Introduction

This invention relates to a 3D dosimeter that uses a newly developed biocompatible material and to a method for using such a device for the verification of the dose delivered in radiotherapeutic medical applications and for quality controls of the radiation beams.

Technical features

The dose delivered during the radiotherapy may be drastically different from the planned treatment. Many types of dosimeters perform “point” dose detections and to acquire the information in a large region, it is necessary to replace the dosimeter in different positions and to repeat the reading, or to arrange initially a plurality of dosimeters within the region of interest. This invention involves the inventive use of a hydrogel composite that presents radiosensitivity through the reading of the electron spin magnetic resonance signal (EPR). The dosimetric material is constituted by a microporous polymeric matrix (alginate) that incorporates nanometric microporous crystals of inorganic material (hydroxyapatite). The signal is acquired during a single exposure over an area of several centimetres, has a 3D nature, and is stable. The average density of the material that constitutes the dosimeter is comparable with those of low-density biological tissues, such as lung.

Possible Applications

• New biomedical technological applications of potential interest for companies that commercialize innovative medical instrumentation in the radiotherapy field;
• The realization of pulmonary dosimetric phantoms based on the proposed material may allow a better evaluation of the dose delivered in the thoracic area.

Advantages

• Optimization of the radiative treatment;
• Maximum dose delivered to the diseased region;
• Limited damage to surrounding healthy tissue;
• Biocompatible material;
• Low density material;
• Low-cost device;
• Extended and self-supported device.