Terbium-doped gadolinium oxysulfide (Gd2O2S:Tb) scintillation-based polymer optical fibre sensor for real time monitoring of radiation dose in oncology

A PMMA based plastic optical fibre sensor for use in real time radiotherapy dosimetry is presented. The optical fibre tip is coated with a scintillation material, terbium-doped gadolinium oxysulfide (Gd2O2S:Tb), which fluoresces when exposed to ionising radiation (X-Ray). The emitted visible light signal penetrates the sensor optical fibre and propagates along the transmitting fibre at the end of which it is remotely monitored using a fluorescence spectrometer. The results demonstrate good repeatability, with a maximum percentage error of 0.5% and the response is independent of dose rate.