We have two linear accelerators (linac) at our Melbourne office which are mostly used to calibrate radiation doses against the primary standard that we maintain. Both of our machines are like the ones used in radiotherapy clinics that treat cancer patients in Australia and New Zealand.
Calibration
Our linacs allow us to calibrate radiation doses and equipment that is used by radiotherapy treatment centres for cancer treatment in Australia and New Zealand. These calibrations are traceable to Australia’s primary standard of absorbed radiation dose, which we maintain and benchmark against the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Paris.
We have been using a graphite calorimeter for our primary standard for the last few decades (pictured above). However, we are currently transitioning to a new water calorimeter primary standard which is even more precise than our current standard. This transition is expected to be finalised within the next couple of years.
Research Opportunities
The medical standards accelerator is available for research use where the benefit of the research is improved medical use of radiation. Please contact the megavoltage dosimetry team to discuss your project.
For further information regarding radiotherapy services, please contact psdl@arpansa.gov.au.
