P112: Comparative Analysis of Play-Doh and Super Flex Bolus as Tissue-Equivalent Materials in Radiation Therapy
Poster Presenter
Md Rashedul Islam
Student, Undergraduate Research Scholar
Queensborough Community College, City University of New York United States
Objectives
Compare the radiation attenuation properties of Play-Doh and Super-Flex Bolus for beta and gamma radiation, assessing their viability as affordable tissue-equivalent materials in radiation therapy.
Method
Beta (Sr-90, Tl-204) and gamma (Co-60, Cs-137) radiation attenuation was measured for Play-Doh and Super-Flex Bolus at various thicknesses. Initial and final intensity counts were recorded using a Geiger-Müller Tube.
Results
The study compared the radiation attenuation properties of Play-Doh and Super-Flex Bolus under beta and gamma radiation.
For gamma radiation, Play-Doh showed better attenuation than Super-Flex, particularly for Cs-137 and Co-60 sources, indicating it could provide superior skin dose coverage in gamma-based treatments.
For beta radiation, Play-Doh and Super-Flex exhibited similar attenuation coefficients with Sr-90, suggesting comparable performance. However, Play-Doh displayed significant fluctuations when tested with Tl-204 beta radiation, indicating inconsistent behavior at certain beta energy levels.
Super-Flex performed better for Tl-204 beta radiation, with more stable and predictable attenuation, making it potentially more suitable for applications requiring consistent attenuation of beta radiation.
Overall, Play-Doh showed promise as a low-cost alternative for gamma radiation applications and for beta radiation with Sr-90, though it may be less reliable for higher-energy beta sources like Tl-204. This suggests Play-Doh could be a viable tissue-equivalent material for radiation therapy in resource-limited settings.
Conclusion
This study demonstrates that Play-Doh could serve as an effective, cost-efficient alternative to commercial bolus materials like Super-Flex in radiation therapy. While Play-Doh showed superior attenuation for gamma radiation, especially with Cs-137 and Co-60, its performance for beta radiation varied. Play-Doh exhibited similar attenuation to Super-Flex for Sr-90 beta radiation but showed inconsistencies with Tl-204. Despite these fluctuations, Play-Doh’s potential as a viable tissue-equivalent material for radiation therapy is evident, particularly in resource-limited settings where cost is a critical factor. Further studies could help refine its use in more diverse treatment scenarios.
