Control of spectral characteristics of the medical accelerator on the basis of comparison of mass weaking coefficients of different materials

Abstract

Background. Radiation protection of patients undergoing radiation therapy using linear electron accelerators is based on ensuring the constancy of the equipment parameters set during commissioning. Therefore, studying the possibility of operational assessment of the spectrum characteristics consistency of the generated bremsstrahlung is a priority along with standard dosimetric parameter control procedures. Primarily, this refers to specifying the average measured energy of bremsstrahlung which provides an impartial assessment of the constancy of the whole wave path of the accelerator. However, there is no special diagnostic equipment to determine this parameter. At the same time, the literature data represent a growing interest in the use of CdTe sensors for the analysis of high-energy radiation, including the ones in medical accelerators. Purpose – developing and testing special diagnostic equipment based on semiconductor CdTe sensors, which would implement the assessment of the average measured energy of bremsstrahlung of the medical accelerator 6 MeV via comparing the mass attenuation coefficients in lead and aluminum. Materials and Methods. The paper deals with experimental evaluation of the Varian Clinac 600C linear accelerator (USA) spectrum characteristics carried out at Radiation Oncology Department of State Organization «Grigoriev Institute for Medical Radiology and Oncology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine» via determining the average measured energy of bremsstrahlung. The assessment of the average measured energy of the bremsstrahlung of the accelerator was performed based on comparing two mass attenuation coefficients of radiation with materials having significantly different atomic numbers, i.e. Al and Pb. The assessment of the mass attenuation coefficients was performed on the basis of measuring the average amplitudes of CdTe signals of the sensor, operating in the pulse mode in conjunction with a 16-bit ADC. Pulses of bremsstrahlung from the linear accelerator were recorded by a peak detector for 10 seconds of measurement by the hardware-software complex at 400 monitor units by CdTe sensor with aluminum and lead absorber. The study was performed at a distance of «source-surface» 100 cm with an area of the irradiation field of 20x20 cm. The spectral energy profile of the generated field of bremsstrahlung was studied. Results. The developed equipment was tested by CdTe sensor, which was created taking into account the energy sensitivity of the sensor itself as well as the spectraltemporal characteristics of the pulsed radiation of the accelerator. The approach dealing with assessing the average measured energy of bremsstrahlung of the linear electron accelerator, based on the dependence of the attenuation of radiation by the absorber layer on the radiation energy, has been experimentally confirmed. The theoretical dependence of the average measured energy of bremsstrahlung of the linear accelerator on the ratio of the mass attenuation coefficients of lead and aluminum has been obtained. The energy range from 0.1 to 6 MeV corresponds to the ratio of mass absorption coefficients of lead to aluminum, varying nonlinearly from 33.8 to 1.639. The average measured energy of the linear accelerator of 0.8 MeV corresponds to a mass coefficient ratio of about 1.23 for these materials. The assessed absolute error (from the set value during commissioning the linear accelerator) of the specified measured average energy of bremsstrahlung is up to 12.5% (0.72 MeV), corresponding to the ratio of mass attenuation coefficients – 1.340. Conclusions. The special diagnostic equipment for recording the spectrum characteristics of the Varian Clinac 600C linear accelerator (USA) based on semiconductor CdTe sensors, which along with 16-bit ADC make it possible to estimate the average measured energy of bremsstrahlung via comparing mass attenuation coefficients in Al and Pb has been substantiated and reduced to practice. The assessment of mass attenuation coefficients is carried out based on measuring the average amplitudes of pulses of СdTe sensors operating in a pulse mode.