Gated fiber-optic-coupled detector for in vivo real-time radiation dosimetry

Gated detection of the output of a fiber-optic-coupled radiation dosimeter effectively eliminated the direct contribution of Cerenkov radiation to the signal. The radiation source was an external beam radiotherapy machine that provided pulses of 6-MeV x rays. Gated detection was used to discriminate the signal collected during the radiation pulses, including Cerenkov interference, from the signal collected between the radiation pulses due only to phosphorescence from the [Cu.sup.1+] -doped glass detector. Gated detection of the phosphorescence of the [Cu.sup.1+] -doped glass provided dose measurements that were linear with the absorbed dose and that were accurate for all field sizes studied. OCIS codes: 060.2370, 170.3890, 040.7480.