TH-CD-BRA-04: Effect of a Strong Magnetic Field On TLDs, OSLDs, and Gafchromic Films Using An Electromagnet

Abstract

Purpose: To study the effect of strong magnetic field on three types of dosimeters using an electromagnet inside a Linac vault. Materials and Methods: Three types of dosimeters, thermoluminescent Dosimeters (TLDs), optically stimulated luminescent Dosimeters (OSLDs), and EBT3 Film were used to measure radiation dose response inside an electromagnet that could produce a strong magnetic field (B>1.5 T). The dosimeters were placed inside a plastic phantom between the two poles of the magnet, at approximately 3 meters from the iso-center of an Elekta Versa HD Linac. The B field was calibrated with a Gauss meter (Model: GM-2, AlphaLab Inc). The dosimeters received ∼2 Gy with and without the presence of the 1.5 T magnetic field. The EBT3 films were scanned 24 hours before and 24 hours after irradiation. The TLD dosimeters were read 1 week after irradiation. The OSLDs were read two weeks after irradiation. The ratios of signals of dosimeters irradiated with the B field to the signals without the B field were calculated. Two experiments have been conducted so far. Results: The ratios (averaged over two experiments) of dosimeter signals with vs without B field were 0.994 for films, 0.994 for OSLDs, and 1.002 for TLDs. The statistical uncertainty was ∼3%. Conclusions: The three types of dosimeters (film, TLD, OSLD) seem not affected by the presence of a magnetic field (B=1.5 T) with the uncertainty of ∼3%. They may be suitable for QA purposes in a strong B field up to 1.5 T. More measurements will be conducted for reproducibility testing. We acknowledge research support from Elekta AB.