Optically stimulated luminescence and its use in medical dosimetry

The optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) technique has already became a successful tool in personal radiation dosimetry, geological and archeological dating, and in radiation diagnostic imaging. This review briefly describes the history of OSL. Significant advances have been made recently in the theoretical study of OSL to explain the behavior of radiation sensitive materials with several types of dosimetry traps, recombination centers and competing deep traps. Progress in material and detector engineering has allowed new and promising developments regarding OSL applications in the medical field. Special attention is dedicated to Al2O3:C as a material of choice for many dosimetric applications; present technology can provide Al2O3:C fiber sensors with diameters as small as 300μm. A new RL/OSL fiberoptic system has a high potential for in vivo and in vitro dosimetry in both radiation therapy and diagnostic mammography. Different aspects of instrumentation, data processing algorithms, post-irradiation and real-time measurements are described.