Modeling the Acoustic Field Generated by a Pulsed Beam for Experimental Proton Range Verification

Proton range verification by ionoacoustic wave sensing is a technique under development for applications in hadron therapy as an alternative to nuclear imaging. It provides an acoustic imaging of the proton energy deposition vs. depth using the acoustic wave Time of Flight (ToF). State-of-the-art (based on simulations and experimental results) points out that this detection technique achieves better spatial resolution (< 1 mm) of the proton range comparing with Positron-Emission-Tomography (PET) and prompt gamma ray techniques. This work presents a complete Geant4/k-Wave model that allows to understand several physical phenomena and to evaluate the key parameters that affect the acoustic field generated by the incident proton radiation.