Experimental data-driven design of 3D range modulators for proton conformal FLASH applications

Proton ultra-high-dose-rate (FLASH) radiotherapy has shown great potential in proton therapy owing to its superior sparing of organs at risk. Current FLASH-capable cyclotrons are restricted to single-energy deliveries and hence, preclinical FLASH experiments have been performed with transmission beams. Recently, 3D range modulators (3D RMs) have been increasingly investigated to confer better dose conformality versus transmission beams. However, existing RM designs rely heavily on time-consuming and resource-intensive simulation-based iterations, posing substantial barriers to clinical applicability.

This work developed and experimentally validated a data-driven design method of 3D RMs for proton conformal FLASH.

Three 3D RMs corresponding to different target geometries were designed from an extensive base data library consisting of experimental proton spot profiles and IDDs through varying 3D RM material thicknesses from a FLASH-capable proton synchrocyclotron's (IBA Proteus^®ONE) beam model. Each RM was designed to create conformal dose distributions of varying geometries from a single-energy beam by creating spread-out-Bragg-peaks per spot. Expedient dose calculations were performed with a MATLAB-based simplified dose engine consisting of pencil beam algorithms. All RMs were 3D-printed with resin. All plans were experimentally delivered. 1D absolute dose measurements were performed with a plane-parallel ion chamber (PPC05), 2D profile measurements were performed with radiochromic films (EBT-XD) and an end-to-end test performed with a 2D ionization chamber array (MatriXX ONE) with absolute dose calibration. Compared with traditional simulation-based approaches, which often require several days to develop a reliable machine-specific model, the proposed data-driven framework enables model establishment using approximately one day of experimental measurements.

Good dose conformities were achieved for all targets with the FLASH dose-rates achieved through all 3D RMs. Experimentally measured doses had gamma passing rates above 95% at 2%/2 mm showing good dose calculation agreements with our expedient data-driven approach.

This study experimentally validated an expedient data-driven design method of 3D RMs, demonstrating the feasibility of a non-simulation-based approach for 3D RM design and providing a practical foundation for clinical translation of proton conformal FLASH.