SSD Electron Examples

DOS523 - Spring

1 Introduction
Suppose that you linear accelerator is calibrated to deliver 1 cGy per MU at 100
cm SSD at a depth of dmax for an open 15x15 cm2 cone. Below is the equation
for monitor unit calculations for SSD electrons.
Dose
MU = V SD+dmax
(1)
Ḋ × CF × CoF × P DD × IDL × ( V SD+dmax+gap )2

Where CF is the cone factor, CoF is the Cutout Factor, PDD is the percent
depth dose of the calculation point, and the VSD is the virtual source distance
and the gap is the ODI reading - 100 cm. Use the data tables at the end of this
problem set to calculate the MU needed to deliver the following prescriptions
for each electron setup. Round to the nearest whole MU.

2 Examples
2.1 MU calc with cutout only
Calculate the MU’s needed to deliver 200 cGy to a depth of dmax at 100 cm
SSD with a 6 MeV electron beam at the 100% isodose line and a 8x10 cutout
in a 10x10 cone.

200cGy
MU = = 198M U (2)
(1.0cGy/M U )(1.000)(1.011)(1.000)(1.000)(1.000)

2.2 MU calc with Normalization to Isodose Line

Calculate the MU’s needed to deliver 200 cGy to a depth of dmax at 100 cm
SSD with a 9 MeV electron beam at the 90% isodose line and a 8x10 cutout in
a 10x10 cone.
200cGy
MU = = 220M U (3)
(1.0cGy/M U )(1.001)(1.011)(1.000)(0.900)(1.000)

1
2.3 MU Calc to depth
Calculate the MU’s needed to deliver 200 cGy to a depth of 1.88 cm at 100 cm
SSD with a 6 MeV electron beam at the 100% isodose line and a 5 cm circle
cutout in a 6x6 cone.
200cGy
MU = = 233M U (4)
(1.0cGy/M U )(0.966)(0.989)(0.900)(1.000)(1.000)

2.4 MU Calc with extended distance

Calculate the MU’s needed to deliver 200 cGy to a dmax cm at 105 cm SSD
with a 9 MeV electron beam (dmax: 2.2 cm) at the 100% isodose line and a
9x15 cm2 cutout in a 15x15 cone.
200cGy
MU = 91.1cm+2.2cm = 221M U
(1.0cGy/M U )(1.000)(1.006)(1.000)(1.000)( 91.1cm+2.2cm+5cm )2
(5)

2.5 Bolus
Calculate the MU’s needed to deliver 200 cGy to a depth of dmax with 1 cm
bolus, 100 cm source to bolus distance and 101 cm SSD, with a 6 MeV electron
beam at the 100% isodose line and a 8x10 cutout in a 10x10 cone. Bolus is
used in electron beam calculations to flatten out an irregular surface, reduce
penetration of the electrons in the field, and increase surface dose so the bolus
does not need to be accounted for in the inverse square correction.
200cGy
MU = = 198M U (6)
(1.0cGy/M U )(1.000)(1.011)(1.000)(1.000)(1.000)