Radiation damage and recovery of plastic scintillators under ultra-high dose rate 200 MeV electrons (VHEEs) at CERN CLEAR facility

4. FLASH-RT / UHDR, 9. Advanced Dosimetry, MeV Electron, Advanced Optical Dosimetry, Beam characterization, Custom Probe Development, Detector comparaison, Fundamental Research, Multi-point Dosimetry, Real-time Dosimetry Show more

The team investigates the radiation damage and recovery of plastic scintillators under ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) conditions using 200 MeV electrons at the CERN CLEAR facility (VHEEs). Their findings highlight the challenges of accurate dosimetry in UHDR radiotherapy and explores the potential of plastic scintillation detectors (PSDs) for research and clinical applications using this innovative beam conditions and modality.

HYPERSCINT, developed by Medscint, is uniquely positioned to address these challenges with its hyperspectral technology, enabling precise differentiation between scintillation and Cherenkov emissions. This innovation enhances dosimetry accuracy, making HYPERSCINT a valuable tool for advancing UHDR radiotherapy research and clinical implementation, including VHEEs.

Physics in Medicine & Biology
Cloé Giguère (1,2), Alexander Hart (3), Joseph Bateman (4), Pierre Korysko (4,5), Wilfrid Farabolini (5), Yoan LeChasseur (6), Magdalena Bazalova-Carter (3), Luc Beaulieu (1,2) | 1. Département de Physique, de Génie Physique et d’Optique et Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Université Laval – CANADA, 2. Département de Radio-Oncologie et Axe Oncologie du CRCHU de Québec, CHU de Québec, Université Laval – CANADA, 3. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria – CANADA, 4. Department of Physics, University of Oxford – UK, 5. CERN – SWITZERLAND, 6. Medscint – CANADA

Field output correction factors using a fully characterized plastic scintillation detector (HYPERSCINT)

1. Small-Field Dosimetry, 7. Commissioning, 9. Advanced Dosimetry, MeV Electron, MV Photon, Beam characterization, Commissioning, Detector comparaison, Energy Dependency, Monte Carlo Simulations, Quality Assurance Show more

As small fields become increasingly important in radiation therapy, accurate dosimetry is essential for ensuring precise dose calculation and treatment optimization. Despite the availability of small volume detectors, small field dosimetry remains challenging. The new plastic scintillation detector (PSD) from the HYPERCINT RP-200 platform from Medscint offers a promising solution with minimal correction requirements for small field measurements.

This study focused on characterizing the field output correction factors of the PSD across a wide range of field sizes and demonstrating its potential for determining correction factors for other small field detectors. Monte Carlo simulations and experimental comparisons were used to assess the system’s performance. The PSD exhibited near-unity correction factors (1.002 to 0.999) across field sizes between 0.6×0.6 cm² and 30×30 cm², with an impressive total uncertainty of 0.5%.

The PSD is shown to be a highly accurate and reliable detector for small field dosimetry, and it can also be used to determine correction factors for other dosimeters with great precision.

MEDICAL PHYSICS (AAPM)
Luc Gingras (1,2), Yunuen Cervantes (1,2,3), Frederic Beaulieu (1,2), Magali Besnier (1,2), Benjamin Coté (4), Simon Lambert-Girard (4), Danahé LeBlanc (4), Yoan LeChasseur (4), François Therriault-Proulx (4), Luc Beaulieu (1,2,3), Louis Archambault (1,2,3) | 1. CHU de Québec–Université Laval, Québec – Canada, 2. Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec – Canada, 3. Université Laval, Québec – Canada, 4. Medscint, Québec – Canada

Radioluminescence-based fibre-optic dosimeters in radiotherapy: a review (incl. HYPERSCINT)

1. Small-Field Dosimetry, 2. Adaptive-RT (ex. MR-LINAC), 3. Treatment Plan (End-to-End) QA, 4. FLASH-RT / UHDR, 5. In Vivo Dosimetry, 6. Brachytherapy, 7. Commissioning, 8. Cherenkov Dosimetry, 9. Advanced Dosimetry, kV Photon, MeV Electron, MV Photon, Proton (and other Particules), Adaptive-RT, Advanced Optical Dosimetry, Custom Probe Development, Detector comparaison, Fundamental Research, LINAC Pulse Discrimination, Multi-point Dosimetry, Quality Assurance, Real-time Dosimetry Show more

In their comprehensive review, Veronese et al. examine the evolution and clinical application of radioluminescence-based fiber-optic dosimeters (FODs) in radiotherapy. These dosimeters have become essential tools in modern radiotherapy due to their capability for real-time, high-resolution dose measurements with minimal perturbation of the radiation field.

The authors discuss a wide range of scintillating materials, their properties, and dosimetric performance. They provide a thorough comparison of various solutions for addressing the stem-effect, a critical issue in fiber-optic dosimetry. Solutions reviewed include the hyperspectral approach (utilized by Medscint’s HYPERSCINT system), twin-fiber subtraction, optical filtering, dual-channel spectral discrimination, temporal gating, air-core light guides, and real-time Optically Stimulated Luminescence (rtOSL). Notably, the hyperspectral technology employed by HYPERSCINT represents a major advancement, effectively overcoming many limitations of other approaches by offering superior accuracy, simplified calibration procedures, and enhanced robustness, particularly valuable in complex clinical scenarios.

The review also emphasizes the growing adoption and diverse clinical applications of FODs, highlighting their significant role in improving treatment precision and patient safety. Clinical applications addressed in the review include small-field dosimetry, brachytherapy and in vivo dosimetry; advanced radiotherapy modalities such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), magnetic resonance-guided radiotherapy (MRgRT), hadron and proton therapies; and finally a special attention to MRI-Linac dosimetry and ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) or FLASH radiotherapy.

Radiation Measurements
Ivan Veronese (1), Claus E. Andersen (2), Enbang Li (3), Levi Madden (4), Alexandre M.C. Santos (5, 6, 7) | Department of Physics, University of Milan and National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Milano Unit, Italy, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark, School of Physics, Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, University of Wollongong, Australia, Northern Sydney Cancer Centre, Royal North Shore Hospital, Australia, Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research, Australia, Radiation Oncology, Central Adelaide Local Heath Network, Australia, School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Australia

Temporal, spatial, and motion-included scintillation-based QA for an MR-linac

2. Adaptive-RT (ex. MR-LINAC), 3. Treatment Plan (End-to-End) QA, 7. Commissioning, 9. Advanced Dosimetry, MeV Electron, MV Photon, Adaptive-RT, Multi-point Dosimetry, Phantom QA, Quality Assurance, Real-time Dosimetry Show more

Modern adaptive radiotherapy techniques enhance healthy tissue sparing but introduce increased treatment complexity, requiring precise dosimetric validation. To address this, the MRI⁴ᴰ scintillator cassette in collaboration with IBA QUASAR and MEDSCINT is an innovative device integrating four MR-compatible plastic scintillation detectors (PSDs) and a radiochromic film. This device seamlessly works with the IBA QUASAR MRI⁴ᴰ Motion Phantom for comprehensive spatial, temporal, and motion-included dosimetry.

In this webinar, Prescilla Uijtewaal, PhD
explains her experience with the solution, showcasing the performance of the HYPERSCINT RP-200 scintillation dosimetry research platform in a 1.5T MR-linac and demonstrate the capabilities of the MRI⁴ᴰ scintillator cassette, and more.

WEBINAR – Physics World Magazine
Prescilla Uijtewaal, Martin Fast | University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU) – Netherlands

Characterization of a novel time-resolved, real-time scintillation dosimetry system (HYPERSCINT RP-FLASH) for ultra-high dose rate radiation therapy applications

4. FLASH-RT / UHDR, MeV Electron, Beam characterization, Commissioning, Detector comparaison, Energy Dependency, LINAC Pulse Discrimination, Quality Assurance, Real-time Dosimetry Show more

This study evaluates a novel scintillation dosimetry solution developed by Medscint for ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) radiotherapy, the HYPERSCINT RP-FLASH. The system was tested on an UHDR electron beamline, demonstrating dose linearity and independence from dose rate (1.8–1341 Gy/s) and dose per pulse (0.005–7.68 Gy) within ±3% tolerance. The system accurately measured doses per pulse up to 120 Hz.

With daily calibrations and specific correction factors, the system provides real-time, millisecond-resolved dosimetric measurements for pulsed conventional and UHDR beams, showing promise for applications in FLASH-RT.

PREPRINT
Alexander Baikalov (1,2,3), Daline Tho (1), Kevin Liu (1,4), Stefan Bartzsch (2,3), Sam Beddar (1,4), Emil Schüler (1,4) | 1. University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX – USA, 2. Technical University of Munich – Germany, 3. German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg – Germany, 4. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX – USA

Plastic scintillator dosimetry of ultrahigh dose-rate 200 MeV electrons at CLEAR

4. FLASH-RT / UHDR, MeV Electron, Custom Probe Development, Fundamental Research, Real-time Dosimetry Show more

Very high energy electron (VHEE) beams with energies greater than 100 MeV may be promising candidates for FLASH radiotherapy due to their favourable dose distributions and accessibility of ultrahigh dose-rates (UHDR). The standard dosimeters used for conventional radiotherapy, including ionization chambers and film, have limited application to UHDR radiotherapy due to deficits in dose rate independence and temporal resolution. The performance of PSDs in this work suggest they may be useful real-time dosimeters for applications in UHDR VHEE radiotherapy.

IEEE Xplore
Alexander Hart (1), Cloé Giguère (2,6), Joseph Bateman (3,4), Pierre Korysko (3,4), Wilfrid Farabolini (3), Vilde Rieker (3,5), Nolan Esplen (1), Roberto Corsini (3), Manjit Dosanjh (3,4), Luc Beaulieu(2,6), Magdalena Bazalova-Carter (1) | 1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada, 2. Département de Physique, de génie Physique et d’optique et Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada, 3. CERN, Geneva, Switzerland, 4. Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, 5. Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway, 6. Département de radio-oncologie et Axe Oncologie duCRCHUde Québec, CHUde Québec – Universit é Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada

Performance characterization of a novel hybrid dosimetry insert for simultaneous spatial, temporal, and motion-included dosimetry for MR-linac

2. Adaptive-RT (ex. MR-LINAC), 3. Treatment Plan (End-to-End) QA, 7. Commissioning, MeV Electron, MV Photon, Adaptive-RT, Commissioning, Multi-point Dosimetry, Phantom QA, Real-time Dosimetry Show more

The increased treatment complexity and the motion-delivery interplay during stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) on an MR-linac treatments require MR-compatible motion phantoms with time-resolved dosimeters to validate end-to-end workflows. This study demonstrates the excellent suitability of a the Medscint novel hybrid film-scintillators cassette for simultaneous multi-spatial, temporal, and motion-included dosimetry.

MEDICAL PHYSICS
Prescilla Uijtewaal (1), Pim Borman (1), Benjamin Côté (2), Yoan LeChasseur (2), François Therriault-Proulx (2), Rocco Flores (3), Stephanie Smith (3), Grant Koenig (3), Bas Raaymakers (1), Martin Fast (1) | 1. Department of Radiotherapy, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands, 2. Medscint, Québec, Quebec, Canada, 3. Modus QA, London, Ontario, Canada

Characterization of a 0.8 mm³ Medscint Plastic Scintillator Detector System for Small Field Dosimetry

1. Small-Field Dosimetry, MeV Electron, Advanced Optical Dosimetry, Angular dependancy, Beam characterization, Detector comparaison, Energy Dependency, Quality Assurance Show more

The scintillator-based dosimetry system HYPERSCINT RP-200, coupled with a 0.8 mm³ plastic scintillator detector, demonstrated excellent dosimetric properties for small field radiation therapy, including good repeatability, dose linearity, and accuracy down to field sizes as small as 0.5 × 0.5 cm².

Physics in Medicine & Biology
Elena Timakova (1,2), Magdalena Bazalova-Carter (1) , Sergei Zavgorodni (2) | 1. University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, 2. BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver Island Centre, British Columbia, Canada

Plastic scintillation detectors ready to shine as FLASH radiotherapy gathers momentum.

1. Small-Field Dosimetry, 4. FLASH-RT / UHDR, 9. Advanced Dosimetry, MeV Electron, MV Photon, Beam characterization, Fundamental Research, LINAC Pulse Discrimination, Quality Assurance, Real-time Dosimetry Show more

The team of University of Victoria’s XCITE Lab are using plastic scintillation detectors to provide real-time, small-field dosimetry in their FLASH radiotherapy experiments.

PHYSICS WORLD
| University of Victoria – XCITE Lab, Medscint

Implementation and validation of beam current transformer for Mobetron ultra-high dose rate electron beam monitoring using multi-detector approach

4. FLASH-RT / UHDR, MeV Electron, Beam characterization, Commissioning, Quality Assurance, Real-time Dosimetry Show more

To evaluate the performance of a custom beam current transformer (BCT) as a beam monitoring tool for the Mobetron electron radiation therapy system at ultra-high dose rates (UHDR) using a multi-detector comparison (plastic scintillators, ion chamber and film).

2022 COMP ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING
G.Famulari (1), K.Zerouali (1), J.Renaud (2), B.Muir (1), JF.Aubry (1), F.DeBlois (1), JF.Carrier (1) | 1 – Centre Hospitalier de l’Universite de Montreal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, CA, 2 – National Research Council Canada, Montreal, QC, CA