A review of recent advances in optical fibre sensors forin vivodosimetry during radiotherapy

Abstract

This article presents an overview of the recent developments and requirements in radiotherapy dosimetry, with particular emphasis on the development of optical fibre dosemeters for radiotherapy applications, focusing particularly on in vivo applications. Optical fibres offer considerable advantages over conventional techniques for radiotherapy dosimetry, owing to their small size, immunity to electromagnetic interferences, and suitability for remote monitoring and multiplexing. The small dimensions of optical fibre-based dosemeters, together with being lightweight and flexible, mean that they are minimally invasive and thus particularly suited to in vivo dosimetry. This means that the sensor can be placed directly inside a patient, for example, for brachytherapy treatments, the optical fibres could be placed in the tumour itself or into nearby critical tissues requiring monitoring, via the same applicators or needles used for the treatment delivery thereby providing real-time dosimetric information. The article outlines the principal sensor design systems along with some of the main strengths and weaknesses associated with the development of these techniques. The successful demonstration of these sensors in a range of different clinical environments is also presented.

Micro- and nanostructured sol-gel-based materials for optical chemical sensing (2005–2015)

“…TEOSderived sol-gel matrices were also used in absorption-based Hg 2+ determination. Yari et al developed a highly selective TEOS-based Hg 2+ sol-gel sensor by using 4-phenyl-2,6-bis(2, 3,5,6-tetrahydrobenzo[b] [1,4,7]trioxononin-9-yl)pyrylium perchlorate indicator dye [133]. The sensor responded reversibly and reproducibly to Hg 2+ ions with 3 min response time.…”

“…A very recent review article on OFS for civil engineering applications by Leung et al highlights sensors based on techniques such as interferometry, fiber Bragg gratings and distributed sensing for road building, pipelines and cable monitoring [3]. O'Keeffe et al reviews recent advances in OFS for in vivo dosimetry during radiotherapy [4]. OFS sensing of moisture and humidity was reviewed by Alwis et al [5].…”

A comparison of clinic based dosimeters based on silica optical fibre and plastic optical fibre for in vivo dosimetry

“…Therefore, it is crucial to design and fabricate a reliable, precise, repeatable, real-time dosimetry system that can be used in a wide range of radiation oncology applications. In the past few decades, measurement has been performed by several dosimetry systems based on a wide range of technologies, including ionization chamber (IC) 1 , metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) 2 , thermo-luminescence dosimeters (TLDs) 3 , silicon diodes 4 , radiochromic film 5 , electronic portable imaging devices 6 , diamond detectors 7 and optical fibre sensors 8 , and these continue to be investigated by the research groups from all over the world.…”

Highly Sensitive Extrinsic X-Ray Polymer Optical Fiber Sensors Based on Fiber Tip Modification

“…Additionally, it is also crucial to monitor the therapy room for detecting any uncontrolled radiation. Indeed, the American Radio-Medicine Association recommend the presence of sensors in both close patient vicinity and treatment room [13].…”