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Program Information

Monte Carlo Based Design of Efficient Scintillating Fiber Dosimeters

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A Wiles

A Wiles1*, D Rangaraj1,2 , S Loyalka1 , E Izaguirre1,2 , (1) University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, (2) Baylor Scott and White Health, Temple, TX

Presentations

TH-C-17A-8 Thursday 10:15AM - 12:15PM Room: 17A

Purpose: To accurately predict Cherenkov radiation generation in scintillating fiber dosimeters. Quantifying Cherenkov radiation provides a method for optimizing fiber dimensions, orientation, optical filters, and photodiode spectral sensitivity to achieve efficient real time imaging dosimeter designs.

Methods: We develop in-house Monte Carlo simulation software to model polymer scintillation fibers' fluorescence and Cherenkov emission in megavoltage clinical beams. The model computes emissions using generation probabilities, wavelength sampling, fiber photon capture, and fiber transport efficiency and incorporates the fiber's index of refraction, optical attenuation in the Cherenkov and visible spectrum and fiber dimensions. Detector component selection based on parameters such as silicon photomultiplier efficiency and optical coupling filters separates Cherenkov radiation from the dose-proportional scintillating emissions. The computation uses spectral and geometrical separation of Cherenkov radiation, however other filtering techniques can expand the model.

Results: We compute Cherenkov generation per electron and fiber capture and transmission of those photons toward the detector with incident electron beam angle dependence. The model accounts for beam obliquity and non-perpendicular electron fiber impingement, which increases Cherenkov emission and trapping. The rotational angle around square fibers shows trapping efficiency variation from the normally incident minimum to a maximum at 45 degrees rotation. For rotation in the plane formed by the fiber axis and its surface normal, trapping efficiency increases with angle from the normal. The Cherenkov spectrum follows the theoretical curve from 300nm to 800nm, the wavelength range of interest defined by silicon photomultiplier and photodiode spectral efficiency.

Conclusion: We are able to compute Cherenkov generation in realistic real time scintillating fiber dosimeter geometries. Design parameters incorporate fiber dimensions, orientations, several types of detector spectral response, optical coupling filters and light transport. We can vary these parameters to design and optimize high efficiency real time dosimeters capable of enhancing external beam patient safety and treatment accuracy.


Funding Support, Disclosures, and Conflict of Interest: This research was supported in part by a GAANN Fellowship from the Department of Education.


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