Setting up the Hardware

CAUTION: HANDLE WITH CARE
Handle the myQA StartTrack3 with great care. The device is very fragile.

CAUTION: DEVICE HAS NO SPECIFIC HANDLE
The device weighs 10 kg and has no specific handle. Only trained people should handle the device.

Make sure you can carry the weight for the action. If necessary, do it together with another person. Wrong handling or by untrained persons may cause the device to drop during mounting / dismounting.

The device should be gripped firmly on the middle of both sides of the electronic part
of the device with two hands.
 

CAUTION: WEIGHT OF THE DEVICE
Due to the weight of the device it is recommended to use a trolley for transportation or to carry it as a pair.

Device location and connection overview

A cable connection is not required for a standard measurement setup using the myQA StarTrack3. The myQA
StarTrack3 device may be powered by the provided battery and the data communication may use a wireless local area network (WLAN).

In this chapter, only communication between the device and network (1) is described. Communication (2 or 3) between the PC / mobile / Server are your local area network are normal communication. myQA StarTrack3 users communicate with the myQA StarTrack3 Web App installed on a Server or PC through the user interface of a web-browser on a PC or mobile (4). Data flow: The measurement data in the myQA StarTrack3 device is transmitted to the myQA StarTrack3 Web App (5).

Optionally, the data communication also can be via Ethernet connection. It is a wired communication and the devices are connected with Ethernet cables. Ethernet refers to the family of local area network (LAN) products covered by the IEEE 802.3 standard. The myQA StarTrack3 device supports the data transfer rate up to 1 GBit/s.

 

Setting up a Network Connection

The myQA StarTrack3 solution is designed to operate at a nominal frame rate up to 4 frames per second (fps) if the device, the server and the client communicate through a stable, high speed network connection.

If the device is connected through a clinical or hospital network, the frame rate may fluctuate depending on the current network conditions. Network performance factors such as bandwidth availability, latency, packet loss, and routing delays can affect the rate at which measurement frames are received by the application.

Under these conditions, users may observe variations in the update rate (e.g., momentary slowdowns or irregular frame delivery). These effects are typically caused by:

• Network congestion or limited bandwidth
• Variable latency introduced by network switches or routers
• Shared network traffic from other medical or administrative systems

For optimal results, it is recommended to use a stable, high-speed network connection and to minimize intermediate network devices between the myQA StarTrack3 unit and the PC. Where possible, a dedicated network segment or VLAN should be used to maintain consistent data transmission performance.

In general, there are two ways to establish the network connection:

• Direct connection - a network connection between the computer and the detector
• A network connection through the local network (LAN)

IMPORTANT NOTICE: COMPUTER REQUIREMENT
The software may only be used on computers that comply with the applicable FCC and CE regulations

IMPORTANT NOTICE: ACCESS RIGHTS
Administrator status is required to install the software and perform network connections.

Logging in to myQA StarTrack3 – Web-browser

By default, the hostname of the myQA StarTrack3 is “startrack3-[S/N]”. The device serial number (S/N) is a 5-digit number and can be found on the device information label on bottom of the device. This label also contains two URLs for initial configuration http://startrack3-[S/N].local/ or http://169.254.22.11/.

Note: If the device is connected to a network without a DHCP-Server, no static IP-Address is configured. A link-local address (LLADR) from the 169.254.xx.yy Pool is used (Subnetmask 255.255.0.0). The first address to try is 169.254.22.11.

• Connect the device to the PC with an Ethernet cable.
• Switch on the device and wait until the power button LED lights green.
• Short press (< 1 s) the Config button on the device. The Activity LED starts to blink.
• There are three options to open configuration web interface:
  • via URL http://startrack3-[s/n].local/ (where [s/n] to be replaced by the device serial number)
  • via URL http://169.254.22.11/ (valid if the device is connected to the PC with a direct cable connection
    or if no DHCP server exists on the local network)

  • via Windows Explorer

    • Click to expand the Network browser, and then look for the device hostname
    • Double-click the device name.

    Note: If the device name cannot be found, check whether the Windows Network Discovery is
    enabled.

• The LOGIN dialog of the configuration web-interface opens:

  

  CAUTION: DEVICE PASSWORD
  The admin password is shipped in a sealed envelope. In case the device is delivered with and already opened envelope, the device might be compromised. Do not connect it to your network or use it and reach out to IBA Service.

  CAUTION: LOG OFF WHEN NOT USING THE WEB-INTERFACE
  Do not leave the myQA StarTrack3 Web Device Configuration logged in and unattended. Always log off when you are not actively using it. Leaving the interface open poses a cybersecurity risk.

  CAUTION: ACCESS WEBUI THROUGH SECURE CONNECTION
  Always access the device configuration WebUI through a direct, local connection. Using the WebUI over a network can introduce cybersecurity risks.

• Enter the user name (admin) and password (default: admin), and click LOGIN. The Device Info page
  opens.

  

• Among the device information, hostname (or device name), friendly name, and password can be changed on the right side of the page. Click the Apply or the Change button after entering the new information.

  Note: If the hostname is changed, the new hostname is taken into account only after restarting the device (powered off and back powered on).

  CAUTION: CHANGE PASSWORD AFTER FIRST LOGIN
  Change the default administrator password during your first login. Ensure that the
  new password meets the following security requirements:

  • Containing a minimum of eight characters
  • minimum one uppercase letter
  • minimum one lowercase letter
  • minimum 1 number out of {0, 1, ..., 9}
  • minimum 1 special character out of
    {+, -, *, /, !, ?, §, $, €, %, &, (, ), \, <, >, ',@, [, ], ~}

• Click the Navigation icon in the upper-left corner to expand the Navigation panel.

  

• Different pages can be accessed by clicking the page name on the Navigation panel for different
  configuration tasks.

Configuration of Wireless Communication

• Click Configure Wireless in the Navigation panel to open the page.

• Section Available WLANs lists the WLANs in the range of the device. Select the WLAN to be used.

  

• Enter the authentication information for the WLAN in the Connect section and then click the Connect
  button.

  

• In the WLAN IPv4 and WLAN IPv6 sections, the current WLAN IP settings and the connection status are
  displayed.

  

• In the Set configuration group, select the DHCP (selected by default) or STATIC round button for the IP
  address configuration.

  

• If the configuration was changed, click Save.

Configuration of Wired Communication

• Click Configure Ethernet (wired) in the Navigation panel on the left to open the page.

  

• The sections for Ethernet IPv4 and Ethernet IPv6 shows the current Ethernet IP settings.

• In the Set Configuration section, select DHCP (selected by default) or static IP configuration.

  

• If the configuration was changed, click on Save.

Reset, Backup, or Restore Configuration

• Click Configuration in the Navigation panel.

  Reset Network Configuration

  

• Click the Reset Network Configuration button to reset the network settings to defaults. It can also be
  done by pressing the Config reset button on the device for 10 seconds.

• Click the Factory Reset button to reset the device to factory default. This resSets the device network
  settings to default and removes all user-created settings such as the user output and uniformity
  calibrations.

  Backup Configuration

  

• Click the Download Network Configuration Files button and then give a file name to the configuration
  and select a desired location and save the file.

  Restore configuration

  

• Click the Select File button and then browse and select the saved configuration file to be restored. Then
  click Restore configuration to restore the configuration.

Update Firmware

It is recommended always installing the latest firmware versions on the IBA measurement devices as in general they improve the overall reliability, measurement accuracy, and IT security of the measurement system. If there is a new version of FW available for the device, you will be informed by IBA Dosimetry via an email.

Firmware update procedure:

• Download the latest version of firmware via IBA Service Portal: iba-portal.com.

• Click System Update in the Navigation panel.

  

• Click the Select File button, then browse and select the new FW file. Click Start Update. The update can
  take up to five minutes and the device will restart afterwards.

CAUTION: CHECK FIRMWARE VERSION AND CHECKSUM
Before installation of a new firmware version (update), verify the displayed checksum, to ensure the authenticity and integrity of the received firmware file.
For more information on checksum (hash) values, please contact the IBA Dosimetry Service Department (Section 15.1).
 

Download Logs

• Click Download logs in the Navigation panel.
  Click the corresponding button to download the desired log files and save them in a desired location for
  further investigation.

  

Setup Kestrel Server Hosting Configuration

IMPORTANT NOTICE: ENABLE HTTPS FOR SECURE ACCESS
Without enabling HTTPS, the application can only be used locally and cannot be securely access from outside the installation machine. HTTPS is required for proper authentication and secure client-server communication.

Please note, this process is the same for both the myQA StarTrack3 Configuration Manager and myQA ECOsystem Configuration Manager. The procedure below shows the myQA StarTrack3 Configuration Manager.

• To import TLS certificates, open the myQA StarTrack3 Configuration Manager.

• Check the Enable HTTPS check box (1).

  

• Two Certificate Sources appear:
  • Certificate Store: Select a certificate from the Windows Certificate Store
  • Certificate File: Load certificate from *.pfx, *.p12, *.crt, or *.pem files.

• If Certificate Store is selected, go to the Certificate Store tab (2) and select a certificate from the list
  (3).

  

• Click Apply Settings (4) and then Validate Configuration (5) to check the certificate and save the
  settings.

  

• If Certificate File is selected, go to the Certificate File tab (6) and click Browse (7).

  

• Select the certificate file and click Open to upload it to the Configuration Manager.

  

• Once the certificate file has been updated, enter the file password, click Apply Settings and then
  Validate Configuration to check the certificate and save the settings.
• Repeat the process for myQA ECOsystem Configuration Manager.
• The Web App can now be access securely via the HTTPS URL provided in the myQA StarTrack3 Configuration Manager - Hosting Configuration tab.

Network Connection Troubleshooting

Warm-up and Pre-Irradiation

The electronics of the device require a warm-up time interval to be in the proper condition. Moreover, as the sensors of the device are ion chambers, they need a certain dose of pre-irradiation before the chamber response reaches a stable level, and background measurement is required so that the software can compensate signal drift and noise coming from chambers and electronics.

IMPORTANT NOTICE
After turning on the power of the myQA StarTrack3, ensure that the red error LED (error indicator) is off. If it turns on, press the AUX button for about three seconds. If red LED still is on, contact an IBA Dosimetry representative. For contact information, see Chapter 15.

During the background measurements, the device is checked for defective pixels and the uniformity check
is performed.

CAUTION: DO NOT PERFORM MEASUREMENTS WITHOUT BACKGROUND COMPENSATION
Do not perform measurements without background compensation as this can result in inaccurate measurements and may pose a risk of patient harm.

Warm-up

Warm-up time for the devices is 5 minutes. For the absolute dose calibrations, the warm-up time is 60 minutes.

CAUTION: ALWAYS REGARD WARM-UP TIME
Always regard the warm-up time of the myQA StarTrack3. Not regarding the warm-up time of the myQA StarTrack3 could lead to inaccurate measurements.

Pre-irradiation

Pre-irradiation can be performed during the warm-up phase. If the pre-irradiation is successful, the profile should show uniform signal level. This procedure should be repeated every time the device is switched on, and at least every 8 hours.

Recommended pre-irradiation conditions:

• SDD 100 cm
• Field size 30 cm × 30 cm
• 500 MU
• It is recommended to use the same energy as the planned measurement (The myQA StarTrack3 supports beam qualities of 4-25 MV)

CAUTION: PRE-IRRADIAITION
After the warmup time of five minutes (device stored under treatment room conditions) a pre-irradiation (max field size) of 300 cGy is recommended.

Setting up Energy Verification Plates

• Set the LINAC gantry angle at 0°. Place the myQA StarTrack3 at 0° orientation to the LINAC on the patient table.
• Energy Verification can be performed in wireless or wired mode. If using the detector in wired mode, connect the network cable and power cord.
• Turn on the power of the myQA StarTrack3.

• Use the room lasers and the device alignment markers to position the device. Set the SDD = 100 cm.

  

  Electron Energy Verification Plate

• If using the Electron plate, place the plate in the correct orientation on the device:
  The Electron plate indicates the proper orientation (4) of the plate with a small graphic showing which side should face the Gun (G) and which side should face the Target (T).

  

  Photon Energy Verification Plate

• If using the Photon Verification plate, places the wedges (5) into the slots (6) on the plate.

  

  IMPORTANT NOTICE
  Please ensure the wedges are fully inserted into the plate slots. Press firmly to ensure full insertion.

• Place the Energy Verification plate on the active area of the device.

  

• Use the room lasers (7) to align the plate and device.

  

IMPORTANT NOTICE: USE THE SIDE MARKERS FOR POSITIONING
When using build-up plates or an energy verification plate on the device, it is convenient to use the side markers on the device and room laser for the alignment.

Head / Gantry Mounting

CAUTION
Consider the instructions provided in this manual when operating the device.

CAUTION: WEIGHT OF THE GANTRY HOLDER
Make sure you can carry the weight of the Gantry Holder. If necessary take support from another person. Wrong handling may cause the holder to drop during mounting/dismounting.
Due to the weight of the device it is recommended to mount it in the Gantry Holder as a pair.

For additional Health and Safety information, please see Section 13.8.2.

Mounting the Gantry Fixture on the Holder

(In this example, the Gantry Fixture for Elekta is used for illustration. However, this step is the same for
Varian fixture.)

• Place the Gantry Fixture on top of the Holder.
• Attach the legs of the Gantry Fixture to the Holder with the provided screws (4 screws per leg, 16 total).
  If any screws are missing, please contact IBA Dosimetry for replacements (see Section 15.1).

Note: The mounting parts (circled below) in the fixture can have two orientations. They can be interchanged by loosening the screws of the mounting parts and fix them in the other orientation.

Mounting the Gantry Mount on the gantry

Elekta
Mounting Option 1: Mounting at 0°.

• Rotate the gantry to 0°.

• Locate the white plastic hole (i) and the accessory ring (ii) of the gantry.

  

• Place the Gantry Mount on the patient couch at 90°.

  

  Please note, there is little room for movement in the crossline direction as the fixture bolt fits snugly into
  the white plastic hole. However, there is noticeable room for movement in the inline direction.

• Using the couch controls, carefully and align the fixture bolt (1) to the white plastic hole (i). Carefully lift
  the couch to place the Mount in the gantry.

  

• Turn the knob to fix the clamp (2) far away from the fixture bolt simultaneously. Then fix the other two
  clamps simultaneously (2). Check that all 3 clamps are gripping the ring properly and then lower the
  couch.

  IMPORTANT NOTICE: CHECK HOLDER BEFORE MOVING THE COUCH
  Before lowering the couch, double check that the clamps are properly secured to the ring.

  

  Mounting Option 2: Mounting at 180°.

• Rotate the gantry to 180°.

• Locate the white plastic hole (i) and the accessory ring (ii) of the gantry.

  

• Hold the Gantry Mount upside down and align the fixture bolt (1) to the white plastic hole (i), and then place the gantry fixture down.
• Turn the knob to fix the clamp (2) far away from the fixture bolt simultaneously. Then fix the other two clamps simultaneously (2). Check that all clamps grip to the ring properly.
• Rotate the gantry to 0°.
   

Varian

• Rotate the gantry to 0°.
• Insert the two rails of the fixture into the accessory mount of the LINAC until you hear a clicking sound. The light on the side of the accessory mount should turn to green if the mounted device is properly locked.

• Tighten the fixation clamps to fix to the LINAC accessory ring

  CAUTION: LOCK GANTRY HOLDER BEFORE USE
  The Gantry Holder must be locked in the LINAC interface before usage. The device can drop from the gantry if not properly mounted. Follow the mounting instructions in with care and ensure proper usage of the safety locks.

  

Mounting the detector in the holder

1: side knobs, 2: detector and build-up plate clamps, 3: safety pin, 4: holder windows, 5: fixation screw,
6: knobs

• Loosen the side knobs (1), move the clamps (2) all the way up so that there is enough space for the
  device and the build-up plates to be inserted, and then lock the fixation knobs again.

  

  1: Knob; 2: Clamp.

• Pull the handle of the security pin (3) all the way out and turn it into the unlocked position (3a). Place the
  detector all the way into the holder and turn the pin into the locked position (3b).

  

  3: Pin; 4: Handle.

• Fix (but not firmly) the side screw (4) to push the detector to the other side so that the detector is
  parallel to the inline axis.

  

• Additional information on fine adjustment of the XY Table can be found in Section 4.4.2.

• Confirm with the laser alignment to the side markers on the detector through the windows (5) on left /
  right / back sides.

  

  CAUTION: LOCK THE DEVICE BY TIGHTENING ALL KNOBS
  Ensure that all safety clamps and the knobs are fastened. Otherwise, the device will fall out when the gantry is rotated.

• Secure the detector using the four clamps (2) on the sides and two upper clamps on the back (6). If using build-up plates, see the next section.

  (If the back-scatter plates are used, the two lower clamps on the back (6) are used to fix the backscatter plates.)

• Turn on the light field. Adjust the XY-table if the light field does not align to the center of the detector (see Section 4.4.2).

  

  Aligned

• If the detector is slightly tilted, slightly loosen the two clamps (2) that are far away from the fixture bolt (1) (see the last photo in Mounting the Gantry Mount on the gantry), and give a small torque by slightly hitting one of the two legs that are far away from the fixture bolt against the tilt direction.

  IMPORTANT NOTICE: GREASE THE SCREWS OF THE FIXING CLAMPS
  If turning the fixation clamps (2) becomes difficult, you can grease the screws with PTFE spray.

  IMPORTANT NOTICE
  It is possible to use the device in wireless mode when mounted in the Gantry. If using the device in wired mode (Ethernet cable and / or power cord), please ensure proper clearance for the cables.

• Rotate the gantry slowly to check if the detector is locked properly.

  

  CAUTION: POSSIBLE COLLISION WITH PATIENT TABLE
  Check clearance when rotating the gantry with the mounted gantry holder.

Mounting build-up plates

The Gantry Mount can accommodate up to 50 mm of build-up material.

• Loosen the back knobs (1), removing safety clamps (2), so that it is open wider for inserting the build-up
  plates.
• Loosen the four knobs (3), moving safety clamps (2) up so it is high enough that the build-up plates can
  be placed under them.
• Place the plates on the top of the detector.
• Lock the plates from above by moving the four safety clamps (2) tightly on the plates and fixing them
  with the four knobs (3).

• Place the safety clamps (2) back so that the two clamps block the build-up plates from falling out from
  the backside. Finally, tightening the back knobs (1).

  CAUTION: BUILD-UP PLATES FROM OTHER MANUFACTURERS
  Build-up plates made of RW3 and PMMA from other manufacturers can be used if they fit into the holder and can be properly locked.

  CAUTION: LOCK THE BUILD-UP PLATES PROPERLY
  Ensure that all clamps are tightened; otherwise, the plates may fall out when the gantry is rotated.

Aligning the XY Table

1: side knobs, 2: X and Y-adjusting knobs

• Loosen the knobs of the XY table security clamps (1) before adjusting the XY Table.

• Adjust the X and Y directions by turning the X and Y-adjusting knobs (2) located at the front and side of the holder. The adjusting knobs are graded in 0.1 mm increments; one full turn is one millimeter. Maximum adjustable length is ± 10 mm.

  If the knob becomes loose, insert a 2 mm hexagonal screwdriver into the hole on the side of a knob and tighten the screw.

• Tighten the knobs of the XY Table security clamps.

  CAUTION: DO NOT TURN THE XY ADJUSTING KNOBS WHEN THE FIXTURES ARE LOCKED.
  Loosen the four additional fixtures before adjusting the XY Table. Otherwise, the adjustment mechanism of the XY Table may get damaged.
  CAUTION: DO NOT DISASSAMBLE THE XY TABLE
  Do not dismount the top part of the XY Table. If so, a realignment of the mechanics is required to ensure the correct positioning with the required precision.

Remove the detector from the gantry

In general, the procedure to remove the detector from the gantry is the reverse order of the procedure to mount the detector and instead of tightening but loosening the screws:

• Remove the build-up plates from the Holder.
• Remove the detector from the Holder.
• Remove the Gantry Mount (Fixture and the Holder) from the gantry.

CAUTION: DISMANTLING THE ELEKTA HOLDER
When dismantling the Elekta Holder from the gantry, pay attention to unscrewing the fixation clamps far enough enabling a smooth disconnection of the gantry holder from the gantry head.

Alignment under a LINAC

• Position the detector on the treatment couch under the LINAC head so the device electronics (1) face away from the LINAC gun and are not within the irradiated area.

  

  CAUTION: DO NOT IRRADIATE THE ELECTRONICS
  Do not directly irradiate the electronics of the device. Directly irradiating the electronics might lead to damage of the electronics and/or flawed measurements.

• Place the build-up plates and/or backscatter plates on the detector area.

  

• The room lasers in conjunction with the side cross markers on the myQA StarTrack3 can be used to position the device in the center of the beam.
• Align the myQA StarTrack3, using a spirit level placed on the detector area.
• (Optional) If using the device in wired mode, please ensure that the cables are properly connected and do not pose a tripping hazard. Plug the power supply to the power input if the external power supply is used (see Section 4.1.3).
• At the accelerator, set the field size 20 cm × 20 cm, and turn on the light field. Use the adjustment functions of the patient couch to position the detector so that the crosshair at the sensor area and the light field are superimposed so that the device in the center of the beam. Then, adjust so that the side cross markers on the myQA StarTrack3 and the side-cross of room lasers are
  superimposed the device in the center of the beam.

• Alignment using the markers on the myQA StarTrack3:

  

  1: Electronics, 2: Room lasers, 3: Effective Point of Measure, 4: Aligned light field, A: Inline, B: Crossline

• Ensure that the cables to the PC or the network are properly connected.
• Plug the power cord into a mains power outlet, and switch on the device. Verify that only the green LED
  is illuminated.
• Allow an appropriate warm-up time and pre-irradiation of the device during the warm-up (See Section
  4.2).
• At the LINAC console, choose the first field to be irradiated.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: USE THE SIDE MARKERS FOR POSITIONING
Due to the higher uncertainty when positioning the device in the light field (diffuse penumbras and crosshair width), it is advisable to refer to the side markers that are engraved in the housing.

CAUTION: ENSURE PROPER AND SAFE POSITIONING
Always ensure proper and safe positioning of the detector on the treatment table to prevent it from falling.

CAUTION: CHECK INTERNAL TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE SENSOR READINGS
Regularly compare the internal temperature and pressure sensor readings with those of a calibrated thermometer and barometer. If you detect any drift in the sensor values, enter the measurements from your calibrated instruments into the application software for the KTP correction.