METHODS article
Front. Phys.
Sec. Medical Physics and Imaging
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphy.2025.1597079
This article is part of the Research TopicChallenges in VHEE RadiotherapyView all 11 articles
Radiochromic Film Dosimetry for VHEE and UHDR: Protocol Adaptation and Verification at the CLEAR Facility
Provisionally accepted
Vilde F. Rieker1,2*
Joseph J. Bateman3
Laurence M. Wroe1
Misael Caloz4Veljko Grilj5
Ygor Q. Aguiar1
Andreas Schüller6Claude Bailat5Wilfrid Farabolini1
Antonio Gilardi1
Cameron Robertson3Pierre Korysko1,3Alexander Malyzhenkov1,7Steinar Stapnes1Marie-Catherine Vozenin4
Manjit Dosanjh1,3
Roberto Corsini1- 1European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- 2University of Oslo, Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- 3University of Oxford, Oxford, England, United Kingdom
- 4University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- 5Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
- 6Physical-Technical Federal Institute, Braunschweig/Brunswick, Niedersachsen, Germany
- 7Swiss International Institute Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Radiochromic films (RCFs) offer effective two-dimensional dosimetry with a simple, low-cost operating principle, making them suitable for very high energy electron (VHEE) and ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) applications, where dosimetry standards are lacking. However, achieving high-accuracy measurements with RCFs presents significant challenges, especially in the absence of standardised protocols. To ensure reliable and comparable outcomes, adapted protocols based on a thorough understanding of RCF behaviour are essential. Despite over 6,000 publications addressing RCF protocols, comprehensive guides for high-throughput research machines with small, non-uniform beams are scarce. This paper aims to be a comprehensive guide for non-expert users of RCFs, particularly in VHEE and UHDR research. We identify common errors in RCF preparation, scanning, and processing, proposing strategies to enhance accuracy and efficiency. Using our optimised RCF protocol at the CLEAR facility, we demonstrate a 5% agreement compared to alanine dosimeters irradiated with Gaussian VHEE beams, establishing this protocol as a solid foundation for reliable dosimetry in advanced radiotherapy research.
Keywords: VHEE, flash, Radiochromic films, UHDR, Alanine, TLD, RPL
Received: 20 Mar 2025; Accepted: 15 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Rieker, Bateman, Wroe, Caloz, Grilj, Aguiar, Schüller, Bailat, Farabolini, Gilardi, Robertson, Korysko, Malyzhenkov, Stapnes, Vozenin, Dosanjh and Corsini. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Vilde F. Rieker, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
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