A practical EPR dosimetry system for routine use in radiotherapy: uncertainty analysis of lithium formate dosimeters at the therapeutic dose level

In electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) dosimetry, solid dosimeter materials such as alanine (AL) or, more recently, lithium formate monohydrate (LFM) are typically used. These materials offer high potential for applications in radiotherapy based on their favorable dosimetric properties. Nevertheless, EPR dosimetry is not widespread in the clinics. This work presents an uncertainty analysis of EPR dosimetry in the dose range from 1 to 70 Gy using a compact spectrometer and applying a practical procedure being suitable for routine use in radiotherapy. The performances of self-pressed LFM pellets and commercial AL pellets are compared side by side. All pellets had a diameter of 4 mm and a height of 2 mm (AL) or 4 mm (LFM). The mean pellet mass was 35.81 mg and 73.81 mg for AL and LFM, respectively. Before irradiation, the pellets were stored for at least 8 weeks at 34 +/- 2% relative humidity. For irradiation, the pellets were put inside an airtight capsule. In total, 25 pellets per material were examined. The pellets were irradiated at a temperature of 25 +/- 2.5 (2 sigma) degrees C to doses of either 1, 5, 20, 50 or 70 Gy (five pellets per dose value and material) by a clinical 6 MV photon beam. Measurement uncertainties were obtained from five independent readouts per pellet within five weeks following irradiation using a benchtop EPR spectrometer. The measurement time of a single readout was restricted to 10 min per pellet. Dose values were derived from EPR signal amplitudes using a specifically developed spectral fitting procedure. Signal fading characteristics were analyzed and taken into account during evaluation. The relative dose uncertainties (1 sigma) for a single readout at doses >= 5 Gy are below 2.8% (AL) and 1.1% (LFM) but increase to 12.3% (AL) and 2.6% (LFM) at 1 Gy. By averaging five independent readouts, the uncertainties at 1 Gy decrease to 2.6% (AL) and 0.8% (LFM). In terms of dose uncertainty, the LFM pellets are superior to the commercial AL pellets owing to their narrower EPR spectrum and approximately doubled mass resulting in higher EPR signal intensities. In case of the LFM pellets, the EPR dosimetry system shows a high level of precision (< 3%) down to 1 Gy being preferable for applications in radiotherapy. The uncertainties can be further decreased by averaging multiple dose values from independent readouts.