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Camera-based radiotherapy dosimetry using dual-material 3D printed scintillator arrays
Nicholas Lynch1, James L Robar1,2,3, Thalat Monajemi1,2,3
1Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Medical Physics
|December 22, 2022
Summary
This study demonstrates the successful dual-material 3D printing of plastic scintillator arrays for radiation therapy dosimetry. The developed method allows for custom dosimeter fabrication with accurate dose measurements, paving the way for personalized radiation treatments.
Area of Science:
- Medical Physics
- 3D Printing Technology
- Radiation Dosimetry
Background:
- Previous work focused on single-element 3D printed scintillators for customizable dosimeters in radiation therapy.
- This study extends the concept to high-resolution planar scintillator arrays.
- Dual-material fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing is explored for fabricating these arrays.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail a methodology for dual-material FDM 3D printing of plastic scintillator arrays.
- To characterize the light output of these arrays under irradiation using an sCMOS camera.
- To establish a dosimetric calibration methodology for planar scintillator array geometries.
Main Methods:
- Fabricated a planar scintillator array (3x3x3 mm³ elements) using a BCN3D Epsilon W27 printer with PLA and BCF-10 plastic scintillator.
- Characterized array response using a 6 MV photon field, imaging emitted light with an sCMOS camera.
- Processed images to correct artifacts and determine light output, then calibrated dose using Monte Carlo simulations and compared with film/OSLD measurements.
Main Results:
- Established feasibility of dual-material 3D printing for custom plastic scintillator arrays.
- Observed a nonuniform response across array rows (2.1% ± 2.8% deviation), consistent with previous findings.
- Achieved average absolute percentage dose differences of 5.3% ± 4.8% (fixed beam) and 5.4% ± 5.2% (VMAT) when excluding low doses/dose rates.
Conclusions:
- Successfully developed and characterized a 3D printed plastic scintillator array.
- Demonstrated a viable methodology for the dosimetric calibration of simple planar array geometries.
- The technology shows promise for custom dosimeter applications in radiation therapy.
