Title:

TG-142: Quality Assurance of Medical Accelerators

Speaker:

Mr. Sean Dresser

Affiliation:

Northside Hospital Cancer Institute

When:

Thursday, April 9, 2015 at 11:00:00 AM   Add to Calendar

Where:

Boggs Building, Room 3-47

Host:

Dr. C. K. Chris Wang
chris.wang@me.gatech.edu
404-894-3727

Abstract

The purpose of this talk is to give a broad spectrum view of Task Group 142, Quality Assurance of Medical Accelerators. This presentation will briefly discuss the rationale for the need of linear accelerator QA. The historical progress of previous task groups leading up to the development of TG-142 will also be deliberated. The talk will dissect the subsections and define each of the tests. The implementation of TG-142 has caused some understandable concern from clinical physicists. Many have questions about how to conduct the new tests described in the tables. Some see the tests as too time consuming. This discussion will give a brief overview of each test category with the hopes of clarifying the need for each test. Many of the earlier TG-40 tests have remained fairly intact, only to be either tightened in tolerance or have altered expectations. The overall number of tests we conduct has increased; however, this has been offset to a degree by a reduction in requirements for some older, standard tests (i.e. mechanical readouts). The overall intent of this presentation is to bring a better understanding to the current guidelines for linear accelerator quality assurance.

Biography

Sean Dresser, MS, DABMP is the Chief Medical Physicist and RSO for Northside Hospital Cancer Institute. He has over 20 years’ experience in the field of therapeutic medical physics. He has participated in several AAPM task groups, including TG-127 Maintenance of Certification, TG-142 QA for Medical Accelerators, and TG-198, An Implementation Guide for TG-142. He has also served on several committees in various roles for the AAPM, including the Developmental Committee, the On-Line Education Committee, and the Working Group on External Beam QA. Mr. Dresser has also participated as an examiner for the ABR oral boards, Medical Physics. He also is an acting surveyor for the ACR Radiation Oncology Practice Accreditation.