TU‐G‐116‐01: A Roadmap for Installing and Commissioning New Equipment

Learning Objectives:1. To learn how to build a new equipment commissioning project plan using efficient project management methods2. To identify equipment, personnel resources and commissioning time required3. Understand how to account for commissioning new technology with small install base4. Learn to develop a representative commissioning plan for a linac, CK, HDR unit or treatment planning system. Commissioning a large new piece of equipment or software is a core responsibility for a clinical medical physicist, yet it can be a daunting undertaking. Increasingly complex technology requires more complex, commissioning tasks to be completed. Many of these tasks originate from recently published AAPM Task Groups, but there is not yet a good sense in the community of how much time these tasks typically require. Medical Physicists are required to do all recommended tests to ensure patient safety while at the same time being conscious of revenue loss during commissioning time. Therefore, commissioning time needs to budgeted within a fairly tight tolerance.This session will give audiences the tool to develop a commissioning plan including time required, equipment needs, staff needs, and commissioning checklist. The speakers will demonstrate how to develop a sample commissioning plan for a linac, CyberKnife, HDR unit and treatment planning system.