Ki-Tek Han

Development of a Cerenkov radiation sensor to detect low-energy beta-particles.

We fabricated a novel fiber-optic Cerenkov radiation sensor using a Cerenkov radiator for measuring beta-particles. Instead of employing a scintillator, transparent liquids having various refractive indices were used as a Cerenkov radiator to serve as a sensing material. The experimental results showed that the amount of Cerenkov radiation due to the interaction with beta-particles increased as the refractive index of the Cerenkov radiator was increased as a results of a decrease of the Cerenkov threshold energy for electrons.

Integral T-Shaped Phantom-Dosimeter System to Measure Transverse and Longitudinal Dose Distributions Simultaneously for Stereotactic Radiosurgery Dosimetry

A T-shaped fiber-optic phantom-dosimeter system was developed using square scintillating optical fibers, a lens system, and a CMOS image camera. Images of scintillating light were used to simultaneously measure the transverse and longitudinal distributions of absorbed dose of a 6 MV photon beam with field sizes of 1 × 1 and 3 × 3 cm2. Each optical fiber has a very small sensitive volume and the sensitive material is water equivalent. This allows the measurements of cross-beam profile as well as the percentage depth dose of small field sizes. In the case of transverse dose distribution, the measured beam profiles were gradually become uneven and the beam edge had a gentle slope with increasing depth of the PMMA phantom. In addition, the maximum dose values of longitudinal dose distribution for 6 MV photon beam with field sizes of 1 × 1 and 3 × 3 cm2 were found to be at a depth of approximately 15 mm and the percentage depth dose of both field sizes were nearly in agreement at the skin dose level. Based on the results of this study, it is anticipated that an all-in-one phantom-dosimeter can be developed to accurately measure beam profiles and dose distribution in a small irradiation fields prior to carrying out stereotactic radiosurgery.

Development of a fibre-optic dosemeter to measure the skin dose and percentage depth dose in the build-up region of therapeutic photon beams

In this study, a fibre-optic dosemeter (FOD) using an organic scintillator with a diameter of 0.5 mm for photon-beam therapy dosimetry was fabricated. The fabricated dosemeter has many advantages, including water equivalence, high spatial resolution, remote sensing and real-time measurement. The scintillating light generated from an organic-dosemeter probe embedded in a solid-water stack phantom is guided to a photomultiplier tube and an electrometer via 20 m of plastic optical fibre. Using this FOD, the skin dose and the percentage depth dose in the build-up region according to the depths of a solid-water stack phantom are measured with 6- and 15-MV photon-beam energies with field sizes of 10 × 10 and 20 × 20 cm(2), respectively. The results are compared with those measured using conventional dosimetry films. It is expected that the proposed FOD can be effectively used in radiotherapy dosimetry for accurate measurement of the skin dose and the depth dose distribution in the build-up region due to its high spatial resolution.

Measurements of Cerenkov Lights Using Optical Fibers

Optical fibers can be a medium to produce Cerenkov light due to their dielectric components, and radiation-induced light signals can be obtained using optical fibers without any scintillating material. In this study, we measured and characterized gamma-ray induced Cerenkov light in silica optical fibers, a plastic optical fiber, and a plastic wavelength shifting fiber in order to select the adequate optical fiber for producing Cerenkov light. Also, we measured the intensity of Cerenkov light as functions of irradiated length, irradiation angle, and thickness of various scatterers using the chosen optical fiber.

Water-equivalent one-dimensional scintillating fiber-optic dosimeter for measuring therapeutic photon beam

In this study, we fabricated a one-dimensional scintillating fiber-optic dosimeter, which consists of 9 scintillating fiber-optic dosimeters, septa, and PMMA blocks for measuring surface and percentage depth doses of a therapeutic photon beam. Each dosimeter embedded in the 1-D scintillating fiber-optic dosimeter is composed of square type organic scintillators and plastic optical fibers. Also black PVC films are used as septa to minimize cross-talk between the scintillating fiber-optic dosimeters. To construct a dosimeter system, a 1-D scintillating fiber-optic dosimeter and a CMOS image sensor were combined with 20 m-length plastic optical fibers. Using the dosimeter system, we measured surface and percentage depth doses of 6 and 15 MV photon beams and compared the results with those of EBT films and an ionization chamber.

Development of a 2-Channel Embedded Infrared Fiber-Optic Temperature Sensor Using Silver Halide Optical Fibers

A 2-channel embedded infrared fiber-optic temperature sensor was fabricated using two identical silver halide optical fibers for accurate thermometry without complicated calibration processes. In this study, we measured the output voltages of signal and reference probes according to temperature variation over a temperature range from 25 to 225 °C. To decide the temperature of the water, the difference between the amounts of infrared radiation emitted from the two temperature sensing probes was measured. The response time and the reproducibility of the fiber-optic temperature sensor were also obtained. Thermometry with the proposed sensor is immune to changes if parameters such as offset voltage, ambient temperature, and emissivity of any warm object. In particular, the temperature sensing probe with silver halide optical fibers can withstand a high temperature/pressure and water-chemistry environment. It is expected that the proposed sensor can be further developed to accurately monitor temperature in harsh environments.

Development of Reflection-type Fiber-optic pH Sensor Using Sol-gel Film

A reflection-type fiber-optic pH sensor, which is composed of a pH sol-gel film, plastic optical fibers, a mirror, a light source and a spectrometer, is developed in this study. As pH indicators, a bromthymol blue, a cresol red and a thymol blue are used, and they are immobilized in the sol-gel films. The emitted light from a light source is guided by a fiber-optic Y-coupler and plastic optical fibers to the pH sol-gel film in a pH sensing probe. The pH change in the sensing probe gives rise to a change in the color of the pH sol-gel film, and the optical characteristic of reflected light through the pH sol-gel film is also changed. Therefore, we have measured the spectra of reflected lights, which are changed according to the color variations of the pH sol-gel films with different pH values, by using of a spectrometer. Also, the relationships between the pH values and the intensities of reflected lights are obtained on the basis of the color variations of the pH sol-gel films.

High-Sensitive Fiber-Optic pH Sensor Using Neutral Red Immobilized in Porous Sol-Gel Film

In this study, a fiber-optic pH sensor based on a pH sol-gel film is fabricated. The sol-gel film is made by co-polymerizing tetramethoxysilane, trimethoxymethylsilane, ethanol and distilled water. As a pH indicator, a neutral red is immobilized in a thin porous film formed by the sol-gel process. The pH change in a sensing probe gives rise to a change in the color of the pH sol-gel film, and the absorbance of reflected light through the pH sol-gel film is also changed. By using a spectrometer, therefore, the spectra of reflected lights in the sensing probe with different pH values are measured. Also, the relationships between the pH values and the absorbance are analyzed on the basis of the color variations of the pH sol-gel films. In repeated experiments, the fiber-optic pH sensor shows that it has reversibility, a high reproducibility and a wide absorbance change in a pH range from pH 5 to 9. Also, we confirmed that the fabricated pH sol-gel film exhibits a fast response time, little or no pH indicator leaching and a dynamic range of 2.04 dB from pH 5 to 9. Based on the results of this study, a fiber-optic pH sensor can be developed for the pH monitoring in the harsh environments.

Feasibility study on development of Cerenkov fiber-optic dosimeter for radiotherapy application

To obtain real-time dose information in photon-beam therapy using a clinical linear accelerator, we fabricated a novel Cerenkov fiber-optic dosimeter using two plastic optical fibers without employing a scintillator. In this study, the light intensity and spectrum of Cerenkov radiation induced by a high-energy photon beam were measured as functions of the irradiation angle and the length difference between the two plastic optical fibers in the dosimeter probe. Also, we obtained a percentage depth dose curve for a 6 MV photon beam with a field size of 10 × 10 cm2 according to the depth of the solid water phantom. Based on the results of this study, it is anticipated that the proposed Cerenkov fiber-optic dosimeter can be developed as a useful dosimeter to accurately obtain dose information prior to conducting radiotherapy.

Fabrication and characterization of fiber-optic dosimeters for diagnostic radiology usages

A water-equivalent fiber-optic dosimeter was fabricated using an organic scintillator, a plastic optical fiber and a photo-multiplier tube for real-time dosimetry in diagnostic radiology. We measured the scintillating lights, which are changed due to the exposure parameters, by using the fiber-optic dosimeter placed on top of the acrylic-aluminum chest phantom to provid a backscatter medium. The light output signals of the fiber-optic dosimeter were compared with entrace surface doses obtained using a dose-area product meter and a semiconductor dosimeter.