Transversal dose profile reconstruction for clinical proton beams: A detectors inter-comparison

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Oncology
• Nuclear Instrumentation

Background:

• Proton therapy requires precise daily quality assurance (QA) for accurate dose delivery.
• Transversal dose profile reconstruction is crucial for verifying beam characteristics.
• Existing QA methods, such as radiochromic films, serve as established references.

Purpose of the Study:

• To inter-compare different devices for transversal dose profile reconstruction in proton therapy.
• To evaluate a novel beam profiling system developed at INFN-LNS for daily QA.

Main Methods:

• Comparison of EBT3 radiochromic films (reference) with other QA devices.
• Utilized a newly developed beam profiling system: a 1mm plastic scintillator screen with a CCD detector.
• Tests conducted at INFN-LNS and Trento Proton Therapy Center facilities.

Main Results:

• General good agreement observed between the tested detectors.
• The INFN-LNS beam profiling system demonstrated a linear response within the relevant dose rate range for proton therapy.
• The system offers high spatial resolution and efficient acquisition/processing times.

Conclusions:

• The developed beam profiling system is a promising tool for 2-D relative dosimetry in proton therapy QA.
• Its performance characteristics support its potential for routine clinical use.
• The system provides a viable alternative for accurate and efficient beam profile verification.