Abstract

In clinical radiotherapy treatment the primary concern is accurately delivering a predetermined dose to a point in the center of a tumor volume. Ideally, the absorbed dose would be measured using a detector, located at the tumor site, that could provide immediate feedback to the radiation oncologist for greater control of the procedure. However, at present there is no sensor available that can perform real-time in vivo dosimetry. In this paper we describe a new fiber-optic-coupled, remote radiation dosimeter that is being developed for in vivo patient dose verification during medical radiotherapy treatments. The system will be capable of providing near-real-time information concerning absorbed dose and dose rate and would be easily be expanded to include multiple sensors for monitoring the absorbed dose at healthy tissues that are in close proximity to the target tumor. It is expected that better control of the radiation therapy parameters will lead to reduced morbidity.

© 1998 Optical Society of America