Daranee Piriyasang. Assessing the reliability of film and semiconductor detector in measurement of central axis depth dose of electron beams . Master's Degree(Medical Physics). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2006.
Assessing the reliability of film and semiconductor detector in measurement of central axis depth dose of electron beams
Abstract:
A small volume ionization chamber and a diode detector are normally used to
measure relative depth dose of an electron beam in a water phantom. Film is an
alternative method for determining the relative depth dose with the advantages of high
resolution and short beam time. The purpose of this study was to investigate the
possibility of using the Kodak X-Omat V film for the central axis depth-dose
measurements of electron beams with acceptable accuracy by comparing with an RK
ionization chamber and a Scanditronix electron diode. Ionization chamber and diode
measurements were obtained with the RFA-300 system in a water phantom. The film
measurements were made in a MED-TEC film phantom cassette with parallel
orientation irradiation. Data were obtained with the electron energies between 6 and
20 MeV and field sizes from 6 x 6 cm2 to 20 x 20 cm2. The comparison of the central
axis depth dose parameters, R100, R90, R50, and RP measured by the film and diode with
the respect to the IC’s values showed that the difference did not indicate the
dependence either on the energy or cone size. In the buildup region, the film presented
higher percent depth dose values for most energies and cone sizes but beyond the
depth of maximum dose (R100), the results were opposite. The difference of every
parameter for both film and diode was within the acceptable value of ±2 mm. Overall,
the ionization chamber and diode measurements appear to be more reliable than the
film measurements, but film is particularly useful for new electron cutout data where
access to accelerator beam time is limited.