VERIFICATION OF PROTON BEAM RANGE USING PHOTOPOLYMERIZED PMMA-BASED PLASTICS SCINTILLATOR

초록

Due to the high linear energy transfer (LET) and a Bragg peak, proton radiation therapy enables targeted radiation treatment focused on cancer cells while reducing exposure to normal tissues. However, various studies are needed to measure proton energy accurately, as uncertainties can arise depending on the energy of the proton beam and the characteristics of human tissue. In this work, we developed an optical dosimeter to verify the range of the proton beam using a PMMA (poly-methyl methacrylate)based tissue-equivalent plastic scintillator with a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) camera. The Bragg peak position was confirmed through image processing after photographing the scintillation light generated during proton beam irradiation with the camera. Additionally, the correct Bragg peak was measured by correcting for the quenching effect of the scintillator. The proton beam's energy was adjusted using an aluminum degrader, and the experimental results were verified by comparing them with the Geant4 simulation. The relationship between the simulated and measured proton beam ranges was R-2 = 0.99, confirming the validity of KOMAC's (Korea Multi-purpose Accelerator Complex) 102 MeV proton beam for range verification.

키워드