Design of a new tracking device for on-line dose monitor in ion therapy

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel tracking device for real-time dose monitoring in ion therapy, utilizing scintillating fibers and calorimeters to detect secondary particles and accurately map dose distribution during treatment.

Contribution

The paper presents a new detector design combining scintillating fibers and calorimeters for on-line dose monitoring in ion therapy, with simulation-based evaluation of its spatial resolution.

Findings

Simulations show effective spatial resolution for dose profile monitoring.

The detector design can potentially improve real-time dose verification.

Application to clinical settings demonstrated feasibility.

Abstract

Charged Particle Therapy is a technique for cancer treatment that exploits hadron beams, mostly protons and carbons. A critical issue is the monitoring of the dose released by the beam to the tumor and to the surrounding tissues. We present the design of a new tracking device for monitoring on-line the dose in ion therapy through the detection of secondary charged particles produced by the beam interactions in the patient tissues. In fact, the charged particle emission shape can be correlated with the spatial dose release and the Bragg peak position. The detector uses the information provided by 12 layers of scintillating fibers followed by a plastic scintillator and a small calorimeter made of a pixelated Lutetium Fine Silicate crystal. Simulations have been performed to evaluate the achievable spatial resolution and a possible application of the device for the monitoring of the dose profile in a real treatment is presented.