Engineering topics

Carroll, M

Publications and source records attributed to Carroll, M.

4 records

DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-T-164: Investigation of PRESAGE Formulation On Signal Quenching in a Proton Beam

Purpose: The radiochromic polyurethane PRESAGE by Heuris Pharma has had limited applications with protons because of a dose response dependence on LET resulting in signal quenching in the Bragg peak. This is due to the radical initiator, a halocarbon, radically recombining in high-LET irradiations. This study investigated the use of alternative halocarbons at various chemical concentrations to determine their significance in signal quenching. Methods: PRESAGE was manufactured in-house and cast in small volume cuvettes (1×1×4cm^3). Several compositions were evaluated to determine the influence of the radical initiator component. Mixtures contained one of two halocarbons, chloroform or bromoform, at concentrations of 5%/10%/15%(w/w). A large volume, cylindrical PRESAGE dosimeter made following the mixture described by Heuris Pharma, 4cm(D)×8.5cm(H), was irradiated with 200-MeV protons to study regions of low- and high-LET along a 10cm spread out Bragg peak isodose profile. Depths corresponding to regions of low quenching (<3%) and high quenching (>20%) were determined. These depths were used for cuvette placement in a solid water phantom. Samples of each formulation were placed at each depth and irradiated to doses between 0 and 10Gy. Results: The cuvettes indicated different levels of quenching for different radical initiator types, concentrations, and total doses. Chloroform formulations showed reduced quenching from 29%(5%-w/w) to 21%(15%-w/w) while bromoform reduced quenching from 27%(5%-w/w) to 17%(15%-w/w). The reduction in quenching was found to be non-linear with concentration of radical initiator. A quenching dose-dependency was also found that changed with formulation. In all cases, quenching was relatively consistent from 0–5Gy but increased at 10Gy. The quenching decreased as concentrations of radical initiator increased. Conclusion: The radical initiator component in PRESAGE is correlated with the signal quenching observed in proton irradiations and formulation adjustments show promise as a method of reducing this quenching. Future work will further investigate concentration limits and optimize the formulation. Grant number 5RO1CA100835.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-T-515: Investigating the Linear Energy Transfer Dependency of Different PRESAGE Formulations in a Proton Beam

Purpose Previous studies have reported an under-response of PRESAGE in a proton beam as a Result of the extremely high LET in the distal end of the spread out Bragg peak (SOBP). This work is a preliminary investigation to quantify the effect of the formulation, specifically the concentration of halocarbon radical initiator relative to leuco dye, on radical recombination resulting in LET dependence. Methods The traditional PRESAGE formulation developed by Heuris Pharma was altered to constitute radical initiator concentrations of 5, 15, and 30% (low, medium, and high) by weight with all other components balanced to maintain proportionality. Chloroform was specifically examined in this study and all dosimeters were made in-house. Cylindrical PRESAGE dosimeters (3.5cm diameter and 6cm length) were made for each formulation and irradiated by a 200-MeV proton beam to 500 cGy across a 2cm SOBP. Dosimeters were read out using the DMOS optical-CT scanner. The dose distributions were analyzed and dose profiles were used to compare the relative dose response to find the stability across the high-LET region of the SOBP. LET dependence was measured by the variation to ion chamber measurements for the final 25% of the SOBP (∼0.5cm) prior to the distal-90 of each profile. Results Relative to ion chamber data, all PRESAGE dosimeters showed an under-response at the distal end of the SOBP. The medium concentration formulation matched most closely with an average 8.3% under-response closely followed by the low concentration at 12.2% and then the high concentration at 22.8%. In all three cases, the highest points of discrepancy were in the distal most regions. Conclusion The radical initiator concentration in PRESAGE can be tailored to reduce the LET dependence in a proton beam. This warrants further study to quantify comprehensively the effect of concentration of different halocarbon radical initiators on LET dependency. Grant number 5RO1CA100835.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2014

SU-E-T-230: Measurement of Proton-Activated Positron Emission with PRESAGE 3-D Dosimeters

Purpose: Measurement of positron emission following proton beam irradiation of a target has been studied as a method of in-vivo dosimetry. Relative dosimetry studies between a phantom and treatment plan are susceptible to range uncertainties from material heterogeneities and setup error. By using the radiochromic polyurethane dosimeter PRESAGE, we can correlate the proton dose distribution to the PET activity measurement within a single detector. The PRESAGE formulation used was developed for high-LET proton radiotherapy, has similar density and RLSP to tissue, and consists of a greater carbon component, which gives it a higher positron signal than many other 3D detectors. Methods: Three cylindrical PRESAGE dosimeters were irradiated semi-uniformly to 500 cGy with 180- MeV protons. The beam was directed along the dosimeter axis and delivered a 2-cm SOBP at the center of the dosimeter. The dosimeters were rushed to a nearby PET/CT where imaging began within 15 minutes, less than a single half-life of 11C. A 3-hr measurement captured the full activation decay. Afterwards, the dose profiles were measured by optical-CT. A direct comparison between the measured dose and the positron emission was performed using CERR software. Results: The correlations between dose distributions and PET activity were consistent with previous studies in that the proximal region of the SOBP displayed the highest activity. The spatial distributions between the dose and activity were similar. Along the central axis of the beam, we found a shift in the distal 80% of 1 cm. The lateral profile showed good agreement between dose and activity. PET imaging times between 30-min and 3-hrs showed <5% discrepancy. Conclusion: PRESAGE dosimeters offer a strong and unique potential to accurately correlate dosimetric and PET activation information. Implementation in an anthropomorphic phantom could be used to study representative treatment plans. NIH grant 5R01CA100835.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2010

Graphite Technology Development Plan

The Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) will be a helium-cooled High Temperature Gas Reactor (HTGR) with a large graphite core. Graphite physically contains the fuel and comprises the majority of the core volume. Graphite has been used effectively as a structural and moderator material in both research and commercial high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. This development has resulted in graphite being established as a viable structural material for HTGRs. While the general characteristics necessary for producing nuclear grade graphite are understood, historical “nuclear” grades no longer exist. New grades must be fabricated, characterized, and irradiated to demonstrate that current grades of graphite exhibit acceptable non-irradiated and irradiated properties upon which the thermomechanical design of the structural graphite in NGNP is based. This Technology Development Plan outlines the research and development (R&D) activities and associated rationale necessary to qualify nuclear grade graphite for use within the NGNP reactor.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗