The dose response of normoxic polymer gel dosimeters measured using X-ray CT

Semi-automated vertex placement for lattice radiotherapy and dosimetric verification using 3D polymer gel dosimetry

PURPOSE

To evaluate the feasibility of an open-source, semi-automated, and reproducible vertex placement tool to improve the efficiency of lattice radiotherapy (LRT) planning. We used polymer gel dosimetry with a Cone Beam CT (CBCT) readout to commission this LRT technique.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We generated a volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT)-based LRT plan on a 2 L NIPAM polymer gel dosimeter using our Eclipse Acuros version 15.6 AcurosXB beam model, and also recalculated the plan with a pre-clinical Acuros v18.0 dose calculation algorithm with the enhanced leaf modelling (ELM). With the assistance of the MAAS-SFRThelper software, a lattice vertex diameter of 1.5 cm and center-to-center spacing of 3 cm were used to place the spheres in a hexagonal, closed packed structure. The verification plan included four gantry arcs with 15°, 345°, 75°, 105° collimator angles. The spheres were prescribed 20 Gy to 50% of their combined volume. The 6 MV Flattening Filter Free beam energy was used to deliver the verification plan. The dosimetric accuracy of the LRT delivery was evaluated with 1D dose profiles, 2D isodose maps, and a 3D global gamma analysis.

RESULTS

Qualitative comparisons between the 1D dose profiles of the Eclipse plan and measured gel showed good consistency at the prescription dose mark. The average diameter measured 13.3 ± 0.2 mm (gel for v15.6), 12.6 mm (v15.6 plan), 13.1 ± 0.2 mm (gel for v18.0), and 12.3 mm (v18.0 plan). 3D gamma analysis showed that all gamma pass percent were > 95% except at 1% and 2% at the 1 mm distance to agreement criteria.

CONCLUSION

This study presents a novel application of gel dosimetry in verifying the dosimetric accuracy of LRT, achieving excellent 3D gamma results. The treatment planning was facilitated by publicly available software that automatically placed the vertices for consistency and efficiency.

Chemical Overview of Gel Dosimetry Systems: A Comprehensive Review

Advances in radiotherapy technology during the last 25 years have significantly improved both dose conformation to tumors and the preservation of healthy tissues, achieving almost real-time feedback by means of high-precision treatments and theranostics. Owing to this, developing high-performance systems capable of coping with the challenging requirements of modern ionizing radiation is a key issue to overcome the limitations of traditional dosimeters. In this regard, a deep understanding of the physicochemical basis of gel dosimetry, as one of the most promising tools for the evaluation of 3D high-spatial-resolution dose distributions, represents the starting point for developing new and innovative systems. This review aims to contribute thorough descriptions of the chemical processes and interactions that condition gel dosimetry outputs, often phenomenologically addressed, and particularly formulations reported since 2017.

Radiation Dosimetry by Use of Radiosensitive Hydrogels and Polymers: Mechanisms, State-of-the-Art and Perspective from 3D to 4D

Gel dosimetry was developed in the 1990s in response to a growing need for methods to validate the radiation dose distribution delivered to cancer patients receiving high-precision radiotherapy. Three different classes of gel dosimeters were developed and extensively studied. The first class of gel dosimeters is the Fricke gel dosimeters, which consist of a hydrogel with dissolved ferrous ions that oxidize upon exposure to ionizing radiation. The oxidation results in a change in the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation, which makes it possible to read out Fricke gel dosimeters by use of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The radiation-induced oxidation in Fricke gel dosimeters can also be visualized by adding an indicator such as xylenol orange. The second class of gel dosimeters is the radiochromic gel dosimeters, which also exhibit a color change upon irradiation but do not use a metal ion. These radiochromic gel dosimeters do not demonstrate a significant radiation-induced change in NMR properties. The third class is the polymer gel dosimeters, which contain vinyl monomers that polymerize upon irradiation. Polymer gel dosimeters are predominantly read out by quantitative MRI or X-ray CT. The accuracy of the dosimeters depends on both the physico-chemical properties of the gel dosimeters and on the readout technique. Many different gel formulations have been proposed and discussed in the scientific literature in the last three decades, and scanning methods have been optimized to achieve an acceptable accuracy for clinical dosimetry. More recently, with the introduction of the MR-Linac, which combines an MRI-scanner and a clinical linear accelerator in one, it was shown possible to acquire dose maps during radiation, but new challenges arise.

Development and Application of MAGIC-f Gel in Cancer Research and Medical Imaging

Much of the complex medical physics work requires radiation dose delivery, which requires dosimeters to accurately measure complex three-dimensional dose distribution with good spatial resolution. MAGIC-f polymer gel is one of the emerging new dosimeters widely used in medical physics research. The purpose of this study was to present an overview of polymer gel dosimetry, using MAGIC-f gel, including its composition, manufacture, imaging, calibration, and application to medical physics research. In this review, the history of polymer gel development is presented, along with the applications so far. Moreover, the most important experiments/applications of MAGIC-f polymer gel are discussed to illustrate the behavior of gel on different conditions of irradiation, imaging, and manufacturing techniques. Finally, various future works are suggested based on the past and present works on MAGIC-f gel and polymer gel in general, with the hope that these bits of knowledge can provide important clues for future research on MAGIC-f gel as a dosimeter.

Basic Properties of a New Polymer Gel for 3D-Dosimetry at High Dose-Rates Typical for FFF Irradiation Based on Dithiothreitol and Methacrylic Acid (MAGADIT): Sensitivity, Range, Reproducibility, Accuracy, Dose Rate Effect and Impact of Oxygen Scavenger

The photon induced radical-initiated polymerization in polymer gels can be used for high-resolution tissue equivalent dosimeters in quality control of radiation therapy. The dose (D) distribution in radiation therapy can be measured as a change of the physical measurement parameter T2 using T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. The detection by T2 is relying on the local change of the molecular mobility due to local polymerization initiated by radicals generated by the ionizing radiation. The dosimetric signals R2 = 1/T2 of many of the current polymer gels are dose-rate dependent, which reduces the reliability of the gel for clinical use. A novel gel dosimeter, based on methacrylic acid, gelatin and the newly added dithiothreitol (MAGADIT) as an oxygen-scavenger was analyzed for basic properties, such as sensitivity, reproducibility, accuracy and dose-rate dependence. Dithiothreitol features no toxic classification with a difference to THPC and offers a stronger negative redox-potential than ascorbic acid. Polymer gels with three different concentration levels of dithiothreitol were irradiated with a preclinical research X-ray unit and MR-scanned (T2) for quantitative dosimetry after calibration. The polymer gel with the lowest concentration of the oxygen scavenger was about factor 3 more sensitive to dose as compared to the gel with the highest concentration. The dose sensitivity (α = ∆R2/∆D) of MAGADIT gels was significantly dependent on the applied dose rate D˙ (≈48% reduction between D˙ = 0.6 Gy/min and D˙ = 4 Gy/min). However, this undesirable dose-rate effect reduced between 4–8 Gy/min (≈23%) and almost disappeared in the high dose-rate range (8 ≤ D˙≤ 12 Gy/min) used in flattening-filter-free (FFF) irradiations. The dose response varied for different samples within one manufacturing batch within 3%–6% (reproducibility). The accuracy ranged between 3.5% and 7.9%. The impact of the dose rate on the spatial integrity is demonstrated in the example of a linear accelerator (LINAC) small sized 5 × 10 mm² 10 MV photon field. For MAGADIT the maximum shift in the flanks in this field is limited to about 0.8 mm at a FFF dose rate of 15 Gy/min. Dose rate sensitive polymer gels likely perform better at high dose rates; MAGADIT exhibits a slightly improved performance compared to the reference normoxic polymer gel methacrylic and ascorbic acid in gelatin initiated by copper (MAGIC) using ascorbic acid.

Sensitivity enhancement of methacrylic acid gel dosimeters by incorporating iodine for computed tomography scans

PURPOSE

Polymer gel dosimeters provide three-dimensional absorbed dose information and have gradually become a popular tool for quality assurance in radiotherapy. This study aims to incorporate iodine into the MAGAT-based gel as radiation sensitizer and investigate whether it can be used to measure the radiation dose and slice thickness for CT scans.

METHODS

The nMAGAT(I) gel was doped with 0.03, 0.05, and 0.07-M iodine. The absorbed dose was delivered using a CT scanner (Alexion 16, Toshiba Medical Systems, Japan) with tube voltages of 80, 100, 120, and 135 kVp. The irradiated nMAGAT(I) gel was read using a cone beam optical CT scanner to produce dose-response curves. The nMAGAT(I) gel was used to obtain the slice sensitivity profile (SSP) and the CT dose index (CTDI) for quality assurance of CT scans.

RESULTS

The 0.07-M iodine-doped nMAGAT(I) gel exhibited maximum sensitivity with the dose enhancement ratio of 2.12. The gel was chemically stable 24 h after its preparation, and the polymerization process was completed 24-48 h after the irradiation. For CT quality assurance, the full width at half maximum measured by the nMAGAT(I) gel matched the nominal slice thickness of CT. The CTDI at center, CTDI at peripheral, and weighted CTDI obtained by the nMAGAT(I) gel differed from those obtained by the ionization chamber by -4.2%, 3.1%, and 0.7%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The nMAGAT(I) gel can be used to assess radiation doses and slice thickness in CT scans, thus rendering it a potential quality assurance tool for CT and other radiological diagnostic applications.

A systematic review of clinical applications of polymer gel dosimeters in radiotherapy

Radiotherapy has rapidly improved because of the use of new equipment and techniques. Hence, the appeal for a feasible and accurate three-dimensional (3D) dosimetry system has increased. In this regard, gel dosimetry systems are accurate 3D dosimeters with high resolution. This systematic review evaluates the clinical applications of polymer gel dosimeters in radiotherapy. To find the clinical applications of polymer gel dosimeters in radiotherapy, a full systematic literature search was performed on the basis of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines in electronic databases up to January 31, 2017, with use of search-related terms in the titles and abstracts of articles. A total of 765 articles were screened in accordance with our inclusion and exclusion criteria. Eventually, 53 articles were included in the study. The findings show that most clinical applications of polymer gel dosimeters relate to external radiotherapy. Most of the gel dosimeters studied have acceptable dose accuracy as a 3D dosimeter with high resolution. It is difficult to judge which is the best polymer gel dosimeter to use in a clinical setting, because each gel dosimeter has advantages and limitations. For example, methacrylic acid-based gel dosimeters have high dose sensitivity and low toxicity, while their dose response is beam energy dependent; in contrast, N-isopropylacrylamide gel dosimeters have low dose resolution, but their sensitivity is lower and they are relatively toxic.

A Comprehensive Evaluation of NIPAM Polymer Gel Dosimeters on Three Orthogonal Planes and Temporal Stability Analysis

Polymer gel dosimeters have been proven useful for dose evaluation in radiotherapy treatments. Previous studies have demonstrated that using a polymer gel dosimeter requires a 24 h reaction time to stabilize and further evaluate the measured dose distribution in two-dimensional dosimetry. In this study, the short-term stability within 24 h and feasibility of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) polymer gel dosimeters for use in three-dimensional dosimetry were evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). NIPAM gels were used to measure the dose volume in a clinical case of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). For dose readouts, MR images of irradiated NIPAM gel phantoms were acquired at 2, 5, 12, and 24 h after dose delivery. The mean standard errors of dose conversion from using dose calibration curves (DRC) were calculated. The measured dose volumes at the four time points were compared with those calculated using a treatment planning system (TPS). The mean standard errors of the dose conversion from using the DRCs were lower than 1 Gy. Mean pass rates of 2, 5, 12, and 24 h axial dose maps calculated using gamma evaluation with 3% dose difference and 3 mm distance-to-agreement criteria were 83.5% ± 0.9%, 85.9% ± 0.6%, 98.7% ± 0.3%, and 98.5% ± 0.9%, respectively. Compared with the dose volume histogram of the TPS, the absolute mean relative volume differences of the 2, 5, 12, and 24 h measured dose volumes were lower than 1% for the irradiated region with an absorbed dose higher than 2.8 Gy. It was concluded that a 12 h reaction time was sufficient to acquire accurate dose volume using the NIPAM gels with MR readouts.

Role of gel dosimeters in boron neutron capture therapy

Gel dosimeters have acquired a unique status in radiotherapy, especially with the advent of the new techniques in which there is a need for three-dimensional dose measurement with high spatial resolution. One of the techniques in which the use of gel dosimeters has drawn the attention of the researchers is the boron neutron capture therapy. Exploring the history of gel dosimeters, this paper sets out to study their role in the boron neutron capture therapy dosimetric process.

Incorporating multislice imaging into x-ray CT polymer gel dosimetry

PURPOSE

To evaluate multislice computed tomography (CT) scanning for fast and reliable readout of radiation therapy (RT) dose distributions using CT polymer gel dosimetry (PGD) and to establish a baseline assessment of image noise and uniformity in an unirradiated gel dosimeter.

METHODS

A 16-slice CT scanner was used to acquire images through a 1 L cylinder filled with water. Additional images were collected using a single slice machine. The variability in CT number (NCT) associated with the anode heel effect was evaluated and used to define a new slice-by-slice background subtraction artifact removal technique for CT PGD. Image quality was assessed for the multislice system by evaluating image noise and uniformity. The agreement in NCT for slices acquired simultaneously using the multislice detector array was also examined. Further study was performed to assess the effects of increasing x-ray tube load on the constancy of measured NCT and overall scan time. In all cases, results were compared to the single slice machine. Finally, images were collected throughout the volume of an unirradiated gel dosimeter to quantify image noise and uniformity before radiation is delivered.

RESULTS

Slice-by-slice background subtraction effectively removes the variability in NCT observed across images acquired simultaneously using the multislice scanner and is the recommended background subtraction method when using a multislice CT system. Image noise was higher for the multislice system compared to the single slice scanner, but overall image quality was comparable between the two systems. Further study showed NCT was consistent across image slices acquired simultaneously using the multislice detector array for each detector configuration of the slice thicknesses examined. In addition, the multislice system was found to eliminate variations in NCT due to increasing x-ray tube load and reduce scanning time by a factor of 4 when compared to imaging a large volume using a single slice scanner. Images acquired through an unirradiated, active gel revealed NCT varies between the top and bottom of the 1 L cylinder as well as across the diameter of the cylinder by up to 7 HU.

CONCLUSIONS

Multislice CT imaging has been evaluated for CT PGD and found to be the superior technique compared to single slice imaging in terms of the time required to complete a scan and the tube load characteristics associated with each scanning method. The implementation of multislice scanning is straightforward and expected to facilitate routine gel dosimetry measurements for complex dose distributions in modern RT centers.

A novel method of estimating dose responses for polymer gels using texture analysis of scanning electron microscopy images

Polymer gels are regarded as a potential dosimeter for independent validation of absorbed doses in clinical radiotherapy. Several imaging modalities have been used to convert radiation-induced polymerization to absorbed doses from a macro-scale viewpoint. This study developed a novel dose conversion mechanism by texture analysis of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. The modified N-isopropyl-acrylamide (NIPAM) gels were prepared under normoxic conditions, and were administered radiation doses from 5 to 20 Gy. After freeze drying, the gel samples were sliced for SEM scanning with 50×, 500×, and 3500× magnifications. Four texture indices were calculated based on the gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM). The results showed that entropy and homogeneity were more suitable than contrast and energy as dose indices for higher linearity and sensitivity of the dose response curves. After parameter optimization, an R² value of 0.993 can be achieved for homogeneity using 500× magnified SEM images with 27 pixel offsets and no outlier exclusion. For dose verification, the percentage errors between the prescribed dose and the measured dose for 5, 10, 15, and 20 Gy were −7.60%, 5.80%, 2.53%, and −0.95%, respectively. We conclude that texture analysis can be applied to the SEM images of gel dosimeters to accurately convert micro-scale structural features to absorbed doses. The proposed method may extend the feasibility of applying gel dosimeters in the fields of diagnostic radiology and radiation protection.

Optical and NMR dose response of N-isopropylacrylamide normoxic polymer gel for radiation therapy dosimetry

BACKGROUND

Application of less toxic normoxic polymer gel of N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM) for radiation therapy has been studied in recent years.

AIM

In the current study the optical and NMR properties of NIPAM were studied for radiation therapy dosimetry application.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

NIPAM normoxic polymer gel was prepared and irradiated by 9 MV photon beam of a medical linac. The optical absorbance was measured using a conventional laboratory spectrophotometer in different wavelengths ranging from 390 to 860 nm. R 2 measurements of NIPAM gels were performed using a 1.5 T scanner and R 2-dose curve was obtained.

RESULTS

Our results showed R 2 dose sensitivity of 0.193 ± 0.01 s(-1) Gy(-1) for NIPAM gel. Both R 2 and optical absorbance showed a linear relationship with dose from 1.5 to 11 Gy for NIPAM gel dosimeter. Moreover, absorbance-dose response varied considerably with light wavelength and highest sensitivity was seen for the blue part of the spectrum.

CONCLUSION

Our results showed that both optical and NMR approaches have acceptable sensitivity and accuracy for dose determination with NIPAM gel. However, for optical reading of the gel, utilization of an optimum optical wavelength is recommended.

High-resolution gel dosimetry using flat-panel detector cone-beam computed tomography: preliminary study

This study compares the dose response of irradiated polymer gel with acrylic and styrofoam housing while applying multi-detector CT (MDCT) and cone-beam CT (CBCT). The dose response for MDCT and CBCT, while using an acrylic phantom is 1.34 and 0.67 DeltaHU Gy(-1), respectively, and becomes 1.54 and 0.84 DeltaHU Gy(-1) while using styrofoam, suggesting styrofoam is the better housing material. While the dose response of MDCT is better than that of CBCT, CBCT is yet a promising 3D dosimetry technique, given its potentially better spatial resolution and sensitive dose interpretation capability.

Polymer gel dosimetry

Polymer gel dosimeters are fabricated from radiation sensitive chemicals which, upon irradiation, polymerize as a function of the absorbed radiation dose. These gel dosimeters, with the capacity to uniquely record the radiation dose distribution in three-dimensions (3D), have specific advantages when compared to one-dimensional dosimeters, such as ion chambers, and two-dimensional dosimeters, such as film. These advantages are particularly significant in dosimetry situations where steep dose gradients exist such as in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery. Polymer gel dosimeters also have specific advantages for brachytherapy dosimetry. Potential dosimetry applications include those for low-energy x-rays, high-linear energy transfer (LET) and proton therapy, radionuclide and boron capture neutron therapy dosimetries. These 3D dosimeters are radiologically soft-tissue equivalent with properties that may be modified depending on the application. The 3D radiation dose distribution in polymer gel dosimeters may be imaged using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), optical-computerized tomography (optical-CT), x-ray CT or ultrasound. The fundamental science underpinning polymer gel dosimetry is reviewed along with the various evaluation techniques. Clinical dosimetry applications of polymer gel dosimetry are also presented.

Polymer gel dosimetry

Polymer gel dosimeters are fabricated from radiation sensitive chemicals which, upon irradiation, polymerize as a function of the absorbed radiation dose. These gel dosimeters, with the capacity to uniquely record the radiation dose distribution in three-dimensions (3D), have specific advantages when compared to one-dimensional dosimeters, such as ion chambers, and two-dimensional dosimeters, such as film. These advantages are particularly significant in dosimetry situations where steep dose gradients exist such as in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery. Polymer gel dosimeters also have specific advantages for brachytherapy dosimetry. Potential dosimetry applications include those for low-energy x-rays, high-linear energy transfer (LET) and proton therapy, radionuclide and boron capture neutron therapy dosimetries. These 3D dosimeters are radiologically soft-tissue equivalent with properties that may be modified depending on the application. The 3D radiation dose distribution in polymer gel dosimeters may be imaged using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), optical-computerized tomography (optical-CT), x-ray CT or ultrasound. The fundamental science underpinning polymer gel dosimetry is reviewed along with the various evaluation techniques. Clinical dosimetry applications of polymer gel dosimetry are also presented.

Effects of glycerol co-solvent on the rate and form of polymer gel dose response

A factor currently limiting the clinical utility of x-ray CT polymer gel dosimetry is the overall low dose sensitivity (and hence low dose resolution) of the system. Hence, active research remains in the investigation of polymer gel formulations with increased CT dose response. An ideal polymer gel dosimeter will exhibit a sensitive CT response which is linear over a suitable dose range, making clinical implementation reasonably straightforward. This study reports on the variations in rate and form of the CT dose response of irradiated polymer gels manufactured with glycerol, which is a co-solvent that permits dissolution of additional bisacrylamide above its water solubility limit (3% by weight). This study focuses on situations where the concentration of bisacrylamide is kept at or below its water solubility limit so that the influence of the co-solvent on the dose response can be explored separately from the effects of increased cross-linker concentration. CT imaging and Raman spectroscopy are used to construct dose-response curves for irradiated gels varying in (i) initial total monomer (%T) and (ii) initial co-solvent concentration. Results indicate that: (i) for a fixed glycerol concentration, gel response increases linearly with %T. Furthermore, the functional form of the dose response remains constant, in agreement with a previous model of polymer formation. (ii) Polymer gels with constant %T and increasing co-solvent concentrations also show enhanced CT response. In addition, the functional form of the response is altered in these gels as co-solvent concentration is increased. Raman data indicate that the fraction of bis-acrylamide incorporated into polymerization, as opposed to cyclization, increases as co-solvent concentration increases. The changes in functional form indicate varying polymer yields (per unit dose), akin to relative fractional monomer/cross-linker (i.e. %C) changes in earlier studies. These results are put into context of the model of polymer formation. The implications of these results on the clinical utility of polymer gels with co-solvent are highlighted.

Polymer gel dosimetry on a multislice computed tomography scanner: effect of changing parameters on CTDI

Polymer gel dosimetry undertaken on a multislice CT scanner provides an alternative method to conventional dosimetry measurements. Polymer gel dosimeters were used to measure CT radiation doses and compared to TLD and ionization chamber measurements in different diameter phantoms. CTDI was investigated for each of these phantoms for a range of mAs (100-400 mAs), tube voltage (100-135 kV) and nominal slice width (2-32 mm). Linear fits of the CTDI values for mAs show for the smallest phantom diameter an increase in CTDI of 60% for both TLD and polymer gel dosimeters. A similar increase in CTDI of 50% at 100 kVp and 100% for 135 kVp was also noted. It was also shown that slice width variation measured with either polymer gel or TLD was greatest with the smallest slice widths. In summary, it was found that polymer gels can be used as an alternative dosimeter to TLD for the determination of SWDP and subsequent CTDI calculations.

X-ray CT dose in normoxic polyacrylamide gel dosimetry

This study reports on the effects of x-ray CT dose in CT imaged normoxic polyacrylamide (nPAG) gel dosimeters. The investigation is partitioned into three sections. First, the CT dose absorbed in nPAG is quantified under a range of typical gel CT imaging protocols. It is found that the maximum absorbed CT dose occurs for volumetric imaging and is in the range of 4.6 +/- 0.2 cGy/image. This does scales linearly with image averaging. Second, using Raman spectroscopy, the response of nPAG to CT imaging photon energies (i.e., 120-140 kVp) is established and compared to the well known dose response of nPAG exposed to 6 MV photons. It is found that nPAG exhibits a weaker response (per unit dose) to 140-kVp incident photons as compared to 6 MV incident photons (slopes m6 mv = -0.0374 +/- 0.0006 Gy(-1) and m140 kVp = -0.016 +/- 0.001 Gy(-1)). Finally, using the above data, an induced change in CT number (deltaN(CT)) is calculated for nPAG imaged using a range of gel imaging protocols. It is found that under typical imaging protocols (120-140 kVp, 200 mAs, approximately 16-32 image averages) a deltaN(CT) < 0.2 H is induced in active nPAG dosimeters. This deltaN(CT) is below the current limit of detectability of CT nPAG polymer gel dosimetry. Under expanded imaging protocols (e.g., very high number of image averages) an induced deltaN(CT) of approximately 0.5 H is possible. In these situations the additional polymerization occurring in nPAG due to the imaging process may need to be accounted for.

Optimization of the imaging protocol of an X-ray CT scanner for evaluation of normoxic polymer gel dosimeters

X-ray computer tomography (CT) has previously been reported as an evaluation tool for polymer gel (PAG) dosimeters. In this study, the imaging protocol of a Siemens Emotion X-ray CT scanner was optimized to evaluate PAGAT normoxic gel dosimeters. The scan parameters were optimized as 130 kV and 150 mA with a slice thickness of 3 mm for smaller fields and 5 mm for larger fields of irradiation. The number of images to be averaged to reduce noise to an acceptable level was concluded to be 25. It was also concluded that the total monomer concentration required is 7% with 10 mM THP to obtain a maximum change in CT number at dose levels up to 15 Gy for evaluation with X-ray CT. Optimal scan parameters may vary with X-ray CT scanner. Hence the imaging protocol of each scanner to be used for evaluating polymer gels requires individual optimization for the purposes of gel dosimetry evaluation.

Investigation of tetrakis hydroxymethyl phosphonium chloride as an antioxidant for use in x-ray computed tomography polyacrylamide gel dosimetry

Of the antioxidants used to scavenge oxygen in polymer gel dosimeters, tetrakis (hydroxymethyl) phosphonium chloride (THPC) has been shown to hold great promise due to its rapid oxygen scavenging abilities. In this study we (a) investigate the use of THPC as an antioxidant for polyacrylamide gel (PAGAT) dosimeters used in conjunction with x-ray computed tomography (CT) and (b) work to establish the reaction mechanisms of THPC with the polymer gel constituents. We establish the dose response reproducibility of PAGAT dosimeters when imaged with CT and show that PAGAT dosimeters exhibit highly reproducible dose responses for a range of irradiation times post gel manufacture (2-6 h) and CT imaging times post gel irradiation (1-5 days). The THPC concentration within the gel leading to a maximized dose response and minimized O(2) inhibition of polymerization is found to be approximately 4.5 mM. We further assess the stability of PAGAT dosimeters by investigating the reactions of THPC with the individual gel constituents. The importance of utilizing deionized water in polymer gel manufacture is noted. We show that, while THPC remains unreactive with acrylamide and bis-acrylamide under unirradiated conditions, THPC can react with gelatin to increase the cross-linking of the gelatin matrix in unirradiated dosimeters. THPC reactions with gelatin can lead to the lower observed dose sensitivity of PAGAT (approximately 0.36 +/- 0.04 H Gy(-1)) as compared to polyacrylamide gels manufactured under anoxic conditions (approximately 0.83 +/- 0.03 H Gy(-1)). The reactions of THPC which lead to O(2) scavenging, and potential reactions of THPC with other gel constituents, are proposed.

A preliminary study of the novel application of normoxic polymer gel dosimeters for the measurement of CTDI on diagnostic x-ray CT scanners

Computer tomography dose index (CTDI) is a measurement undertaken during acceptance testing and subsequent quality assurance measurements of diagnostic x-ray CT scanners for the determination of patient dose. Normoxic polymer gel dosimeters have been used for the first time to measure dose and subsequently CTDI during acceptance testing of a CT scanner and compared with the conventional ionization chamber measurement for a range of imaging protocols. The normoxic polymer gel dosimeter was additionally used to simultaneously determine slice-width dose profiles and CTDI in the transaxial plane, the measurements of which are usually determined with thermoluminescent dosimetry or film. The resulting CTDI for all slice widths calculated from the normoxic polymer gel dosimeter were within corresponding ionization chamber CTDI values. Slice-width dose-profiles full-width half-maximum values from the normoxic polymer gel dosimeter were compared to the slice sensitivity profiles and were within the tolerances of the manufacturer. Normoxic polymer gel dosimeters have been shown to be a useful device for determining CTDI and dose distributions for CT equipment, and provide additional information not possible with just the use of an ionization chamber.