Thesis

A novel approach to beam monitoring for FLASH Therapy

• Call:

  ProtoTera Call 2023/2

• Academic Year:

  2023

• Supervisor:

  Pedro Assis

• Co-Supervisor:

  Patrícia Gonçalves

• Host Institution:

  LIP - Laboratório de Instrumentação e Física Experimental de Partículas

• Granting Degree Institution:

  Instituto Superior Técnico (Universidade de Lisboa)

• Typology:

  Mixed

• Abroad Institution:

  Instituto Superior Técnico (Universidade de Lisboa)

• Abroad Supervisor:

  Maurizio Vretenar

• Abstract:

  Radiotherapy has seen a huge development in recent years. One of such innovations is the use of the so-called Flash Effect. This effect, applicable to a range of therapies, relies, in simple terms, on the delivery of the prescribed therapeutic dose using very high dose rates and can be triggered using proton, electron and photon beams. This therapy achieves the same results regarding tumour control as conventional radiotherapy, but sparing the healthy tissues. Due to these unique characteristics, FLASH Therapy presents new challenges, requiring real-time beam monitoring for dose control, since treatments lie in the milliseconds range. Most of the standard detectors used in radiotherapy for dosimetry present saturation effects for the dose rates involved in FLASH Therapies. Thus, we aim to develop a device that provides information in real-time without exhibiting any saturation effects, while impacting the beam the least as possible.