To promote research in dosimetry with the emphasis on its application in medical physics and healthcare.
To study the application of Monte Carlo simulation of radiation transport to radiotherapy and medical imaging.
To keep high quality and reliability levels in the Calibration and Dosimetry Laboratory and in the Thermoluminescence Dosimetry Laboratory.
To ensure adequate dosimetric monitoring of the staff who are professionally exposed at the UPC.
To organise and participate in postgraduate courses and lifetime training within the field of radiological protection and dosimetry.

Current Research Projects

SYRA3 - Innovative Methods in Radiotherapy and Radiosurgery using Synchrotron Radiation
EU COST Action TD1205 (2013 -2017)
Josep Sempau
Innovative Methods in Radiotherapy and Radiosurgery using Synchrotron Radiation (SYRA3) is a COST Action in the Biomedicine and Molecular Biosciences domain. Its aim is to setup and coordinate a multidisciplinary network to develop synchrotron radiotherapy and radiosurgery techniques to treat brain tumours and other diseases of the central nervous system. The official SYRA3 COST page (Action TD1205) can be reached at http:\\www.syra3.eu.
EURADOS Working group 12 - (2013-2016) “Medical imaging dosimetry”
Mercè Ginjaume
The working group deals about optimization of radiation protection for patients and workers in the medical field. In particular the following topics are studied: Patient skin dosimetry with Gafchromic films, Developments in patient dosimetry for patient dose optimization and risk estimations in Interventional Radiology and CT, Eye lens dosimetry for medical staff.
Intercomparison of personal dose equivalent measurements among Spanish External Personal Dosimetry Services
Mercè Ginjaume
Consejo de seguridad Nuclear(2013).
Calibration of dosemeter and radiation monitors.
Trescal España de Metrología, S.L.U.., TÉCNICAS RADIOFÍSICAS ref. 211361 (Annual revision)
Mercè Ginjaume
Calibration of dosemeter and radiation monitors with beta and/or photon radiation.
CIBER - Biomedical Research Network.
Spanish ministry of Health ref. CIBER-BBN (since 12-2006)
Javier Pavía (UB)
Network of research centres working on bioengineering and biomedical imaging.
PRIMO - Advanced tools for linac simulation. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad ref. FIS2012-38480 (2013-2016)
Josep Sempau
The project aims at developing automated software tools that allow simple and fast Monte Carlo simulation of a wide range of clinical linear accelerators (linacs) currently available in the market for radiotherapy treatments. We work in collaboration with researchers from the Universitätsklinikum Essen in Germany and from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.
SDASIMRT - Skin dose assessment in radiation therapy treatments (RT) with modulated intensity (IMRT)
Maria A. Duch
The aim is to determine the dose to the skin for external RT. Skin dose distributions for standard techniques will be compared with those for IMRT. The accuracy of the dose calculation in this region using different algorithms as implemented in treatment planning systems will also be studied. An accurate determination of the skin dose, either experimentally or with the aid of computational tools such as Monte Carlo simulation, is important both for using realistic dose-surface or dose-volume constraints in dose optimisation engines for IMRT and, also, to allow accurate predictions of toxicity during treatment, and therefore design strategies to minimize it.

Associated laboratories

Closed Research Projects

Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear ref.J-02073(2012-2015). CRISTALINO - Development of eye lens dose measurement techniques. Operational implications of the implemantation of the new dose limit.
Ministerio Educación y Ciencia, ref, FIS2006-07016. MONCATRON - Design of an electron applicator with Monte Carlo methods for intraoperative radiotherapy with a racetrack microtron.
Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear ref. J-2066 (06-2009 - 05-2012) RADINT - Characterization of radiation fields in interventional radiology. Optimization of individual dosimetry.
UE FP7 ref. 211361 (02-2008 - 01-2011) ORAMED - Optimization of radiation protections of medial staff.
FPA2009-14091-C02-01 (2009 - 2011) MCPHYS - Monte Carlo simulation of radiation transport. Physics, numerical methods, and applications.
FIS 07016 (2006-2009). "Aplicación de métodos Monte Carlo al desarrollo de un nuevo race-track microtron compacto para radioterapia intraoperatoria: optimización del diseño y planificación de tratamientos"
FIS 04/1800 (2005-2007), Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo. Evaluación de dosímetros MOSFET para su utilización en dosimetría in vivo en radioterapia
FIS 03/0980 (2004-2006), Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo. Desarrollo y optimización de nuevas herramientas de simulación Monte Carlo y experimentales para la determinación de dosis en teleterapia y braquiterapia
MCyT SAF2002-04270-C02-01 (2003-2005), Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología. Cuantificación del flujo cerebral y consumo de glucosa en tomografía de emisión de fotones (SPET) y positrones (PET) utilizando reconstrucción iterativa, simulación Monte Carlo y estandarización
EURADOS 2001-2003. 'Harmonisation and Dosimetric Quality Assurance in Individual Monitoring for External Radiation. Electronic Dosimetry for Individual Monitoring and other New Developments'
Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear (2001). 'Estudi de fiabilitat de lectures i interpretació de resultats en servei de dosimetria personal'
FIS G03/185, Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa, Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo. IM3: Imagen Médica Molecular y Multimodalidad.
Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear – UNESA, 2002-2003. 'Estudio de los nuevos desarrollos en dosimetría personal de lectura directa'
Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear (2007-2009) Protocol for the characterization and calibration of extremity dosimeters. In situ measurements in several selected medical sites.
UE FP6(2007-2009) A Coordinated Network for Radiation Dosimetry (CONRAD)
Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear (2006-2007) Intercomparison of approved personal dosimetry services.
Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear + UNESA(1999-2003) New developments in active personal dosemeters

Doctoral theses in progress

PhD Student Thesis title	Carles Gomà Characterization of ionisation chambers used for proton beam dosimetry
Institution Supervisor	Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich Josep Sempau, Anthony Lomax

PhD Student Thesis title	Hamza Benmakhlouf Characterization of ionisation chambers used for small fields in external radiation therapy
Institution Supervisor	Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm Pedro Andreo, Josep Sempau

PhD Student Thesis title	Miguel L. Rodríguez-Castillo Automation of PENELOPE Monte Carlo simulation of clinical beams: Application to small radiation fields
Institution Supervisor	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Lorenzo Brualla, Josep Sempau

PhD Student Thesis title	Sara Principi Development of methodologies for estimating the dose to the eye lens
Institution Supervisor	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Mercè Ginjaume

PhD Student Thesis title	Natalia Lopez-Vilanova Development and assessment of estimate methods for internal dosimetry using PET/CT.
Institution Supervisor	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya MA Duch, S. Bullich

Doctoral theses defended in the last five years

Thesis title Author Name	Development of Monte Carlo and dosimetric techniques for the absorbed dose assessment in the presence of tissue heterogeneities in radiotherapy. Marta Bueno
Place & year Supervisor	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2015 MA. Duch

Thesis title Author Name	Optimització de la dosimetria de camps petits, característics de la radiocirurgia estereotàxica (SRS). Comparació entre mesures i simulació Monte Carlo. Josep Putxeu
Place & year Supervisor	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2015 Mercè Ginjaume, MA. Duch

Thesis title Author Name	Optimization of field matching in external photon beam radiation therapy V. Hernández Masgrau
Place & year Supervisor	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2013 J. Sempau

Thesis title Author Name	Impacte dels canvis anatòmics durant el tractament amb RT sobre la distribució de dosi en pacients afectats de càncer de cap i coll localment avançat Mercè Beltran
Place & year Supervisor	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2013 M. Ginjaume

Thesis title Author Name	Optimització de les tècniques de PR del personal sanitari en l’àmbit de la medicina nuclear. Adela Carnicer
Place & year Supervisor	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2012 Mercè Ginjaume

Thesis title Author Name	Monte Carlo Dosimetry in Microbeam Radiation Therapy Immaculada Martínez-Rovira
Place & year Supervisor	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2012 J. Sempau (co-supervised)

Thesis title Author Name	Desarrollo de un sistema de dosimetría de extremidades. Aplicación a grupos de interés en el ámbito sanitario. Susana Pérez
Place & year Supervisor	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2010 Mercè Ginjaume

Publications

To browse publication follow the researcher link.:

Josep Sempau

Maria Amor Duch Guillen

Mercè Ginjaume Egido

Xavier Ortega Aramburu

All INTE publications are available here