Depth dose measuring device

• US 5,905,263 A
• Filed: 05/29/1997
• Issued: 05/18/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishizawa, Hiroshi, Senoo, Satoshi, Madono, Kunio, Teratani, Eisaku, Ikegami, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Glick, Edward J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jiron, Darren M.
• Application Number:
  US08/864,462
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 250/370.07, 250/367, 250/368, 250/369, 250/336.1, 250/370.11, 250/390.11
• US Class Current: 250/368
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1048 Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/02 Dosimeters G01T1/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/201 using scintillating fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/22 with Cerenkov detectors

Abstract

In a depth dose measuring device, a light is outputted from an end surface of a block-type detector (202) formed by tying a plurality of scintillation fibers in a bundle, a spectroscope (204) is used to disperse the light so as to measure an amount of light having a wavelength corresponding to an emission spectrum of the scintillation fibers, a picture measuring device (205) and a picture processing device (206) calculate an emission distribution of only a scintillation light depending upon an emission distribution in which the scintillation light and a Cerenkov light are mixed, and a result is displayed on a display device (207).

Claims

1. A depth dose measuring device comprising:

detecting means for receiving a particle beam as input, and outputting a scintillation light and a Cerenkov light caused by the particle beam, from an end surface;

light detecting means for detecting the scintillation light and the Cerenkov light outputted from the detecting means and removing the Cerenkov light, and outputting a detection result;

picture signal processing means for processing signals from the detection result outputted from the light detecting means; and

display means for displaying a processing result performed in the picture signal processing means,

wherein a measurement is made of an amount of the scintillation light having a wavelength corresponding to a light spectrum generated in the detecting means.

2. The depth dose measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means comprises a block obtained by tying a plurality of scintillation fibers in a bundle, the light detecting means comprising a spectroscope, the light outputted from the detecting means being dispersed by the spectroscope, signals serving as the detection result obtained by the dispersion being inputted into the picture signal processing means, and a measurement being made of an amount of light having a wavelength corresponding to an emission spectrum of the plurality of scintillation fibers.

3. The depth dose measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means comprises a scintillation fiber block formed by a plurality of scintillation fibers, and clear plastic blocks disposed at both ends of the scintillation fiber block.

4. The depth dose measuring device according to claim 3, wherein the clear plastic blocks are formed to have side surfaces adjacent to said scintillation fiber block which are longer than adjacent side surfaces of the scintillation fiber block.

5. The depth dose measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means comprises:

a block obtained by tying a plurality of scintillation fibers in a bundle;

wherein the light detecting means comprises;

a band-pass filter corresponding to a wavelength of emission of the plurality of scintillation fibers;

wherein a light outputted from the end surface of the detecting means passes through the band-pass filter to be inputted into the picture signal processing means; and

wherein a measurement is made of an amount of light having a wavelength corresponding to an emission spectrum of the plurality of scintillation fibers.

6. A depth dose measuring device comprising:

detecting means for receiving a particle beam as input, and outputting a light caused by the particle beam from an end surface;

light detecting means for detecting the light outputted from the detecting means, and outputting a detection result;

picture signal processing means for processing signals from the detection result outputted from the light detecting means; and

display means for displaying a processing result performed in the picture signal processing means,

wherein a measurement is made of an amount of light having a wavelength corresponding to a spectrum of the light generated in the detecting means;

wherein the detecting means comprises;

a fiber block formed by alternately disposing a plurality of scintillation fibers and a plurality of regular optical fibers;

wherein only a light outputted from the plurality of scintillation fibers is outputted from a first end surface of the detecting means;

wherein only a light outputted from the plurality of regular optical fibers is outputted from a second end surface of the detecting means;

the picture signal processing means comprising;

first signal processing means for receiving as input and processing the light outputted from the first end surface;

second signal processing means for receiving as input and processing the light outputted from the second end surface; and

the picture signal processing means calculating a difference between a result obtained in the first signal processing means and a result obtained in the second signal processing means.

7. A depth dose measuring device comprising:

detecting means for receiving a particle beam as input, and outputting a light caused by the particle beam from an end surface;

light detecting means for detecting the light outputted from the detecting means, and outputting a detection result;

picture signal processing means for processing signals from the detection result outputted from the light detecting means; and

display means for displaying a processing result performed in the picture signal processing means,

wherein a measurement is made of an amount of light having a wavelength corresponding to a spectrum of the light generated in the detecting means;

wherein the detecting means comprises;

a fiber block formed by alternately disposing a plurality of scintillation fibers and a plurality of regular optical fibers;

wherein a first light outputted from the plurality of scintillation fibers and a second light outputted from the plurality of regular optical fibers are outputted from a first end surface of the detecting means;

wherein a luminance distribution of the first light and the second light is measured by picture measuring means;

wherein data of the luminance distribution measured by the picture measuring means is outputted to the picture signal processing means; and

wherein the picture signal processing means performs picture processing of input data of the luminance distribution of the first light and the luminance distribution of the second light; and

wherein a difference in luminance distribution is calculated between the first light and the second light.

8. A depth dose measuring device comprising:

detecting means for receiving a particle beam as input, and outputting a light caused by the particle beam from an end surface;

light detecting means for detecting the light outputted from the detecting means, and outputting a detection result;

picture signal processing means for processing signals from the detection result outputted from the light detecting means; and

display means for displaying a processing result performed in the picture signal processing means,

wherein a measurement is made of an amount of light having a wavelength corresponding to a spectrum of the light generated in the detecting means;

wherein the detecting means comprises;

a block formed by tying a plurality of regular optical fibers in a bundle;

wherein a Cerenkov light outputted from an end surface of the detecting means is outputted to the picture signal processing means; and

wherein the picture signal processing means obtains a depth dose distribution depending upon a correlation between a distribution of the inputted Cerenkov light and a previously measured depth absorbed dose distribution.