Bal, N.J.S.

English

Cancer is still a leading cause of death globally despite all the research and development. This thesis can be summarised as characterising and optimising a detector and showing its added value for several applications, including cancer treatment. Medipix3 is a hybrid pixel detector developed from the high energy physics context, designed with medical applications in mind. In this thesis, we focussed on using the Medipix3 for cancer treatments in radiotherapy using particle beams and high-resolution tumour imaging using micro-CT (computed tomography) scans.Firstly, it was necessary to develop readout software and then optimise the Medipix3 hybrid pixel detector. This involved reducing noise through better detector and experimental configuration, characterising detector stability at multiple levels and per chip and per pixel energy calibrations; these all improved the achievable imaging contrast significantly.Secondly, the Medipix3 was tested far beyond its design parameters in clinical particle beams for cancer treatment. This opened the possibility of using of the detector as a high linearity device from single particles up to the full beam flux.Thirdly, spectral X-ray imaging and micro-CT were investigated in the context of identifying tumour to normal tissue boundaries to reduce surgical margins. This resulted in spectral CT scans of ex-vivo murine (mouse) and human breast tissue. Differences in the X-ray spectrum were observed on the surface of the murine tissue. Data acquisition procedures and post processing methods for the optimisation of spectral data were required to achieve these results

International Migration, Integration and Social Cohesion online publications

Medipix3: Spectral X-ray micro-CT and hadron therapy

https://pure.uva.nl/ws/files/143067955/Thesis.pdf

Medipix3: Spectral X-ray micro-CT and hadron therapy

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International Migration, Integration and Social Cohesion online publications