Enhancing Fricke Xylenol Gel Dosimeter's Response to Radiation with Optimized Preparation Methods

Document Type : Original Paper

Authors

1 Radiotherapy and Radiation Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University.

2 BANARAS HINDU UNIVERSITY

3 Department of Radiotherapy, North Bengal Medical College, Darjeeling, India-734012

4 Radiotherapy and Radiation Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University

5 Department of Metallurgical Engineering, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University.

6 Department of Physics, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University

7 Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Medicine Institute of Medical Sciences Banaras Hindu University VARANASI, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA.

8 RTRM Department, Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, Varanasi-221005

9 RTRM Department, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005, INDIA

10 Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University.

11 Institute of Medical Science (BHU)Varanasi, UP, India

10.22038/ijmp.2024.74538.2320

Abstract

Introduction: The fundamental principle of the Fricke gel dosimeter involves the oxidation of ferric ions upon exposure to radiation. However, a significant limitation of this dosimeter is the post-irradiation diffusion of ferric ions, which can result in the degradation of spatial dose information.
Material and Methods: Gels were prepared using 300 bloom gelatin, deionized water, sulfuric acid, ferrous ammonium sulfate, and xylenol orange dye (Sigma-Aldrich). The solution was then poured into 10 ml plastic cuvettes.. The gel samples were refrigerated at various temperatures for 1 to 10 days and irradiated within a water bath environment utilizing a telecobalt unit (Phoenix, Theratronics) employing parallel opposed beams. Spectrophotometric analysis at  a wavelength of 585 nm was used to measured optical density changes with dose.. This procedure was repeated across gel formulations prepared under differing pH conditions.
Results: The gel's optimum pH value, which was stored for 10 days at 5° C, showed a linear response up to 10 Gy, although the storage time was longer than that of the gels with low (0.3) and high pH (1.3). The auto oxidation rate was determined and found to be less for non-irradiated gel batches stored at 5° C in relation to the gel samples at room temperature and freezing temperature.
Conclusion: The dose response of the dosimeter is highly dependent on its pH, composition, alkaline residuals, and pre-irradiation storing conditions.. We observed the optimum pH is 1, at which the dosimeter shows a maximum response. Storing gel samples at 5°C notably reduces the Fe2+ to Fe3+ auto-oxidation rate.

Keywords

Main Subjects


  1. Citrin DE. Recent developments in radiotherapy. New England journal of medicine. 2017 Sep 14;377(11):1065-75.
  2. Acun-Bucht H, Tuncay E, Darendeliler E, Kemikler G. Absolute dose verification of static intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with ion chambers of various volumes and TLD detectors. Reports of Practical Oncology and Radiotherapy. 2018;23(4):242-50.
  3. Gore JC, Kang YS. Measurement of radiation dose distributions by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging. Physics in Medicine & Biology. 1984 Oct 1;29(10):1189.
  4. Bero MA, Gilboy WB, Glover PM. Radiochromic gel dosemeter for three-dimensional dosimetry. Radiation Physics and Chemistry. 2001 Jun 1;61(3-6):433-5.
  5. Bero MA, Gilboy WB, Glover PM, El-Masri HM. Tissue-equivalent gel for non-invasive spatial radiation dose measurements. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms. 2000 May 2;166:820-5.
  6. Oliveira LN, Guzmán Calcina CS, Parada MA, Almeida CE, Almeida AD. Ferrous Xylenol Gel measurements for 6 and 10 MV photons in small field sizes. Brazilian Journal of Physics. 2007;37:1141-6.
  7. Cavinato CC, Campos LL. Study of Fricke gel dosimeter response for different gel quality. InJournal of Physics: Conference Series 2010 Nov 1 (Vol. 249, No. 1, p. 012064). IOP Publishing.
  8. Babu SE, Ravindran BP. Effect of bloom strength on radiochromic gel dosimeters. InJournal of Physics: Conference Series 2015 Jan 12 (Vol. 573, No. 1, p. 012066). IOP Publishing.
  9. Babu SE, Singh IR, Poornima CG, Ravindran BP. Enhancing the longevity of three-dimensional dose in a diffusion-controlled Fricke gel dosimeter. Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics. 2015 Jul 1;11(3):580-5.
  10. Gambarini G, Liosi GM, Artuso E, Giacobbo F, Mariani M, Brambilla L, Castiglioni C, Carrara M, Pignoli E. Study of the absorption spectra of Fricke xylenol orange gel dosimeters. In2015 4th International Conference on Advancements in Nuclear Instrumentation Measurement Methods and their Applications (ANIMMA) 2015 Apr 20 (pp. 1-5). IEEE.
  11. Rousseau A, Stien C, Bordy JM, Blideanu V. Fricke-Xylenol orange-Gelatin gel characterization with dual wavelength cone-beam optical CT scanner for applications in stereotactic and dynamic radiotherapy. Physica Medica. 2022 May 1;97:1-2.
  12. Choosin P, Tippayamontri T, Ninlaphruk S, Pungkun V. Study on characteristic of Fricke xylenol gel dosimeter: Application for dose evaluation in radiotherapy. InJournal of Physics: Conference Series 2019 Aug 1 (Vol. 1285, No. 1, p. 012029). IOP Publishing.
  13. Babic S, Battista J, Jordan K. An apparent threshold dose response in ferrous xylenol-orange gel dosimeters when scanned with a yellow light source. Physics in Medicine & Biology. 2008 Feb 25;53(6):1637.
  14. Baldock C. Historical overview of the development of gel dosimetry: another personal perspective. InJournal of Physics: Conference Series 2009 May 1 (Vol. 164, No. 1, p. 012002). IOP Publishing.