Morning warm-up, QA and QC procedures for Varian Linear Accelerator Research Paper

Morning warm-up, QA and QC procedures for Varian Linear Accelerator System - Research Paper Example In this paper Morning warm-up, QA and QC procedures to be broadly considered within any organization/hospital in relation to the Linear Accelerator System are discussed. It is stated â€Å"Daily, monthly, and annual quality control (QC) of linear accelerators are part of the major tasks of the medical physicist to verify that patients are receiving proper radiation treatment."1  The control tests consist of the measurement of beam output, verification of the beam energy, and determination of the beam flatness and symmetry in a linear accelerator parlance. However, QA and QC procedures cover wide areas aiming all- round quality in the system Introduction In a computer assisted Varian radiation therapy machine, â€Å"a computer controls the operations of the machine to automatically set the position of the gantry relative to the couch for treatment of a patient. The automated motions of the gantry and the couch are simultaneous for decreasing the setup time. In addition, the comput er includes a collision avoidance program which averts collision between the couch or patient, and the gantry†. 2 A linear accelerator (LINAC) device is used for external beam radiation treatments for cancer and other radiation therapies such as Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT).... It is stated â€Å"To overcome the problem of differential heating, it is important to slowly increase the heating of a cold tube insert. The warm-up process must be carried out first thing each morning and repeated during the day if the workload is insufficient to keep the tube warm. The manufacturer’s guidance should be followed, but in general the warm-up period will be between 10 and 20 min. "3(p146)   However, in a Varian machine, automatic warm-up program is in-built and gets activated when the temperature falls below the operating temperature. However, standard QA and QC procedures with regard to morning warm up in general is essential for quality in operations and service. Warm-up tests are carried out by the morning warm-up therapist by following standard procedures as laid down with reference to several factors and the tolerance levels. Quality Control and Quality Assurance Quality Control or Quality Assurance is a comprehensive and ongoing exercise. According to ISO definition, â€Å"Quality control  is a set of activities intended to ensure that  quality requirements are actually being met.† and â€Å"Quality assurance  is a set of activities intended to establish confidence that quality requirements will be met† .4 Both Quality Control and Quality Assurance are the parts of Quality Management which includes direction, control and coordination in relation to quality. The efficacy of the system could be ensured through proper maintenance of records, review of the activities with reference to the objectives, periodical preventive maintenance programs and continuous monitoring of the safety measures. QC/QA Procedures for Varian linear accelerator system Varian states5 that

Early Childhood Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Early Childhood Education - Essay Example Treatment of children in a family or society dictates how the family or society will be perceived in terms of success or failure. Isenberg & Jalongo, (1997) illustrate that childhood is the stage in life that is characterized by agility, curiosity and creativity. It is during this period of time that one decides on what to or not to be in future life. This therefore, implies that, a lot of attention is needed to get rid of undesirable characters which might associate with the child and grow with him/her to the future. Based on my profession and what I have gathered when learning this profession, given the opportunity to execute my duties, I will ensure that the children under my care obtain the best practices. This will be possible through incorporation of best learning practices such as practical learning methods into this system of education as echoed by Mallory & New (1994). According to Grotewell and Burton (2008), it is worth noting that not all children are born physically and mentally healthy. Some are born with physical disabilities while others suffer from mental disorders. In case this happens, it is possible that a child might be healthy both physically and mentally but born out of families which are not capable of providing for their basic needs. This can range from shelter, food, and clothing to comfort that they might need at some point in their childhood. The main objective of the early childhood initiative was to help young children and their families to survive which ever times they might be living. This is achieved through provision of support and intervention for the children and infants with priorities given to those who are disabled. Anning, Cullen & Fleer, (2004) explain that undertaking a course on early childhood education will open up opportunities in areas such as educational administrators, coordinators and librarians. Those trained