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Optical and MRI investigations of an optimized acrylamide-based polymer gel dosimeter

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Abstract

The first purpose of this research was improvement of sensitivity of the normoxic acrylamide-based polymer gel dosimeter. Another aim of this study was investigation of the absorbance of the irradiated gels as well as their relaxation rate variations. In addition, a new optical parameter, area under the absorbance spectrum (AUS), was investigated. Sensitivity improvement was performed by adding glucose and urea to the previously reported acrylamide-based polymer gel formulation and new formulation was named PAGATUG. The formulation which gives the nearest tissue elemental composition has been determined to be 3 % bis, 3 % AA, 5 % gelatine, 5 mM THPC, 0.01 mM HQ, 8.5 % glucose, and 3 % urea. The differences in electron density, number of electrons per gram and effective atomic number of PAGATUG gel were no more than 1, 0.5, and 0.8 % of the corresponding values for the soft tissue respectively. PAGATUG gels were irradiated by 60Co radiotherapy unit photon beams with different doses and imaged using a 1.5T Siemens Avanto MRI scanner for different post irradiation times. In addition, the absorbance of the irradiated gels were evaluated using a double beam spectrophotometer. We found that the R 2-sensitivity of polymer gel was improved by a factor of more than 2.6 in respect of the previously reported PAGAT polymer gel. Dose–absorbance sensitivity was obtained as 0.89 Au Gy−1 and the results showed more stable response in respect of R 2 investigation. An AUS-sensitivity of 107.7 Au nm Gy−1 indicated to steep response variation. This read out parameter showed an acceptable linearity and dynamic dose range.

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Acknowledgments

The assistance of Chemical-Physics Laboratory of the Faculty of Chemistry of Shahid Beheshti University is greatly appreciated. The authors acknowledge the Radiotherapy Department of Shohadae-Tajrish Hospital for their kind contribution in gel irradiation. The authors also acknowledge the Radiology Departments of Shohadae-Tajrish hospital specially Mr. Masoud Heidari for his kind efforts in gel imaging. Authors appreciate Mrs. Somayeh Saghamanesh for her useful help with English polishing of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radiation Medicine Department, University of Shahid Beheshti, P. O. Box 19839-63113, Tehran, Iran

    S. M. Abtahi & S. M. R. Aghamiri

  2. Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute (NSTRI), Tehran, Iran

    H. Khalafi

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  1. S. M. Abtahi
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  2. S. M. R. Aghamiri
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  3. H. Khalafi
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Correspondence to S. M. Abtahi.

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Abtahi, S.M., Aghamiri, S.M.R. & Khalafi, H. Optical and MRI investigations of an optimized acrylamide-based polymer gel dosimeter. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 300, 287–301 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-014-2983-7

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