Application of Gafchromic® film in the dosimetry of an intravascular brachytherapy source

The methodology of brachytherapy source dosimetry with Gafchromic® MD 55-2 film (ISP Technologies, Inc.) is examined with an emphasis on the nonlinearity of the optical density-dose relation within the dynamic dose range, the radial distance-dependent measurement uncertainty, and the format of data presentation. The specific source chosen for this study was a Checkmate™ (Cordis Corporation) intravascular brachytherapy system. The two-dimensional dose distribution around the source was characterized by a comprehensive analysis of measurement uncertainties. A comparative analysis of the dosimetric data from the vendor and from the scientific literature showed a substantial consistency of the information available for the Checkmate™ source. Our two-dimensional dosimetric data for the Checkmate™ source trains is presented in the form of measured along and away dose tables.