Acoustic Analog Front End for Proton Range Detection in Hadron Therapy.

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Acoustic Physics
• Radiation Oncology

Background:

• Ion beam cancer therapy offers superior dose deposition compared to photon radiotherapy.
• Precise localization of the Bragg peak (BP) is essential for maximizing therapeutic efficacy and minimizing off-target dose.
• Current BP detection methods require continuous improvement in accuracy and reliability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the ionoacoustic effect as a novel method for high-accuracy Bragg peak detection.
• To develop and validate a cross-domain model for simulating ionoacoustic signal generation and propagation.
• To assess the feasibility of using sound wave time-of-flight for real-time BP position determination.

Main Methods:

• Modeling proton beam energy deposition to calculate induced thermal expansion and pressure variations.
• Simulating acoustic wave propagation in water from the BP region to an external sensor.
• Analyzing the time evolution of the detected acoustic signal to determine BP position.

Main Results:

• The model accurately predicts pressure variations induced by proton energy deposition.
• Sound wave propagation simulation successfully emulates signal generation at the acoustic sensor.
• The developed method achieved a BP position detection accuracy of 1% deviation from the effective position.

Conclusions:

• The ionoacoustic effect presents a promising, non-invasive technique for precise Bragg peak localization in ion beam therapy.
• The validated cross-domain model provides a robust framework for further research and development of this detection method.
• This approach has the potential to enhance the safety and effectiveness of ion beam cancer treatments.