ELECTRODE

Innovative method for measuring the radiation dose absorbed by a patient during ion beam treatments (Hadrontherapy). The system is based on the fact that the ion beam used for hadrontherapy treatments generates a charge build-up on the patient, which can be collected and measured using electrodes placed close to the treated area. The measurement is non-invasive because the electrodes are simply placed in contact with the patient’s skin, it can be performed in real time and during treatment, as it does not interact with the beam. Moreover, unlike conventional dosimeters, the measurement does not need to be calibrated, as it provides the value of the total absorbed charge, and is not dependent on the energy and angle of incidence of the beam.

The technology has several advantages:

• It is non-invasive and creates no additional discomfort for the patient.
• It does not correlate with the response of detectors placed along the line, which are generally a source of error.
• The detector does not disturb the radiation field and can provide quantitative information in real time.
• It does not require high electric fields.
• It does not need calibration and therefore can be used for a daily verification of the dose to be delivered.