Behavior of oxidation in the radiochromic gel dosimeter through photoacoustic technique measurements

Review of ultrasound image guidance in external beam radiotherapy part II: intra-fraction motion management and novel applications

Imaging has become an essential tool in modern radiotherapy (RT), being used to plan dose delivery prior to treatment and verify target position before and during treatment. Ultrasound (US) imaging is cost-effective in providing excellent contrast at high resolution for depicting soft tissue targets apart from those shielded by the lungs or cranium. As a result, it is increasingly used in RT setup verification for the measurement of inter-fraction motion, the subject of Part I of this review (Fontanarosa et al 2015 Phys. Med. Biol. 60 R77-114). The combination of rapid imaging and zero ionising radiation dose makes US highly suitable for estimating intra-fraction motion. The current paper (Part II of the review) covers this topic. The basic technology for US motion estimation, and its current clinical application to the prostate, is described here, along with recent developments in robust motion-estimation algorithms, and three dimensional (3D) imaging. Together, these are likely to drive an increase in the number of future clinical studies and the range of cancer sites in which US motion management is applied. Also reviewed are selections of existing and proposed novel applications of US imaging to RT. These are driven by exciting developments in structural, functional and molecular US imaging and analytical techniques such as backscatter tissue analysis, elastography, photoacoustography, contrast-specific imaging, dynamic contrast analysis, microvascular and super-resolution imaging, and targeted microbubbles. Such techniques show promise for predicting and measuring the outcome of RT, quantifying normal tissue toxicity, improving tumour definition and defining a biological target volume that describes radiation sensitive regions of the tumour. US offers easy, low cost and efficient integration of these techniques into the RT workflow. US contrast technology also has potential to be used actively to assist RT by manipulating the tumour cell environment and by improving the delivery of radiosensitising agents. Finally, US imaging offers various ways to measure dose in 3D. If technical problems can be overcome, these hold potential for wide-dissemination of cost-effective pre-treatment dose verification and in vivo dose monitoring methods. It is concluded that US imaging could eventually contribute to all aspects of the RT workflow.

Measurements of the Fe³⁺ diffusion coefficient in Fricke xylenol gel using optical density measurements

In Fricke dosimetry, optical density measurements are performed some time after dosimeter irradiation. Values of the diffusion coefficient of Fe(3+) in Fricke Xylenol gel (FXG) are necessary for determining the spatial distribution of the absorbed dose from measurements of the optical density. Five sets of FXG dosimeters, kept at different constant temperatures, were exposed to collimated 6 MV photons. The optical density profile, proportional to the Fe(3+) concentration, at the boundary between irradiated and non-irradiated parts of each dosimeter was measured periodically over a period of 60 h. By comparing the experimental data with a function that accounts for the unobserved initial concentration profile of Fe(3+) in the FXG, we obtained diffusion coefficients 0.30±0.05, 0.40±0.05, 0.50±0.05, 0.60±0.05 and 0.80±0.05 mm(2)/h for the temperatures 283.0±0.5, 286.0±0.5, 289.0±0.5, 292.0±0.5, and 296.0±0.5 K, respectively. The activation energy of Fe(3+) diffusion in the gel, 0.54±0.06 eV, was determined from the temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficients.

Prevention of transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease by irradiation: technical aspect of a new ferrous sulphate dosimetric system

Irradiation of whole blood and blood components before transfusion is currently the only accepted method to prevent Transfusion-Associated Graft-Versus-Host-Disease (TA-GVHD). However, choosing the appropriate technique to determine the dosimetric parameters associated with blood irradiation remains an issue. We propose a dosimetric system based on the standard Fricke Xylenol Gel (FXG) dosimeter and an appropriate phantom. The modified dosimeter was previously calibrated using a ⁶⁰Co teletherapy unit and its validation was accomplished with a ¹³⁷Cs blood irradiator. An ionization chamber, standard FXG, radiochromic film and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) were used as reference dosimeters to determine the dose response and dose rate of the ⁶⁰Co unit. The dose distributions in a blood irradiator were determined with the modified FXG, the radiochromic film, and measurements by TLD dosimeters. A linear response for absorbed doses up to 54 Gy was obtained with our system. Additionally, the dose rate uncertainties carried out with gel dosimetry were lower than 5% and differences lower than 4% were noted when the absorbed dose responses were compared with ionization chamber, film and TLDs.