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Title: Nanoscale measurements of proton tracks using fluorescent nuclear track detectors

Abstract

Purpose: The authors describe a method in which fluorescence nuclear track detectors (FNTDs), novel track detectors with nanoscale spatial resolution, are used to determine the linear energy transfer (LET) of individual proton tracks from proton therapy beams by allowing visualization and 3D reconstruction of such tracks. Methods: FNTDs were exposed to proton therapy beams with nominal energies ranging from 100 to 250 MeV. Proton track images were then recorded by confocal microscopy of the FNTDs. Proton tracks in the FNTD images were fit by using a Gaussian function to extract fluorescence amplitudes. Histograms of fluorescence amplitudes were then compared with LET spectra. Results: The authors successfully used FNTDs to register individual proton tracks from high-energy proton therapy beams, allowing reconstruction of 3D images of proton tracks along with delta rays. The track amplitudes from FNTDs could be used to parameterize LET spectra, allowing the LET of individual proton tracks from therapeutic proton beams to be determined. Conclusions: FNTDs can be used to directly visualize proton tracks and their delta rays at the nanoscale level. Because the track intensities in the FNTDs correlate with LET, they could be used further to measure LET of individual proton tracks. This method may bemore » useful for measuring nanoscale radiation quantities and for measuring the LET of individual proton tracks in radiation biology experiments.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6]
  1. Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas, Houston, Texas 77030 (United States)
  2. Department of Nuclear Physics, University of Sao Paulo, SP 05508-090 (Brazil)
  3. Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 (United States)
  4. Biophysics Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 (United States)
  5. Department of Medical Physics, The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8L6 (Canada)
  6. Crystal Growth Division, Landauer, Inc., Stillwater, Oklahoma 74074 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22620899
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Medical Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 43; Journal Issue: 5; Other Information: (c) 2016 American Association of Physicists in Medicine; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0094-2405
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; AMPLITUDES; DELTA RAYS; FLUORESCENCE; GAUSS FUNCTION; IMAGES; LET; MICROSCOPY; NANOSTRUCTURES; PARTICLE TRACKS; PROTON BEAMS; RADIOBIOLOGY; RADIOTHERAPY; SPATIAL RESOLUTION

Citation Formats

Sawakuchi, Gabriel O., E-mail: gsawakuchi@mdanderson.org, Sahoo, Narayan, Ferreira, Felisberto A., McFadden, Conor H., Hallacy, Timothy M., Granville, Dal A., and Akselrod, Mark S. Nanoscale measurements of proton tracks using fluorescent nuclear track detectors. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1118/1.4947128.
Sawakuchi, Gabriel O., E-mail: gsawakuchi@mdanderson.org, Sahoo, Narayan, Ferreira, Felisberto A., McFadden, Conor H., Hallacy, Timothy M., Granville, Dal A., & Akselrod, Mark S. Nanoscale measurements of proton tracks using fluorescent nuclear track detectors. United States. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.4947128
Sawakuchi, Gabriel O., E-mail: gsawakuchi@mdanderson.org, Sahoo, Narayan, Ferreira, Felisberto A., McFadden, Conor H., Hallacy, Timothy M., Granville, Dal A., and Akselrod, Mark S. 2016. "Nanoscale measurements of proton tracks using fluorescent nuclear track detectors". United States. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.4947128.
@article{osti_22620899,
title = {Nanoscale measurements of proton tracks using fluorescent nuclear track detectors},
author = {Sawakuchi, Gabriel O., E-mail: gsawakuchi@mdanderson.org and Sahoo, Narayan and Ferreira, Felisberto A. and McFadden, Conor H. and Hallacy, Timothy M. and Granville, Dal A. and Akselrod, Mark S.},
abstractNote = {Purpose: The authors describe a method in which fluorescence nuclear track detectors (FNTDs), novel track detectors with nanoscale spatial resolution, are used to determine the linear energy transfer (LET) of individual proton tracks from proton therapy beams by allowing visualization and 3D reconstruction of such tracks. Methods: FNTDs were exposed to proton therapy beams with nominal energies ranging from 100 to 250 MeV. Proton track images were then recorded by confocal microscopy of the FNTDs. Proton tracks in the FNTD images were fit by using a Gaussian function to extract fluorescence amplitudes. Histograms of fluorescence amplitudes were then compared with LET spectra. Results: The authors successfully used FNTDs to register individual proton tracks from high-energy proton therapy beams, allowing reconstruction of 3D images of proton tracks along with delta rays. The track amplitudes from FNTDs could be used to parameterize LET spectra, allowing the LET of individual proton tracks from therapeutic proton beams to be determined. Conclusions: FNTDs can be used to directly visualize proton tracks and their delta rays at the nanoscale level. Because the track intensities in the FNTDs correlate with LET, they could be used further to measure LET of individual proton tracks. This method may be useful for measuring nanoscale radiation quantities and for measuring the LET of individual proton tracks in radiation biology experiments.},
doi = {10.1118/1.4947128},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22620899}, journal = {Medical Physics},
issn = {0094-2405},
number = 5,
volume = 43,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Sun May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}