学术文献库

In order to fully exploit the ballistic potential of particle therapy, we propose an online range monitoring concept based on high-resolution Time-Of-Flight (TOF)-resolved Prompt Gamma (PG) detection in a single proton counting regime. In a proof of principle experiment, different types of monolithic scintillating gamma detectors are read in time coincidence with a diamond-based beam hodoscope, in order to build TOF spectra of PG generated in a heterogeneous target presenting an air cavity of variable thickness. Since the measurement was carried out at low beam currents ($<$ 1 proton/bunch) it was possible to reach excellent coincidence time resolutions, of the order of 100 ps ($σ$). Our goal is to detect possible deviations of the proton range with respect to treatment planning within a few intense irradiation spots at the beginning of the session and then carry on the treatment at standard beam currents. The measurements were limited to 10 mm proton range shift. A Monte Carlo simulation study reproducing the experiment has shown that a 3 mm shift can be detected at 2$σ$ by a single detector of $\sim 1.4 \times 10^{-3}$ absolute detection efficiency within a single irradiation spot ($\sim$10$^{8}$ protons) and an optimised experimental set-up.