Silicon Carbide (SiC) detectors are recently emerging as promising alternative detectors for many applications in radiation detection, including dosimetry for innovative radiotherapy techniques. A collaboration involving the INFN Catania Division and the local start-up ST-Lab (Catania) has been established to develop different configurations of SiC detectors (both PiN and Schottky junctions types) of several active thicknesses (0.2–20 um thick) and areas (0.5–100 mm2). The SiC detectors were optimized for the dosimetry in conventional radiotherapy as well as for the emerging alternative radiotherapic techniques as the FLASH radiotherapy characterized by ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) particle beams (>40 Gy/s). In order to facilitate the practical use of such devices in the preclinical/clinical environment, allowing the accurate measurement of the dose under the reference dosimetric conditions (in water), an encapsulated version of the SiC detector was also recently realized, where the sensor was mounted on top of a 3D printed PCB inserted within a plastic waterproof 15mm diameter cylindrical housing fully designed and realized at INFN Catania Division. A comprehensive dosimetric characterization was performed with 9MeV UHDR pulsed electron beams at the Centro Pisano for Flash Radio Therapy (CPFR) in Pisa, where a linear response of different SiC models was demonstrated up to a dose per pulse(DPP) of 21 Gy/pulse. Moreover, the measurement of the temporal structure of the single electron pulse was also performed, enabling the monitoring of the intra-pulse instantaneous dose rate. Measurements of the absolute dose and the percentage dose distribution within liquid and solid water phantom were also carried out and successfully compared with the one obtained with the flash diamond detector (discrepancy <1 %). These promising results lay the basis for the development of standardized and handy SiC dosimeters, enabling their use in a clinical environment in reference conditions, required for accurate relative and absolute dosimetric measurements in both conventional and FLASH radiotherapy.
Silicon carbide detectors for reference dosimetry in flash radiotherapy
Okpuwe, C.;Milluzzo, G.;Trovato, G.;Camarda, M.;
2026-01-01
Abstract
Silicon Carbide (SiC) detectors are recently emerging as promising alternative detectors for many applications in radiation detection, including dosimetry for innovative radiotherapy techniques. A collaboration involving the INFN Catania Division and the local start-up ST-Lab (Catania) has been established to develop different configurations of SiC detectors (both PiN and Schottky junctions types) of several active thicknesses (0.2–20 um thick) and areas (0.5–100 mm2). The SiC detectors were optimized for the dosimetry in conventional radiotherapy as well as for the emerging alternative radiotherapic techniques as the FLASH radiotherapy characterized by ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) particle beams (>40 Gy/s). In order to facilitate the practical use of such devices in the preclinical/clinical environment, allowing the accurate measurement of the dose under the reference dosimetric conditions (in water), an encapsulated version of the SiC detector was also recently realized, where the sensor was mounted on top of a 3D printed PCB inserted within a plastic waterproof 15mm diameter cylindrical housing fully designed and realized at INFN Catania Division. A comprehensive dosimetric characterization was performed with 9MeV UHDR pulsed electron beams at the Centro Pisano for Flash Radio Therapy (CPFR) in Pisa, where a linear response of different SiC models was demonstrated up to a dose per pulse(DPP) of 21 Gy/pulse. Moreover, the measurement of the temporal structure of the single electron pulse was also performed, enabling the monitoring of the intra-pulse instantaneous dose rate. Measurements of the absolute dose and the percentage dose distribution within liquid and solid water phantom were also carried out and successfully compared with the one obtained with the flash diamond detector (discrepancy <1 %). These promising results lay the basis for the development of standardized and handy SiC dosimeters, enabling their use in a clinical environment in reference conditions, required for accurate relative and absolute dosimetric measurements in both conventional and FLASH radiotherapy.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
