An analytical reconstruction model of the spread-out Bragg peak using laser-accelerated proton beams

Phys Med Biol. 2017 Jul 7;62(13):5200-5212. doi: 10.1088/1361-6560/aa6fce. Epub 2017 Apr 27.

Abstract

With the development of laser technology, laser-driven proton acceleration provides a new method for proton tumor therapy. However, it has not been applied in practice because of the wide and decreasing energy spectrum of laser-accelerated proton beams. In this paper, we propose an analytical model to reconstruct the spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) using laser-accelerated proton beams. Firstly, we present a modified weighting formula for protons of different energies. Secondly, a theoretical model for the reconstruction of SOBPs with laser-accelerated proton beams has been built. It can quickly calculate the number of laser shots needed for each energy interval of the laser-accelerated protons. Finally, we show the 2D reconstruction results of SOBPs for laser-accelerated proton beams and the ideal situation. The final results show that our analytical model can give an SOBP reconstruction scheme that can be used for actual tumor therapy.

MeSH terms

  • Lasers*
  • Models, Theoretical*
  • Neoplasms / radiotherapy
  • Particle Accelerators*
  • Proton Therapy / instrumentation*