When Susha Pillai, MSc, MS, DABR, Assistant Professor of Therapeutic Diagnostic Radiology, joined Oregon Health Sciences University in 2009, the therapy physics team was using thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) and had to wait for readouts on the one-time use dosimeters. A short time later, the team switched to mosfets with long cables for in vivo dosimetry. By early 2011, however, the now 18-strong physician-physicist team began using the LANDAUER MicroSTARii Dosimetry System.

“No powder. No inaccuracies. We bought the user-friendly system with nanoDots™ Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dosimeters, worked out the dosimetry and physics QA workflow and now our staff and residents use it as well – including for research,” said Ms. Pillai. Her busy academic medical center serves adults and provides special treatment procedures for pediatric patients.

In Cleveland, Albin Gonzalez, PhD, DABR, Physicist IV, at UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of University Hospitals Case Medical Center, was initially using diodes and finding their big size limiting. Mosfets didn’t work well either, he said, for some of the intricate work needed for patient treatment planning.  Reading about OSL dosimeters and hearing about it from other physicists, he requested a demonstration of the microSTARii system. He has now been using the system for more than a year.  

“I find the biggest convenience is how I can use the dosimeters in the many scenarios to measure in vivo dose. The dosimeter is versatile and can be placed anywhere in cavities like the mouth or rectum. Once the system is set up, it doesn’t take much for QA”, he said.

Radiation oncology residents also use the microSTARii system at that busy academic medical center.

David Piantino, MS, DABR,  Director of Therapy Physics who manages five sites for Atrium Health in Charlotte, NC, said he, his staff and therapy residents rely on microSTARii to verify radiation dose delivery and perform quality control (QC) functions.

“Sometimes there is uncertainty of dose delivery on the skin surface or inconsistency in skin folds or because of anatomy changes. Since the nanoDots lay flat they make for good positioning."

“We, like physicians, don’t like uncertainty, and this system allows us to be confident. Our team often experiences better than +/-5.5% accuracy with the screened nanodots.  We use the system for patient quality assurance about 80% of the time and for routine quality assurance the other 20%.”

What is the microSTARii Dosimetry System and why it is so reliable?

The complete system consists of:

• The microSTARii portable reader

• The microSTARii graphical user interface software on an included Personal Computer with Microsoft Windows

• A 2D barcode scanner

• NanoDot Calibration and QC dosimeters

Among the features and benefits of nanoDot is the wide operating energy range (5 keV to 20 MeV), making these medical dosimeters an ideal solution for dose verification in radiation oncology and other point dose measurement applications. It features linear dose response with dose up to 3 Gy, software-supported non-linear calibration up to 15 Gy, and a non-destructive readout capability.

The dosimeters are bar-coded for complete chain of custody. NanoDots are accurate within ± 5.5% for photons and electrons from 5 MeV - 20 MeV.

The software, customized to medical dosimetry applications, is streamlined for analysis, reporting, and reimbursement. It has an automated QC functionality for efficient implementation of the LANDAUER microSTARii reader Quality Assurance Program. The patient-centric workflow, with additional fields for patient and exposure information, automated re-reading capability improves accuracy and efficiency.

We invite you to watch our video or request a demonstration by filling out the adjacent form and selecting: the Dosimeters, Badges, Readers product option.