Full 3D beam profiling and quality assurance (QA) of therapeutic megavoltage linear accelerator (LINAC) x-ray photon beams is not routinely performed due to the slow point-by-point measurement nature of conventional scanning ionization chamber systems. In this study we explore a novel optical-based dose imaging approach using a standard commercial camera, water tank, and fluorescent dye, which when excited by the Čerenkov emission induced by the radiation beam, allows 2D projection imaging in a fast timeframe, potentially leading towards 3D tomographic beam profiling. Detailed analysis was done to optimize the imaging parameters in the experimental setup. The results demonstrate that the captured images are linear with delivered dose, independent of dose rate, and comparison of experimentally captured images to a reference dose distribution for a 4×4 cm 6 MV x-ray photon beam yielded results with improved accuracy over a previous study which used direct imaging and Monte Carlo calibration of the Čerenkov emission itself. The agreement with the reference dose distribution was within 1-2% in the lateral direction, and ± 3 % in the depth direction. The study was restricted to single 2D image projection, with the eventual goal of creating full 3D profiles after tomographic reconstruction from multiple projections. Given the increasingly complex advances in radiation therapy, and the increased emphasis on patient-specific treatment plans, further refinement of the technique could prove to be an important tool for fast and robust QA of x-ray photon LINAC beams.

Since its discovery during the 1930’s, the Čerenkov effect (light emission from charged particles traveling faster than the local speed of light in a dielectric medium) has been paramount in the development of high-energy physics research. The ability of the emitted light to describe a charged particle’s trajectory, energy, velocity, and mass has allowed scientists to study subatomic particles, detect neutrinos, and explore the properties of interstellar matter. However, all applications of the process to date have focused on identification of particle’s themselves, rather than their effect upon the surroundings through which they travel. Here, we explore a novel application of the Čerenkov effect for the recovery of the spatial distribution of ionizing radiation energy deposition in a medium, and apply it to the issue of dose determination in medical physics. By capturing multiple projection images of the Čerenkov light induced by a medical linear accelerator (LINAC) x-ray photon beam, we demonstrate the successful three-dimensional (3D) tomographic reconstruction of the imparted dose distribution for the first time.