Calibration of Photon and Electron Beams

Ganesan Ramanathan
Modern radiotherapy relies on accurate dose delivery to
the prescribed target volume.

ICRU recommends an overall accuracy in tumour dose

delivery of 5%, based on:
• An analysis of dose response data.
• An evaluation of errors in dose delivery in a clinical setting.

Considering all uncertainties involved in the dose delivery

to the patient, the 5% accuracy is by no means easy to
attain.
Accurate dose delivery to the target with external photon
or electron beams is governed by a chain consisting of
the following main links:

• Basic output calibration of the beam

• Procedures for measuring the relative dose data.

• Equipment commissioning and quality assurance.

• Treatment planning

• Patient set-up on the treatment machine.

The basic output calibration for photon and electron beams
is carried out with:
• Radiation dosimeters
• Special dosimetry techniques.

􀀁 Radiation dosimetry refers to a determination by

measurement and/or calculation of:
• Absorbed dose
OR
• Some other physically relevant quantity, such as air kerma,
fluence or equivalent dose
at a given point in the medium.
Standard dosimetry protocols are based on the Bragg-Gray or

Spencer-Attix cavity theories which provide a simple linear

relationship between the dose at a given point in the medium and

the ratio Q/mair.

􀀁
Traceability of chamber calibration coefficient to a national
PSDL implies that:
• Either the chamber was calibrated directly at the PSDL in terms of:
• Air kerma in air
• Absorbed dose in water
• Or the chamber was calibrated directly at an accredited dosimetry
calibration laboratory (ADCL) or at secondary standards dosimetry
laboratory (SSDL) that traces its calibration to a PSDL.
• Or the chamber calibration coefficient was obtained through a
cross-calibration with another ionization chamber, the calibration
coefficient of which was measured directly at a PSDL, an ADCL or
an SSDL
Ionization chamber based dosimetry systems
Power supply in an ionization chamber/electrometer circuit is:

• Either a stand alone unit

• Or it forms an integral part of the electrometer.

􀀁 It is useful to be able to change the polarity and voltage provided

by the power supply, so that the ion collection efficiency and polarity
effects can be determined for a particular radiation beam and
ionization chamber.
Water is the standard and most universal phantom material for
dosimetry measurements of photon and electron beams.

􀀁 For photon beams, tissue equivalency or water equivalency

implies a match in:
• Mass-energy absorption coefficient
• Mass stopping power
• Mass scattering power

􀀁 For electron beams, water equivalency implies a match in:

• Linear stopping power
• Linear scattering power
Chamber signal corrections for influence quantities
Examples of influence quantities in ionization chamber
dosimetry measurements are:
• Ambient air temperature
• Ambient air pressure
• Ambient air humidity
• Applied chamber voltage
• Applied chamber polarity
• Chamber leakage currents
• Chamber stem effects
When calibrating an ionization chamber, the charge measured by
the chamber depends on the air temperature, pressure and
humidity, and therefore the chamber calibration coefficient must
be given for stated reference values of these parameters.

At most standards laboratories the chamber signal is

corrected to normal conditions of Tn = 20oC (22oC in India) and
Pn = 101.325 kPa and no correction is applied for humidity of air
(assumed to be about 50%).
 Calibration of a megavoltage photon beam
using TRS 277
• Rationale for calibration

• Step by step procedure to

be followed for calibration
of a photon beam from a
medical linear accelerator
following IAEA TRS 277

• Interpretation of results
 IAEA TRS 277
• Assumes user has a calibration factor for exposure NX or air-
KERMA NK for the ion chamber/ electrometer combination in use

• Determines absolute dose to water

Background
Calibration Chain
Primary Standard Lab: Calibration Cobalt Beam
Secondary Standard Lab: Transfer of calibration factor to the
user’s instrument using Cobalt radiation in air
User: Determination of dose in water in user’s beam
Assume you have a NE 2505/3 3A ion chamber and Farmer
electrometer

• Chamber volume 0.6cc

• Internal radius 3.15mm
• Internal length 24mm
• Get KERMA factor:
• Nk = 9.08 10-3 Gy/div

Part 10, Practical 2

 First step: conversion of KERMA (in air) factor from
SSDL to Absorbed dose to air chamber factor ND

• ND = NK (1-g) kattkm
• If Exposure factor NX is known:
with
• g the fraction of
brehmsstrahlung generated NK = NX (W/e) (1 - g)-1
in water for 60Co = 0.003
• katt attenuation in wall
correction
• km material (i.e. non-air)
correction for wall and
build-up cap

Part 10, Practical 2

Need correction for MQ
• Temperature (the higher the less molecules in chamber)
• Pressure (the higher the more molecules in chamber)

• PTp = P0/P (T + 273.2)/(T0 + 273.2)

• with P and T the measured pressure (in kPa) and temperature (in oC) and P0 =
101.3kPa and T = 20oC as reference conditions

Part 10, Practical 2

Need also correction for recombination of ions in the
chamber
• Effect depends on radiation quality, dose rate and high voltage
applied to the chamber

• Protocol provides a method to calculate it based on two chamber

readings with different high voltages applied:

assume here: ps = 1.003 (i.e. we lose 0.3% of the generated ions due to
recombination)

Part 10, Practical 2

Two Voltage method
 For pulsed beams (Linac beams)

where

ks is the recombination correction

M1 is the chamber reading at the nominal operating voltage

M2 is the chamber reading at one fourth or one fifth the nominal

operating voltage

a0, a1 and a2 are the polynomial coeffients corresponding to the

For pulsed beams (Linac beams)
 Polarity correction

where

M+ is the chamber reading with + ve potential applied to the central

electrode

M- is the chamber reading with negative potential

M is the chamber reading with conventional polarity applied