test may
need to be repeated with their equipment.
 Typical Equipment
Spirit level
Water phantom and dosimetry scanning system
Scanning ion chamber
Machinist scale (caliper)
Tape measure
mm ruled graph paper
Ready packed TL film
Electrometer and ion chamber
Densitometer
Elekta Test Equipment

Table 1.5
 Protection Survey

Ensure that
acceptance testing
won’t endanger
staff or public
 Protection Survey
Not to determine realistic environmental
doses during normal operation
Evaluate doses under testing conditions:
Maximum dose rate
Maximum field size
Gantry angles used for testing
Primary and scatter (with phantom)
Radiation Protection
Head leakage:
Mfgr may offer “type test” data
May require agreement in advance
Collimator transmission:
Mfgr may offer “type test” data
Difficult test, if done on site, may have to
defend methods
 International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC)

201.10.1.103 Absorbed dose rate

c) If, under any fault conditions, the EQUIPMENT can deliver an

ABSORBED DOSE RATE at NTD of more than ten times the maximum
SPECIFIED in the technical description, a RADIATION BEAM monitoring
device, which shall use a circuit independent of the DOSE RATE
MONITORING SYSTEM , shall be incorporated on the PATIENT side of the
radiation beam distribution system. This shall limit the excess ABSORBED
DOSE at any point in the radiation field to less than 4 Gy. The value of the
excess ABSORBED DOSE shall be given in the technical description.
201.10.1.103 Absorbed dose rate

c) If, under any fault conditions, the EQUIPMENT can

deliver an ABSORBED DOSE RATE at NTD of more than t h eten
times the maximum SPECIFIED in the technical a r d i n g
t r e g t h e
n
t e m e d e vdevice, e a d
n which
description, a RADIATION BEAMS tmonitoring a i c u s e s
A – o r i n g t c a
shall use a circuit gindependent r a d e m o i t
ofn the DOSE e RATE
t h a
t e s t e a m d o s
MONITORINGT y pe SYSTEM t i o n b
, shall beo r b d
incorporated
e on the e
c ) r a d i a a b s o f t h
PATIENT n side
o f of the x c e s s
radiation beam distribution a t n
system.
i o
d esi g h e e . v e r i f i c i c e b y
This lshall o f
limit t the excess d i a t i o nABSORBED c i p l e :
DOSE at gany d e vpoint
v a u e ion of irra P r i n n i t o r i n r r e n t .
in themradiation
n a t field to e less C –than 4 Gy. m m o value
The a m ofc uthe
t e r i g r a d n b e a o n b e
excess ABSORBED t e s t DOSE d i a t i
shall o be given e l e c t rin the technical
S i t e t h e ra c e s s
c)
description. g o f i n g e x
c t i o n i n i m u l a t
fun g o r s
e r a t i n
gen
 Measurement of Leakage Radiation
EL EC T R O N gun
P R O TE C T IVE SH IE LD IN G

T AR G ET /E LEC T R O N R AD IA T IO N w indow

1m

E LE C TR O N path

1m

N on-adjustable prim ary

BE AM LIM IT IN G D EV IC E
M AL TR E AT M E N T
ANCE

Adjustable BE AM
P AT IE N T plane LIM ITIN G D EVIC E Boundary for measurem ent of
LE AKA G E R AD IA T IO N outside
I SO C EN TR E the PA T IEN T plane
(29.4.1 and 29.4.2)

G EO M ETR IC AL R A D IAT IO N F IELD due to

an EL ECT R O N BEA M LIM ITIN G D E VIC E

29.3.2, 29.3.3, 29.3.4 Area M for 29.3.1.1

and area M (or M 10 ) for 29.3.1.2 IEC 8

R adius 2 m

R EF ER EN C E A XIS
Measurement of Head Leakage
 6 equispaced axes for
Any residual aperture closed by
R AD IAT IO N D ET EC T O R
at least tw o T EN T H -VA LU E LA YE R S
m easurem ents
of X -R A D IATIO N absorbing material

Fully opened X-axis Periphery of

BE AM LIM IT IN G D EV IC ES area M Fully closed Y-axis
BE AM LIM IT IN G D EV IC ES

24 points for m easurement

by R AD IAT IO N D ET EC T O R

R EF E R EN C E AXIS

R 2 = 0,500 R 0

R 1 = 0,866 R 0

R0
Jaw Transmission
IEC 816/98
 Radiation Safety

Radiation area survey

Include console area
Interlocks
Warning systems
 Mechanical Specifications

Isocenter Tolerance
Mechanical
Light field
Radiation field
Isocenter Tolerance

Mechanical
Collimator
Gantry
Couch
 Light field
Tape graph paper to couch, shim front
pointer and check:
field size vs. collimator dials
crosshairs intersect isocenter
crosshairs don’t move during rotation
(”walkout”)
distance from jaw edge to crosshairs
 Angle Readout Calibration

Collimator
Gantry
Couch
Digital: ±0.5°
Mechanical ±1°
 Linear Scale Calibration

Couch:
Vertical (±2mm)
Lateral
Longitudinal
Rotation
digital ±0.5°
Mechanical ±1°
Sag (2mm @ 100 kg)
 Rangefinder (ODI)

Compare rangefinder
against front pointer
±1mm @ 100 cm
±3mm @ 80 and 130 cm
 Light vs. radiation field alignment

Mark film with ballpoint

pen (pressure marks) or
sharp pointer
Irradiate
Compare light field and
radiation field edges
±2mm
 Radiation Isocenter

Gantry, collimator, and couch

Radiation Isocenter
MLC calibration

Perform “picket fence”

test or similar to
evaluate accuracy of
leaf positioning.
±1mm
 Dosimetric Characteristics

Beam characteristics determined by

scanning
Scans must be performed carefully:
tank level and aligned
chamber depth selected & corrected
dose rate servo disabled
correct field size
 Beam Energy

Specified as percent
depth dose
 Varian iX %dd
Energy dmax var. %dd10 var.

4 1.2cm ±0.15cm 63% 2%

6 1.6cm ±0.15cm 67% 1%

10 2.4cm ±0.15cm 74% 1%

15 2.9cm ±0.15cm 77% 1%

18 3.3cm ±0.15cm 80% 1%

 Electron Energy
Energy 90% 80% 50% 30%
4 0.89 1.0 1.26 ≤2.00
6 1.71 1.9 2.3 ≤2.60
9 2.68 2.95 3.5 ≤3.90
12 3.77 4.15 4.89 ≤5.40
16 4.87 5.45 6.49 ≤7.30
20 5.52 6.55 8.13 ≤9.30

• Depths in cm. Tolerance ±1mm

 Photon Field Uniformity

• Flatness: variation over

central 80% of ≥10x10
field shall be ≤ ±3% of
mean of max and min

Max - Min
--------------- ≤ 0.03
Max + Min
Field Flatness
 Photon Field Uniformity

• Symmetry: Dose rate at

points equidistant from
the CAX shall not differ
by >2%
Field Symmetry

x x
 Field Symmetry

Alternate definition: Area under curve, to left of

CAX is within 2% of area to right of CAX
Electron Field Flatness

Test performed in same manner,

but specification is ±5% over
central 80% of field, for 10x10cm
and 25x25 cm fields
 Interlocks

Symmetry interlocks, if available, must be

tested to ensure operation
In most cases, this means creating a beam
whose asymmetry just exceeds the
tolerance of the interlock, and verifying that
the interlock trips.
 Dosimetry
Reproducibility of delivered dose
Long-term reproducibility
Reproducibility with gantry angle
Linearity of dose monitor
Reproducibility with dose rate
Accuracy of dose rate (cGy/min)
 Dynamic Therapy

Dose should be in good agreement with

intended dose per unit linear distance, or
angle, as determined by the dose delivery
parameters
 Wedges
Applies to hard and programmed wedges
(Varian "EDW"; Elekta "Universal Wedge")
Slope of isodose curve should agree with
intended slope
Dose delivery per unit jaw movement
should agree with intended.
Imaging Systems
Special Considerations

Unusual machines or characteristics

 Acceptance Testing
Completed:
Machine meets your purchase specifications
It is safe to use
Payment to manufacturer can be made
Commissioning can now begin