Speaker
Dr
Jonathan Taylor
(University of Liverpool)
Description
For many years, silicon micro-strip detectors have been successfully used as tracking detectors for particle and nuclear physics experiments. A new application of this technology is to the field of particle therapy where radiotherapy is carried out by use of charged particles such as protons or carbon ions. Such a treatment has been shown to have advantages over standard x-ray radiotherapy and as a result of this, many new centres offering particle therapy are currently under construction including two in the UK.
The characteristics of a new silicon micro-strip detector based system for this application will be presented. The array uses specifically designed large area sensors in several stations in an x-u-v configuration to be suitable for very fast proton tracking with minimal ambiguities. The sensors will form a tracker capable of giving information on the path of high energy protons entering and exiting a patient allowing proton computed tomography (pCT) to aid the accurate delivery of treatment dose with tuned beam profile and energy. The tracker will also be capable of proton counting and position measurement at the higher fluences and full range of energies used during treatment allowing monitoring of the beam profile and total dose. Results with the delivered sensors will be presented along with details of the proposed readout electronics together with simulation work from GEANT4. Radiation tests and studies with different electronics at Clatterbidge Centre for Oncology and the higher energy proton therapy facility of iThemba Labs in South Africa will also be shown.
Authors
Gianluigi Casse
(University of Liverpool (GB))
Dr
Jonathan Taylor
(University of Liverpool)
Prof.
Philip Patrick Allport
(University of Liverpool (GB))
Co-authors
Mr
Anthony Smith
(University of Liverpool (GB))
Ilya Tsurin
(University of Liverpool (GB))
