Characteristics and highlights
Blue Physics Plastic Scintillating Detectors (PSDs) revolutionize radiation dosimetry by employing a unique type of plastic that emits light (scintillates) when exposed to radiation.
The intensity of this light is directly proportional to the absorbed radiation dose.
Key advantages of PSDs for medical physicists include:
Ultra-fast response time (nanoseconds): Enables accurate dosimetry for high-dose-rate and ultra-high-dose-rate therapies like FLASH and Protons.
Water-equivalence:
Ensures the detector accurately measures dose delivered to the patient, eliminating the need for complex correction factors.
MR-Linac compatibility:
Functions reliably within strong magnetic fields, facilitating real-time dosimetry during MR-guided radiotherapy.
Cost-effective and user-friendly implementation.
Blue Physics PSD Technology:
Blue Physics PSDs utilize a specialized plastic doped with a fluorescent dye. When irradiated, the dye converts absorbed energy into light. This light is collected by a photomultiplier tube (PMT), which transforms light signals into electrical signals. An electronic readout system amplifies, digitizes, and processes the signals, enabling precise dose calculations.
Applications
Time Saving: Enables very fast beam measurements for commissioning and QA times.
High and ultra-high-dose-rate therapies: Ensure accurate dosimetry in FLASH and other advanced treatment modalities.
MR-Linacs: Overcome dosimetry challenges in MR-guided radiotherapy environments.
Patient-specific QA: Verify dose distributions during treatment and compare them to treatment plans.
Machine QA: Routinely assess linac performance for treatment delivery accuracy and consistency.