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- Adolfsson, Emelie, 1985-, et al.
(author)
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Response of Lithium Formate EPR Dosimeters at Photon Energies Relelvant to Brachytherapy
- 2009
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In: IFMBE Proceedings. - Heidelberg : Springer Berlin Heidelberg. - 9783642034725 - 9783642034749 ; , s. 236-239
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- After development of sensitive dosimeter materials Electron Paramagnetic Resonance EPR dosimetry has been successfully used also in radiation therapy. The intensity of the EPR-signal is a measure of the amount of free radicals created by ionizing radiation which is proportional to the absorbed dose in the dosimeter. Lithium formate monohydrate is a dosimeter material with 2-6 times higher sensitivity than alanine, a linear dose response over a wide dose range and mass-energy absorption properties similar to water. These properties make lithium formate promising for verification of absorbed doses around high dose rate brachytherapy sources where the dose gradient is steep and the photon energy distribution changing with distance from the source. Calibration of the dosimeters is performed in 60Co or MV photon beams where high dosimetric accuracy is feasible. The use in brachytherapy field relies on the assumption that the production of free radicals per mean absorbed dose in the dosimeter is similar at the lower photon energies present there. The aim of this work was to test that assumption. The response of the dosimeters as a function of photon energy was determined by irradiations with four x-ray qualities in the range 100-250 kV and 137Cs, relative to the response when irradiated with 60Co, all photon beams with well-known air kerma rates at the Swedish Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratory. Monte Carlo simulations were used to convert air kerma free in air to mean absorbed dose to the dosimeter. The measured response relative 60Co as a function of photon energy was below unity for all qualities. The maximum deviation from unity was 2.5% (100 kV, 135 kV) with a relative standard deviation of 1.5% (k = 1).
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| 2. |
- Antonovic, Laura, et al.
(author)
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Evaluation of a lithium formate EPR dosimetry system for dose measurements around Ir-192 brachytherapy sources
- 2009
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In: MEDICAL PHYSICS. - : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 36:6, s. 2236-2247
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A dosimetry system using lithium formate monohydrate (HCO2Li center dot H2O) as detector material and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy for readout has been used to measure absorbed dose distributions around clinical Ir-192 sources. Cylindrical tablets with diameter of 4.5 mm, height of 4.8 mm, and density of 1.26 g/cm(3) were manufactured. Homogeneity test and calibration of the dosimeters were performed in a 6 MV photon beam. Ir-192 irradiations were performed in a PMMA phantom using two different source models, the GammaMed Plus HDR and the microSelectron PDR-v1 model. Measured absorbed doses to water in the PMMA phantom were converted to the corresponding absorbed doses to water in water phantoms of dimensions used by the treatment planning systems (TPSs) using correction factors explicitly derived for this experiment. Experimentally determined absorbed doses agreed with the absorbed doses to water calculated by the TPS to within +/- 2.9%. Relative standard uncertainties in the experimentally determined absorbed doses were estimated to be within the range of 1.7%-1.3% depending on the radial distance from the source, the type of source (HDR or PDR), and the particular absorbed doses used. This work shows that a lithium formate dosimetry system is well suited for measurements of absorbed dose to water around clinical HDR and PDR Ir-192 sources. Being less energy dependent than the commonly used thermoluminescent lithium fluoride (LiF) dosimeters, lithium formate monohydrate dosimeters are well suited to measure absorbed doses in situations where the energy dependence cannot easily be accounted for such as in multiple-source irradiations to verify treatment plans. Their wide dynamic range and linear dose response over the dose interval of 0.2-1000 Gy make them suitable for measurements on sources of the strengths used in clinical applications. The dosimeter size needs, however, to be reduced for application to single-source dosimetry.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Carlsson Tedgren, Åsa, et al.
(author)
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Influence of phantom material and dimensions on experimental Ir-192 dosimetry
- 2009
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In: MEDICAL PHYSICS. - : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 36:6, s. 2228-2235
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In treatment planning of brachytherapy, absorbed dose is calculated by superposing predetermined distributions of absorbed dose to water in water for the single source according to the irradiation pattern [i.e., placement of the source(s) or dwelling position(s)]. Single-source reference water data are derived from Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and/or experiments. For reasons of positional accuracy, experimental brachytherapy dosimetry is most often performed in plastic phantoms. This work investigates the water equivalence of phantoms made from polystyrene, PMMA, and solid water for Ir-192 dosimetry. The EGSnrc MC code is used to simulate radial absorbed dose distributions in cylindrical phantoms of dimensions ranging in size from diameter and height of 20 cm to diameter and height of 40 cm. Water equivalence prevails if the absorbed dose to water in the plastic phantom is the same as the absorbed dose to water in a water phantom at equal distances from the source. It is shown that water equivalence at a specified distance from the source depends not only on the size of the plastic phantom but also on the size of the water phantom used for comparison. Compared to equally sized water phantoms, phantoms of polystyrene are less water equivalent than phantoms of PMMA and solid water but compared to larger water phantoms they are the most water equivalent. Although phantom dimension is the most important single factor influencing the dose distributions around Ir-192 sources, the effect of material properties is non-negligible and becomes increasingly important as phantom dimensions increase. The importance of knowing the size of the water phantom whose data underlies treatment planning systems, when using such data as a reference in, e.g., detector evaluation studies, is discussed. To achieve the highest possible accuracy in experimental dosimetry, phantom-specific correction factors should be used.
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| 5. |
- Carlsson Tedgren, Åsa, 1968-, et al.
(author)
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192-Ir source strength dosimetry audit in Sweden
- 2007
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In: 9th Biennial ESTRO meeting on physics and radiation technology for clinical radiotherapy,2007. ; , s. S143-S143
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Posters Brachytherapy, publicerad i Radiotherapy and Oncology.
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| 6. |
- Carlsson Tedgren, Åsa, 1968-, et al.
(author)
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Audit on source strength determination for HDR and PDR 192Ir brachytherapy in Sweden
- 2008
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In: Radiotherapy and Oncology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-8140 .- 1879-0887. ; 86:1, s. 126-130
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background and purpose: To investigate the status of source strength determination in terms of reference air kerma rate (RAKR) for HDR and PDR 192Ir brachytherapy in Sweden. Materials and methods: RAKR was determined in each of the 14 Swedish afterloaders, using calibrated equipment from the Swedish Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory. Results: Values of RAKR from the external audit, the hospitals and vendors agreed within the uncertainty limits guaranteed by the vendors. Conclusions: The accuracy in RAKR determination has increased over the last years as a result of increased availability of interpolation standards for HDR 192Ir and the increased use of robust well-type ion chambers designed for brachytherapy. It is recommended to establish a ratio between the RAKR value from own measurements at the hospital and that of the vendor since such a ratio embeds constant systematic differences due to e.g. varying traceability and therefore has the potential of being less uncertain than the RAKR alone. Traceability to primary standards for HDR 192Ir sources will in the future significantly decrease the uncertainty in RAKR of 192Ir brachytherapy. © 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Carlsson Tedgren, Åsa, et al.
(author)
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Experience from long-term monitoring of RAKR ratios in Ir-192 brachytherapy
- 2008
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In: Radiotherapy and Oncology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-8140 .- 1879-0887. ; 89:2, s. 217-221
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Ratios of values of brachytherapy source strengths, as measured by hospitals and vendors, comprise constant differences as, e.g., systematic errors in ion chamber calibration factors and measurement setup. Such ratios therefore have the potential to reveal the systematic changes in routines or calibration services at either the hospital or the vendor laboratory, which could otherwise be hidden by the uncertainty in the source strength values. Methods: The RAKR of each new source in 13 afterloading units at five hospitals were measured by well-type ion chambers and compared to values for the same source stated on vendor certificates. Results: Differences from unity in the ratios of RAKR values determined by hospitals and vendors are most often small and stable around their mean values to within +/- 11.5%. Larger deviations are rare but occur. A decreasing ratio, seen at two hospitals for the same source, was useful in detecting an erroneous pressure gauge at the vendors site. Conclusions: Establishing a mean ratio of RAKR values, as measured at the hospital and supplied on the vendor certificate, and monitoring this as a function of time are an easy way for the early detection of problems with equipment or routines at either the hospital or the vendor site.
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