Proton range verification with ultrasound imaging using injectable radiation sensitive nanodroplets: a feasibility study.

Clicks: 389
ID: 94006
2020
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal
Emerging

Ranked #7 of 37 articles by views in Physics in medicine and biology

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Sign in to mint
Abstract
Technologies enabling in vivo range verification during proton therapy are actively sought as a means to reduce the clinical safety margins currently adopted to avoid tumor underdosage. In this contribution, we applied the semi-empirical theory of radiation-induced vaporization of superheated liquids to coated nanodroplets. Nanodroplets are injectable phase-change contrast agents that can vaporize into highly echogenic microbubbles to provide contrast in ultrasound images. We exposed nanodroplet dispersions in aqueous phantoms to monoenergetic proton beams of varying energies and doses. Ultrasound imaging of the phantoms revealed that radiation-induced droplet vaporization occurred in regions proximal to the proton Bragg peak. A statistically significant increase in contrast was observed in irradiated regions for doses as low as 2 Gy and found to be proportional to the proton fluence. The absence of enhanced response in the vicinity of the Bragg peak, combined with theoretical considerations, suggest that droplet vaporization is induced by high linear energy transfer (LET) recoil ions produced by nuclear reactions with incoming protons. Vaporization profiles were compared to non-elastic cross sections and LET characteristics of oxygen recoils. Shifts between the ultrasound image contrast drop and the expected proton range showed a sub-millimeter reproducibility. These early findings confirm the potential of superheated nanodroplets as a novel tool for proton range verification.
Reference Key
carlier2020protonphysics Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Carlier, Bram;Heymans, Sophie;Nooijens, Sjoerd;Toumia, Yosra;Ingram, Marcus;Paradossi, Gaio;d'Agostino, Emiliano;Himmelreich, Uwe;D'hooge, Jan;Van Den Abeele, Koen;Sterpin, Edmond;
Journal Physics in medicine and biology
Year 2020
DOI
10.1088/1361-6560/ab7506
URL
Keywords
ultrasound dosimetry proton therapy nanodroplets range verification

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.