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Karger CP, Elter A, Dorsch S, Mann P, Pappas E, Oldham M. Validation of complex radiotherapy techniques using polymer gel dosimetry. Phys Med Biol 2024; 69:06TR01. [PMID: 38330494 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ad278f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Modern radiotherapy delivers highly conformal dose distributions to irregularly shaped target volumes while sparing the surrounding normal tissue. Due to the complex planning and delivery techniques, dose verification and validation of the whole treatment workflow by end-to-end tests became much more important and polymer gel dosimeters are one of the few possibilities to capture the delivered dose distribution in 3D. The basic principles and formulations of gel dosimetry and its evaluation methods are described and the available studies validating device-specific geometrical parameters as well as the dose delivery by advanced radiotherapy techniques, such as 3D-CRT/IMRT and stereotactic radiosurgery treatments, the treatment of moving targets, online-adaptive magnetic resonance-guided radiotherapy as well as proton and ion beam treatments, are reviewed. The present status and limitations as well as future challenges of polymer gel dosimetry for the validation of complex radiotherapy techniques are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian P Karger
- Department of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alina Elter
- Department of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Dorsch
- Department of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Philipp Mann
- Department of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Evangelos Pappas
- Radiology & Radiotherapy Sector, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece
| | - Mark Oldham
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
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2
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Magugliani G, Marranconi M, Liosi GM, Locatelli F, Gambirasio A, Trombetta L, Hertsyk V, Torri V, Galluccio F, Macerata E, Mossini E, Santi A, Mariani M, Bombardieri E, Vavassori V, Salmoiraghi P. Pilot scale validation campaign of gel dosimetry for pre-treatment quality assurance in stereotactic radiotherapy. Phys Med 2023; 114:103158. [PMID: 37806152 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2023.103158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Complex stereotactic radiotherapy treatment plans require prior verification. A gel dosimetry system was developed and tested to serve as a high-resolution 3D dosimeter for Quality Assurance (QA) purposes. MATERIALS AND METHODS A modified version of a polyacrylamide polymer gel dosimeter based on chemical response inhibition was employed. Different sample geometries (cuvettes and phantoms) were manufactured for calibration and QA acquisitions. Irradiations were performed with a Varian Trilogy linac, and analyses of irradiated gel dosimeters were performed via MRI with a 1.5 T Philips Achieva at 1 mm3 or 2 mm3 isotropic spatial resolution. To assess reliability of polymer gel data, 54 stereotactic clinical treatment plans were delivered both on dosimetric gel phantoms and on the Delta4 dosimeter. Results from the two devices were evaluated through a global gamma index over a range of acceptance criteria and compared with each other. RESULTS A quantitative and tunable control of dosimetric gel response sensitivity was achieved through chemical inhibition. An optimized MRI analysis protocol allowed to acquire high resolution phantom dose data in timeframes of ≈ 1 h. Conversion of gel dosimeter data into absorbed dose was achieved through internal calibration. Polymer gel dosimeters (2 mm3 resolution) and Delta4 presented an agreement within 4.8 % and 2.7 % at the 3 %/1 mm and 2 %/2 mm gamma criteria, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Gel dosimeters appear as promising tools for high resolution 3D QA. Added complexity of the gel dosimetry protocol may be justifiable in case of small target volumes and steep dose gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Magugliani
- Department of Energy, Nuclear Engineering Division, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy.
| | - M Marranconi
- U. O. Medical Physics, Humanitas Gavazzeni, Bergamo, Italy
| | - G M Liosi
- Department of Energy, Nuclear Engineering Division, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - F Locatelli
- U. O. Medical Physics, Humanitas Gavazzeni, Bergamo, Italy
| | - A Gambirasio
- U. O. Medical Physics, Humanitas Gavazzeni, Bergamo, Italy
| | - L Trombetta
- U. O. Medical Physics, Humanitas Gavazzeni, Bergamo, Italy
| | - V Hertsyk
- Fondazione Humanitas per la Ricerca, Milano, Italy
| | - V Torri
- Department of Oncologic Research, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - F Galluccio
- Department of Energy, Nuclear Engineering Division, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - E Macerata
- Department of Energy, Nuclear Engineering Division, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - E Mossini
- Department of Energy, Nuclear Engineering Division, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - A Santi
- Department of Energy, Nuclear Engineering Division, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - M Mariani
- Department of Energy, Nuclear Engineering Division, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - E Bombardieri
- Scientific Direction, Humanitas Gavazzeni, Bergamo, Italy
| | - V Vavassori
- U. O. Radiotherapy, Humanitas Gavazzeni, Bergamo, Italy
| | - P Salmoiraghi
- U. O. Medical Physics, Humanitas Gavazzeni, Bergamo, Italy
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Kumahara N, Takemura A, Ishihara S, Noto K, Kojima H, Isomura N, Yokoyama H, Goto I. Sensitivity of a bone-equivalent polymer gel dosimeter for measuring the dose to bone during radiation therapy. Radiol Phys Technol 2023; 16:227-234. [PMID: 36947352 DOI: 10.1007/s12194-023-00710-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Treatment planning systems that use the Monte Carlo algorithm can calculate the dose to the medium (Dm) in non-water-equivalent tissues such as bones. However, Dm cannot be verified using actual measurements; therefore, it is necessary to develop tissue-equivalent dosimeters. In this study, we developed a bone-equivalent polymer gel dosimeter (BPGD) that can measure the dose absorbed by the bone and investigated its sensitivity. The BPGDs were prepared by adding 3.0 mol of calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate as a component of bone to an improved dose-sensitive polyacrylamide gelatin and tetrakis hydroxymethyl phosphonium chloride (iPAGAT). One day after preparation, the BPGDs were irradiated with a field size of 15 × 15 cm2 using a 10 MV X-ray beam to evaluate the dose sensitivity, dose-rate dependence, and dose-integration dependence. One day after dose exposure, the BPGDs were scanned using a 0.4 T MRI APERTO Eterna (Hitachi, Tokyo, Japan) to obtain R2 values. The difference between the R2 values of 6 Gy and 0 Gy was up to 5 s-1, and the R2 curve plateaued in the high-dose region. Moreover, the BPGD did not depend on the integration of the dose and dose rates. Therefore, the BPGDs that we developed can determine the radiation dose to bones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narumi Kumahara
- Department of Radiological Technology, Kanazawa University Hospital, Kanazawa, Japan.
| | - Akihiro Takemura
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Shouta Ishihara
- Department of Clinical Examination, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, Ogaki, Japan
| | - Kimiya Noto
- Department of Radiological Technology, Kanazawa University Hospital, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Hironori Kojima
- Department of Radiological Technology, Kanazawa University Hospital, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Naoki Isomura
- Department of Radiological Technology, Kanazawa University Hospital, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Haruna Yokoyama
- Department of Radiological Technology, Kanazawa University Hospital, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Itsuki Goto
- Divisions of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
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Nemoto M. [[Radiation Therapy] 3. Fabrication and Evaluation of Gel Dosimeters as 3D-Dose Distribution Phantom]. Nihon Hoshasen Gijutsu Gakkai Zasshi 2023; 79:65-70. [PMID: 36682780 DOI: 10.6009/jjrt.2023-2139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mikio Nemoto
- Department of Radiotherapy, Jichi Medical University hospital
- Emergent Bioinspired Soft Matter Research Team, Center for Emergent Matter Science, RIKEN
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De Deene Y. Radiation Dosimetry by Use of Radiosensitive Hydrogels and Polymers: Mechanisms, State-of-the-Art and Perspective from 3D to 4D. Gels 2022; 8:gels8090599. [PMID: 36135311 PMCID: PMC9498652 DOI: 10.3390/gels8090599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves De Deene
- Liverpool & Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Liverpool, NSW 1871, Australia; or
- Ingham Institute, Liverpool, NSW 2170, Australia
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
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6
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Marrale M, d’Errico F. Hydrogels for Three-Dimensional Ionizing-Radiation Dosimetry. Gels 2021; 7:74. [PMID: 34205640 PMCID: PMC8293215 DOI: 10.3390/gels7020074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiation-sensitive gels are among the most recent and promising developments for radiation therapy (RT) dosimetry. RT dosimetry has the twofold goal of ensuring the quality of the treatment and the radiation protection of the patient. Benchmark dosimetry for acceptance testing and commissioning of RT systems is still based on ionization chambers. However, even the smallest chambers cannot resolve the steep dose gradients of up to 30-50% per mm generated with the most advanced techniques. While a multitude of systems based, e.g., on luminescence, silicon diodes and radiochromic materials have been developed, they do not allow the truly continuous 3D dose measurements offered by radiation-sensitive gels. The gels are tissue equivalent, so they also serve as phantoms, and their response is largely independent of radiation quality and dose rate. Some of them are infused with ferrous sulfate and rely on the radiation-induced oxidation of ferrous ions to ferric ions (Fricke-gels). Other formulations consist of monomers dispersed in a gelatinous medium (Polyacrylamide gels) and rely on radiation-induced polymerization, which creates a stable polymer structure. In both gel types, irradiation causes changes in proton relaxation rates that are proportional to locally absorbed dose and can be imaged using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Changes in color and/or opacification of the gels also occur upon irradiation, allowing the use of optical tomography techniques. In this work, we review both Fricke and polyacrylamide gels with emphasis on their chemical and physical properties and on their applications for radiation dosimetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurizio Marrale
- Department of Physics and Chemistry, “Emilio Segrè” ATeN Center, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sezione di Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Francesco d’Errico
- Scuola di Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy;
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sezione di Pisa, 56127 Pisa, Italy
- School of Medicine, Yale University New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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Kozicki M, Bartosiak M, Dudek M, Kadlubowski S. LCV-Pluronic F-127 dosimeter for UV light dose distribution measurements. J Photochem Photobiol A Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2020.112930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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8
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De Deene Y, Wheatley M, Dong B, Roberts N, Jelen U, Waddington D, Liney G. Towards real-time 4D radiation dosimetry on an MRI-Linac. Phys Med Biol 2020; 65:225031. [PMID: 32947276 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/abb9f7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
4D radiation dosimetry using a highly radiation-sensitive polymer gel dosimeter with real-time quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) readout is presented as a technique to acquire the accumulated radiation dose distribution during image-guided radiotherapy on an MRI-Linac. Optimized T 2-weighted Turbo-Spin-Echo (TSE) scans are converted into quantitative ΔR 2 maps and subsequently to radiation dose maps. The concept of temporal uncertainty is introduced as a metric of effective temporal resolution. A mathematical framework is presented to optimize the echo time of the TSE sequence in terms of dose resolution, and the trade-off between temporal resolution and dose resolution is discussed. The current temporal uncertainty achieved with the MAGAT gel dosimeter on a 1 T MRI-Linac is 3.8 s which is an order of magnitude better than what has been achieved until now. The potential of real-time 4D radiation dosimetry in a theragnostic MRI-Linac is demonstrated for two scenarios: an irradiation with three coplanar beams on a head phantom and a dynamic arc treatment on a cylindrical gel phantom using a rotating couch. The dose maps acquired on the MRI-Linac are compared with a treatment plan and with dose maps acquired on a clinical 3 T MRI scanner. 3D gamma map evaluations for the different modalities are provided. While the presented method demonstrates the potential of gel dosimetry for tracking the dose delivery during radiotherapy in 4D, a shortcoming of the MAGAT gel dosimeter is a retarded dose response. The effect of non-ideal radiofrequency pulses resulting from limitations in the specific absorption rate or B1-field inhomogeneity on the TSE acquired ΔR 2 values is analysed experimentally and by use of computational modelling with a Bloch simulator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y De Deene
- Department of Engineering, Faculty of Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. School of Engineering, Faculty of Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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9
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McDonald BA, Lee HJ, Ibbott GS. Low-density gel dosimeter for measurement of the electron return effect in an MR-linac. Phys Med Biol 2019; 64:205016. [PMID: 31505483 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ab4321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Radiation therapy in the presence of a strong magnetic field is known to cause regions of enhanced and reduced dose at interfaces of materials with varying densities, in a phenomenon known as the electron return effect (ERE). In this study, a novel low-density gel dosimeter was developed to simulate lung tissue and was used to measure the ERE at the lung-soft tissue interface. Low-density gel dosimeters were developed with Fricke xylenol orange gelatin (FXG) and ferrous oxide xylenol orange (FOX) gels mixed with polystyrene foam beads of various sizes. The gels were characterized based on CT number, MR signal intensity, and uniformity. All low-density gels had CT numbers roughly equivalent to lung tissue. The optimal lung-equivalent gel formulation was determined to be FXG with <1 mm polystyrene beads due to the higher signal intensity of FXG compared to FOX and the higher uniformity with the small beads. Dose response curves were generated for the optimal low-density gel and conventional FXG. The change in spin-lattice relaxation rate (R1) before and after irradiation was linear with dose for both gels. Next, phantoms consisting of concentric cylinders with low-density and conventional FXG were created to simulate the lung-soft tissue interface. The phantoms were irradiated in a conventional linear accelerator (linac) and in a linac combined with a 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit (MR-linac) to measure the effects of the magnetic field on the dose distribution. Hot and cold spots were observed in the dose distribution at the boundaries between the gels for the phantom irradiated in the MR-linac but not the conventional linac, consistent with the ERE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigid A McDonald
- Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America. Medical Physics Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, United States of America. Author to whom correspondence should be addressed
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10
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Kron T, Lehmann J, Greer PB. Dosimetry of ionising radiation in modern radiation oncology. Phys Med Biol 2016; 61:R167-205. [DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/61/14/r167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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11
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Shahbazi-Gahrouei D, Gholami M, Pourfallah TA, Keshtkar M. Does nitrogen gas bubbled through a low density polymer gel dosimeter solution affect the polymerization process? Adv Biomed Res 2015; 4:88. [PMID: 26015914 PMCID: PMC4434445 DOI: 10.4103/2277-9175.156651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: On account of the lower electron density in the lung tissue, the dose distribution in the lung cannot be verified with the existing polymer gel dosimeters. Thus, the aims of this study are to make a low density polymer gel dosimeter and investigate the effect of nitrogen gas bubbles on the R2 responses and its homogeneity. Materials and Methods: Two different types of low density polymer gel dosimeters were prepared according to a composition proposed by De Deene, with some modifications. In the first type, no nitrogen gas was perfused through the gel solution and water. In the second type, to expel the dissolved oxygen, nitrogen gas was perfused through the water and gel solution. The post-irradiation times in the gels were 24 and 5 hours, respectively, with and without perfusion of nitrogen gas through the water and gel solution. Results: In the first type of gel, there was a linear correlation between the doses and R2 responses from 0 to 12 Gy. The fabricated gel had a higher dynamic range than the other low density polymer gel dosimeter; but its background R2 response was higher. In the second type, no difference in R2 response was seen in the dose ranges from 0 to 18 Gy. Both gels had a mass density between 0.35 and 0.45 g.cm-3 and CT values of about -650 to -750 Hounsfield units. Conclusion: It appeared that reactions between gelatin-free radicals and monomers, due to an increase in the gel temperature during rotation in the household mixer, led to a higher R2-background response. In the second type of gel, it seemed that the collapse of the nitrogen bubbles was the main factor that affected the R2-responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daryoush Shahbazi-Gahrouei
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mehrdad Gholami
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Tayyeb Allahverdi Pourfallah
- Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Mohammad Keshtkar
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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12
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Vandecasteele J, De Deene Y. Evaluation of radiochromic gel dosimetry and polymer gel dosimetry in a clinical dose verification. Phys Med Biol 2013; 58:6241-62. [PMID: 23965800 DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/58/18/6241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
A quantitative comparison of two full three-dimensional (3D) gel dosimetry techniques was assessed in a clinical setting: radiochromic gel dosimetry with an in-house developed optical laser CT scanner and polymer gel dosimetry with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To benchmark both gel dosimeters, they were exposed to a 6 MV photon beam and the depth dose was compared against a diamond detector measurement that served as golden standard. Both gel dosimeters were found accurate within 4% accuracy. In the 3D dose matrix of the radiochromic gel, hotspot dose deviations up to 8% were observed which are attributed to the fabrication procedure. The polymer gel readout was shown to be sensitive to B0 field and B1 field non-uniformities as well as temperature variations during scanning. The performance of the two gel dosimeters was also evaluated for a brain tumour IMRT treatment. Both gel measured dose distributions were compared against treatment planning system predicted dose maps which were validated independently with ion chamber measurements and portal dosimetry. In the radiochromic gel measurement, two sources of deviations could be identified. Firstly, the dose in a cluster of voxels near the edge of the phantom deviated from the planned dose. Secondly, the presence of dose hotspots in the order of 10% related to inhomogeneities in the gel limit the clinical acceptance of this dosimetry technique. Based on the results of the micelle gel dosimeter prototype presented here, chemical optimization will be subject of future work. Polymer gel dosimetry is capable of measuring the absolute dose in the whole 3D volume within 5% accuracy. A temperature stabilization technique is incorporated to increase the accuracy during short measurements, however keeping the temperature stable during long measurement times in both calibration phantoms and the volumetric phantom is more challenging. The sensitivity of MRI readout to minimal temperature fluctuations is demonstrated which proves the need for adequate compensation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Vandecasteele
- Department for Radiation oncology and Experimental Cancer Research, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, B-9000 Gent, Belgium.
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14
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Yeo UJ, Taylor ML, Supple JR, Smith RL, Dunn L, Kron T, Franich RD. Is it sensible to “deform” dose? 3D experimental validation of dose-warping. Med Phys 2012; 39:5065-72. [PMID: 22894432 DOI: 10.1118/1.4736534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- U J Yeo
- School of Applied Sciences and Health Innovations Research Institute, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
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15
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Sedaghat M, Bujold R, Lepage M. Severe dose inaccuracies caused by an oxygen-antioxidant imbalance in normoxic polymer gel dosimeters. Phys Med Biol 2011; 56:601-25. [DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/56/3/006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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16
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Baldock C, De Deene Y, Doran S, Ibbott G, Jirasek A, Lepage M, McAuley KB, Oldham M, Schreiner LJ. Polymer gel dosimetry. Phys Med Biol 2010. [PMID: 20150687 DOI: 10.1088/0031‐9155/55/5/r01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Baldock
- Institute of Medical Physics, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Australia.
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17
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Baldock C, De Deene Y, Doran S, Ibbott G, Jirasek A, Lepage M, McAuley KB, Oldham M, Schreiner LJ. Polymer gel dosimetry. Phys Med Biol 2010; 55:R1-63. [PMID: 20150687 DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/55/5/r01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 443] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Baldock
- Institute of Medical Physics, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Australia.
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Dose imaging in a thorax phantom with lung-equivalent volume at the epithermal neutron beam of LVR-15 reactor. Appl Radiat Isot 2009; 67:S214-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2009.03.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Whitney HM, Gochberg DF, Gore JC. Magnetization transfer proportion: a simplified measure of dose response for polymer gel dosimetry. Phys Med Biol 2008; 53:7107-24. [PMID: 19033644 DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/53/24/007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The response to radiation of polymer gel dosimeters has most often been described by measuring the nuclear magnetic resonance transverse relaxation rate as a function of dose. This approach is highly dependent upon the choice of experimental parameters, such as the echo spacing time for Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill-type pulse sequences, and is difficult to optimize in imaging applications where a range of doses are applied to a single gel, as is typical for practical uses of polymer gel dosimetry. Moreover, errors in computing dose can arise when there are substantial variations in the radiofrequency (B1) field or resonant frequency, as may occur for large samples. Here we consider the advantages of using magnetization transfer imaging as an alternative approach and propose the use of a simplified quantity, the magnetization transfer proportion (MTP), to assess doses. This measure can be estimated through two simple acquisitions and is more robust in the presence of some sources of system imperfections. It also has a dependence upon experimental parameters that is independent of dose, allowing simultaneous optimization at all dose levels. The MTP is shown to be less susceptible to B1 errors than are CPMG measurements of R2. The dose response can be optimized through appropriate choices of the power and offset frequency of the pulses used in magnetization transfer imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather M Whitney
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN 37232-2675, USA.
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Baete SH, De Deene Y, Masschaele B, De Neve W. Microstructural analysis of foam by use of NMR R2 dispersion. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2008; 193:286-296. [PMID: 18534878 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2008.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2008] [Revised: 05/09/2008] [Accepted: 05/14/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The spin-spin relaxation rate R2 (=1/T2) in hydrogel foams measured by use of a multiple spin echo sequence is found to be dependent on the echo time spacing. This property, referred to as R2-dispersion, originates to a large extent from molecular self-diffusion of water within internal field gradients that result from magnetic susceptibility differences between the gel and air phase. Another contribution to the R2 relaxation rate is surface relaxation. Numerical simulations are performed to investigate the relation between the foam microstructure (the mean air bubble radius and standard deviation of the air bubble radius) and foam composition properties (such as magnetic susceptibilities, diffusion coefficient and surface relaxivity) at one hand and the R2-dispersion at the other hand. The simulated R2-dispersions of gel foam are in agreement with the measured R2-dispersions. By correlating the R2-dispersion parameters and simulated microstructure properties a semi-empirical relationship is obtained that enables the mean air bubble size to be derived from measured R2-dispersion curves. The R2-derived mean air bubble size of a hydrogel foam is in agreement with the bubble size measured with X-ray micro-CT. This illustrates the feasibility of using 1H R2-dispersion measurements to determine the size of air bubbles in hydrogel foams and of alveoli in lung tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- S H Baete
- Department of Radiotherapy, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
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