Design optimization of a 2D prompt-gamma measurement system for proton dose verification

To verify in-vivo proton dose distribution, a 2-dimensional (2D) prompt-gamma measurement system, comprised of a multi-hole collimation system, a 2D array of CsI(Tl) scintillators, and a position-sensitive photomultiplier tube (PS-PMT), is under development. In the present study, to determine the optimal dimension of the measurement system, we employed a series of Monte Carlo simulations with the MCNPX code. To effectively measure the high-energy prompt gammas while minimizing background gammas, we determined the collimator hole size, collimator thickness, and scintillator length to be 0.4 x 0.4 cm(2), 15 cm, and 5 cm, respectively. Thereafter, the performance of the optimized measurement system was estimated for monoenergetic proton pencil beams. The peak locations of the prompt-gamma distributions for 80- and 150-MeV proton beams were clearly distinguished, and the correlation between the beam range and the peak location was confirmed by using the measurement system. For a 200-MeV proton beam, however, the peak location could not be determined due to the dominance of background gammas and the lateral dispersion of the proton beam at the end of the beam range. Based on these simulation results, a prototype 2D prompt-gamma measurement system currently is under construction and, upon completion, will be tested with therapeutic proton beams.