Monte Carlo based verification of a beam model used in a treatment planning system

Modern treatment planning systems (TPSs) usually separate the dose modelling into a beam modelling phase, describing the beam exiting the accelerator, followed by a subsequent dose calculation in the patient. The aim of this work is to use the Monte Carlo code system EGSnrc to study the modelling of head scatter as well as the transmission through multi-leaf collimator (MLC) and diaphragms in the beam model used in a commercial TPS (MasterPlan, Nucletron B. V.). An Elekta Precise linear accelerator equipped with an MLC has been modelled in BEAMnrc, based on available information from the vendor regarding the material and geometry of the treatment head. The collimation in the MLC direction consists of leafs which are complemented with a backup diaphragm. The characteristics of the electron beam, i. e., energy and spot size, impinging on the target have been tuned to match measured data. Phase spaces from simulations of the treatment head are used to extract the scatter from, e. g., the flattening filter and the collimating structures. Similar data for the source models used in the TPS are extracted from the treatment planning system, thus a comprehensive analysis is possible. Simulations in a water phantom, with DOSXYZnrc, are also used to study the modelling of the MLC and the diaphragms by the TPS. The results from this study will be helpful to understand the limitations of the model in the TPS and provide knowledge for further improvements of the TPS source modelling.