Large-Area Plasma Panel Detectors for Particle Beam Radiation Therapy

 描述（由申请人提供）：美国能源部-国家癌症研究所关于离子束治疗的联合研讨会（2013年1月，马里兰州贝塞斯达）确定了一套雄心勃勃的技术开发，以支持世界级的离子束治疗计划。一个重要的要求是提供这样的探测器的能力，该探测器在高数据速率下提供单粒子配准，具有高度的均匀性和对粒子束的最小干扰。这将允许在治疗之前执行质子或离子CT，并且在治疗期间执行2D质子/离子射线照相术，以用于集成范围验证，沿着具有对初级射束的最小干扰的射束诊断。当前质子成像系统的第一次开发中采用的硅探测器在最大可用探测器尺寸方面具有主要限制。对于当前使用的射束监测检测器也存在限制，其不适合于粒子束扫描的未来临床应用所需的在高射束强度下的非常快的响应时间。我们建议开发一种新的探测器，等离子体面板传感器（PPS），它有可能消除现有探测器的所有障碍，因此应该允许粒子束放射治疗充分发挥其潜力，用于未来的临床粒子束 治疗中心从根本上说，所提出的探测器应该是固有的均匀和低质量的快速响应时间。在第一阶段，我们成功地制造了超薄PPS玻璃基板（即，0.30、0.20和0.026 mm厚度），电极间距为2.54 mm和0.35 mm，分别对应于约0.73 mm和0.10 mm的理论空间分辨率，如Geant 4 Monte Carlo模拟所示。因此，亚毫米图像分辨率似乎是非常可实现的，并且当与潜在的高粒子检测效率相结合时，可以使这些检测器成为粒子治疗室中成像和射束监测传感器的选择技术。在这个为期36个月的第二阶段SBIR中，我们建议：（1）在临床光束线上制造和测试一系列越来越大和更高分辨率的超薄PPS设备，具有2D读出;（2）开发探测器原型的Geant 4 Monte Carlo模拟模型，以帮助数据分析，设备设计改进和性能优化;和（3）证明超薄PPS器械将满足我们的I期最终报告中总结的临床要求。满足SBIR第二阶段的目标将使Integrated Sensors能够获得第三阶段的资金，以生产通用探测器系统，从而提高质子和离子粒子束治疗的疗效和安全性。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A joint DOE-NCI workshop on ion beam therapy (January 2013, Bethesda, MD) identified an ambitious set of technology developments needed to support a world-class treatment program for ion beam therapy. One important requirement is the ability to provide detectors that afford single-particle registration at high data rates with hgh degree of uniformity and minimal interference with the particle beam. This would allow performing proton or ion CT prior to treatment and 2D proton/ion radiography during treatment for integrated range verification, along with beam diagnostics that have minimal interference with the primary beam. Current silicon detectors employed in first developments of proton imaging systems have major limitations in terms of maximum available detector size. Limitations also exist for currently used beam monitoring detectors that are not suitable for very fast response times at high beam intensities required for future clinical applications of particle beam scanning. We propose to develop a novel detector, the plasma panel sensor (PPS), that has the potential to remove all the barriers of existing detectors and should therefore allow particle beam radiation therapy to realize its fullest potential to be used in future clinical particle beam therapy centers. Fundamentally the proposed detectors should be inherently uniform and of low mass with fast response time. During Phase I we were successful manufacturing ultrathin-PPS glass substrates (i.e., 0.30, 0.20 and 0.026 mm thickness) with electrode pitches of 2.54 mm and 0.35 mm, corresponding to theoretical spatial resolutions of ~ 0.73 mm and 0.10 mm, respectively, as demonstrated with Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations. Sub-millimeter image resolution thus seems eminently achievable, and when combined with potentially high particle detection efficiencies could make these detectors the technology of choice for both imaging and beam monitoring sensors in the particle therapy treatment room. In this 36-month Phase II SBIR we propose to: (1) fabricate and test on a clinical beam line a series of progressively larger and higher resolution, ultrathin-PPS devices with 2D readout; (2) develop Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation models of the detector prototypes to assist in data analysis, device design refinement, and performance optimization; and (3) demonstrate that the ultrathin-PPS devices will meet the clinical requirements as summarized in our Phase-I Final Report. Meeting the target objectives of this SBIR Phase II will enable Integrated Sensors to generate the Phase III funds to produce a universal detector system that will improve both treatment efficacy and the safety of particle beam therapy with protons and ions.