A readout system for highly sensitive diamond detectors for FLASH dosimetry.

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Oncology
• Detector Technology

Background:

• Accurate dosimetry is crucial for ultra-high dose-rate (UHDR) beams in radiation therapy.
• Diamond detectors offer high sensitivity but face challenges with large photocurrents in UHDR applications.
• Existing electrometers struggle with the high current peaks generated by sensitive diamond detectors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the efficacy of compact gated-integration electronics for conditioning high current peaks from diamond detectors.
• To enable real-time monitoring of dose and dose-rate for electron FLASH irradiation.
• To provide a viable dosimetry solution for emerging FLASH radiotherapy technologies.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a highly sensitive custom-made diamond photoconductor (S ≈ 26 nC/Gy).
• Employed compact gated-integration electronics to manage current peaks exceeding 20 mA.
• Performed measurements under electron FLASH irradiation conditions.

Main Results:

• Successfully conditioned high photocurrent peaks generated by the diamond detector.
• Demonstrated real-time monitoring of beam dose and dose-rate.
• Validated the effectiveness of the electronics for UHDR dosimetry.

Conclusions:

• Compact gated-integration electronics are effective for accurate dosimetry with sensitive diamond detectors at ultra-high dose rates.
• This approach offers a new perspective for using commercially available diamond dosimeters in FLASH radiotherapy.
• The findings support the use of advanced dosimetry techniques for emerging radiotherapy modalities.