Chapter 7 Collimation

Overview of Collimation Components

By controlling the collimator and its accessories, the Collimation subsystem
determines the final beam shape delivered to the treatment location. The Collimation
subsystem has these major components:
■ The collimator controller (COL), a single control node that controls and monitors
the collimator components.
■ The collimation head, which contains all of the collimation components. The head
rotates around an axis that is fixed to the gantry, thereby rotating all of the
collimation components.
■ The Y jaws, a pair of motorized tungsten blocks that constrain the beam in the Y
direction. The Y jaws are also called the upper jaws, as they are the uppermost
jaws when the gantry is at the top.
■ The X jaws, a pair of motorized tungsten blocks that constrain the beam in the X
direction. The X jaws are also called the lower jaws, as they are the lowermost
jaws when the gantry is at the top.
■ The multileaf collimator (MLC), an array of smaller motorized blocks that shape
the beam to more complex geometries than the jaws alone.
■ Accessories, which are modifying devices used to further shape the beam.
1

4 5 6 7

1. Collimator shielding 5. MLC bank A

2. Y (upper) jaws 6. MLC leaf bank B
3. X (lower) jaws 7. MLC leaf carriage B
4. MLC carriage A

Figure 25 Collimation Components

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Collimator Controller
The collimator control system is integrated into the TrueBeam control system.
The collimator controller has an embedded PC that contains the node software. The
controller monitors the motion and position of all axes within the collimator during
treatment, treatment setup, and servicing, and performs these functions:
■ Calibrates and initializes all motion axes, when necessary, including the MLC.
■ Controls and reports the motion and position of the collimator head and the two
Y jaws (upper) and two X jaws (lower).
■ Verifies the MLC configuration and controls and verifies the motion and positions
of MLC carriages and leaves.
■ Monitors and reports the status of the collision sensor (also called a touch guard)
and the collision override button.
■ Reads and reports any installed accessory configuration.
■ Monitors critical subsystem temperatures and supply voltages.
■ Maintains cyclical communication with the Supervisor by exchanging positioning
orders and positioning status of all axes every 10 ms.

MLC
The TrueBeam MLC consists of two opposing banks of moveable tungsten leaves.
Each bank is configured with 60 leaves, 120 leaves in all, providing complex beam
geometries. Field size is 22 cm by 50 cm.
Carriage and individual leaf positioning are under the control of the collimation
controller node. Each leaf motor is given motion commands every 2.875 μsec.
The banks and leaves are moved along the same axis as the X jaws. MLC positions
can be static or dynamic during treatment.
A single optical beam, located 56 mm from the MLC centerline, initializes the
carriage and leaves. During initialization, locator tabs on the carriages interrupt the
beam to establish carriage positions, and the leaves interrupt the beam to establish
leaf positions.

Chapter 7 Collimation 71
 1
4

1. Leaf bank A 4. Calibration beam

2. Emitter assembly 5. Receiver board
3. Leaf bank B

Figure 26 Single Beam Optics for MLC Initialization and Calibration

The TrueBeam is installed with a customer-specified choice of MLCs—the 120 MLC,

intended for radiation oncology (VOS), and the HD120™, a high-definition version
for surgical, stereotactic radiotherapy (VSS).

120 MLC— This standard leaf design has 5 mm leaf thickness projected at
Radiation isocenter (over 20 cm of the treatment plan) and 10 mm leaf
Oncology thickness projected at isocenter over the peripheral 10 cm on each
Version side region.
HD120™— Compared to the oncology version, the HD120 MLC has thinner
High- and deeper leaves, to provide a smaller overall field size. This
Definition high-definition multileaf collimator provides twice the leaf
MLC resolution at isocenter, 2.5 mm, for stereotactic and radiosurgery
(SRS) and stereotactic body radiosurgery (SBRT) applications. The
leaf pattern for the HD120 MLC is:
■ 32 quarter leaves (1.25 mm thick, stepping to 2.5 mm at
isocenter) distributed in an 8-cm wide central region.

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 ■ 28 half leaves (2.5 mm thick, stepping to 5 mm at isocenter)
distributed over the peripheral 7 cm on each side region.

1. 14 half leaves, 5 mm at isocenter

2. 32 quarter leaves, 2.5 mm at isocenter
3. 14 half leaves, 5 mm at isocenter

Figure 27 HD MLC Leaf Arrangement

MLC Collision Safeguards

Individual leaves do not have collision sensors, and opposing leaves can come into
contact with one another during operation (zero leaf gap). A variety of safeguards
have been implemented to prevent damage to leaves or leaf motion mechanisms:
■ Software monitors individual leaf trajectories for potential collisions.
■ Primary and secondary position sensors detect a potential zero gap.
■ Each leaf’s mechanical mounting is spring-loaded, allowing a few millimeters of
retraction if excessive force is applied to the leaf face.
■ Each leaf has a mechanical fuse on its drive screw, which breaks the mechanical
drive link if excessive motion resistance is encountered.

Chapter 7 Collimation 73
 ■ Dynamic operation is restricted to a leaf gap no smaller than 0.25 mm. Leaf gap is
a relative position.

Displaying MLC Information

MLC data and status are displayed various ways. In Service mode, you can view
data on the positions of the MLC carriages and leaves, current and pulse width
(driving force) to the leaves, and communications. You can graphically display the
leaves and X and Y jaw positions.
You can select control points to view more information on a leaf, as well as select one
or more control points and play their sequence of movement. You can also perform a
dry run of an MLC plan.
A control point is a position on an MLC leaf relative to the rest of the system as
identified by its primary or secondary sensors and reported to the Supervisor. The
MLC sends information on one control point at a time.
You can view this MLC data:
■ The status of the MLC initialization, power to the MLC and communications,
appear on the right side of all Service/MLC tabs with the exception of the MLC
Diagnostics screen. Initialization states are Not Initialized, Settling at Position, No
Substate, and Ready (Powered, Maintains Position). LimSw refers to the limit
switch that marks the end or home position for the carriage. Also displayed is the
installed MLC model.
■ By default, Service > MLC > Positions shows the current position in machine
internal scale of the two carriage banks, their leaves, and the PRO (primary
sensory readout) position of the selected leaf.
■ In the MLC > Positions tab, select Show Plan Position to view the plan and actual
values.
■ Hardware Positions shows the clinical values from the Supervisor, which is the
leaf value at the leaf plane in relation to the isoplane, with offset for some
curvature due to the physical design of the leaf and how it blocks the beam. To
view this information, In the Service application, click the MLC tab; then click the
Positions button and choose Hardware Positions from the menu.
■ MLC Display (MLC > MLC Display) graphically shows control point positions in
relation to the X and Y jaws.

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Troubleshooting Collimation Faults
Collimation faults are typically motion faults, such as a collimator rotation fault, or a
jaw moving too slowly. Accessory faults typically occur when an accessory is not
properly seated, or the wrong accessory is installed for the treatment plan. Such
issues are normally detected during initialization prior to treatment. An asserted
fault prevents treatment until it is resolved.

MLC Faults
Upon detecting any of the following conditions, the COL reports a fault, BEL and
MEL safety loops are opened, and the TrueBeam system asserts beam and motion
interlocks.
■ MLC optical link or communication is offline.
■ MLC optical links are swapped (reversed).
■ Orders received and the type of MLC configured (including no MLC configured)
do not match.
■ The type of MLC configured and the type of MLC connected do not match.
■ The requested position of the moving MLC carriage deviates from primary
carriage position readout by more than 1 mm at isocenter.
■ Difference between primary and secondary carriage position readout exceeds
0.735 mm at isocenter.
■ Difference between primary and secondary leaf position readout exceeds 2.5 mm
at isocenter.
■ Leaf motor current exceeds configured values (0.21 A for full leaf, 0.14 A for half
leaf).
■ The MLC cannot be held within 0.5 mm of the requested position at isocenter
when in standstill.

Accessory Faults
The accessory faults include:
■ Mismatch of the installed accessory and the accessory called for in the plan.
■ Inactive accessory switch in the installed accessory.
■ Invalid accessory called for in the plan.

Chapter 7 Collimation 75