Fluorescent screen for high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy quality assurance.

This article describes apparatus for quickly checking the positioning and dwell times of a high-dose-rate (HDR) afterloader as part of daily quality assurance (QA). A groove was milled into an aluminum plate to align an HDR applicator, and fluorescent screens were placed on either side of the groove. Lines were drawn at the fluorescent screen corresponding to distances to which the radioactive source should travel in our daily QA treatment protocol. By dimming the room lights, the fluorescence from the source was seen with a closed-circuit video camera, and the positioning accuracy and dwell time of the source could be efficiently verified. Not only is this an excellent QA tool, but it also provides good training for radiation therapists and other HDR professionals.