Development of a novel prototype and electronics for 2D dosimetric measurements with silicon carbide detectors for FLASH radiotherapy

The use of ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) beams (> 40 Gy/s) triggering the FLASH effect is gaining interest for its potential to expand the therapeutic window. However, commercial dosimeters often fail under these conditions due to saturation. The DALÌ (Development of Advanced Dosimetric Techniques for UHDR Beams) project, led by the University of Palermo in collaboration with INFN Catania Division and STLab, aims to design an innovative detection system based on a 2D matrix of silicon carbide (SiC) sensors optimized for QA in FLASH radiotherapy. The 64-channel prototype features custom electronics with high- speed ADC and a Raspberry Pi 4 for data acquisition. Dedicated software enables fast one-shot acquisitions, while a user-friendly interface supports real-time use and background correction. Simulations guided design choices and dose reconstruction via interpolation. The system is scalable beyond 500 channels, offering a cost-effective solution for next-generation dosimetry and reducing radiation protection issues typical of UHDR irradiations. This work is partially funded by the European Union Next Generation EU through Projects Mission 4 Component 2 Inv. 1.5 CUP B83C22003930001.