Optimized scintillation imaging in low dose rate and bright room light conditions

<i>Objective</i>. To develop a robust method for non-contact surface dosimetry during Total Body Irradiation (TBI) that uses an optimally paired choice of scintillator material with camera photocathode and can work insensitively to the normal ambient room lighting conditions (∼500 Lux).<i>Approach</i>. This goal was approached by assessing the emission contrast of scintillator signal to background room ratio (SBR) detected by the camera, in the challening conditions of low dose rate TBI with high room lights. A total of 9 fast-response scintillators, 3 wavelength shifters, and 2 camera photocathodes were systematically tested to determine the optimal combination. The effects of room lights on the scintillator signal and the background signal were assessed to avoid signal saturation while retaining accurate dose measurement. A bandpass wavelength filter was then applied to reduce the effects on room lights and scintillator signal.<i>Main Results</i>. One scintillator (EJ262) combined with a blue-green sensitive photocathode camera and a 500 nm band pass filter produced the greatest available scintillator SBR of 95 with maximal room lights on. The caveat is that this design rejects all patient Cherenkov light, which can be useful for visualizing the patient treatment. Another option which retained the Cherenkov signal but produced less available scintillator signal was found with another scintillator (EJ-260) and a red photocathode camera with SBR of 35, but a narrow bandpass filter is required to make it work in ambient room lights, which addition will also remove most of the Cherenkov signal.<i>Significance</i>. Non-contact scintillator imaging can be used for surface dosimetry in TBI with appropriate pairing of scintillator emission spectrum and camera photocathode sensitivity or optical filtering range.