Question
How do I perform typical myQA Machines and plugin workflows?
Answer
Creating a Protocol Template
Step 1
Click the workspace selection button and then select myQA Machines.
Step 2
Select your clinic and then click the Edit icon in the Test Setup ribbon.
Step 3
Select Protocol Templates in the Device & Templates panel (left panel) and Protocol Tree panel (middle panel).
(Option I) Create a protocol template from an existing one:
Step 1
Expand the Protocol Templates folder in the Protocol Tree panel,
Step 2
Select the pre-defined protocol template, e.g. TG-142 generic, and then click Copy in the ribbon.
Step 3
Select Protocol Templates again and then click Paste in the ribbon.
(Option II) Create from new:
Step 1
Click New in the ribbon, and then enter the name of the protocol template in the right panel.
Step 2
Click New in the ribbon when the protocol template is select to create a task: select the desired test interval pattern the right panel.
Step 3
Click New in the ribbon when the task is select to create a test: select a Category and Result Type/Implementation for a test, and then enter the acceptance criteria.
Creating a Device Protocol
CASE: A protocol is created for a machine by copying a protocol template and set as an active protocol.
Step 1
In the Device & Templates panel, select a machine.
Step 2
In the ribbon, click From Template, and then select the desired protocol template.
Step 3
If it is necessary, the acceptance criteria of tests can still be edited in the Definition panel.
Step 4
Select the newly created protocol in the Protocol Tree panel and then click Set Active in the ribbon so that this protocol can be run in the Test Run workspace.
Step 5
Click the Save icon in the ribbon and then OK in the popup message dialog.
Executing a Protocol
CASE: For a protocol only containing generic tests
Step 1
Click the Test Run button in the workspace navigation area.
Step 2
In the ribbon, click Clinic and then select your clinic.
Step 3
In the Agenda panel (middle panel), select the to-be-tested machine in the Machines group, and then a task in the Active Tasks group.
Step 4
In the Task View panel (right panel), click a test,
For a Numerical test, enter the test value in the Actual boxes,
For a Pass-Warning-Fail test, select the actual option
Step 5
Optionally, if a note should be added/edited to a task/test, click the Edit button under Task/Test in the Task/Test Note panel, and then enter the text.
Step 6
Click Finish in the Test Run ribbon.
Step 7
Select the next task if applicable and go through the above steps until all tasks are done for this device.
Running a Test with a Spreadsheet
Create a protocol for Excel spreadsheet test
Step 1
Follow the procedure in the section, Create a protocol template, to create a protocol. Select “Numeric” for the Result Type and enter acceptance criteria.
Step 2
Follow the procedure in the section, Create a device protocol, to create a machine protocol. In From Template, select the protocol template created above.
Step 3
Select the created device protocol and then click Set Active.
Create Excel template
Step 1
Create an Excel template for the corresponding spreadsheet.
Step 2
In the Test Run page, right-click anywhere in the row of the acceptance criterion (except for the Actual text field) and then select Copy in the context menu.
Step 3
Select the cell to be mapped to the acceptance criterion, and then press Control + V in the Name Box on the upper left of Excel and then press Enter.
Step 4
Repeat the above steps to map all parameters in the template to its acceptance criterion.
Run a spreadsheet test
Step 1
Close the Excel template and spreadsheet if they are still opened.
Step 2
In Test Run page, select the task for spreadsheet test.
Step 3
Click the Import Then select the spreadsheet in the open file browser.
If the template and spreadsheet files are in the same folder and only one template file is in this folder, the SW will automatically use this template present in the folder for the mapping during import.
If there are more than one template or no template in the folder of the spreadsheet, select a template in the open browser.
The Import Result dialog will open and report the import status.
Working with the Dosimetry Plugin
Precondition: The device is setup including hardware installation and detector output calibration is ready.
CASE: Using the StarTrack for photon beams
Create a dosimetry QA test template:
Step 1
In the Test Setup workspace, select a task template of a protocol template; click Edit and then New in the ribbon.
Step 2
In the Test Template panel, enter the name, tolerances, and field size and select a Result Type of Dosimetry QA (Energy/Output/Profile/Wedge Constancy). In addition, select profile directions and the analysis method for Profile Constancy.
Create a dosimetry QA test for a machine:
Step 1
Select a machine, click From Template in the ribbon, and then select the desired protocol template.
Step 2
Select a test under a task, and then perform the baseline measurement:
Step 3
Under Baselines, select a device in the dropdown box, click 
to connect the device,
Step 4
Click 
to measure background.
Step 5
Select an Enable box of an energy, click
in the SW and turn on the beam.
Step 6
Repeat the last step for other energies.
For Wedge Constancy, also perform a measurement with a wedge.
Step 7
Select the protocol, Set Active and then Save in the ribbon.
Perform dosimetry QA tests:
Step 1
In the Test Run workspace, select the task.
Step 2
In the main display, select the test.
Step 3
Select a device in the dropdown box, click 
to connect the device,
Step 4
Click
to measure background.
Step 5
Click 
in the SW and turn on the beam.
Step 6
When the beam is off, click 
in the SW. The results will appear in the State
Step 7
Click the Finish button
Working with the MLC QA Plugin
Precondition: The MLC Strip test image has been acquired with one of the MLC QA Plugin supported MLC modules and saved as a DICOM file.
Create a MLC QA protocol and set up baselines
Step 1
Click Edit in the Test Setup ribbon.
Step 2
Select the desired machine in the Machines & Templates panel, and then click New in the ribbon to create a task.
Step 3
With the task is selected, click New in the ribbon to create tests.
Step 4
In the New Test Definition dialog, enter the required information:
Name: name of the test and optionally a description
Category: Select MLC (for information display only)
Result Type: Depending on the test, select MLC: Picket Fence / Leaf Position Accuracy / Moving Window / Segmental IMRT.
Step 5
Click OK.
Define the test baseline:
Step 1
In the Test Definition panel, click the Open Module The myQA – Imaging QA – TestSetup MLC window opens.
Step 2
Click the Import file box, browse and select the reference image, then click Open.
Step 3
By default, the isocenter (indicated with a red cross) is placed in the center of the original EPID image. Modify the isocenter position if necessary.
Step 4
Select according MLC model in the dropdown menu. Click Process
Step 5
Inspect the tolerances (in the Warn and Fail columns) provided in the SW. Edit them if necessary.
Step 6
Click OK.
Step 7
Repeat the above steps for each of the MLC QA tests in the task.
Step 8
Click Set Active and then Save in the ribbon.
Execute a MLC QA test
Step 1
In the Test Run workspace, select the corresponding protocol and task in the Agenda panel.
Step 2
In the Task View panel, select a test.
Step 3
Click the Start button of the test. The myQA – Imaging QA – TestRun EPID window opens.
Step 4
Note that for the Leaf Position Accuracy test, it requires analysis for four gantry angle positions: 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°. Click the corresponding Start button to execute the test for each gantry angle.
Step 5
Optionally select the Share Results box (it is selected by default).
Step 6
Click the Import file Browse and select the test image file, then click Open.
Step 7
Since the default isocenter position is the center of the image, check whether it is correct. The isocenter position can be changed by drag and drop with the mouse.
Once the isocenter position is correctly defined, click the Process The Actual values are calculated and compared to the specified Expected values. The test results (pass, warning, and fail) are displayed with designated tolerance icons.
Step 8
Click OK to close the window.
Step 9
If it is the Leaf Position Accuracy test, repeat the above procedure to perform the test for other gantry angles. Click Finish.
Step 10
If the Share results button is selected, once the Leaf Position Accuracy test for all four angles are executed, the results are also shared by the other two tests. Click Finish for the Moving Window / Segmental IMRT test.
Step 11
Click Finish in the Test Run ribbon and then Finish in the Finish Task dialog.
Working with the EPID QA Plugin
PRecondition: The MV or kV image has been acquired with one of the EPID QA Plugin supported phantoms and saved as a DICOM file.
Create an EPID QA protocol and set up baselines
Step 1
Click Edit in the Test Setup ribbon.
Step 2
Select the desired machine in the Machines & Templates panel, and then click New in the ribbon to create a task.
Step 3
With the task is selected, click New in the ribbon to create tests.
Step 4
In the New Test Definition dialog, enter the required information:
Name: name of the test and optionally a description
Category: Select Planar MV (EPID) (for information display only)
Result Type: Depending on the test, select, e.g., EPID (MV) / Planar (kV): Contest.
Energy: select the MV or kV round button and enter the value of the MV or kV energy.
Step 5
Click OK.
Step 6
Repeat the previous steps to create tests for EPID (MV) / Planar (kV): Scaling / Spatial Resolution / Uniformity and Noise as needed.
Define the test baseline:
Step 1
In the Test Definition panel, click the Open Module
Step 2
In the myQA – Imaging QA – TestSetup window,
Machine: Displays the machine selected in the beginning of this procedure.
SID and SAD: Values are extracted from the imported file.
Phantom model: A predefined phantom can be loaded from the dropdown table.
Phantom image(s) / Import file: Click and then browse and select the desired reference image.
Step 3
Inspect the predefined ROIs on the reference image. Modified them if necessarily.
Step 4
Click the Process The Expected and tolerance (Warn and Fail) values will be filled. Edit the tolerances if necessary. They can be edited by changing the values in the corresponding boxes.
Step 5
Click OK.
Repeat the above steps for until all baselines for other EPID QA tests are created.
Step 6
Click Set Active in the ribbon.
Step 7
Click Save in the ribbon.
Execute an EPID QA test
Step 1
In the Test Run workspace, select the corresponding protocol and task in the Agenda panel.
Step 2
In the content area, select a test and checkmark the Share Results box.
Step 3
Click Start. The myQA – Imaging QA – TestRun EPID window opens.
Step 4
Click the Import file box. Browse and select the test image file.
Step 5
Inspect the predefined ROIs on the reference image. Modified them if necessarily.
Step 6
Click the Process The Actual values are calculated and compared to the specified Expected values. The test results (pass, warning, and fail) are displayed with designated tolerance icons.
Working with the CBCT QA Plugin
PRecondition: The CBCT test images have been acquired with one of the supported phantoms and saved in DICOM format.
Create a CBCT QA protocol and set up baselines
Step 1
Click Edit in the Test Setup ribbon.
Step 2
Select the desired machine in the Machines & Templates panel, and then click New in the ribbon to create a task.
Step 3
With the task is selected, click New in the ribbon to create tests.
In the New Test Definition dialog, enter the required information:
Name: name of the test and optionally a description
Category: Select CBCT kV/MV (for information display only)
Result Type: Depending on the test, select, e.g., CBCT: Contrast.
Energy: select the MV or kV round button and enter the value of the MV or kV energy.
Step 4
Click OK.
Repeat the previous steps to create tests for CBCT: Geometry Distortion / HU Constancy / Spatial Resolution / Uniformity and Noise as needed.
Define the test baseline:
Step 1
Select a test.
Step 2
In the Test Definition panel, click the Open Module The myQA - Imaging QA – TestSetup CBCT window opens with default settings.
Step 3
Click the Import folder Browse and select the folder containing the image stack as reference images. Select the desired series in the Select Series dialog.
Step 4
Select according the phantom model.
Select a phantom module in the Modules In the Images section, scroll through the slices to search for the reference image for this module.
Step 5
Once the reference image is displayed, define the ROIs. If the image was taken with a supported phantom, the ROIs are predefined. Edit them if necessary. Then click the Set as reference button.
Step 6
Repeat the above step for all modules.
Step 7
Click the Process The Expected and tolerance (Warn and Fail) values will be filled. Edit the tolerances if necessary.
Step 8
Repeat the above steps for each of the CBCT QA tests that are to be added.
Step 9
Click Set Active in the ribbon.
Step 10
Click Save in the ribbon.
Execute a CBCT QA test
Step 1
In the Test Run workspace, select the corresponding protocol and task in the Agenda panel
Step 2
In the Task View panel, select a test.
Step 3
Optionally select the Share Results box (it is selected by default).
Step 4
Click the Start button. The myQA – Imaging QA – TestRun CBCT window opens.
Step 5
Click the Import folder Browse and select the CBCT image folder.
Step 6
In the Images section, scroll through the slices to search for the test image (Actual) for this module by comparing the image with the reference image. Once the test image is displayed, click Set as active. Repeat this step for each module.
Step 7
Once the test images for all modules are selected, click the Process
Step 8
Repeat the above step to execute the next test until all tests are finished.
Step 9
Click Ok to close the window.
Step 10
Click Finish in the Test Run ribbon and then finish in the Finish Task dialog
Working with the IsoTrack Plugin
PRecondition: The Winston-Lutz images have been acquired with EPID, CBCT or film. A protocol containing a Winston-Lutz test is created (e.g., Mechanical for category; Mechanical: Isocenter Check for result type), and set to active.
Step 1
In the Test Run workspace, select the corresponding protocol and task in the Agenda panel
Step 2
Import Winston-Lutz images: click the Load Images button and then select DICOM or Tiff to load DICOM or TIFF files.
Step 3
Select the images for the test by clicking the check boxes in the first column.
Step 4
The SW automatically calculates the outer and inner contours using the first image. You can change them by changing the values in the Inner / Outer contour box if desired.
Step 5
Select the proper gantry angle in the Gantry column if necessary.
Step 6
Click the Start button, the results are listed in the Results table in the bottom.