Simulation and experimental study of prompt γ ray distribution in proton therapy

PENG Zhihua; CHENG Jingyi; WU Rui; LI Jingrui; CHENG Wei; ZHANG Gaolong; XU Xiaoyu; HUANG Zhen; QU Weiwei

doi:10.3724/j.0253-3219.2025.hjs.48.240489

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Simulation and experimental study of prompt γ ray distribution in proton therapy

ACCELERATOR, RAY TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS | 更新时间：2025-11-27

- Simulation and experimental study of prompt γ ray distribution in proton therapy
- NUCLEAR TECHNIQUES Vol. 48, Issue 11, Article number: 110202(2025)
- 作者机构：
  
  1.苏州大学苏州医学院放射医学与防护学院苏州 215123
  2.上海市质子重离子医院核医学科复旦大学附属肿瘤医院核医学科上海 201315
  3.西北工业大学材料学院西安 710072
  4.宁夏医科大学国家卫生健康委员会代谢性心血管疾病研究重点实验室银川 750004
  5.南京航空航天大学材料科学与技术学院南京 211106
  6.北京航空航天大学物理学院北京 100191
- 作者简介：
  
  PENG Zhihua, male, born in 2001, graduated from University of South China in 2022, master student, focusing on medical physics
  XU Xiaoyu, E-mail: xyxu251@suda.edu.cn
  HUANG Zhen, E-mail: zhuang@suda.edu.cn
- 基金信息：
  
  the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFF0708100);the Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20240789)
- DOI：10.3724/j.0253-3219.2025.hjs.48.240489
  CLC： TL8
- Received：29 November 2024，
  
  Revised：2025-03-24，
  
  Published：15 November 2025
- 稿件说明：
移动端阅览
彭志华,程竞仪,武蕊等.质子治疗中瞬发γ射线分布的模拟与实验研究[J].核技术,2025,48(11):110202.

PENG Zhihua,CHENG Jingyi,WU Rui,et al.Simulation and experimental study of prompt γ ray distribution in proton therapy[J].NUCLEAR TECHNIQUES,2025,48(11):110202.
彭志华,程竞仪,武蕊等.质子治疗中瞬发γ射线分布的模拟与实验研究[J].核技术,2025,48(11):110202. DOI： 10.3724/j.0253-3219.2025.hjs.48.240489. CSTR： 32193.14.hjs.CN31-1342/TL.2025.48.240489.

PENG Zhihua,CHENG Jingyi,WU Rui,et al.Simulation and experimental study of prompt γ ray distribution in proton therapy[J].NUCLEAR TECHNIQUES,2025,48(11):110202. DOI： 10.3724/j.0253-3219.2025.hjs.48.240489. CSTR： 32193.14.hjs.CN31-1342/TL.2025.48.240489.

摘要

质子治疗通过精确控制质子束的布拉格峰位置，实现对肿瘤的高精度照射。为了进一步提高治疗精度，需要对质子束布拉格峰位置进行实时监测。近年来，利用瞬发γ射线进行实时监测成为研究热点，相关探测器系统也在开发中。在探测器系统设计中，质子治疗中产生的γ射线场信息及其仿真模拟具有重要意义。本工作通过实验测量和Geant4模拟验证了不同质子能量下特征γ射线产额的变化趋势，系统地探讨了质子治疗中瞬发γ射线的空间通量分布，并评估了Geant4工具包在预测质子治疗中瞬发γ射线方面的能力。实验结果表明511 keV、718 keV、2.22 MeV以及4.4 MeV特征γ射线产额会随着质子束流能量而增大，Geant4模拟结果很好地重现了这一趋势，但却严重高估了2.22 MeV和4.4 MeV特征γ射线的产额。在59.8 MeV和121.1 MeV的质子能量下，4种特征γ射线产额的角分布有明显后倾趋势。随着质子能量的增加，这种后倾趋势会逐渐减弱。Geant4模拟结果很好地重现了59.8 MeV、121.1 MeV和172.8 MeV质子能量下4种特征γ射线产额的角分布趋势，但对于221.1 MeV的质子能量，模拟结果显示角分布有前倾趋势。研究表明，Geant4工具包能够有效预测γ射线产额变化趋势，但在绝对产额计算上面存在系统性偏差。针对角分布模拟与实验数据之间的差异，其物理模型对γ射线发射过程中角动量耦合效应的表征不足是主要原因。

Abstract

Background

Proton therapy achieves high precision irradiation of tumors by precisely controlling the position of the Bragg peak of the proton beam. To further enhance treatment accuracy

real-time monitoring of the Bragg peak position is necessary

and the use of prompt gamma rays for real-time monitoring has become a research focus with related detector systems under development.

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the variation trends of characteristic gamma ray yields under different proton energies and to explore the spatial flux distribution of prompt gamma rays in proton therapy.

Methods

Firstly

a LaBr

(Ce) detector was used to perform comprehensive measurements of prompt gamma ray spectra at various angles (45°

90°

and 135°) during solid water irradiation by proton beams under different energies (59.8 MeV

121.1 MeV

172.8 MeV

and 221.1 MeV). Then

the detector efficiency was corrected using FLUKA Monte Carlo software

and the yields of 511 keV

718 keV

2.22 MeV

and 4.4 MeV characteristic gamma rays were obtained. Finally

the Monte Carlo simulation toolkit Geant4 was utilized to model the Bragg peak position within solid water phantoms

the intensity and angular distribution of prompt gamma ray emissions

and the energy spectra as a function of proton penetration depth.

Results

The experimental and simulation results both indicate that the yields of the 511 keV

718 keV

2.22 MeV

and 4.4 MeV characteristic gamma rays increase as the proton beam energy increases. However

the Geant4 simulation results significantly overestimate the yields of the 2.22 MeV and 4.4 MeV characteristic gamma rays. The yields of the four characteristic gamma rays show a clear backward trend at proton energies of 59.8 MeV and 121.1 MeV

and this trend gradually weakens as the proton energy increases to 172.8 MeV and 221.1 MeV. The Geant4 simulation results well reproduce the angular distribution trends at proton energies of 59.8 MeV

121.1 MeV

and 172.8 MeV

but for 221.1 MeV proton energy

the simulation results show a forward trend in angular distribution

contrary to experimental observations.

Conclusions

The Geant4 toolkit demonstrates reasonable predictive capability for characteristic gamma ray yields across varying proton energies

showing generally good agreement with experimental measurements despite systematic deviations in absolute yield calculations. The simulation accurately reproduces yield trends but overestimates 2.22 MeV and 4.4 MeV gamma ray yields by significant factors. Notable discrepancies between simulated and experimental angular distributions are observed

particularly at 221.1 MeV proton energy

which stem from the Geant4 physical cascade model's inadequate consideration of angular momentum coupling effects during the gamma ray emission process.

关键词

Keywords

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Current research status and progress of fiber-optic dosimeters for proton therapy dosimetry

Optical design of beam for proton therapy energy selection system based on CYCIAE-230 superconducting cyclotron

Simulation study of the influence of water equivalent ratio energy dependence of absorber materials on measurement of multilayer ionization chamber

Design of an ultra-high dose rate cell irradiation experimental platform using a medical proton linear injector

Optimization design of a multilayer ionization chamber

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Applied Nuclear Technology in Geosciences Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province (Chengdu University of Technology)

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Shanghai Key Laboratory of Proton-therapy

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