Nondosimetric Quality Assurance for your Multi Leaf Collimator

The QUASAR™ MLC Beam Geometry phantom is designed to address the complex non-dosimetric, beam geometry and beam imaging features of modern planning systems:

• Tests beam integrity from CT simulation and planning to the linear acceleration and portal imaging system.
• Reveals errors in beam imaging, DICOM transfer, registration, alignment, and orientation.
• Compatible with standard collimators, MLCs, mini MLCs, and micro MLCs from multiple vendors, including Varian, Elekta, Siemens, Brainlab and Radionics.
• For IMRT, 3D conformal RT, and conventional RT.
  
• Supports nondosimetric tests for equipment commissioning, technique
  commissioning, system characterization, and routine QA protocols.

The development of new technology, such as IMRT and other conformal therapies,
has led to increased demands on physicists responsible for commissioning and
maintaining radiotherapy equipment. AAPM Task Group reports, including TG 66(1),
TG 53(2), and TG 51(3), make clear recommendations regarding the importance
of both dosimetric and nondosimetric tests within an overall integrated QA process.

“The modern RTP process includes many aspects not directly related to dose
calculations. Therefore, the RTP QA program must also handle these important
nondosimetric issues…for it is in the nondosimetric issues that much of the
complexity of modern treatment planning systems is manifest.”
TG53 Report p. 1782-83 (2)

The MLC Beam Geometry phantom clearly addresses nondosimetric issues and
plays an important role in the overall QA process.

QUASAR™ MLC Beam Geometry Phantom tests:

• Multiplanar CT Image reconstruction, geometric accuracy, orientation,
  and 3D measurement tools on CT simulators, radiation therapy planning
  systems and other imaging workstations
  
• Beam display graphics at oblique gantry and couch angles
  
• Digitally reconstructed radiographs
  
• Portal images on linear accelerators
  
• Image transfer, storage, retrieval, DICOM tools on all workstations
  
• 2D image geometric accuracy and measurement tools
  
• 5 mm (MLC), 4 mm (mini MLC) and 3 mm (micro MLC) steps allow
  Medical Physicists to test the integrity of treatment planning systems
  and CT-simulators in the display of MLC-shaped fields on transverse
  or reconstructed images.

1. Quality assurance for computed-tomography simulators and the
   computed-tomography-simulation process: Report of the AAPM Radiation
   Therapy Committee Task Group No. 66, MUTIC S., PALTA J. R., BUTKER
   E. K., DAS I. J., HUQ M. S., LOO L. D., SALTER B. J., MCCOLLOUGH C.,
   VAN DYK J., Med. Phys. 30, (2003) pp. 2762-2792.
2. AAPM Radiation Therapy Committee Task Group 53: Quality Assurance
   for Clinical Radiotherapy Treatment Planning, Benedick Fraass, Karen Doppke,
   Margie Hunt, Gerald Kutcher, George Starkschall, Robin Stern, Jake Van Dyk;
   Med. Phys. 25 (10), October 1998, pp. 1773-1829.
3. AAPM’s TG-51protocol for clinical reference dosimetry of high-energy photon
   and electron beams, ALMOND P. R., BIGG S P. J., COURSEY B. M., HANSON
   W. F., HUQ M. S., NATH R., ROGE RS D. W., Med. Phys. 26 (1999) pp. 1847-1870.