Program Information
MRI-Linac Dosimetry: Parameters That Change in a Magnetic Field
D. J. O'Brien*, G. O. Sawakuchi, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Presentations
TH-CD-BRA-7 (Thursday, August 4, 2016) 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Room: Ballroom A
Purpose: In MRI-linac integrated systems, the presence of the magnetic (B-)field has a large impact of the dose-distribution and the dose-responses of detectors; yet established protocols and previous experience may lead to assumptions about the commissioning process that are no longer valid. This study quantifies parameters that change when performing dosimetry with an MRI-linac including beam quality specifiers and the effective-point-of-measurement (EPOM) of ionization chambers.
Methods: We used the Geant4 Monte Carlo code for this work with physics parameters that pass the Fano cavity test to within 0.1% for the simulated conditions with and without a 1.5 T B-field. A point source model with the energy distribution of an MRI-linac beam was used with and without the B-field to calculate the beam quality specifiers %dd(10)x and TPR²⁰₁₀, the variation of chamber response with orientation and the how the B-field affects the EPOM of ionization chambers by comparing depth-dose curves calculated in water to those generated by a model PTW30013 Farmer chamber.
Results: The %dd(10)x changes by over 2% in the presence of the B-field while the TPR²⁰₁₀ is unaffected. Ionization chamber dose-response is known to depend on the orientation w.r.t. the B-field, but two alternative perpendicular orientations (anti-parallel to each other) also differ in dose-response by over 1%. The B-field shifts the EPOM downstream (closer to the chamber center) but it is also shifted laterally by 0.27 times the chamber’s cavity radius.
Conclusion: The EPOM is affected by the B-field and it even shifts laterally. The relationship between %dd(10)x and the Spencer-Attix stopping powers is also changed. Care must be taken when using chambers perpendicular to the field as the dose-response changes depending on which perpendicular orientation is used. All of these effects must be considered when performing dosimetry in B-fields and should be accounted for in future dosimetry protocols.
Funding Support, Disclosures, and Conflict of Interest: This project was partially funded by Elekta Ltd.
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