Abstract
Abstract
Objectives
This work presents the design, development, and initial proof-of-concept testing of a dosimetry device intended for FLASH radiotherapy.
Methods
The system incorporates organic scintillating fibers coupled to a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) and an FPGA-based readout, with fiber geometry optimized to minimize perturbations to a clinical proton beam, as confirmed through measurements at the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI).
Results
Tests using a portable X-ray unit demonstrated a strong correlation between integrated charge and delivered dose (up to ∼35 mrem s−1) and showed that the detector can respond on nanosecond timescales, enabling rapid safety interlock triggering with minimal latency.
Conclusion
Preliminary proton irradiations at HCI further indicated that the device can resolve individual beam pulses, a capability valuable for both FLASH research and conventional radiotherapy.
Advances in knowledge
These results highlight the need for continued refinement of the experimental setup, readout electronics, and detector performance to fully realize real-time, in situ dose and pulse monitoring.