Abstract
This study aims to establish the sensitive, ~120μm high spatial resolution, high dynamic range Ge-doped optical fibres as thermoluminescence (TL) dosimeters for brachytherapy dose distribution. This requires investigation to accommodate sensitivity of detection, both for the possibility of short range dose deposition from beta components as well as gamma/x-mediated dose. In-air measurements are made at distances close to radionuclide sources, evaluating the fall off in dose along the transverse axis of Ba and Co radioactive sources, at distances from 2mm up to 20mm from their midpoints. Measurements have been compared with Monte Carlo code DOSRZnrc simulations for photon-mediated dose only, agreement being obtained to within 3% and 1% for the Ba and Co sources, respectively. As such, in both cases it is determined that as intended, beta dose has been filtered out by source encapsulation. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.