Studies of SSNTDs made from LR-115 in view of their applicability in radiobiological experiments with alpha particles

Radiobiological studies on cell monolayers irradiated by charged particles need to determine the number and position of particle traversals. Solid state nuclear track detectors used as basic substrate for the cell layers are in principle suitable for this purpose. The detector foils must be as thin as possible but still guaranteeing mechanical stability. Two types of LR-115, red coloured and colourless, were tested in the present work. The studies aimed at optimisation of the etching conditions. and determination of the registration efficiency for alpha particles in a wide range of energies and angles of incidence. Specific requirements have to be fulfilled for application of the detector foils under the environmental conditions of radiobiological experiments. Most important are biocompatibility between detector and cells and registration properties insensible against special treatments, as UV sterilisation and cell plating prior to irradiation as well as cell incubation after the irradiation. The experimental studies performed with alpha particles showed that environmental conditions of radiobiological experiments do not change the registration properties of LR-115 detectors significantly. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.