Next generation X-ray/H+ Micro and Nano Scintillating Detectors

Project Information

X-MiND

Grant agreement ID: 101062690

DOI

10.3030/101062690

Project terminated on 5 August 2025

EC signature date 30 July 2022

Start date 1 November 2022

End date 30 June 2026

Funded under

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 300 441,60

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITE D'AIX MARSEILLE
France

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - X-MiND (Next generation X-ray/H+ Micro and Nano Scintillating Detectors)

Reporting period: 2022-11-01 to 2025-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Soft and hard X-ray technologies are now widely used in the field of medical physics (radiation therapy), 3-D object imaging (healthcare and forensic), and in-depth material probing (microscopy), etc. Particularly, in clinical medicine, hard X-rays and charged particles are mostly used for radiation therapy and imaging to treat cancer, spot tumors, and damage malignant tumors. In this sense, the modern radiation therapy treatment is driven by the ongoing demand for suitable dosimeters for accurate dose measurement in various radiation beams (photon, proton, electron, ion, etc.). In recent times, dosimetry at small fields has emerged to deliver precise and highly controlled doses at the right location in the human body for destroying cancerous cells while sparing surrounding healthy tissues. However, the industrially developed dosimeters/detectors are ill-suited for small fields due to significant size requirements, volume averaging effect, lack of sensitivity and spatial resolution, low signal-to-noise ratio, significant corrections, Cerenkov effect, etc. Thus, quality treatment is still hampered and continues to risk the patients. Till now, no detector has been introduced to address these issues and for versatile use. In addition, scintillator-based imaging systems still suffer from low compactness, modest response time, and low spatial resolution, which present strong limitations in the existing technology.
In this context, this research project aims to design and develop a novel, small-scale, real-time, and highly sensitive X-ray/H+ Micro/Nano Scintillating Detector (X-MiND). The detectors are planned to be tested for high-energy photon and particle beam characterizations, small-field dosimetry, and high sensitivity. Subsequently, a nanometric scintillating detector is planned to be demonstrated in surface physics applications, targeting high-resolution imaging. Therefore, the medical outcomes of this research will explore miniaturized dosimetry and precise dose verification in the small fields. The physics outcomes are expected to be applied in direct surface imaging. The new fundamental knowledge developed in this project could be applied to multiple domains.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

First, several micro-scintillating devices (MSD) were developed with a miniature sensitive volume based on inorganic scintillators and incorporating optical fibers by applying new methodologies. The overall procedure involves state-of-the-art analysis, in-depth review of background works, studying scintillating detections, emission wavelength analysis, cluster grafting quality, luminescence quality, yield, and transmission efficiency. A key scientific achievement was to identify the sensitive geometry of the scintillating head that gives an in-depth understanding of the device’s performance and potential for various high-energy source applications. Therefore, the main research outcomes at this phase provided the successful fabrication of MSDs with feasibility testing and calibration that led to the development of a new generation of fiber-integrated X-ray devices, an enhanced version of the inorganic scintillating dosimeter.

Secondly, the detectors were tested under small-field photon beams and high-energy proton beam (up to 250 MeV) facilities. This confirmed the necessary feasibility studies of the developed detectors under several high-energy irradiation beams used for cancer radiation therapy. The MSDs were tested for Cerenkov effect analysis through various irradiation beams (photon beam from LINAC system). The main achievement here is that the detection system provides a Cerenkov-free radiation dose measurement technique for the ‘first time’ under a specific small-field. The device also demonstrated its feasibility and applicability under several high-energy particle sources (hard X-ray up to 138 MeV, proton beam up to 250 MeV).

Lastly, A new generation dual-probe technique was developed based on the NSD (nano-scintillation detector) and tested in the laboratory environment. The new system was systematically examined through a Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) setup under direct sample irradiation. An experimental setup was established that allows tracking each development step of the system and overall procedure control. Finally, the developed dual-probe was used to successfully image (simultaneous imaging under STM set-up) several grating samples and an HOPG sample for a feasibility test.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The integration of new methods and techniques for micro and nano-scintillating device development, testing, and their perspectives proved to be particularly impactful, offering innovative tools and insights to address current challenges in radiation detection in small fields. The device provided a “Cerenkov-free“ measurement tool for the first time in small-field radiation. This essentially addresses several concurrent issues in the dose measurement at small-field radiation therapy, and shows potential for further application, e.g. modern FLASH radiation therapy.

The measurement result achieved in the international standard protocol enhances the understanding of the need for a new generation dosimetry system for advanced cancer treatment. The compactness of the device shows potential for advancing small-beam treatment, in vivo dosimetry through accurate and precise dose measurement. Therefore, the new functional device tested under a clinical environment through pre-clinical measurement has a direct societal impact on dosimetry advancement and cancer treatment.

The new generation dual-probe techniques provide simultaneous surface imaging with ultra-high resolution beyond the conventional imaging techniques. This has been demonstrated “first-time” under two different types of radiation sources, showing potential for high-resolution spectroscopy applications. The dual-tip technology has impactful potential for material characterizations and enhances the understanding of nano-metric surface imaging, and further extension to developing a high-resolution imaging system.

Finally, the overall project outcome has significantly contributed to advancing knowledge in scintillation detection and highly sensitive process development, which has the potential to be applied to diverse radiation measurement in healthcare technology (medical physics) and metrology.

X-ray micro and nano-scintillating detector with Dual-probe techniques