title: The use of photostimulable phosphor systems for periodic quality assurance in radiotherapy.
abstract: The fusion of radiological and optical images can be achieved through charging a photostimulable phosphor plate (PSP) with an exposure to a field of X- or gamma-rays, followed by exposure to an optical image which discharges the plate in relation to the amount of incident light. According to this PSP characteristic, we developed a simple method for periodic quality assurance (QA) of light/radiation field coincidence, distance indicator, field size indicators, crosshair centering, coincidence of radiation and mechanical isocenter for linear accelerators. The geometrical accuracy of radiological units can be subjected to the same QA method. Further, the source position accuracy for an HDR remote afterloader can be checked by taking an autoradiography of the radioactive source and simultaneously an optical image of a reference geometrical system.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Biologiche, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, Italy. leopoldo.conte@uninsubria.it
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cassani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monciardini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mordacchini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Novario
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Strocchi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stucchi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tanzi
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008027:Light; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014963:X-Ray Intensifying Screens
chemical_list: D010758:Phosphorus