Validating a compensator for use in a radiation therapy machine to treat a cancer patient

1. A method of validating a compensator for use in a radiation therapy machine to treat a cancer patient, comprising:

receiving a compensator description file including data representative of an actual surface of the compensator;

determining, based on the compensator description file, a radiation treatment plan including operating parameters of the radiation therapy machine;

comparing the determined radiation treatment plan to actual radiation measurements taken during a non-patient test of the radiation therapy machine with the compensator mounted to the machine; and

when the comparing step results in a match according to a predetermined criteria, identifying the compensator as validated for use in the radiation therapy machine to treat the cancer patient.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the radiation treatment plan comprises modifying an original radiation treatment plan.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining step comprises determining the intensity of the radiation beam produced by the radiation therapy machine.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the compensator is identified as validated when the comparing step results in a match of 80% or greater.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the compensator comprises a radiation attenuating material.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the compensator is machined from a solid piece of material.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the solid piece of material comprises tungsten, brass, or aluminum.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the compensator is formed by compacting solid particulates into a mold.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the solid particulates comprise crystalline tungsten powder.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the validated compensator is used in intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), proton radiation therapy, or cobalt radiation therapy.