Prompt gamma imaging of a pencil beam with a high efficiency compton camera at a clinical proton therapy facility

Research output: Contribution to book/conference proceedings/anthology/reportConference contributionContributed

Contributors

Abstract

Protons are excellent particles for tumour treatment due to the increased ionization density close to their stopping point. In practice, the uncertainty on the particle range compromises the achievable accuracy. Compton cameras imaging prompt gamma rays, a by-product of the irradiation, have been proposed for indirect range verification years since. At Universitats Protonen Therapie Dresden, two BGO block detectors (from PET scanners) arranged as Compton camera are deployed for imaging tests with high energy prompt gamma rays produced in PMMA by a proton pencil beam. Target shifts, thickness increase and beam energy variation experiments are conducted. Each measurement lasts about 15 minutes at a low proton beam current. The effect of one centimetre proton range deviations on the backprojected images is analysed. In conclusion, the experimental results highlight the potential application of Compton cameras for high energy prompt gamma ray imaging of pencil beams, as a real-time and in vivo range verification method in proton therapy.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2015 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference (NSS/MIC)
PublisherIEEE Computational Intelligence Society (CIS)
Pages1-4
Number of pages4
ISBN (print)978-1-4673-9863-3
Publication statusPublished - 7 Nov 2015
Peer-reviewedNo

Conference

Title2015 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference (NSS/MIC)
Duration31 October - 7 November 2015
LocationSan Diego, CA, USA

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0001-9023-3606/work/142252762
Scopus 84994085837

Keywords

Keywords

  • Protons, Cameras, Particle beams, Detectors, Medical treatment, Photonics