Development and Application of MAGIC-f Gel in Cancer Research and Medical Imaging

Much of the complex medical physics work requires radiation dose delivery, which requires dosimeters to accurately measure complex three-dimensional dose distribution with good spatial resolution. MAGIC-f polymer gel is one of the emerging new dosimeters widely used in medical physics research. The purpose of this study was to present an overview of polymer gel dosimetry, using MAGIC-f gel, including its composition, manufacture, imaging, calibration, and application to medical physics research. In this review, the history of polymer gel development is presented, along with the applications so far. Moreover, the most important experiments/applications of MAGIC-f polymer gel are discussed to illustrate the behavior of gel on different conditions of irradiation, imaging, and manufacturing techniques. Finally, various future works are suggested based on the past and present works on MAGIC-f gel and polymer gel in general, with the hope that these bits of knowledge can provide important clues for future research on MAGIC-f gel as a dosimeter.

Synchrotron X-ray Irradiation of a Rat’s Head Model: Monte Carlo Study of Chromatic Gel Dosimetry

Accurate treatment planning in radiotherapy essentially decreases damage to healthy tissue surrounding the tumor. Due to plans to use a direct, highly collimated, narrow beam with high intensity to treat small area tumors, researchers have studied microbeam radiation therapy extensively. Using a synchrotron beam as the radiation source may help to limit damage, but treatment planning using computerized simulations and dosimetry is still necessary to achieve optimal results. For this purpose, PDA-gel dosimeters were developed and their sensitivity around a 150 keV induced synchrotron X-ray radiation beam was examined via Monte Carlo simulations using the EGS5 code system. The microbeam development is now at the animal study stage. In this study, we simulate the irradiation of a rat’s brain. The simulation results obtained spectra for two types of PDA-gel dosimeters that were compared with the spectrum obtained in a modelized brain tumor of a rat. Additionally, percentage depth dose curves were calculated for the brain tissue and the two gels. Correction equations for the dosimeters were obtained from the dose-difference plots. For further references, these equations can be used to calculate the actual dose in a brain tumor in a rat. The Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that PDA-gel dosimeters can be used for treatment planning using synchrotron irradiations.

Developing practical techniques of retrospective dosimetry for affected individuals in radiological emergencies

Professor Hiroshi Yasuda, based at Hiroshima University in Japan, is seeking to advance techniques for radiation dosimetry and radiological risk assessment. Radiation dosimetry includes measurement, calculation and prediction of ionising radiation doses absorbed by the organs and tissues of a human body. The techniques will be useful after a range of incidents including: nuclear/radiological accidents; failures in medical treatment using radiation; increase of solar flare particles in aviation; and terrorist attacks using radionuclides. It can save lives by determining someone's exposure to radiation following such an incident, enabling appropriate and timely medical intervention to be administered. Yasuda heads up a team in the University's Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine (RIRBM), where the researchers are actively focusing on four research topics: Biosample-ESR dosimetry; 3D gel dosimetry; novel luminescence dosimetry for accidental exposure; and individual aviation dosimetry for flyers.