A simplified analytical approach to estimate the parameters required for strength determination of HDR 192Ir brachytherapy sources using a Farmer-type ionization chamber.

Measuring the strength of high dose rate (HDR) (192)Ir brachytherapy sources on receipt from the vendor is an important component of a quality assurance program. Owing to their ready availability in radiotherapy departments, the Farmer-type ionization chambers are also used to determine the strength of HDR (192)Ir brachytherapy sources. The use of a Farmer-type ionization chamber requires the estimation of the scatter correction factor along with positioning error (c) and the constant of proportionality (f) to determine the strength of HDR (192)Ir brachytherapy sources. A simplified approach based on a least squares method was developed for estimating the values of f and M(s). The seven distance method was followed to record the ionization chamber readings for parameterization of f and M(s). Analytically calculated values of M(s) were used to determine the room scatter correction factor (K(sc)). The Monte Carlo simulations were also carried out to calculate f and K(sc) to verify the magnitude of the parameters determined by the proposed analytical approach. The value of f determined using the simplified analytical approach was found to be in excellent agreement with the Monte Carlo simulated value (within 0.7%). Analytically derived values of K(sc) were also found to be in good agreement with the Monte Carlo calculated values (within 1.47%). Being far simpler than the presently available methods of evaluating f, the proposed analytical approach can be adopted for routine use by clinical medical physicists to estimate f by hand calculations.