Analysis of uncertainties in Gafchromic® EBT film dosimetry of photon beams

Evaluation and optimization of the new EBT2 radiochromic film dosimetry system for patient dose verification in radiotherapy

A new radiochromic film, the yellow Gafchromic EBT2, has been marketed as a drop-in replacement for the discontinued blue EBT film. In order to verify the manufacturer's claims prior to clinical use, EBT2 was characterized in transmission, and the less commonly used, reflection modes with an Epson Expression 10000XL A3 flatbed scanner. The red channel was confirmed to provide the greatest sensitivity and was used for all measurements. The post-irradiation darkening of the film was investigated, and the relative response was found to be dose dependent with higher doses stabilizing earlier than lower doses. After 13 h all dose levels had stabilized to within 1% of their value at 24 h. Uniformity of irradiated EBT2 films was within 0.8% and 1.2% (2SD of signal), in reflection and transmission modes, respectively. The light scattering effect, arising from the structure and thickness of EBT2, was found to give rise to an apparent scanner non-uniformity of up to 5.5% in signal. In reflection mode, differences of up to 1.2% were found between the signal obtained from a small film fragment (5 x 5 cm(2)) and the signal obtained from the same fragment bordered by extra film. Further work is needed to determine the origin of this effect, as there will be implications for reflection dosimetry of intensity modulated fields; reflection mode cannot yet be regarded as a viable alternative to transmission mode. Our results suggest that EBT2 film is a valid alternative, rather than a direct replacement for EBT film.

Energy dependence of radiochromic dosimetry films for use in radiotherapy verification

AIM

The purpose of the study was to examine the energy dependence of Gafchromic EBT radiochromic dosimetry films, in order to assess their potential use in intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) verifications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The film samples were irradiated with doses from 0.1 to 12 Gy using photon beams from the energy range 1.25 MeV to 25 MV and the film response was measured using a flat-bed scanner. The samples were scanned and the film responses for different beam energies were compared.

RESULTS

A high uncertainty in readout of the film response was observed for samples irradiated with doses lower than 1 Gy. The relative difference exceeds 20% for doses lower than 1 Gy while for doses over 1 Gy the measured film response differs by less than 5% for the whole examined energy range. The achieved uncertainty of the experimental procedure does not reveal any energy dependence of Gafchromic EBT film response in the investigated energy range.

CONCLUSIONS

Gafchromic EBT film does not show any energy dependence in the conditions typical for IMRT but the doses measured for pre-treatment plan verifications should exceed 1 Gy.

Toward acquiring comprehensive radiosurgery field commissioning data using the PRESAGE/optical-CT 3D dosimetry system

Achieving accurate small field dosimetry is challenging. This study investigates the utility of a radiochromic plastic PRESAGE read with optical-CT for the acquisition of radiosurgery field commissioning data from a Novalis Tx system with a high-definition multileaf collimator (HDMLC). Total scatter factors (Sc, p), beam profiles, and penumbrae were measured for five different radiosurgery fields (5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 mm) using a commercially available optical-CT scanner (OCTOPUS, MGS Research). The percent depth dose (PDD), beam profile and penumbra of the 10 mm field were also measured using a higher resolution in-house prototype CCD-based scanner. Gafchromic EBT film was used for independent verification. Measurements of Sc, p made with PRESAGE and film agreed with mini-ion chamber commissioning data to within 4% for every field (range 0.2-3.6% for PRESAGE, and 1.6-3.6% for EBT). PDD, beam profile and penumbra measurements made with the two PRESAGE/optical-CT systems and film showed good agreement with the high-resolution diode commissioning measurements with a competitive resolution (0.5 mm pixels). The in-house prototype optical-CT scanner allowed much finer resolution compared with previous applications of PRESAGE. The advantages of the PRESAGE system for small field dosimetry include 3D measurements, negligible volume averaging, directional insensitivity, an absence of beam perturbations, energy and dose rate independence.

A 'quad-phantom' film dosimeter for use as a multi-planar verification tool for PRESAGE/optical-CT

INTRODUCTION: To develop and characterize the accuracy and reproducibility of a quad-phantom dosimeter which will serve as an independent verification tool during commissioning of a PRESAGE/optical-CT 3D dosimetry system. METHODS: A 16cm × 12cm cylindrical quad-phantom was constructed from four pieces of solid polyurethane mimicking the PRESAGE material. Films were placed and anchored in orthogonal planes and the quad-phantom was fastened tightly together and placed in a water-filled Styrofoam container for irradiation. A simple, two-field plan consisting of 6×6cm anterior-posterior and right-lateral 6MV photon beams (400cGy) was delivered three times (fresh films inserted for each) with a Varian Clinac 600C. Image registration was performed in the Computational Environment for Radiological Research (CERR) and dose profiles and gamma analysis was performed in CERR and MATLAB. RESULTS #ENTITYSTARTX00026; DISCUSSION: Excellent reproducibility was observed during the irradiations, with ~2.3% standard deviation between all pixels. Using a 3%, 3mm gamma criteria, excellent dosimetric accuracy was observed, with 98.8% and 96.3% passing rates in the sagittal and axial planes, respectively. CONCLUSION: The preliminary results indicate that the quad-phantom can serve as a reproducible and accurate system for high resolution dosimetry in orthogonal planes and should serve as an effective verification tool for PRESAGE/optical-CT in more challenging clinical scenarios.

An easy method to account for light scattering dose dependence in radiochromic films

PURPOSE

To date no detector can offer the unbeatable characteristics of film dosimetry in terms of spatial resolution and this is why it has been chosen by many institutions for treatment verification and, in that respect, radiochromic films are becoming increasingly popular due to their advantageous properties. It is the aim of this work to suggest an easy method to overcome one of the drawbacks in radiochromic film dosimetry associated with the scanning device, namely, the nonuniform dose dependent response, mainly due to the light scattering effect.

METHODS

The suggested procedure consists of building four correction matrices by sequentially scanning one, two, three, and four unexposed blank films. The color level of these four matrices is compatible with four points in the calibration curve dose range. Therefore, the dose dependent correction to the scanned irradiated film will be obtained by interpolating between the four correction matrices.

RESULTS

The validity of the suggested method is checked against an ion chamber 2D array. The use of the proposed flattening correction improves considerably the dose agreement when compared with the cases in which no correction is applied.

CONCLUSIONS

The method showed to be fast and easy and practically overcomes the dependence on the dose of light scattering of flatbed scanners.

From the limits of the classical model of sensitometric curves to a realistic model based on the percolation theory for GafChromic EBT films

PURPOSE

Modern radiotherapy uses complex treatments that necessitate more complex quality assurance procedures. As a continuous medium, GafChromic EBT films offer suitable features for such verification. However, its sensitometric curve is not fully understood in terms of classical theoretical models. In fact, measured optical densities and those predicted by the classical models differ significantly. This difference increases systematically with wider dose ranges. Thus, achieving the accuracy required for intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) by classical methods is not possible, plecluding their use. As a result, experimental parametrizations, such as polynomial fits, are replacing phenomenological expressions in modern investigations. This article focuses on identifying new theoretical ways to describe sensitometric curves and on evaluating the quality of fit for experimental data based on four proposed models.

METHODS

A whole mathematical formalism starting with a geometrical version of the classical theory is used to develop new expressions for the sensitometric curves. General results from the percolation theory are also used. A flat-bed-scanner-based method was chosen for the film analysis. Different tests were performed, such as consistency of the numeric results for the proposed model and double examination using data from independent researchers.

RESULTS

Results show that the percolation-theory-based model provides the best theoretical explanation for the sensitometric behavior of GafChromic films. The different sizes of active centers or monomer crystals of the film are the basis of this model, allowing acquisition of information about the internal structure of the films. Values for the mean size of the active centers were obtained in accordance with technical specifications. In this model, the dynamics of the interaction between the active centers of GafChromic film and radiation is also characterized by means of its interaction cross-section value.

CONCLUSIONS

The percolation model fulfills the accuracy requirements for quality-control procedures when large ranges of doses are used and offers a physical explanation for the film response.