3D prompt gamma imaging for proton beam range verification.

We tested the ability of a single Compton camera (CC) to produce 3-dimensional (3D) images of prompt gammas (PGs) emitted during the irradiation of a tissue-equivalent plastic phantom with proton pencil beams for clinical doses delivered at clinical dose rates. PG measurements were made with a small prototype CC placed at three different locations along the proton beam path. We evaluated the ability of the CC to produce images at each location for two clinical scenarios: (1) the delivery of a single 2 Gy pencil beam from a hypo-fractionated treatment (~9  ×  108 protons), and (2) a single pencil beam from a standard treatment (~1  ×  108 protons). Additionally, the data measured at each location were combined to simulate measurements with a larger scale, clinical CC and its ability to image shifts in the Bragg peak (BP) range for both clinical scenarios. With our prototype CC, the location of the distal end of the BP could be seen with the CC placed up to 4 cm proximal or distal to the BP distal falloff. Using the data from the simulated full scale clinical CC, 3D images of the PG emission were produced with the delivery of as few as 1  ×  108 protons, and shifts in the proton beam range as small as 2 mm could be detected for delivery of a 2 Gy spot. From these results we conclude that 3D PG imaging for proton range verification under clinical beam delivery conditions is possible with a single CC.