Monitoring linear accelerator output constancy using the PTW Linacheck.

The PTW-Linacheck was assessed for its ability to monitor linear accelerator radiation output constancy. The key issues that were considered were the setup for daily output measurements, e.g., requirements for build-up and backscatter material, and the reproducibility and linearity of the device with linear accelerator output. An appropriate measurement setup includes a 10 × 10 cm field at 100 cm FSD, 5 cm backscatter, and no added build-up for 4 MeV electron beams, 1 cm added build-up for 6-16 MeV electron beams and 5 cm added build-up for 6-15 MV photon beams. Using this measurement setup, the dose linearity and short-term reproducibility were acceptable; however, the Linacheck should be recalibrated on a monthly basis to ensure acceptable long-term reproducibility.