A ring-shaped recombination chamber for hadron therapy dosimetry

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Oncology
• Dosimetry

Background:

• Hadron therapy requires precise measurement of stray and scattered radiation doses.
• Accurate estimation of radiation quality is crucial for optimizing treatment efficacy and minimizing side effects.
• Existing dosimetry methods may face challenges in measuring low-level scattered radiation close to sensitive organs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate an innovative recombination chamber for stray radiation dosimetry in hadron therapy.
• To enable the determination of absorbed dose and radiation quality index in phantom studies.
• To assess the chamber's capability for measurements at small distances from simulated organs.

Main Methods:

• A novel ring-shaped recombination chamber was designed with a central aperture for beam passage.
• The chamber utilizes the ionization of a filling gas to estimate radiation dose.
• Measurements were performed in phantoms to simulate conditions near target volumes and organs at risk.

Main Results:

• The designed chamber allows for the estimation of stray radiation doses and quality factors.
• It enables the determination of absorbed dose and recombination index in phantoms.
• The ring shape facilitates beam passage while measuring scattered radiation impacting surrounding tissues.

Conclusions:

• The innovative recombination chamber is suitable for stray radiation dosimetry in hadron therapy.
• It provides a method for assessing absorbed dose and radiation quality near the target volume.
• This design aids in improving dose estimation for organs at risk during hadron therapy.