Exploration of Proton Bunch Monitoring for In-vivo Range Verification in Proton Therapy

Introduction
The accuracy of proton therapy is basically delimited by range uncertainties. In order to fully exploit the benefit of proton therapy, real-time range verification is needed. Prompt gamma rays, produced during the deceleration of protons in tissue, allow assessing the proton range indirectly. Prompt gamma-ray timing (PGT) utilizes measured time distributions of prompt gamma rays for estimating the beam range [1-4]. At the given therapy facility, however, the accuracy of range determination is affected by drifts of the proton bunch timing (or phase) with respect to the cyclotron radiofrequency, and by the proton bunch width. To counter this limitation, a proton bunch monitor (PBM) has to be introduced.

Materials & Methods
The coincident detection of protons elastically scattered out of a thin target allows measuring phase and width of the proton micro-bunches [3]. Two CeBr3 scintillation detectors coupled with PGT electronics [4] were employed for these measurements. Alternatively, scintillating fibers placed in the beam halo have also been studied.

Results
The applicability of standard PGT detectors and electronics [4] for accurate bunch phase and width measurements has been demonstrated. The detection of beam-halo protons with scintillating fibers seems to be a feasible alternative for bunch phase monitoring at higher sampling rates. Quantitative analysis are still ongoing.

Summary
Alternative proton bunch monitoring approaches have been investigated to assess beam parameters necessary for range verification by means of the PGT method. An appropriate PBM would complete the current PGT detection system.

Acknowledgement
This work has been supported by StrahlenSchutzSeminar in Thüringen e.V.

Literature
[1] C. Golnik et al., Phys. Med. Biol. 59 (2014) 5399
[2] F. Hueso-González et al., Phys. Med. Biol. 60 (2015) 6247
[3] J. Petzoldt et al., Phys. Med. Biol. 61 (2016) 2432
[4] T. Werner et al., Phys. Med. Biol. accepted (2019)