First Medipix3 tests at a 60 MeV proton therapy facility
Former QUASAR Group member and OMA Fellow Jacinta Yap, now at University of Melbourne, together with OMA Fellow Navrit Bal from NIKHEF, have just published a technical report in the Journal of Instrumentation presenting measurements of the Medipix3 detector in the 60 MeV ocular proton therapy beamline at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, in the U.K.
The Medipix3 is a hybrid pixel detector able to count individual protons at clinical flux, with millisecond scale time resolution, linear count rate, and almost instantaneous readout time.
The experimental measurements performed at the Clatterbridge 60MeV proton therapy beamline were compared with standard film dosimetry methods. Simultaneous irradiation of the film and detector placed at multiple locations in the delivery system allowed a direct comparison of the transverse beam distributions.
The researchers found a general agreement between both methods, particularly at the lateral edges of the beam, although some irregularities were observed depending on the beam quality on the day.
This was the first time that the performance of the Medipix3 detector was tested within a clinical, high proton flux environment.
The exceptional capabilities of the Medipix3 technology made possible to resolve otherwise unknown information about the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre’s beam and accelerator, undetectable with typical instruments.
These results demonstrates the capabilities and versatility of Medipix3 for charge particle therapy, suggesting its suitability as a fast and efficient, future tool for routine dosimetry, commissioning and beam monitoring.
The successful outcome of the work carried out jointly by the Fellows Jacinta Yap and Navrit Bal highlights the benefits of collaborative research fostered by training networks such as OMA.
Read the full article here:
Medipix3 for dosimetry and real-time beam monitoring: first tests at a 60 MeV proton therapy facility
J.S.L. Yap, N.J.S. Bal, A. Kacperek, J. Resta López, and C.P. Welsch
Journal of Instrumentation 16, T11001 (2021)
https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/16/11/T11001