A Diamond-Based Dose-per-Pulse X-ray Detector for Radiation Therapy.

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Detection

Background:

• Modern dynamic radiotherapy requires precise dose delivery with short irradiation times.
• Fast X-ray detectors and readout electronics are essential for quality assurance in radiotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a diamond-based detection system for real-time pulse-by-pulse dose monitoring in radiotherapy.
• To improve the accuracy and efficiency of beam diagnostics for linear accelerators (LINACs).

Main Methods:

• A diamond-based detection system was designed to acquire and process dose from individual pulses of 6-MV X-ray beams.
• The system measures X-ray pulse intensity within a limited integration period to minimize acquisition time inaccuracies.
• Detector sensitivity and charge-per-pulse were measured under 6-MV X-photons.

Main Results:

• The diamond detector exhibited a sensitivity of 302.2 nC/Gy at 10 V bias under 6-MV X-photons.
• Pulse-by-pulse measurements yielded a charge-per-pulse of 84.68 pC, closely matching estimations.
• The system allows for signal processing between pulses, enabling real-time dose monitoring.

Conclusions:

• The developed diamond-based system provides accurate, real-time, pulse-by-pulse dose monitoring for dynamic radiotherapy.
• This technology enhances quality assurance for linear accelerator treatments by enabling immediate feedback.
• The system's ability to process signals between pulses offers significant advantages for beam diagnostics.