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TU-H-BRA-06: Characterization of a Linear Accelerator Operating in a Compact MRIGuided Radiation Therapy System

Journal Article · · Medical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1118/1.4957628· OSTI ID:22654029
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  1. Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (United States)
  2. University of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
  3. ViewRay, Inc., Oakwood Village, OH (United States)

Purpose: To describe the performance of a linear accelerator operating in a compact MRI-guided radiation therapy system. Methods: A commercial linear accelerator was placed in an MRI unit that is employed in a commercial MR-based image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) system. The linear accelerator components were placed within magnetic field-reducing hardware that provided magnetic fields of less than 40 G for the magnetron, gun driver, and port circulator, with 1 G for the linear accelerator. The system did not employ a flattening filter. The test linear accelerator was an industrial 4 MV model that was employed to test the ability to run an accelerator in the MR environment. An MR-compatible diode detector array was used to measure the beam profiles with the accelerator outside and inside the MR field and with the gradient coils on and off to examine if there was any effect on the delivered dose distribution. The beam profiles and time characteristics of the beam were measured. Results: The beam profiles exhibited characteristic unflattened Bremsstrahlung features with less than ±1.5% differences in the profile magnitude when the system was outside and inside the magnet and less than 1% differences with the gradient coils on and off. The central axis dose rate fluctuated by less than 1% over a 30 second period when outside and inside the MRI. Conclusion: A linaccompatible MR design has been shown to be effective in not perturbing the operation of a commercial linear accelerator. While the accelerator used in the tests was 4MV, there is nothing fundamentally different with the operation of a 6MV unit, implying that the design will enable operation of the proposed clinical unit. Research funding provided by ViewRay, Inc.

OSTI ID:
22654029
Journal Information:
Medical Physics, Journal Name: Medical Physics Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 43; ISSN 0094-2405; ISSN MPHYA6
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English