Sohrabi M, Hakimi A. Novel 6MV X-ray photoneutron detection and dosimetry of medical accelerators.
Phys Med 2017;
36:103-109. [PMID:
28410678 DOI:
10.1016/j.ejmp.2017.03.020]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE
Dosimetry of fast, epithermal and thermal photoneutrons in 6MV X-ray beams of two medical accelerators were studied by novel dosimetry methods.
METHODS
A Siemens ONCOR and an Elekta COMPACT medical accelerators were used. Fast, epithermal and thermal photoneutron dose equivalents in 10cm×10cm 6MV X-rays fields were determined in air and on surface of a polyethylene phantom in X and Y directions. Polycarbonate dosimeters as bare or with enriched 10B convertors (with or without cadmium covers) were used applying a 50Hz-HV electrochemical etching method.
RESULTS
Fast, epithermal and thermal photoneutron dose equivalents were efficiently determined respectively as ∼1145.8, ∼45.3 and ∼170.6μSv in air and ∼1888.5, ∼96.1 and ∼640.6μSv on phantom per 100Gy X-rays at the isocenter of Siemens ONCOR accelerator in air. The dose equivalent is maximum at the isocenter which decreases as distance from it increases reaching a constant level. Tissue-to-air ratios are constants up to 15cm from the isocenter. No photoneutrons was detected in the Elekta COMPACT accelerator.
CONCLUSIONS
Fast, epithermal and thermal photoneutron dosimetry of 6MV X-rays were made by novel dosimetry methods in a Siemens ONCOR accelerator with sum dose equivalent per Gy of ∼0.0014% μSv with ∼0.21MeV mean energy at the isocenter; i.e. ∼150 times smaller than that of 18MV X-rays. This observation assures clinical safety of 6MV X-rays in particular in single-mode machines like Elekta COMPACT producing no photoneutrons due to no "beryllium exit window" in the head structure.
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