Introduction:
Quality assurance (QA) of linear accelerators (LINACs) in radiotherapy is diverse, and has to be performed on several periodic bases (i.e., daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly) and on-demand (i.e., after machine maintenance). An integrated and centralized web-based QA system is highly desirable to replace labour-intensive and time-consuming paper-based and spreadsheet-based documentation of QA data, and to automate QA processes in radiotherapy department.
Objectives:
The goal of this project is to develop an integrated web-based QA platform that allows monitoring of the QA progress, automated quantitative analysis of QA tests, safe storage of QA data, and viewing the trends of QA results in one place. The web-based system is designed to be user-friendly, efficient, flexible, expandable, and reliable for analyzing and storing the collected QA data and results. This all-in-one platform also facilitates the managers and administrators to easily monitor the performance of LINACs.
Methodology:
The programming languages used for the web-based QA system are HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and JavaScript for front-end user interface, whereas Python and Node.js for back-end server-side computation and data management. Pylinac, an open-source Python library, is employed for analyzing some of the LINAC QA automatically such as Winston-Lutz test and MLC picket-fence test. The web server with a database is hosted in a server computer connected to the local area network (LAN) of our department (intranet). The QA data and generated reports are stored centrally in the local department network drive (NAS with RAID5) with fault tolerance. The web-based QA system can be easily accessible with the built-in web browser of the operating system of any computer connected to the department network by end-users with login accounts.
Result & Outcome:
The integrated web-based LINAC QA system has been deployed in our Oncology Department, streamlining the QA processes and increasing QA efficiency. Concurrently, the QA platform is under continual development to extend functionalities and cover other recommended LINAC QA according to the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group 142 report.
