System or method for calibrating a radiation detection medium

Abstract

Methods and devices for calibrating a radiotherapy system are disclosed. The method includes providing a detection medium that responds to exposure to ionizing radiation, and preparing a calibration dose response pattern by exposing predefined regions of the detection medium to different ionizing radiation dose levels. The method also includes measuring responses of the detection medium in the predefined regions to generate a calibration that relates subsequent responses to ionizing radiation dose. Different dose levels are obtained by differentially shielding portions of the detection medium from the ionizing radiation using, for example, a multi-leaf collimator, a secondary collimator, or an attenuation block. Different dose levels can also be obtained by moving the detection medium between exposures. The disclosed device includes a software routine fixed on a computer-readable medium that is configured to generate a calibration that relates a response of a detection medium to ionizing radiation dose.

1 - 43 . (canceled)  
   
   
       44 . A computer-readable medium having instructions thereon for calibrating a radiotherapy system that includes an amorphous silicon detector array as a detection medium that is adapted to respond to exposure to ionizing radiation, said instructions being configured to instruct a computer to perform steps comprising: 
 receiving at least one input representing responses of predefined regions of the detection medium that have been irradiated with different ionizing radiation dose levels;    measuring the responses of the detection medium; and    generating a calibration that relates each of the responses of the detection medium to ionizing radiation dose level.