• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• 제44권1호
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2019

Background: To monitor proton beam in proton therapy, prompt gamma imaging systems are being developed by several research groups, and these systems are expected to improve the quality of the treatment and the patient safety. To apply the prompt gamma imaging systems into spot scanning proton therapy, the systems should be able to monitor the proton beam range of a spot with a small number of protons ( <$10^8$ protons), which is quite often not the case due to insufficient prompt gamma statistics. Materials and Methods: In the present study, we propose to improve prompt gamma statistics by merging the prompt gamma distributions of several individual spots into a new distribution. This proposal was tested by Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations for a multi-slit prompt gamma camera which has been developed to measure the proton beam range in the patient. Results and Discussion: The results show that the proposed method clearly enhance the statistical precision of beam range measurement. The accuracy of beam range verification is improved, within ~1.4 mm error, which is not achievable before applying the developed method. Conclusion: In this study, we tried to improve the statistics of the prompt gamma statistics by merging the prompt gamma distributions of multiple spots, and it was found that the merged distribution provided sufficient prompt gamma statistics and the proton beam range was determined accurately.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제54권9호
• /
• pp.3422-3428
• /
• 2022

The prompt gamma imaging (PGI) technique is considered as one of the most promising approaches to estimate the range of proton beam in the patient and unlock the full potential of proton therapy. In the PGI technique, a dedicated algorithm is required to estimate the range of the proton beam from the prompt gamma (PG) distribution acquired by a PGI system. In the present study, a new range estimation algorithm was developed for a multi-slit prompt-gamma camera, one of PGI systems, to estimate the range of proton beam with high accuracy. The performance of the developed algorithm was evaluated by Monte Carlo simulations for various beam/phantom combinations. Our results generally show that the developed algorithm is very robust, showing very high accuracy and precision for all the cases considered in the present study. The range estimation accuracy of the developed algorithm was 0.5-1.7 mm, which is approximately 1% of beam range, for 1×10⁹ protons. Even for the typical number of protons for a spot (1×10⁸), the range estimation accuracy of the developed algorithm was 2.1-4.6 mm and smaller than the range uncertainties and typical safety margin, while that of the existing algorithm was 2.5-9.6 mm.

• 한국방사선학회논문지
• /
• 제12권1호
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2018

$^{68}Ga$ 방사성 핵종은 $^{68}Ge/^{68}Ga$ 제너레이터에서 생산되는 양전자 방출핵종으로서 PET 검사에 이용되는 방사성 핵종이다. $^{68}Ga$은 67.8분의 반감기를 가지고 88.9 %의 ${\beta}$+ 붕괴와 11.1 %의 전자포획으로 $^{68}Zn$으로 붕괴된다. ${\beta}$+ 붕괴 과정에서 87.7 %는 기저상태의 $^{68}Zn$로 붕괴되며, 1.2 %는 여기상태의 $^{68}Zn$로 붕괴된다. 여기상태의 $^{68}Zn$은 1.077 Mev의 ${\gamma}$선을 방출하며 기저상태의 $^{68}Zn$가 된다. 이때 방출되는 1.077 Mev의 ${\gamma}$선을 Prompt Gamma라 하며, Prompt Gamma-ray가 환자와 상호작용하게 되면 저에너지 ${\gamma}$선의 산란선이 발생되게 되는데 이 산란선이 PET의 동시계수 회로에 검출되어 질 수 있다. 이 연구의 목적은 $^{68}Ga$을 이용하는 PET검사 중 신경내분비 종양진단에 사용되는 $^{68}Ga$-DOTATOC PET/CT영상에 Prompt Gamma-ray 보정 전 후의 표준섭취계수(SUV)를 평가해 보고자 하였다. $^{68}Ga$-DOTATOC PET/CT를 시행한 15명의 환자에 대해서 병변부위(Pancreas, Liver, Thoracic Spine, Brain)와 정상으로 섭취되는 조직(Pituitary, Lung, Liver, Spleen, Kidney, Intestine)의 SUVmax와 SUVmean을 비교하였으며, 임상영상의 정량적 평가를 위해 Target to Background Ratio(TBR)을 산출하여 비교하였다. Prompt Gamma-ray 보정 후 Thoracic Spine을 제외한 병변부위와 Pituitary를 제외한 정상조직에서 SUVmax, SUVmean은 높은 값을 나타내었으며, TBR은 Prompt Gamma-ray 보정 전 후 각각 $51.51{\pm}49.28$, $55.50{\pm}53.12$로 보정 후 높은 값을 나타냈다. (p<0.0001)

• 한국의학물리학회지:의학물리
• /
• 제28권4호
• /
• pp.207-217
• /
• 2017

For effective patient treatment in proton therapy, it is therefore important to accurately measure the beam range. For measuring beam range, various researchers determine the beam range by measuring the prompt gammas generated during nuclear reactions of protons with materials. However, the accuracy of the beam range determination can be lowered in heterogeneous phantoms, because of the differences with respect to the prompt gamma production depending on the properties of the material. In this research, to improve the beam range determination in a heterogeneous phantom, we derived a formula to correct the prompt-gamma distribution using the ratio of the prompt gamma production, stopping power, and density obtained for each material. Then, the prompt-gamma distributions were acquired by a multi-slit prompt-gamma camera on various kinds of heterogeneous phantoms using a Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation, and the deduced formula was applied to the prompt-gamma distributions. For the case involving the phantom having bone-equivalent material in the soft tissue-equivalent material, it was confirmed that compared to the actual range, the determined ranges were relatively accurate both before and after correction. In the case of a phantom having the lung-equivalent material in the soft tissue-equivalent material, although the maximum error before correction was 18.7 mm, the difference was very large. However, when the correction method was applied, the accuracy was significantly improved by a maximum error of 4.1 mm. Moreover, for a phantom that was constructed based on CT data, after applying the calibration method, the beam range could be generally determined within an error of 2.5 mm. Simulation results confirmed the potential to determine the beam range with high accuracy in heterogeneous phantoms by applying the proposed correction method. In future, these methods will be verified by performing experiments using a therapeutic proton beam.

• 분석과학
• /
• 제16권1호
• /
• pp.12-24
• /
• 2003

$^{252}Cf$ 중성자 선원을 이용한 즉발감마선 계측 시스템 (NIPS, Neutron Induced Promp ${\gamma}$-ray Spectroscopy)을 설계 및 구성하기 위하여, 시스템내의 감속제 및 차폐체등의 효과를 시험하고 감마선 바탕값과 Cl을 포함한 시료의 즉발 감마선을 계측하였다. 이를 위한 예비시험으로 한국원자력연구소 내에 있는 TLD 판독용 $^{252}Cf$ 선원을 이용하였으며 즉발감마선은 시스템 내부의 동축형 HPGe (GMX, 60% relative efficiency)과 시스템외부 (약 20m 거리)의 Notebook PC 중성자와 감마선의 바탕값을 측정하고, 바탕값을 최소로 할 수 있는 차폐체의 기하학적 구조를 고안하였다. 감마선 바탕값을 최소화하기 위하여 두 개의 HPGe 검출기를 이용한 감마-감마 동시계측법을 이용하였다. 이 실험 자료를 이용하여 최적의 NIPS 시스템을 구성하였다.

• 한국방사성폐기물학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국방사성폐기물학회 2004년도 학술논문집
• /
• pp.433-433
• /
• 2004

Neutron induced prompt gamma-ray spectroscopy (NIPS) system measures the prompt gamma-ray, emitting by the interaction of a neutron with various materials. This system will be of great benefit to scientists worldwide, since it provides the non-destructive measurement of many elements in either solid or liquid wastes. A NIPS facility has been developed in Nuclear Chemistry Research Division, at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) with the aim of analyzing the major component elements in both aqueous and solid samples.(omitted)

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제48권2호
• /
• pp.299-303
• /
• 2016

Prompt gamma activation analysis using a thermal neutron-guided beam at Japan Atomic Energy Agency JRR-3M was applied for the precise determination of Si in silicon nitride ceramic reference materials [Japan Ceramic Reference Material (JCRM) R 003]. In this study, the standard addition method coupled with internal standard was used for the nondestructive determination of Si in the sample. Cadmium was used as internal standard to obtain the linear calibration curves and to compensate for the neutron beam variability. The analytical result of determining Si in JCRM R 003 silicon nitride fine powder ceramic reference materials using prompt gamma activation analysis was in good agreement with that obtained by classical gravimetric analysis. The relative expanded measurement uncertainty (k = 2) associated with the determined value was 2.4%.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제55권7호
• /
• pp.2572-2577
• /
• 2023

A field determination method for small D-T neutron source yield based on the oxygen prompt gamma rays was established. A neutron-gamma transport equation of the determination device was developed. Two yield field determination devices with a thickness of 20 mm and 50 mm were made. The count rates of the oxygen prompt gamma rays were calculated using three energy spectra processing approaches, which were the characteristic peak of 6.13 MeV, the overlapping peak of 6.92 MeV and 7.12 MeV, and the total energy area. The R-square of the calibration curve is better than 94% and the maximum error of the yield test is 5.21%, demonstrating that it is feasible to measure the yield of D-T neutron source by oxygen prompt gamma rays. Additionally, the results meet the requirements for field determination of the conventional D-T neutron source yield.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제51권5호
• /
• pp.1406-1416
• /
• 2019

In this research, a multi-slit prompt-gamma camera was developed to locate the distal dose falloff of the proton beam spots in spot scanning proton therapy. To see the performance of the developed camera, therapeutic proton beams were delivered to a solid plate phantom and then the prompt gammas from the phantom were measured using the camera. Our results show that the camera locates the 90% distal dose falloff (= d90%), within about 2-3 mm of error for the spots which are composed $3.8{\times}10^8$ protons or more. The measured location of d90% is not very sensitive to the irradiation depth of the proton beam (i.e., the depth of proton beam from the phantom surface toward which the camera is located). Considering the number of protons per spot for the most distal spots in typical treatment cases (i.e., 2 Gy dose divided in 2 fields), the camera can locate d90% only for a fraction of the spots depending on the treatment cases. However, the information of those spots is still valuable in that, in the multi-slit prompt-gamma camera, the distal dose falloff of the spots is located solely based on prompt gamma measurement, i.e., not referring to Monte Carlo simulation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제49권1호
• /
• pp.141-147
• /
• 2017

Mechanical shim is an advanced technology for reactor power and axial offset control with control rod assemblies. To address the adverse accuracy impact on the ex-core power range neutron flux measurements-based axial offset control resulting from the variable positions of control rod assemblies, the lead-lag-compensated in-core self-powered vanadium detector signals are utilized. The prompt ${\gamma}$ current of self-powered detector is ignored normally due to its weakness compared with the delayed ${\beta}$ current, although it promptly reflects the flux change of the core. Based on the features of the prompt ${\gamma}$ current, a method for configuration of the lead-lag dynamic compensator is proposed. The simulations indicate that the method can improve dynamic response significantly with negligible adverse effects on the steady response. The robustness of the design implies that the method is of great value for engineering applications.