A team led by researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University, in collaboration with Tohoku University and Orbray Co., Ltd., using heteroepitaxial diamond materials developed by Orbray, have shown that lab-grown diamonds might realize a radiation dosimeter compatible with both medical diagnosis and radiation therapy.

The work is published in the journal Medical Physics.

They demonstrated that a diamond-based dosimeter could accurately measure doses in the same energy range as diagnostic X-rays, with far better sensitivity per volume than conventional detectors. Using the same device for dosimetry during both diagnosis and therapies could enable improved consistency.