Rotating Solid Phantom Dosimetry for Accurate TPR Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for measuring tissue phantom ratio (TPR) in medical radiation systems require manual adjustment of water levels in phantoms, which can be cumbersome and prone to inaccuracies due to liquid movement during rotation or acceleration, necessitating improved methods for precise radiation dose measurement.
Innovation Solution
The use of solid water equivalents or phantoms with detectors positioned at specific angles and distances, combined with a system that includes an electrometer, slip ring, and microprocessor for continuous radiation dose measurement during phantom rotation, allowing for TPR calculations without manual water level adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If liquid water phantom is used for radiation dose measurement, then the phantom closely approximates radiation absorption properties of soft tissues, but the liquid water level varies during rotation or acceleration causing measurement inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the phantom material from liquid to solid. The solid phantom maintains the radiation absorption properties of water while eliminating the instability of liquid water during movement. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by preserving measurement accuracy while achieving stability during rotation and acceleration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials to create a solid phantom that mimics the radiation interaction properties of liquid water. By combining solid materials with appropriate density and atomic composition, the phantom achieves both structural stability and radiological equivalence to soft tissues, resolving the contradiction between stability and measurement accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If manual water level adjustment is used in liquid water phantom, then radiation dose measurements can be obtained at multiple water levels, but the process is cumbersome and prone to inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic measurement system where the solid phantom can be rotated to different orientations, allowing the detector to access radiation doses at multiple effective water levels without manual adjustment. The system dynamically changes the measurement configuration through rotation while maintaining automated detection, resolving the contradiction between precision and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated detection system performs measurements at multiple levels without requiring manual water level adjustment. The system self-services by rotating the solid phantom and automatically recording radiation doses at different orientations, eliminating the cumbersome manual adjustment process while maintaining measurement precision.
3Extent of automation
If detector is positioned in solid water equivalent phantom at specific angles and distances, then automated measurement during phantom rotation is enabled, but the device complexity increases with electrometer, slip ring, and microprocessor components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a multi-functional measurement system where the solid phantom serves multiple purposes: it provides the radiation absorption medium, acts as a rotating platform, and enables automated detection at multiple orientations. The integrated system combines the phantom, detector, electrometer, and control components into a universal apparatus that performs both dosimetry and automated data collection, resolving the contradiction between automation and complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise and automated measurement of radiation dose and TPR, even during phantom movement, providing accurate and efficient quality assurance for medical radiation systems.
Implementation Method 1
detecting, using the detector, the radiation beam
Implementation Method 2
the radiation dose absorbed by a patient is a function of several variables including the radiation beam energy
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein is technology relating to use of radiation for medical purposes and particularly, but not exclusively, to devices, systems, and methods for monitoring, testing, and maintenance of medical radiology equipment as part of a quality assurance program. For example, the technology provides, in part, systems and methods for calculating a tissue phantom ratio (TPR) used to characterize a beam.