Purpose: To introduce a simplified quality assurance (QA) procedure that integrates tests for the linac's imaging components and the robotic couch. Current QA procedures for evaluating the alignment of the imaging system and linac require careful positioning of a phantom at isocenter before image acquisition and analysis. A complementary procedure for the robotic couch requires an initial displacement of the phantom and then evaluates the accuracy of repositioning the phantom at isocenter.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the United States, infection with Fasciola hepatica has been identified as an emerging disease, primarily in immigrants, refugees, and travelers. The laboratory test of choice for diagnosis of fascioliasis is detection of disease specific antibodies, most commonly uses excretory-secretory antigens for detection of IgG antibodies. Recently, recombinant proteins such as F.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis paper describes measurements of clinical efficiency and time requirements associated with image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). In June 2004, the authors' institution installed an integrated kilovoltage (kV) imaging system attached to a medical linear accelerator for radiographic target localization. Over the past year, 242 patients have been localized with the kV radiographic imaging system for a total of 2,700 fractions.
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