Dosimetric investigation of a new high dose rate Ir brachytherapy source, IRAsource, by Monte Carlo method

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the present study was to perform an independent calculation of dosimetric parameters associated with a new ¹⁹²Ir brachytherapy source model, IRAsource.

Materials and methods

The parameters of air kerma strength (AKS), dose rate constant (DRC), geometry function (GF), radial dose function (RDF), as well as two-dimensional (2D) anisotropy function (AF) of IRAsource ¹⁹²Ir source model were calculated in this study. The MC n-particle extended (MCNPX) code was also employed for simulating high dose rate (HDR), IRAsource and ¹⁹²Ir source; and formalism was used for calculating dosimetry parameters based on task group number 43 updated report (TG-43 U1).

Results

The results of this study were consistent with the ones reported about the IRAsource source by Sarabiasl et al. The AKS per 1mCi activity and the DRC values were also equal to 3.65 cGycm²h^–1mCi^–1 and 1.094 cGyh^–1U^–1; respectively. The comparison of the results of the DRC and the RDF reported by Sarabiasl et al. also validated the ¹⁹²Ir IRAsource simulation in this study. Moreover, the AFs of IRAsource source model were in a good agreement with those of Sarabiasl et al. at different distances, which could be attributed to identical geometries.

Conclusion

In line with those reported by Sarabiasl et al., the results of this study confirmed the IRAsource ¹⁹²Ir source for clinical uses. The calculated dosimetric parameters of the IRAsource source could be utilized in clinical practices as input data sets or for validation of treatment planning system calculations.