SU-F-T-477: Investigation of DEFGEL Dosimetry Using MRI

Purpose: The DEFGEL dosimeter/phantom allows for the measurement of 3D dose distributions while maintaining tissue equivalence and deformability. Although DEFGEL is traditionally read out with optical CT, the use of MRI would permit the measurement of 3D dose distributions in optically interfering configurations, like while embedded in a phantom. To the knowledge of the authors, this work is the first investigation that uses MRI to measure dose distributions in DEFGEL dosimeters. Methods: The DEFGEL (6%T) formula was used to create 1 cm thick, 4.5 cm diameter cylindrical dosimeters. The dosimeters were irradiated using a Varian Clinac 21EX linac. The MRI based transverse relaxation rate (R2) of the gel was measured in a central slice of the dosimeter with a Spin-Echo (SE) pulse sequence on a 3T GE SIGNA PET/MR scanner. The R2 values were fit to a monoexponential dose response equation using in-house software (MATLAB). Results: The data was well fit using a monoexponential fit for R2 as a function of absorbed dose (R² = 0.9997). The fitting parameters of the monoexponential fit resulted in a 0.1229 Gy₋₁s₋₁ slope. The data also resulted in an average standard deviation of 1.8% for the R2 values within the evaluated ROI. Conclusion: The close fit for the dose response curve shows that a DEFGEL based dosimeter can be paired with a SE MRI acquisition. The Type A uncertainty of the MRI method shows adequate precision, while the slope of the fit curve is large enough that R2 differences between different gel doses are distinguishable. These results suggest that the gel could potentially be used in configurations where an optical readout is not viable, such as measurements with the gel dosimeter positioned inside larger or optically opaque phantoms. This work is partially funded by NIH grant R01CA190298.