CMAM researchers contribute to the development of ultra-resistant dosimeters for FLASH radiotherapy

Preliminary assembly of the SiC detector for the tests performed – Héctor Cabezas (IMB-CNM)

The CMAM-UAM (Center for Micro-Analysis of Materials, Madrid) is collaborating with researchers from the IMB-CNM-CSIC, within the framework of the DOSIFLASH project, on the design of ultra-resistant dosimeters to accurately measure the high radiation doses involved in the emerging FLASH radiotherapy modality, which delivers intense pulses in fractions of a second in order to reduce damage to healthy tissues.

These new devices use silicon carbide (SiC) microdetectors, a cheaper and more robust alternative to diamond, and have already been tested in research accelerators and under preclinical conditions.

The participation of CMAM-UAM focused on evaluating the devices under FLASH irradiation, using both electrons and protons.

One of the key achievements is that the devices have responded well to pulses of up to 25 Gy per pulse, and the beam shape has been successfully measured in real time using small detector arrays.

The next steps are to test hundreds of these dosimeters with multichannel electronics, design a graphical interface to visualize dose distributions in real time, and integrate them into clinical treatment plans. The ultimate goal is to produce a reliable, accessible real-time dose monitor that will facilitate the clinical adoption of FLASH radiotherapy.