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REF 90501 User Manual

1. Temperature and pressure measurement Pressure Resolution Temperature Resolution Operating Parameters Temperature Relative Humidity Pressure Storage Parameters Temperature Relative Humidity Pressure Precision sensor on board automatic compensation 0 1 mmHg 0 1 C 15 to 35 C 20 to 80 non condensing 650 to 770 mmHg 15 to 50 C 10 to 95 non condensing 600 to 800 mmHg PC Hardware Requirements Available COM port within range of COM1 through COM8 Audio On board speaker for audio feedback on start up button presses operator alerts etc Dimensions QA BeamChecker Plus Width Height Length Dimensions Power Data Cradle Width Height Length Dimensions Gantry Mount Width Height Length Dimensions Precision Leveling Platform Triangle Side Length Height Weight QA BeamChecker Plus Power Data Cradle Gantry Mount Precision Leveling Platform 30 86 cm 12 15 in 6 15 cm 2 42 in 40 64 cm 16 00 in 10 16 cm 4 00 in 7 16 cm 2 82 in 29 21 cm 11 50 in 36 cm 14 17 in 50 cm 19 69 in typical varies by accelerator 29 cm 11 42 in 38 cm 14 96 in 6 5 cm 2 56 in 5 kg 11 Ibs 1 8 kg 4 Ibs 5 3 kg 11 68 lbs 1 25 kg 2 75 lbs Power Requirements Battery Battery Recharge Time Charger Input Product Standards 1 3 Ah SLA 4 hours of continuous use Approximately 8 hours from full discharge 90 240 VAC 50 60 Hz EN IEC 60601
2. when the communication software is launched 2 lf the database file associated with the QA BeamChecker gh Plus connected to the PC is not already open open it by clicking the open icon on the toolbar or navigating to File gt Database gt Open and browse for the correct file 3 Depending on the tab being viewed the Connection Status shown at the top of the screen should read Waiting yellow or Ready green If the Connection Status shows as red see the Troubleshooting section of this manual for more information 4 If connection is verified select the appropriate treatment room RM1 RM2 etc from the left side of the screen C4 QABC Plus 4080811 Linac 1 RM1 EJ Tomo RM2 Rotational RM3 Linac RMS Tomo2 RM6 Rotational2 RM8 CAUTION Ensure the proper room is selected to avoid overwriting or adding new data to the wrong room 5 Select the Baselines tab at the bottom of the screen At this point the Connection Status shown at the top of the screen should be shown as Waiting yellow Connection Status Waiting 6 Click the Create New Baseline button Create New Baseline 7 Enter parameters for the baseline These parameters differ depending on the room type Static 5 Channel Dynamic 5 Channel or TomoTherapy Hi Art as follows Static 5 Channel Room e Energy Type Photons or Electrons e Energy Select from the pull down list 6X 18E etc e Dose
3. 1 approved power supply Globtek Inc model GTM21089 1509 T3 or TRUMPower power supply model FRM015 S09 4 The use of any other power supply and using alternates other than the UL CSA recognized power cord can degrade minimum safety The proper replacements from Standard Imaging Inc are required for compliance with the requirements of IEC 60601 1 IEC 60601 1 IEC 60601 1 2 C gas Authorized representative for the EU is AMA Ltd St Felix House Flitcham King s Lynn Norfolk United Kingdom PE31 6BU Competent Authority for the EU is the Medical Products Agency Sweden Notified Body for the EU is Semko Sweden 1 Externally Certified 2 Designed to Meet 48 See www standardimaging com for applicable tech notes Specifications are subject to change without notice GABEAMCHECKER PLUS Customer Responsibility pe This product and its components will perform properly and reliably only when operated and maintained in accordance with the instructions contained in this manual and accompanying labels A defective device should not be used Parts which may be broken or missing or are clearly worn distorted or contaminated should be replaced immediately with genuine replacement parts manufactured by or made available from Standard Imaging Inc CAUTION Federal law in the U S A and Canadian law restrict the sale distribution or use of this product to by or on the order of a licensed medical practitioner The us
4. 35 Dynamic 5 Channel Planning 36 Appendix C Explanation of Saved File Export 36 Static 5 Channel Mode 37 TomoTherapy Mode Static Plans 38 TomoTherapy Mode Dynamic Plans 39 Dynamic 5 Channel Mode 41 Physics Mode 43 Appendix D Chamber Location Diagram 44 Troubleshooting Frequently Asked Questions 44 Troubleshooting Scenarios 46 Frequently Asked Questions 47 Maintenance 47 Parts and Accessories 47 Description of Symbols 48 Features and Specifications 49 Customer Responsibility 49 Service Policy 50 Warranty 3 QABEAMCHEQKER PLUS es Overview NOTE This manual refers to operation while using QA BeamChecker Plus Communication Software version 2 2 X If using a previous version contact Standard Imaging for the latest revision of the QA BeamChecker Plus Communication Software The QA BeamChecker Plus QABC is a reliable and uncomplicated measurement instrument for daily quality assurance testing of linear accelerator TomoTherapy Hi Art System or other rotational delivery treatment machine output It assists medical physicists in verifying that the constancy symmetry flatness and other parameters of a beam are not changing over time The QA BeamChecker Plus consists of the standalone detector unit with 8 parallel plate ionization chambers a Power Data Cradle and PC based software for baselining the current machine parameters and viewing data in real time In the TomoTherapy mode the additional Precision TomoT
5. BeamChecker Plus a Baseline must be created for each energy or plan to be tested A baseline is a benchmark that is created to compare beam exposure to when using Wire Free or Real Time Operation modes See pages 16 and 19 respectively NOTE A baseline should be acquired roughly when the daily measurement will take place For instance if the daily measurement is regularly performed at 7 00 AM the baseline should be taken at a similar time This section of the manual details the procedure for creating a baseline for all three room types Static 5 Channel Dynamic 5 Channel and TomoTherapy Hi Art While minimal pre planning is required for routine photon and electron measurements Static 5 Channel Dynamic 5 Channel and TomoTherapy Hi Art delivery require the creation of specifically prepared treatment plans See Appendix B to learn about creating plans before proceeding The QA BeamChecker Plus must be connected to the PC while baselines are acquired Typically the 100 ft serial cable is run from the computer into the treatment vault and connected to the Power Data Cradle read more about the Power Data Cradle on page 8 Using the pass through port on the Power Data Cradle the 25 ft serial cable is used to connect the cradle to the QA BeamChecker Plus which is placed on the treatment couch Figure 3 QA BeamChecker Plus connected to PC via serial cable shown using two methods with and without cradle pass through 12
6. BeamChecker Plus is symmetrical the unit must be consistently used in the same orientation from baseline measurement to Wire Free or Real Time Operation Modes QABEAMCHECKER PLUS Troubleshooting Frequently Asked Questions Continued Scenario 5 Error code E 00 08 shows on the QA BeamChecker Possible Cause 2 Plus front panel status display The system font setting is set too large Setting the screen font resolution above 96 DPI within the operation system can make Possible Cause 1 certain screen elements move unexpectedly An internal hardware failure has occurred Turn off the QA BeamChecker Plus and turn it back on to see if this error clears If not press the pinhole reset switch on the side of the unit If the error is still not cleared contact Standard Imaging for service Have the error code s ready when explaining the problem to one of our service technicians Below is a list of internal hardware value codes and what problem they indicate E00 Unknown Error E01 Bias E02 EEPROM E03 Display Driver E04 Barometer Temperature Module E05 A D E06 Real time clock E07 Low Battery E08 Internal Memory Full On some energies QA BeamChecker Plus measurements show inconsistent variation day to day even though other measurement with other devices indicated linac should not be exhibiting this behavior Tip 1 When taking measurements with the QA BeamChecker Plus the instrument should be placed in the same position
7. BeamChecker Plus will not respond to commands made from its front panel or through Real Time Operation Mode Possible Cause 1 The QA BeamChecker Plus is not powered on Press the power on off button on the front panel of the device Possible Cause 2 The internal battery is low or dead Either place the device onto the cradle or attach the AC adapter directly to the QA BeamChecker Plus Possible Cause 3 The interface does not respond Press the pinhole reset switch on the side of the unit This will only reset the unit the internal memory is not erased The QA BeamChecker Plus Connection Status is shown as Not Connected by the Communication Software Possible Cause 1 The QA BeamChecker Plus is not properly resting on the cradle or cable is not attached to the PC Make sure the unit has been firmly placed on the cradle and confirm all cables between the cradle and PC or the QA BeamChecker Plus and PC are properly inserted Possible Cause 2 The COM port is not properly configured in Microsoft Windows or the system BIOS The COM port must be set within the range of ports 1 through 8 If using a serial to USB adapter or PCI serial port add on card the COM port for these devices can be assigned in the Device Manager within the Control Panel Refer to the operating system computer user manual or contact the computer manufacturer for more information Possible Cause 3 The QABeamChecker Plus is not turned on The Communicatio
8. Configured dose value of the beam e Dose Rate Configured dose rate of the beam e SSD Source to Surface Distance in cm Default is 100 e Gantry Angle in degrees Default is 0 e Field Size x y in cm Default is 20 20 e Measured by Name or initials of the baseline creator e Action Levels represent the point at which a flatness axial symmetry transverse symmetry or constancy out of tolerance will occur during measurement in Real Time Operation or Wire Free Modes If a measured energy differs by or more than the percentage entered in Action Level 1 box a level 1 out of tolerance will occur Likewise if a measured energy differs at or above the percentage entered in Action Level 2 box a level 2 out of tolerance will occur with Action Level 2 occurring at a greater percent difference Default settings are Action Level 1 at 3 and Action Level 2 at 5 Dynamic 5 Channel Room e Label D01 D25 Up to 25 different plans can used per Dynamic 5 Channel room Use this designation to identify which plan is being baselined e Dose Configured dose value of the beam e Dose Rate Configured dose rate of the beam Default is NA not applicable e SSD Source to Surface Distance in cm Default is 100 e Gantry Angle in degrees Default is 0 e Field Size x y in cm Default is 20 20 13 OA BE AMCEIECKER PLUS eo Preparatory Measurements Baselines Continued e Measured by Name or initials
9. Dynamic Mode a plan or plans can be created using the TomoTherapy Treatment Planning Software Multiple plans can be created and tested for each jaw width but 2 5 cm is the most common Ideally the plan developed challenges the system in reproducibility thereby potentially identifying any delivery issues in the QA routine A different dose prescribed to the each of the chambers is a one possible technique For efficiency it is recommended that the dose is kept at a conventional fraction size to shorten delivery time NOTE When planning delivery limiting dose to the chambers when the gantry is at 90 and 270 10 15 is recommended The parallel plate geometry of the chambers may produce inconsistent results when delivery is provided parallel to the chamber surface Dynamic 5 Channel Planning Aplan or plans can be created using the treatment planning software for the treatment system used Ideally the plan developed challenges the system in reproducibility thereby potentially identifying any delivery issues in the QA routine A different dose prescribed to the each of the chambers is a one possible technique For efficiency it is recommended that the dose is kept at a conventional fraction size to shorten delivery time NOTE When planning delivery limiting dose to the chambers when the gantry is at 90 and 270 10 15 is recommended The parallel plate geometry of the chambers may produce inconsistent results when d
10. Mode an individual file is created for each plan The format of each file is broken down into multiple sections using the following pattern Baseline1 Measurements for Baseline1 Baseline2 Measurements for Baseline2 etc Baseline Data Se Na ee CCO O UOOO LTP_RTE_ RAW Data collected from the left photon side or right electron side ionization chamber during the baseline measurement Data collected from the right photon side or left electron side ionization chamber during the baseline measurement 38 GABEAMCHECKER PLUS Appendix C Explanation of Saved File Export Continued eee SIX_MM_LEAD_ RAW Data collected from energy channel 3 duing the baseline measurement primarily used for photons NUM_SAMPLES Number of samples collected by the microprocessor during the baseline measurement Measurement data E NG a ENERGYLEVEL An unique identifier for the energy as determined by several ionization chambers and a proprietary algorithm This is then compared to the set of ENERGYLEVEL values from baselines above LEFT OUTPUT Left channel output temperature pressure corrected LEFT OUTPUT DELTA Left channel output difference from baseline LTP_RTE_ RAW Data collected from the left photon side or right electron side ionization chamber during measurement Data collected from the right photon side or left electron side ionization chamber during measurement Dynamic 5 Channel Mode When exporting from
11. TomoTherapy or other rotational units only the photon side is used The following are evaluated for TomoTherapy mode laser alignment both fixed and moving static output constancy static energy constancy lateral profile constancy and dynamic output constancy Following an exposure the QA BeamChecker Plus identifies the energy of the beam that was just used It then applies this reading to look up the baseline parameters for that beam energy and compares them with the present readings Daily measurements falling within the physicist selected acceptance parameters known as Action Levels result in a green light displaying on the front panel of the device for about 10 seconds followed by the unit re arming itself for the next measurement All data is stored on the QA BeamChecker Plus for later downloading Measurements outside acceptance parameters cause a red light to flash an audio alert to sound and require the RESET button to be pushed on the front of the instrument to continue Additional information is also presented on the large alphanumeric display on the front of the unit For rotational treatment machines or for dynamic beam delivery such as enhanced dynamic wedge the core functionality is very similar however instead of selecting an energy to deliver a plan is configured This plan could be a particular energy wedge angle jaw width in the case of a TomoTherapy system or any other unique identifier In typical use for
12. allows use of the QA BeamChecker Plus as a 5 channel chamber and electrometer array for taking real time measurements Because data collected is not associated with baselines or saved to the database file this mode is ideal for experimental or customized measurements For this mode the QA BeamChecker Plus must be connected to the PC NOTE A Bluetooth Adapter Kit REF 70504 is an available option allowing wireless communication from the PC to the QA BeamChecker Plus in place of a wired serial connection See page 30 for more details Place the QA BeamChecker Plus on the treatment couch flipped to the desired side Connect the QA BeamChecker Plus to the PC and exit the vault On the PC connected to the QA BeamChecker Plus launch the QA BeamChecker Plus Communication Software NOTE The QA BeamChecker Plus should automatically turn on when the communication software is launched 4 If the database file associated with the QA BeamChecker ge Plus connected to the PC is not already open open it by clicking the open icon on the toolbar or navigating to File gt Database gt Open and browse for the correct file Depending on the tab being viewed the Connection Status shown at the top of the screen should read Waiting yellow or Ready green If the Connection Status shows as red see the Troubleshooting section of this manual for more information If connection is verified select the appropriate treatment
13. attached from the PC skip this step If not run a 9 pin serial cable from the PC into the treatment vault 2 fusing the cradle as stated in step 1 connect the male Bluetooth interface adapter to the Serial Pass Through port on the cradle If not using the cradle connect the male Bluetooth interface ja aing nah Adapters adapter directly to a cable run from the PC NOTE The Bluetooth Adapter Kit will not communicate through the gt treatment vault wall but because their signal is transmitted via RF the cradle with attached adapter can be placed inside a cabinet or closet and still communicate effectively Serial Cable 3 Connect the included power adapter from the male Bluetooth interface adapter to an available power outlet loure lon tele ton eo 4 Connect the female interface adapter to the QA BeamChecker Plus where a serial cable is normally connected No external power is required for most QA BeamChecker Plus units NOTE The initial manufactured quantities of the QA BeamChecker Plus serial number Z071551 and below from early 2007 do not provide power to the Bluetooth adapter through the serial port However the Bluetooth adapter will still function properly by using the external power adapter A simple modification to these particular QA BeamChecker Plus units can be performed to enable this functionality Contact Standard Imaging for information on obtaining this service procedure See Tech Note 4050 available a
14. by clicking the Synchronize button to the right of the Connection Status indicator or by navigating to File gt Database gt Synchronize 28 Upon starting this operation the following window will appear Synchronize Synchronizing sends rooms energies and their baseline values from the currently loaded database to the connected QA BeamChecker Plus Would you like to replace QA BeamChecker Baseline data from 4 28 2009 9 42 39 AM With Database Baseline data from 4 24 2009 12 50 46 PM Database BeamChecker Plus The left column shows the room energy and plan information that exists within the database and the right column shows which information is stored within the QA BeamChecker Plus internal memory By clicking either Yes or Synchronize the values will be pushed from left to right and the main QA BeamChecker Plus software interface will be displayed If the QA BeamChecker Plus was synchronized to the incorrect database simply open the correct database file and re perform the synchronize operation NOTE If using QA BeamChecker Plus software version 2 2 2 and above Wire Free measurement data will not be deleted during the synchronization process Upon the completion of the synchronization operation go to the Data View tab to download any Wire Free data to the currently opened database What to do if Synchronization is Not Allowed In QA BeamChecker Plus software versions 2 2 1 and below if Wire Free mod
15. can be stored to a network accessible location it is common to have a copy installed at the control console of each treatment room used as well as other computers that may be used to examine measurement data in greater detail What are the differences between Wire Free and Real Time Operation modes See the Routine Measurements section of this manual for more information Can measure Baselines and use Real Time Operation and Physics modes wirelessly Yes While a serial cable will still need to be run from the PC into the treatment vault the optional Bluetooth Adapter Kit REF 70504 can supply a wireless connection between this cable and the QA BeamChecker Plus Contact Standard Imaging for pricing and purchasing information How much data can be stored on the QA BeamChecker Plus before need to transfer to the PC The internal memory within the QA BeamChecker Plus can store up 512 measurement points before a transfer is necessary The number of energies and rooms used will dictate how much time this equals We recommend transferring this data once per week or as often as is convenient because once measurements are transferred to the PC they can be easily backed up I know my linear accelerator is providing a bit over or under the intended dose Can I assign offsets to my baseline to account for this difference in my daily measurements No The QA BeamChecker Plus is designed to perform daily measurements rela
16. is readable The front panel will now display Rdy Ready Orientation may differ depending on room type or energy selected Deliver any energy to the QA BeamChecker Plus for which a baseline exists Measurement will start automatically as indicated by spinning lines displayed on the front panel 10 11 12 rI rc 1 Check the patient monitor to verify the energy ii cy 1 was detected successfully For example if 6 a on MV was administered 06E will be displayed and the measurement will be saved If the beam parameters fall below action level 1 set at time of baseline the unit will reset in roughly ten seconds re arm and display Rdy If the unit beeps repeatedly and a fault is displayed or the energy is not detected see the following section of the manual Wire Free Measurement Fault Repeat steps 9 10 for other energies if not switching between photons and electrons otherwise enter the vault flip the unit to the correct side and continue from step 6 Once completed the acquired measurements can be transferred to the PC for analysis For instructions see the Data View and Downloading Measurements section of this manual Dynamic 5 Channel Room 1 Place the QA Beamchecker Plus on the treatment couch ensuring it is flipped to the Photon side as indicated by the large white field labels on both sides of the device Position the QA BeamChecker Plus a
17. on the What s Next box at the top of the screen in the TomoTherapy software After completing the scan go to the registration panel on the Operator s Station and register the MV image to the reference image taken during the planning step See Appendix B using the manual adjustments Note registration adjustments NOTE Both the dynamic and static plan can be used to test the accuracy of the movable red lasers Use the appropriate plan as described in the Getting Started TomoTherapy Hi Art section of this manual NOTE There are 1 5 mm BBs located at the center of the crosshairs on the top Photon surface and side labels on the QA BeamChecker Plus For the longitudinal adjustment the Y axis positioning is correct if the BBs show up brightest on the center slice of the MVCT If they do not adjust longitudinal position accordingly until this is the case BB at intersection of ruler and laser alignment lines both sides of unit Photon 5 Continue with the typical QA procedure Serial to USB Adapter Actual adapter appearance may vary The Serial to USB Adapter REF 70503 is available for situations where the computer used with the QA BeamChecker Plus does not have a 9 pin serial port In order to use this adapter the appropriate driver must first be installed Included with the adapter is a CD ROM containing the necessary driver software and instructions for installation Depending on the operating system us
18. on the couch as when the baseline measurement was taken Variations in placement can affect how scatter from elements in the couch contributes to the chamber signal readings especially for low energy photons Tip 2 Performing measurements at roughly the same time each day within a couple of hours will increase the consistency of the reading Additionally the daily measurement should correspond to the time of day that the baseline was taken Working from a baseline taken in the morning and performing daily measurements in the evening can contribute variation as much as 2 depending on the consistency of temperature pressure but more significantly how warmed up the treatment machine is An initial linac warm up of 500 1000 monitor units is recommended before any QA measurements are taken When using the software certain screen elements such as buttons or text are cut off or hidden Possible Cause 1 The screen resolution is set too low Ensure the system screen resolution is set to at least 1024 x 768 pixels and the QA BeamChecker Plus software window is maximized 45 QA BE AMCEIECKER PLUS eo Troubleshooting Frequently Asked Questions Continued Frequently Asked Questions Can I install the QA BeamChecker Plus software on multiple PCs Yes There is no limit technically or legally to how many PCs can run the QA BeamChecker Plus software application simultaneously with a single copy Since the database file
19. rotational delivery such as RapidArc first a CT image of the QA BeamChecker Plus must be acquired in order to contour its internal ion chambers Using the image and its contours a treatment plan is developed and delivered to the unit as a baseline measurement Subsequent exposures compare the total composite dose delivered to each chamber to their baseline value with any deviation signaling a problem with the beam delivery Potential problems tested could include gantry rotation dose rate and or delivery position About one month s worth of data can be stored on the QA BeamChecker Plus before downloading is required although downloading may be done at any time The Power Data Cradle provides the link to the computer s RS 232 port and the included software makes downloading and trending the data quick and easy The simple four tab interface guides the physicist through all the steps needed to evaluate data Values for flatness symmetry and constancy are graphically displayed for analysis and review Data can be viewed in graph or table form and can easily be printed for archiving if desired Hi Art System is a registered trademark of TomoTherapy Incorporated RapidArc is a trademark of Varian Medical Systems QABEAMCHECKER PLUS Quick Start Guide This section will give a basic overview for setting up and using the QA BeamChecker Plus The steps listed here are covered in greater detail in following sections and sp
20. the Dynamic 5 Channel Mode an individual file is created for each plan The format of each file is broken down into multiple sections using the following pattern Baseline1 Measurements for Baseline1 Baseline2 Measurements for Baseline2 etc Baseline Data BASELINE_ID A unique identifier for the baseline energy that incorporates date and time of measurement 00 00 U ET Css c TTTTT COC CS 39 QABEAMCHEQKER PLUS a Appendix C Explanation of Saved File Export Continued eee RIGHT OUTPUT Baseline right channel output temperature pressure corrected ee aaa EEE TOP RAW TOP_OUTPUT Baseline top channel output temperature pressure corrected Measurement data ja ee a ENERGYLEVEL An unique identifier for the energy as determined by several ionization chambers and a proprietary algorithm This is then compared to the set of ENERGYLEVEL values from baselines above LTP_RTE_ RAW Data collected from the left photon side or right electron side ionization chamber during measurement Data collected from the right photon side or left electron side ionization chamber during measurement 40 GABEAMCHECKER PLUS Appendix C Explanation of Saved File Export Continued The exported file for physics mode is broken into 3 sections Rate Data Charge Data and Mode Specific The rate and charge sections are the same for all three room types however the information exported for Section 3 varies by mo
21. this manual Connection Status Ready 12 Deliver the selected plan to the QA BeamChecker Plus Upon detecting signal the QA BeamChecker Plus will begin measurement and the Connection Status bar will alternate between green and yellow Once exposure is completed raw measured values will appear on the graphical representation of the QA BeamChecker Plus alignment field Additionally temperature pressure and baseline parameters Delivery specific measurements will be shown including lateral profile output reference and energy measurement for static plans and temperature corrected measurements for the center left and right chambers for dynamic plans Percentage differences from the baseline will also be shown along with a status color code Green Within action level 1 Yellow At or outside of action level 1 Red At or outside of action level 2 Calculated Yalues Measurement Diff Left Reference 9824241 16 2 Center Reference fi 0811678 29 pa Right Reference 10312019 10 0 gpi CalculatedWalues Measurement Diff Status Lateral Profile fi 051 68 Output Reference 10755700 24 Energy Measurement 0 805 29 Real Time Operation results from Dynamic and Static modes respectively 23 GABEAMCHECKER PLUS es Data View Downloading Measurements and Reporting When data has been acquired by the QA BeamChecker Plus in either Wire Free or Real Time Operation modes selecting the Data View tab allow
22. 2 WWW STANDARDIMAGING S COM QABEAMCHECKER PLUS STANDARD IMAGING INC TEL 800 261 4446 3120 Deming Way TEL 608 831 0025 Middleton WI 53562 1461 FAX 608 831 2202 Jun 2011 2011 Standard Imaging Inc www standardimaging com DOC 80117 04 REF 90501 User Manual Wa STANDARDIMAGING 4 General Precautions Warnings and Cautions alert users to dangerous conditions that can occur if instructions in the manual are not obeyed Warnings are conditions that can cause injury to the operator while Cautions can cause damage to the device and internal electronics A A A gt Pee gt WARNING Proper use of this device depends on careful reading of all instructions and labels WARNING Electrical shock hazard when connected to 300 V bias supply Do not disassemble the QA BeamChecker Plus WARNING Where applicable Standard Imaging products are designed to be used with the versions of common radiation delivery devices treatment planning systems and other products or systems used in the delivery of ionizing radiation available at the time the Standard Imaging product is released Standard Imaging does not assume responsibility liability and or warrant against problems with the use reliability safety or effectiveness that arise due to the evolution updates or changes to these products or systems in the future It is the responsibility of the customer or user to determine if the Standard Imaging produ
23. 5 quick check 2 D3 Lateral profile constancy quick check 2 D4 Output ramp up time lt 10s D5 Combined dosimetric check 2 D6 Lasers 1 mm The laser test can be incorporated into the baseline and routine measurement procedures for more comprehensive TomoTherapy QA but the basic steps are listed below 1 Place the Precision TomoTherapy Leveling Platform onto the treatment couch and place the QA BeamChecker Plus onto it ensuring the Photon side is facing up as indicated by the large white field labels on both sides of the device 2 Level the top of the QA BeamChecker Plus by placing the precision bubble level at the center of the top surface and adjusting the three leveling screws on the leveling platform as needed 3 Adjust the vertical height using the treatment couch until the horizontal side lasers line up to the fiducial alignment mark on the top end of the QA BeamChecker Plus facing the bore of the TomoTherapy unit After the couch height is correct align the lasers to the crosshair on the top surface of the unit NOTE If there is an offset between the green and the red lasers note this offset by using the ruled marking on the top surface of the QA BeamChecker Plus Red lasers should move to the same position relative to the setup position on a daily basis Verify leveling is maintained 32 4 Now complete an MVCT of the QA BeamChecker Plus by following the directions for running a procedure
24. 6 Nov 08 13 15 54 26 Nov 08 13 17 10 28 Nov 08 09 31 12 01 Dec 08 08 40 20 02 Dec 08 08 36 32 03 Dec 08 08 33 40 04 Dec 08 08 36 02 Constancy AXSym TRSym Don t Chart O Checking a box in the Don t Chart column will hide that data point in the Chart View This is useful to D hide a mistaken or erratic data point from the Chart a View Printing and Exporting Printing Reports 1 In Chart or Table View click the Print button to display a print preview of the measurements currently being browsed 2 To print click the printer icon at the top of the preview M GA BeamChecker Plus Report Ha 15 M q 3 Select a printer and click OK to complete the print operation Exporting Measurement Data 1 Select any energy or plan within Data View 2 Press the Export button and a checkbox list will appear containing all energies or plans available for the currently selected room 3 Select the energies or plans for export Each box checked will produce an individual csv file Click OK to confirm Data Export Included engeries Include Cancel 4 Select a directory to save the export files and click OK to complete the export operation NOTE If a data point is checked as Don t Chart in Table view it will still remain in the exported csv file 25 OA BE AMCEIECKER PLUS eo Physics Mode The Physics Mode
25. BeamChecker Plus 80117 User Manual 70500 Gantry Mount Accessory varies by linac model amp lt 70501 QABeamChecker Plus Communication Software 70502 QABeamChecker Plus Power Data Cradle Reset 70503 Serial to USB Adapter Battery Charge Indicator Si 70504 Bluetooth Adapter Kit 70505 Precision TomoTherapy Leveling Platform Power On Sound Speaker LI af V roe Ready for Beam Exposure JM TI Li 1 cael Waiting for User Input Other codes are displayed on the QA BeamChecker Plus front panel depending on scenario See the Routine QA Measurements and Troubleshooting sections of this manual for detailed information 47 QA BE AMCEIECKER PLUS xyes Features and Specifications Detectors Chamber Volume Parallel Plate Separation Collection Electrode Inherent Buildup Photon Side Electron Side 8 vented fully guarded ionization chambers 1 center detector 4 quadrant detectors 7 5 cm from center e 3 energy identification chambers 0 6 cm 4 0 mm 1 39 cm diameter 3 5 cm water equivalent material 1 5 cm water equivalent material Light Field Alignment 20 cm x 20 cm alignment grid Radiation Measured Photons 60Co to 25 MV Electrons 6 MeV to 25 MeV Real Time Clock On board for data validation and storage provides time and date stamp to all data Memory Capacity Stores up to 512 data points before transfer required
26. Routine QA Measurements Continued eee 7 If connection is verified select the appropriate treatment room RM1 RM2 etc from the left side of the screen Measurement Diff Status Flatness 4 2 3 1 E QABC Plus 2080811 Linac 1 RM1 EJ Tomo RM2 Rotational RM3 Axial Symmetry 0 2 0 3 Transverse Symmetry 5 9 te Constancy Linac2 RM5 Tomo2 RM6 Rotational2 RM8 Real Time Operation results from Static 5 Channel mode ae NOTE Ensure the proper room is selected to avoid overwriting or 12 Click Save Results to save this measurement directly to the adding new data to the wrong room database or Reset to clear values and re arm for the next m as rement 8 Select the Real Time Operation tab at the bottom of the screen At this point the Connection Status shown at the top of the 13 Repeat steps 11 12 for other energies if not switching between SCI Sn non DE SNOWN AS Waning SION photons and electrons otherwise enter the vault flip the unit to the correct side and continue from step 10 Connection Status Siting 14 Once completed the acquired measurements can be viewed for analysis For instructions see the Data View and Downloading 9 Select the desired plan to test D01 D25 from the Delivery area Measurements section of this manual on the upper right of the screen The Connection Status should now be shown as Ready green Dynamic 5 Chann
27. Select the appropriate section below based on application Static 5 Channel traditional linear accelerator photon electron measurements Dynamic 5 Channel IMAT VMAT or dynamic wedge measurements or TomoTherapy Hi Art System static or dynamic exposure Static 5 Channel Room 1 Choose whether measuring photons or electrons If electrons ensure a 20 x 20 cm electron cone is attached to the accelerator 2 Place the QA BeamChecker Plus on the treatment couch ensuring it is flipped to the proper side Photon or Electron as indicated by the large white field labels on both sides of the device 3 Position the QA BeamChecker Plus at 100 cm SSD with a field size of 20 x 20 cm Align the unit to the center of the field using the QA BeamChecker Plus fiducials and the room alignment lasers 4 Connect the QA BeamChecker Plus to the PC as shown in Figure 3 Dynamic 5 Channel Room 1 Place the QA Beamchecker Plus on the treatment couch ensuring it is flipped to the Photon side as indicated by the large white field labels on both sides of the device 2 Position the QA BeamChecker Plus at 100 cm SSD with a field size of 20 x 20 cm Align the unit to the center of the field using the QA BeamChecker Plus fiducials and the room alignment lasers 3 Connect the QA BeamChecker Plus to the PC as shown in Figure 3 TomoTherapy Hi Art System Room 1 Place the Precision TomoTherapy Leveling Platform or other leveling device onto the t
28. The firmware version will briefly tete M display e g 210 followed by RM Room alternating SS with SEL Select Room Select Press the RESET ROOM SELECT button to select the desired room RM1 RM2 etc After a brief pause the unit will display RdY Ready 3 ile Using the MODE PLAN button simply MODE on some models select between Photon PHO or MEAN Electron ELE Again RdY will now show QABEAMCHECKER PLUS Quick Start Guide Continued 4 Exit the vault and use the patient monitor and monitor to view BELERI AOE Te MW EEE the front of the QA BeamChecker Plus display Orientation may differ depending on room type or energy selected Delivery 5 Expose the QA BeamChecker Plus with the desired energy During the exposure the QA BeamChecker Plus front display will show as spinning lines indicating a signal has been detected and measurement is in progress After the exposure has ended a single beep sound will occur and an energy designation will show on the front display if it was successfully recognized For example 10X 10 MV photons If the exposure falls within allowed action levels tolerances configured during the baseline ie PASS the QA BeamChecker Plus will automatically save the details for this measurement reset and display RdY after about 10 seconds It is now ready for the next energy exposure NOTE If QA BeamChecker Plus has determined the energy falls outside of all
29. Therapy or Dynamic 5 Channel modes only the photon side of the QA BeamChecker Plus should be used CAUTION When performing Baseline or Real Time Operation measurements ensure the proper room is selected to avoid overwriting or adding new data to the wrong room CAUTION In Physics Mode no measurement data is stored within the database file Data can only be saved by utilizing the Export csv function CAUTION It is recommended to avoid screwing the serial cable into the unit and instead relying on the inherent pres sure fit of the connection If the cable catches on an obstruction during gantry rotation damage can occur if the connector cannot pull free CAUTION Before upgrading to a new version of QA BeamChecker Plus software download any Wire Free data to the database CAUTION Use provided power supply or equivalent as identified by Standard Imaging Contact Standard Imaging for additional information CAUTION To ensure long term performance of the internal battery it is recommended to fully recharge the QA BeamChecker Plus monthly TomoTherapy is a registered trademark of TomoTherapy Incorporated Bluetooth is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG Inc GABEAMCHECKER PLUS Table of Contents PAGE 2 General Precautions 4 Overview 5 Quick Start Guide 5 Getting Started 5 Software Installation amp Database Creation 6 Baseline Acquisition 6 Performing Routine Measurements 7 Dat
30. a Download amp Analysis Hardware Description 8 QA BeamChecker Plus Front Panel 8 Power Data Cradle 9 Installing the Communication Software 9 System Requirements 10 Database and Room Setup and Management 10 Getting Started Creating a Database QA BEAMCH ECKER D LUS 10 Next Step Treatment Rooms 12 Preparatory Measurements Baselines 12 Introduction 12 Step 1 Hardware Setup 13 Step 2 Prepare the Communication Software 15 Recreating Baselines 15 Deleting Baselines 7 sn STANDARDIMAGING lt 16 Measurement with Wire Free Mode 19 Wire Free Measurement Fault 3120 DEMING WAY 20 Measurement with Real Time Operation Mode MIDDLETON WI 53562 1461 USA 24 Data View Downloading Measurements and Reporting WWW STANDARDIMAGING COM 24 Downloading Measurements from Wire Free Mode 24 Selectively Viewing Data 25 Printing and Exporting 26 Physics Mode 26 Setup 26 Working with Physics Mode 28 About Synchronization and Database Relationship 28 Introduction 28 Usage and Troubleshooting 30 Using Optional Accessories 30 Bluetooth Adapter Kit 31 Gantry Mount Accessory 32 Precision TomoTherapy Leveling Platform 32 Serial to USB Adapter 33 Appendix A Definition of Algorithms 33 Applicable to All Modes 33 Applicable to Static 5 Channel Mode Only 33 Applicable to TomoTherapy Mode Only 34 Appendix B Developing TomoTherapy and Dynamic 5 Channel Plans 34 Introduction 34 Acquiring a CT Reference Image 35 TomoTherapy Hi Art System Planning
31. amChecker Plus NOTE Additional preparations are necessary before taking this step for rotational methods such as TomoTherapy or IMAT VMAT See Appendix B for more information before proceeding NOTE A baseline should be acquired roughly when the daily measurement will take place For instance if the daily measurement is regularly performed at 7 00 AM the baseline should be taken at a similar time 1 The QABeamChecker Plus must be connected to the PC while baselines are acquired Typically the 100 ft serial cable is run from the computer into the treatment vault and connected to the Power Data Cradle read more about the Power Data Cradle on page 8 Using the pass through port on the Power Data Cradle the 25 ft serial cable is used to connect the cradle to the QA BeamChecker Plus which is placed on the treatment couch Ensure the QA BeamChecker Plus is flipped to the proper side based on initial energy to be delivered Exact positioning varies by application however 100 cm SSD and 20 x 20 cm field size is typical for static electron and photon exposure Figure 1 Typical QA BeamChecker Plus wired setup 2 Return to computer and launch the QA BeamChecker Plus software At the top of the screen is a colored bar showing the hardware connection status If the Baselines tab bottom of screen is selected the status indicator at the top of the screen should show as yellow Waiting Click the Create New Baseline button 3 Comple
32. art button The Chart View will update to reflect the specified range Begin Date 03 Apr 09 End Date f 6 Apr 09 lt lt lt Apr 2009 gt gt gt Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 29 30 J 5 7 13 14 20 21 27 26 Click and drag horizontally within the Chart View to zoom to a selection range To return to the top level zoom click the 1 1 zoom button If multiple sequential drag selections are made they can be reverted one at a time by clicking the up arrow zoom button The components of the Chart View constancy axial symmetry output measurement etc can be toggled on or off by clicking the component name shown below the Chart View Transverse Symm etry Flatness Constancy Axial Symmetry Using the Table View To view the data in tabular format click the Table View button Each row represents a unique measurement point and includes the date and time of measurement along with percentage differences from the baseline The colors shown on the table indicate how close the acquired values are to the baseline Just like the status indicators found in the Real Time Operation mode the colors of the cells are defined as follows Green Below action level 1 Yellow At or above action level 1 but below action level 2 Red At or above action level 2 Flatness Don t Chart Date Time Manet 20 50 40 25 Nov 08 16 40 47 26 Nov 08 08 46 17 26 Nov 08 08 48 27 26 Nov 08 08 59 08 26 Nov 08 13 14 14 2
33. as indicated by the large white field labels on both sides of the device Level the top of the QA BeamChecker Plus by placing the precision bubble level at the center of the top surface and adjusting the three leveling screws on the leveling platform as needed Adjust the vertical height using the treatment couch until the horizontal side lasers line up to the fiducial alignment mark on the top end of the QA BeamChecker Plus facing the bore of the TomoTherapy unit After the couch height is correct align the lasers to the crosshair on the top surface of the unit Connect the QA BeamChecker Plus to the PC as shown in Figure 5 and exit the vault Now complete an MVCT of the QA BeamChecker Plus by following the directions for running a procedure on the What s Next box at the top of the screen in the TomoTherapy software After completing the scan go to the registration panel on the Operator s Station and register the MV image to the reference image taken during the planning step See Appendix B using the manual adjustments Note registration adjustments On the PC connected to the QA BeamChecker Plus launch the QA BeamChecker Plus Communication Software NOTE The QA BeamChecker Plus should automatically turn on when the communication software is launched T lf the database file associated with the QA BeamChecker Plus connected to the PC is not already open open it by clicking the open icon on the toolbar or navig
34. ata Simply perform measurements with one database download the data and synchronize to another database to switch between multiple files 29 QABEAMCHEQKER PLUS eo Using Optional Accessories Bluetooth Adapter Kit 5 Once both adapters are attached and supplied with power the green LED within each adapter should begin flashing This indicates power is present and the adapter is searching for its counterpart Once the adapters have successfully connected to one another the green light will stop flashing and remain on The connection should be maintained up to a separation of 100 feet Bluetooth Adapters The Bluetooth Adapter Kit REF 70504 allows QA BeamChecker Plus wireless communication for operations that typically require a cable connection to the PC such as baseline Real Time Operation and physics mode measurements Each kit includes two adapters one with a male interface and with a female interface Each adapter must be supplied with a power source The QA BeamChecker Plus internal battery provides power through a ik the serial port to the male interface adapter so no external power adapter is required However the female interface adapter connected to the PC or cradle requires power via an included external adapter See image for an illustration of a typical configurations ee eae Using the Bluetooth Adapter Kit 1 If already using the QA BeamChecker Plus Data Communication Cradle in the vault with a cable
35. atabase file must be created for each QA BeamChecker Plus unit used Upon starting the software connect the QA BeamChecker Plus to the PC and turn it on if necessary A prompt will appear providing the opportunity to create a new database or browse for an existing database Select Yes and use the Database Creator to create a new database file Enter the appropriate information such as institution and database file name and location NOTE The database file can be accessed from any computer running the QA BeamChecker Plus Communication Software so a location on a network is an ideal selection If this file is lost measurement and baseline data cannot be recovered so periodic backup is highly recommended This file can be moved to any location after the initial setup takes place If database already exists from a previous setup select No and browse for its location Editing Database Properties To edit the properties for the database such as institution information and view the full path of where the database is located click the Room Properties icon on the toolbar or navigate to File gt Database gt Properties Moving or Renaming a Database To move or rename a database file close the QA BeamChecker Plus software and browse for the file within Windows Explorer Move the file to the desired location or rename the file Reopen the QA BeamChecker Plus software and a message will appear notifying that the file cannot be found Cli
36. ate the QA BeamChecker Plus Connection Status Re acy 10 Upon detecting signal the QA BeamChecker Plus will begin measurement and the Connection Status bar will alternate between green and yellow Once exposure is completed raw measured values will appear on the graphical representation of the QA BeamChecker Plus alignment field Additionally temperature pressure and beam specific properties will appear and vary depending on the room type and delivery e Static 5 Channel Flatness Axial Symmetry and Transverse Symmetry e Dynamic 5 Channel Left Reference Top Reference Center Reference Bottom Reference and Right Reference e TomoTherapy Hi Art System Static Delivery Lateral Profile Output Reference and Energy Measurement e TomoTherapy Hi Art System Dynamic Delivery Left Reference Center Reference and Right Reference 11 If satisfied with the baseline acquired click Save Baseline If for any reason the measurement was not satisfactory click Clear Values and Re Baseline to re irradiate using the same parameters or modify the settings as explained in step 8 QABEAMCHECKER PLUS Preparatory Measurements Baselines Continued Recreating Baselines To recreate a baseline for a particular energy or plan the procedure is nearly identical to creating a baseline 1 Setup the QA BeamChecker Plus hardware as described in the section titled Step 1 Hardware Setup on page 12 Continue with Step 2 Pr
37. atic 5 Channel Room 1 Choose whether measuring photons or electrons If using electrons ensure a 20 x 20 cm electron cone is attached to the accelerator 2 Place the QA BeamChecker Plus on the treatment couch ensuring it is flipped to the proper side Photon or Electron as indicated by the large white field labels on both sides of the device 3 Position the QA BeamChecker Plus at 100 cm SSD with a field size of 20 x 20 cm Align the unit to the center of the field using the QA BeamChecker Plus fiducials and the room alignment lasers 4 Connect the QA BeamChecker Plus to the PC as shown in Figure 5 and exit the vault 5 Onthe PC connected to the QA BeamChecker Plus launch the QA BeamChecker Plus Communication Software NOTE The QA BeamChecker Plus should automatically turn on when the communication software is launched 6 If the database file associated with the QA BeamChecker Plus connected to the PC is not already open open it by clicking the open icon on the toolbar or navigating to File gt Database gt Open and browse for the correct file 7 Depending on the tab being viewed the Connection Status shown at the top of the screen should read Waiting yellow or Ready green If the Connection Status shows as red see the Troubleshooting section of this manual for more information 20 8 If connection is verified select the appropriate treatment room RM1 RM2 etc from the left side of the scr
38. ating to File gt Database gt Open and browse for the correct file Depending on the tab being viewed the Connection Status shown at the top of the screen should read Waiting yellow or Ready green If the Connection Status shows as red see the Troubleshooting section of this manual for more information If connection is verified select the appropriate treatment room RM1 RM2 etc from the left side of the screen NOTE Ensure the proper room is selected to avoid overwriting or adding new data to the wrong room 10 Select the Real Time Operation tab at the bottom of the screen At this point the Connection Status shown at the top of the screen should be shown as Waiting yellow Connection Status Waiting QABEAMCHECKER PLUS Routine QA Measurements Continued 11 Select the intended delivery static or dynamic andthendesired 13 Click Save Results to save this measurement directly to the plan to test D01 D25 or 801 825 from the Delivery area on the database or Reset to clear values and re arm for the next upper right of the screen The Connection Status should now measurement be shown as Ready green 14 Repeat steps 12 13 if not switching to a different plan otherwise continue from step 11 Delivery Static Dynamic 15 Once completed the acquired measurements can be viewed for analysis For instructions see the Data View and Downloading sa E Measurements section of
39. ay differ depending on room type or energy selected 8 Deliver the plan selected on the front panel of the unit Measurement will start automatically as indicated by spinning lines displayed on the front panel 7 Check the patient monitor to verify the plan 7 was successfully delivered For example if D03 label selected at time of baseline was administered d03 will be displayed and the measurement will be saved If the beam parameters fall below action level 1 set at time of baseline the unit will reset in roughly ten seconds re arm and display Rdy If the unit beeps repeatedly and a fault message is displayed see the following section of the manual Wire Free Measurement Fault 9 d LIL nl 10 Repeat steps 8 9 to test the same plan again otherwise enter the vault and use the MODE PLAN button to select a new plan from the QA BeamChecker Plus front panel MODE PLAN 11 Once completed the acquired measurements can be transferred to the PC for analysis For instructions see the Data View and Downloading Measurements section of this manual TomoTherapy Hi Art System Room 1 Place the Precision TomoTherapy Leveling Platform or other leveling device onto the treatment couch and place the QA BeamChecker Plus onto it ensuring the Photon side is facing up as indicated by the large white field labels on both sides of the device 2 Level the top of the QA BeamChecker Plus
40. ble rooms displayed as RM1 RM2 etc Once the desired room number is displayed briefly wait and the selection will be set RESET ROOM SELECT HINT Included with the QA BeamChecker Plus is a luggage tag and Room Identification card for creating a brief description of rooms configured on the unit Attach this to the QA BeamChecker Plus handle to help quickly identify RM1 RM2 and so on 8 The QA BeamChecker Plus display will now alternate between PLN SEL Plan Select Press the MODE PLAN button to cycle through the available plans displayed as D01 D02 S01 S02 etc Once the desired plan number is displayed briefly wait and the selection will be set MODE PLAN D 1 tv 9 ft LI 1 10 Deliver the plan selected on the front panel of the unit Measurement will start automatically as indicated by spinning lines displayed on the front panel The front panel will now display Rdy Ready GABEAMCHECKER PLUS Routine QA Measurements Continued Check the patient monitor to verify the plan was successfully delivered For example if S02 label selected at time of baseline was administered S02 will be displayed and the measurement will be saved If the beam parameters fall below action level 1 set at time of baseline the unit will reset in roughly ten seconds re arm and display Rdy If the unit beeps repeatedly and a fault message is displayed see the following sectio
41. by placing the precision bubble level at the center of the top surface and adjusting the three leveling screws on the leveling platform as needed 3 Adjust the vertical height using the treatment couch until the horizontal side lasers line up to the fiducial alignment mark on the top end of the QA BeamChecker Plus facing the bore of the TomoTherapy unit After the couch height is correct align the lasers to the crosshair on the top surface of the unit 18 4 Exit the vault and position the patient monitor to view the front panel of the QA BeamChecker Plus so its display is readable Orientation may differ depending on room type or energy selected 5 Now complete an MVCT of the QA BeamChecker Plus by following the directions for running a procedure on the What s Next box at the top of the screen in the TomoTherapy software After completing the scan go to the registration panel on the Operator s Station and register the MV image to the reference image taken during the planning step See Appendix B using the manual adjustments Note registration adjustments CAUTION Do not irradiate past the 20 x 20 cm field label edge 6 Turn the QA BeamChecker Plus on using the power button on the front of the unit If only 1 room is configured skip to step 5 After displaying the firmware version the front panel will alternate between RM and SEL Room Select Press the RESET ROOM SELECT button to cycle through the availa
42. ce FLT Flatness Out of Tolerance CST Constancy Out of Tolerance XXX Energy could not be determined See page 44 Dynamic 5 Channel Room OCC Output Constancy Center Out of Tolerance OCT Output Constancy Top Out of Tolerance OCb Output Constancy Bottom Out of Tolerance OCL Output Constancy Left Out of Tolerance OCR Output Constancy Right Out of Tolerance TomoTherapy Hi Art System Room Static Mode ENC Energy Constancy Out of Tolerance LPC Lateral Profile Constancy Out of Tolerance OCC Output Constancy Center Out of Tolerance TomoTherapy Hi Art System Room Dynamic Mode OCC Output Constancy Center Out of Tolerance OCL Output Constancy Left Out of Tolerance OCR Output Constancy Right Out of Tolerance If one or more of these faults occur follow the QA protocols defined by the facility to determine the next course of action 19 OA BE AMCEIECKER PLUS eo Routine QA Measurements Continued Measurement with Real Time Operation Mode Select the appropriate section below based on application Static 5 Channel traditional linear accelerator photon electron measurements Dynamic 5 Channel IMAT VMAT or dynamic wedge measurements or TomoTherapy Hi Art System static or dynamic exposure NOTE A Bluetooth Adapter Kit REF 70504 is an available option allowing wireless communication from the PC to the QA BeamChecker Plus in place of a wired serial connection See page 30 for more details St
43. ck Browse and open the file from the new location or select the renamed database file From here the software will recall this location until additional changes are made 10 Next Step Treatment Rooms A single QA BeamChecker Plus unit has the ability to operate and store data from nine different treatment rooms A room contains the baselines and measurement data for a specific machine The total of nine rooms can be any combination of Static 5 Channel TomoTherapy or Dynamic 5 Channel rooms Upon completing the Database Creator process an opportunity to create a room will appear However at any other time the following procedure describes how to add a treatment room Adding a Treatment Room 1 Connect the QA BeamChecker Plus and start the Communication Software NOTE The QA BeamChecker Plus must be attached to the system in order to add treatment rooms system by clicking the open icon from the toolbar or 2 my navigating to File gt Database gt Open Browse to and select the database file and click OK If it is not already open load the database file which matches the QA BeamChecker Plus attached to the 3 On the left side of the screen select the text QABC Plus Zxxxxxx Where Zxxxxxx indicates the serial number of QA BeamChecker Plus associated with the database file Database Documents and Setti Q4BCPlus mdb ABC Plus 2080811 4 Hi Click the Add Room icon on the toolbar or navigate to F
44. ct can be properly used with these products or systems CAUTION This device should never be submerged in any liquid scrubbed with an abrasive cleaner or be stored or placed where liquids could be spilled or splashed onto it CAUTION Do not drop mishandle or disassemble this device Refer all servicing to qualified individuals CAUTION Do not irradiate this device past the 20 x 20 cm field label edge CAUTION Always use the QA BeamChecker Plus in the same orientation during Baseline Setup Wire Free or Real Time Operation Modes Improper comparative measurements and or out of tolerance fault messages will occur if used in a different orientation CAUTION To help ensure measurement reproducibility over time and minimize possible backscatter effects from the treatment couch especially for low energy photons position the device in the same location on the treat ment couch for every measurement gt SP SP BP D CAUTION When using the Bluetooth Adapter Kit be careful lifting the unit when it is laying flat to avoid damage to both the adapter and QA BeamChecker Plus If neces sary remove the adapter before moving the unit CAUTION The Bluetooth Adapter Kit will not communicate through the treatment vault wall but because their signal is transmitted via RF the cradle with attached adapter can be placed inside a cabinet or closet and still communicate effectively CAUTION When using Tomo
45. de as described below Section 1 Rate Data Same for All Modes Data collected from the top ionization chamber during measurement LEFT Data collected from the left ionization chamber during measurement CENTER Data collected from the center ionization chamber during measurement RIGHT Data collected from the right ionization chamber during measurement BOTTOM Data collected from the bottom ionization chamber during measurement Section 2 Charge Data Same for All Modes Section 3 Mode Specific Static 5 Channel Section 3 Mode Specific TomoTherapy 41 OA BE AMCEIECKER PLUS vo Appendix C Explanation of Saved File Export Continued Section 3 Mode Specific Dynamic 5 Channel 42 QABEAMCHECKER PLUS Appendix D Chamber Location Diagram T A 7 50 cm aa 7 50 cm 3 75 cm 3 75 cm gt 1 40 cm TYP O x O LO N lap a O H 2 O N O LO N o ooo 20 0 cm O a Drawing not to scale 43 QABEAMCHECKER PLUS a Troubleshooting Frequently Asked Questions Refer to the following scenarios if experiencing problems with the QA BeamChecker Plus Before contacting Standard Imaging read this section to potentially resolve an issue without sending the device in for service Troubleshooting Scenarios The QA
46. e last opened database resides and open it However with some software updates the format of the database may change In this case the program will make a copy of the file in the same directory and convert the original to the new format This process is transparent and happens automatically whenever a database with an older format is opened Firmware Upgrades When a new version of the QA BeamChecker Plus Communication Software is installed a firmware update may also be included If a QA BeamChecker Plus unit is connected to the PC either directly or via the Power Data Cradle and the software is opened new firmware will automatically be uploaded to the unit NOTE If installing a new software version at a facility with multiple QA BeamChecker Plus units ensure that ALL units are upgraded with the latest firmware before performing daily measurements System Requirements Operating System Processor Intel or AMD 350 Mhz or greater Memory 64 MB or greater Hard Drive 30 MB or greater Screen Resolution 1024 x 768 or greater CD ROM Drive 2X speed or greater Other 1 available serial port Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4 Windows XP SP2 or greater Windows Vista SP1 or greater Windows 7 9 OA BE AMCEIECKER PLUS eo Database and Room Setup and Management Getting Started Creating a Database When starting the Communication Software for the first time new database file will need to be created NOTE An individual d
47. e measurement data is present within the QA BeamChecker Plus internal memory a synchronization operation is not permitted The data will first need to be downloaded to the correct database file before proceeding If the correct database file cannot be located the measurement data must be erased from the unit before proceeding This can be accomplished by first creating a new database then re synchronizing to the desired database If version 2 2 2 and above is used synchronization IS permitted even if measurement data remains on the unit Once synchronization is performed data will remain on the QA BeamChecker Plus and can be downloaded to the database once synchronization is completed CAUTION Ensure you are using the correct database file before proceeding with the download process If data is transferred to the incorrect database it cannot be moved to another database without assistance from Standard Imaging QABEAMCHECKER PLUS About Synchronization and Database Relationship Continued p Take Advantage of the Synchronize Function A synchronization operation can be useful if using the QA BeamChecker Plus with more than one database If using one QA BeamChecker Plus in any situation where more than the allowed 9 treatment rooms are required multiple databases can be created each with their own 9 treatment rooms Additionally one database could contain a test configuration and another could contain official measurement d
48. e of this product should be restricted to the supervision of a qualified medical physicist Measurement of high activity radioactive sources is potentially hazardous and should be performed by qualified personnel WARNING Proper use of this device depends on careful reading of all instructions and labels WARNING Where applicable Standard Imaging products are designed to be used with the versions of common radiation delivery devices treatment planning systems and other products or systems used in the delivery of ionizing radiation available at the time the Standard Imaging product is released Standard Imaging does not assume responsibility liability and or warrant against problems with the use reliability safety or effectiveness that arise due to the evolution updates or changes to these products or systems in the future It is the responsibility of the customer or user to determine if the Standard Imaging product can be properly used with these products or systems Should repair or replacement of this product become necessary after the warranty period the customer should seek advice from Standard Imaging Inc prior to such repair or replacement If this productis in need of repair it should not be used until all repairs have been made and the product is functioning properly and ready for use After repair the product may need to be calibrated The owner of this product has sole responsibility for any malfunction resulting from abu
49. ecific page numbers to these sections are included for additional reference e Getting Started e Software Installation amp Database Creation Page 9 amp 10 e Room Setup Page 10 e Baseline Acquisition Page 12 e Performing Routine Measurements Page 16 e Data Download amp Analysis Page 24 Getting Started 1 The following items are packages with the QA BeamChecker Plus QA BeamChecker Plus Power Data Cradle 9V Power Supply Unit 25 ft Serial Cable 100 ft Serial Cable e This User Manual e Any other optional accessories purchased 2 Itis recommended to charge the QA BeamChecker Plus for 8 or more hours with the included power supply before use The power supply can be connected directly to the QA BeamChecker Plus or into the Power Data Cradle 3 Jo begin setup bring the following items to the primary PC being used for this application QA BeamChecker Plus 9V Power Supply Unit Software Installation CD and one of the included serial cables 4 Plug the QA BeamChecker Plus to AC mains with the provided power supply optional if battery has sufficient charge and attach the serial cable from the QA BeamChecker Plus to an available PC serial port If a serial port is not present on the selected PC an optional Serial to USB Adapter Part No 70503 can be purchased from Standard Imaging Turning on the QA BeamChecker Plus for the First Time Upon turning on the QA BeamChecker Plus the firmware ver
50. ed see the adapter manufacturer s website for the latest driver version QABEAMCHECKER PLUS Appendix A Definition of Algorithms LL Center Pb filtered chamber Legend of chamber locations For TomoTherapy and Dynamic 5 Channel calculations assume the Photon side is facing up Applicable to All Modes Temperature and Pressure Correction For constancy measurements and comparison with values measured on subsequent times days a temperature and pressure correction is made to the reading of the following chambers Static 5 Channel Center TomoTherapy Left Center Right Dynamic 5 Channel Top Left Center Right Bottom m 273 15 T CC 760 760 corr raw 295 15 P Torr where M the corrected reading of appropriate chamber corr the raw or uncorrected reading of appropriate chamber raw T temperature in C measured by on board sensor P pressure in Torr measured by on board sensor Output Constancy Output Constancy is determined by using the following algorithm on the temperature and pressure corrected values from the following chambers over time values are shown in percent Static 5 Channel Center TomoTherapy Left Center Right Dynamic 5 Channel Top Left Center Right Bottom Center at time t Center at time t Center at time t where time t time t time at which new constancy measurement is being taken time at which initial benchmark value was taken Appl
51. ed and can be accessed via the left side browser pane Database CDocuments and Sett QA4ABCPlus mdb To add another room repeat this process Deleting a Treatment Room 1 Connect the QA BeamChecker Plus and start the Communication Software NOTE The QA BeamChecker Plus must be attached to the system in order to delete treatment rooms 2 e system by clicking the open icon from the toolbar or navigating to File gt Database gt Open Browse to and select the database file and click OK If it is not already open load the database file which matches the QA BeamChecker Plus attached to the 3 On the left side of the screen select the text QABC Plus ZXXXXXX Where Zxxxxxx represents the serial number of QA BeamChecker Plus associated with the database file Database Documents and Set A QABCPlus mdb El Tamed RM2 El Rotational RM3 4 Navigate to File gt Room gt Delete Room 5 Adialog box will appear and a room can be selected Select the desired room and click the Remove button Select a room then select Remove 1 Linac1 Static 5 Channel Linac Sup 29391AV Tomo1 TomoTherapy Hi Art System Tom TG 1 Rotational Linac2 Dynamic 5 Channel Machine Test B19391 Static 5 Channel Linac 93B2391 TomoTherapy Hi Art System TomoTherapy 29159021 Rotational2 Dynamic 5 Channel Machine Rotational 29915290 Remove 6 The software will ask for confirmation Click OK to confirm or Cancel
52. een En QABC Plus 2080811 Linac1 RM11 EJ Tomo RM2 Rotational RM3 Linac RMS Tomo2 RM6 Rotational2 RM18 NOTE Ensure the proper room is selected to avoid overwriting or adding new data to the wrong room 9 Select the Real Time Operation tab at the bottom of the screen At this point the Connection Status shown at the top of the screen should be shown as Waiting yellow Connection Status Waiting 10 Select the energy type photons or electrons from the upper right of the screen The Connection Status should now be shown as Ready green S 2 te Connection Status Ss Ready 11 Deliver any energy to the QA BeamChecker Plus for which a baseline exists Upon detecting signal the QA BeamChecker Plus will begin measurement and the Connection Status bar will alternate between green and yellow Once exposure is completed raw measured values will appear on the graphical representation of the QA BeamChecker Plus alignment field Additionally temperature pressure and if the energy was detected successfully baseline parameters Delivery specific measurements will be shown for the detected beam including flatness axial and transverse symmetry Percentage differences from the baseline will also be shown along with a status color code Green Within action level 1 Yellow At or outside of action level 1 Red At or outside of action level 2 QABEAMCHECKER PLUS
53. el Room Delivery 1 Place the QA Beamchecker Plus on the treatment couch ensuring it is flipped to the Photon side as indicated by the large white field labels on both sides of the device 2 Position the QA BeamChecker Plus at 100 cm SSD with a field size of 20 x 20 cm Align the unit to the center of the field using the QA BeamChecker Plus fiducials and the room alignment lasers 3 Connect the QA BeamChecker Plus to the PC as shown in Connection status Ready Figure 5 and exit the vault 4 Onthe PC connected to the QA BeamChecker Plus launch the QA BeamChecker Plus Communication Software NOTE The QA BeamChecker Plus should automatically turn on when the communication software is launched 5 lf the database file associated with the QA BeamChecker Plus connected to the PC is not already open open it by clicking the open icon on the toolbar or navigating to File gt Database gt Open and browse for the correct file 6 Depending on the tab being viewed the Connection Status shown at the top of the screen should read Waiting yellow or Ready green If the Connection Status shows as red see the Troubleshooting section of this manual for more information 21 OA BE AMCEIECKER PLUS xyes Routine QA Measurements Continued eee 10 Deliver the selected plan to the QA BeamChecker Plus Upon detecting signal the QA BeamChecker Plus will begin measurement and the Connection Status bar will alt
54. elivery is provided parallel to the chamber surface 35 QA BE AMCEIECKER PLUS vo Appendix C Explanation of Saved File Export me When exporting data or deleting a room from the QA BeamChecker Plus Communication Software database a csv file comma separated value file is created that can be directly opened with any spreadsheet application Each mode has a different exported format and the resulting files will have data labels as described below Static 5 Channel Mode When exporting from the Static 5 Channel Mode an individual file is created for each energy The format of each file is broken down into multiple sections using the following pattern Baseline1 Measurements for Baseline1 Baseline2 Measurements for Baseline2 etc Baseline Data EEE EEE TOP_RAW RIP LTE RAW Data collected from the right photon side or left electron side ionization chamber during the baseline measurement Measurement data BASELINE_ID Identifies which baseline energy values were chosen for comparison to measurement data DATE Date when measurement was taken in the format mmddyyyy TIME Time when measurement was taken in the format hhmmss CONSTANCY Constancy of measured energy calculated from the center ionization chamber compared to baseline center ionization chamber value TEMPERATURE Temperature when measurement was taken in C PRESSURE Pressure when measurement was taken in mmHg ENERGYLEVEL An unique identifier for the ene
55. ent the point at which a flatness axial symmetry transverse symmetry or constancy out of tolerance will occur during measurement in Real Time Operation or Wire Free Modes If a measured energy differs by or more than the percentage entered in Action Level 1 box a level 1 out of tolerance will occur Likewise if a measured energy differs at or above the percentage entered in Action Level 2 box a level 2 out of tolerance will occur with Action Level 2 occurring at a greater percent difference Default settings are Action Level 1 at 2 and Action Level 2 at 4 e Description Use this field to help describe the plan For example Jaw Width 2 5 cm Plan C 14 7 Click Proceed to Measurement 8 Review the entered parameters and ensure the QA BeamChecker Plus is properly aligned on the treatment couch By clicking Modify baseline parameters can be changed on the previous screen NOTE Verify the QA BeamChecker Plus is flipped to the proper side The side facing up should be labeled as Photon or Electron as desired At this point the software is in control of the mode settings of the device so if the QA BeamChecker Plus display text orientation is incorrect verify the proper room and delivery type in the baseline parameters 9 The Connection Status should now read as Ready green indicating the QA BeamChecker Plus is ready for exposure If satisfied with the selected parameters irradi
56. epare the Communication Software steps 1 4 On the Baselines tab select the energy or plan to be recreated Click the Recreate This Baseline button Temperature C 23 9 Pressure mmHg 746 4 Recreate This Baseline Continue with steps 7 11 from Step 2 Prepare the Communication Software The new baseline will be saved to the database NOTE Once a new baseline is created it is not possible to revert to an older version however previous baselines are archived in the database for continued comparison to pre existing measurements After a baseline is recreated subsequent measurements will be compared to the new baseline See the Data View Download Trending and Analysis section of this manual for more information Deleting Baselines If a plan or energy was created by mistake or is no longer needed it can be deleted from the database using the following procedure 1 2 4 5 6 7 Connect the QA BeamChecker Plus to the PC Launch the Communication Software and ensure the correct database is loaded Select the desired room containing the plan or energy for deletion on the left side of the screen Database CiDocuments and Set Q4ECPlus 2 mdb B E QABC Plus 4080811 i 3 i init El Tomo1 R El Rotational RMS Select the Baselines tab and confirm the Connection Status reads Waiting yellow Connection Status Waiting Select the desired plan or energy for del
57. equirements In general the first step is creating a CT reference image of the QA BeamChecker Plus Depending on planning capabilities the instrument can be imaged with a either a conventional CT scanner or the treatment unit This reference image is used for the planning process and also for comparison to the MVCT in routine TomoTherapy testing CAUTION Do not irradiate past the 20 x 20 cm field label edge After the image is acquired a treatment plan can be developed which targets the chambers within the QA BeamChecker Plus with a specific dose Finally this plan can be delivered to the QA BeamChecker Plus as a baseline and for routine measurement as explained in earlier sections of this user manual Multiple plans can be developed to test multiple energies for IMAT configurations or multiple jaw widths for TomoTherapy machines as desired Since each QA BeamChecker Plus room can support up to 25 different plans many tests can be performed to exercise the system s on a regular basis Acquiring a CT Reference Image For a Dynamic 5 Channel or TomoTherapy Dynamic Mode tests a CT planning image of the QA BeamChecker Plus must first be taken and transferred into a treatment planning system NOTE There are 1 5 mm BBs located at the center of the crosshairs on the top Photon surface and side labels on the QA BeamChecker Plus BB at intersection of ruler and laser alignment lines both sides of unit Photon For TomoTh
58. er when certain configuration changes are made such as adding and deleting rooms energies or plans Changes made to the database are pushed to the unit as they occur Additionally the QA BeamChecker Plus must be connected to the computer when creating a new database to establish a connection between the two based on the unit s serial number With this master slave relationship room configuration and baseline data can easily be re pushed from the software to the hardware in the event of the pair becoming unsynchronized Usage and Troubleshooting Why are the Database and QA BeamChecker Plus Not Synchronized Below is a list of causes for the database to become unsynchronized from a QA BeamChecker Plus e The time and date differ by more than 2 hours between the PC system time and the real time clock within the QA BeamChecker Plus e The QA BeamChecker Plus has been synchronized with a different database file since the last connection What to do if Not Synchronized Connection Status Sot Synchronized If upon launching the software the unit is reported as Not Synchronized in the top status bar check the following things before re synchronizing e Ensure the correct database file is opened e Ensure the system time date on the PC is correct e Ensure the correct QA BeamChecker Plus is attached to the PC Performing a Synchronize Operation If the above factors are all correct perform a synchronize operation either
59. erapy it is advantageous to CT the QA BeamChecker Plus so that the center of the image is aligned with the BBs and allow 34 the device to eventually be setup by initially setting the green lasers to these BBs In this way setup can be kept constant for both static and dynamic procedures Since the red laser positions can be set to any desired location as part of the treatment planning process using the laser control on the ROI panel the red lasers can be moved a known distance from the green lasers that can eventually be checked by using the ruled markings on the QA BeamChecker Plus The treatment plan is intended to deliver dose to the detectors in the QA BeamChecker Plus thus requiring that contours are drawn to encompass the detectors As a suggestion five separate contours can be drawn around the left center right top and bottom detectors with different doses prescribed to each of these contours However any size and number of contours that encompass the detector will work Top and bottom chamber contours are not required for TomoTherapy planning as they are not used in either static or dynamic mode testing NOTE Be careful when using auto contouring techniques as filters placed above and below the energy detection chambers within the QA BeamChecker Plus See Appendix D Chamber Location Diagram can create heavy artifacts within a kV CT image These artifacts can affect the volume perceived by the planning software and slight
60. ernate between green and yellow Once exposure is completed raw measured values will appear on the graphical representation of the QA BeamChecker Plus alignment field Additionally temperature pressure and baseline parameters Delivery specific measurements will be shown including temperature corrected measurements for the center top bottom left and right chambers Percentage differences from the baseline will also be shown along with a status color code Green Within action level 1 Yellow At or outside of action level 1 Red At or outside of action level 2 Calculated Values Diff st m Measurement Left Reference fi 3874204 Center Reference fi 1519744 Right Reference 0605396 Top Reference fi 0617722 Bottom Reference 1091 1654 23 Real Time Operation results from Dynamic 5 Channel mode Click Save Results to save this measurement directly to the database or Reset to clear values and re arm for the next measurement Repeat steps 10 11 if not switching to a different plan otherwise continue from step 9 Once completed the acquired measurements can be viewed for analysis For instructions see the Data View and Downloading Measurements section of this manual TomoTherapy Hi Art System Room 1 22 Place the Precision TomoTherapy Leveling Platform or other leveling device onto the treatment couch and place the QA BeamChecker Plus onto it ensuring the Photon side is facing up
61. etion Electrons Click the Delete Plan or Delete Energy button depending on the room type Delete Energy Confirm the operation CAUTION Once an energy or plan is deleted it CANNOT be recovered 8 A csv file will be exported which contains all baseline and measurement information for the selected plan or energy Browse for a location to save this file and click OK to confirm 15 QA BE AMCEIECKER PLUS eo Routine QA Measurements Introduction After baseline acquisition has been completed for the desired plans and energies by following the instructions in the Preparatory Measurements Baselines section of this manual the QA BeamChecker Plus is ready for routine measurements NOTE It is recommended to perform routine measurements during the same part of the day that the baseline was acquired While the on board temperature and pressure sensor can compensate for some changes in environmental conditions other factors such as the state of accelerator warm up and repeatability of couch placement can produce false positives for faults in beam quality Consistency is important to make an accurate relative comparison measurement The QA BeamChecker Plus offers two distinct modes for performing routine measurements Wire Free Mode and Real Time Operation Mode Both modes ultimately record identical comprehensive measurement information but differ in setup and the level of detail presented at time of measu
62. he QA BeamChecker Plus on the Power Data Cradle when not in use to ensure full battery O G svoc t7A RS232 charge External Power Adapter Connection Serial Connection to PC Female QABEAMCHECKER PLUS Installing the Communication Software QA BeamChecker Plus Communication Software is designed to run under Microsoft Windows operating systems See system requirements for more specific information Before installing the software it is recommended to close all other active programs NOTE The account under which the QA BeamChecker Plus software is INSTALLED must have at least Power User access privileges within Windows However as of version 2 2 X the software can be RUN as a basic User See the system administrator or operating system documentation for assistance and or further details 1 Insert the program CD ROM into the computer s CD ROM drive If autorun is enabled the InstallShield Wizard will begin automatically 2 If autorun is disabled browse to the CD ROM root directory in Windows Explorer and double click setup exe to start the installation program 3 Read through the software license agreement and click next to proceed with the installation A QA BeamChecker Plus Communication Software program icon will be placed within the Start Menu under the Standard Imaging program group 4 If prompted restart the computer to complete installation and begin using the QA BeamChecker Plus Co
63. herapy Leveling Platform is required for proper testing of laser alignment Usage Overview The physicist initially baselines each accelerator energy using the included software This stores a picture of the current beam constancy flatness and symmetry and generates a unique identifier for each energy This energy identifier is the key for Wire Free standalone operation of the QA BeamChecker Plus After initially creating baselines by connecting the QA BeamChecker Plus and using the accompanying software no cables are required and no software is needed for day to day operation of the instrument In daily use for linear accelerators the QA BeamChecker Plus is simply placed back on the treatment couch using the baselined setup data parameters a field size of 20 x 20 cm and typically an SSD of 100 cm Linear accelerator energies may be delivered in any order and temperature and pressure corrections are automatically made by an on board sensor A unique flip feature is used to measure both photons and electrons When the photon side is faced toward the beam 3 5 cm of water equivalent buildup is provided over the detectors while the electron side provides 1 5 cm To switch sides the unit is simply flipped over and the MODE PLAN button on the front of the unit is pushed to indicate the change and to invert the display No additional buildup or trips into the treatment vault are typically required In daily use for
64. hibitive Products incurring service charges may be held for payment Standard Imaging does not provide loaner products See the Standard Imaging Warranty and Customer Responsibility for additional information Serialization Information Standard Imaging products that are serialized contain coded logic in the serial number which indicates the product day and year of manufacture and a sequential unit number for identification AYY DDD X A Unique product ID YY Last two digits of the year DDD e g 1999 99 2000 00 X Day of the year 1 lt DDD lt 365 Unique unit ID Number 1 lt X lt 9 ial 49 QA BE AMCEIECKER PLUS eo Warranty Standard Imaging Inc sells this product under the warranty herein set forth The warranty is extended only to the buyer purchasing the product directly from Standard Imaging Inc or as a new product from an authorized dealer or distributor of Standard Imaging Inc For a period provided in the table below from the date of original delivery to the purchaser or a distributor this Standard Imaging Inc product provided in the table is warranted against functional defects in design materials and workmanship provided it is properly operated under conditions of normal use and that repairs and replacements are made in accordance herewith The foregoing warranty shall not apply to normal wear and tear or if the product has been altered disassembled or repaired other than by Standa
65. icable to Static 5 Channel Mode Only The following values are determined by using the specified algorithm on the raw data values collected from the indicated ion chambers values are shown in percent Flatness Max Min Max Min where Max maximum value of Top Center Left Right Bottom Min minimum value of Top Center Left Right Bottom Axial Symmetry Top Bottom Bottom Transverse Symmetry Right Left Left Applicable to TomoTherapy Mode Only The following values are determined by using the specified algorithm on the raw data values collected from the indicated ion chambers values are shown in percent Energy Measurement Pb filtered Center NOTE The center ion chamber has approximately 3 5 cm of water equivalent buildup while the Pb filtered ion chamber has roughly 9 7 cm of water equivalent buildup Lateral Profile Left Right 33 OA BE AMCEIECKER PLUS eo Appendix B Developing TomoTherapy and Dynamic 5 Channel Plans Introduction To use the QA BeamChecker Plus for TomoTherapy and for tests of other rotational methods such as IMAT using the Dynamic 5 Channel mode a plan must be created to deliver to the instrument The initial exposure of the plan becomes the baseline for routine comparison This guide is designed to give an overview of the procedure for creating QA BeamChecker Plus plans but exact planning parameters will vary depending on site specific testing goals and r
66. ile gt Room gt Add Room 5 Enter the appropriate information for the new room including the Room Label Number Unit Type and Machine Name Three room types are available Static 5 Channel For typical static beam delivery of linear accelerator beams Parameters tested are beam constancy flatness axial radial symmetry and transverse symmetry Both the electron and photon sides of the QABC are used for this room type For any beams tested with wedges use the Dynamic 5 Channel room type see below TomoTherapy Hi Art System For dynamic and static beam with TomoTherapy Hi Art Systems This room type utilizes only the chambers along the X axis within the QABC due to the jaw width configuration within the TomoTherapy system Parameters tested in static mode are energy constancy output constancy and lateral profile constancy In dynamic mode output constancy for each chamber is tested Only the photon side of the QABC is used for this room type QABEAMCHECKER PLUS Database and Room Setup and Management Continued pe Dynamic 5 Channel For beam delivery using full field rotational machines such as RapidArc or VMAT This mode can also be used for testing wedges either physical or virtual Each of the 5 primary chambers within the QABC top bottom center left and right are tested for output constancy Only the photon side of the QABC is used for this mode Click the OK button to continue 6 Anew room will be add
67. l the Stop button is clicked Elapsed Time 00 00 00 Rate Charge QABEAMCHECKER PLUS Physics Mode Continued ee NOTE The numbers seen in the Physics Mode are not amps or coulombs nor are they calibrated They are Ato D converter counts from an amplifier displayed as digital read out units 4 Upon clicking the Stop button measurement information will be displayed along with temperature pressure battery voltage and the date and time when the measurement completed Measured Values Flatness Axial Symmetry Transverse Symmetry Temperature C Pressure mmHg Battery Vdc Date Time 5 Data acquired can be exported to csv file by clicking the Export csv button and browsing for a location to save the file NOTE No measurement data taken while in Physics Mode is stored within the database file Data can only be saved by utilizing the Export csv function 6 Click the Reset button to clear the displayed data or click the Start button to begin another acquisition 27 GABEAMCHECKER PLUS es About Synchronization and Database Relationship p Introduction When a link is established between a QA BeamChecker Plus and a database file they are considered to be synchronized The relationship between the two is defined as the database being the master and the QA BeamChecker Plus being the slave Because of this the QA BeamChecker Plus must be connected to the comput
68. lt the computer manufacturer for more information When taking measurements in Wire Free mode fault code XXX appears on the QA BeamChecker Plus front panel status display Possible Cause 1 A baseline has not been acquired for the detected energy or the measured energy is outside of the automatic detection tolerance Ensure a baseline measurement has been acquired for the attempted energy Being out of tolerance is typically caused by a baseline being acquired at a much different time of day compared to the daily measurement routine Due to accelerator warm up considerations it is recommended to acquire baselines in similar conditions and time of day of daily measurements for best results See page 12 for instructions on how to create or recreate baselines Possible Cause 2 The QA BeamChecker Plus is not flipped to the proper side or the MODE PLAN switch has not been pressed to indicate the correct orientation Ensure that the proper side faces up on the QA BeamChecker Plus when placed on the treatment couch The text on the field label should match the desired energy Also the blue light on the front panel should match the desired type either photon or electron and the status display will be orientated in the correct direction Possible Cause 3 The QA BeamChecker Plus is not rotated in the same direction on the couch that it was placed when baseline measurements were taken Although the field shape on the surface of the QA
69. lus connected to the PC via RS 232 serial interface the measured beam parameters percentage difference from the baseline and raw chamber values can be viewed in real time Upon measurement completion the acquired data can be saved to the database or discarded As in Wire Free mode linear accelerator photon and electron beams are automatically detected from baseline parameters Real Time Operation mode is particularly useful in these situations e Performing routine QA when comprehensive beam information is necessary at time of measurement e Experimentation or times when automatic saving to the database is not desired e Dynamic 5 Channel and TomoTherapy room types where a plan must be manually selected to measure Avoid trips in and out of the vault by selecting the desired plan via software control Measurement with Wire Free Mode Select the appropriate section below based on application Static 5 Channel traditional linear accelerator photon electron measurements Dynamic 5 Channel IMAT VMAT or dynamic wedge measurements or TomoTherapy Hi Art System static or dynamic exposure NOTE To ensure the QA BeamChecker Plus is always charged and ready to use return the unit to its cradle after measurements are completed Static 5 Channel Room 1 Choose whether measuring photons or electrons If using electrons ensure a 20 x 20 cm electron cone is attached to the accelerator QABEAMCHECKER PLUS Routine QA Measu
70. ly affect the accuracy of the dose calculation However the QA BeamChecker Plus is used only as a constancy check As long as the same plan is delivered and in the same manner daily the device will determine if the measurement is out of specification as compared to a baseline When performing TomoTherapy measurements this reference image will be fused to the MVCT image taken after the initial positioning of the QA BeamChecker Plus The exact steps will depend on the specific CT machine and treatment planning software used and future developments within the TomoTherapy software After image acquisition and contouring image s and contours can be sent to the treatment planning system for planning QABEAMCHECKER PLUS Appendix B Developing TomoTherapy and Dynamic 5 Channel Plans Continued TomoTherapy Hi Art System Planning Static Mode For the Static mode a procedure can be created on the Operator s Station that irradiates the device with a static 5 cm x 40 cm field The gantry is held fixed at 0 and the couch does not move As this procedure is common to many QA programs and machine testing it can be easily obtained from the C drive on the TomoTherapy OS It can then be opened and submitted under the Calibrate and then Procedures Tabs In addition XML file can be created from the default settings to tailor the procedure to specific needs in terms of treatment time and field width Dynamic Mode For the
71. mmunication Software Upgrading an Existing Installation The procedure for upgrading to a new version of the QA BeamChecker Plus Communication Software is roughly the same as installing the software initially CAUTION Before upgrading to a new version of QA BeamChecker Plus software download any Wire Free data to the database If data is not downloaded prior to firmware upgrade it may be lost NOTE The account under which the QA BeamChecker Plus software is installed must have at least Power User access privileges within Windows However as of version 2 2 X the software can be run as a basic User See the system administrator or operating system documentation for assistance and or further details 1 Insert the CD ROM for the new version or run the installer executable downloaded from the Standard Imaging website 2 If installation from a file downloaded from the Standard Imaging website skip to step 3 Browse to the CD ROM root directory or folder from the extracted zip file in Windows Explorer and double click setup exe to start the installation program 3 Proceed with the installation wizard If an existing installation is detected it will be upgraded to the new version and the installation will be completed 4 Itis required ALL computers using the QA BeamChecker Plus Communication Software are upgraded to the same version NOTE Upon launching the software the program should still remember where th
72. n Software will automatically detect any connected QA BeamChecker Plus and power it on If all data connections are present make sure that the AC power is supplied to the cradle in the event of a low battery Possible Cause 4 If using the Serial to USB Adapter with a laptop computer the laptop may need to be plugged into a wall outlet with a grounded power supply If the laptop does not have a grounded power supply please contact Standard Imaging for more information See Tech Note 4050 available at www standardimaging com for additional information 44 Possible Cause 5 A Serial to USB Adapter is being used but the drivers have not been loaded Consult the instructions included with the adapter to ensure proper driver installation The QA BeamChecker Plus Connection Status is shown as Not Synchronized by the Communication Software See the About Synchronization and Database Relationship section of this manual for more information There is no place to connect the QA BeamChecker Plus or Power Data Cradle to the PC Possible Cause 1 The computer does not have a serial port Some notebook or small form factor computers do not have a serial port built in Several 3rd party companies manufacture adapters which allow connection of a serial device through a USB port Standard Imaging also sells a Serial to USB Adapter If USB connection is not available an internal PCI serial port add on card or USB hub can be used Consu
73. n of the manual Wire Free Measurement Fault CNT LIL 12 Repeat steps 10 11 to test the same plan again otherwise enter the vault and use the MODE PLAN button to select a new plan from the QA BeamChecker Plus front panel MODE PLAN 13 Once completed the acquired measurements can be transferred to the PC for analysis For instructions see the Data View and Downloading Measurements section of this manual Wire Free Measurement Fault In the event that a measured energy falls out of range of the preset baseline the status light on the front panel will glow red and blink slowly for an action level 1 fault and more quickly for an action level 2 fault with a corresponding beeping sound Additionally the front panel will display a fault code If more than one beam parameter is out of tolerance multiple codes will display in sequence In order to proceed to the next measurement the fault must be acknowledged by entering the treatment room and pressing the RESET ROOM RESET button on the front panel These faults are recorded in the QA BeamChecker Plus internal memory for review after downloading See page 24 If the unit is turned off before the RESET ROOM SELECT button is pressed this measurement point will not be saved The following is a list of possible fault codes by room type Static 5 Channel Room ASM Axial Symmetry Out of Tolerance TSM Transverse Symmetry Out of Toleran
74. ntial damages or special damages Repaired or replaced products are warranted for the balance of the original warranty period or at least 90 days 50 This warranty is in lieu of all other warranties express or implied whether statutory or otherwise including any implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose In no event shall Standard Imaging Inc be liable for any incidental or consequential damages resulting from the use misuse or abuse of the product or caused by any defect failure or malfunction of the product whether a claim of such damages is based upon the warranty contract negligence or otherwise This warranty represents the current standard warranty of Standard Imaging Inc Please refer to the labeling or instruction manual of your Standard Imaging Inc product or the Standard Imaging Inc web page for any warranty conditions unique to the product QABEAMCHECKER PLUS
75. o the PC with the QA BeamChecker Plus software installed place the QA BeamChecker Plus upon it Alternatively the cradle can be bypassed and a connection can be established directly to the QA BeamChecker Plus On the PC load the QA BeamChecker Plus Communication Software and go to the Data View tab located towards the bottom of the screen In the upper left of the Data View tab is a Data Download area If communication to the QA BeamChecker Plus is successful and data is available for download the download button will show green and can be clicked at any time Clicking this button will move all data from the QA BeamChecker Plus internal memory to the database At this point the internal memory will be cleared for future measurements On this same screen select an energy to view acquired measurement information Select a desired measurement date range and click the Update Chart button to see how measurements fall within the pre configured action levels in chart view Alternatively the data can be viewed in tabular form by clicking the Table View button In this view measurements are shown as percentage difference compared to the baseline Green values are passing yellow values are outside of action level 1 and red values are outside of action level 2 Data shown can be printed in report form or exported to csv format for further analysis and calculation if desired by clicking the appropriate button 7 QABEAMCHEQ ERIS
76. of the baseline creator e Action Levels represent the point at which a flatness axial symmetry transverse symmetry or constancy out of tolerance will occur during measurement in Real Time Operation or Wire Free Modes If a measured energy differs by or more than the percentage entered in Action Level 1 box a level 1 out of tolerance will occur Likewise if a measured energy differs at or above the percentage entered in Action Level 2 box a level 2 out of tolerance will occur with Action Level 2 occurring at a greater percent difference Default settings are Action Level 1 at 2 and Action Level 2 at 4 e Description Use this field to help describe the plan For example 10X Rotational Plan B TomoTherapy Hi Art System Room e Delivery Static or Dynamic select based on plan type delivered see Appendix B e Label If Static Delivery selected S01 S25 if Dynamic Delivery Selected D01 D25 Up to 25 different plans for each Static and Dynamic can be used per TomoTherapy Hi Art System room Use this designation to identify which plan is being baselined e Dose Configured dose value of the beam e Dose Rate Configured dose rate of the beam Default is NA not applicable e SAD Source to Axis Distance in cm Default is 85 e Gantry Angle in degrees Default is 0 e Field Size x y in cm Default is 5 e Measured by Name or initials of the baseline creator e Action Levels repres
77. owed action levels i e FAIL a repeated beep sound will occur and one or more of the following messages will appear on the front display CST Constancy FLT Flatness ASM Axial Symmetry TSM Transverse Symmetry The speed and pattern of the beeping sound will differ depending on whether the measurement falls outside of action level 1 or 2 At this point the treatment vault must be entered and the QA BeamChecker Plus manually reset by pressing the RESET ROOM SELECT button The details for this measurement will be saved for later investigation and the QA BeamChecker Plus will display RdY At this point the failed energy can be attempted again or a different energy can be tried 6 Repeat the step 5 for all desired energies If switching between photon and electron measurements enter the vault to flip the device to the appropriate side and press the MODE PLAN button All measurements pass or fail will be saved for further review Measurement data is now ready to be downloaded by the PC for analysis and trending Up to 512 unique measurements can be stored before download is required but it is good practice to download data once every week or two to ensure it is backed up 1 To view the details for measurements taken in Wire Free mode as explained in the previous section the data must be transferred from the QA BeamChecker Plus to the database created earlier with the PC software If the Power Data Cradle is attached t
78. r gantry and is custom to a particular accelerator type Middle section Positions the QA BeamChecker Plus at the appropriate distance from the gantry Lower Section Holds the QA BeamChecker Plus securely in place Using the Gantry Mount Accessory 1 Slide the Gantry Mount Accessory into the accessory tray of the linear accelerator Depending on the accelerator type this could be from the back or front of the gantry If the tray requires entry of the mount from the back it may be helpful to rotate the gantry 90 to facilitate easier installation 2 Slide the QA BeamChecker Plus into the Gantry Mount Accessory with the photon side up The black rails on either side of the QA BeamChecker Plus will guide the instrument into place Once fully inserted the unit should click into place 31 QA BE AMCEIECKER PLUS es Using Optional Accessories Continued Precision TomoTherapy Leveling Platform Use of the Precision TomoTherapy Leveling Platform REF 70505 is not necessary for all TomoTherapy system tests however it is required for testing the laser positioning used with the Hi Art System The laser test facilitated by the QA BeamChecker Plus and accompanying leveling platform meets the requirements of D6 as recommended in the following paper J D Fenwick et al Quality assurance of a helical tomotherapy machine Phys Med Biol 49 2004 D1 Output constancy quick check 2 D2 TPR 20
79. rd Imaging Inc or if the product has been subject to abuse misuse negligence or accident As defined by the Original Equipment Manufacturer 0 90 days 100 of ADCL Calibration Costs 91 182 days 75 of ADCL Calibration Costs 183 365 days 50 of ADCL Calibration Costs 366 639 days 25 of ADCL Calibration Costs days from date of shipment to customer Resale Products ADCL Product Calibration Standard Imaging s sole and exclusive obligation and the purchaser s sole and exclusive remedy under the above warranties are at Standard Imaging s option limited to repairing replacing free of charge or revising labeling and manual content on a product 1 which contains a defect covered by the above warranties 2 which are reported to Standard Imaging Inc not later than seven 7 days after the expiration date of the warranty period in the table 3 which are returned to Standard Imaging Inc promptly after discovery of the defect and 4 which are found to be defective upon examination by Standard Imaging Inc Transportation related charges including but not limited to shipping customs tariffs taxes and brokerage fees to Standard Imaging are the buyer s responsibility This warranty extends to every part of the product except consumables fuses batteries or glass breakage Standard Imaging Inc shall not be otherwise liable for any damages including but not limited to incidental damages conseque
80. reatment couch and place the QA BeamChecker Plus onto it ensuring the Photon side is facing up as indicated by the large white field labels on both sides of the device 2 Level the top of the QA BeamChecker Plus by placing the precision bubble level at the center of the top surface and adjusting the three leveling screws on the leveling platform as needed QABEAMCHECKER PLUS Preparatory Measurements Baselines Continued 3 Adjust the vertical height using the treatment couch until the horizontal side lasers line up to the fiducial alignment mark on the top end of the QA BeamChecker Plus facing the bore of the TomoTherapy unit After the couch height is correct align the lasers to the crosshair on the top surface of the unit 4 Now complete an MVCT of the QA BeamChecker Plus by following the directions for running a procedure on the What s Next box at the top of the screen in the TomoTherapy software After completing the scan go to the registration panel on the Operator s Station and register the MV image to the reference image taken during the planning step See Appendix B using the manual adjustments Note registration adjustments 5 Connect the QA BeamChecker Plus to the PC as shown in Figure 3 Step 2 Prepare the Communication Software 1 Onthe PC connected to the QA BeamChecker Plus launch the QA BeamChecker Plus Communication Software NOTE The QA BeamChecker Plus should automatically turn on
81. rement Read on to learn about the benefits of each mode About Wire Free Mode Figure 4 QA BeamChecker Plus Wire Free setup The Wire Free Mode provides the fastest method for performing routine QA measurements for a linear accelerator by providing an easy software free solution for identifying if an energy or plan is out of tolerance After creating baselines the QA BeamChecker Plus is equipped with all of the information necessary to perform automatic energy detection and relative comparison all without being tethered to a computer Set the QA BeamChecker Plus on the treatment couch expose it to the beam with any baselined energy and the front panel display will identify the energy give a pass fail indication based on pre configured action levels save this measurement to internal memory and automatically reset for the next exposure At a later time all measurement data can be transferred to the PC for analysis and trending Wire Free mode is particularly useful in these situations e Performing routine QA when only a pass fail indication is necessary at time of measurement e Allowing radiation therapists to perform daily QA with minimal setup and configuration 16 About Real Time Operation Mode Figure 5 Typical QA BeamChecker Plus Real Time Operation setup The Real Time Operation Mode provides routine QA measurements by displaying results through the Communication Software interface With the QA BeamChecker P
82. rement data BASELINE_ID Identifies which baseline energy values were chosen for comparison to measurement data DATE Date when measurement was taken in the format mmddyyyy TIME Time when measurement was taken in the format hhmmss 37 QA BE AMCEIECKER PLUS eo Appendix C Explanation of Saved File Export Continued CONSTANCY Constancy of measured energy calculated from the center ionization chamber compared to baseline center ionization chamber value TEMPERATURE Temperature when measurement was taken in C PRESSURE Pressure when measurement was taken in mmHg ENERGYLEVEL An unique identifier for the energy as determined by several ionization chambers and a proprietary algorithm This is then compared to the set of ENERGYLEVEL values from baselines above LAT PROFILE Lateral profile of measurement calculated from ionization chamber readings LAT PROFILE_ DELTA Lateral profile percentage difference from baseline OUTPUT MEASURE Output measurement calculated from ionization chamber readings OUTPUT MEASURE __ DELTA Output measurement percentage difference from baseline ENERGY_MEASURE Energy measurement calculated from ionization chamber readings Ee ey MEASURE Energy measurement percentage difference from baseline DELTA oY j g LTP_RTE_RAW Data collected from the left photon side or right electron side ionization chamber during measurement TOP RAW TomoTherapy Mode Dynamic Plans When exporting from the TomoTherapy
83. rements Continued eee 2 Place the QA BeamChecker Plus on the treatment couch ensuring it is flipped to the proper side Photon or Electron as indicated by the large white field labels on both sides of the device Position the QA BeamChecker Plus at 100 cm SSD with a field size of 20 x 20 cm Align the unit to the center of the field using the QA BeamChecker Plus fiducials and the room alignment lasers Turn the QA BeamChecker Plus on using the power button on the front of the unit If only 1 room is configured skip to step 6 After displaying the firmware version the front panel will alternate between RM and SEL Room Select Press the RESET ROOM SELECT button to cycle through the available rooms displayed as RM1 RM2 etc Once the desired room number is displayed briefly wait and the selection will be set RESET ROOM SELECT HINT Included with the QA BeamChecker Plus is a luggage tag and Room Identification card for creating a brief description of rooms configured on the unit Attach this to the QA BeamChecker Plus handle to help quickly identify RM1 RM2 and so on 6 8 9 Select PHO Photon or ELE Electron mode using the MODE PLAN button If the QA BeamChecker Plus is flipped to the proper side the front display should be properly oriented MODE PLAN 1 tv Pt LT 1 Exit the vault and position the patient monitor to view the front panel of the QA BeamChecker Plus so its display
84. rgy as determined by several ionization chambers and a proprietary algorithm This is then compared to the set of ENERGYLEVEL values from baselines above 36 GABEAMCHECKER PLUS Appendix C Explanation of Saved File Export Continued eee FLATNESS Flatness of measured energy calculated from ionization chamber readings FLATNESS DELTA Flatness percentage difference from baseline CENTER_RAW Data collected from the center ionization chamber during measurement LTP_RTE_RAW Data collected from the left photon side or right electron side ionization chamber during measurement TOP_RAW Data collected from the top ionization chamber during measurement RIP LIE RAW Data collected from the right photon side or left electron side ionization chamber during measurement NUM_SAMPLES Number of samples collected by the microprocessor during the measurement TomoTherapy Mode Static Plans When exporting from the TomoTherapy Mode an individual file is created for each plan The format of each file is broken down into multiple sections using the following pattern Baseline1 Measurements for Baseline1 Baseline2 Measurements for Baseline2 etc Baseline Data ES Na a ii ee E LTP_RTE_ RAW Data collected from the left photon side or right electron side ionization chamber during the baseline measurement Data collected from the right photon side or left electron side ionization chamber during the baseline measurement Measu
85. room RM1 RM2 etc from the left side of the screen While Physics mode measurements are not part of database a room selection is required to define which measurement parameters are displayed For instance if a Static 5 Channel room is selected Flatness Axial Symmetry and Transverse Symmetry are shown However if a TomoTherapy Hi Art System room is selected Lateral Profile Output Reference and Energy Measurements are shown E W QABC Plus Z080811 Linac1 RM11 Tomoi RM12 Rotational RM3 EJ Linac2 RMS J J Tomo RM6 Rotational RM8 NOTE If using a TomoTherapy Hi Art System or Dynamic 5 Channel room the QA BeamChecker Plus must be flipped to the Photon side to ensure correct labeling of the left and right chambers 7 Select the Physics tab at the bottom of the screen to view the Physics mode interface Working with Physics Mode 1 If a Static 5 Channel room is selected first select Photons or Electrons depending on which side of the device is flipped up If a TomoTherapy Hi Art System room is selected select Static or Dynamic If a Dynamic 5 Channel room is used no selection is required Photons C Electrons Click the Start button to begin measurement Charge Collection Control Elapsed Time is shown along with Rate and Charge measurements displayed on the graphical representation of the QA BeamChecker Plus chamber layout The measurement will continue unti
86. s the data to be viewed in detail If data has been acquired in the Real Time Operation mode it is already part of the database and ready to view However if data was acquired using the Wire Free mode it will need to be downloaded from the QA BeamChecker Plus NOTE Once data is part of the database there is no differentiation between data acquired in Wire Free or Real Time Operation modes Downloading Measurements from Wire Free Mode To download data from the QA BeamChecker Plus unit after a Wire Free data acquisition follow these steps 1 Place the QA BeamChecker Plus on the Power Data Cradle while connected to the PC or connect the QA BeamChecker Plus to the PC directly 2 Ensure the appropriate database is loaded within the Communication Software and select the desired treatment room from the left side browser pane Le QABC Plus 2080811 Linac1 RM11 Tomo1 RM12 Rotationalt RM3 Linac2 RMS J J Tomo RM6 Rotational RM8 3 Click the Data View tab at the bottom of the screen 4 The Connection Status indicator will show green indicating the unit is ready for data transfer The download data button will become enabled if there is new data to retrieve Click it to download data from the QA BeamChecker Plus internal memory to the database file Once completed a confirmation message will appear and the QA BeamChecker Plus internal memory will be cleared of all measurements Data Do
87. se improper use or maintenance or repair by anyone other than Standard Imaging Inc The information in this manual is subject to change without notice No part of this manual may be copied or reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written consent of Standard Imaging Inc Service Policy If service including recalibration is required please contact Standard Imaging s Customer Service department by phone or email prior to shipping the product Standard Imaging s Customer Service and Technical Service staff will attempt to address the product issue via phone or email If unable to address the issue a return material authorization RMA number will be issued With the RMA number the product can be returned to Standard Imaging It is the responsibility of the customer to properly package insure and ship the product with the RMA number clearly identified on the outside of the package The customer must immediately file a claim with their carrier for any shipping damage or lost shipments Return shipping and insurance is to be pre paid or billed to the customer and the customer may request a specific shipper Items found to be out of warranty are subject to a minimum service fee of 1 hour labor excluding recalibrations for diagnostic efforts and require a purchase order PO before service is performed With concurrence from customer the product may be replaced if it is unserviceable or if the required service is cost pro
88. sion is immediately displayed in two sets of 3 digit numbers The first set displayed is the firmware version e g 222 which means version 2 2 2 The second set is the build number of this version e g 014 which means build number 14 These numbers will display each time the QA BeamChecker Plus is turned on If no rooms or baselines are present on the unit the display will show RM This means no rooms are available QA BeamChecker Plus Communication Software is now ready to be installed to a Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4 or greater Windows XP SP2 or greater Windows Vista SP1 or greater or Windows 7 PC Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation Software Installation amp Database Creation 1 Insert the Software Installation CD into the PC and wait for the installation wizard to begin If Autoplay is not enabled browse the CD s contents and run the file Startup exe Follow the instructions to complete the installation See page 9 for more info 2 Launch the software and turn on the QA BeamChecker Plus using the power button on the front of the unit if it does not happen automatically 3 A prompt will appear providing the opportunity to create a new database or browse for an existing database Click Yes to create a new database See page 10 for more info 4 The Database Creator process will begin If the QA BeamChecker Plus is properly connected its serial number will be displayed If not see
89. t 100 cm SSD with a field size of 20 x 20 cm Align the unit to the center of the field using the QA BeamChecker Plus fiducials and the room alignment lasers Turn the QA BeamChecker Plus on using the power button on the front of the unit If only 1 room is configured skip to step 5 After displaying the firmware version the front panel will alternate between RM and SEL Room Select Press the RESET ROOM SELECT button to cycle through the available rooms displayed as RM1 RM2 etc Once the desired room number is displayed briefly wait and the selection will be set RESET ROOM SELECT HINT Included with the QA BeamChecker Plus is a luggage tag and Room Identification card for creating a brief description of rooms configured on the unit Attach this to the QA BeamChecker Plus handle to help quickly identify RM1 RM2 and so on 5 The QA BeamChecker Plus display will now alternate between PLN SEL Plan Select Press the MODE PLAN button to cycle through the available plans displayed as D01 D02 etc Once the desired plan number is displayed briefly wait and the selection will be set MODE PLAN 1 tv KAN NIN The front panel will now display Rdy Ready 17 QABEAMCHEQKER PLUS memm Routine QA Measurements Continued 7 Exit the vault and position the patient monitor to view the front panel of the QA BeamChecker Plus so its display is readable Orientation m
90. t www standardimaging com for additional information 30 QABEAMCHECKER PLUS Using Optional Accessories Continued Gantry Mount Accessory 3 If required connect the serial cable to the QA BeamChecker Plus to facilitate any PC software based operations Wire Free mode measurements are recommended for gantry use to help avoid any accidents that could occur due to cable motion during gantry rotation NOTE It is recommended to avoid screwing the serial cable into the unit and instead relying on the inherent pressure fit of the connection lf the cable catches on an obstruction during gantry rotation damage can occur if the connector cannot pull free 4 Perform any desired measurements Remove the QA BeamChecker Plus from the Gantry Mount Accessory by pulling the spring loaded locking pin as shown in the image While pulling pin pull the QA BeamChecker Plus from the mount The pin only needs to be held briefly to release the QA BeamChecker Plus from engagement With the optional Gantry Mount Accessory REF 70500 the QA BeamChecker Plus can attach to the gantry accessory tray on most linear accelerators to facilitate measurement at various gantry angles NOTE The Gantry Mount Accessory must be custom made for a particular accelerator Contact Standard Imaging for specific ordering information The Gantry Mount Accessory is comprised of three main sections Upper section Interfaces with the accelerato
91. te the form with the appropriate parameters and proceed to measurement See page 12 for more information 4 The status indicator should now show green Ready Review the entered parameters and expose the QA BeamChecker Plus with the desired energy or plan The acquired measurement values will show on screen If satisfied with the measurement result click Save Measurement The main baseline screen is displayed and results can be reviewed 5 Repeat steps 2 4 for each desired energy or plan The QA BeamChecker Plus will need to be flipped over if switching between photons and electrons Baselines can be recreated at any time if necessary The QA BeamChecker Plus is now prepared for daily measurements Performing Routine Measurements Routine measurements can be performed using either Wire Free or Real Time Operation modes but this abbreviated guide will cover taking static linear accelerator measurements using the Wire Free mode The PC is not used for this method therefore no cables or software are required Setup 1 Place the QA BeamChecker Plus on the treatment couch For best results match the approximate time of day and couch positioning used when the baselines were taken to minimize variance caused by accelerator warm up and changes in scatter contribution The unit will need to be flipped to the proper side for photon or electron measurement Figure 2 QA BeamChecker Plus Wire Free setup 2 Turn the unit on
92. the Troubleshooting section on page 44 for more information Continue the wizard by entering a database name and browsing for a location for the QA BeamChecker Plus database file to reside NOTE This one database file will contain measurement data taken for all treatment rooms assigned to this QA BeamChecker Plus It is recommended to place the database in a location where it will be backed up and if desired accessible from other computers such as a network location The file name and location can be easily changed later so it is not critical to commit to these values from the start Complete the remaining steps and main software interface will now be accessible 5 The next step is to create a room to be used with the QA BeamChecker Plus After completing the Database Creator process a prompt will appear to allow creation of a room Select the room type that matches the treatment machine desired and enter the remaining details to continue Once completed up to eight additional rooms can be added The QA BeamChecker Plus is now ready for acquisition of baselines 5 QA BE AMCEIECKER PLUS eo Quick Start Guide Continued Baseline Acquisition A baseline is what the QA BeamChecker Plus uses to automatically determine which energy was delivered for static photon and electron measurements and serves as a comparative benchmark for subsequent exposures A baseline must be acquired for each energy or plan delivered to the QA Be
93. tive to a raw measurement baseline It is not designed for absolute dosimetry If a known consistent offset has developed creating a new baseline to account for this difference is recommended The QA BeamChecker Plus will only determine deviations from measured baselines not a predefined zero point Does the QA BeamChecker Plus support 4 or 5 MeV electron beams No Due to the low signal strength of 4 and 5 MeV and the amount of buildup material above the chambers these energies are not supported by the QA BeamChecker Plus 46 QABEAMCHECKER PLUS Maintenance eS Exterior cleaning of the device can be done with a soft brush and a cloth Gently brush all surfaces to remove dirt and dust Be especially careful that this is an external cleaning only and do not permit any liquid to seep into the QA BeamChecker Plus in any manner during cleaning There are no user serviceable parts on the QA BeamChecker Plus The warranty will become void if the QA BeamChecker Plus is disassembled R Parts and Accessories If assistance is desired in the proper disposal of this product including accessories and components after its useful life please return to Standard Imaging Description of Symbols The following symbols are found on the QA BeamChecker Plus O Power On Off Switch Dangerous Voltage Present Inside Enclosure A B Attention Consult Signal Input Accompanying Documents REF Description 90501 QA
94. to abort CAUTION Once room is deleted it CANNOT be recovered 7 A csv for each energy or plan within the room will be exported to the location selected This file contains all baseline and measurement data See Appendix C for format information To delete another room repeat this process Editing a Treatment Room s Properties 1 Open the appropriate database file and select a room by highlighting its name in the left side browser pane Database Documents and Sett Q4ECPlus 2 mdb El El PTN AA El Rotationall RMS 2 Click the Edit Room icon on the toolbar or navigate to File gt Room gt Room Properties and the properties edit window will appear Here the Name Make Model Type and Serial Number of the machine this room is assigned to can be changed Additionally the room label can be changed Click OK to confirm changes or Cancel to abort 11 QABEAMCHEQKER PLUS a Preparatory Measurements Baselines Introduction Before getting started ensure the software is properly installed and configured by reading the nstalling the Communication Software and Database Setup and Room Management sections of this manual NOTE A Bluetooth Adapter Kit REF 70504 is an available option allowing wireless communication from the PC to the QA BeamChecker Plus in place of a wired serial connection See page 30 for more details In order to begin taking routine measurements with the QA kie NG ASIN o
95. vo Hardware Description QA BeamChecker Plus Front Panel uojoud Electron gt INI YNIIGYVONYLS QABEAMCHECKER PLUS Power On Off Button Status LED Status Display Turns the unit on or off Displays green when an energy Displays detected energy fault or error is successfully detected displays codes and more information See front red when an fault occurs or energy panel display codes for more information is detected outside of baseline parameters MODE PLAN Button Power Indicators Pressing the MODE PLAN button toggles the unit between electron and Green LED indicates power is on photon mode for Static 5 Channel Mode cycles through dynamic and static Amber LED indicates the battery plans for TomoTherapy mode and dynamic plans for Dynamic 5 Channel is currently charging mode The blue LED indicates which side should be upright during operation SNId 41H93H9NV34 VO STANDARD IMAGING u01 99 4 RESET ROOM SELECT RESET ROOM SELECT Button This button functions as Room Select when the unit is first turned on Press this button to cycle through rooms that have been set up by the Communication Software This button must be pressed to resume unit operation if the Status LED shows red as an acknowledgement of the fault Power Data Cradle Serial Connection to other device or f QA BeamChecker Plus Male NOTE Always place RS232 Pass through t
96. wnload Last Download Wednesday March 18 2009 53 08 PM NOTE When clicking the download data button all data from all rooms is transferred to the Communication Software database 24 NOTE It is not necessary to download acquired data from the QA BeamChecker Plus after every Wire Free session The QA BeamChecker Plus internal memory will hold up to 512 measurements before the data will need to be transferred to the software database Selectively Viewing Data Data acquired in Wire Free or Real Time Operation modes can be viewed by energy when browsing data for a Static 5 Channel room or by plan for a Dynamic 5 Channel or TomoTherapy Hi Art room From the Energy or View panel use the pull down menu to select an acquired energy or test from the list The energy and type will appear along with the parameters that were specified at the time of baseline creation Energy Select 6 Photons Electrons 6 MT Using the Chart View The Chart View shows measurements points on a graph with the x axis representing the date and the y axis representing the deviation from the baseline Points on graph appear in one of three regions Green Below action level 1 Yellow At or above action level 1 but below action level 2 Red At or above action level 2 41 4 ai QABEAMCHECKER PLUS Data View Downloading Measurements and Reporting Continued Select the Begin Date End Date and click the Update Ch

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