Application of LiMgPO4 crystal for proton beam quality control in radiotherapy

The radioluminescence (RL) emitted by LiMgPO4 detector under proton beam irradiation was investigated in real time at the radiotherapy facility in the Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow. The facility uses protons accelerated by the AIC-144 isochronous cyclotron up to the energy of 60 MeV. The measurements of RL were carried out using a remote optical fiber device with a luminophore detector and photomultiplier located at opposite ends of the optical fiber. A thin slice of LiMgPO4 doped with Tm (1.2 mol%) crystal was exposed to the proton beam. The tested detector allowed for the measurement of proton beam current, flux fluence and determination of proton beam time structure parameters. The investigation of LiMgPO4 crystal showed its high sensitivity, fast reaction time to irradiation and possibility of application as the detector for control of proton beam parameters.

Influence of Elevated Temperature on Color Centers in LiF Crystals and Their Photoluminescence

The radiation-induced photoluminescence (PL) of LiF has found its way into many applications for the detection and imaging of ionizing radiation. In this work, the influence of thermal treatment at temperatures up to 400 °C on absorption and PL emission spectra as well as fluorescent nuclear tracks in irradiated LiF crystals was investigated. It was found that carrying out PL measurements with the crystals kept at the temperature of about 80 °C leads to a considerable increase in luminescence emission of F₃⁺ color centers at 525 nm. This enhancement of PL intensity allows for the microscopic imaging of the fluorescent nuclear tracks using only F₃⁺ emission, which is not possible at room temperature. It was also found that heating the irradiated crystals before measurement at temperatures from 100 °C to 200 °C increases the concentration of F₃⁺ centers. However, the related enhancement of PL emission is insufficient in terms of enabling the observation of the fluorescent tracks in this part of the spectrum. In the case of the main PL emission at 670 nm related to F₂ centers, the thermal treatment at around 290 °C substantially increases the intensity of fluorescent tracks. This effect, however, was found to occur only at low fluences of alpha particles (up to about 10⁹ cm^-2); therefore, it is barely visible in the emission spectrum and not noticeable in the absorption spectrum.

OSL dosimetric properties and efficiency of Brazilian natural calcium fluoride pellets

Calcium fluoride (CaF₂), in both natural and synthetic forms, has been exhaustively studied and explored as thermoluminescent (TL) detector. However its sensitivity to ambient light points to the applicability of CaF₂ as OSL (Optically Stimulated Luminescence) detector, increasing the research about its luminescent properties. Although some properties to employ CaF₂ detectors with OSL technique have been already demonstrated, there is a lack of some essential information as the OSL response to different types and energy of ionizing radiation. In order to extend the use of Brazilian natural CaF₂ with OSL technique, we evaluated the efficiency and dosimetric properties of cold pressed CaF₂:NaCl pellets. The CaF₂ detectors presented good reproducibility and negligible fading of the signal over one month after irradiation. The dose response using OSL, TL and residual TL showed linear behavior for different radiation beams (protons, photons and alpha and beta particles), being equivalent to the results obtained with BeO and MTS (LiF) detectors through OSL and TL technique respectively. Moreover, differences were observed in OSL efficiency according the beam type and energy; CaF₂ detectors presented a higher OSL and TL sensitivities to protons, photons and beta particles than to alpha particles. The energy response to photons obtained using OSL and residual TL intensities present an over response at lower photon energy similar to TL energy response. In addition, differences in the OSL curve shapes were observed according to radiation type and energy, pointing to the possibility of applying this material in mixed radiation fields and to estimate average LET (Linear Energy Transfer).

LITHIUM FLUORIDE CRYSTALS AS FLUORESCENT NUCLEAR TRACK DETECTORS

Radiophotoluminescence signal of LiF crystals was found to be sufficiently strong to visualize tracks of a single charged particle. This was achieved with a wide-field fluorescent microscope equipped with a ×100 objective and LiF single crystals grown with the Czochralski method at IFJ PAN. The tracks of alpha particles, protons, as well as products of 6Li(n,α)3H reaction with thermal neutrons (moderated Pu/Be source), were observed. These encouraging results are the first steps towards practical use of LiF as fluorescent nuclear track detectors. The most promising dosimetric application seems to be neutron measurements.

IMAGING OF PROTON BRAGG PEAKS IN LiF

Lithium fluoride (LiF) is one of the most common thermoluminescent phosphors routinely used in radiation protection services. Another advantageous property of LiF is radiophotoluminescence, whose occurs after its irradiation due to the creation of color centers. Excitation of LiF samples with a blue light causes the emission of photoluminescence, which spectrum consists of two peaks at ~520 and ~670 nm. The work was focused on imaging of Bragg peaks of proton beams routinely applied at the proton eye radiotherapy facility operating at the Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN) in Krakow by the measurement of the fluorescence light in LiF crystals excited with a 445 nm blue light after their previous irradiation with the proton beams of energies of 28, 30, 40 and 50 MeV. The range of proton beams in LiF crystals for different energies was calculated by Monte Carlo simulations.

Captopril apparently increase and cisplatin apparently decrease human albumin concentration in artificial urinary solutions

BACKGROUND

Measurement of urinary albumin (HSA) is very important in diagnostic of kidney diseases. Much less is known about the possible impact of substances present in urine together with albumin on the results of measurements.

METHODS

We investigated the effect of the presence of captopril and cisplatin in the solution on the result of the determination of HSA by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Protein conformation in the absence and presence of the drugs was examined using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR).

RESULTS

The presence of captopril apparently increases HSA concentration while cisplatin causes an apparent decrease in the HSA concentration. The presence of both drugs also influence the secondary structure forms of HSA albumin investigated by FTIR.

CONCLUSION

Both drugs tested in the concentration of human use can have an impact on the results of determination of albumin in urine which can influence clinical decision.

First Glass Electrode and its Creators F. Haber and Z. Klemensiewicz – On 100th Anniversary

We celebrate the 100thanniversary of the construction of the first glass electrode, by F. Haber and Z. Klemensiewicz. This electrode was firstly described in the journal Zeitschrift fur physikalische Chemie in 1909. In our paper we present the way how this invention was created.

Dose perturbation caused by stents: experiments with a model 90Sr/90Y source

PURPOSE

Biological effects of intravascular brachytherapy are very sensitive to discrepancies between the prescription and the applied dose. If brachytherapy is aimed at in-stent restenosis, shielding and shadowing effects of metallic stents may change the dose distribution relative to that produced by the bare source. The development of new generations of stents inspired us to a new experimental study in this field. The effect was studied for 14 stents which we have recently encountered in clinical practice.

METHODS

The model source was a continuous 20-mm column of (90)Sr/(90)Y solution sealed in a 1-mm-I.D. Plexiglas capillary. The dose distribution in the Plexiglas phantom was mapped using GafChromic MD-55-2 film. The stent masses varied from 2.5 to 25 mg; the strut thicknesses, from 0.075 to 0.15 mm; and the atomic numbers of stent materials, from 24 (Cr) to 79 (Au).

RESULTS

Dose perturbations depend on a variety of stent features. Local reduction of the mean dose rates near the reference distance (r(0) = 2 mm) varied from 11% to 47%. No simple correlation was found between these data and stent characteristics, but it seems that the atomic number of the stent material is less important than the strut thickness and mesh density.

CONCLUSION

The results provide a warning that clinical indications for in-stent radiation therapy must always be confronted with another aspect of the patient's history: the kind of implanted stent. Intravascular brachytherapy using pure beta sources may be recommended only for patients "wearing" light, thin-strut stents. The presence of thick-strut stents is a contraindication for this modality, due to excessive dose perturbation.

Information-theoretic indices usage for the prediction and calculation of octanol-water partition coefficient

The paper describes the new prediction method of octanol-water partition coefficient, which is based on molecular graph theory. The results obtained using the new method are well correlated with experimental values. These results were compared with the ones obtained by use of ten other structure correlated methods. The comparison shows that graph theory can be very useful in structure correlation research.

Ketoprofen ion-selective electrode and its application to pharmaceutical analysis

The composition of a polymeric potential-determining phase for ketoprofen selective electrode has been determined and the following basic electrode parameters were examined: measurement range, slope characteristic, limit of detection, response time, lifetime and selectivity coefficients in relation to some organic and inorganic anions. The electrode have been used for ketoprofen determination in the range 25.43-25430 microg/mL.

On the dose response of some CVD diamond thermoluminescent detectors

The linearity of dose response of chemical vapour deposition (CVD) diamonds grown at the Institute for Materials Research at Limburg University, Belgium, was investigated over a dose range relevant for radiotherapy. The following CVD diamonds were investigated: (1) a batch of square 3 x 3 mm2 detectors cut from a CVD wafer and (2) an as-grown CVD wafer of 6 cm diameter. A total of 20 CVD square detectors were irradiated with 137Cs gamma rays over the dose range from 200 mGy to 25 Gy. The CVD wafer, used as a large-area thermoluminescent (TL) detector, was exposed to a 226Ra needle. Very few square detectors showed linearity over a limited dose range, followed by saturation of the TL signal. The dose range of linearity was found to be strongly affected by the thermal annealing procedure of the detector. Owing to its high sensitivity and homogeneity of response, the large CVD diamond wafer was found to be very suitable as a large-area detector for 2-D dose mapping of the 226Ra brachytherapy source, possibly for Quality Assurance purposes.

Two-dimensional thermoluminescence dosimetry using planar detectors and a TL reader with CCD camera readout

A novel method of determining two-dimensional (2-D) dose distributions is presented, using in-house developed, large-area (a few cm(2)) thermoluminescent (TL) detectors based on LiF powder plated on Al foil. An in-house developed planar large-area TL reader equipped with a coupled charge device (CCD) camera is used for readout, providing digital images of 2-D dose distributions on the surface of these large-area TL detectors. The capability of the newly developed system is demonstrated by mapping 2-D dose distributions around a brachytherapy source, at dose ranges and source geometries relevant for clinical radiotherapy. Examples of local and dynamic evaluation of TL output from conventional TL detectors are also shown.

New 2-D dosimetric technique for radiotherapy based on planar thermoluminescent detectors

At the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ) in Kraków, a two-dimensional (2-D) thermoluminescence (TL) dosimetry system was developed within the MAESTRO (Methods and Advanced Equipment for Simulation and Treatment in Radio-Oncology) 6 Framework Programme and tested by evaluating 2-D dose distributions around radioactive sources. A thermoluminescent detector (TLD) foil was developed, of thickness 0.3 mm and diameter 60 mm, containing a mixture of highly sensitive LiF:Mg,Cu,P powder and Ethylene TetraFluoroEthylene (ETFE) polymer. Foil detectors were irradiated with (226)Ra brachytherapy sources and a (90)Sr/(90)Y source. 2-D dose distributions were evaluated using a prototype planar (diameter 60 mm) reader, equipped with a 12 bit Charge Coupled Devices (CCD) PCO AG camera, with a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels. The new detectors, showing a spatial resolution better than 0.5 mm and a measurable dose range typical for radiotherapy, can find many applications in clinical dosimetry. Another technology applicable to clinical dosimetry, also developed at IFJ, is the Si microstrip detector of size 95 x 95 mm(2), which may be used to evaluate the dose distribution with a spatial resolution of 120 microm along one direction, in real-time mode. The microstrip and TLD technology will be further improved, especially to develop detectors of larger area, and to make them applicable to some advanced radiotherapy modalities, such as intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) or proton radiotherapy.

Dose distribution around a needle-like anode X-ray tube: dye-film vs. planar thermoluminescent detectors

The dosimetry around the X-ray tube with a needle-like anode (NAXT), developed at the Institute of Nuclear Studies, for interstitial brachytherapy has been performed using (1) dye films (Gafchromic XR-T), (2) large-area thermoluminescent (TL) detectors--prepared either by gluing TL powder onto thin Al foil (so-called planar detectors with spatial resolution of 0.1 mm) and (3) miniature (2 mm diameter and 0.5 mm thick) TL detectors. The measurements were performed in following geometries. (1) Needle inside a PMMA cylinder--the planar TL detector mounted on the surface of the cylinder. (2) Needle inside a thick block of PMMA and TL detector mounted vertically 7 mm from needle axis. TL detectors were read with the planar (2D) thermoluminescence reader, developed at IFJ, with a sensitive CCD (charge couple device) camera. Gafchromic films were evaluated with a system based on Agfa Arcus 1200 scanner and calibrated with X rays (35 kV) filtered with 0.03 mm Mo and with Co-60 photons. The intensity distribution of TL light on the planar detector was calibrated in terms of absorbed dose to water, using (137)Cs gamma-rays. TL planar detectors seem to be a promising tool for 2D dosimetry of miniature X-ray sources. Obtained results for TLDs and Gafchromic films seem to be comparable but differences have been found. Both methods are useful for measurements of dose distribution around the NAXT X-rays source.

Naproxen ion-selective electrode and its application to pharmaceutical analysis

An ion-selective membrane electrode was prepared based on ion-pair complex of naproxen with methyltrioctylammonium. Its basic analytical parameters such as: slope characteristics, measuring range, detection limit, response time, life time were determined. The electrode showed Nernstian response from the 10(-1) to 10(-4) mol l(-1) concentration range and 5.5-8.5 pH range, low limit of detection 5 x 10(-5) mol l(-1) and short response time--20s. Selectivity was good over a number of organic and inorganic anions. The electrode was applied for the determination of naproxen tablets in aqueous solutions by the calibration curve method and standard addition method.

CVD diamonds as thermoluminescent detectors for medical applications

Diamond is believed to be a promising material for medical dosimetry due to its tissue equivalence, mechanical and radiation hardness, and lack of solubility in water or in disinfecting agents. A number of diamond samples, obtained under different growth conditions at Limburg University, using the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technique, was tested as thermoluminescence dosemeters. Their TL glow curve, TL response after doses of gamma rays, fading, and so on were studied at dose levels and for radiation modalities typical for radiotherapy. The investigated CVD diamonds displayed sensitivity comparable with that of MTS-N (Li:Mg,Ti) detectors, signal stability (reproducibility after several readouts) below 10% (1 SD) and no fading was found four days after irradiation. A dedicated CVD diamond plate was grown, cut into 20 detector chips (3 x 3 x 0.5 mm) and used for measuring the dose-depth distribution at different depths in a water phantom, for 60Co and six MV X ray radiotherapy beams. Due to the sensitivity of diamond to ambient light, it was difficult to achieve reproducibility comparable with that of standard LiF detectors.

Response of TL dosemeters to cosmic radiation on board passenger aircraft

Measurements were performed with various LiF based TLDs on board seven Polish aircraft, flying long-distance or middle-distance routes. All of the 7LiF detectors used (various types of 7LiF:Mg,Ti and 7LiF:Mg,Cu,P detectors), which measure the non-neutron component of the radiation field, produced consistent results. It was found that the characteristics of the TLD response (ratio of different detector responses, glow curve shapes) after doses of radiation at flying altitudes differ from those obtained after exposure at the CERN facility (CERF), suggesting a lower contribution of densely ionising radiation. The neutron induced TL signal was also more affected by the thickness of the holder, suggesting the presence of a softer neutron energy spectrum at flight altitudes. Further in-flight and CERF exposures of detectors are planned to resolve these issues.