Characterization of a new polymer gel for radiosurgery dosimetry using Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Abstract

The VIPAR polymer gel dosimeter formulation was modified in an effort to eliminate the need for deoxygenation in the manufacturing procedure while preserving its favorable characteristics of dose rate independence and a wide dose response range. Aiming at an adequate dose sensitivity and the extension of dose response in the low dose region to facilitate the dose verification of radiosurgery applications where narrow beams are employed and steep dose gradients are involved, the new formulation consists of 8% N-Vinylpyrrolidone, 7.5% gelatine, 4% N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide, as well as of 0.0008% Copper Sulfate and 0.007% Ascorbic Acid as oxygen scavengers. To study the dose–R2 response, dose rate dependence and ``edge effect'' behaviour of the new formulation, one batch of two gel filled glass vials was prepared. Before MR Imaging, one vial was irradiated with a brachytherapy source while the other one was irradiated using circular CyberKnife radiation fields of 60, 10, 7.5 and 5 mm in diameter. Results of this study suggest that the new gel dosimeter responds linearly in the dose range of about 3 to 30 Gy, whilst the full dose response range exceeds the maximum delivered dose of 50 Gy. No dose rate dependence was observed for the new gel, while Cyberknife dosimetry results in the form of stereotactic field size and penumbra measurements suggest that the new formulation could be effective in the dose verification of demanding radiosurgery techniques.