Search results for "Gel dosimetry"
showing 9 items of 9 documents
9 Development of an experimental tool to evaluate normal tissue 3D doses in external-beam radiotherapy
2018
Introduction Recently, cancer treatment improvement enabled an increase in patients’ survival rate. In more than half of the cases, radiotherapy participates in the cure for cancer. The efficacy of this technique is well known but it inevitably delivers doses to normal tissues exposing them to radio-induced complications risks [1] . Moreover, the longer patients’ life expectancy increases the risk of developing long-term complications such as second cancers. Thus, evaluating the risks following cancer treatment involving radiotherapy constitutes a major challenge. In this context, an experimental tool has been developed to evaluate normal tissue doses delivered by the different radiotherapy…
GEL DOSIMETERS FOR RADIOTHERAPY APPLICATIONS: RESULTS OF A “RESEARCH PROJECT OF NATIONAL INTEREST” (PRIN)
2016
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 …
Analysis of spatial diffusion of ferric ions in PVA-GTA gel dosimeters through magnetic resonance imaging
2017
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 …
Sviluppo e Applicazioni di nuovi materiali per la dosimetria delle radiazioni ionizzanti
The Research Activities carried out during the Three-year International PhD Course in Applied Physics of the candidate Salvatore Gallo had two main topics related to dosimetry of ionizing radiations (IR): the analysis of 3D gel dosimeters and the analysis of solid state dosimeters through electron spin resonance. Both these activities are focused on a careful study of new materials for the IR Dosimetry, both in terms of physical characterization of these new materials and of the optimization of readout methods for dosimetric measurements. The study performed through various techniques such as UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, NMR Relaxometry, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Electron Spin…
Dependence of MRI sensitivity of Fricke gel dosimeters exposed to clinical photons beams on ferrous ammonium sulfate content
2014
Analysis of response of PVA-GTA Fricke gel dosimeters through magnetic resonance imaging.
2017
The experimental activities here reported are focused on the analysis of the clinical applications of Fricke gel dosimeters produced with a matrix of Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) cross-linked by adding glutaraldehyde (GTA). The analyses were performed by means of a 1.5 T clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. The sensitivity of these dosimetric gels to clinical photon beams as well as the signal stability were suitably investigated. Furthermore, the effect of the xylenol orange on the MRI signal was analyzed. The results obtained show that these PVA-GTA gel dosimeters show good dosimetric features for possible future use for 3D dose mapping in clinical applications.
Characterization of Fricke gel dosimeters exposed to clinical photons beams and of MRI dosimetrical applications
2014
Novel dosimetric gels for three-dimensional dose mapping in radiotherapy
2016
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-…