Phenol compounds as new materials for electron spin resonance dosimetry in radiotherapy

Preliminary magnetic resonance relaxometric analysis of Fricke gel dosimeters produced with polyvinyl alcohol and glutaraldehyde

This work describes the preliminary analysis of Fricke gels dosimeters characterized by a new formulation making use of a matrix of polyvinyl alcohol cross-linked by adding glutaraldehyde and analyzed by means of nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry. In previous optical studies, these gels have shown promising dosimetric features in terms of photon sensitivity and low diffusion of ferric ions produced after irradiation. In this work, we used a portable nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometer to measure the relaxation times (which are important for dosimetric applications) of these gel materials. For this purpose, we performed a study for optimizing the acquisition parameters with a nuclear…

GEL DOSIMETERS FOR RADIOTHERAPY APPLICATIONS: RESULTS OF A “RESEARCH PROJECT OF NATIONAL INTEREST” (PRIN)

Introduction: Gel dosimeters for three-dimensional mapping of radiotherapy doses were introduced at Yale University in the mid-1980’s. Soon after, research and development in this field also started in Italy. Early work was done at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità and at the Universities of Pisa and Milan. Several institutes now collaborate on this topic with the goal of developing new formulations of hydrogel matrices with improved characteristics of stability, sensitivity and spatial resolution compared to those of earlier Fricke-gel and polymer-gel systems. Materials and methods: Contrary to earlier gels based on natural gelling agents, such as porcine skin gelatin and/or agarose, which …

Electron Spin Resonance and Thermoluminescence dating of shells and sediments from Sambaqui (shell mound) Santa Marta II, Brazil

In Tupi, the word Sambaqui means “mound of shells”. These archaeological sites are cultural vestiges left by the prehistoric occupation of the Brazilian coast from five to six thousand years ago. Mollusks, fishes, and other marine edible foods were important for the survival of this population. The remains of foods, mainly shells, were heaped up, giving a mound of different proportions, which became part of the landscape of the Brazilian coastal plain. Due to the large number of Sambaquis in Brazil and considering that Sambaqui Santa Marta II, Laguna, SC, has not yet been dated, Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) measurements were performed in aragonite shells collected from different layers of …

Correlation between ferrous ammonium sulfate concentration, sensitivity and stability of Fricke gel dosimeters exposed to clinical X-ray beams

Abstract This work describes the characterization of various Fricke-Agarose-Xylenol gels (FXG) dosimeters using NMR relaxometry and MRI analysis. Using X-rays from a clinical linear accelerator (LINAC), the gels were irradiated in the dose range from 0 Gy to 20 Gy. The photon sensitivity of the FXGs was measured in terms of NMR relaxation rates; its dependence on radiation dose was determined as a function of ferrous ammonium sulfate contents (from 0.5 mM to 5 mM). Furthermore, the stability of the NMR signal was monitored over several days after irradiation. These measurements were aided by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans which allowed three-dimensional (3D) dose mapping. In order t…

Analysis of the response of PVA-GTA Fricke-gel dosimeters with clinical magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract Fricke gel dosimeters produced with a matrix of Poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA) cross-linked with glutaraldehyde (GTA) were analyzed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Previous studies based on spectrophotometry showed valuable dosimetric features of these gels in terms of X-ray sensitivity and diffusion of the ferric ions produced after irradiation. In this study, MRI was performed on the gels at 1.5 T with a clinical scanner in order to optimize the acquisition parameters and obtain high contrast between irradiated and non-irradiated samples. The PVA gels were found to offer good linearity in the range of 0–10 Gy and a stable signal for several hours after irradiation. The sensitivi…

Characterization of the ESR response of alanine dosimeters to low-energy Cu-target X-tube photons

Abstract This article describes Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) response measurements of Kodak BioMax alanine films exposed to low-energy X-rays from a Cu-target tube operating at 20 kV. Commercial alanine detectors were used to ensure maximum reproducibility of the results, while the choice of a film was due the low penetration of the soft X-rays. X-ray energy spectra and fluences were determined with an innovative digital semiconductor detector system. These data were used to quantify the irradiation of the alanine films in terms of absorbed dose to water. The alanine films were found to present a stable response, highly linear with dose. To our knowledge, these data have not been previousl…

LOW DOSE CHARACTERIZATION OF FRICKE GEL DOSIMETERS BY OPTICAL ABSORBANCE AND MR RELAXATION METHODS

Introduction Fricke gel dosimeters allow measurements of 3D dose distributions and can be an effective tool for dosimetry verifications in radiotherapy. Various authors have reported drawbacks of the gels affecting the accuracy in case of low dose measurements. Purpose This study aims at investigating such drawbacks and at establishing the conditions for an optimal use of the gels. Materials and methods Our dosimeters consist of gels infused with a Fricke ferrous sulphate solution combined with xylenol orange (XO). Two kinds of xylenol orange (XO) and two different gelling agents (gelatin from porcine skin and Agarose) were utilized. Gels are red out by light absorption techniques: images o…

Study of optical absorbance and MR relaxation of Fricke xylenol orange gel dosimeters

Abstract Studies on the optical absorbance spectra of Fricke xylenol orange gel dosimeters were performed, in the wavelength range from 300 nm to 800 nm, in order to highlight some particular characteristics that can affect the achievable precision. The spectra are different mainly due to the different types of xylenol orange that was used and to a lower extent due to the different gelling agents (agarose or gelatine). The characteristic of variation of absorbance spectra versus dose, however, are similar in the various cases and can explain some peculiarities, as apparent effects of dose threshold. Changes of spectral shapes appear over the time after irradiation. Magnetic resonance measur…

Analysis of spatial diffusion of ferric ions in PVA-GTA gel dosimeters through magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract This work focused on the analysis of the temporal diffusion of ferric ions through PVA-GTA gel dosimeters. PVA-GTA gel samples, partly exposed with 6 MV X-rays in order to create an initial steep gradient, were mapped using magnetic resonance imaging on a 7T MRI scanner for small animals. Multiple images of the gels were acquired over several hours after irradiation and were analyzed to quantitatively extract the signal profile. The spatial resolution achieved is 200 μm and this makes this technique particularly suitable for the analysis of steep gradients of ferric ion concentration. The results obtained with PVA-GTA gels were compared with those achieved with agarose gels, which …

209 New Fricke gel with high sensitivity and low diffusion for 3D-MRI dosimetry

Purpose Fricke gel (FG) dosimeters are good candidates for 3D dose assessment in biological materials. Their effective atomic number and density are similar to those of soft tissue. In view of their chemical and morphological characteristics, FG serve as dosimeters and as phantoms at the same time. FG dosimeters are obtained by incorporating an acidic aqueous solution of ferrous ions Fe2+ into a gel matrix. In order to address the limitations of gels based on natural matrices, we have studied FG produced with a matrix of poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA) cross-linked with glutaraldehyde (GTA). Materials and methods The proposed gel contains 10% w/v of PVA and GTA of 1%w/v. A common formulation agaro…

Nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry and imaging for dosimetry with agarose Fricke gel

Last Interglacial Iberian Neandertals as fisher-hunter-gatherers.

Fruits of the sea The origins of marine resource consumption by humans have been much debated. Zilhão et al. present evidence that, in Atlantic Iberia's coastal settings, Middle Paleolithic Neanderthals exploited marine resources at a scale on par with the modern human–associated Middle Stone Age of southern Africa (see the Perspective by Will). Excavations at the Figueira Brava site on Portugal's Atlantic coast reveal shell middens rich in the remains of mollusks, crabs, and fish, as well as terrestrial food items. Familiarity with the sea and its resources may thus have been widespread for residents there in the Middle Paleolithic. The Figueira Brava Neanderthals also exploited stone pine…

Hydrogels for Three-Dimensional Ionizing-Radiation Dosimetry

Radiation-sensitive gels are among the most recent and promising developments for radiation therapy (RT) dosimetry. RT dosimetry has the twofold goal of ensuring the quality of the treatment and the radiation protection of the patient. Benchmark dosimetry for acceptance testing and commissioning of RT systems is still based on ionization chambers. However, even the smallest chambers cannot resolve the steep dose gradients of up to 30–50% per mm generated with the most advanced techniques. While a multitude of systems based, e.g., on luminescence, silicon diodes and radiochromic materials have been developed, they do not allow the truly continuous 3D dose measurements offered by radiation-se…

EPR dating of shells from Malhada Marsh, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The formation of the coastal plain of the Brazilian sea is mainly due to the fluctuation of relative sea level in the past. Armacao dos Buzios or simply Buzios is a municipality in the microregion of lakes, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. In this region there is a lowland area about two meters above current sea level. This lowland area is also known as coastal plain of Una River. It is expected that during the Holocene period the sea level reached a maximum about 2.5 meters above the current level. During that time billions of mollusks lived and proliferated in the shallow waters around the coastal plain of the Una River. As they died their shells formed a layer in the soil including Malhad…

Improvement of neutron sensitivity for lithium formate ESR dosimeters: A Monte Carlo analysis

This work presents the computational analysis of the sensitivity improvements that could be achieved in lithium formate monohydrate (LFM) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) dosemeters exposed to neutron beams. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations were performed on LFM pellets exposed to neutron beams with different energy spectra at various depths inside a water phantom. Various computations were carried out by considering different enrichments of 6Li inside the LFM matrix as well as addition of different amounts of gadolinium oxide inside the pellet blend. The energy released per unit mass was calculated with the aim of redicting the increase in dose achievable by the addition of sensitizers in…

Novel GTA-PVA Fricke gels for three-dimensional dose mapping in radiotherapy

Abstract One of the most recent and promising developments in radiotherapy dosimetry was the introduction of 3D radiation-sensitive gels. These gels present tissue equivalent composition and density, so they also serve as phantoms, and their response is largely independent of radiation 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 formulations suffer from spontaneous-oxidation and diffusion of ferric ions after irradiation; chelating agents such as xylenol-orange significantly reduces the latter. Other gel types consist of dispersed monomers, and rely on radiation-induced cros…

Diffusion coefficient of PVA Fricke gel dosimeters

Fricke gel dosimeters based on various matrix has been studied for a long time as 3D dosimetric system for radiotherapy. Selfoxidation and loss of spatial resolution due to diffusion have been the main issues that have impaired the affirmation of this technique so far. As part of an Italian nation-wide research program, we were interested in develop new gel formulations that are simple, reproducible and non toxic. We studied the one dimensional diffusion coefficient of Fe3+ ions inside Fricke gel dosimeters based on a matrix of PVA cross-linked with a di-aldehyde. With a spectrophotometer equipped with a moving tray we were able to collect absorbance measurements at different positions of t…

Le Moustier (Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère, Dordogne). Rapport de fouille triennale 2016-2018, projet de recherches 2019-2021

Alanine films for EPR dosimetry of low-energy (1–30 keV) X-ray photons

Abstract L- α -alanine has aroused considerable interest for use in radiation EPR dosimetry and has been formally accepted as a secondary standard for high-dose (kGy) and transfer dosimetry of high-energy photons and electrons. In this work, we extended the investigation of the energy response of alanine EPR films in the low energy range for X-photons (1–30 keV). Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) measurements were performed on Kodak BioMax alanine films exposed to low-energy X-rays from a Cu-, W- and Mo-targets tube operating at voltages up to 30 kV. Films were chosen because of the low penetration of the soft X-rays used. The response of alanine to low-energy X-rays was characterized e…

NMR relaxometry measurements of Fricke gel dosimeters exposed to neutrons

Fricke infused gel matrices offer several features making them suitable for dosimetric applications; among the set here are tissue equivalence, low cost and ease of preparation. Their nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation properties can be used as a radiation detector for the dosimetry of beams used in cancer therapy. In recent years neutron capture therapy has been resumed for the treatment of various types of cancer and it requires three-dimensional mapping of the neutron fields. In this work, we investigated this particular application through NMR relaxometry and MR imaging of Fricke gels exposed to neutrons. We analyzed both the R1 and R2 relaxation rates, which relate to the long…

Diffusion and sensitivity characteristics of a chemically cross-linked PVA-Fricke gel dosimeter

ALANINE/ESR DOSIMETRY FOR TOTAL BODY IRRADIATION USING AN ANTHROPOMORPHIC PHANTOM

Introduction: Total Body Irradiation (TBI) is a technique widely used in the radiation blood-oncology in the treatment of patients that need bone marrow transplantation or peripheral stem cell transplantation. This technique has some limitations such as the lack of homogeneity of the dose distribution (which may show variations of 20% in the different areas), irradiation of critical organs such as the lungs, the liver, the intestine and the eye-lens which can receive a dose comparable to that nominal and require appropriate shielding and a proper evaluation of the dose absorbed by them. The positive outcome of this type of radiation therapy is strictly related to a precise and accurate meas…