Maxim QA efficiency and accuracy.

Abstract

There are several commercial quality assurance (QA) software solutions for use in radiotherapy, but currently none are fully integrated with the existing c-arm linear accelerators. MaximQA (Varian Medical Systems, Inc. Palo Alto, CA) is a solution that integrates with both the TrueBeam and Halcyon linacs to capture and analyse QA tasks automatically. Currently the software supports a limited number of tests for the Halcyon and TrueBeam, including CBCT for both linacs, dynamic multi-leaf collimator tests (DMLC) for TrueBeam, and the Winston-Lutz test for Halcyon. This study investigates the efficiency gains of an integrated QA system compared to non-integrated QA software and evaluates its accuracy against another commercial product, DoseLab (Varian Medical Systems, Inc., Palo Alto, CA). Efficiency was assessed through a timing study by measuring the time required for CBCT, Winston-Lutz, and DMLC QA tasks in MaximQA and DoseLab. Accuracy was evaluated by comparing analysis results for the same tests in both software packages. The timing study showed that the integrated system substantially reduced QA task duration. A single CBCT QA analysis was 1 to 3 min faster, while DMLC and Winston-Lutz tests each saved 3 to 5 min excluding any export of images required. Comparison of analysis results indicated similar outcomes for most parameters, though some variations arose due to differences in calculation methodologies. Overall, the use of an integrated QA program decreased the time required to undertake these tests while maintaining high accuracy when compared to a previously established QA product.