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BackgroundTo measure the absorbed dose rate to water and penumbra of a Gamma Knife® (GK) using a polymethyl metacrylate (PMMA) phantom.MethodsA multi-purpose PMMA phantom was developed to measure the absorbed dose rate to water and the dose distribution of a GK. The phantom consists of a hemispherical outer phantom, one exchangeable cylindrical chamber-hosting inner phantom, and two film-hosting inner phantoms. The radius of the phantom was determined considering the electron density of the PMMA such that it corresponds to 8 g/cm2 water depth, which is the reference depth of the absorbed dose measurement of GK. The absorbed dose rate to water was measured with a PTW TN31010 chamber, and the dose distributions were measured with radiochromic films at the calibration center of a patient positioning system of a GK Perfexion. A spherical water-filled phantom with the same water equivalent depth was constructed as a reference phantom. The dose rate to water and dose distributions at the center of a circular field delimited by a 16-mm collimator were measured with the PMMA phantom at six GK Perfexion sites.ResultsThe radius of the PMMA phantom was determined to be 6.93 cm, corresponding to equivalent water depth of 8 g/cm2. The absorbed dose rate to water was measured with the PMMA phantom, the spherical water-filled phantom and a commercial solid water phantom. The measured dose rate with the PMMA phantom was 1.2% and 1.8% higher than those measured with the spherical water-filled phantom and the solid water phantom, respectively. These differences can be explained by the scattered photon contribution of PMMA off incoming 60Co gamma-rays to the dose rate. The average full width half maximum and penumbra values measured with the PMMA phantom showed reasonable agreement with two calculated values, one at the center of the PMMA phantom (LGP6.93) and other at the center of a water sphere with a radius of 8 cm (LGP8.0) given by Leksell Gamma Plan using the TMR10 algorithm.ConclusionsA PMMA phantom constructed in this study to measure the absorbed dose rates to water and dose distributions of a GK represents an acceptable and practical alternative for GK dosimetry considering its cost-effectiveness and ease of handling.

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The proficiency test was conducted to assess the performance of the dosimetry audit service provider in the readout practice of the dose delivered to patients in medical institutions.Methods: A certain amount of the absorbed dose to water for the high-energy X-ray from the medical linear accelerator (LINAC) installed in the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) was delivered to the postal dose audit package given by the dosimetry audit service provider, in which the radio-photoluminescence (RPL) glass dosimeters were mounted. The dosimetry audit service provider read the RPL glass dosimeters and sent the readout dose value with its uncertainty to KRISS. The performance of the dosimetry audit service provider was evaluated based on the E n number given in ISO/IEC 17043:2010. Results:The evaluated E n number was −0.954. Based on the ISO/IEC 17043, the performance of the dosimetry service provider is "satisfactory."Conclusions: As part of the conformity assessment, the KRISS performed the proficiency test over the postal dose audit practice run by the dosimetry audit service provider. The proficiency test is in line with confirming the traceability of the medical institutions to the primary standard of absorbed dose to the water of the KRISS and ensuring the confidence of the dosimetry audit service provider.