Precise radiochromic film dosimetry using a flat-bed document scanner
Slobodan Devic
Medical Physics Department, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec H3G 1A4, Canada
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorJan Seuntjens
Medical Physics Department, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec H3G 1A4, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorEdwin Sham
Medical Physics Department, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec H3G 1A4, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorErvin B. Podgorsak
Medical Physics Department, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec H3G 1A4, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorC. Ross Schmidtlein
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
Search for more papers by this authorAssen S. Kirov
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
Search for more papers by this authorChristopher G. Soares
Ionizing Radiation Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899
Search for more papers by this authorSlobodan Devic
Medical Physics Department, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec H3G 1A4, Canada
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorJan Seuntjens
Medical Physics Department, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec H3G 1A4, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorEdwin Sham
Medical Physics Department, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec H3G 1A4, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorErvin B. Podgorsak
Medical Physics Department, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec H3G 1A4, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorC. Ross Schmidtlein
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
Search for more papers by this authorAssen S. Kirov
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
Search for more papers by this authorChristopher G. Soares
Ionizing Radiation Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
In this study, a measurement protocol is presented that improves the precision of dose measurements using a flat-bed document scanner in conjunction with two new GafChromic® film models, HS and Prototype A EBT exposed to 
photon beams. We established two sources of uncertainties in dose measurements, governed by measurement and calibration curve fit parameters contributions. We have quantitatively assessed the influence of different steps in the protocol on the overall dose measurement uncertainty. Applying the protocol described in this paper on the Agfa Arcus II flat-bed document scanner, the overall one-sigma dose measurement uncertainty for an uniform field amounts to 2% or less for doses above around 
in the case of the EBT (Prototype A), and for doses above 
in the case of the HS model GafChromic® film using a region of interest 
in size.
REFERENCES
- 1A. Niroomand-Rad, C. R. Blackwell, B. M. Coursey, K. P. Gall, J. M. Galvin, W. L. McLaughlin, A. S. Meigooni, R. Nath, J. E. Rodgers, and C. G. Soares, “Radiochromic film dosimetry: Recommendations of AAPM Radiation Therapy Committee Task Group 55,” Med. Phys. 0094-2405 10.1118/1.598407 25, 2093–2115 (1998).
- 2M. J. Butson, K. N. Yu, T. Cheung, and P. E. Metcalfe, “Radiochromic film for Medical Radiation Dosimetry,” Mater. Sci. Eng., R. 0927-796X 10.1016/S0927-796X(03)00034-2 41, 61–120 (2003).
- 3W. L. McLaughlin, J. C. Humphreys, D. Hocken, and W. J. Chappas, “Radiochromic dosimetry for validation and commissioning of industrial radiation processes,” in Progress in Radiation Processing, Proceedings of the Sixth International Meeting, Ottawa, 1987, edited by F. M. Fraser [Radiat. Phys. Chem. 0969-806X 10.1016/1359-0197(88)90218-4 31, 505–514 (1988)].
- 4M. C. Saylor, T. T. Tamargo, W. L. McLaughlin, H. M. Khan, D. F. Lewis, and R. D. Schenfele, “A thin film recording medium for use in food irradiation,” Radiat. Phys. Chem. 0969-806X 31, 529–536 (1988).
- 5R. D. H. Chu, G. Van Dyke, D. F. Lewis, K. P. J. O'Hara, B. R. Buckland, and F. Dinelle, “Gaf-chromic dosimetry media: A new high dose rate thin film routine dosimeter and dose mapping tool,” Radiat. Phys. Chem. 0969-806X 35, 767–773 (1990).
- 6W. L. McLaughlin, Y. D. Chen, C. G. Soares, A. Miller, G. Van Dyke, and D. F. Lewis, “Sensitometry of the response of a new radiochromic film dosimeter to gamma radiation and electron beams,” Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A 0168-9002 10.1016/0168-9002(91)90506-L 302, 165–176 (1991).
- 7M. J. Butson, J. N. Mathur, and P. E. Metcalfe, “Radiochromic film as a radiotherapy surface-doe detector,” Phys. Med. Biol. 0031-9155 10.1088/0031-9155/41/6/011 41, 1073–1078 (1996).
- 8W. L. McLaughlin, J. M. Puhl, M. Al-Sheikhly, C. A. Christou, A. Miller, A. Kovacs, L. Wojnarovits, and D. F. Lewis, “Novel radiochromic films for clinical dosimetry,” Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 0144-8420 66, 263–268 (1996).
- 9T. D. Bohm, D. W. Pearson, and R. K. Das, “Measurements and Monte Carlo calculations to determine the absolute detector response of radiochromic film for brachytherapy dosimetry,” Med. Phys. 0094-2405 10.1118/1.1333412 28, 142–146 (2001).
- 10G. Menon and R. Sloboda, “Measurement of relative output for
ophthalmic applicators using radiochromic film,” Med. Dosim 0739-0211 25, 171–177 (2000).
- 11S. Meigooni, M. F. Sanders, G. S. Ibbott, and S. R. Szeglin, “Dosimetric characteristics of an improved radiochromic film,” Med. Phys. 0094-2405 10.1118/1.597747 23, 1883–1888 (1996).
- 12Y. Zhu, A. Kirov, A. Mishra, A. Meigooni, and J. Williamson, “Quantitative evaluation of radiochromic film response for two-dimensional dosimetry,” Med. Phys. 0094-2405 10.1118/1.598068 24, 223–231 (1997).
- 13G. R. Gluckman and L. E. Reinstein, “Comparison of three high-resolution digitizers for radiochromic film dosimetry,” Med. Phys. 0094-2405 10.1118/1.1485056 29, 1839–1846 (2002).
- 14S. Devic, J. Seuntjens, G. Hegyi, E. B. Podgorsak, C. G. Soares, A. S. Kirov, I. Ali, J. F. Williamson, and A. Elizondo, “Dosimetric properties of improved GafChromic films for seven different digitizers,” Med. Phys. 0094-2405 10.1118/1.1776691 31, 2392–2401 (2004).
- 15S.-T. Chiu-Tsao, T. Duckworth, C. Zhang, N. S. Patel, C.-Y. Hsiung, L. Wang, J. Allen Shih, and L. B. Harrison, “Dose response characteristics of new models of GafChromic films: Dependence on densitometer light source and radiation energy,” Med. Phys. 0094-2405 10.1118/1.1767103 31, 2501–2508 (2004).
- 16M. A. Stevens, J. R. Turner, R. P. Hugtenburg, and P. H. Butler, “High-resolution dosimetry using radiochromic film and a document scanner,” Phys. Med. Biol. 0031-9155 10.1088/0031-9155/41/11/008 41, 2357–2365 (1996).
- 17D. A. Low, J. F. Dempsey, J. Markman, S. Mutic, E. E. Klein, J. W. Sohn, and J. A. Purdy, “Toward automated quality assurance for intensity-modulated radiation therapy,” Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol., Phys. 0360-3016 10.1016/S0360-3016(01)02818-8 53, 443–452 (2002).
- 18M. Bazioglou and J. Kalef-Ezra, “Dosimetry with radiochromic films: a document scanner technique, neutron response, applications,” Appl. Radiat. Isot. 0969-8043 10.1016/S0969-8043(01)00060-4 55, 339–345 (2001).
- 19S. Aydarous, P. J. Darley, and M. W. Charles, “A wide dynamic range, high-spatial-resolution scanning system for radiochromic dye films,” Phys. Med. Biol. 0031-9155 10.1088/0031-9155/46/5/304 46, 1379–1389 (2001).
- 20H. Alva, H. Mercado-Uribe, M. Rodriguez-Villafuerte, and M. E. Brandan, “The use of a reflective scanner to study radiochromic film response,” Phys. Med. Biol. 0031-9155 10.1088/0031-9155/47/16/308 47, 2925–2933 (2002).
- 21A. Mack, G. Mack, D. Weltz, S. G. Scheib, H. D. Bottcher, and V. Seifert, “High precision film dosimetry with GafChromic films for quality assurance especially when using small fields,” Med. Phys. 0094-2405 10.1118/1.1593634 30, 2399–2409 (2003).
- 22G. Thomas, R. Y. Chu, and F. Rabe, “A study of GafChromic XR Type R film response with reflective-type densitometers and economical flatbed scanners,” J. Appl. Clin. Med. Phys. 1526-9914 10.1120/1.1621373 4, 307–314 (2003).
- 23J. F. Dempsey, D. A. Low, A. S. Kirov, and J. F. Williamson, “Quantitative optical densitometry with scanning-laser film digitizers,” Med. Phys. 0094-2405 10.1118/1.598664 26, 1721–1731 (1999).
- 24N. Klassen, L. van der Zwan, and J. Cygler, “GafChromic MD-55: investigated as a precision dosimeter,” Med. Phys. 0094-2405 10.1118/1.598106 24, 1924–1934 (1997).
- 25M. J. Butson, P. K. N. Yu, T. Cheung, and D. Inwood, “Polarization effects on a high-sensitivity radiochromic film,” Phys. Med. Biol. 0031-9155 10.1088/0031-9155/48/15/401 48, N207–N211 (2003).
- 26P. R. Bevington and D. K. Robinson, Data Reduction and Error Analysis for the Physical Sciences (WCB/McGraw-Hill, Boston, 1992).
- 27M. J. Butson, P. K. N. Yu, and P. E. Metcalfe, “Effects of read-out light sources and ambient light on radiochromic film,” Phys. Med. Biol. 0031-9155 10.1088/0031-9155/43/8/031 43, 2407–2412 (1998).
- 28J. S. Lim, Two-Dimensional Signal and Image Processing (Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1990).
