Radiation dose measurements with alanine/agarose gel and thin alanine films around a 192Ir brachytherapy source,using ESR spectroscopy

Alanine/agarose gel and alanine films in stacks have been used for measurements of absorbed dose around an HDR 192Ir source in a vaginal cylinder-applicator, with and without a 180 degrees tungsten shield. The gel and the films were analysed by means of ESR spectroscopy and calibrated against an ion chamber in a 4 MV photon beam to obtain absolute dose values. The gel serves as both dosimeter and phantom material, and the thin (130 microm) films are used to achieve an improved spatial resolution in the dose estimations. Experimental values were compared with Monte Carlo simulations using two different codes. Results from the measurements generally agree with the simulations to within 5%, for both the alanine/agarose gel and the alanine films.