The prediction of output factors for spread-out proton Bragg peak fields in clinical practice.

The reliable prediction of output factors for spread-out proton Bragg peak (SOBP) fields in clinical practice remained unrealized due to a lack of a consistent theoretical framework and the great number of variables introduced by the mechanical devices necessary for the production of such fields. These limitations necessitated an almost exclusive reliance on manual calibration for individual fields and empirical, ad hoc, models. We recently reported on a theoretical framework for the prediction of output factors for such fields. In this work, we describe the implementation of this framework in our clinical practice. In our practice, we use a treatment delivery nozzle that uses a limited, and constant, set of mechanical devices to produce SOBP fields over the full extent of clinical penetration depths, or ranges, and modulation widths. This use of a limited set of mechanical devices allows us to unfold the physical effects that affect the output factor. We describe these effects and their incorporation into the theoretical framework. We describe the calibration and protocol for SOBP fields, the effects of apertures and range-compensators and the use of output factors in the treatment planning process.