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Autoradiographic imaging of pion stopping distribution utilizing scanning laser stimulated luminescence

Cancer Control Agency of British Columbia, 600 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, Canada V5Z 4E6

Correspondence: ^* Address correspondence to: H. Shirato, MD, Section of Radiotherapy, Department of Radiology, Hokkaido University Hospital, North–15, West–7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan 060.

This excerpt was created in the absence of an abstract.

A new type of detector using scanning laser stimulated luminescence (SLSL system) (Sonoda et al, 1983) makes it possible to visualize small amounts of radiation exposure more efficiently than with conventional X-ray film. An autoradiographic technique using this system has the potential to image radioactivity when previously this was not possible. We have applied the system to the detection of radioactivity induced in aluminium foil by negative pion irradiation. The distribution of the trace of activity was well demonstrated, especially in the pion stopping region.

The new radiation area detector was developed for use in medical diagnostic radiography (Sonoda et al, 1983). The system (CR201) consists of a phosphor screen imaging plate, an image reader, an image processor, and an image writer (Fig. 1). The imaging plate (IP) is a 1 mm thick flexible plastic plate coated with a 0.15 mm thick layer of fine photostimulated phosphor crystals, BaFBr:Eu²⁺. These crystals act as energy traps when exposed to ionizing radiation, thus producing stored image that is subsequently released by illuminating the phosphor with red light from a helium–neon laser. The surface is scanned by this laser and emitted light is collected by photomultiplier tube. The tube output is amplified and then digitized on a pixel by pixel basis (8 bits/pixel). The resulting digital data are manipulated by the image processor and finally converted back into analogue signals that modulate the intensity of another helium–neon laser beam scanning photographic film to record the image.

Received for publication July 1, 1988. Revision received October 1, 1988.