Process control analysis of IMRT QA: implications for clinical trials.

The purpose of this study is two-fold: first is to investigate the process of IMRT QA using control charts and second is to compare control chart limits to limits calculated using the standard deviation (sigma). Head and neck and prostate IMRT QA cases from seven institutions in both academic and community settings are considered. The percent difference between the point dose measurement in phantom and the corresponding result from the treatment planning system (TPS) is used for analysis.

Moving from IMRT QA measurements toward independent computer calculations using control charts.

Background And Purpose: In this study, we investigated IMRT QA using Statistical Process Control for the purpose of comparing the processes of patient-specific measurements and the corresponding independent computer calculations.

Materials And Methods: Point dose data from the treatment planning system (TPS), independent computer calculations, and physical measurements for prostate and head and neck cases were studied. Control charts were used to analyze the IMRT QA processes from several institutions in the academic and community setting.

An analysis of tolerance levels in IMRT quality assurance procedures.

Increased use of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has resulted in increased efforts in patient quality assurance (QA). Software and detector systems intended to streamline the IMRT quality assurance process often report metrics, such as percent discrepancies between measured and computed doses, which can be compared to benchmark or threshold values. The purpose of this work is to examine the relationships between two different types of IMRT QA processes in order to define, or refine, appropriate tolerances values.

A model for online interactive remote education for medical physics using the Internet.

Background: Medical physics is a relatively small community but it spans great geographical distances, usually with a scarcity of experts whose expertise could greatly benefit students entering into the field. In addition there are many software systems for which an interactive education method would be most advantageous.

Objective: To develop a process to optimally use the Internet for real-time interactive remote education of medical physics and to present the experience of the study.

An investigation of the reproducibility and usefulness of automatic couch motion in complex radiation therapy techniques.

Radiation therapy techniques that incorporate multiple couch motions are becoming more common, and they often involve an increasing level of complexity along with a need for automatic motion. The reproducibility of automatic couch motion is thus a growing concern. In this work we carried out various tests to assess the automatic motion of a commercial treatment couch, including tests to evaluate the digital readout reproducibility, as well as an independent verification of the reproducibility of the couch positions on repeated motions, using phantoms as well as a volunteer subject.