Exploration of the potential of liquid scintillators for real-time 3D dosimetry of intensity modulated proton beams

Journal Article · Fri May 15 04:00:00 EDT 2009 · Medical Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1118/1.3117583· OSTI ID:22100506

Beddar, Sam; Archambault, Louis; Sahoo, Narayan; Poenisch, Falk; Chen, George T.; Gillin, Michael T.; Mohan, Radhe ^[1]

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1. Department of Radiation Physics, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Unit 94, Houston, Texas 77030 (United States)

In this study, the authors investigated the feasibility of using a 3D liquid scintillator (LS) detector system for the verification and characterization of proton beams in real time for intensity and energy-modulated proton therapy. A plastic tank filled with liquid scintillator was irradiated with pristine proton Bragg peaks. Scintillation light produced during the irradiation was measured with a CCD camera. Acquisition rates of 20 and 10 frames per second (fps) were used to image consecutive frame sequences. These measurements were then compared to ion chamber measurements and Monte Carlo simulations. The light distribution measured from the images acquired at rates of 20 and 10 fps have standard deviations of 1.1% and 0.7%, respectively, in the plateau region of the Bragg curve. Differences were seen between the raw LS signal and the ion chamber due to the quenching effects of the LS and due to the optical properties of the imaging system. The authors showed that this effect can be accounted for and corrected by Monte Carlo simulations. The liquid scintillator detector system has a good potential for performing fast proton beam verification and characterization.

• OSTI ID: 22100506
• Journal Information: Medical Physics, Journal Name: Medical Physics Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 36; ISSN 0094-2405; ISSN MPHYA6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BRAGG CURVE
CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DOSIMETRY
IONIZATION CHAMBERS
LIQUID SCINTILLATION DETECTORS
LIQUID SCINTILLATORS
MONTE CARLO METHOD
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PROTON BEAMS
PROTONS
RADIOTHERAPY
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS