NMR mechanisms in gel dosimetry

Nuclear magnetic resonance was critical to the development of gel dosimetry, as it established the potential for three dimensional dosimetry with chemical dosimeter systems through magnetic resonance imaging [1]. In the last two decades MRI has served as the gold standard for imaging, while NMR relaxometry has played an important role in the development and understanding of the behaviour of new gel dosimetry systems. Therefore, an appreciation of the relaxation mechanisms determining the NMR behaviour of irradiated gel dosimeters is important for a full comprehension of a considerable component of the literature on gel dosimetry. A number of excellent papers have presented this important theory, this brief review will highlight some of the salient points made previously [1–5]. The spin relaxation of gel dosimeters (which determines the dose dependence in most conventional MR imaging) is determined principally by the protons on water molecules in the system. These water protons exist in different environments, or groups (see Figure 1): on bulk water, on water hydrating the chemical species that are being modified under irradiation, and on water hydrating the gel matrix used to spatially stabilize the dosimeter (e.g., gelatin, agarose, etc). The spin relaxation depends on the inherent relaxation rate of each spin group, that is, on the relaxation rate which would be observed for the specific group if it were isolated. Also, the different water environments are not isolated from each other, and the observed relaxation rate also depends on the rate of exchange of magnetization between the groups, and on the fraction of protons in each group. In fact, the water exchanges quickly between the environments, so that relaxation is in what is usually termed the fast exchange regime. In the limit of fast exchange, the relaxation of the water protons is well characterized by a single exponential and hence by a single apparent relaxation rate. In irradiated gel dosimeters this observed rate is a function of the absorbed dose. In this review I will first develop the fast exchange model for the spin lattice relaxation Fricke gel dosimeter system, as this is conceptually the simpler system. Fundamental concepts such as relaxivity (which specifies the ability of some species to enhance the relaxation of water protons) and chemical yield will be presented. The linear dose relationship for Fricke gel dosimeters, and the reduced dose sensitivity of Fricke dosimeters containing chelators, will be explained. The model will then be extended to the spin-spin relaxation of polymer gel systems and the main differences discussed. The reasons for the enhanced dose sensitivy and dynamic range for spin-spin (R2) rather than spin-lattice (R1) relaxation will be presented.

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