title: Experimental study of attenuation properties of normoxic polymer gel dosimeters.
abstract: The change in linear attenuation coefficient with absorbed dose has been investigated for aqueous polyacrylamide, gelatine and tetrakis (PAGAT) and aqueous methacrylic acid, gelatine and tetrakis (MAGAT) normoxic polymer gel dosimeters using tetrakis (hydroxy methyl) phosphonium chloride as the antioxidant. The measured linear attenuation coefficient increased linearly with absorbed dose up to 15 Gy for PAGAT gels and 10 Gy for MAGAT gels. Computerized tomography (CT) numbers or Hounsfield units (H) were calculated from the linear attenuation coefficients and compared with values obtained using a CT scanner. Both calculated and measured CT numbers followed a similar pattern when fitted with a biexponential curve. The CT numbers obtained from linear attenuation measurements were found to be greater than that obtained with the CT scanner for both PAGAT and MAGAT polymer gels. The H-dose sensitivities of the MAGAT and PAGAT polymer gel dosimeters measured on a CT scanner were calculated to be (0.85 +/- 0.08) H Gy(-1) and (0.31 +/- 0.03) H Gy(-1), respectively. The H-dose sensitivities of the MAGAT and PAGAT polymer gel dosimeters from attenuation measurements were found to be (1.10 +/- 0.66) H Gy(-1) and (0.34 +/- 0.01) H Gy(-1), respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Christian Medical College, Vellore 632 004, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brindha
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Venning
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baldock
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000528:radiation effects*; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005782:Gels / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D005782:Gels; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids; C016680:polyacrylamide gels