Using multileaf collimator interleaf leakage to extract absolute spatial information from electronic portal imaging device images

Electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs) are potentially valuable tools for linear accelerator quality assurance and for measuring and analyzing geometric variations in radiation treatment delivery. Geometric analysis is more robust if referenced against an absolute position such as the isocenter (collimator axis of rotation), allowing the observer to discriminate between various setup errors and jaw or multileaf collimator (MLC) calibration errors. Unfortunately, mechanical instabilities in EPIDs make such analysis difficult. In the present work, we describe how MLC interleaf radiation leakage, hidden in the background of portal images, can be extracted and analyzed to find the field isocenter perpendicular to leaf travel direction. The signal from the interleaf radiation leakage is extracted to provide a precise and accurate determination of the isocenter location in the direction perpendicular to MLC leaf travel. In the direction of leaf travel, the minimization of residuals between planned and measured leaf positions is used to determine the isocenter. This method assumes that leaf positioning errors are randomly distributed. The validity of the method for determining the angular deviation between EPID image grid lines and collimator angle and for determining the known isocenter position is experimentally established.