Assessment of correlated dose and sensitivity profiles on a multi-slice CT scanner.

In the case of computed tomography (CT) scanners as well as other imaging techniques utilising ionising radiation, it is imperative that radiation is confined to the sensitive part of the image detector. Assuring this for a CT scanner requires detailed information about the scanner dose and sensitivity profiles and their spatial correlation. The profiles should ideally be co-centric and tightly fit to each other. Ensuring this inherent performance of the scanner can be seen as one of the fundamental steps in optimising diagnostic examinations with CT. A measurement device using a dedicated liquid ionisation chamber is employed to investigate the performance of a Toshiba Aquilion 16 scanner in this aspect. Dose profile and sensitivity profile pairs for four collimations are presented where each pair of profiles are spatially correlated to each other. The measurement device can be applied to any scanner for fast and accurate assessment of dose and sensitivity profiles and their spatial correlation.

Long-term stability of liquid ionization chambers with regard to their qualification as local reference dosimeters for low dose-rate absorbed dose measurements in water.

The long-term sensitivity and calibration stability of liquid ionization chambers (LICs) has been studied at a local and a secondary standards dosimetry laboratory over a period of 3 years. The chambers were transported several times by mail between the two laboratories for measurements. The LICs used in this work are designed for absorbed dose measurements in the dose rate region of 0.1-100 mGy min(-1) and have a liquid layer thickness of 1 mm and a sensitive volume of 16.2 mm3. The liquids used as sensitive media in the chambers are mixtures of isooctane (C8H18) and tetramethylsilane (Si(CH3)4) in different proportions (about 2 to 1). Operating at a polarizing voltage of 300 V the leakage current of the chambers was stable and never exceeded 3% of the observable current at a dose rate of about 1 mGy min(-1). The volume sensitivity of the chambers was measured to be of the order of 10(-9) C Gy(-1) mm3. No systematic changes in the absorbed dose to water calibration was observed for any of the chambers during the test period (sigma < 0.2%). Variations in chamber dose response with small changes in the polarizing voltage as well as sensitivity changes with accumulated absorbed dose were also investigated. Measurements showed that the LIC response varies by 0.15% per 1% change in applied voltage around 300 V. No significant change could be observed in the LIC sensitivity after a single absorbed dose of 15 kGy. The results indicate that the LIC can be made to serve as a calibration transfer instrument and a reference detector for absorbed dose to water determinations providing good precision and long-term reproducibility.

Assessment of the relative dose distribution around an 192Ir line source using a liquid ionization chamber.

The relative absorbed dose distribution in water around an 192Ir line source of 50 mm length and 0.3 mm diam has been measured using a liquid ionization chamber (LIC). The sensitive volume of the chamber is a cylinder with 3.0 mm diam and a thickness of 1.0 mm. The sensitive medium in the LIC consists of a mixture of two dielectric liquids, tetramethylsilane and isooctane. The mixture has been optimized so that the LIC provides an almost energy-independent response for the radiation qualities present at different distances from the source in water. The measurements were carried out at distances of 2.5-50.0 mm along the source bisector and at distances of 0.0 to +/-40.0 mm along the source axis. The results were compared with measurements made with LiF chips in Solid Water and with calculated data based on an analytical solution to the Sievert integral as well as with Monte Carlo calculations of absolute dose rate in water. Considering the uncertainties involved, the dose distribution measured by the LIC is in reasonably good agreement with the theoretical data as well as the results held with LiF. In comparison with the Monte Carlo calculations the discrepancies range from 0.1% to 18% with the largest differences at points close to the source. This work demonstrates the ability of the LIC for mapping the dose distribution around a low-dose-rate brachytherapy source emitting photons of intermediate energies.

General collection efficiency in liquid iso-octane and tetramethylsilane used as sensitive media in a thimble ionization chamber.

The general collection efficiency in the dielectric liquids iso-octane (CaH18; 2-2-4 trimethylpentane) and tetramethylsilane (Si(CH3)4), used as sensitive media in a thimble liquid ionization chamber (LIC) with a liquid layer thickness of 1 mm, has been studied. Measurements were made for continuous radiation at varying dose rates using 140 keV photons from the decay of 99mTc for chamber polarizing voltages of 50, 100 and 500 V. The maximum dose rate in each measurement session was about 150 mGy min(-1). The experimental results were compared with theoretical general collection efficiencies calculated by the equation for the general collection efficiency in gases. The results show that the general collection efficiency in a thimble LIC for continuous radiation can be calculated with the equation for the general collection efficiency in gas ionization chambers, using the same chamber geometry correction factors and analogous characteristic ion recombination parameters for the dielectric liquids.

Liquid ionization chambers for absorbed dose measurements in water at low dose rates and intermediate photon energies.

Two new liquid ionization chamber (LIC) designs, consisting of cylindrical and plane-parallel configurations, are presented. They are designed to be suitable for high-precision measurements of absorbed dose-to-water at dose rates and photon energies typical for LDR intermediate photon energy brachytherapy sources. The chambers have a sensitive liquid layer thickness of 1 mm and sensitive volumes of 7 mm3 (plane-parallel) and 20 mm3 (cylindrical). The liquids used as sensitive media in the chambers are either isooctane (C8H18), tetramethylsilane (Si(CH3)4) or mixtures of these two liquids in the approximate proportions 2 to 1. A chamber filled with such a liquid mixture and with a polarizing voltage of 300 V, provides a volume sensitivity of about 10(-9)C Gy(-1) mm(-3) for absorbed dose measurements in water in an x-ray radiation field with an effective photon energy of 120 keV. In the interval 30 to 140 keV, the relative change in sensitivity is less than +/- 2.5%. The leakage current of the chambers is low and stable, which implies that absorbed dose measurements can be done with good reproducibility at dose-rates as low as 50 microGy min-1 (sigma < 3%). The long-term calibration stability was tested for a set of five chambers over a period of more than 1 year. No systematic change in their sensitivity could be observed. The general recombination at a polarizing voltage of 300 V is less than 2% for dose-rates up to about 100 mGy min-1. The temperature dependence at room temperature is 0.5% per degree C. The response is almost independent of the direction of the radiation for the plane-parallel LIC.

General collection efficiency for liquid isooctane and tetramethylsilane in pulsed radiation.

The general collection efficiency in pulsed radiation was studied for isooctane (C8H18) and tetramethylsilane (Si(CH3)4). These two liquids were used as sensitive media in a parallel-plate liquid ionization chamber with a 1 mm sensitive layer. Measurements were carried out using 20 MV photon radiation from a linear accelerator with a pulse repetition frequency of 30 pulses/second and a pulse length of 3.5 microseconds. The general collection efficiency was determined for polarizing voltages in the interval 1000-2000 V for isooctane and 500-2000 V for tetramethylsilane and for pulse doses in the interval 0.06-1.9 mGy/pulse. An air ionization chamber was used as a pulse dose reference monitor. The experimental results were compared with those predicted by the equation for the general collection efficiency for gases in pulsed radiation, using the permittivity of each of the liquids. It was found that for general collection efficiencies down to 80% the differences between the predicted and experimental general collection efficiencies in the two liquids were within +/- 1% at electric field strengths exceeding 10(6) V m-1.