PTB Alanine Dosimetry System for Quality Assurance in Belgium

A cooperation which has been in existence for a long time between PTB and the Ziekenhuis Middelheim, Antwerp, Belgium, in the field of alanine dosimetry was regulated and extended by a cooperation agreement last autumn. The Xios Hoogeschool in Limburg, Belgium, has joined in as a new partner. The objective of the cooperation is the development of dose measurement methods for modern forms of radiation therapy such as the intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or tomotherapy by means of alanine and electron spin resonance (ESR). With the aid of this technology, a system for quality assurance in dosimetry for these forms of radiation therapy is to be implemented in Belgium in the medium term.

PTB tests show that a compact table device (ESR spectrometer), currently available on the market, still delivers too high uncertainties for the requirements made. Therefore, on the part of our Belgian partners, funds were raised to be able to acquire an adequate measurement system. The funds are, in part, provided by the European Union (Europees fonds voor regionale ontwikkeling - Limburg), and, in part, by the Xios Hoogeschool. The selection of the measuring devices and the planning were carried out in cooperation with PTB, whose measurement system will be duplicated presumably at the end of 2008 in the Nutec Centre (Service Centre for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Technology) of the Xios Hoogeschool in Limburg with the support of PTB and in accordance with published documents [1,2].

Literature

1. Hackel, Thomas:
   Dosemetry with Alanine / Electron Spin Resonance - Positioning of dosemeter probe and reference substance,
   PTB Report PTB-Dos-52, (2006), ISBN 3-86509-590-9
2. Anton, Mathias:
   Dosemetry with Alanine / Electron Spin Resonance - Measurement and evaluation,
   PTB Report PTB-Dos-53, (2007), ISBN 978-3-86509-668-5