Breakthrough whole body energy-specific and tissue-specific photoneutron dosimetry by novel miniature neutron dosimeter/spectrometer

Abstract

Breakthrough whole body energy-specific photoneutron (PN) dosimetry was made in/out-of-field in polyethylene phantom organ surface/depths remote from isocenter of 10 × 10 cm2 field prostate cancer therapy in 18 MV X-rays Varian Clinac 2100C medical linear accelerator for PN tissue-specific second primary cancer (PN-SPC) risk estimation. A novel miniature neutron dosimeter/spectrometer with polycarbonate/10B/cadmium inserts was invented and applied. Each dosimeter determines seven tissue-specific dose equivalent (mSv)/Gy X-ray dose at each measurement point providing seven major energy-specific responses for beam thermal, albedo thermal, total thermal, total epithermal, total fast, sum of totals (thermal + epithermal) and sum of totals (thermal + epithermal + fast) PNs dose equivalents. The neutron dosimeter is simple, efficient, and unique with high spatial resolution and provides matrix of energy-specific PN dose equivalent (mSv)/Gy X-ray dose on surface and organ depths for tissue-specific PN-SPC risk estimation. The dosimeter also performs like a “miniature neutron spectrometer” and is unique for other applications in health physics in particular individual neutron dosimetry, medical physics, space flights, science and technology.

Breakthrough on radon individual monitoring and protecting miners by novel dual-function monitor on respirator

“…The module also protects the detector from humidity keeping its sensitivity to radon 7–9 times higher than that of commonly used radon detectors 20 , 37 . Polycarbonate detector is flexible in size to be effectively used in different applications from small size (3 cm × 3 cm) as used in this study, in tissue-specific and energy-specific miniature dosimeter/spectrometers (3 cm × 3 cm) 33 , in multi-directional neutron spectrometry with polyethylene spheres (3 cm × 3 cm) 34 , in megasize in megasize radon monitors (40 cm × 80 cm) 21 , etc. Our studies have provided succssful and promissing results for applying the dual-function individual radon monitor for miners in real radon working environments as well as for individual radon monitoring indoors of houses.…”

“…Polycarbonate detector is flexible in size to be effectively used in different applications from small size (3 cm × 3 cm) as used in this study, in tissue-specific and energy-specific miniature dosimeter/spectrometers (3 cm × 3 cm) 33 , in multi-directional neutron spectrometry with polyethylene spheres (3 cm × 3 cm) 34 , in megasize in megasize radon monitors (40 cm × 80 cm) 21 , etc.…”

“…PCTDs when processed by an ECE method 29 , in particular under 50 Hz – HV electric field conditions, as recently studied by us, have been applied in many recent studies. Such novel studies include efficient monitoring of radon and progeny 20 ; breakthough on discovery of 4π ion distribution in plasma focus devices by 4π ion impage processing of hydrogen (proton) 31 , 32 , deuterium, helium or heavier ions 31 , 32 ; alpha particle detection in a wide energy range 21 ; megasize (40 cm × 80 cm) radon monitoring and ion image processing 21 , novel miniature neutron dosimeter/spectrometer for neutron dosimetry 33 , and passive novel multi-directional neutron spectrometry 34 .…”