Dosimetry for Proton Therapy Using a \beta-Ga$_2$O$_3$ Metal-Semiconductor-Metal Detector with Low-Noise Amplification

TL;DR

This study evaluates a eta-GaO0-based MSM detector with low-noise amplification for proton therapy dosimetry, demonstrating its linear response and energy response accuracy, suggesting its potential for clinical IMPT dose verification.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel eta-GaO0-based detector with low-noise amplification for improved proton therapy dosimetry, addressing current device limitations.

Findings

The eta-GaO0 detector shows linear dose response.

It accurately matches ion chamber data across energies.

The detector is promising for IMPT dose verification.

Abstract

Intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) employs proton radiation rather than conventional X-rays to treat cancerous tumors. This approach offers significant advantages by minimizing the radiation exposure of surrounding healthy tissue, leading to improved patient outcomes and reduced side effects compared to traditional X-ray therapy. To ensure patient safety, each treatment plan must be experimentally validated before clinical implementation. However, current dosimetry devices face limitations in performing angled beam measurements and obtaining multi-depth assessments, both of which are essential for verifying IMPT treatment plans. In this study, the performance of a \beta-Ga$_2$O$_3$-based metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) detector with a low-noise amplifier is studied and evaluated under various proton radiation doses and energy levels delivered by a MEVION S250i proton accelerator. The detector performance is also compared with that of an ionization chamber. The \beta-Ga$_2$O$_3$ detector exhibits a linear response with proton dose for single-spot irradiations, and its response to varying proton energies closely matches both the ion chamber data and simulated dose distributions. These findings highlight the potential of \beta-Ga$_2$O$_3$-based detectors as robust dosimetry devices for IMPT applications.