Online monitoring for proton therapy: A real-time procedure using a planar PET system

Abstract In this study a procedure for range verification in proton therapy by means of a planar in-beam PET system is presented. The procedure consists of two steps: the measurement of the β + -activity induced in the irradiated body by the proton beam and the comparison of these distributions with simulations. The experimental data taking was performed at the CNAO center in Pavia, Italy, irradiating plastic phantoms. For two different cases we demonstrate how a real-time feedback of the delivered treatment plan can be obtained with in-beam PET imaging.