Iridium Imaging System (iris): Example of a Novel Applicator Commissioning Method

The commissioning of HDR brachytherapy applicators is crucial to treatment delivery and can lead to systematic treatment errors if not performed properly. There are reports mentioning hundreds of patients mistreated due to incorrect applicator commissioning. However, there are no comprehensive guidelines about commissioning of HDR brachytherapy applicators and the standard commissioning method verifies dwell positions using radiochromic films whose time integrated response has several limitations and relevant uncertainties. We developed and validated a novel system, Iridium Imaging System (IrIS), that uses a 3D printed applicator and source holder and an Imaging Panel (IP) to verify dwell times and positions.