Monte Carlo calculation of detector perturbation and quality correction factors in a 1.5 T magnetic resonance guided radiation therapy small photon beams

Abstract

Abstract Objective. With future advances in magnetic resonance imaging-guided radiation therapy, small photon beams are expected to be included regularly in clinical treatments. This study provides physical insights on detector dose-response to multiple megavoltage photon beam sizes coupled to magnetic fields and determines optimal orientations for measurements. Approach. Monte Carlo simulations determine small-cavity detector (solid-state: PTW60012 and PTW60019, ionization chambers: PTW31010, PTW31021, and PTW31022) dose-responses in water to an Elekta Unity 7 MV FFF photon beam. Investigations are performed for field widths between 0.25 and 10 cm in four detector axis orientations with respect to the 1.5 T magnetic field and the photon beam. The magnetic field effect on the overall perturbation factor (P MC) accounting for the extracameral components, atomic composition, and density is quantified in each orientation. The density (P ρ ) and volume averaging (P vol) perturbation factors and quality correction factors ( k Q B , Q f B , f ) accounting for the magnetic field are also calculated in each orientation. Main results. Results show that P vol remains the most significant perturbation both with and without magnetic fields. In most cases, the magnetic field effect on P vol is 1% or less. The magnetic field effect on P ρ is more significant on ionization chambers than on solid-state detectors. This effect increases up to 1.564 ± 0.001 with decreasing field size for chambers. On the contrary, the magnetic field effect on the extracameral perturbation factor is higher on solid-state detectors than on ionization chambers. For chambers, the magnetic field effect on P MC is only significant for field widths <1 cm, while, for solid-state detectors, this effect exhibits different trends with orientation, indicating that the beam incident angle and geometry play a crucial role. Significance. Solid-state detectors’ dose-response is strongly affected by the magnetic field in all orientations. The magnetic field impact on ionization chamber response increases with decreasing field size. In general, ionization chambers yield k Q B , Q f B , f closer to unity, especially in orientations where the chamber axis is parallel to the magnetic field.