Reference dosimetry of proton pencil beams based on dose-area product: a proof of concept. (22nd May 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gomà, Carles; Safai, Sairos; Vörös, Sándor
• Is Part Of: Physics in medicine & biology. Volume 62:Number 12(2017:Jun.)
• Page Start: 4991
• Page End: 5005
• Publication Date: 2017-05-22
• Subjects: reference dosimetry -- proton therapy -- dose-area product -- pencil beam scanning; Biophysics -- Periodicals; Medical physics -- Periodicals; 610.153
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/aa7008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0031-9155

Abstract

Abstract: This paper describes a novel approach to the reference dosimetry of proton pencil beams based on dose-area product ( D A P w ). It depicts the calibration of a large-diameter plane-parallel ionization chamber in terms of dose-area product in a 60 Co beam, the Monte Carlo calculation of beam quality correction factors—in terms of dose-area product—in proton beams, the Monte Carlo calculation of nuclear halo correction factors, and the experimental determination of D A P w of a single proton pencil beam. This new approach to reference dosimetry proves to be feasible, as it yields D A P w values in agreement with the standard and well-established approach of determining the absorbed dose to water at the centre of a broad homogeneous field generated by the superposition of regularly-spaced proton pencil beams.