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THE ELECTRON BEAM ATTENUATING PROPERTIES OF S UPER F LAB, P LAY‐ D OH, AND WET GAUZE, COMPARED TO PLASTIC WATER
Author(s) -
Nagata Koichi,
Lattimer Jimmy C.,
March Jeffrey S.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
veterinary radiology and ultrasound
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.541
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1740-8261
pISSN - 1058-8183
DOI - 10.1111/j.1740-8261.2011.01866.x
Subject(s) - bolus (digestion) , cathode ray , attenuation , electron , beam (structure) , significant difference , analytical chemistry (journal) , composite material , nuclear medicine , medicine , materials science , optics , physics , chemistry , nuclear physics , chromatography , surgery
Bolus material is used commonly with electron treatments. The purpose of this study was to compare the electron beam attenuating properties of S uper F lab, P lay‐ D oh, and wet gauze to that of plastic water, and evaluate their characteristics as bolus materials for electron beam therapy. Electron beams of 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 12 MeV were used. Dose reduction from a range of bolus thicknesses from 2 mm to a thickness well beyond the thickness required to reach peak ioization was measured for each of the bolus materials to establish independent isodose curves. Measurements performed at the known water D max for all bolus materials indicated similar results for S uper F lab and plastic water with less than 3% difference for most energies. P lay‐ D oh resulted in more attenuation or less dose buildup compared with plastic water, especially at lower energies. The difference was as high as 24.7% for the beam energy of 5 MeV for P lay‐ D oh. Evaluation of the dose build up curves for all materials indicated the peak dose build up for wet gauze and P lay‐ D oh occurred at lesser thicknesses compared to plastic water and S uper F lab, particularly at lower energies. If P lay‐ D oh and wet gauze are to be used for electron bolus materials, dose build up curves should be established for the machine being used and the appropriate thickness of bolus material be chosen based on those curves.