title: Radiation dose distributions in three dimensions from tomographic optical density scanning of polymer gels: I. Development of an optical scanner.
abstract: A new method of dosimetry of ionizing radiations has been developed that makes use of tissue-equivalent polymer gels which are capable of recording three-dimensional dose distributions. The dosimetric data stored within the gels are measured using optical tomographic densitometry. The dose-response mechanism relies on the production of light scattering microparticles which result from the polymerization of acrylic comonomers dispersed in the gel. The attenuation of a collimated light beam caused by scattering in the irradiated optically turbid medium is directly related to the radiation dose over the range 0-10 Gy. An optical scanner has been developed which incorporates an He-Ne laser, photodiode detectors, and a rotating gel platform. Using mirrors mounted on a translating stage, the laser beam scans across the gel between each incremental rotation of the platform. Using the set of optical density projections obtained, a cross sectional image of the radiation field is then reconstructed. Doses in the range 0-10 Gy can be measured to better than 5% accuracy with a spatial resolution approximately 2 mm using the current prototype scanner. This method can be used for the determination of three-dimensional dose distributions in irradiated gels, including measurements of the complex distributions produced by multi-leaf collimators, dynamic wedge and stereotactic treatments, and for quality assurance procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Gore
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ranade
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Maryañski
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Schulz
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D005782:Gels; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011108:Polymers; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D011108:Polymers