Polymer Gel Dosimeters with Increased Solubility:A Preliminary Investigation of the NMR and Optical Dose-Response Using Different Crosslinkers and Co-Solvents

摘要

The potential of ten different crosslinkers was investigated, with the aim of improving the performance of polymer gel dosimeters used for detecting radiation dose distributions generated by cancer radiation therapy equipment. Unfortunately, none of the candidate crosslinkers was shown to be more effective than N,N'-methylene-bisacrylamide, the standard crosslinker used in polymer gel dosimetry applications. Two co-solvents, glycerol and isopropanol, were used to increase the solubility of N,N'-methylene-bisacrylamide crosslinker in polymer gel dosimeter recipes. Using isopropanol, the crosslinker solubility increased from approximately from 3 to 10% by weight, enabling the manufacture of polymer gel dosimeters with much higher levels of crosslinking than was previously possible. The new dosimeter recipes can be imaged effectively using nuclear magnetic resonance and optical techniques, and may be suitable for read-out using x-ray CT (Computed Tomography).