Abstract:
The objective of this study was to commission and verify the dosimetric
parameters for an enhanced dynamic wedge (EDW) in Eclipse 8.0 treatment planning
system (TPS) using pencil beam convolution algorithm. The accuracy of the 6 MV,
250 and 450 EDW beam characteristics on Clinac 23EX were investigated. Beam
parameters including depth doses, profiles, wedge factors, wedge angles were
examined for both the symmetric and asymmetric EDW fields. In order to verify the
MU calculations, three different EDW plans were generated on the verification
phantom for this purpose. Then the measured EDW dosimetric parameters were
compared with those calculated from the Eclipse TPS. Results of the study revealed
that, for the depth doses, agreements between the measured and calculated were within
+1.5% in the depth beyond dmax (δ1) and +4.35% in the build-up region region (δ2).
Moreover, the EDW beam depth doses also presented the same characteristics of dose
as the open beam. On the EDW profiles, measured profiles with the CA24 chamber
array were evaluated with the calculated profiles. It was found that the deviations in
the penumbra region (δ2) and the high dose-low dose gradient region (δ3) in most
cases, except for the largest asymmetric field size of 40 x 30 cm2, were smaller than
1.5 mm and +2.0%, respectively. For the effective wedge factors, the comparative
accuracy between the measurements and calculations was within +1.5% for both the
symmetric and asymmetric EDW fields. EDW wedge factors were also found to be
independent from depth of measurements. In most of the field sizes, the measured
EDW angles differed from the TPS EDW angles within +1.8 degree, except in the
field size of 20 x 5 cm2 in which a maximum deviation of 4.7 degree was detected. For
MUs verification, all three calculated EDW plans provided an accuracy of dose within
+2% of the measured dose. The results of this study clearly show that the
commissioning of 6 MV, 250 and 450 enhanced dynamic wedges meets the clinical
accuracy requirements. The Eclipse 8.0 TPS with the pencil open beam calculation
model and Golden STT for the other EDW angles are judgeed to be satisfactory for
planning.