Systems and Methods for Real-Time Energy and Dose Monitoring of an X-Ray Linear Accelerator

A method of using measured real-time half value layer (HVL) data to correct for energy drift of a linear accelerator, wherein the linear accelerator is in data communication with a computing device and a programmable logic controller and wherein the linear accelerator comprises at least a magnetron, an electron gun, and at least one of an array of detectors or a calorimeter, the method comprising:

• adjusting a pulse width of the electron gun if the measured HVL data changes while a dose measured by a first detector element of the array of detectors or the calorimeter does not change;
• measuring a power output of the magnetron and providing the measured power to the programmable logic controller for continued real time HVL data measurement when the measured HVL data changes and the dose measured by the first detector element of the array of detectors or the calorimeter also changes;
• adjusting a current pulse to the magnetron if a change in said measured HVL data is due to a change in a measured forward radiofrequency (RF) power;
• and
• adjusting a frequency output of the magnetron if the change in said measured HVL data is not due to the change in the measured forward RF power.

A linear accelerator comprising:

• a target;
• an electron gun, wherein the electron gun is configured to direct an accelerated beam of electrons at the target thereby generating a beam of X-rays;
• a primary collimator positioned beyond the target along a direction of the beam of X-rays;
• a secondary collimator coupled to an end of the primary collimator where the beam of X-rays exit the primary collimator;
• an attenuating element positioned within the primary collimator and configured to shift an acquisition of X-ray data into a region less influenced by low-energy components of the beam of X-rays and into a region more related to an end-point energy of the linear accelerator;
• and
• a detector positioned within the secondary collimator and configured to measure an X-ray radiation dose output of the linear accelerator on a pulse-by-pulse basis, wherein said detector is enclosed within a housing defined by two parallel copper plates at a predefined fixed distance.