Cell-shaped silicon-on-insulator microdosimeters: characterization and response to 239PuBe irradiations
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-1-2017
Abstract
This work tested the feasibility of a silicon-on-insulator microdosimeter, which mimics the size and shape of specific cells within the human body, to determine dose equivalent from neutron irradiation. The microdosimeters were analyzed in terms of their basic diode characteristics, i.e., leakage current as a function of bias voltage. Lineal energy spectra were acquired using two different converter layers placed atop the microdosimeter: a tissue-substitute converter made from high-density polyethylene, and a boron converter consisting of epoxy coated with boron powder. The spectra were then converted into absorbed dose and dose equivalent. Experimental results were compared to Monte Carlo simulations of the neutron irradiations, revealing good agreement. Uncertainty in the dose equivalent determinations was 7.5% when using the cell-shaped microdosimeter with the tissue-substitute converter and 13.1% when using the boron converter. This work confirmed that the SOI approach to cell-mimicking microdosimetry is feasible.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Australasian Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine
First Page
667
Last Page
673
Recommended Citation
Mazza, A., Newhauser, W., Pittman, S., Halloran, A., Maggi, P., Tran, L., Gila, B., Rosenfeld, A., & Ziegler, J. (2017). Cell-shaped silicon-on-insulator microdosimeters: characterization and response to 239PuBe irradiations. Australasian Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine, 40 (3), 667-673. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13246-017-0576-9