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Gierej A, Baghdasaryan T, Martyn M, Woulfe P, Mc Laughlin O, Prise K, Workman G, O'Keeffe S, Rochlitz K, Verlinski S, Giaz A, Santoro R, Caccia M, Berghmans F, Van Erps J. Mass-manufacturable scintillation-based optical fiber dosimeters for brachytherapy. Biosens Bioelectron 2024; 255:116237. [PMID: 38537429 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2024.116237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Scintillation-based fiber dosimeters are a powerful tool for minimally invasive localized real-time monitoring of the dose rate during Low Dose Rate (LDR) and High Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy (BT). This paper presents the design, fabrication, and characterization of such dosimeters, consisting of scintillating sensor tips attached to polymer optical fiber (POF). The sensor tips consist of inorganic scintillators, i.e. Gd2O2S:Tb for LDR-BT, and Y2O3:Eu+4YVO4:Eu for HDR-BT, dispersed in a polymer host. The shape and size of the tips are optimized using non-sequential ray tracing simulations towards maximizing the collection and coupling of the scintillation signal into the POF. They are then manufactured by means of a custom moulding process implemented on a commercial hot embossing machine, paving the way towards series production. Dosimetry experiments in water phantoms show that both the HDR-BT and LDR-BT sensors feature good consistency in the magnitude of the average photon count rate and that the photon count rate signal is not significantly affected by variations in sensor tip composition and geometry. Whilst individual calibration remains necessary, the proposed dosimeters show great potential for in-vivo dosimetry for brachytherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Gierej
- Brussels Photonics (B-PHOT), Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Flanders Make, Dept. of Applied Physics and Photonics, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Tigran Baghdasaryan
- Brussels Photonics (B-PHOT), Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Flanders Make, Dept. of Applied Physics and Photonics, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Michael Martyn
- Department of Medical Physics, Blackrock Health - Galway Clinic, Doughiska, Co. Galway, Ireland; Physics Unit, School of Natural Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Peter Woulfe
- Department of Medical Physics, Blackrock Health - Galway Clinic, Doughiska, Co. Galway, Ireland
| | - Owen Mc Laughlin
- The Centre for Cancer Research & Cell Biology (CCRCB) at Queen's University, Belfast, UK
| | - Kevin Prise
- The Centre for Cancer Research & Cell Biology (CCRCB) at Queen's University, Belfast, UK
| | - Geraldine Workman
- The Centre for Cancer Research & Cell Biology (CCRCB) at Queen's University, Belfast, UK
| | - Sinead O'Keeffe
- Optical Fibre Sensors Research Centre, University of Limerick, Ireland
| | - Kurt Rochlitz
- Brussels Photonics (B-PHOT), Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Flanders Make, Dept. of Applied Physics and Photonics, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sergey Verlinski
- Brussels Photonics (B-PHOT), Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Flanders Make, Dept. of Applied Physics and Photonics, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Agnese Giaz
- Università Degli Studi Dell'Insubria, Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, Via Valleggio 11, Como, Italy
| | - Romualdo Santoro
- Università Degli Studi Dell'Insubria, Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, Via Valleggio 11, Como, Italy
| | - Massimo Caccia
- Università Degli Studi Dell'Insubria, Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, Via Valleggio 11, Como, Italy
| | - Francis Berghmans
- Brussels Photonics (B-PHOT), Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Flanders Make, Dept. of Applied Physics and Photonics, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jürgen Van Erps
- Brussels Photonics (B-PHOT), Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Flanders Make, Dept. of Applied Physics and Photonics, Brussels, Belgium.
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Wahabi JM, Ung NM, Mahdiraji GA, Wong JHD. Development and characterisation of a plastic scintillator dosemeter in high-energy photon beams. RADIATION PROTECTION DOSIMETRY 2024; 200:264-273. [PMID: 38123475 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncad303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The radioluminescent (RL) dosemeter is excellent for real-time radiation measurement and can be used in various applications. A plastic scintillator is often the choice sensor because of its size and tissue equivalency. This study aims to characterise a novel plastic scintillator irradiated with high-energy photon beams. An RL dosimetry system was developed using the plastic scintillator. The RL dosimetry system was irradiated using a linear accelerator to characterise the dose linearity, dose rate, energy dependency and depth dose. The developed system showed a linear response toward the dose and dose rate. An energy dependency factor of 1.06 was observed. Depth dose measurement showed a mean deviation of 1.21% from the treatment planning system. The response and characteristics of the plastic scintillator show that it may be used as an alternative in an RL dosimetry system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janatul M Wahabi
- Department of Biomedical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya 62590, Malaysia
| | - N M Ung
- Clinical Oncology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | | | - Jeannie H D Wong
- Department of Biomedical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
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Caccia M, Giaz A, Galoppo M, Santoro R, Martyn M, Bianchi C, Novario R, Woulfe P, O’Keeffe S. Characterisation of a Silicon Photomultiplier Based Oncological Brachytherapy Fibre Dosimeter. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:910. [PMID: 38339627 PMCID: PMC10856931 DOI: 10.3390/s24030910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Source localisation and real-time dose verification are at the forefront of medical research in brachytherapy, an oncological radiotherapy procedure based on radioactive sources implanted in the patient body. The ORIGIN project aims to respond to this medical community's need by targeting the development of a multi-point dose mapping system based on fibre sensors integrating a small volume of scintillating material into the tip and interfaced with silicon photomultipliers operated in counting mode. In this paper, a novel method for the selection of the optimal silicon photomultipliers to be used is presented, as well as a laboratory characterisation based on dosimetric figures of merit. More specifically, a technique exploiting the optical cross-talk to maintain the detector linearity in high-rate conditions is demonstrated. Lastly, it is shown that the ORIGIN system complies with the TG43-U1 protocol in high and low dose rate pre-clinical trials with actual brachytherapy sources, an essential requirement for assessing the proposed system as a dosimeter and comparing the performance of the system prototype against the ORIGIN project specifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Caccia
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, via Valleggio 11, 22100 Como, Italy; (A.G.); (M.G.); (R.S.)
| | - Agnese Giaz
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, via Valleggio 11, 22100 Como, Italy; (A.G.); (M.G.); (R.S.)
| | - Marco Galoppo
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, via Valleggio 11, 22100 Como, Italy; (A.G.); (M.G.); (R.S.)
| | - Romualdo Santoro
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, via Valleggio 11, 22100 Como, Italy; (A.G.); (M.G.); (R.S.)
| | - Micheal Martyn
- Radiotherapy Department, Galway Clinic, Doughiska Road, H91 HHT0 Galway, Ireland;
| | - Carla Bianchi
- Ospedale di Circolo di Varese, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Viale Borri, 57, 21100 Varese, Italy; (C.B.); (R.N.); (P.W.)
| | - Raffaele Novario
- Ospedale di Circolo di Varese, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Viale Borri, 57, 21100 Varese, Italy; (C.B.); (R.N.); (P.W.)
| | - Peter Woulfe
- Ospedale di Circolo di Varese, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Viale Borri, 57, 21100 Varese, Italy; (C.B.); (R.N.); (P.W.)
| | - Sinead O’Keeffe
- Optical Fibre Sensors Research Centre, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland;
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Birajdar S, Zhang W, Santos A, Hickson K, Afshar Vahid S. Real-time in vivo dose measurement using ruby-based fibre optic dosimetry during internal radiation therapy. Phys Eng Sci Med 2023; 46:1205-1213. [PMID: 37395926 PMCID: PMC10480264 DOI: 10.1007/s13246-023-01288-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
In vivo dosimetry (IVD) in a commonly used liver cancer treatment of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) has been done based on the post-treatment image-based dosimetry approach. Real-time IVD is necessary to verify the dose delivery and detect errors during the treatment for better patient outcomes. This study aims to develop a fibre optic dosimeter (FOD) for in vivo real-time dose rate measurement during internal beta radiation therapy, e.g., SIRT. A ruby fibre optic probe was prepared and studied the radioluminescence (RL) characteristics, including its major challenge of stem effect arising from Cherenkov radiation and luminescence from the irradiated fibre. The stem signal was suppressed adequately using the stem removal technique of optical filtering, and only 2.3 ± 1.1% stem signal was contributed to the measured RL signal. A linear dose rate response was observed during the exposure of the ruby probe to varying dose rates using a 6 MeV electron beam and a positron-emitting radionuclide fluorine-18. The ruby exhibited a temporally non-constant RL signal, which increased the RL signal by 0.84 ± 0.29 counts/sec2 during the irradiation of the maximum dose rate used in this study of 9 Gy/min for 2 min. The ability of ruby FOD to measure the absolute dose rate with sufficient stem effect suppression and the linear RL dose rate response indicates its suitability for real-time IVD during internal beta radiation therapy. Future work will investigate the time-dependent RL characteristic of ruby and validate post-treatment image-based dosimetry using ruby-based FOD.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Birajdar
- Laser Physics and Photonic Devices Laboratories, UNISA STEM, The University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5095, Australia.
| | - W Zhang
- Laser Physics and Photonic Devices Laboratories, UNISA STEM, The University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5095, Australia
| | - A Santos
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
- School of Physical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
- Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - K Hickson
- Medical Physics & Radiation Protection Group, SA Medical Imaging, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
- Allied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia
| | - S Afshar Vahid
- Laser Physics and Photonic Devices Laboratories, UNISA STEM, The University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5095, Australia
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Chacon C, Suarez M, Karakhanyan V, Desjardin K, Menneglier C, Soppera O, Moutarlier V, Grosjean T. Multipixel x ray detection integrated at the end of a narrow multicore fiber. OPTICS LETTERS 2023; 48:2178-2181. [PMID: 37058671 DOI: 10.1364/ol.484887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
We introduce and demonstrate the concept of a multipixel detector integrated at the tip of an individual multicore fiber. A pixel consists here of an aluminum-coated polymer microtip incorporating a scintillating powder. Upon irradiation, the luminescence released by the scintillators is efficiently transferred into the fiber cores owing to the specifically elongated metal-coated tips that ensure efficient luminescence matching to the fiber modes. With each pixel being selectively coupled to one of the cores of the multicore optical fiber, the resulting fiber-integrated x ray detection process is totally free from inter-pixel cross talk. Our approach holds promise for fiber-integrated probes and cameras for remote x and gamma ray analysis and imaging in hard-to-reach environments.
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Evolution of Highly Biocompatible and Thermally Stable YVO4:Er3+/Yb3+ Upconversion Mesoporous Hollow Nanospheriods as Drug Carriers for Therapeutic Applications. NANOMATERIALS 2022; 12:nano12152520. [PMID: 35893490 PMCID: PMC9332312 DOI: 10.3390/nano12152520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
In recent times, upconversion nanomaterials with mesoporous hollow structures have gained significant interest as a prospective nano-platform for cancer imaging and therapeutic applications. In this study, we report a highly biocompatible YVO4:1Er3+/10Yb3+ upconversion mesoporous hollow nanospheriods (YVO4:Er3+/Yb3+ UC-MHNSPs) by a facile and rapid self-sacrificing template method. The Rietveld analysis confirmed their pure phase of tetragonal zircon structure. Nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms revealed the mesoporous nature of these UC-MHNSPs and the surface area is found to be ~87.46 m2/g. Under near-infrared excitation (980 nm), YVO4:Er3+/Yb3+ UC-MHNSPs showed interesting color tunability from red to green emission. Initially (at 0.4 W), energy back transfer from Er3+ to Yb3+ ions leads to the strong red emission. Whereas at high pump powers (1 W), a fine green emission is observed due to the dominant three-photon excitation process and traditional energy transfer route from Er3+ to Yb3+ ions. The bright red light from the membrane of HeLa cells confirmed the effective cellular uptake of YVO4:Er3+/Yb3+ UC-MHNSPs. The resonant decrease in cell viability on increasing the concentration of curcumin conjugated YVO4:Er3+/Yb3+ UC-MHNSPs established their excellent antitumor activity. Therefore, the acquired results indicate that these YVO4:Er3+/Yb3+ UC-MHNSPs are promising drug carriers for bioimaging and various therapeutic applications.
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Gonod M, Chacon Avila C, Suarez MA, Crouzilles J, Laskri S, Vinchant JF, Aubignac L, Grosjean T. Miniaturized scintillator dosimeter for small field radiation therapy. Phys Med Biol 2021; 66. [PMID: 33971635 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/abffbb] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The concept of a miniaturized inorganic scintillator detector is demonstrated in the analysis of the small static photon fields used in external radiation therapy. Such a detector is constituted by a 0.25 mm diameter and 0.48 mm long inorganic scintillating cell (1.6 × 10-5cm3detection volume) efficiently coupled to a narrow 125μm diameter silica optical fiber using a tiny photonic interface (an optical antenna). The response of our miniaturized scintillator detector (MSD) under 6 MV bremsstrahlung beam of various sizes (from 1 × 1 cm2to 4 × 4 cm2) is compared to that of two high resolution reference probes, namely, a micro-diamond detector and a dedicated silicon diode. The spurious Cerenkov signal transmitted through our bare detector is rejected with a basic spectral filtering. The MSD shows a linear response regarding the dose, a repeatability within 0.1% and a radial directional dependence of 0.36% (standard deviations). Beam profiling at 5 cm depth with the MSD and the micro-diamond detector shows a mismatch in the measurement of the full widths at 80% and 50% of the maximum which does not exceed 0.25 mm. The same difference range is found between the micro-diamond detector and a silicon diode. The deviation of the percentage depth dose between the MSD and micro-diamond detector remains below 2.3% within the first fifteen centimeters of the decay region for field sizes of 1 × 1 cm2, 2 × 2 cm2and 3 × 3 cm2(0.76% between the silicon diode and the micro-diamond in the same field range). The 2D dose mapping of a 0.6 × 0.6 cm2photon field evidences the strong 3D character of the radiation-matter interaction in small photon field regime. From a beam-probe convolution theory, we predict that our probe overestimates the beam width by 0.06%, making our detector a right compromise between high resolution, compactness, flexibility and ease of use. The MSD overcomes problem of volume averaging, stem effects, and despite its water non-equivalence it is expected to minimize electron fluence perturbation due to its extreme compactness. Such a detector thus has the potential to become a valuable dose verification tool in small field radiation therapy, and by extension in Brachytherapy, FLASH-radiotherapy and microbeam radiation therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Gonod
- Centre Georges François Leclerc (CGFL)-Dijon, France
| | - Carlos Chacon Avila
- FEMTO-ST Institute-Optics Department-UMR 6174-University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté-CNRS-Besançon, France
| | - Miguel Angel Suarez
- FEMTO-ST Institute-Optics Department-UMR 6174-University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté-CNRS-Besançon, France
| | - Julien Crouzilles
- SEDI-ATI Fibres Optiques, 8 Rue Jean Mermoz, F-91080 Évry-Courcouronnes, France
| | - Samir Laskri
- SEDI-ATI Fibres Optiques, 8 Rue Jean Mermoz, F-91080 Évry-Courcouronnes, France
| | | | | | - Thierry Grosjean
- FEMTO-ST Institute-Optics Department-UMR 6174-University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté-CNRS-Besançon, France
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