Journal article
Evaluating dosimetric parameters with a plastic scintillator for megavoltage photon beam quality assurance
Journal of applied clinical medical physics, Vol.26(10), e70276
10/2025
DOI: 10.1002/acm2.70276
PMCID: PMC12513803
PMID: 41074225
Abstract
Linear accelerators require a large amount of data to be collected daily, monthly and annually to verify safe deliveries for patients. Different detectors have been utilized to improve the simplicity, efficiency and accuracy of the various experimental setups required to collect the necessary data resulting in reduced data collection and evaluation time. Plastic scintillators are stable and energy independent radiation detectors with high spatial resolution that emit light proportional to the amount of radiation incident on them. With an appropriate photodetector and technique to measure and analyze the light that is emitted, scintillators can be utilized to measure dosimetric parameters necessary for various monthly quality assurance requirements.
A uniform cylindrical plastic scintillator imaged by a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera is designed to act as a radiation detector to measure 2D projections of linear accelerator beams. Beams were delivered to the detector to evaluate machine quality assurance (QA) parameters, including beam energy, output, profile consistency and reproducibility as described by TG-198. These measurements were compared to calculations from the Eclipse treatment planning system (TPS). Typical monthly quality assurance (QA) beams were delivered and 2D projections of the scintillation light were measured to validate the accuracy and reproducibility of this detector system for monthly QA.
The plastic scintillator was able to accurately characterize the radiation beam. Energy and profile measurements were reproducible and within 2%/2mm of calculations in the TPS. Output measurements had maximum variations of up to 1.3% and average differences of 0.5%.
A simple cylindrical plastic scintillator and CMOS camera radiation detector setup was designed and tested for measuring monthly QA dosimetric parameters specified by TG-198 with accurate and reproducible output, energy and profiles measurements. This method reduces the number of measurements required, allowing multiple parameters to be evaluated in a single beam delivery.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Evaluating dosimetric parameters with a plastic scintillator for megavoltage photon beam quality assurance
- Creators
- Gregory Penoncello - University of Colorado DenverBernard L Jones - University of Colorado DenverDavid A P Dunkerley - University of Colorado DenverAdam Mahl - University of Colorado DenverMoyed Miften - University of Colorado DenverCem Altunbas - University of Colorado DenverC-K Chris Wang - Georgia Institute of TechnologyDaniel G Robertson - Mayo Clinic in Florida
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of applied clinical medical physics, Vol.26(10), e70276
- DOI
- 10.1002/acm2.70276
- PMID
- 41074225
- PMCID
- PMC12513803
- NLM abbreviation
- J Appl Clin Med Phys
- ISSN
- 1526-9914
- eISSN
- 1526-9914
- Publisher
- American Association of Physicists in Medicine
- Grant note
- Denver Chapter of the Golfers Against Cancer Grant: P30CA046934
This work was supported by the Denver Chapter of the Golfers Against Cancer Grant P30CA046934.
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 10/2025
- Academic Unit
- Radiation Oncology
- Record Identifier
- 9985014872302771
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