Technical note: Cryostat transmission characterization for MR linac – temporal stability, clinical impact and change implementation

Abstract

BackgroundIn the Unity MR linac (Elekta AB, Stockholm, Sweden), the radiation beam traverses the cryostat and the coil support structure. The resulting beam attenuation must be considered for output calibration and its variation with gantry angle must be characterized in the treatment planning system (TPS).PurposeThe aim of this work was to investigate the impact of a change of the cryostat transmission characterization (CTC) curve, due to the helium level modification, on clinical treatment plan dosimetry and to report on the experience with the CTC curve update.MethodsTwenty stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) treatment plans: 10 prostate and 10 oligo‐metastatic cancer plans, prepared with a beam model incorporating the CTC curve acquired at installation time, were re‐calculated using the model implementing CTC curve post helium top‐up. To account for the CTC change as well as to align our system to the recent reference conditions recommendations, the new model was commissioned with the emphasis on the specifics associated with the treatment plan adaptation and the existence of the offline and online TPS components.ResultsAverage CTV mean dose reduction by 0.45% in prostate cases and average GTV mean dose reduction by 0.22% in oligo‐metastatic cases was observed. Updated model validation showcased good agreement between measurements and TPS calculations.ConclusionsThe agreement between CTC measurements demonstrates its temporal constancy and robustness of the measurement method employed. A helium fill level change was shown to affect the CTC and led to a small but systematic dose calculation inaccuracy. Finally, model validation and end‐to‐end testing results presented, underscore the minimal impact of transitioning to the new beam model and new reference conditions.