The dosimetric parameters of small diameter photon beams of a commercially available radiosurgery system were measured in a water phantom using a p-type Si photon diode. Tissue maximum ratios, total scattering factor and beam profiles at 5 and 10 cm depth were measured for 17 circular beams ranging from 5 mm to 50 mm in diameter, in 1.5 mm steps. The total scattering factor decreased slowly from 0.947 to 0.888 for the cones with diameter between 50 mm and 12.5 mm (7% variation) whereas for cones with diameter between 10 mm and 5 mm the factor decreased more steeply, from 0.854 to 0.666 (28% variation). These tissue maximum ratio data are consistent with the data published by other authors. The beam profiles measured in the x and y directions were aproximately 0.2 mm between the two directions for all cone sizes. The full widths at half maximum were within 1 mm of the nominal cone sizes.
Diode detector; Radiosurgery; Photon beam dosimetry
