Trial Information

Clinical Evaluation of a Laser Heated, Fiberoptic-Coupled Radiation Dose Verification System

We propose to determine the response of a newly developed laser heated, vycor glass
fiberoptic radiation dosimetry system to ionizing radiation in a clinical radiotherapy
environment. Present systems measure only total dose or have limitations, such as
instability, non-linearity, excessive size or a decoupled measurement system, making them
unsuitable in a variety of clinical applications. This fiberoptic coupled dosimetry system
is a new and innovative technology application which allows on-line measurement of
instantaneous dose rate and total dose never before achievable. It offers a clear advantage
in patient treatment delivery, allowing on-line corrections essential to a new generation of
radiotherapy treatment machines with development of beam intensity modulation as an adjunct
to 3D conformal therapy. It also has the advantage of submillimeter size and is minimally
invasive, making it ideal for brachytherapy.

This system has the potential for stable, accurate, reproducible, clinically feasible
measurements of total dose and dose rate. The output of this system will be measured under
various clinical conditions encountered in a clinical setting and compared against existing
thermolumeniscent and diode dosimetry standards. Initial measurements will use a tissue
equivalent phantom for depth dose and accuracy measurements. Additional studies will
include dosimetric measurements of routine clinical treatment setups on patients receiving
therapeutic irradiation.