Bietenbeck Vicky, Bäcker Claus Maximilian, Wulff Jörg, Timmermann Beate, Bäumer Christian
West German Proton Therapy Centre Essen, Essen, Germany.
West German Cancer Center (WTZ), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Med Phys. 2025 Feb;52(2):737-741. doi: 10.1002/mp.17515. Epub 2024 Nov 18.
Dosimetric equipment in particle therapy (PT) is associated with high costs. There is a lack of versatile, tissue-equivalent detectors suitable for in-vivo dosimetry. Faraday-cup (FC) type detectors are sensitive to stopped protons, that is, to track-ends (TEs). They experience a renaissance in PT as they can cope with high dose rates. Owing to their simple functional principle, production of FC could benefit from the dynamic technological developments in additive manufacturing of sensors.
To build FC-type detectors for PT by standard 3D-printing. This study seeks to build an integrating, single-channel (SC) FC for replacement of a traditional FC and a array of FC elements indicating the feasibility of a spatially resolving detector.
Samples of FCs were produced with a dual-extruder 3D-printer with polylactic-acid filaments, which contained graphite in the conductive parts of the detector. Production was optimized in terms of materials and printing temperature. Samples were characterized by electrical tests and non-destructive 3D x-ray imaging. Beam tests were conducted at a clinical PT machine.
Operational FC-type detectors for proton fields were printed. The detected charge of the SC FC corresponded qualitatively to the one of a traditional FC. A FC array was fabricated in a single run. There was a linear relationship between the response of the individual FC elements and the machine output.
3D-printing is a viable method for producing low-cost, tissue-equivalent, FC-type detectors for PT. They could potentially be used as TE detectors in anthropomorphic phantoms.
粒子治疗（PT）中的剂量测定设备成本高昂。目前缺乏适用于体内剂量测定的通用、组织等效探测器。法拉第杯（FC）型探测器对停止的质子敏感，即对径迹末端（TEs）敏感。由于它们能够应对高剂量率，因此在PT中重新受到关注。由于其功能原理简单，FC的生产可以受益于传感器增材制造方面的动态技术发展。
通过标准3D打印制造用于PT的FC型探测器。本研究旨在制造一种集成的单通道（SC）FC，以替代传统的FC，并制造一系列FC元件，以证明空间分辨探测器的可行性。
使用双挤出机3D打印机，用聚乳酸细丝制作FC样品，探测器的导电部分含有石墨。在材料和打印温度方面对生产进行了优化。通过电气测试和无损3D X射线成像对样品进行表征。在临床PT机器上进行束流测试。
打印出了用于质子场的可操作FC型探测器。SC FC检测到的电荷在质量上与传统FC的电荷相对应。一次运行就制造出了一个FC阵列。各个FC元件的响应与机器输出之间存在线性关系。
3D打印是生产用于PT的低成本、组织等效FC型探测器的可行方法。它们有可能用作拟人化体模中的TE探测器。
