A wide dynamic range, high-spatial-resolution scanning system for radiochromic dye films

Abstract

This paper describes the evaluation of an inexpensive, commercially available 35 mm transparency slide scanner as a potential alternative scanning device for GafChromic HD-810 radiochromic dye film. Besides its low cost, the principal advantages of this type of scanner are high spatial resolution and high speed (a typical scan taking less than 1 min). With broad-band illumination the useful dose range using grey-scale imaging of GafChromic HD-810 is limited to about 50-800 Gy. By using the colour-scale imaging capability of the scanner we have been able to achieve a significant extension covering a similar range (15-2000 Gy) to that attainable using monochromatic illumination. The short-term reproducibility of the system is good, with a coefficient of variation of doses estimated from repeat scanning of uniformly exposed calibration films of less than 2%. Long-term stability is ensured by the scanning of a manufacturer-supplied test slide. The slide scanner system has been used in the determination of depth dose distributions from a model 'hot particle' source containing 106Ru/Rh. GafChromic dye film stacks irradiated by the source were read out on both the slide scanner and a conventional Joyce Loebl MDM6 scanning stage microdensitometer. The overall agreement between the dose estimates provided by the two systems was within 10%.

Response characterization of EBT‐XD radiochromic films in megavoltage photon and electron beams

“…Although in this work the optimal upper range was found to be ~40 Gy, adopting the methodology reported in Ref. for other film models and more recently by Vaiano et al, the dynamic range may be significantly extended. One version of multichannel film dosimetry as per Micke et al varies the dose values until the corresponding scanned optical density values for various color channels are best matched.…”

Monte Carlo‐based treatment planning system calculation engine for microbeam radiation therapy

“…Further details can be found elsewhere. 1,38,39 II.F. The calculation engine of the treatment planning system for MRT After validating our photon source model in heterogenous media, the next step consisted in the optimization of the computation time.…”

Radioactive Particles in the Environment

“…Measurements of dose distributions from Dounreay fuel fragments, over various skin areas and at several depths, were carried out using the radiochromic dye film (RDF) technique (Aydarous et al, 2001). The 37 fuel fragments selected for measurement had been subject to prior characterisation using scanning Left: SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) image of an MTR fuel fragment (LSN889005) Activity: 3 × 10 5 Bq 137 Cs.…”