• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.129-133
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• 2017

The machine log files recorded by a scanning control unit in proton beam therapy system have been studied to be used as a quality assurance method of scanning beam deliveries. The accuracy of the data in the log files have been evaluated with a standard calibration beam scan pattern. The proton beam scan pattern has been delivered on a gafchromic film located at the isocenter plane of the proton beam treatment nozzle and found to agree within ${\pm}1.0mm$. The machine data accumulated for the scanning beam proton therapy of five different cases have been analyzed using a statistical method to estimate any systematic error in the data. The high-precision scanning beam log files in line scanning proton therapy system have been validated to be used for off-line scanning beam monitoring and thus as a patient-specific quality assurance method. The use of the machine log files for patient-specific quality assurance would simplify the quality assurance procedure with accurate scanning beam data.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.108-113
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• 2022

Purpose: Proton therapy has been used for optimal cancer treatment by adapting its Bragg-peak characteristics. Recently, a tissue-sparing effect was introduced in ultrahigh-dose-rate (FLASH) radiation; the high-energy transmission proton beam is considered in proton FLASH therapy. In measuring high-energy/ultrahigh-dose-rate proton beam, Faraday Cup is considered as a dose-rate-independent measurement device, which has been widely studied. In this paper, the feasibility of the simply designed Faraday Cup (Poor Man's Faraday Cup, PMFC) for transmission proton FLASH therapy is investigated. Methods: In general, Faraday cups were used in the measurement of charged particles. The simply designed Faraday Cup and Advanced Markus ion chamber were used for high-energy proton beam measurement in this study. Results: The PMFC shows an acceptable performance, including accuracy in general dosimetric tests. The PMFC has a linear response to the dose and dose rate. The proton fluence was decreased with the increase of depth until the depth was near the proton beam range. Regarding secondary particles backscatter from PMFC, the effect was negligible. Conclusions: In this study, we performed an experiment to investigate the feasibility of PMFC for measuring high-energy proton beams. The PMFC can be used as a beam stopper and secondary monitoring system for transmission proton beam FLASH therapy.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2019

Background: To monitor proton beam in proton therapy, prompt gamma imaging systems are being developed by several research groups, and these systems are expected to improve the quality of the treatment and the patient safety. To apply the prompt gamma imaging systems into spot scanning proton therapy, the systems should be able to monitor the proton beam range of a spot with a small number of protons ( <$10^8$ protons), which is quite often not the case due to insufficient prompt gamma statistics. Materials and Methods: In the present study, we propose to improve prompt gamma statistics by merging the prompt gamma distributions of several individual spots into a new distribution. This proposal was tested by Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations for a multi-slit prompt gamma camera which has been developed to measure the proton beam range in the patient. Results and Discussion: The results show that the proposed method clearly enhance the statistical precision of beam range measurement. The accuracy of beam range verification is improved, within ~1.4 mm error, which is not achievable before applying the developed method. Conclusion: In this study, we tried to improve the statistics of the prompt gamma statistics by merging the prompt gamma distributions of multiple spots, and it was found that the merged distribution provided sufficient prompt gamma statistics and the proton beam range was determined accurately.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.761-762
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• 2005

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.279-286
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• 2005

A prototype of a relativistic proton generation system, based on laser-induced plasma interaction, has been designed and fabricated. The system is composed of three major parts: a fs TW laser; a target chamber, including targets and controls; and a diagnostic system for charged particles and lasers. An Offner-type pulse stretcher for chirped pulse amplification (CPA) and eight pass pre-amplifier are installed. The main amplifier will be integrated with a new pumping laser. The design values of the laser at the first stage are 1 TW in power and 50 fs in pulse duration. We expect to generate protons with their maximum energy of approximately 3 MeV and the flux of at least $10^6$ per pulse using a 10 $\mu$m Al target. A prototype target chamber with eight 8-inch flanges, including target mounts, has been designed and fabricated. For laser diagnostics, an adaptive optics based on the Shack-Hartmann type, beam monitoring, and alignment system are all under development. For a charged particle, CR-39 detectors, a Thomson parabola spectrometer, and Si charged-particle detectors will be used for the density profile and energy spectrum. In this paper, we present the preliminary design for laser-induced proton generation. We also present plans for future work, as well as theoretical simulations.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.191-197
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• 2013

Upon radiation treatment, it is the important factor to monitor the patient's motion during radiation irradiated, since it can determine whether the treatment is successful. Thus, we have developed the system in which the patient's motion is monitored in real time and moving treatment position can be automatically corrected during radiation irradiation. We have developed the patient's position monitoring system in which the patient's position is three dimensionally identified by using two CCD cameras which are orthogonal located around the isocenter. This system uses the image pattern matching technique using a normalized cross-correlation method. We have developed the system in which trigger signal for beam on and off is generated by quantitatively analyzing the changes in a treatment position through delivery of the images taken from CCD cameras to the computer and the motor of moving couch can be controlled. This system was able to automatically correct a patient's position with the resolution of 0.5 mm or less.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.2689-2696
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• 2015

Radioactive isotopes which are manufactured using a cyclotron in a radioisotope used for radiation diagnosis is affected by the production yield according to size and shape of the beam and beam uniform degree from irradiated location when the proton beam investigated the target by cyclotron. Therefore, in this paper developed the BPM(Beam Profile Monitor) device capable of measuring the beam cross-section at the cyclotron beam line. It was configured so as to be able to remote control the BPM device in LabView and used the BPM program it was to be able to easily monitor and display to analyze the graph of two-dimensional graph and a three-dimensional beam distribution numerical information of the beam obtained while scanning the tungsten wire to the X and Y axis. The time it takes to measure the beam can be confirmed 37seconds when step motor driving speed was 2000pps. Through a beam readjusted based on the measured beam distribution information by optimizing the beam distribution it can be made to maximize the RI production yield and contribute supply stabilization.