Radiation Physics and Chemistry 95 (2014) 134–136

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Radiation Physics and Chemistry

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/radphyschem

Application of optically stimulated luminescence technique to

evaluate simultaneously accumulated and single doses with the
same dosimeter
Anna Luiza M.C. Malthez a,n, Marcelo B. Freitas b, Elisabeth M. Yoshimura c, Vera
L.S.N. Button a
a ~ Paulo, Brazil
Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Campinas, Campinas, Sao
b ~ Paulo, Sao
~ Paulo, , Brazil
Health Informatics Department, Federal University of Sao
c
Nuclear Physics Department, Sa~ o Paulo University, Sao
~ Paulo, Brazil

H I G H L I G H T S

c OSLD can be read several times with a negligible loss of signal.

c Accumulated and single doses were estimated simultaneously using a unique Al2O3 OSLD.
c OSLD were irradiated with low and high energy photons repeated times for months.
c TLD were used as a reference to compare the estimated doses obtained with OSLD.

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLD) can be read several times with a negligible loss
Received 22 November 2012 (degradation) of signal. In this work, we explore this OSL property to estimate simultaneously the
Accepted 15 February 2013 accumulated and single doses using a unique Al2O3 dosimeter, irradiated repeated times along over 4
Available online 27 February 2013
months. This was done through several irradiations of OSLD (Landauer Luxel Dots) with two energies
Keywords: (28 keV X-rays and 1.25 MeV Co-60 gamma rays) and several doses distributed over time. Thermo-
Optically stimulated luminescence luminescent dosimeters (TLD) were used as a reference to compare the estimated doses obtained with
Radiation dosimetry OSLD. For each irradiation, and both energies, a calibration curve was evaluated with OSLD and TLD to
Al2O3:C estimate the dose values. The OSL readouts were made with a MicroStar (Landauer) OSL reader. To
estimate background (BG) over time, a set of OSLD and TLD (Bycron TLD100) was not irradiated and BG
was monitored at each readout section. After irradiations, the OSL and TL signals were converted to
dose and values were compared. As a set of OSLD suffered no bleaching after the readouts, it was
possible to estimate simultaneously the accumulated and single doses with a unique OSLD. Each single
dose was estimated through the subtraction of successive accumulated doses determined for each
single OSLD. We concluded that the single doses determined by OSL and TL techniques were
compatible, and that the accumulated dose, obtained with OSL technique was comparable to the
sum of single doses determined with TLD. We can conclude that using OSL technique and Al2O3
dosimeters it is possible to estimate simultaneously accumulated and single doses with the same
dosimeter irradiated with low or high energy photons.
& 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction luminescence after been exposed to light (Yukihara and

McKeever, 2011). This technique has recently been approved for
The optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) technique has external personal dosimetry in Brazil and several recently pub-
been largely applied in personal dosimetry. OSL materials pre- lished works highlight advantages of OSL technique and its
viously exposed to stimulus, such as ionization radiation, exhibit applications in radiation dosimetry (Yukihara and McKeever,
2011; Akselrod et al., 2007; Jursinic, 2007).
The OSL technique is characterized by luminescence of a
n
Corresponding author.
previously irradiated material after being exposed to optical
E-mail address: [email protected] (A.L.M.C. Malthez). stimulus (light). When an OSL material is exposed to radiation,

0969-806X/$ - see front matter & 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2013.02.026
 A.L.M.C. Malthez et al. / Radiation Physics and Chemistry 95 (2014) 134–136 135

electron/hole (absence of an electron) pairs may be produced. 1 readouts provided accumulated doses over successive irradia-
These free electrons and holes migrate through the material, and tions. The OSLD and TLD sets 2 were used to evaluate calibration
can be trapped in metastable states of energy related to pre- curves and were submitted to bleaching and thermal treatment,
existing defects in the material. If the material is exposed to a respectively, between irradiations. To estimate background (BG) a
light stimulus, captured electrons and holes are released and they group of TLD and OSLD was not irradiated and their readouts
can recombine, generating the material luminescence or OSL were subtracted from sets 1 and 2.
signal. This light signal is associated with radiation absorbed Because OSLD presents a transient signal with half-life of
dose in the material. 0.8 min after irradiations (Yukihara and McKeever, 2011;
Al2O3 OSL dosimeters (OSLD) can be read several times with a Jursinic, 2007), the OSLD sets 1 and 2 were not read immediately
negligible loss (degradation) of signal, depending on duration after irradiations. A few days intervals were given between
time of stimulus. In this work, we explore this OSLD property to irradiations and readout, and this is usual for individual monitor-
estimate simultaneously accumulated and single doses with ing dosimetry.
Al2O3 dosimeters exposed to photons with high and low energies, The OSLD readouts were made with a MicroStar (Landauer)
considering their application in personal dosimetry to evaluate OSL reader. This reader allows readouts with a negligible loss
doses (low-dose range—mGy) over time using a unique dosi- (degradation) of signal. For each irradiation, two calibration
meter. In addition, thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLD) were curves were built with OSLD and TLD readings.
used as reference to compare the doses obtained with OSLD, Studies published in the past years (Schembri and Heijmen,
because the TL technique since long has been widely tested and 2007; Gasparian, 2009; Yukihara et al., 2010) suggest a fading
approved for personal dosimetry. (loss of luminescence signal) of about 2% between the interval of
1–24 h and 15–27 days after irradiation, and 3% afterward up 2
weeks. In this work, the long-term fading (loss of luminescence
2. Experimental signal after days or months following irradiation) was not
considered in the accumulated dose evaluation.
The dosimeters used were Al2O3:C (Landauer Luxel Dots) and Supralinearity effects in Al2O3 OSLD were observed at doses
LiF:Mg,Ti (Bycron TLD100), OSLD and TLD respectively. Both TLD above a few gray (Yukihara et al., 2004) and recently it was
and OSLD were submitted to a sensitivity selection process that reported that the degree of supralinearity is dependent on the
resulted in lots with approximately 5% reproducibility. previously received doses by OSLD, for accumulated doses of
Before any irradiation, the OSLD were bleached with white hundreds of grays (Jursinic, 2010). Although these effects are
light (four lamps 55 W Digilight ATEC) for approximately 4 h; the important for radiotherapy and other applications, they do not
TLD were subjected to a thermal treatment (1 h at 400 1C and 2 h affect the results for individual monitoring, as in this study, where
at 100 1C). OSLD sets were exposed to doses on the order of mGy.
OSLD and TLD were exposed to several doses with two After the irradiations, the OSL and TL set 1 signals were
energies, 28 keV X-rays—80 kV and 2 mm of aluminum, as addi- converted to absorbed dose with the respective calibration curves
tional filtration (low energy)and 1.25 MeV Co-60 photons (high and the dose values were compared. Each single dose was
energy), distributed over time, for approximately 4 months. Doses estimated through the subtraction of successive accumulated
were measured using a 6 cm3 ionization chamber calibrated doses determined with the same OSLD (set 1).
(Radcal). The diagram in Fig. 1 shows the TLD and OSLD irradia- The accumulated doses in TLD set 1 were estimated through
tion, readout, bleaching and thermal treatment sequence to the sum of single doses in each irradiation. It was analized if the
which they were submitted. This sequence was repeated 5 times single and accumulated doses determined with both techniques
(5 irradiations) over 4 months. were compatible.
There were two OSLD and TLD sets. The first (set 1) OSLD and The percent error relative to TLD in the accumulated and single
TLD sets were irradiated with the same dose, but the OSLD set did doses was evaluated, as TLD were used as reference to OSLD. In
not suffer bleaching after each irradiation. Thus OSLD set this analysis the uncertainties (statistical fluctuations) of both
single and accumulated doses were considered in OSLD when TLD
were used as reference. The uncertainty propagation on the
accumulated and single doses in TLD was considered through
variation coefficient (VC) calculated over 5 irradiations.

3. Results

Fig. 2 shows one of the calibration curves of TLD and OSLD

dosimeters. As in all calibrations of this work, a linear behavior
between dose and counts for both TL and OSL dosimeters at low
and high energies was observed as expected.
Table 1 shows the accumulated and single doses estimated
through TLD and OSLD for both energies, 28 keV X-rays and
1.25 MeV Co-60 gamma rays.

4. Discussion

Table 1 data shows that, for both energies, the OSLD accumu-
lated and single doses are compatible with respective TLD,
Fig. 1. Irradiation, readout and bleaching/thermal treatment process diagram of considering one standard deviation, except the second irradiation.
OSLD and TLD sets. The values of OSLD single doses present larger uncertainty than
136 A.L.M.C. Malthez et al. / Radiation Physics and Chemistry 95 (2014) 134–136

(5–15%). The uncertainties in OSLD relative percent error to TLD

are consequence of the methods used to estimate single and
accumulated doses in TLD and OSLD. Furthermore, it was possible
to estimate simultaneously single doses and doses accumulated
over time with the OSL technique with high and low energy
photons. It is noteworthy that the doses which dosimeters were
exposed in this study are on the order of mGy, highlighting the
feasibility of applying a single OSLD for individual monitoring.

5. Conclusion

As the TL technique has already been largely employed to

external personal dosimetry in Brazil, we used the OSL and TL
techniques together, to validate the simultaneous determination
of accumulated and single doses with the same OSLD. It was
Fig. 2. Calibration curves of TLD (LiF:Mg, Ti) and OSLD (Al2O3). Full and empty
possible to estimate accumulated and single doses over time
circles represent the intensity OSL and TL, respectively, to irradiation with 28 keV using OSLD because it can be read several times with a negligible
X-rays. Full and empty squares represent the intensity OSL and TL, respectively, to loss of signal. We conclude that both accumulated over time and
irradiation with 1.25 MeV Co-60 gamma rays. single doses determined with OSLD are comparable with the
doses estimated through the TLD technique which is largely used
Table 1 to estimate individual doses in personal dosimetry. Furthermore
Accumulated and single doses estimated with the same OSLD and TLD accumu- we conclude that with the OSL technique it is possible to estimate
lated and single doses used as reference dose value to irradiations with 28 keV accumulated doses and single doses, at the same time, to both
X-rays and 1.25 MeV Co-60 gamma rays.
high and low photons energies, using a unique OSLD. These
Accumulated dose (mGy) Single dose (mGy) outcomes potentialize their use in dosimetry.

OSLD TLD OSLD TLD

X-rays 1.28 7 0.02 1.27 0.1 1.28 7 0.02 1.2 7 0.1 References
4.1 7 0.3 3.67 0.2 2.8 7 0.3 2.3 7 0.1
8.1 7 0.6 8.07 0.2 4.0 70.7 4.5 7 0.2 Akselrod, M.S., et al., 2007. Optically stimulated luminescence and its use in
19 7 1 17.5 70.3 10 71 9.5 7 0.2 medical dosimetry. Radiat. Meas. 41, S78–S99.
36 7 2 367 2 17 7 2 18 7 2 Gasparian, P.B.R., 2009, Methodological Developments for Application of Optically
Co-60 0.94 7 0.05 0.947 0.01 0.94 70.05 0.94 70.01 Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) in Medical Dosimetry. M.S. Thesis, Oklahoma
2.5 7 0.2 2.88 70.05 1.6 7 0.2 1.94 7 0.05 State University.
8.1 7 0.6 9.07 0.3 5.6 7 0.7 6.1 7 0.3 Jursinic, P.A., 2007. Characterization of optically stimulated luminescent dosi-
19 7 2 21.2 70.6 11 7 2 12.2 7 0.5 meters, OSLDs, for clinical dosimetric measurements. Med. Phys. 34,
44 7 2 447 1 25 7 2 23 7 1 4594–4607.
Jursinic, P.A., 2010. Changes in optically stimulated luminescent dosimeter (OSLD)
dosimetric characteristics with accumulated dose. Med. Phys. 37, 132–140.
Schembri, V., Heijmen, B.J.M., 2007. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) of
TLD single doses due to the method used to estimate single doses carbon-doped aluminun oxide (Al2O3:C) for film dosimetry in radiotherapy.
Med. Phys. 34, 2113–2118.
in OSLD (successive subtraction of accumulated doses). Inverse Yukihara, E.G., Whitley, V.H., McKeever, S.W.S., Akselrod, A.E., Akselrod, M.S., 2004.
behavior also is observed in TLD accumulated doses; they have Effects of high-dose irradiation on the optically stimulated luminescence of
greater uncertainty due to the successive sum of single doses to Al2O3:C. Radiat. Meas. 38, 317–330.
Yukihara, E.G., et al., 2010. Medical applications of optically stimulated lumines-
estimate accumulated dose.
cence dosimeters (OSLD). Radiat. Meas. 45, 658–662.
OSLD accumulated and single doses present a reasonable Yukihara, E.G., McKeever, S.W.S., 2011. Optically Stimulated Luminescence:
percent difference relative to TLD accumulated and single doses Fundamentals and Applications. John Wiley & Sons.