title: A depth-dose measuring device using a multichannel scintillating fiber array for electron beam therapy.
abstract: The development of a new depth-dose measuring device for electron beam therapy is described. The device employs plastic scintillating fiber detectors inserted in a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) phantom in line along an incident electron beam. Output photons from a fiber, the number of which is proportional to the absorbed dose at each depth of the phantom, were converted to an electric signal with a photodiode. Each signal from the photodiode was transmitted to a personal computer through a multichannel analog-digital converter, and was processed to draw a depth-dose curve on the computer display. A depth-dose curve could be obtained in a measuring time of 5 s for each incident electron beam with an energy range between 4 and 21 MeV. The mean electron energies estimated using the curves and the depth-scaling factor for PMMA were consistent with those obtained from conventional depth-dose measurements using an ion chamber and a water phantom. The newly developed system, being simple and not time consuming, could be used routinely for quality assurance purposes in electron beam therapy.
authors.affiliation: Nagoya University College of Medical Technology, Daikominami, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aoyama
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsuzaka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maekoshi
mesh_terms: D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D004582:Electronics, Medical / Q000295:instrumentation; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008768:Methylmethacrylates; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011786:Quality Control; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012588:Scintillation Counting / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D008768:Methylmethacrylates