Comparison of knife-edge and multi-slit camera for proton beam range verification by Monte Carlo simulation

• Published in: Nuclear engineering and technology 2019, Vol.51 (2), p.533-538
• Main Authors: Park, Jong Hoon, Kim, Sung Hun, Ku, Youngmo, Lee, Hyun Su, Kim, Chan Hyeong, Shin, Dong Ho, Jeong, Jong Hwi
• Format: Article
• Language: Korean
• ISSN: 1738-5733; 2234-358X

The mechanical-collimation imaging is the most mature technology in prompt gamma (PG) imaging which is considered the most promising technology for beam range verification in proton therapy. The purpose of the present study is to compare the performances of two mechanical-collimation PG cameras, knife-edge (KE) camera and multi-slit (MS) camera. For this, the PG cameras were modeled by Geant4 Monte Carlo code, and the performances of the cameras were compared for imaginary point and line sources and for proton beams incident on a cylindrical PMMA phantom. From the simulation results, the KE camera was found to show higher counting efficiency than the MS camera, being able to estimate the beam range even for $10^7$ protons. Our results, however, confirmed that in order to estimate the beam range correctly, the KE camera should be aligned, at least approximately, to the location of the proton beam range. The MS camera was found to show lower efficiency, being able to estimate the beam range correctly only when the number of the protons is at least $10^8$. For enough number of protons, however, the MS camera estimated the beam range correctly, errors being less than 1.2 mm, regardless of the location of the camera.