The role of a microDiamond detector in the dosimetry of proton pencil beams.
In this work, the performance of a microDiamond detector in a scanned proton beam is studied and its potential role in the dosimetric characterization of proton pencil beams is assessed. The linearity of the detector response with the absorbed dose and the dependence on the dose-rate were tested. The depth-dose curve and the lateral dose profiles of a proton pencil beam were measured and compared to reference data. The feasibility of calibrating the beam monitor chamber with a microDiamond detector was also studied. It was found the detector reading is linear with the absorbed dose to water (down to few cGy) and the detector response is independent of both the dose-rate (up to few Gy/s) and the proton beam energy (within the whole clinically-relevant energy range). The detector showed a good performance in depth-dose curve and lateral dose profile measurements; and it might even be used to calibrate the beam monitor chambers-provided it is cross-calibrated against a reference ionization chamber. In conclusion, the microDiamond detector was proved capable of performing an accurate dosimetric characterization of proton pencil beams.
Centre for Proton Therapy, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, Switzerland; Department of Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: carles.goma@psi.ch.
Carles
C
Gomà
INFN-Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università di Roma 'Tor Vergata', Roma, Italy.
Marco
M
Marinelli
Centre for Proton Therapy, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
Sairos
S
Safai
INFN-Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università di Roma 'Tor Vergata', Roma, Italy.
Gianluca
G
Verona-Rinati
PTW-Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Jan
J
Würfel
D018130:Diamond / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D061766:Proton Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D018130:Diamond
Microdiamond detector; Microdiamond-Detektor; Protonentherapie; Strahlungsdosimetrie; proton therapy; radiation dosimetry