scholarly journals A quality assurance tool for daily checks of the gamma knife high definition motion management system

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 240-245
Author(s):  
Robert Corns ◽  
Dhara Mehta ◽  
Whitney Massock ◽  
Leah Roberts
Author(s):  
William Ferris ◽  
Larry Albert DeWerd ◽  
Wesley S Culberson

Abstract Objective: Synchrony® is a motion management system on the Radixact® that uses planar kV radiographs to locate the target during treatment. The purpose of this work is to quantify the visibility of fiducials on these radiographs. Approach: A custom acrylic slab was machined to hold 8 gold fiducials of various lengths, diameters, and orientations with respect to imaging axis. The slab was placed on the couch at the imaging isocenter and planar radiographs were acquired perpendicular to the custom slab with varying thicknesses of acrylic on each side. Fiducial signal to noise ratio (SNR) and detected fiducial position error in millimeters were quantified. Main Results: The minimum output protocol (100 kVp, 0.8 mAs) was sufficient to detect all fiducials on both Radixact configurations when the thickness of the phantom was 20 cm. However, no fiducials for any protocol were detected when the phantom was 50 cm thick. The algorithm accurately detected fiducials on the image when the SNR was larger than 4. The MV beam was observed to cause RFI artifacts on the kV images and to decrease SNR by an average of 10%. Significance: This work provides the first data on fiducial visibility on kV radiographs from Radixact Synchrony treatments. The Synchrony fiducial detection algorithm was determined to be very accurate when sufficient SNR is achieved. However, a higher output protocol may need to be added for use with larger patients. This work provided groundwork for investigating visibility of fiducial-free solid targets in future studies and provided a direct comparison of fiducial visibility on the two Radixact configurations, which will allow for intercomparison of results between configurations.


2004 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. S586-S587
Author(s):  
M. Gao ◽  
J.R. Perks ◽  
H.D. Kubo ◽  
C. Luo ◽  
S.E. Skubic ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Haomin Wang ◽  
Mingming Shao

This chapter is a report on using a course management system Desire2Learn® to facilitate the implementation of the quality assurance standards recommended by Quality Matters. After a brief introduction to the Quality Matters standards, the chapter describes how the Desire2Learn learning environment can be structured to build an interconnected framework to promote objective-oriented, criterion-referenced, dynamic assessment. A pilot study was conducted to explore how learning activities can be assessed in alignment with measurable learning objectives, with reference to criterion-based rubrics. The chapter discusses issues found through the study and lessons learned in using the competency structure of Desire2Learn to enforce objective-oriented assessment.


Author(s):  
Amitava Mitra

As the competition for products and services continues to grow, with customer satisfaction playing an integral part in this process, organizations are faced with the task of ensuring quality in all of their activities. Since many organizations do not necessarily produce the entire product or deliver the service by themselves, they are dependent on other vital sources, for example, suppliers, that impact quality of the finished product/service. This necessitates development and implementation of a quality management system which can integrate information from the various entities to facilitate decision making in a timely manner. Additionally, it is desirable for such a quality management system to be responsive to the existing quality environment at the various sources that contribute to the manufacture of the product or delivery of the service. This chapter provides a foundation for accomplishing such quality management objectives.


Author(s):  
Gavin P Spickett

Introduction Structure of the NHS and the NHS plan Clinical Pathology Accreditation (CPA) Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) Quality management system (QMS) Concepts of quality assurance in the laboratory Quality control (internal) Quality control (external) 1: EQA schemes Quality control (external) 2: benchmarking and CE marking...


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