Gel dosimeters for radiotherapy applications

Novel dosimetric gels for three-dimensional dose mapping in radiotherapy

One of the most recent and promising developments for radiotherapy (RT) dosimetry was the introduction of 3D radiation- sensitive gels. The gels are tissue equivalent, so they also serve as a phantom, and their response is largely independent of rad iation quality and dose rate. Some gels are infused with ferrous sulfate and rely on the radiation-induced oxidation of ferrous ions to ferric ions (Fricke-gels) . These gels suffer from spontaneous-oxidation and diffusion of ferric ions after irradiation; the latter is significantly reduced by chelating agents such as xylenol orange (XO) (Fricke-XO gels) [2]. Other formulations consist of dispersed monomers, and rely on radiation-induced cross-…