Estimation of neutron production from accelerator head assembly of 15MV medical LINAC using FLUKA simulations

Patil, B.J.; Chavan, S.T.; Pethe, S.N.; Krishnan, Rahul; Bhoraskar, V.N.; Dhole, S.D.

doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2011.04.013

Cited by 19 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Patil et al [19] describe the optimization of two foils for the flattening of electron beams at 6, 12 and 18 MeV. The primary foil is tantalum of uniform thickness, and serves to increase the lateral components of electron velocities into a Gaussian probability distribution.…”

Section: Such Validation Requires Extensive Comparisons and Iterationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We also used two sets of flattening foils, as do the Agility machines. The first foil is before the primary collimator with thickness and material based on [19] and the second foil is aluminum and constructed of three layers, of diameter and thickness based on measurements in an Elekta Agility carousel. The secondary foils are positioned 12 cm after the primary foil.…”

Section: Such Validation Requires Extensive Comparisons and Iterationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tungsten carbide and LMPA electron cutouts: comparison and validation using Monte Carlo modelling and measurement of dose

Leat¹,

Prabhakar²,

Langton³

2020

Biomed. Phys. Eng. Express

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Electron applicator cutouts for radiation therapy electron beam shaping are typically cast from Low Melting Point Alloys (LMPA), such as cerrobend. In this work, we describe the Monte Carlo modelling of novel 3D printed cutouts based on tungsten carbide powder and the resulting dose profiles subject to Elekta Agility electron beams. Cerrobend cutouts were also modelled using the Monte Carlo code EGSnrc. Cerrobend and tungsten carbide cutouts were found to have the same dose profiles within model variance. Computed profiles and percentage depth dose (PDDs) curves of the Elekta Agility accelerator model using standard cutouts in water were found to agree with water tank measurements using gamma criteria of 2%/2mm. The Monte Carlo computed dose profiles of the tungsten carbide cutouts in a polystyrene phantom were also found to agree with liquid-filled ionization chamber array measurements using gamma criteria of 2%/2mm. We conclude that the tungsten carbide cutouts are clinically equivalent to LMPA cutouts.

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Section: Such Validation Requires Extensive Comparisons and Iterationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Such Validation Requires Extensive Comparisons and Iterationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tungsten carbide and LMPA electron cutouts: comparison and validation using Monte Carlo modelling and measurement of dose

Leat¹,

Prabhakar²,

Langton³

2020

Biomed. Phys. Eng. Express

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“…In the case of cancer treatments using a photon beam with an energy ≥8 MV, radiation occurs because of a chain reaction of the following two reactions [3,4]. With continuous irradiation, neutrons are generated through a photonuclear reaction (γ, n) inside the LINAC's head, and these then interact with the components inside the LINAC head, generates gamma rays [5][6][7]. The LINAC gradually becomes radioactive, exposing radiologists and patients receiving treatment to unintentional radiation [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measurements of Neutron Activation and Dose Rate Induced by High-Energy Medical Linear Accelerator

Kwon

Jang

Kim

et al. 2021

Progress in Medical Physics

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During the treatments of cancer patients with a linear accelerator (LINAC) using photon beams with energies ≥8 MV, the components inside the LINAC head get activated through the interaction of photonuclear reaction (γ, n) and neutron capture (n, γ). We used spectroscopy and measured the dose rate for the LINAC in operation after the treatment ended. Methods:We performed spectroscopy and dose rate measurements for three units of LINACs with a portable high-purity Germanium (HPGe) detector and a survey meter. The spectra were obtained after the beams were turned off. Spectroscopy was conducted for 3,600 seconds, and the dose rate was measured three times. We identified the radionuclides for each LINAC.Results: According to gamma spectroscopy results, most of the nuclides were short-lived radionuclides with half-lives of 100 days, except for 60 Co, 65 Zn, and 181 W nuclides. The dose rate for three LINACs obtained immediately in front of the crosshair was in the range of 0.113 to 0.129 µSv/h. The maximum and minimum dose rates measured on weekends were 0.097 µSv/h and 0.092 µSv/h, respectively. Compared with the differences in weekday data, there was no significant difference between the data measured on Saturday and Sunday.Conclusions: Most of the detected radionuclides had half-lives <100 days, and the dose rate decreased rapidly. For equipment that primarily used energies ≤10 MV, when the equipment was transferred after at least 10 minutes after shutting it down, it is expected that there will be little effect on the workers' exposure.

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“…and even the patient). Not only does this activation have to be taken into account for patient protection and worker dosimetry [1] [2], but also for neutron activation of the treatment head, in particular.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monte Carlo simulations of photoneutron activation in a medical LINAC

Begin

Sellam

Nourreddine

2015

2015 4th International Conference on Advancements in Nuclear Instrumentation Measurement Methods and Their Applications (ANIMMA

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The first step of the present study was to simulate the -radioactivity produced by photoneutrons in the treatment head of a decommissioned medical LINAC. These results, obtained with MCNPX and CINDER'90, are then compared with -ray spectrometric measurements of parts of the treatment head. Our ultimate objective is to simulate the associated production by photonuclear reactions of pure -emitters, which are more difficult to access experimentally than the -ray emitters.

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Estimation of neutron production from accelerator head assembly of 15MV medical LINAC using FLUKA simulations

Cited by 19 publications

References 6 publications

Tungsten carbide and LMPA electron cutouts: comparison and validation using Monte Carlo modelling and measurement of dose

Tungsten carbide and LMPA electron cutouts: comparison and validation using Monte Carlo modelling and measurement of dose

Measurements of Neutron Activation and Dose Rate Induced by High-Energy Medical Linear Accelerator

Monte Carlo simulations of photoneutron activation in a medical LINAC

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