title: Dosimetric characteristics of novalis Tx system with high definition multileaf collimator.
abstract: A new Novalis Tx system equipped with a high definition multileaf collimator (HDMLC) recently became available to perform both image-guided radiosurgery and conventional radiotherapy. It is capable of delivering a highly conformal radiation dose with three energy modes: 6 MV photon energy, 15 MV photon energy, and 6 MV photon energy in a stereotactic radiosurgery mode with 1000 MU/min dose rate. Dosimetric characteristics of the new Novalis Tx treatment unit with the HDMLC are systematically measured for commissioning. A high resolution diode detector and miniion-chamber detector are used to measure dosimetric data for a range of field sizes from 4 x 4 mm to 400 x 400 mm. The commissioned Novalis Tx system has passed the RPC stereotactic radiosurgery head phantom irradiation test. The Novalis Tx system not only expands its capabilities with three energy modes, but also achieves better beam conformity and sharer beam penumbra with HDMLC. Since there is little beam data information available for the new Novalis Tx system, we present in this work the dosimetric data of the new modality for reference and comparison.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University, Box 3295, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. zheng.chang@duke.edu
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Zhiheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Q Jackie
authors.initials: QJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bowsher
authors.forename: Junan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Fang-Fang
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D011874:Radiometry; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012542:Scattering, Radiation