Enhancement of the UK primary standard for absorbed dose for proton radiotherapy

Flynn, Samuel Francis ORCID: 0000-0001-6174-5434 (2021). Enhancement of the UK primary standard for absorbed dose for proton radiotherapy. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

With the implementation of proton beam therapy; modern radiotherapy treatments have better outcomes than ever before. Likewise, the development of spatially fractionated radiotherapy treatments have shown tremendous potential in pre-clinical studies for improving patient outcomes. Both of these implementation come at the cost of increasing complexity, providing a greater challenge for both routine quality assurance and primary standard dosimetry. Simultaneously, recent advances in the field of silicon radiation detectors offer a possible solution for high resolution real-time monitoring would would increase confidence in the dosimetry.

This thesis describes the application of Silicon Strip Detectors (SSD) and Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) devices to X-ray and Proton beam therapies with the intention to develop new methods of quality assurance and a combined system using the NPL Graphite Calorimeter for proton radiotherapy. A combined system using a large-format CMOS is tested in 6 MV X-ray beams at the NPL, verifying the concept and providing a proof of principle.

These measurements produced some unexpected results, which required the development of a model of the Calorimeter in COMSOL, a finite-element simulation software package, to study and better understand the internal heat flow. The developed model can use parameterised beam data acquired by an independent silicon detector (whether CMOS or SSD detectors) as a heat source for coupled simulations of delivered beams. After validating against experimental results, the model was subjected to fields of radiation representative of Pencil beam scanning (PBS), providing confidence in the effectiveness of the NPL Graphite Calorimeter in these radiation beams.

Type of Work:	Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)
Award Type:	Doctorates > Ph.D.
Supervisor(s):	Supervisor(s) Email ORCID Allport, Philip Patrick UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0001-7303-2570 Price, Tony UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Green, Stuart UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Thomas, Russell UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
Licence:	All rights reserved
College/Faculty:	Colleges (2008 onwards) > College of Engineering & Physical Sciences
School or Department:	School of Physics and Astronomy
Funders:	Science and Technology Facilities Council
Subjects:	Q Science > QC Physics
URI:	http://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/12139

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