Defining field output factors in small fields based on dose area product measurements: A feasibility study.

Background: Dose area product in water (DAP) in small fields relies on the use of detectors with a sensitive area larger than the irradiation field. This quantity has recently been used to establish primary standards down to 5 mm field size, with an uncertainty smaller than 0.7%.

End-to-end quality assurance for stereotactic radiotherapy with Fricke-Xylenol orange-Gelatin gel dosimeter and dual-wavelength cone-beam optical CT readout.

Purpose: The end-to-end (E2E) quality assurance (QA) test is a unique tool for validating the treatment chain undergone by patients in external radiotherapy. It should be conducted in three dimensions (3D) to get accurate results. This study aims to implement these tests with Fricke-Xylenol orange-Gelatin (FXG) gel dosimeter and a newly developed dual-wavelength reading method on the Vista16™ optical Computed Tomography (CT) scanner (ModusQA) for three treatment techniques in stereotactic radiotherapy, on Novalis (Varian) and CyberKnife (Accuray) linear accelerators.

Preliminary dosimetric characterization of EDBreast gel.

. EDBreast gel is an alternative Fricke gel dosimeter, read by Magnetic Resonance Imaging, in which sucrose is added to lower diffusion effects. This paper aims at determining the dosimetric characteristics of this dosimeter.

Dose area product primary standards established by graphite calorimetry at the LNE-LNHB for small radiation fields in radiotherapy.

Purpose: To present primary standards establishment in terms of Dose Area Product (DAP) for small field sizes.

Methods: A large section graphite calorimeter and two plane-parallel ionization chambers were designed and built in-house. These chambers were calibrated in a 6MV FFF beam at the maximum dose rate of 1400 UM/min for fields defined by specifically designed circular collimators of 5, 7.

Fricke-Xylenol orange-Gelatin gel characterization with dual wavelength cone-beam optical CT scanner for applications in stereotactic and dynamic radiotherapy.

Purpose: This study is about the development of a new dual wavelength reading method of Fricke-Xylenol orange-Gelatin (FXG) gel dosimeters on the Vista16™ optical Computed Tomography (CT) scanner to perform 3D dose distribution measurements in stereotactic and dynamic radiotherapy treatments.

Methods: The dosimetric characteristics of an optimized FXG gel composition and its optical CT readout have been evaluated. A dual wavelength reading method has been developed on the CT scanner at wavelengths 590 nm and 633 nm.

Report of IRPA task group on issues and actions taken in response to the change in eye lens dose limit.

In 2018, the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) established its third task group (TG) on the implementation of the eye lens dose limit. To contribute to sharing experience and raising awareness within the radiation protection community about protection of workers in exposure of the lens of the eye, the TG conducted a questionnaire survey and analysed the responses. This paper provides an overview of the results of the questionnaire.

Feasibility of using a dose-area product ratio as beam quality specifier for photon beams with small field sizes.

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of using the ratio of dose-area product at 20 cm and 10 cm water depths (DAPR) as a beam quality specifier for radiotherapy photon beams with field diameter below 2 cm.

Methods: Dose-area product was determined as the integral of absorbed dose to water (D) over a surface larger than the beam size. 6 MV and 10 MV photon beams with field diameters from 0.

The ICRU Proposal for New Operational Quantities for External Radiation.

Report Committee 26 of the ICRU proposes a set of operational quantities for radiation protection for external radiation, directly based on effective dose and for an extended range of particles and energies. It is accompanied by quantities for estimating deterministic effects to the eye lens and the local skin. The operational quantities are designed to overcome the conceptual and technical shortcomings of those presently in use.

Accuracy of a dose-area product compared to an absorbed dose to water at a point in a 2 cm diameter field.

Purpose: Graphite calorimeters with a core diameter larger than the beam can be used to establish dosimetric references in small fields. The dose-area product (DAP) measured can theoretically be linked to an absorbed dose at a point by the determination of a profile correction. This study aims at comparing the DAP-based protocol to the usual absorbed dose at a point protocol in a 2 cm diameter field for which both references exist.

Using a dose-area product for absolute measurements in small fields: a feasibility study.

To extend the dosimetric reference system to field sizes smaller than 2 cm × 2 cm, the LNE-LNHB laboratory is studying an approach based on a new dosimetric quantity named the dose-area product instead of the commonly used absorbed dose at a point. A graphite calorimeter and a plane parallel ion chamber with a sensitive surface of 3 cm diameter were designed and built for measurements in fields of 2, 1 and 0.75 cm diameter.

Comparison between absorbed dose to water standards established by water calorimetry at the LNE-LNHB and by application of international air-kerma based protocols for kilovoltage medium energy x-rays.

Nowadays, the absorbed dose to water for kilovoltage x-ray beams is determined from standards in terms of air-kerma by application of international dosimetry protocols. New standards in terms of absorbed dose to water has just been established for these beams at the LNE-LNHB, using water calorimetry, at a depth of 2 cm in water in accordance with protocols. The aim of this study is to compare these new standards in terms of absorbed dose to water, to the dose values calculated from the application of four international protocols based on air-kerma standards (IAEA TRS-277, AAPM TG-61, IPEMB and NCS-10).

The LNE-LNHB water calorimeter for primary measurement of absorbed dose at low depth in water: application to medium-energy x-rays.

Water calorimeters are used to establish absorbed dose standards in several national metrology laboratories involved in ionizing radiation dosimetry. These calorimeters have been first used in high-energy photons of (60)Co or accelerator beams, where the depth of measurement in water is large (5 or 10 cm). The LNE-LNHB laboratory has developed a specific calorimeter which makes measurements at low depth in water (down to 0.

Air kerma to HP(3) conversion coefficients for photons from 10 keV to 10 MeV, calculated in a cylindrical phantom.

In the framework of the ORAMED project (Optimization of RAdiation protection for MEDical staff), funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme, different studies were aimed at improving the quality of radiation protection in interventional radiology and nuclear medicine. The main results of the project were presented during a final workshop held in Barcelona in January 2011, the proceedings of which are available in the open literature. One of the ORAMED tasks was focused on the problem of eye-lens photon exposure of the medical staff, a topic that gained more importance especially after the ICRP decision to lower the limiting equivalent dose to 20 mSv per year.

Assessment of small volume ionization chambers as reference dosimeters in high-energy photon beams.

LNE-LNHB is involved in a European project aiming at establishing absorbed dose-to-water standards for photon-radiation fields down to 2 × 2 cm². This requires the calibration of reference ionization chambers of small volume. Twenty-four ionization chambers of eight different types with volume ranging from 0.

Calibration of helical tomotherapy machine using EPR/alanine dosimetry.

Purpose: Current codes of practice for clinical reference dosimetry of high-energy photon beams in conventional radiotherapy recommend using a 10 x 10 cm2 square field, with the detector at a reference depth of 10 cm in water and 100 cm source to surface distance (SSD) (AAPM TG-51) or 100 cm source-to-axis distance (SAD) (IAEA TRS-398). However, the maximum field size of a helical tomotherapy (HT) machine is 40 x 5 cm2 defined at 85 cm SAD. These nonstandard conditions prevent a direct implementation of these protocols.

Principles for the design and calibration of radiation protection dosemeters for operational and protection quantities for eye lens dosimetry.

The work package two of the ORAMED project--Collaborative Project (2008-2011) supported by the European Commission within its seventh Framework Programme--is devoted to the study of the eye lens dosimetry. A first approach is to implement the use of H(p)(3) by providing new sets of conversion coefficients and well suited calibration and type test procedures. This approach is presented in other papers in the proceedings of this conference.

Eye lens dosimetry: task 2 within the ORAMED project.

The ORAMED (Optimization of RAdiation protection for MEDical staff) project is funded by EU-EURATOM within the 7° Framework Programme. Task 2 of the project is devoted to study the dose to the eye lens. The study was subdivided into various topics, starting from a critical revision of the operational quantity H(p)(3), with the corresponding proposal of a cylindrical phantom simulating as best as possible the head in which the eyes are located, the production of a complete set of air kerma to dose equivalent conversion coefficients for photons from 10 keV to 10 MeV, and finally, the optimisation of the design of a personal dosemeter well suited to respond in terms of H(p)(3).

Monte Carlo determination of the conversion coefficients Hp(3)/Ka in a right cylinder phantom with 'PENELOPE' code. Comparison with 'MCNP' simulations.

This work has been performed within the frame of the European Union ORAMED project (Optimisation of RAdiation protection for MEDical staff). The main goal of the project is to improve standards of protection for medical staff for procedures resulting in potentially high exposures and to develop methodologies for better assessing and for reducing, exposures to medical staff. The Work Package WP2 is involved in the development of practical eye-lens dosimetry in interventional radiology.

ENEA extremity dosemeter based on LiF(Mg,Cu,P) to evaluate Hp(3,alpha).

Recent epidemiological studies suggest a rather low-dose threshold (<0.5 Gy) for the induction of a cataract of the eye lens. Some other studies even assume that there is no threshold at all.

Active personal dosemeters in interventional radiology: tests in laboratory conditions and in hospitals.

The work package 3 of the ORAMED project, Collaborative Project (2008-11) supported by the European Commission within its seventh Framework Programme, is focused on the optimisation of the use of active personal dosemeters (APDs) in interventional radiology and cardiology (IR/IC). Indeed, a lack of appropriate APD devices is identified for these specific fields. Few devices can detect low-energy X rays (20-100 keV), and none of them are specifically designed for working in pulsed radiation fields.

Multichannel dosemeter and Al2O3:C optically stimulated luminescence fibre sensors for use in radiation therapy: evaluation with electron beams.

This article proposes an innovative multichannel optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosemeter for on-line in vivo dose verification in radiation therapy. OSL fibre sensors incorporating small Al(2)O(3):C fibre crystals (TLD(500)) have been tested with an X-ray generator. A reproducible readout procedure should reduce the fading-induced uncertainty ( approximately - 1% per decade).

Evaluation of the calibration procedure of active personal dosemeters for interventional radiology.

An overview of the use of active personal dosemeters (APD) in interventional radiology is presented. It is based on the work done by the working package 7 of the CONRAD coordinated action supported by the EC within the frame of the 6th FP. This study was done in collaboration with the working package 4 of CONRAD to deal with the calculations required for studying the new calibration facility.

Extremity ring dosimetry intercomparison in reference and workplace fields.

An intercomparison of ring dosemeters has been organised with the aim of assessing the technical capabilities of available extremity dosemeters and focusing on their performance at clinical workplaces with potentially high extremity doses. Twenty-four services from 16 countries participated in the intercomparison. The dosemeters were exposed to reference photon ((137)Cs) and beta ((147)Pm, (85)Kr and (90)Sr/(90)Y) fields together with fields representing realistic exposure situations in interventional radiology (direct and scattered radiation) and nuclear medicine ((99 m)Tc and (18)F).

Analysis of computational problems expressing the overall uncertainties: photons, neutrons and electrons.

In the frame of the EU Coordination Action CONRAD (coordinated network for radiation dosimetry), WP4 was dedicated to work on computational dosimetry with an action entitled 'Uncertainty assessment in computational dosimetry: an intercomparison of approaches'. Participants attempted one or more of eight problems. This paper presents the results from problems 4-8-dealing with the overall uncertainty budget estimate; a short overview of each problem is presented together with a discussion of the most significant results and conclusions.