An empirical formula for calculating the output factors of electron beams from a therac 20 linear accelerator. 1988

F S Chen
Department of Radiation Oncology, Saint John Regional Hospital, New Brunswick, Canada.

A polynomial formula, deduced from the data published by Mills et al. [Med. Phys. 12, 473 (1985)], in predicting the relative electron beam output factors, is presented in this report. This formula contains four parameters. By choosing four measured output factors, from four field sizes normalized at the field size of (10,10), the values of these parameters can be determined. A comparison of the factors predicted with this formula and the values measured by Mills et al. shows that the differences between the field sizes of (4,4) to (30,30) are 0.5% or less in 31 out of 35 field sizes. All the 35 field sizes are within 1% for an electron beam of 20 MeV. With 6-MeV electron beams, the differences are 0.5% or less in 26 out of 35 field sizes, and 1% or less in 31 out of 35 field sizes. Those having differences greater than 1% have either a small field size (5 cm) or a large field size (20 cm). Considering that this formula requires only four accurately measured relative output factors, one can predict the factors of any field within an acceptable accuracy. The calculation is easy with a scientific hand calculator. This formula provides major improvement over the other methods which require many measurements to be taken in order to interpolate with acceptable accuracy.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008433 Mathematics The deductive study of shape, quantity, and dependence. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed) Mathematic
D010315 Particle Accelerators Devices which accelerate electrically charged atomic or subatomic particles, such as electrons, protons or ions, to high velocities so they have high kinetic energy. Betatrons,Linear Accelerators,Accelerator, Linear,Accelerator, Particle,Accelerators, Linear,Accelerators, Particle,Betatron,Linear Accelerator,Particle Accelerator
D011879 Radiotherapy Dosage The total amount of radiation absorbed by tissues as a result of radiotherapy. Dosage, Radiotherapy,Dosages, Radiotherapy,Radiotherapy Dosages
D011882 Radiotherapy, High-Energy Radiotherapy using high-energy (megavolt or higher) ionizing radiation. Types of radiation include gamma rays, produced by a radioisotope within a teletherapy unit; x-rays, electrons, protons, alpha particles (helium ions) and heavy charged ions, produced by particle acceleration; and neutrons and pi-mesons (pions), produced as secondary particles following bombardment of a target with a primary particle. Megavolt Radiotherapy,High-Energy Radiotherapy,Radiotherapy, Megavolt,High Energy Radiotherapy,Radiotherapy, High Energy
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
Copied contents to your clipboard!