Pilot Study of Polymerization Dynamics in nMAG Dose Gel

Gel Dosimetry

The purpose of radiation therapy (RT) is to cover tumor tissue homogeneously with a planned dose while minimizing the dose to the surrounding healthy tissue [...].

Investigation of Colored Film Indicators for the Assessment of the Occasional Radiation Exposure

Occupational radiation exposure monitoring is well-established in clinical or industrial environments with various different dosimeter systems. Despite the availability of many dosimetry methods and devices, a challenge with the occasional exposure registration, which may occur due to the spilling of radioactive materials or splitting of these materials in the environment, still exists, because not every individual will have an appropriate dosimeter at the time of the irradiation event. The aim of this work was to develop radiation-sensitive films—color-changing radiation indicators, which can be attached to or integrated in the textile. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based polymer hydrogels were used as a basis for fabrication of radiation indicator films. Several organic dyes (brilliant carmosine (BC), brilliant scarlet (BS), methylene red (MR), brilliant green (BG), brilliant blue (BB), methylene blue (MB) and xylenol orange (XiO)) were used as a coloring additives. Moreover, PVA films enriched with Ag nanoparticles (PVA-Ag) were investigated. In order to assess the radiation sensitivity of the produced films, experimental samples were irradiated in a linear accelerator with 6 MeV X-ray photons and the radiation sensitivity of irradiated films was evaluated using UV–Vis spectrophotometry method. The most sensitive were PVA-BB films indicating 0.4 Gy−1 sensitivity in low-dose (0–1 or 2 Gy) range. The sensitivity at higher doses was modest. These PVA-dye films were sensitive enough to detect doses up to 10 Gy and PVA-MR film indicated stable 33.3% decolorization after irradiation at this dose. It was found that the dose sensitivity of all PVA-Ag gel films varied from 0.068 to 0.11 Gy−1 and was dependent on the Ag additives concentration. Exchange of a small amount of water with ethanol or isopropanol caused the enhancement of radiation sensitivity in the films with the lowest AgNO3 concentration. Radiation-induced color change of AgPVA films varied between 30 and 40%. Performed research demonstrated the potential of colored hydrogel films in their applications as indicators for the assessment of the occasional radiation exposure.

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.