This chapter provides short general workflows to perform a project from setting up the myQA Accept software to print and save the measurement results. As an example, creating and performing a depth dose measurement will be described.
Preparing the Hardware
Check the measurement hardware (water phantom) for correct function. Set it up and align it under the LINAC according to the recommendations in the user manual of the corresponding phantom.
Starting the Software
There are two parts in Start Page: left: the links to start a new or open a saved measurement, and access to the software instructions by clicking the Help, Instructions for Use, or myQA Accept Online; and right: the display of the latest news related to the software by clicking the Latest news under Help and resources.
Configuration – Common Settings
If it is a new installation, the system must be configured before performing any measurements in the Common settings page and the Common settings menu in any page.
Common settings page:
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Click the Common settings icon in the Tasks group, and then select individual item from the tabs on the right-hand side.
Common settings menu:
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Click the Common settings in the main menu bar, and select the individual item from the submenu.
Equipment Setup
The equipment must be defined to create a measurement queue and to perform a measurement. Set up the devices according to the recommendations of the corresponding device manuals.
To perform the first measurement, a complete Equipment Setup is mandatory. The rest settings in the Common Settings menu are not necessary to be entered at this stage.
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Clinic: address, e-mail, etc.
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Radiation Devices: e.g., a LINAC with energies and field sizes
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Controllers: CCU-X or CCU
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Servos / Scanners: e.g., a phantom of the Blue Phantom family
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Detectors: e.g., CC13 with the corresponding parameters.
Measurement Preferences
When defining the CCU the first time, the controller must be connected to the PC to display it in the Controller address table. Then click to connect the desired controller. See details in Equipment Setup.
See details in Measurement Preferences.
Analysis Parameters
See details in Analysis Parameters.
Calculations
See details in Calculations.
Units
Going to Units, you will get the following options:
Choose the units you prefer for having them displayed later on in the graphics, measurement window and controller window.
Graphics
Click the Graphics tab on the right side of the content area, and choose the preferred color settings for:
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Scan Colors
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Array Palettes
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Isodose Colors
Scan Colors
Opening the Scan Colors in the Graphics section, you will find a window with default colors for your measurements.
Clicking on the New button, you will get the possibility to define your own color palette.
In the Templates field the pre-defined name “ScanColors_0” appears, which can be edited.
Clicking on the left side into the Color field, a drop-down menu appears letting you select the color of the first curve.
After confirming your selection with the Enter key, the Index will be set to 1 automatically and you can continue with the next color, clicking once more to the Color field.
Array Palettes
Selecting then the Array Palettes, you can choose between different Palettes and Scaling modes to be displayed when calculating arrays from measured 2D nets.
By pressing the drop-down button, you can select between the Palettes Temperature and Rainbow.
- Select the palette and enter the Scaling according to your needs.
Isodose Colors
Under Isodose Colors, you can select the colors of the displayed isodoses. Following window appears after selecting Isodose Colors.
Besides the default values, you are able to define your own Isodose Colors.
In the Templates field appears the pre-defined name IsodosesColors_0, which can be edited.
Clicking on the left side into the Color field, a drop-down menu appears, letting you select the color of the first curve.
After confirming your color selection with the Enter key, the Index will be set to 1 automatically and you can continue with the next color, clicking once more to the Color field. Continue until all level colors have been defined.
General Settings
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Select the General Settings on the right side to define:
- RTPS Setup parameters
- Auto Save Setup
- Messages
Creating a Queue
After defining the settings in the Common Settings, a measurement queue can be generated. In the example below, a depth dose shall be measured. A queue may have only one queue item (one measurement) or many queue items (many measurements).
- Click Queue Setup in the Task group. The settings needed for a measurement queue are entered in this window.
When creating a queue, please check that all parameters are entered correctly.
Queue Settings
The Queue settings define the general settings for the entire queue. Choose the measurement equipment and measurement medium here:
Queue Item Settings
The Queue item settings group defines the parameters for the individual Queue items (single measurements).
In the Basic settings tab you can choose the scan type (Depth Dose in this example), Field and equipment settings and the scan settings.
The Extended settings tab contains asymmetric fields, controller settings and settings for special scan types.
If a proton machine has been selected for the Radiation Device, an additional section, Properties of PT Machine, appears under Extended settings (see Proton Therapy Applications, for more information on proton therapy applications).
The 2D Settings tab contains the parameters for a 2D scan.
After setting up all parameters, click the Queue tab, , on the bottom bar of the window to open the Queue panel.
Click the Add Item to Queue button at the lower-left corner of the Queue item settings box or Add item in the queue panel to add the previously defined measurement in Queue Setup to the queue.
Connection between CCU and PC
After the equipment is switched on, connected to the PC, and set up under the accelerator according to the recommendations (e.g., isocenter as well as water surface already stored), connect the CCU to the software.
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In the Tasks, click Measurement (1). Click the Controller (2) tab on the bottom bar to open this panel.
Measurement view
After connection has been established, you can access the functionalities of the controller panel.
The buttons are arranged from top to bottom following the workflow. Please carry out the controller setup from top to bottom until all red crosses have switched to green checkmarks.
For detailed information regarding the exact settings and
Measurement
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Click the Queue tab,
, on the bottom bar to display the Queue panel. The following view appears.
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Click the Start button in the Queue panel. The measurement starts.
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After the measurement finishes, the measured curve is displayed in the 1-D data view. An icon appears in the row of each measured queue item in the list (see screenshot below).
Data Storage
Please make sure to back-up data files and queues are stored in a save place (e.g. server).
The myQA Accept measurement files can be saved in a computer hard drive or the myQA database.
Save in hard drive
- Click File - Save As… in the main menu bar. A standard File Save window appears where you can select the destination folder, name and the file format.
Save in database
- Click File - Save As… in the main menu bar. The default name is time when the measurement
finishes. - Click Database > Save to over-write and save a project that is opened from the database.
Printout
If more than one template has been defined, the last chosen / edited template will be taken to print the project.
To print out the currently selected data, either select the Print… command from the File menu or print the data as described later, using the Template Editor directly.
Close a Project and Exit the Software
Click Close in the File menu, the current active project should be closed. If the project has not been saved, a pop-up message will ask whether you want to save before closing the project.
Click Exit in the File menu to exit myQA Accept. If any project has been changed and not saved, the "Project unsaved!" pop-up message will appear. Select Yes or No to close the dialog and exit the application, or Cancel to keep myQA Accept open.