DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Besemer, A; Marsh, I; Bednarz, B

Purpose: The calculation of 3D internal dose calculations in targeted radionuclide therapy requires the acquisition and temporal coregistration of a serial PET/CT or SPECT/CT images. This work investigates the dosimetric impact of different temporal coregistration methods commonly used for 3D internal dosimetry. Methods: PET/CT images of four mice were acquired at 1, 24, 48, 72, 96, 144 hrs post-injection of {sup 124}I-CLR1404. The therapeutic {sup 131}I-CLR1404 absorbed dose rate (ADR) was calculated at each time point using a Geant4-based MC dosimetry platform using three temporal image coregistration Methods: (1) no coregistration (NC), whole body sequential CT-CT affine coregistration (WBAC), andmore » individual sequential ROI-ROI affine coregistration (IRAC). For NC, only the ROI mean ADR was integrated to obtain ROI mean doses. For WBAC, the CT at each time point was coregistered to a single reference CT. The CT transformations were applied to the corresponding ADR images and the dose was calculated on a voxel-basis within the whole CT volume. For IRAC, each individual ROI was isolated and sequentially coregistered to a single reference ROI. The ROI transformations were applied to the corresponding ADR images and the dose was calculated on a voxel-basis within the ROI volumes. Results: The percent differences in the ROI mean doses were as large as 109%, 88%, and 32%, comparing the WBAC vs. IRAC, NC vs. IRAC, and NC vs. WBAC methods, respectively. The CoV in the mean dose between the all three methods ranged from 2–36%. The pronounced curvature of the spinal cord was not adequately coregistered using WBAC which resulted in large difference between the WBAC and IRAC. Conclusion: The method used for temporal image coregistration can result in large differences in 3D internal dosimetry calculations. Care must be taken to choose the most appropriate method depending on the imaging conditions, clinical site, and specific application. This work is partially funded by NIH Grant R21 CA198392-01.« less

Radiation dose to workers due to the inhalation of dust during granite fabrication.

PubMed

Zwack, L M; McCarthy, W B; Stewart, J H; McCarthy, J F; Allen, J G

2014-03-01

There has been very little research conducted to determine internal radiation doses resulting from worker exposure to ionising radiation in granite fabrication shops. To address this issue, we estimated the effective radiation dose of granite workers in US fabrication shops who were exposed to the maximum respirable dust and silica concentrations allowed under current US regulations, and also to concentrations reported in the literature. Radiation doses were calculated using standard methods developed by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. The calculated internal doses were very low, and below both US occupational standards (50 mSv yr(-1)) and limits applicable to the general public (1 mSv yr(-1)). Workers exposed to respirable granite dust concentrations at the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) respirable dust permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 5 mg m(-3) over a full year had an estimated radiation dose of 0.062 mSv yr(-1). Workers exposed to respirable granite dust concentrations at the OSHA silica PEL and at the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Value for a full year had expected radiation doses of 0.007 mSv yr(-1) and 0.002 mSv yr(-1), respectively. Using data from studies of respirable granite dust and silica concentrations measured in granite fabrication shops, we calculated median expected radiation doses that ranged from <0.001 to 0.101 mSv yr(-1).

Effective dose in the manufacturing process of rutile covered welding electrodes.

PubMed

Herranz, M; Rozas, S; Pérez, C; Idoeta, R; Núñez-Lagos, R; Legarda, F

2013-03-01

Shielded metal arc welding using covered electrodes is the most common welding process. Sometimes the covering contains naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs). In Spain the most used electrodes are those covered with rutile mixed with other materials. Rutile contains some detectable natural radionuclides, so it can be considered a NORM. This paper mainly focuses on the use of MCNP (Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code) as a predictive tool to obtain doses in a factory which produces this type of electrode and assess the radiological impact in a specific facility after estimating the internal dose.To do this, in the facility, areas of highest radiation and positions of workers were identified, radioactive content of rutile and rutile covered electrodes was measured, and, considering a worst possible scenario, external dose at working points has been calculated using MCNP. This procedure has been validated comparing the results obtained with those from a pressurised ionisation chamber and TLD dosimeters. The internal dose has been calculated using DCAL (dose and risk calculation). The doses range between 8.8 and 394 μSv yr(-1), always lower than the effective dose limit for the public, 1 mSv yr(-1). The highest dose corresponds to the mixing area.

A simplified analytical dose calculation algorithm accounting for tissue heterogeneity for low-energy brachytherapy sources.

PubMed

Mashouf, Shahram; Lechtman, Eli; Beaulieu, Luc; Verhaegen, Frank; Keller, Brian M; Ravi, Ananth; Pignol, Jean-Philippe

2013-09-21

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group No. 43 (AAPM TG-43) formalism is the standard for seeds brachytherapy dose calculation. But for breast seed implants, Monte Carlo simulations reveal large errors due to tissue heterogeneity. Since TG-43 includes several factors to account for source geometry, anisotropy and strength, we propose an additional correction factor, called the inhomogeneity correction factor (ICF), accounting for tissue heterogeneity for Pd-103 brachytherapy. This correction factor is calculated as a function of the media linear attenuation coefficient and mass energy absorption coefficient, and it is independent of the source internal structure. Ultimately the dose in heterogeneous media can be calculated as a product of dose in water as calculated by TG-43 protocol times the ICF. To validate the ICF methodology, dose absorbed in spherical phantoms with large tissue heterogeneities was compared using the TG-43 formalism corrected for heterogeneity versus Monte Carlo simulations. The agreement between Monte Carlo simulations and the ICF method remained within 5% in soft tissues up to several centimeters from a Pd-103 source. Compared to Monte Carlo, the ICF methods can easily be integrated into a clinical treatment planning system and it does not require the detailed internal structure of the source or the photon phase-space.

The application of polymer gel dosimeters to dosimetry for targeted radionuclide therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gear, J. I.; Flux, G. D.; Charles-Edwards, E.; Partridge, M.; Cook, G.; Ott, R. J.

2006-07-01

There is a lack of standardized methodology to perform dose calculations for targeted radionuclide therapy and at present no method exists to objectively evaluate the various approaches employed. The aim of the work described here was to investigate the practicality and accuracy of calibrating polymer gel dosimeters such that dose measurements resulting from complex activity distributions can be verified. Twelve vials of the polymer gel dosimeter, 'MAGIC', were uniformly mixed with varying concentrations of P-32 such that absorbed doses ranged from 0 to 30 Gy after a period of 360 h before being imaged on a magnetic resonance scanner. In addition, nine vials were prepared and irradiated using an external 6 MV x-ray beam. Magnetic resonance transverse relaxation time, T2, maps were obtained using a multi-echo spin echo sequence and converted to R2 maps (where T2 = 1/R2). Absorbed doses for P-32 irradiated gel were calculated according to the medical internal radiation dose schema using EGSnrc Monte Carlo simulations. Here the energy deposited in cylinders representing the irradiated vials was scored. A relationship between dose and R2 was determined. Effects from oxygen contamination were present in the internally irradiated vials. An increase in O2 sensitivity over those gels irradiated externally was thought to be a result of the longer irradiation period. However, below the region of contamination dose response appeared homogenous. Due do a drop-off of dose at the periphery of the internally irradiated vials, magnetic resonance ringing artefacts were observed. The ringing did not greatly affect the accuracy of calibration, which was comparable for both methods. The largest errors in calculated dose originated from the initial activity measurements, and were approximately 10%. Measured R2 values ranged from 5-35 s-1 with an average standard deviation of 1%. A clear relationship between R2 and dose was observed, with up to 40% increased sensitivity for internally irradiated gels. Curve fits to the calibration data followed a single exponential function. The correlation coefficients for internally and externally irradiated gels were 0.991 and 0.985, respectively. With the ability to accurately calibrate internally dosed polymer gels, this technology shows promise as a means to evaluate dosimetry methods, particularly in cases of non-uniform uptake of a radionuclide.

Model-based versus specific dosimetry in diagnostic context: Comparison of three dosimetric approaches

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marcatili, S., E-mail: sara.marcatili@inserm.fr; Villoing, D.; Mauxion, T.

Purpose: The dosimetric assessment of novel radiotracers represents a legal requirement in most countries. While the techniques for the computation of internal absorbed dose in a therapeutic context have made huge progresses in recent years, in a diagnostic scenario the absorbed dose is usually extracted from model-based lookup tables, most often derived from International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) or Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) Committee models. The level of approximation introduced by these models may impact the resulting dosimetry. The aim of this work is to establish whether a more refined approach to dosimetry can be implemented in nuclearmore » medicine diagnostics, by analyzing a specific case. Methods: The authors calculated absorbed doses to various organs in six healthy volunteers administered with flutemetamol ({sup 18}F) injection. Each patient underwent from 8 to 10 whole body 3D PET/CT scans. This dataset was analyzed using a Monte Carlo (MC) application developed in-house using the toolkit GATE that is capable to take into account patient-specific anatomy and radiotracer distribution at the voxel level. They compared the absorbed doses obtained with GATE to those calculated with two commercially available software: OLINDA/EXM and STRATOS implementing a dose voxel kernel convolution approach. Results: Absorbed doses calculated with GATE were higher than those calculated with OLINDA. The average ratio between GATE absorbed doses and OLINDA’s was 1.38 ± 0.34 σ (from 0.93 to 2.23). The discrepancy was particularly high for the thyroid, with an average GATE/OLINDA ratio of 1.97 ± 0.83 σ for the six patients. Differences between STRATOS and GATE were found to be higher. The average ratio between GATE and STRATOS absorbed doses was 2.51 ± 1.21 σ (from 1.09 to 6.06). Conclusions: This study demonstrates how the choice of the absorbed dose calculation algorithm may introduce a bias when gamma radiations are of importance, as is the case in nuclear medicine diagnostics.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vostrotin, Vadim; Birchall, Alan; Zhdanov, Alexey

The distribution of calculated internal doses was determined for 8043 Mayak Production Associate (Mayak PA) workers according to the epidemiological cohorts and groups of raw data used as well as the type of industrial compounds of inhaled aerosols. Statistical characteristics of point estimates of accumulated doses to 17 different tissues and organs and the uncertainty ranges were calculated. Under the MWDS-2013 dosimetry system, the mean accumulated lung dose was 185585 mGy, with a median value of 31 mGy and a maximum of 8980 mGy maximum. The ranges of relative standard uncertainty were: from 40 to 2200% for accumulated lung dose,more » from 25-90% to 2600-3000% for accumulated dose to different regions of respiratory tract, from 13-18% to 2300-2500% for systemic organs and tissues. The Mayak PA workers accumulated internal plutonium lung dose is shown to be close to lognormal. The accumulated internal plutonium dose to systemic organs was close to a log-triangle. The dependency of uncertainty of accumulated absorbed lung and liver doses on the dose estimates itself is also shown. The accumulated absorbed doses to lung, alveolar-interstitial region, liver, bone surface cells and red bone marrow, calculated both with MWDS-2013 and MWDS-2008 have been compared. In general, the accumulated lung doses increased by a factor of 1.8 in median value, while the accumulated doses to systemic organs decreased by factor of 1.3-1.4 in median value. For the cases with identical initial data, accumulated lung doses increased by a factor of 2.1 in median value, while accumulated doses to systemic organs decreased by 8-13% in median value. For the cases with both identical initial data and all of plutonium activity in urine measurements above the decision threshold, accumulated lung doses increased by a factor of 2.8 in median value, while accumulated doses to systemic organs increased by 6-12% in median value.« less

TU-G-BRD-06: The Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core Houston (IROC Houston) QA Center International Activities Outside North America

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Followill, D; Kry, S; Molineu, A

Purpose: To describe the extent of IROC Houston’s (formerly the RPC) QA activities and audit results for radiotherapy institutions outside of North America (NA). Methods: The IROC Houston’s QA program components were designed to audit the radiation dose calculation chain from the NIST traceable reference beam calibration, to inclusion of dosimetry parameters used to calculate tumor doses, to the delivery of the radiation dose. The QA program provided to international institutions includes: 1) remote TLD/OSLD audit of machine output, 2) credentialing for advanced technologies, and 3) review of patient treatment records. IROC Houston uses the same standards and acceptance criteriamore » for all of its audits whether for North American or international sites. Results: IROC Houston’s QA program has reached out to radiotherapy sites in 43 different countries since 2013 through their participation in clinical trials. In the past two years, 2,778 international megavoltage beam outputs were audited with OSLD/TLD. While the average IROC/Inst ratio is near unity for all sites monitored, there are international regions whose results are significantly different from the NA region. In the past 2 years, 477 and 87 IMRT H&N phantoms were irradiated at NA and international sites, respectively. Regardless of the OSLD beam audit results, the overall pass rate (87 percent) for all international sites (no region separation) is equal to the NA sites. Of the 182 international patient charts reviewed, 10.7 percent of the dose calculation points did not meet our acceptance criterion as compared to 13.6 percent for NA sites. The lower pass rate for NA sites results from a much larger brachytherapy component which has been shown to be more error prone. Conclusion: IROC Houston has expanded its QA services worldwide and continues a long history of improving radiotherapy dose delivery in many countries. Funding received for QA audit services from the Korean GOG, DAHANCA, EORTC, ICON and CMIC Group.« less

Daily radionuclide ingestion and internal radiation doses in Aomori prefecture, Japan.

PubMed

Ohtsuka, Yoshihito; Kakiuchi, Hideki; Akata, Naofumi; Takaku, Yuichi; Hisamatsu, Shun'ichi

2013-10-01

To assess internal annual dose in the general public in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, 80 duplicate cooked diet samples, equivalent to the food consumed over a 400-d period by one person, were collected from 100 volunteers in Aomori City and the village of Rokkasho during 2006–2010 and were analyzed for 11 radionuclides. To obtain average rates of ingestion of radionuclides, the volunteers were selected from among office, fisheries, agricultural, and livestock farm workers. Committed effective doses from ingestion of the diet over a 1-y period were calculated from the analytical results and from International Commission on Radiological Protection dose coefficients; for 40K, an internal effective dose rate from the literature was used. Fisheries workers had significantly higher combined internal annual dose than the other workers, possibly because of high rates of ingestion of marine products known to have high 210Po concentrations. The average internal dose rate, weighted by the numbers of households in each worker group in Aomori Prefecture, was estimated at 0.47 mSv y-1. Polonium-210 contributed 49% of this value. The sum of committed effective dose rates for 210Po, 210Pb, 228Ra, and 14C and the effective dose rate of 40K accounted for approximately 99% of the average internal dose rate.

SU-F-P-56: On a New Approach to Reconstruct the Patient Dose From Phantom Measurements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bangtsson, E; Vries, W de

Purpose: The development of complex radiation treatment schemes emphasizes the need for advanced QA analysis methods to ensure patient safety. One such tool is the Delta4 DVH Anatomy software, where the patient dose is reconstructed from phantom measurements. Deviations in the measured dose are transferred to the patient anatomy and their clinical impact is evaluated in situ. Results from the original algorithm revealed weaknesses that may introduce artefacts in the reconstructed dose. These can lead to false negatives or obscure the effects of minor dose deviations from delivery failures. Here, we will present results from a new patient dose reconstructionmore » algorithm. Methods: The main steps of the new algorithm are: (1) the dose delivered to a phantom is measured in a number of detector positions. (2) The measured dose is compared to an internally calculated dose distribution evaluated in said positions. The so-obtained dose difference is (3) used to calculate an energy fluence difference. This entity is (4) used as input to a patient dose correction calculation routine. Finally, the patient dose is reconstructed by adding said patient dose correction to the planned patient dose. The internal dose calculation in step (2) and (4) is based on the Pencil Beam algorithm. Results: The new patient dose reconstruction algorithm have been tested on a number of patients and the standard metrics dose deviation (DDev), distance-to-agreement (DTA) and Gamma index are improved when compared to the original algorithm. In a certain case the Gamma index (3%/3mm) increases from 72.9% to 96.6%. Conclusion: The patient dose reconstruction algorithm is improved. This leads to a reduction in non-physical artefacts in the reconstructed patient dose. As a consequence, the possibility to detect deviations in the dose that is delivered to the patient is improved. An increase in Gamma index for the PTV can be seen. The corresponding author is an employee of ScandiDos.« less

Superficial dose evaluation of four dose calculation algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Ying; Yang, Xiaoyu; Yang, Zhen; Qiu, Xiaoping; Lv, Zhiping; Lei, Mingjun; Liu, Gui; Zhang, Zijian; Hu, Yongmei

2017-08-01

Accurate superficial dose calculation is of major importance because of the skin toxicity in radiotherapy, especially within the initial 2 mm depth being considered more clinically relevant. The aim of this study is to evaluate superficial dose calculation accuracy of four commonly used algorithms in commercially available treatment planning systems (TPS) by Monte Carlo (MC) simulation and film measurements. The superficial dose in a simple geometrical phantom with size of 30 cm×30 cm×30 cm was calculated by PBC (Pencil Beam Convolution), AAA (Analytical Anisotropic Algorithm), AXB (Acuros XB) in Eclipse system and CCC (Collapsed Cone Convolution) in Raystation system under the conditions of source to surface distance (SSD) of 100 cm and field size (FS) of 10×10 cm2. EGSnrc (BEAMnrc/DOSXYZnrc) program was performed to simulate the central axis dose distribution of Varian Trilogy accelerator, combined with measurements of superficial dose distribution by an extrapolation method of multilayer radiochromic films, to estimate the dose calculation accuracy of four algorithms in the superficial region which was recommended in detail by the ICRU (International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurement) and the ICRP (International Commission on Radiological Protection). In superficial region, good agreement was achieved between MC simulation and film extrapolation method, with the mean differences less than 1%, 2% and 5% for 0°, 30° and 60°, respectively. The relative skin dose errors were 0.84%, 1.88% and 3.90%; the mean dose discrepancies (0°, 30° and 60°) between each of four algorithms and MC simulation were (2.41±1.55%, 3.11±2.40%, and 1.53±1.05%), (3.09±3.00%, 3.10±3.01%, and 3.77±3.59%), (3.16±1.50%, 8.70±2.84%, and 18.20±4.10%) and (14.45±4.66%, 10.74±4.54%, and 3.34±3.26%) for AXB, CCC, AAA and PBC respectively. Monte Carlo simulation verified the feasibility of the superficial dose measurements by multilayer Gafchromic films. And the rank of superficial dose calculation accuracy of four algorithms was AXB>CCC>AAA>PBC. Care should be taken when using the AAA and PBC algorithms in the superficial dose calculation.

Comparison of internal dose estimates obtained using organ-level, voxel S value, and Monte Carlo techniques

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grimes, Joshua, E-mail: grimes.joshua@mayo.edu; Celler, Anna

2014-09-15

Purpose: The authors’ objective was to compare internal dose estimates obtained using the Organ Level Dose Assessment with Exponential Modeling (OLINDA/EXM) software, the voxel S value technique, and Monte Carlo simulation. Monte Carlo dose estimates were used as the reference standard to assess the impact of patient-specific anatomy on the final dose estimate. Methods: Six patients injected with{sup 99m}Tc-hydrazinonicotinamide-Tyr{sup 3}-octreotide were included in this study. A hybrid planar/SPECT imaging protocol was used to estimate {sup 99m}Tc time-integrated activity coefficients (TIACs) for kidneys, liver, spleen, and tumors. Additionally, TIACs were predicted for {sup 131}I, {sup 177}Lu, and {sup 90}Y assuming themore » same biological half-lives as the {sup 99m}Tc labeled tracer. The TIACs were used as input for OLINDA/EXM for organ-level dose calculation and voxel level dosimetry was performed using the voxel S value method and Monte Carlo simulation. Dose estimates for {sup 99m}Tc, {sup 131}I, {sup 177}Lu, and {sup 90}Y distributions were evaluated by comparing (i) organ-level S values corresponding to each method, (ii) total tumor and organ doses, (iii) differences in right and left kidney doses, and (iv) voxelized dose distributions calculated by Monte Carlo and the voxel S value technique. Results: The S values for all investigated radionuclides used by OLINDA/EXM and the corresponding patient-specific S values calculated by Monte Carlo agreed within 2.3% on average for self-irradiation, and differed by as much as 105% for cross-organ irradiation. Total organ doses calculated by OLINDA/EXM and the voxel S value technique agreed with Monte Carlo results within approximately ±7%. Differences between right and left kidney doses determined by Monte Carlo were as high as 73%. Comparison of the Monte Carlo and voxel S value dose distributions showed that each method produced similar dose volume histograms with a minimum dose covering 90% of the volume (D90) agreeing within ±3%, on average. Conclusions: Several aspects of OLINDA/EXM dose calculation were compared with patient-specific dose estimates obtained using Monte Carlo. Differences in patient anatomy led to large differences in cross-organ doses. However, total organ doses were still in good agreement since most of the deposited dose is due to self-irradiation. Comparison of voxelized doses calculated by Monte Carlo and the voxel S value technique showed that the 3D dose distributions produced by the respective methods are nearly identical.« less

Effects of body habitus on internal radiation dose calculations using the 5-year-old anthropomorphic male models.

PubMed

Xie, Tianwu; Kuster, Niels; Zaidi, Habib

2017-07-13

Computational phantoms are commonly used in internal radiation dosimetry to assess the amount and distribution pattern of energy deposited in various parts of the human body from different internal radiation sources. Radiation dose assessments are commonly performed on predetermined reference computational phantoms while the argument for individualized patient-specific radiation dosimetry exists. This study aims to evaluate the influence of body habitus on internal dosimetry and to quantify the uncertainties in dose estimation correlated with the use of fixed reference models. The 5-year-old IT'IS male phantom was modified to match target anthropometric parameters, including body weight, body height and sitting height/stature ratio (SSR), determined from reference databases, thus enabling the creation of 125 5-year-old habitus-dependent male phantoms with 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentile body morphometries. We evaluated the absorbed fractions and the mean absorbed dose to the target region per unit cumulative activity in the source region (S-values) of F-18 in 46 source regions for the generated 125 anthropomorphic 5-year-old hybrid male phantoms using the Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended general purpose Monte Carlo transport code and calculated the absorbed dose and effective dose of five 18 F-labelled radiotracers for children of various habitus. For most organs, the S-value of F-18 presents stronger statistical correlations with body weight, standing height and sitting height than BMI and SSR. The self-absorbed fraction and self-absorbed S-values of F-18 and the absorbed dose and effective dose of 18 F-labelled radiotracers present with the strongest statistical correlations with body weight. For 18 F-Amino acids, 18 F-Brain receptor substances, 18 F-FDG, 18 F-L-DOPA and 18 F-FBPA, the mean absolute effective dose differences between phantoms of different habitus and fixed reference models are 11.4%, 11.3%, 10.8%, 13.3% and 11.4%, respectively. Total body weight, standing height and sitting height have considerable effects on human internal dosimetry. Radiation dose calculations for individual subjects using the most closely matched habitus-dependent computational phantom should be considered as an alternative to improve the accuracy of the estimates.

Effects of body habitus on internal radiation dose calculations using the 5-year-old anthropomorphic male models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Tianwu; Kuster, Niels; Zaidi, Habib

2017-08-01

Computational phantoms are commonly used in internal radiation dosimetry to assess the amount and distribution pattern of energy deposited in various parts of the human body from different internal radiation sources. Radiation dose assessments are commonly performed on predetermined reference computational phantoms while the argument for individualized patient-specific radiation dosimetry exists. This study aims to evaluate the influence of body habitus on internal dosimetry and to quantify the uncertainties in dose estimation correlated with the use of fixed reference models. The 5-year-old IT’IS male phantom was modified to match target anthropometric parameters, including body weight, body height and sitting height/stature ratio (SSR), determined from reference databases, thus enabling the creation of 125 5-year-old habitus-dependent male phantoms with 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentile body morphometries. We evaluated the absorbed fractions and the mean absorbed dose to the target region per unit cumulative activity in the source region (S-values) of F-18 in 46 source regions for the generated 125 anthropomorphic 5-year-old hybrid male phantoms using the Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended general purpose Monte Carlo transport code and calculated the absorbed dose and effective dose of five 18F-labelled radiotracers for children of various habitus. For most organs, the S-value of F-18 presents stronger statistical correlations with body weight, standing height and sitting height than BMI and SSR. The self-absorbed fraction and self-absorbed S-values of F-18 and the absorbed dose and effective dose of 18F-labelled radiotracers present with the strongest statistical correlations with body weight. For 18F-Amino acids, 18F-Brain receptor substances, 18F-FDG, 18F-L-DOPA and 18F-FBPA, the mean absolute effective dose differences between phantoms of different habitus and fixed reference models are 11.4%, 11.3%, 10.8%, 13.3% and 11.4%, respectively. Total body weight, standing height and sitting height have considerable effects on human internal dosimetry. Radiation dose calculations for individual subjects using the most closely matched habitus-dependent computational phantom should be considered as an alternative to improve the accuracy of the estimates.

Modeling of occupational exposure to accidentally released manufactured nanomaterials in a production facility and calculation of internal doses by inhalation

PubMed Central

Vaquero-Moralejo, Celina; Jaén, María; Lopez De Ipiña Peña, Jesús; Neofytou, Panagiotis

2016-01-01

Background Occupational exposure to manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) and its potential health impacts are of scientific and practical interest, as previous epidemiological studies associate exposure to nanoparticles with health effects, including increased morbidity of the respiratory and the circulatory system. Objectives To estimate the occupational exposure and effective internal doses in a real production facility of TiO2 MNMs during hypothetical scenarios of accidental release. Methods Commercial software for geometry and mesh generation, as well as fluid flow and particle dispersion calculation, were used to estimate occupational exposure to MNMs. The results were introduced to in-house software to calculate internal doses in the human respiratory tract by inhalation. Results Depending on the accidental scenario, different areas of the production facility were affected by the released MNMs, with a higher dose exposure among individuals closer to the particles source. Conclusions Granted that the study of the accidental release of particles can only be performed by chance, this numerical approach provides valuable information regarding occupational exposure and contributes to better protection of personnel. The methodology can be used to identify occupational settings where the exposure to MNMs would be high during accidents, providing insight to health and safety officials. PMID:27670588

40 CFR Appendix B to Part 191 - Calculation of Annual Committed Effective Dose

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... the proportion of the stochastic risk resulting from irradiation of the tissue or organ to the total... of HE. III. Annual Committed Tissue or Organ Equivalent Dose For internal irradiation from...

40 CFR Appendix B to Part 191 - Calculation of Annual Committed Effective Dose

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... the proportion of the stochastic risk resulting from irradiation of the tissue or organ to the total... of HE. III. Annual Committed Tissue or Organ Equivalent Dose For internal irradiation from...

40 CFR Appendix B to Part 191 - Calculation of Annual Committed Effective Dose

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... the proportion of the stochastic risk resulting from irradiation of the tissue or organ to the total... of HE. III. Annual Committed Tissue or Organ Equivalent Dose For internal irradiation from...

40 CFR Appendix B to Part 191 - Calculation of Annual Committed Effective Dose

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the proportion of the stochastic risk resulting from irradiation of the tissue or organ to the total... of HE. III. Annual Committed Tissue or Organ Equivalent Dose For internal irradiation from...

40 CFR Appendix B to Part 191 - Calculation of Annual Committed Effective Dose

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... the proportion of the stochastic risk resulting from irradiation of the tissue or organ to the total... of HE. III. Annual Committed Tissue or Organ Equivalent Dose For internal irradiation from...

Potential dosimetric benefits of adaptive tumor tracking over the internal target volume concept for stereotactic body radiation therapy of pancreatic cancer.

PubMed

Karava, Konstantina; Ehrbar, Stefanie; Riesterer, Oliver; Roesch, Johannes; Glatz, Stefan; Klöck, Stephan; Guckenberger, Matthias; Tanadini-Lang, Stephanie

2017-11-09

Radiotherapy for pancreatic cancer has two major challenges: (I) the tumor is adjacent to several critical organs and, (II) the mobility of both, the tumor and its surrounding organs at risk (OARs). A treatment planning study simulating stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for pancreatic tumors with both the internal target volume (ITV) concept and the tumor tracking approach was performed. The two respiratory motion-management techniques were compared in terms of doses to the target volume and organs at risk. Two volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatment plans (5 × 5 Gy) were created for each of the 12 previously treated pancreatic cancer patients, one using the ITV concept and one the tumor tracking approach. To better evaluate the overall dose delivered to the moving tumor volume, 4D dose calculations were performed on four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) scans. The resulting planning target volume (PTV) size for each technique was analyzed. Target and OAR dose parameters were reported and analyzed for both 3D and 4D dose calculation. Tumor motion ranged from 1.3 to 11.2 mm. Tracking led to a reduction of PTV size (max. 39.2%) accompanied with significant better tumor coverage (p<0.05, paired Wilcoxon signed rank test) both in 3D and 4D dose calculations and improved organ at risk sparing. Especially for duodenum, stomach and liver, the mean dose was significantly reduced (p<0.05) with tracking for 3D and 4D dose calculations. By using an adaptive tumor tracking approach for respiratory-induced pancreatic motion management, a significant reduction in PTV size can be achieved, which subsequently facilitates treatment planning, and improves organ dose sparing. The dosimetric benefit of tumor tracking is organ and patient-specific.

The work of the ICRP dose calculational task group: Issues in implementation of the ICRP dosimetric methodology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eckerman, K.F.

Committee 2 of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has had efforts underway to provide the radiation protection community with age-dependent dose coefficients, i.e.g, the dose per unit intake. The Task Group on Dose Calculations, chaired by the author, is responsible for the computation of these coefficients. The Task Group, formed in 1974 to produce ICRP Publication 30, is now international in its membership and its work load has been distributed among the institutions represented on the task group. This paper discusses: (1) recent advances in biokinetic modeling; (2) the recent changes in the dosimetric methodology; (3) the novelmore » computational problems with some of the ICRP quantities; and (4) quality assurance issues which the Task Group has encountered. Potential future developments of the dosimetric framework which might strengthen the relationships with the emerging understanding of radiation risk will also be discussed.« less

Implementation of an Analytical Model for Leakage Neutron Equivalent Dose in a Proton Radiotherapy Planning System

PubMed Central

Eley, John; Newhauser, Wayne; Homann, Kenneth; Howell, Rebecca; Schneider, Christopher; Durante, Marco; Bert, Christoph

2015-01-01

Equivalent dose from neutrons produced during proton radiotherapy increases the predicted risk of radiogenic late effects. However, out-of-field neutron dose is not taken into account by commercial proton radiotherapy treatment planning systems. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of implementing an analytical model to calculate leakage neutron equivalent dose in a treatment planning system. Passive scattering proton treatment plans were created for a water phantom and for a patient. For both the phantom and patient, the neutron equivalent doses were small but non-negligible and extended far beyond the therapeutic field. The time required for neutron equivalent dose calculation was 1.6 times longer than that required for proton dose calculation, with a total calculation time of less than 1 h on one processor for both treatment plans. Our results demonstrate that it is feasible to predict neutron equivalent dose distributions using an analytical dose algorithm for individual patients with irregular surfaces and internal tissue heterogeneities. Eventually, personalized estimates of neutron equivalent dose to organs far from the treatment field may guide clinicians to create treatment plans that reduce the risk of late effects. PMID:25768061

Implementation of an analytical model for leakage neutron equivalent dose in a proton radiotherapy planning system.

PubMed

Eley, John; Newhauser, Wayne; Homann, Kenneth; Howell, Rebecca; Schneider, Christopher; Durante, Marco; Bert, Christoph

2015-03-11

Equivalent dose from neutrons produced during proton radiotherapy increases the predicted risk of radiogenic late effects. However, out-of-field neutron dose is not taken into account by commercial proton radiotherapy treatment planning systems. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of implementing an analytical model to calculate leakage neutron equivalent dose in a treatment planning system. Passive scattering proton treatment plans were created for a water phantom and for a patient. For both the phantom and patient, the neutron equivalent doses were small but non-negligible and extended far beyond the therapeutic field. The time required for neutron equivalent dose calculation was 1.6 times longer than that required for proton dose calculation, with a total calculation time of less than 1 h on one processor for both treatment plans. Our results demonstrate that it is feasible to predict neutron equivalent dose distributions using an analytical dose algorithm for individual patients with irregular surfaces and internal tissue heterogeneities. Eventually, personalized estimates of neutron equivalent dose to organs far from the treatment field may guide clinicians to create treatment plans that reduce the risk of late effects.

40 CFR Appendix A to Part 197 - Calculation of Annual Committed Effective Dose Equivalent

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... resulting from irradiation of the tissue or organ to the total risk when the whole body is irradiated... internal irradiation from incorporated radionuclides, the total absorbed dose will be spread out in time...

40 CFR Appendix A to Part 197 - Calculation of Annual Committed Effective Dose Equivalent

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... resulting from irradiation of the tissue or organ to the total risk when the whole body is irradiated... internal irradiation from incorporated radionuclides, the total absorbed dose will be spread out in time...

40 CFR Appendix A to Part 197 - Calculation of Annual Committed Effective Dose Equivalent

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... resulting from irradiation of the tissue or organ to the total risk when the whole body is irradiated... internal irradiation from incorporated radionuclides, the total absorbed dose will be spread out in time...

40 CFR Appendix A to Part 197 - Calculation of Annual Committed Effective Dose Equivalent

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... resulting from irradiation of the tissue or organ to the total risk when the whole body is irradiated... internal irradiation from incorporated radionuclides, the total absorbed dose will be spread out in time...

40 CFR Appendix A to Part 197 - Calculation of Annual Committed Effective Dose Equivalent

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... resulting from irradiation of the tissue or organ to the total risk when the whole body is irradiated... internal irradiation from incorporated radionuclides, the total absorbed dose will be spread out in time...

ESTIMATION OF EARLY INTERNAL DOSES TO FUKUSHIMA RESIDENTS AFTER THE NUCLEAR DISASTER BASED ON THE ATMOSPHERIC DISPERSION SIMULATION.

PubMed

Kim, Eunjoo; Tani, Kotaro; Kunishima, Naoaki; Kurihara, Osamu; Sakai, Kazuo; Akashi, Makoto

2016-11-01

Estimating the early internal doses to residents in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident is a difficult task because limited human/environmental measurement data are available. Hence, the feasibility of using atmospheric dispersion simulations created by the Worldwide version of System for Prediction of Environmental Emergency Dose Information 2nd Version (WSPEEDI-II) in the estimation was examined in the present study. This examination was done by comparing the internal doses evaluated based on the human measurements with those calculated using time series air concentration maps ( 131 I and 137 Cs) generated by WSPEEDI-II. The results showed that the latter doses were several times higher than the former doses. However, this discrepancy could be minimised by taking into account personal behaviour data that will be available soon. This article also presents the development of a prototype system for estimating the internal dose based on the simulations. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Radiological assessment. A textbook on environmental dose analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Till, J.E.; Meyer, H.R.

1983-09-01

Radiological assessment is the quantitative process of estimating the consequences to humans resulting from the release of radionuclides to the biosphere. It is a multidisciplinary subject requiring the expertise of a number of individuals in order to predict source terms, describe environmental transport, calculate internal and external dose, and extrapolate dose to health effects. Up to this time there has been available no comprehensive book describing, on a uniform and comprehensive level, the techniques and models used in radiological assessment. Radiological Assessment is based on material presented at the 1980 Health Physics Society Summer School held in Seattle, Washington. Themore » material has been expanded and edited to make it comprehensive in scope and useful as a text. Topics covered include (1) source terms for nuclear facilities and Medical and Industrial sites; (2) transport of radionuclides in the atmosphere; (3) transport of radionuclides in surface waters; (4) transport of radionuclides in groundwater; (5) terrestrial and aquatic food chain pathways; (6) reference man; a system for internal dose calculations; (7) internal dosimetry; (8) external dosimetry; (9) models for special-case radionuclides; (10) calculation of health effects in irradiated populations; (11) evaluation of uncertainties in environmental radiological assessment models; (12) regulatory standards for environmental releases of radionuclides; (13) development of computer codes for radiological assessment; and (14) assessment of accidental releases of radionuclides.« less

Dosimetric evaluation of intrafractional tumor motion by means of a robot driven phantom

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Richter, Anne; Wilbert, Juergen; Flentje, Michael

2011-10-15

Purpose: The aim of the work was to investigate the influence of intrafractional tumor motion to the accumulated (absorbed) dose. The accumulated dose was determined by means of calculations and measurements with a robot driven motion phantom. Methods: Different motion scenarios and compensation techniques were realized in a phantom study to investigate the influence of motion on image acquisition, dose calculation, and dose measurement. The influence of motion on the accumulated dose was calculated by employing two methods (a model based and a voxel based method). Results: Tumor motion resulted in a blurring of steep dose gradients and a reductionmore » of dose at the periphery of the target. A systematic variation of motion parameters allowed the determination of the main influence parameters on the accumulated dose. The key parameters with the greatest influence on dose were the mean amplitude and the pattern of motion. Investigations on necessary safety margins to compensate for dose reduction have shown that smaller safety margins are sufficient, if the developed concept with optimized margins (OPT concept) was used instead of the standard internal target volume (ITV) concept. Both calculation methods were a reasonable approximation of the measured dose with the voxel based method being in better agreement with the measurements. Conclusions: Further evaluation of available systems and algorithms for dose accumulation are needed to create guidelines for the verification of the accumulated dose.« less

Comparison of monoenergetic photon organ dose rate coefficients for stylized and voxel phantoms submerged in air

DOE PAGES

Bellamy, Michael B.; Hiller, Mauritius M.; Dewji, Shaheen A.; ...

2016-02-01

As part of a broader effort to calculate effective dose rate coefficients for external exposure to photons and electrons emitted by radionuclides distributed in air, soil or water, age-specific stylized phantoms have been employed to determine dose coefficients relating dose rate to organs and tissues in the body. In this article, dose rate coefficients computed using the International Commission on Radiological Protection reference adult male voxel phantom are compared with values computed using the Oak Ridge National Laboratory adult male stylized phantom in an air submersion exposure geometry. Monte Carlo calculations for both phantoms were performed for monoenergetic source photonsmore » in the range of 30 keV to 5 MeV. Furthermore, these calculations largely result in differences under 10 % for photon energies above 50 keV, and it can be expected that both models show comparable results for the environmental sources of radionuclides.« less

Comparison of monoenergetic photon organ dose rate coefficients for stylized and voxel phantoms submerged in air

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bellamy, Michael B.; Hiller, Mauritius M.; Dewji, Shaheen A.

As part of a broader effort to calculate effective dose rate coefficients for external exposure to photons and electrons emitted by radionuclides distributed in air, soil or water, age-specific stylized phantoms have been employed to determine dose coefficients relating dose rate to organs and tissues in the body. In this article, dose rate coefficients computed using the International Commission on Radiological Protection reference adult male voxel phantom are compared with values computed using the Oak Ridge National Laboratory adult male stylized phantom in an air submersion exposure geometry. Monte Carlo calculations for both phantoms were performed for monoenergetic source photonsmore » in the range of 30 keV to 5 MeV. Furthermore, these calculations largely result in differences under 10 % for photon energies above 50 keV, and it can be expected that both models show comparable results for the environmental sources of radionuclides.« less

Biokinetics and dosimetry of several radiolabelled peptides in cancer cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Cortés, J.; Ferro-Flores, G.; de Murphy, C. Arteaga; Pedraza-López, M.; Ramírez-Iglesias, M. A. T.

Radiolabelled peptides have been used as target-specific radiopharmaceuticals. The goal of this research was the in vitro assessment of the uptake, internalization, externalization, and efflux of five radiolabelled peptides in cancer cells to estimate radiation-absorbed doses from experimental biokinetic data. 177Lu-DOTA-octreotate, 188Re-lanreotide, and 99mTc-HYNIC-octreotide were studied in the AR42J cell line. The PC3 and NCIH69 cells were used for 99mTc-HYNIC-bombesin and 177Lu-DOTA-minigastrin, respectively. The cumulated activities in the membrane and cytoplasm were calculated by integration of the experimental time-activity curves and used for dosimetry calculations according to the Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) cellular methodology. The mean absorbed dose to the cell nucleus were 0.69±0.09, 0.11±0.08, 0.55±0.09, 3.45±0.48, and 3.30±0.65 Gy/Bq for 99mTc-HYNIC-bombesin, 99mTc-HYNIC-octreotide, 177Lu-DOTA-minigastrin, 177Lu-DOTA-octreotate, and 188Re-lanreotide, respectively. If radiopharmaceutical cell kinetics were not used and only uptake data were considered, the calculated doses would be overestimated up to 25 times.

The internal dosimetry code PLEIADES.

PubMed

Fell, T P; Phipps, A W; Smith, T J

2007-01-01

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has published dose coefficients for the ingestion or inhalation of radionuclides in a series of reports covering intakes by workers and members of the public, including children and pregnant or lactating women. The calculation of these coefficients divides naturally into two distinct parts-the biokinetic and dosimetric. This paper describes in detail the methods used to solve the biokinetic problem in the generation of dose coefficients on behalf of the ICRP, as implemented in the Health Protection Agency's internal dosimetry code PLEIADES. A summary of the dosimetric treatment is included.

Mortality in a Combined Cohort of Uranium Enrichment Workers

PubMed Central

Yiin, James H.; Anderson, Jeri L.; Daniels, Robert D.; Bertke, Stephen J.; Fleming, Donald A.; Tollerud, David J.; Tseng, Chih-Yu; Chen, Pi-Hsueh; Waters, Kathleen M.

2017-01-01

Objective To examine the patterns of cause-specific mortality and relationship between internal exposure to uranium and specific causes in a pooled cohort of 29,303 workers employed at three former uranium enrichment facilities in the United States with follow-up through 2011. Methods Cause-specific standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for the full cohort were calculated with the U.S. population as referent. Internal comparison of the dose-response relation between selected outcomes and estimated organ doses was evaluated using regression models. Results External comparison with the U.S. population showed significantly lower SMRs in most diseases in the pooled cohort. Internal comparison showed positive associations of absorbed organ doses with multiple myeloma, and to a lesser degree with kidney cancer. Conclusion In general, these gaseous diffusion plant workers had significantly lower SMRs than the U.S. population. The internal comparison however, showed associations between internal organ doses and diseases associated with uranium exposure in previous studies. PMID:27753121

Tritium internal dose estimation from measurements with liquid scintillators.

PubMed

Pántya, A; Dálnoki, Á; Imre, A R; Zagyvai, P; Pázmándi, T

2018-07-01

Tritium may exist in several chemical and physical forms in workplaces, common occurrences are in vapor or liquid form (as tritiated water) and in organic form (e.g. thymidine) which can get into the body by inhalation or by ingestion. For internal dose assessment it is usually assumed that urine samples for tritium analysis are obtained after the tritium concentration inside the body has reached equilibrium following intake. Comparison was carried out for two types of vials, two efficiency calculation methods and two available liquid scintillation devices to highlight the errors of the measurements. The results were used for dose estimation with MONDAL-3 software. It has been shown that concerning the accuracy of the final internal dose assessment, the uncertainties of the assumptions used in the dose assessment (for example the date and route of intake, the physical and chemical form) can be more influential than the errors of the measured data. Therefore, the improvement of the experimental accuracy alone is not the proper way to improve the accuracy of the internal dose estimation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A generic biokinetic model for noble gases with application to radon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leggett, Richard Wayne; Marsh, James; Gregoratto, Demetrio

The International Commission for Radiological Protection (ICRP) currently uses a dose conversion coefficient to calculate effective dose per unit exposure to radon and its progeny. The coefficient is derived by dividing the detriment associated with unit exposure to radon, as estimated from epidemiological studies, by the detriment per unit effective dose, as estimated mainly from atomic bomb survivor data and animal studies. In a recent statement the ICRP indicated that future guidance on exposure to radon and its progeny will be developed in the same way as guidance for any other radionuclide. That is, intake of radon and progeny willmore » be limited on the basis of effective dose coefficients derived from biokinetic and dosimetric models. This paper proposes a biokinetic model for systemic (absorbed) radon for use in the calculation of dose coefficients for inhaled or ingested radon. The model is based largely on physical laws governing transfer of a non-reactive and soluble gas between materials. Model predictions are shown to be consistent with results of controlled studies of the fate of internally deposited radon in human subjects.« less

A Characteristic Dose Model for Historical Internal Dose Reconstruction in the Framework of the IAEC Compensation Programme.

PubMed

Kravchik, T; Abraham, A; Israeli, M; Yahel, E

2017-04-25

A model was developed at the Nuclear Research Centre Negev (NRCN) to assess historical doses from internal exposures by a relatively fast and simple procedure. These assessments are needed in the framework of a compensation programme for the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC) workers, which were diagnosed for cancer diseases. This compensation programme was recently recommended by a public committee to avoid lengthy court procedures. The developed model is based on the recorded doses from external exposures of all the workers at the NRCN, who were divided into groups representing their different working environments. Each group of workers was characterised by three parameters: working period, working areas and occupation. The model uses several conservative assumptions in order to calculate the doses to various body organs in certain years, which are relevant to the calculation of the probability of causation (POC). The POC value serves as a main parameter in the compensation programme. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Radiological characterization of the pressure vessel internals of the BNL High Flux Beam Reactor.

PubMed

Holden, Norman E; Reciniello, Richard N; Hu, Jih-Perng

2004-08-01

In preparation for the eventual decommissioning of the High Flux Beam Reactor after the permanent removal of its fuel elements from the Brookhaven National Laboratory, measurements and calculations of the decay gamma-ray dose-rate were performed in the reactor pressure vessel and on vessel internal structures such as the upper and lower thermal shields, the Transition Plate, and the Control Rod blades. Measurements of gamma-ray dose rates were made using Red Perspex polymethyl methacrylate high-dose film, a Radcal "peanut" ion chamber, and Eberline's RO-7 high-range ion chamber. As a comparison, the Monte Carlo MCNP code and MicroShield code were used to model the gamma-ray transport and dose buildup. The gamma-ray dose rate at 8 cm above the center of the Transition Plate was measured to be 160 Gy h (using an RO-7) and 88 Gy h at 8 cm above and about 5 cm lateral to the Transition Plate (using Red Perspex film). This compares with a calculated dose rate of 172 Gy h using Micro-Shield. The gamma-ray dose rate was 16.2 Gy h measured at 76 cm from the reactor core (using the "peanut" ion chamber) and 16.3 Gy h at 87 cm from the core (using Red Perspex film). The similarity of dose rates measured with different instruments indicates that using different methods and instruments is acceptable if the measurement (and calculation) parameters are well defined. Different measurement techniques may be necessary due to constraints such as size restrictions.

The Mayak Worker Dosimetry System (MWDS-2013): Implementation of the Dose Calculations.

PubMed

Zhdanov, А; Vostrotin, V; Efimov, А; Birchall, A; Puncher, M

2016-07-15

The calculation of internal doses for the Mayak Worker Dosimetry System (MWDS-2013) involved extensive computational resources due to the complexity and sheer number of calculations required. The required output consisted of a set of 1000 hyper-realizations: each hyper-realization consists of a set (1 for each worker) of probability distributions of organ doses. This report describes the hardware components and computational approaches required to make the calculation tractable. Together with the software, this system is referred to here as the 'PANDORA system'. It is based on a commercial SQL server database in a series of six work stations. A complete run of the entire Mayak worker cohort entailed a huge amount of calculations in PANDORA and due to the relatively slow speed of writing the data into the SQL server, each run took about 47 days. Quality control was monitored by comparing doses calculated in PANDORA with those in a specially modified version of the commercial software 'IMBA Professional Plus'. Suggestions are also made for increasing calculation and storage efficiency for future dosimetry calculations using PANDORA. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

FIIDOS--A Computer Code for the Computation of Fallout Inhalation and Ingestion Dose to Organs Computer User’s Guide (Revision 4)

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-01

35 5 Actinide product radionuclides... actinides , and fission products in fallout. Doses from low-linear energy transfer (LET) radiation (beta particles and gamma rays) are reported separately...assumptions about the critical parameters used in calculating internal doses – resuspension factor, breathing rate, fractionation, and scenario elements – to

Contralateral breast dose from chest wall and breast irradiation: local experience.

PubMed

Alzoubi, A S; Kandaiya, S; Shukri, A; Elsherbieny, E

2010-06-01

Second cancer induction in the contralateral breast (CB) is an issue of some concern in breast radiotherapy especially for women under the age of 45 years at the time of treatment. The CB dose from 2-field and 3-field techniques in post-mastectomy chest wall irradiations in an anthropomorphic phantom as well as in patients were measured using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) at the local radiotherapy center. Breast and chest wall radiotherapy treatments were planned conformally (3D-CRT) and delivered using 6-MV photons. The measured CB dose at the surface fell sharply with distance from the field edge. However, the average ratio of the measured to the calculated CB dose using the pencil beam algorithm at the surface was approximately 53%. The mean and median measured internal dose at the posterior border of CB in a phantom was 5.47+/-0.22 cGy and 5.44 cGy, respectively. The internal CB dose was relatively independent of depth. In the present study the internal CB dose is 2.1-4.1% of the prescribed dose which is comparable to the values reported by other authors.

High-performing simulations of the space radiation environment for the International Space Station and Apollo Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lund, Matthew Lawrence

The space radiation environment is a significant challenge to future manned and unmanned space travels. Future missions will rely more on accurate simulations of radiation transport in space through spacecraft to predict astronaut dose and energy deposition within spacecraft electronics. The International Space Station provides long-term measurements of the radiation environment in Low Earth Orbit (LEO); however, only the Apollo missions provided dosimetry data beyond LEO. Thus dosimetry analysis for deep space missions is poorly supported with currently available data, and there is a need to develop dosimetry-predicting models for extended deep space missions. GEANT4, a Monte Carlo Method, provides a powerful toolkit in C++ for simulation of radiation transport in arbitrary media, thus including the spacecraft and space travels. The newest version of GEANT4 supports multithreading and MPI, resulting in faster distributive processing of simulations in high-performance computing clusters. This thesis introduces a new application based on GEANT4 that greatly reduces computational time using Kingspeak and Ember computational clusters at the Center for High Performance Computing (CHPC) to simulate radiation transport through full spacecraft geometry, reducing simulation time to hours instead of weeks without post simulation processing. Additionally, this thesis introduces a new set of detectors besides the historically used International Commission of Radiation Units (ICRU) spheres for calculating dose distribution, including a Thermoluminescent Detector (TLD), Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (TEPC), and human phantom combined with a series of new primitive scorers in GEANT4 to calculate dose equivalence based on the International Commission of Radiation Protection (ICRP) standards. The developed models in this thesis predict dose depositions in the International Space Station and during the Apollo missions showing good agreement with experimental measurements. From these models the greatest contributor to radiation dose for the Apollo missions was from Galactic Cosmic Rays due to the short time within the radiation belts. The Apollo 14 dose measurements were an order of magnitude higher compared to other Apollo missions. The GEANT4 model of the Apollo Command Module shows consistent doses due to Galactic Cosmic Rays and Radiation Belts for all missions, with a small variation in dose distribution across the capsule. The model also predicts well the dose depositions and equivalent dose values in various human organs for the International Space Station or Apollo Command Module.

Effective radiation dose of ProMax 3D cone-beam computerized tomography scanner with different dental protocols.

PubMed

Qu, Xing-min; Li, Gang; Ludlow, John B; Zhang, Zu-yan; Ma, Xu-chen

2010-12-01

The aim of this study was to compare effective doses resulting from different scan protocols for cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) using International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) 1990 and 2007 calculations of dose. Average tissue-absorbed dose, equivalent dose, and effective dose for a ProMax 3D CBCT with different dental protocols were calculated using thermoluminescent dosimeter chips in a human equivalent phantom. Effective doses were derived using ICRP 1990 and the superseding 2007 recommendations. Effective doses (ICRP 2007) for default patient sizes from small to large ranged from 102 to 298 μSv. The coefficient of determination (R(2)) between tube current and effective dose (ICRP 2007) was 0.90. When scanning with lower resolution settings, the effective doses were reduced significantly (P < .05). ProMax 3D can provide a wide range of radiation dose levels. Reduction in radiation dose can be achieved when using lower settings of exposure parameters. Copyright © 2010 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Inhalation dose assessment of indoor radon progeny using biokinetic and dosimetric modeling and its application to Jordanian population.

PubMed

Al-Jundi, J; Li, W B; Abusini, M; Tschiersch, J; Hoeschen, C; Oeh, U

2011-06-01

High indoor radon concentrations in Jordan result in internal exposures of the residents due to the inhalation of radon and its short-lived progeny. It is therefore important to quantify the annual effective dose and further the radiation risk to the radon exposure. This study describes the methodology and the biokinetic and dosimetric models used for calculation of the inhalation doses exposed to radon progeny. The regional depositions of aerosol particles in the human respiratory tract were firstly calculated. For the attached progeny, the activity median aerodynamic diameters of 50 nm, 230 nm and 2500 nm were chosen to represent the nucleation, accumulation and coarse modes of the aerosol particles, respectively. For the unattached progeny, the activity median thermodynamic diameter of 1 nm was chosen to represent the free progeny nuclide in the room air. The biokinetic models developed by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) were used to calculate the nuclear transformations of radon progeny in the human body, and then the dosimetric model was applied to estimate the organ equivalent doses and the effective doses with the specific effective energies derived from the mathematical anthropomorphic phantoms. The dose conversion coefficient estimated in this study was 15 mSv WLM(-1) which was in the range of the values of 6-20 mSv WLM(-1) reported by other investigators. Implementing the average indoor radon concentration in Jordan, the annual effective doses were calculated to be 4.1 mSv y(-1) and 0.08 mSv y(-1) due to the inhalation of radon progeny and radon gas, respectively. The total annual effective dose estimated for Jordanian population was 4.2 mSv y(-1). This high annual effective dose calculated by the dosimetric approach using ICRP biokinetic and dosimetric models resulted in an increase of a factor of two in comparison to the value by epidemiological study. This phenomenon was presented by the ICRP in its new published statement on radon. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Official Positions for FRAX(®) clinical regarding glucocorticoids: the impact of the use of glucocorticoids on the estimate by FRAX(®) of the 10 year risk of fracture from Joint Official Positions Development Conference of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry and International Osteoporosis Foundation on FRAX(®).

PubMed

Leib, Edward S; Saag, Kenneth G; Adachi, Jonathan D; Geusens, Piet P; Binkley, Neil; McCloskey, Eugene V; Hans, Didier B

2011-01-01

Given the significant impact the use of glucocorticoids can have on fracture risk independent of bone density, their use has been incorporated as one of the clinical risk factors for calculating the 10-year fracture risk in the World Health Organization's Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX(®)). Like the other clinical risk factors, the use of glucocorticoids is included as a dichotomous variable with use of steroids defined as past or present exposure of 3 months or more of use of a daily dose of 5 mg or more of prednisolone or equivalent. The purpose of this report is to give clinicians guidance on adjustments which should be made to the 10-year risk based on the dose, duration of use and mode of delivery of glucocorticoids preparations. A subcommittee of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry and International Osteoporosis Foundation joint Position Development Conference presented its findings to an expert panel and the following recommendations were selected. 1) There is a dose relationship between glucocorticoid use of greater than 3 months and fracture risk. The average dose exposure captured within FRAX(®) is likely to be a prednisone dose of 2.5-7.5 mg/day or its equivalent. Fracture probability is under-estimated when prednisone dose is greater than 7.5 mg/day and is over-estimated when the prednisone dose is less than 2.5 mg/day. 2) Frequent intermittent use of higher doses of glucocorticoids increases fracture risk. Because of the variability in dose and dosing schedule, quantification of this risk is not possible. 3) High dose inhaled glucocorticoids may be a risk factor for fracture. FRAX(®) may underestimate fracture probability in users of high dose inhaled glucocorticoids. 4) Appropriate glucocorticoid replacement in individuals with adrenal insufficiency has not been found to increase fracture risk. In such patients, use of glucocorticoids should not be included in FRAX(®) calculations. Copyright © 2011 The International Society for Clinical Densitometry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SU-E-T-484: In Vivo Dosimetry Tolerances in External Beam Fast Neutron Therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Young, L; Gopan, O

Purpose: Optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimetry with Landauer Al2O3:C nanodots was developed at our institution as a passive in vivo dosimetry (IVD) system for patients treated with fast neutron therapy. The purpose of this study was to establish clinically relevant tolerance limits for detecting treatment errors requiring further investigation. Methods: Tolerance levels were estimated by conducting a series of IVD expected dose calculations for square field sizes ranging between 2.8 and 28.8 cm. For each field size evaluated, doses were calculated for open and internal wedged fields with angles of 30°, 45°, or 60°. Theoretical errors were computed for variationsmore » of incorrect beam configurations. Dose errors, defined as the percent difference from the expected dose calculation, were measured with groups of three nanodots placed in a 30 x 30 cm solid water phantom, at beam isocenter (150 cm SAD, 1.7 cm Dmax). The tolerances were applied to IVD patient measurements. Results: The overall accuracy of the nanodot measurements is 2–3% for open fields. Measurement errors agreed with calculated errors to within 3%. Theoretical estimates of dosimetric errors showed that IVD measurements with OSL nanodots will detect the absence of an internal wedge or a wrong wedge angle. Incorrect nanodot placement on a wedged field is more likely to be caught if the offset is in the direction of the “toe” of the wedge where the dose difference in percentage is about 12%. Errors caused by an incorrect flattening filter size produced a 2% measurement error that is not detectable by IVD measurement alone. Conclusion: IVD with nanodots will detect treatment errors associated with the incorrect implementation of the internal wedge. The results of this study will streamline the physicists’ investigations in determining the root cause of an IVD reading that is out of normally accepted tolerances.« less

Specific absorbed fractions of electrons and photons for Rad-HUMAN phantom using Monte Carlo method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wen; Cheng, Meng-Yun; Long, Peng-Cheng; Hu, Li-Qin

2015-07-01

The specific absorbed fractions (SAF) for self- and cross-irradiation are effective tools for the internal dose estimation of inhalation and ingestion intakes of radionuclides. A set of SAFs of photons and electrons were calculated using the Rad-HUMAN phantom, which is a computational voxel phantom of a Chinese adult female that was created using the color photographic image of the Chinese Visible Human (CVH) data set by the FDS Team. The model can represent most Chinese adult female anatomical characteristics and can be taken as an individual phantom to investigate the difference of internal dose with Caucasians. In this study, the emission of mono-energetic photons and electrons of 10 keV to 4 MeV energy were calculated using the Monte Carlo particle transport calculation code MCNP. Results were compared with the values from ICRP reference and ORNL models. The results showed that SAF from the Rad-HUMAN have similar trends but are larger than those from the other two models. The differences were due to the racial and anatomical differences in organ mass and inter-organ distance. The SAFs based on the Rad-HUMAN phantom provide an accurate and reliable data for internal radiation dose calculations for Chinese females. Supported by Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA03040000), National Natural Science Foundation of China (910266004, 11305205, 11305203) and National Special Program for ITER (2014GB112001)

THE CHALLENGE OF CIEMAT INTERNAL DOSIMETRY SERVICE FOR ACCREDITATION ACCORDING TO ISO/IEC 17025 STANDARD, FOR IN VIVO AND IN VITRO MONITORING AND DOSE ASSESSMENT OF INTERNAL EXPOSURES.

PubMed

Lopez, M A; Martin, R; Hernandez, C; Navarro, J F; Navarro, T; Perez, B; Sierra, I

2016-09-01

The accreditation of an Internal Dosimetry Service (IDS) according to ISO/IEC 17025 Standard is a challenge. The aim of this process is to guarantee the technical competence for the monitoring of radionuclides incorporated in the body and for the evaluation of the associated committed effective dose E(50). This publication describes the main accreditation issues addressed by CIEMAT IDS regarding all the procedures involving good practice in internal dosimetry, focussing in the difficulties to ensure the traceability in the whole process, the appropriate calculation of detection limit of measurement techniques, the validation of methods (monitoring and dose assessments), the description of all the uncertainty sources and the interpretation of monitoring data to evaluate the intake and the committed effective dose. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Determination of naturally radioactive elements in chalk sticks by means of gamma spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abd El-Wahab, Magda; Morsy, Zeinab; El-Faramawy, Nabil

2010-04-01

The radiation hazards due to ingestion of chalkboard dust were investigated. Sixteen samples from three different origin fabricates were used. The estimation of radiation hazard indices were based on the evaluation of the concentration activities of the natural radionuclides 238U, 232Th and 40K. The radium equivalent activity, external hazard index, internal hazard index and the annual dose equivalent associated with the radionuclides were calculated and compared with international recommended values to assess the radiation hazard. The values of internal and external radiation hazard indices were found to be less than unity. The annual effective dose rate obtained, E eff, and the annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE) are found to be less than the limit of the doses recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection for the general public. The analytical results show that besides the main calcium content, some toxic elements, S, Mo and Pb and Ni and Pb, in the Egyptian and imported chalk stocks, respectively, existed.

Determination of naturally radioactive elements in chalk sticks by means of gamma spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Wahab, Magda Abd; Morsy, Zeinab; El-Faramawy, Nabil

The radiation hazards due to ingestion of chalkboard dust were investigated. Sixteen samples from three different origin fabricates were used. The estimation of radiation hazard indices were based on the evaluation of the concentration activities of the natural radionuclides 238U, 232Th and 40K. The radium equivalent activity, external hazard index, internal hazard index and the annual dose equivalent associated with the radionuclides were calculated and compared with international recommended values to assess the radiation hazard. The values of internal and external radiation hazard indices were found to be less than unity. The annual effective dose rate obtained, Eeff, and the annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE) are found to be less than the limit of the doses recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection for the general public. The analytical results show that besides the main calcium content, some toxic elements, S, Mo and Pb and Ni and Pb, in the Egyptian and imported chalk stocks, respectively, existed.

Organ Dose-Rate Calculations for Small Mammals at Maralinga, the Nevada Test Site, Hanford and Fukushima: A Comparison of Ellipsoidal and Voxelized Dosimetric Methodologies.

PubMed

Caffrey, Emily A; Johansen, Mathew P; Higley, Kathryn A

2015-10-01

Radiological dosimetry for nonhuman biota typically relies on calculations that utilize the Monte Carlo simulations of simple, ellipsoidal geometries with internal radioactivity distributed homogeneously throughout. In this manner it is quick and easy to estimate whole-body dose rates to biota. Voxel models are detailed anatomical phantoms that were first used for calculating radiation dose to humans, which are now being extended to nonhuman biota dose calculations. However, if simple ellipsoidal models provide conservative dose-rate estimates, then the additional labor involved in creating voxel models may be unnecessary for most scenarios. Here we show that the ellipsoidal method provides conservative estimates of organ dose rates to small mammals. Organ dose rates were calculated for environmental source terms from Maralinga, the Nevada Test Site, Hanford and Fukushima using both the ellipsoidal and voxel techniques, and in all cases the ellipsoidal method yielded more conservative dose rates by factors of 1.2-1.4 for photons and 5.3 for beta particles. Dose rates for alpha-emitting radionuclides are identical for each method as full energy absorption in source tissue is assumed. The voxel procedure includes contributions to dose from organ-to-organ irradiation (shown here to comprise 2-50% of total dose from photons and 0-93% of total dose from beta particles) that is not specifically quantified in the ellipsoidal approach. Overall, the voxel models provide robust dosimetry for the nonhuman mammals considered in this study, and though the level of detail is likely extraneous to demonstrating regulatory compliance today, voxel models may nevertheless be advantageous in resolving ongoing questions regarding the effects of ionizing radiation on wildlife.

Assessment of the current internal dose due to 137Cs and 90Sr for people living within the Semipalatinsk Test Site, Kazakhstan.

PubMed

Semiochkina, N; Voigt, G; Mukusheva, M; Bruk, G; Travnikova, I; Strand, P

2004-02-01

The Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan was one of the major sites used by the USSR for testing nuclear weapons for more than 40 y. Since the early 1990's, responsibility for the site has passed to the Kazakh authorities. There has been a gradual re-establishment of agricultural use such as horse and sheep farming. Therefore, it has become important to evaluate the current and future risk to people living on and using the contaminated area. Internal dose assessment is one of the main components of the total dose when deriving risk factors for population living within the test site. Internal doses based on food monitoring and whole body measurements were calculated for adults and are in the range of 13-500 microSv y(-1) due to radiocesium and radiostrontium.

[Analysis of the importance of cosmonaut's location and orientation onboard the International space station to levels of visceral irradiation during traverse of the region of the South Atlantic Anomaly].

PubMed

Drobyshev, S G; Benghin, V V

2015-01-01

Parametric analysis of absorbed radiation dose to the cosmonaut working in the Service module (SM) of the International space station (ISS) was made with allowance for anisotropy of the radiation field of the South Atlantic Anomaly. Calculation data show that in weakly shielded SM compartments the radiation dose to poorly shielded viscera may depend essentially on cosmonaut's location and orientation relative to the ISS shell. Difference of the lens absorbed dose can be as high as 5 times depending on orientation of the cosmonaut and the ISS. The effect is less pronounced on the deep seated hematopoietic system; however, it may increase up to 2.5 times during the extravehicular activities. When the cosmonaut is outside on the ISS SM side presented eastward, the absorbed dose can be affected noticeably by remoteness from the SM. At a distance less than 1.5 meters away from the SM east side in the course of ascending circuits, the calculated lens dose is approximately half as compared with the situation when the cosmonaut is not shielded by the ISS material.

Comparative analysis of dose rates in bricks determined by neutron activation analysis, alpha counting and X-ray fluorescence analysis for the thermoluminescence fine grain dating method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bártová, H.; Kučera, J.; Musílek, L.; Trojek, T.

2014-11-01

In order to evaluate the age from the equivalent dose and to obtain an optimized and efficient procedure for thermoluminescence (TL) dating, it is necessary to obtain the values of both the internal and the external dose rates from dated samples and from their environment. The measurements described and compared in this paper refer to bricks from historic buildings and a fine-grain dating method. The external doses are therefore negligible, if the samples are taken from a sufficient depth in the wall. However, both the alpha dose rate and the beta and gamma dose rates must be taken into account in the internal dose. The internal dose rate to fine-grain samples is caused by the concentrations of natural radionuclides 238U, 235U, 232Th and members of their decay chains, and by 40K concentrations. Various methods can be used for determining trace concentrations of these natural radionuclides and their contributions to the dose rate. The dose rate fraction from 238U and 232Th can be calculated, e.g., from the alpha count rate, or from the concentrations of 238U and 232Th, measured by neutron activation analysis (NAA). The dose rate fraction from 40K can be calculated from the concentration of potassium measured, e.g., by X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) or by NAA. Alpha counting and XRF are relatively simple and are accessible for an ordinary laboratory. NAA can be considered as a more accurate method, but it is more demanding regarding time and costs, since it needs a nuclear reactor as a neutron source. A comparison of these methods allows us to decide whether the time- and cost-saving simpler techniques introduce uncertainty that is still acceptable.

[CALCULATION OF RADIATION LOADS ON THE ANTHROPOMORPHIC PHANTOM ONBOARD THE SPACE STATION IN THE CASE OF ADDITIONAL SHIELDING].

PubMed

Kartashov, D A; Shurshakov, V A

2015-01-01

The paper presents the results of calculating doses from space ionizing radiation for a modeled orbital station cabin outfitted with an additional shield aimed to reduce radiation loads on cosmonaut. The shield is a layer with the mass thickness of -6 g/cm2 (mean density = 0.62 g/cm3) that covers the outer cabin wall and consists of wet tissues and towels used by cosmonauts for hygienic purposes. A tissue-equivalent anthropomorphic phantom imitates human body. Doses were calculated for the standard orbit of the International space station (ISS) with consideration of the longitudinal and transverse phantom orientation relative to the wall with or without the additional shield. Calculation of dose distribution in the human body improves prediction of radiation loads. The additional shield reduces radiation exposure of human critical organs by -20% depending on their depth and body spatial orientation in the ISS compartment.

An organ-based approach to dose calculation in the assessment of dose-dependent biological effects of ionising radiation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Biermans, Geert; Horemans, Nele; Vanhoudt, Nathalie; Vandenhove, Hildegarde; Saenen, Eline; Van Hees, May; Wannijn, Jean; Vives i Batlle, Jordi; Cuypers, Ann

2014-07-01

There is a need for a better understanding of biological effects of radiation exposure in non-human biota. Correct description of these effects requires a more detailed model of dosimetry than that available in current risk assessment tools, particularly for plants. In this paper, we propose a simple model for dose calculations in roots and shoots of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings exposed to radionuclides in a hydroponic exposure setup. This model is used to compare absorbed doses for three radionuclides, (241)Am (α-radiation), (90)Sr (β-radiation) and (133)Ba (γ radiation). Using established dosimetric calculation methods, dose conversion coefficient values were determined for each organ separately based on uptake data from the different plant organs. These calculations were then compared to the DCC values obtained with the ERICA tool under equivalent geometry assumptions. When comparing with our new method, the ERICA tool appears to overestimate internal doses and underestimate external doses in the roots for all three radionuclides, though each to a different extent. These observations might help to refine dose-response relationships. The DCC values for (90)Sr in roots are shown to deviate the most. A dose-effect curve for (90)Sr β-radiation has been established on biomass and photosynthesis endpoints, but no significant dose-dependent effects are observed. This indicates the need for use of endpoints at the molecular and physiological scale. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dose computation for therapeutic electron beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glegg, Martin Mackenzie

The accuracy of electron dose calculations performed by two commercially available treatment planning computers, Varian Cadplan and Helax TMS, has been assessed. Measured values of absorbed dose delivered by a Varian 2100C linear accelerator, under a wide variety of irradiation conditions, were compared with doses calculated by the treatment planning computers. Much of the motivation for this work was provided by a requirement to verify the accuracy of calculated electron dose distributions in situations encountered clinically at Glasgow's Beatson Oncology Centre. Calculated dose distributions are required in a significant minority of electron treatments, usually in cases involving treatment to the head and neck. Here, therapeutic electron beams are subject to factors which may cause non-uniformity in the distribution of dose, and which may complicate the calculation of dose. The beam shape is often irregular, the beam may enter the patient at an oblique angle or at an extended source to skin distance (SSD), tissue inhomogeneities can alter the dose distribution, and tissue equivalent material (such as wax) may be added to reduce dose to critical organs. Technological advances have allowed the current generation of treatment planning computers to implement dose calculation algorithms with the ability to model electron beams in these complex situations. These calculations have, however, yet to be verified by measurement. This work has assessed the accuracy of calculations in a number of specific instances. Chapter two contains a comparison of measured and calculated planar electron isodose distributions. Three situations were considered: oblique incidence, incidence on an irregular surface (such as that which would be arise from the use of wax to reduce dose to spinal cord), and incidence on a phantom containing a small air cavity. Calculations were compared with measurements made by thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) in a WTe electron solid water phantom. Chapter three assesses the planning computers' ability to model electron beam penumbra at extended SSD. Calculations were compared with diode measurements in a water phantom. Further measurements assessed doses in the junction region produced by abutting an extended SSD electron field with opposed photon fields. Chapter four describes an investigation of the size and shape of the region enclosed by the 90% isodose line when produced by limiting the electron beam with square and elliptical apertures. The 90% isodose line was chosen because clinical treatments are often prescribed such that a given volume receives at least 90% dose. Calculated and measured dose distributions were compared in a plane normal to the beam central axis. Measurements were made by film dosimetry. While chapters two to four examine relative doses, chapter five assesses the accuracy of absolute dose (or output) calculations performed by the planning computers. Output variation with SSD and field size was examined. Two further situations already assessed for the distribution of relative dose were also considered: an obliquely incident field, and a field incident on an irregular surface. The accuracy of calculations was assessed against criteria stipulated by the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurement (ICRU). The Varian Cadplan and Helax TMS treatment planning systems produce acceptable accuracy in the calculation of relative dose from therapeutic electron beams in most commonly encountered situations. When interpreting clinical dose distributions, however, knowledge of the limitations of the calculation algorithm employed by each system is required in order to identify the minority of situations where results are not accurate. The calculation of absolute dose is too inaccurate to implement in a clinical environment. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

Treatment planning for internal emitter therapy: Methods, applications and clinical implications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sgouros, G.

1999-01-01

Treatment planning involves three basic steps: (1) a procedure must be devised that will provide the most relevant information, (2) the procedure must be applied and (3) the resulting information must be translated into a definition of the optimum implementation. There are varying degrees of treatment planning that may be implemented in internal emitter therapy. As in chemotherapy, the information from a Phase 1 study may be used to treat patients based upon body surface area. If treatment planning is included on a patient-specific basis, a pretherapy, trace-labeled, administration of the radiopharmaceutical is generally required. The data collected following themore » tracer dose may range from time-activity curves of blood and whole-body for use in blood, marrow or total body absorbed dose estimation to patient imaging for three-dimensional internal emitter dosimetry. The most ambitious approach requires a three-dimensional set of images representing radionuclide distribution (SPECT or PET) and a corresponding set of images representing anatomy (CT or MRI). The absorbed dose (or dose-rate) distribution may be obtained by convolution of a point kernel with the radioactivity distribution or by direct Monte Carlo calculation. A critical requirement for both techniques is the development of an overall structure that makes it possible, in a routine manner, to input the images, to identify the structures of interest and to display the results of the dose calculations in a clinically relevant manner. 52 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.« less

Dose conversion factors for radon: recent developments.

PubMed

Marsh, James W; Harrison, John D; Laurier, Dominique; Blanchardon, Eric; Paquet, François; Tirmarche, Margot

2010-10-01

Epidemiological studies of the occupational exposure of miners and domestic exposures of the public have provided strong and complementary evidence of the risks of lung cancer following inhalation of radon progeny. Recent miner epidemiological studies, which include low levels of exposure, long duration of follow-up, and good quality of individual exposure data, suggest higher risks of lung cancer per unit exposure than assumed previously by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). Although risks can be managed by controlling exposures, dose estimates are required for the control of occupational exposures and are also useful for comparing sources of public exposure. Currently, ICRP calculates doses from radon and its progeny using dose conversion factors from exposure (WLM) to dose (mSv) based on miner epidemiological studies, referred to as the epidemiological approach. Revision of these dose conversion factors using risk estimates based on the most recent epidemiological data gives values that are in good agreement with the results of calculations using ICRP biokinetic and dosimetric models, the dosimetric approach. ICRP now proposes to treat radon progeny in the same way as other radionuclides and to publish dose coefficients calculated using models, for use within the ICRP system of protection.

A kinematic-based methodology for radiological protection: Runoff analysis to calculate the effective dose for internal exposure caused by ingestion of radioactive isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasaki, Syota; Yamada, Tadashi; Yamada, Tomohito J.

2014-05-01

We aim to propose a kinematic-based methodology similar with runoff analysis for readily understandable radiological protection. A merit of this methodology is to produce sufficiently accurate effective doses by basic analysis. The great earthquake attacked the north-east area in Japan on March 11, 2011. The system of electrical facilities to control Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was completely destroyed by the following tsunamis. From the damaged reactor containment vessels, an amount of radioactive isotopes had leaked and been diffused in the vicinity of the plant. Radiological internal exposure caused by ingestion of food containing radioactive isotopes has become an issue of great interest to the public, and has caused excessive anxiety because of a deficiency of fundamental knowledge concerning radioactivity. Concentrations of radioactivity in the human body and internal exposure have been studied extensively. Previous radiologic studies, for example, studies by International Commission on Radiological Protection(ICRP), employ a large-scale computational simulation including actual mechanism of metabolism in the human body. While computational simulation is a standard method for calculating exposure doses among radiology specialists, these methods, although exact, are too difficult for non-specialists to grasp the whole image owing to the sophistication. In this study, the human body is treated as a vessel. The number of radioactive atoms in the human body can be described by an equation of continuity, which is the only governing equation. Half-life, the period of time required for the amount of a substance decreases by half, is only parameter to calculate the number of radioactive isotopes in the human body. Half-life depends only on the kinds of nuclides, there are no arbitrary parameters. It is known that the number of radioactive isotopes decrease exponentially by radioactive decay (physical outflow). It is also known that radioactive isotopes decrease exponentially by excretion (biological outflow). The total outflow is the sum of physical outflow and biological outflow. As a result, the number of radioactive atoms in the human body also decreases exponentially. Half-life can be determined by outflow flux from the definition. Intensity of radioactivity is linear respect to the number of radioactive atoms, both are equivalent analytically. Internal total exposure can be calculated by the time integral of intensity of radioactivity. The absorbed energy into the human body per radioactive decay and the effective dose are calculated by aid of Fermi's theory of beta decay and special relativity. The effective doses calculated by the present method almost agree with those of a study by ICRP. The present method shows that standard limit in general foods for radioactive cesium enforced in Japan, 100 Bq/kg, is too excessive. When we eat foods which contain cesium-137 of 100 Bq/kg at 1 kg/d during 50 years, we receive the effective dose less than natural exposure. Similarly, it is shown that we cannot find significant health damage medically and statistically by ingestion of rice which is harvested from a paddy field deposited current (January, 2014) radioactive cesium.

Construction of new skin models and calculation of skin dose coefficients for electron exposures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeom, Yeon Soo; Kim, Chan Hyeong; Nguyen, Thang Tat; Choi, Chansoo; Han, Min Cheol; Jeong, Jong Hwi

2016-08-01

The voxel-type reference phantoms of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), due to their limited voxel resolutions, cannot represent the 50- μm-thick radiosensitive target layer of the skin necessary for skin dose calculations. Alternatively, in ICRP Publication 116, the dose coefficients (DCs) for the skin were calculated approximately, averaging absorbed dose over the entire skin depth of the ICRP phantoms. This approximation is valid for highly-penetrating radiations such as photons and neutrons, but not for weakly penetrating radiations like electrons due to the high gradient in the dose distribution in the skin. To address the limitation, the present study introduces skin polygon-mesh (PM) models, which have been produced by converting the skin models of the ICRP voxel phantoms to a high-quality PM format and adding a 50- μm-thick radiosensitive target layer into the skin models. Then, the constructed skin PM models were implemented in the Geant4 Monte Carlo code to calculate the skin DCs for external exposures of electrons. The calculated values were then compared with the skin DCs of the ICRP Publication 116. The results of the present study show that for high-energy electrons (≥ 1 MeV), the ICRP-116 skin DCs are, indeed, in good agreement with the skin DCs calculated in the present study. For low-energy electrons (< 1 MeV), however, significant discrepancies were observed, and the ICRP-116 skin DCs underestimated the skin dose as much as 15 times for some energies. Besides, regardless of the small tissue weighting factor of the skin ( w T = 0.01), the discrepancies in the skin dose were found to result in significant discrepancies in the effective dose, demonstarting that the effective DCs in ICRP-116 are not reliable for external exposure to electrons.

A conversion method of air kerma from the primary, scatter, and leakage radiations to effective dose for calculating x-ray shielding barriers in mammography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kharrati, Hedi

2005-05-01

In this study, a new approach has been introduced for derivation of the effective dose from air kerma to calculate shielding requirements in mammography facilities. This new approach has been used to compute the conversion coefficients relating air kerma to the effective dose for the mammography reference beam series of the Netherlands Metrology Institute Van Swinden Laboratorium, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and International Atomic Energy Agency laboratories. The results show that, in all cases, the effective dose in mammography energy range is less than 25% of the incident air kerma for the primary and the scatter radiations andmore » does not exceed 75% for the leakage radiation.« less

Dose Calculation Evolution for Internal Organ Irradiation in Humans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jimenez V., Reina A.

2007-10-01

The International Commission of Radiation Units (ICRU) has established through the years, a discrimination system regarding the security levels on the prescription and administration of doses in radiation treatments (Radiotherapy, Brach therapy, Nuclear Medicine). The first level is concerned with the prescription and posterior assurance of dose administration to a point of interest (POI), commonly located at the geometrical center of the region to be treated. In this, the effects of radiation around that POI, is not a priority. The second level refers to the dose specifications in a particular plane inside the patient, mostly the middle plane of the lesion. The dose is calculated to all the structures in that plane regardless if they are tumor or healthy tissue. In this case, the dose is not represented by a point value, but by level curves called "isodoses" as in a topographic map, so you can assure the level of doses to this particular plane, but it also leave with no information about how this values go thru adjacent planes. This is why the third level is referred to the volumetrical description of doses so these isodoses construct now a volume (named "cloud") that give us better assurance about tissue irradiation around the volume of the lesion and its margin (sub clinical spread or microscopic illness). This work shows how this evolution has resulted, not only in healthy tissue protection improvement but in a rise of tumor control, quality of life, better treatment tolerance and minimum permanent secuelae.

Progress with the NCT international dosimetry exchange.

PubMed

Binns, P J; Riley, K J; Harling, O K; Auterinen, I; Marek, M; Kiger, W S

2004-11-01

The international collaboration that was organized to undertake a dosimetry exchange for purposes of combining clinical data from different facilities conducting neutron capture therapy has continued since its founding at the 9th ISNCT symposium in October 2000. The thrust towards accumulating physical dosimetry data for comparison between different participants has broadened to include facilities in Japan and the determination of spectral descriptions of different beams. Retrospective analysis of patient data from the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor is also being considered for incorporation into this study to increase the pool of available data. Meanwhile the next essential phase of comparing measurements of visiting dosimetry groups with treatment plan calculations from the host institutes has commenced. Host centers from Petten, Finland and the Czech Republic in Europe and MIT in the USA have applied the regular calculations and clinical calibrations from their current clinical studies, to generate treatment plans in the large standard phantom used for measurements by visiting participants. These data have been exchanged between the participants and scaling factors to relate the separate dose components between the different institutes are being determined. Preliminary normalization of measured and calculated dosimetry for patients is nearing completion to enable the physical radiation doses that comprise a treatment prescription at a host institute to be directly related to the corresponding measured doses of a visiting group. This should serve as an impetus for the direct comparison of patient data although the clinical requirements for achieving this need to be clearly defined. This may necessitate more extensive comparisons of treatment planning calculations through the solution of test problems and clarification regarding the question of dose specification from treatment calculations in general.

INDOS: conversational computer codes to implement ICRP-10-10A models for estimation of internal radiation dose to man

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Killough, G.G.; Rohwer, P.S.

1974-03-01

INDOS1, INDOS2, and INDOS3 (the INDOS codes) are conversational FORTRAN IV programs, implemented for use in time-sharing mode on the ORNL PDP-10 System. These codes use ICRP10-10A models to estimate the radiation dose to an organ of the body of Reference Man resulting from the ingestion or inhalation of any one of various radionuclides. Two patterns of intake are simulated: intakes at discrete times and continuous intake at a constant rate. The IND0S codes provide tabular output of dose rate and dose vs time, graphical output of dose vs time, and punched-card output of organ burden and dose vs time.more » The models of internal dose calculation are discussed and instructions for the use of the INDOS codes are provided. The INDOS codes are available from the Radiation Shielding Information Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P. O. Box X, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830. (auth)« less

Measured Neutron Spectra and Dose Equivalents From a Mevion Single-Room, Passively Scattered Proton System Used for Craniospinal Irradiation.

PubMed

Howell, Rebecca M; Burgett, Eric A; Isaacs, Daniel; Price Hedrick, Samantha G; Reilly, Michael P; Rankine, Leith J; Grantham, Kevin K; Perkins, Stephanie; Klein, Eric E

2016-05-01

To measure, in the setting of typical passively scattered proton craniospinal irradiation (CSI) treatment, the secondary neutron spectra, and use these spectra to calculate dose equivalents for both internal and external neutrons delivered via a Mevion single-room compact proton system. Secondary neutron spectra were measured using extended-range Bonner spheres for whole brain, upper spine, and lower spine proton fields. The detector used can discriminate neutrons over the entire range of the energy spectrum encountered in proton therapy. To separately assess internally and externally generated neutrons, each of the fields was delivered with and without a phantom. Average neutron energy, total neutron fluence, and ambient dose equivalent [H* (10)] were calculated for each spectrum. Neutron dose equivalents as a function of depth were estimated by applying published neutron depth-dose data to in-air H* (10) values. For CSI fields, neutron spectra were similar, with a high-energy direct neutron peak, an evaporation peak, a thermal peak, and an intermediate continuum between the evaporation and thermal peaks. Neutrons in the evaporation peak made the largest contribution to dose equivalent. Internal neutrons had a very low to negligible contribution to dose equivalent compared with external neutrons, largely attributed to the measurement location being far outside the primary proton beam. Average energies ranged from 8.6 to 14.5 MeV, whereas fluences ranged from 6.91 × 10(6) to 1.04 × 10(7) n/cm(2)/Gy, and H* (10) ranged from 2.27 to 3.92 mSv/Gy. For CSI treatments delivered with a Mevion single-gantry proton therapy system, we found measured neutron dose was consistent with dose equivalents reported for CSI with other proton beamlines. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Internal Dose from Food and Drink Ingestion in the Early Phase after the Accident

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawai, Masaki; Yoshizawa, Nobuaki; Hirakawa, Sachiko; Murakami, Kana; Takizawa, Mari; Sato, Osamu; Takagi, Shunji; Miyatake, Hirokazu; Takahashi, Tomoyuki; Suzuki, Gen

2017-09-01

Activity concentrations in food and drink, represented by water and vegetables, have been monitored continuously since the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, with a focus on radioactive cesium. On the other hand, iodine-131 was not measured systematically in the early phase after the accident. The activity concentrations of iodine-131 in food and drink are important to estimate internal exposure due to ingestion pathway. When the internal dose from ingestion in the evacuation areas is estimated, water is considered as the main ingestion pathway. In this study, we estimated the values of activity concentrations in water in the early phase after the accident, using a compartment model as an estimation method. The model uses measurement values of activity concentration and deposition rate of iodine-131 onto the ground, which is calculated from an atmospheric dispersion simulation. The model considers how drinking water would be affected by radionuclides deposited into water. We estimated the activity concentrations of water on Kawamata town and Minamisouma city during March of 2011 and the committed effective doses were 0.08 mSv and 0.06 mSv. We calculated the transfer parameters in the model for estimating the activity concentrations in the areas with a small amount of measurement data. In addition, we estimated the committed effective doses from vegetables using atmospheric dispersion simulation and FARMLAND model in case of eating certain vegetables as option information.

Methodology for worker neutron exposure evaluation in the PDCF facility design.

PubMed

Scherpelz, R I; Traub, R J; Pryor, K H

2004-01-01

A project headed by Washington Group International is meant to design the Pit Disassembly and Conversion Facility (PDCF) to convert the plutonium pits from excessed nuclear weapons into plutonium oxide for ultimate disposition. Battelle staff are performing the shielding calculations that will determine appropriate shielding so that the facility workers will not exceed target exposure levels. The target exposure levels for workers in the facility are 5 mSv y(-1) for the whole body and 100 mSv y(-1) for the extremity, which presents a significant challenge to the designers of a facility that will process tons of radioactive material. The design effort depended on shielding calculations to determine appropriate thickness and composition for glove box walls, and concrete wall thicknesses for storage vaults. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) staff used ORIGEN-S and SOURCES to generate gamma and neutron source terms, and Monte Carlo (computer code for) neutron photon (transport) (MCNP-4C) to calculate the radiation transport in the facility. The shielding calculations were performed by a team of four scientists, so it was necessary to develop a consistent methodology. There was also a requirement for the study to be cost-effective, so efficient methods of evaluation were required. The calculations were subject to rigorous scrutiny by internal and external reviewers, so acceptability was a major feature of the methodology. Some of the issues addressed in the development of the methodology included selecting appropriate dose factors, developing a method for handling extremity doses, adopting an efficient method for evaluating effective dose equivalent in a non-uniform radiation field, modelling the reinforcing steel in concrete, and modularising the geometry descriptions for efficiency. The relative importance of the neutron dose equivalent compared with the gamma dose equivalent varied substantially depending on the specific shielding conditions and lessons were learned from this effect. This paper addresses these issues and the resulting methodology.

Comparison of the mean quality factors for astronauts calculated using the Q-functions proposed by ICRP, ICRU, and NASA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, T.; Endo, A.; Niita, K.

2013-07-01

For the estimation of the radiation risk for astronauts, not only the organ absorbed doses but also their mean quality factors must be evaluated. Three functions have been proposed by different organizations for expressing the radiation quality, including the Q(L), Q(y), and QNASA(Z, E) relationships as defined in International Committee of Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 60, International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) Report 40, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) TP-2011-216155, respectively. The Q(L) relationship is the most simple and widely used for space dosimetry, but the use of the latter two functions enables consideration of the difference in the track structure of various charged particles during the risk estimation. Therefore, we calculated the mean quality factors in organs and tissues in ICRP/ICRU reference voxel phantoms for the isotropic exposure to various mono-energetic particles using the three Q-functions. The Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System PHITS was employed to simulate the particle motions inside the phantoms. The effective dose equivalents and the phantom-averaged effective quality factors for the astronauts were then estimated from the calculated mean quality factors multiplied by the fluence-to-dose conversion coefficients and cosmic-ray fluxes inside a spacecraft. It was found from the calculations that QNASA generally gives the largest values for the phantom-averaged effective quality factors among the three Q-functions for neutron, proton, and lighter-ion irradiation, whereas Q(L) provides the largest values for heavier-ion irradiation. Overall, the introduction of QNASA instead of Q(L) or Q(y) in astronaut dosimetry results in the increase the effective dose equivalents because the majority of the doses are composed of the contributions from protons and neutrons, although this tendency may change by the calculation conditions.

Analysis of EPR and FISH studies of radiation doses in persons who lived in the upper reaches of the Techa River.

PubMed

Degteva, M O; Shagina, N B; Shishkina, E A; Vozilova, A V; Volchkova, A Y; Vorobiova, M I; Wieser, A; Fattibene, P; Della Monaca, S; Ainsbury, E; Moquet, J; Anspaugh, L R; Napier, B A

2015-11-01

Waterborne radioactive releases into the Techa River from the Mayak Production Association in Russia during 1949-1956 resulted in significant doses to about 30,000 persons who lived in downstream settlements. The residents were exposed to internal and external radiation. Two methods for reconstruction of the external dose are considered in this paper, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements of teeth, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) measurements of chromosome translocations in circulating lymphocytes. The main issue in the application of the EPR and FISH methods for reconstruction of the external dose for the Techa Riverside residents was strontium radioisotopes incorporated in teeth and bones that act as a source of confounding local exposures. In order to estimate and subtract doses from incorporated (89,90)Sr, the EPR and FISH assays were supported by measurements of (90)Sr-body burdens and estimates of (90)Sr concentrations in dental tissues by the luminescence method. The resulting dose estimates derived from EPR to FISH measurements for residents of the upper Techa River were found to be consistent: The mean values vary from 510 to 550 mGy for the villages located close to the site of radioactive release to 130-160 mGy for the more distant villages. The upper bound of individual estimates for both methods is equal to 2.2-2.3 Gy. The EPR- and FISH-based dose estimates were compared with the doses calculated for the donors using the most recent Techa River Dosimetry System (TRDS). The TRDS external dose assessments are based on the data on contamination of the Techa River floodplain, simulation of air kerma above the contaminated soil, age-dependent lifestyles and individual residence histories. For correct comparison, TRDS-based doses were calculated from two sources: external exposure from the contaminated environment and internal exposure from (137)Cs incorporated in donors' soft tissues. It is shown here that the TRDS-based absorbed doses in tooth enamel and muscle are in agreement with EPR- and FISH-based estimates within uncertainty bounds. Basically, this agreement between the estimates has confirmed the validity of external doses calculated with the TRDS.

Motion-robust intensity-modulated proton therapy for distal esophageal cancer.

PubMed

Yu, Jen; Zhang, Xiaodong; Liao, Li; Li, Heng; Zhu, Ronald; Park, Peter C; Sahoo, Narayan; Gillin, Michael; Li, Yupeng; Chang, Joe Y; Komaki, Ritsuko; Lin, Steven H

2016-03-01

To develop methods for evaluation and mitigation of dosimetric impact due to respiratory and diaphragmatic motion during free breathing in treatment of distal esophageal cancers using intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT). This was a retrospective study on 11 patients with distal esophageal cancer. For each patient, four-dimensional computed tomography (4D CT) data were acquired, and a nominal dose was calculated on the average phase of the 4D CT. The changes of water equivalent thickness (ΔWET) to cover the treatment volume from the peak of inspiration to the valley of expiration were calculated for a full range of beam angle rotation. Two IMPT plans were calculated: one at beam angles corresponding to small ΔWET and one at beam angles corresponding to large ΔWET. Four patients were selected for the calculation of 4D-robustness-optimized IMPT plans due to large motion-induced dose errors generated in conventional IMPT. To quantitatively evaluate motion-induced dose deviation, the authors calculated the lowest dose received by 95% (D95) of the internal clinical target volume for the nominal dose, the D95 calculated on the maximum inhale and exhale phases of 4D CT DCT0 andDCT50 , the 4D composite dose, and the 4D dynamic dose for a single fraction. The dose deviation increased with the average ΔWET of the implemented beams, ΔWETave. When ΔWETave was less than 5 mm, the dose error was less than 1 cobalt gray equivalent based on DCT0 and DCT50 . The dose deviation determined on the basis of DCT0 and DCT50 was proportionally larger than that determined on the basis of the 4D composite dose. The 4D-robustness-optimized IMPT plans notably reduced the overall dose deviation of multiple fractions and the dose deviation caused by the interplay effect in a single fraction. In IMPT for distal esophageal cancer, ΔWET analysis can be used to select the beam angles that are least affected by respiratory and diaphragmatic motion. To further reduce dose deviation, the 4D-robustness optimization can be implemented for IMPT planning. Calculation of DCT0 and DCT50 is a conservative method to estimate the motion-induced dose errors.

Dose evaluation of organs at risk (OAR) cervical cancer using dose volume histogram (DVH) on brachytherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arif Wibowo, R.; Haris, Bambang; Inganatul Islamiyah, dan

2017-05-01

Brachytherapy is one way to cure cervical cancer. It works by placing a radioactive source near the tumor. However, there are some healthy tissues or organs at risk (OAR) such as bladder and rectum which received radiation also. This study aims to evaluate the radiation dose of the bladder and rectum. There were 12 total radiation dose data of the bladder and rectum obtained from patients’ brachytherapy. The dose of cervix for all patients was 6 Gy. Two-dimensional calculation of the radiation dose was based on the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) points or called DICRU while the 3-dimensional calculation derived from Dose Volume Histogram (DVH) on a volume of 2 cc (D2cc). The radiation dose of bladder and rectum from both methods were analysed using independent t test. The mean DICRU of bladder was 4.33730 Gy and its D2cc was4.78090 Gy. DICRU and D2cc bladder did not differ significantly (p = 0.144). The mean DICRU of rectum was 3.57980 Gy and 4.58670 Gy for D2cc. The mean DICRU of rectum differed significantly from D2cc of rectum (p = 0.000). The three-dimensional method radiation dose of the bladder and rectum was higher than the two-dimensional method with ratios 1.10227 for bladder and 1.28127 for rectum. The radiation dose of the bladder and rectum was still below the tolerance dose. Two-dimensional calculation of the bladder and rectum dose was lower than three-dimension which was more accurate due to its calculation at the whole volume of the organs.

Dose assessment of aircraft crew in The Netherlands.

PubMed

Van Dijk, J W E

2003-01-01

As the operator of the National Dose Registration and Information System, NRG has implemented a system for radiation exposure monitoring for the Dutch airlines. The system is based on the use of computer generated flight plans together with dose calculations using the CARI-6M program. Before installing the system a study was performed to estimate the uncertainty in the assessment of the annual dose of the crew members. It was concluded that the proposed system complies with international recommendations on the uncertainty in dose assessments in individual monitoring and that the operational costs of the system are low.

Benchmark Studies of the Effectiveness of Structural and Internal Materials as Radiation Shielding for the International Space Station

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miller, J.; Zeitlin, C.; Cucinotta, F.A.

2002-05-09

Accelerator-based measurements and model calculations have been used to study the heavy ion radiation transport properties of materials in use on the International Space Station (ISS). Samples of the ISS aluminum outer hull were augmented with various configurations of internal wall material and polyethylene. The materials were bombarded with high energy Fe ions characteristic of a significant part of the Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) heavy ion spectrum. Transmitted primary ions and charged fragments produced in nuclear collisions in the materials were measured near the beam axis, and a model was used to extrapolate from the data to lower beam energiesmore » and to a lighter ion. For the materials and ions studied, at incident particle energies from 1037 MeV/nucleon down to at least 600 MeV/nucleon, nuclear fragmentation reduces the average dose and dose equivalent per incident ion. At energies below 400 MeV/nucleon, the calculation predicts that as material is added, increased ionization energy loss produces increases in some dosimetric quantities. These limited results suggest that the addition of modest amounts of polyethylene or similar material to the interior of the ISS will reduce the dose to ISS crews from space radiation; however the radiation transport properties of ISS materials should be evaluated with a realistic space radiation field.« less

Benchmark studies of the effectiveness of structural and internal materials as radiation shielding for the international space station.

PubMed

Miller, J; Zeitlin, C; Cucinotta, F A; Heilbronn, L; Stephens, D; Wilson, J W

2003-03-01

Accelerator-based measurements and model calculations have been used to study the heavy-ion radiation transport properties of materials in use on the International Space Station (ISS). Samples of the ISS aluminum outer hull were augmented with various configurations of internal wall material and polyethylene. The materials were bombarded with high-energy iron ions characteristic of a significant part of the galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) heavy-ion spectrum. Transmitted primary ions and charged fragments produced in nuclear collisions in the materials were measured near the beam axis, and a model was used to extrapolate from the data to lower beam energies and to a lighter ion. For the materials and ions studied, at incident particle energies from 1037 MeV/nucleon down to at least 600 MeV/nucleon, nuclear fragmentation reduces the average dose and dose equivalent per incident ion. At energies below 400 MeV/nucleon, the calculation predicts that as material is added, increased ionization energy loss produces increases in some dosimetric quantities. These limited results suggest that the addition of modest amounts of polyethylene or similar material to the interior of the ISS will reduce the dose to ISS crews from space radiation; however, the radiation transport properties of ISS materials should be evaluated with a realistic space radiation field. Copyright 2003 by Radiation Research Society

AN ESTIMATION OF THE EXPOSURE OF THE POPULATION OF ISRAEL TO NATURAL SOURCES OF IONIZING RADIATION.

PubMed

Epstein, L; Koch, J; Riemer, T; Haquin, G; Orion, I

2017-11-01

The radiation dose to the population of Israel due to exposure to natural sources of ionizing radiation was assessed. The main contributor to the dose is radon that accounts for 60% of the exposure to natural sources. The dose due to radon inhalation was assessed by combining the results of a radon survey in single-family houses with the results of a survey in apartments in multi-storey buildings. The average annual dose due to radon inhalation was found to be 1.2 mSv. The dose rate due to exposure to cosmic radiation was assessed using a code that calculates the dose rate at different heights above sea level, taking into account the solar cycle. The annual dose was calculated based on the fraction of time spent indoors and the attenuation provided by buildings and was found to be 0.2 mSv. The annual dose due to external exposure to the terrestrial radionuclides was similarly assessed. The indoor dose rate was calculated using a model that takes into account the concentrations of the natural radionuclides in building materials, the density and the thickness of the walls. The dose rate outdoors was calculated based on the concentrations of the natural radionuclides in different geological units in Israel as measured in an aerial survey and measurements above ground. The annual dose was found to be 0.2 mSv. Doses due to internal exposure other than exposure to radon were also calculated and were found to be 0.4 mSv. The overall annual exposure of the population of Israel to natural sources of ionizing radiation is therefore 2 mSv and ranges between 1.7 and 2.7 mSv. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Characterization of differences in calculated and actual measured skin doses to canine limbs during stereotactic radiosurgery using Gafchromic film

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walters, Jerri; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO; Ryan, Stewart

Accurate calculation of absorbed dose to the skin, especially the superficial and radiosensitive basal cell layer, is difficult for many reasons including, but not limited to, the build-up effect of megavoltage photons, tangential beam effects, mixed energy scatter from support devices, and dose interpolation caused by a finite resolution calculation matrix. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has been developed as an alternative limb salvage treatment option at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital for dogs with extremity bone tumors. Optimal dose delivery to the tumor during SBRT treatment can be limited by uncertainty in skin dose calculation. The aim of thismore » study was to characterize the difference between measured and calculated radiation dose by the Varian Eclipse (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA) AAA treatment planning algorithm (for 1-mm, 2-mm, and 5-mm calculation voxel dimensions) as a function of distance from the skin surface. The study used Gafchromic EBT film (International Specialty Products, Wayne, NJ), FilmQA analysis software, a limb phantom constructed from plastic water Trade-Mark-Sign (fluke Biomedical, Everett, WA) and a canine cadaver forelimb. The limb phantom was exposed to 6-MV treatments consisting of a single-beam, a pair of parallel opposed beams, and a 7-beam coplanar treatment plan. The canine forelimb was exposed to the 7-beam coplanar plan. Radiation dose to the forelimb skin at the surface and at depths of 1.65 mm and 1.35 mm below the skin surface were also measured with the Gafchromic film. The calculation algorithm estimated the dose well at depths beyond buildup for all calculation voxel sizes. The calculation algorithm underestimated the dose in portions of the buildup region of tissue for all comparisons, with the most significant differences observed in the 5-mm calculation voxel and the least difference in the 1-mm voxel. Results indicate a significant difference between measured and calculated data extending to average depths of 2.5 mm, 3.4 mm, and 10 mm for the 1-mm, 2-mm, and 5-mm dimension calculation matrices, respectively. These results emphasize the importance of selecting as small a treatment planning software calculation matrix dimension as is practically possible and of taking a conservative approach for skin treatment planning objectives. One suggested conservative approach is accomplished by defining the skin organ as the outermost 2-3 mm of the body such that the high dose tail of the skin organ dose-volume histogram curve represents dose on the deep side of the skin where the algorithm is more accurate.« less

Skeletal dosimetry in a voxel-based rat phantom for internal exposures to photons and electrons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xie Tianwu; Han Dao; Liu Yang

2010-05-15

Purpose: The skeleton makes a significant contribution to the whole body absorbed dose evaluation of rats, since the bone marrow and bone surface in the skeleton express high radiosensitivity and are considered to be important dose-limiting tissues. The bone marrow can be categorized as red bone marrow (RBM) and yellow bone marrow (YBM). It is important to investigate the bone marrow in skeletal dosimetry. Methods: Cryosectional color images of the skeleton of a 156 g rat were segmented into mineral bone (including cortical bone and trabecular bone), RBM, and YBM. These three tissue types were identified at 40 different bonemore » sites and integrated into a previously developed voxel-based rat computational phantom. Photon and electron skeletal absorbed fractions were then calculated using the MCNPX Monte Carlo code. Results: Absorbed fraction (AF) and specific absorbed fraction (SAF) for mineral bone, RBM, and YBM at the 40 different bone sites were established for monoenergetic photon and electron sources placed in 18 organs and seven bone sites. Discrete photon energy was varied from 0.01 to 5.0 MeV in 21 discrete steps, while 21 discrete electron energies were studied, from 0.1 to 10.0 MeV. The trends and values found were consistent with the results of other researchers [M. G. Stabin, T. E. Peterson, G. E. Holburn, and M. A. Emmons, ''Voxel-based mouse and rat models for internal dose calculations,'' J. Nucl. Med. 47, 655-659 (2006)]. S-factors for the radionuclides {sup 169}Er, {sup 143}Pr, {sup 89}Sr, {sup 32}P, and {sup 90}Y, located in 18 organs and seven bone sites for the skeleton, were calculated and are provided in detail. Conclusions: For internal dose calculations, the AF data reveal that the mineral bone in the rat skeletal system is responsible for significant attenuation of gamma rays, especially at low energies. The photon SAF curves of RBM show that, for photon energies greater than 0.6 MeV, there is an increase in secondary photons emitted from the mineral bone as photon energy increases. The SAF values calculated in this study can also be used to determine the absorbed dose to the skeletal system of rats. The S-factors generated here will be useful in preclinical targeted radiotherapy experiments.« less

ICRP Publication 137: Occupational Intakes of Radionuclides: Part 3.

PubMed

Paquet, F; Bailey, M R; Leggett, R W; Lipsztein, J; Marsh, J; Fell, T P; Smith, T; Nosske, D; Eckerman, K F; Berkovski, V; Blanchardon, E; Gregoratto, D; Harrison, J D

2017-12-01

The 2007 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP, 2007) introduced changes that affect the calculation of effective dose, and implied a revision of the dose coefficients for internal exposure, published previously in the Publication 30 series (ICRP, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1988) and Publication 68 (ICRP, 1994). In addition, new data are now available that support an update of the radionuclide-specific information given in Publications 54 and 78 (ICRP, 1988a, 1997b) for the design of monitoring programmes and retrospective assessment of occupational internal doses. Provision of new biokinetic models, dose coefficients, monitoring methods, and bioassay data was performed by Committee 2, Task Group 21 on Internal Dosimetry, and Task Group 4 on Dose Calculations. A new series, the Occupational Intakes of Radionuclides (OIR) series, will replace the Publication 30 series and Publications 54, 68, and 78. OIR Part 1 has been issued (ICRP, 2015), and describes the assessment of internal occupational exposure to radionuclides, biokinetic and dosimetric models, methods of individual and workplace monitoring, and general aspects of retrospective dose assessment. OIR Part 2 (ICRP, 2016), this current publication and upcoming publications in the OIR series (Parts 4 and 5) provide data on individual elements and their radioisotopes, including information on chemical forms encountered in the workplace; a list of principal radioisotopes and their physical half-lives and decay modes; the parameter values of the reference biokinetic model; and data on monitoring techniques for the radioisotopes encountered most commonly in workplaces. Reviews of data on inhalation, ingestion, and systemic biokinetics are also provided for most of the elements. Dosimetric data provided in the printed publications of the OIR series include tables of committed effective dose per intake (Sv Bq−1 intake) for inhalation and ingestion, tables of committed effective dose per content (Sv Bq−1 measurement) for inhalation, and graphs of retention and excretion data per Bq intake for inhalation. These data are provided for all absorption types and for the most common isotope(s) of each element. The electronic annex that accompanies the OIR series of publications contains a comprehensive set of committed effective and equivalent dose coefficients, committed effective dose per content functions, and reference bioassay functions. Data are provided for inhalation, ingestion, and direct input to blood. This third publication in the series provides the above data for the following elements: ruthenium (Ru), antimony (Sb), tellurium (Te), iodine (I), caesium (Cs), barium (Ba), iridium (Ir), lead (Pb), bismuth (Bi), polonium (Po), radon (Rn), radium (Ra), thorium (Th), and uranium (U).

ICRP Publication 134: Occupational Intakes of Radionuclides: Part 2.

PubMed

Paquet, F; Bailey, M R; Leggett, R W; Lipsztein, J; Fell, T P; Smith, T; Nosske, D; Eckerman, K F; Berkovski, V; Ansoborlo, E; Giussani, A; Bolch, W E; Harrison, J D

2016-12-01

The 2007 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP, 2007) introduced changes that affect the calculation of effective dose, and implied a revision of the dose coefficients for internal exposure, published previously in the Publication 30 series (ICRP, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1988b) and Publication 68 (ICRP, 1994b). In addition, new data are available that support an update of the radionuclide-specific information given in Publications 54 and 78 (ICRP, 1988a, 1997b) for the design of monitoring programmes and retrospective assessment of occupational internal doses. Provision of new biokinetic models, dose coefficients, monitoring methods, and bioassay data was performed by Committee 2, Task Group 21 on Internal Dosimetry, and Task Group 4 on Dose Calculations. A new series, the Occupational Intakes of Radionuclides (OIR) series, will replace the Publication 30 series and Publications 54, 68, and 78. Part 1 of the OIR series has been issued (ICRP, 2015), and describes the assessment of internal occupational exposure to radionuclides, biokinetic and dosimetric models, methods of individual and workplace monitoring, and general aspects of retrospective dose assessment. The following publications in the OIR series (Parts 2–5) will provide data on individual elements and their radioisotopes, including information on chemical forms encountered in the workplace; a list of principal radioisotopes and their physical half-lives and decay modes; the parameter values of the reference biokinetic model; and data on monitoring techniques for the radioisotopes encountered most commonly in workplaces. Reviews of data on inhalation, ingestion, and systemic biokinetics are also provided for most of the elements. Dosimetric data provided in the printed publications of the OIR series include tables of committed effective dose per intake (Sv per Bq intake) for inhalation and ingestion, tables of committed effective dose per content (Sv per Bq measurement) for inhalation, and graphs of retention and excretion data per Bq intake for inhalation. These data are provided for all absorption types and for the most common isotope(s) of each element. The electronic annex that accompanies the OIR series of reports contains a comprehensive set of committed effective and equivalent dose coefficients, committed effective dose per content functions, and reference bioassay functions. Data are provided for inhalation, ingestion, and direct input to blood. The present publication provides the above data for the following elements: hydrogen (H), carbon (C), phosphorus (P), sulphur (S), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), strontium (Sr), yttrium (Y), zirconium (Zr), niobium (Nb), molybdenum (Mo), and technetium (Tc).

Individualized adjustments to reference phantom internal organ dosimetry—scaling factors given knowledge of patient external anatomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wayson, Michael B.; Bolch, Wesley E.

2018-04-01

Internal radiation dose estimates for diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures are typically calculated for a reference individual. Resultantly, there is uncertainty when determining the organ doses to patients who are not at 50th percentile on either height or weight. This study aims to better personalize internal radiation dose estimates for individual patients by modifying the dose estimates calculated for reference individuals based on easily obtainable morphometric characteristics of the patient. Phantoms of different sitting heights and waist circumferences were constructed based on computational reference phantoms for the newborn, 10 year-old, and adult. Monoenergetic photons and electrons were then simulated separately at 15 energies. Photon and electron specific absorbed fractions (SAFs) were computed for the newly constructed non-reference phantoms and compared to SAFs previously generated for the age-matched reference phantoms. Differences in SAFs were correlated to changes in sitting height and waist circumference to develop scaling factors that could be applied to reference SAFs as morphometry corrections. A further set of arbitrary non-reference phantoms were then constructed and used in validation studies for the SAF scaling factors. Both photon and electron dose scaling methods were found to increase average accuracy when sitting height was used as the scaling parameter (~11%). Photon waist circumference-based scaling factors showed modest increases in average accuracy (~7%) for underweight individuals, but not for overweight individuals. Electron waist circumference-based scaling factors did not show increases in average accuracy. When sitting height and waist circumference scaling factors were combined, modest average gains in accuracy were observed for photons (~6%), but not for electrons. Both photon and electron absorbed doses are more reliably scaled using scaling factors computed in this study. They can be effectively scaled using sitting height alone as patient-specific morphometric parameter.

Individualized adjustments to reference phantom internal organ dosimetry-scaling factors given knowledge of patient external anatomy.

PubMed

Wayson, Michael B; Bolch, Wesley E

2018-04-13

Internal radiation dose estimates for diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures are typically calculated for a reference individual. Resultantly, there is uncertainty when determining the organ doses to patients who are not at 50th percentile on either height or weight. This study aims to better personalize internal radiation dose estimates for individual patients by modifying the dose estimates calculated for reference individuals based on easily obtainable morphometric characteristics of the patient. Phantoms of different sitting heights and waist circumferences were constructed based on computational reference phantoms for the newborn, 10 year-old, and adult. Monoenergetic photons and electrons were then simulated separately at 15 energies. Photon and electron specific absorbed fractions (SAFs) were computed for the newly constructed non-reference phantoms and compared to SAFs previously generated for the age-matched reference phantoms. Differences in SAFs were correlated to changes in sitting height and waist circumference to develop scaling factors that could be applied to reference SAFs as morphometry corrections. A further set of arbitrary non-reference phantoms were then constructed and used in validation studies for the SAF scaling factors. Both photon and electron dose scaling methods were found to increase average accuracy when sitting height was used as the scaling parameter (~11%). Photon waist circumference-based scaling factors showed modest increases in average accuracy (~7%) for underweight individuals, but not for overweight individuals. Electron waist circumference-based scaling factors did not show increases in average accuracy. When sitting height and waist circumference scaling factors were combined, modest average gains in accuracy were observed for photons (~6%), but not for electrons. Both photon and electron absorbed doses are more reliably scaled using scaling factors computed in this study. They can be effectively scaled using sitting height alone as patient-specific morphometric parameter.

Effect of blood activity on dosimetric calculations for radiopharmaceuticals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zvereva, Alexandra; Petoussi-Henss, Nina; Li, Wei Bo; Schlattl, Helmut; Oeh, Uwe; Zankl, Maria; Graner, Frank Philipp; Hoeschen, Christoph; Nekolla, Stephan G.; Parodi, Katia; Schwaiger, Markus

2016-11-01

The objective of this work was to investigate the influence of the definition of blood as a distinct source on organ doses, associated with the administration of a novel radiopharmaceutical for positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging—(S)-4-(3-18F-fluoropropyl)-L-glutamic acid (18F-FSPG). Personalised pharmacokinetic models were constructed based on clinical PET/CT images from five healthy volunteers and blood samples from four of them. Following an identifiability analysis of the developed compartmental models, person-specific model parameters were estimated using the commercial program SAAM II. Organ doses were calculated in accordance to the formalism promulgated by the Committee on Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) and the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) using specific absorbed fractions for photons and electrons previously derived for the ICRP reference adult computational voxel phantoms. Organ doses for two concepts were compared: source organ activities in organs parenchyma with blood as a separate source (concept-1); aggregate activities in perfused source organs without blood as a distinct source (concept-2). Aggregate activities comprise the activities of organs parenchyma and the activity in the regional blood volumes (RBV). Concept-1 resulted in notably higher absorbed doses for most organs, especially non-source organs with substantial blood contents, e.g. lungs (92% maximum difference). Consequently, effective doses increased in concept-1 compared to concept-2 by 3-10%. Not considering the blood as a distinct source region leads to an underestimation of the organ absorbed doses and effective doses. The pronounced influence of the blood even for a radiopharmaceutical with a rapid clearance from the blood, such as 18F-FSPG, suggests that blood should be introduced as a separate compartment in most compartmental pharmacokinetic models and blood should be considered as a distinct source in dosimetric calculations. Hence, blood samples should be included in all pharmacokinetic and dosimetric studies for new tracers if possible.

[Results of measuring neutrons doses and energy spectra inside Russian segment of the International Space Station in experiment "Matryoshka-R" using bubble detectors during the ISS-24-34 missions].

PubMed

Khulapko, S V; Liagushin, V I; Arkhangel'skiĭ, V V; Shurshakov, V A; Smith, M; Ing, H; Machrafi, R; Nikolaev, I V

2014-01-01

The paper presents the results of calculating the equivalent dose from and energy spectrum of neutrons in the right-hand crewquarters in module Zvezda of the ISS Russian segment. Dose measurements were made in the period between July, 2010 and November, 2012 (ISS Missions 24-34) by research equipment including the bubble dosimeter as part of experiment "Matryoshka-R". Neutron energy spectra in the crewquarters are in good agreement with what has been calculated for the ISS USOS and, earlier, for the MIR orbital station. The neutron dose rate has been found to amount to 196 +/- 23 microSv/d on Zvezda panel-443 (crewquarters) and 179 +/- 16 microSv/d on the "Shielding shutter" surface in the crewquarters.

SU-E-T-04: 3D Dose Based Patient Compensator QA Procedure for Proton Radiotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zou, W; Reyhan, M; Zhang, M

2015-06-15

Purpose: In proton double-scattering radiotherapy, compensators are the essential patient specific devices to contour the distal dose distribution to the tumor target. Traditional compensator QA is limited to checking the drilled surface profiles against the plan. In our work, a compensator QA process was established that assess the entire compensator including its internal structure for patient 3D dose verification. Methods: The fabricated patient compensators were CT scanned. Through mathematical image processing and geometric transformations, the CT images of the proton compensator were combined with the patient simulation CT images into a new series of CT images, in which the imagedmore » compensator is placed at the planned location along the corresponding beam line. The new CT images were input into the Eclipse treatment planning system. The original plan was calculated to the combined CT image series without the plan compensator. The newly computed patient 3D dose from the combined patientcompensator images was verified against the original plan dose. Test plans include the compensators with defects intentionally created inside the fabricated compensators. Results: The calculated 3D dose with the combined compensator and patient CT images reflects the impact of the fabricated compensator to the patient. For the test cases in which no defects were created, the dose distributions were in agreement between our method and the corresponding original plans. For the compensator with the defects, the purposely changed material and a purposely created internal defect were successfully detected while not possible with just the traditional compensator profiles detection methods. Conclusion: We present here a 3D dose verification process to qualify the fabricated proton double-scattering compensator. Such compensator detection process assesses the patient 3D impact of the fabricated compensator surface profile as well as the compensator internal material and structure changes. This research receives funding support from CURA Medical Technologies.« less

Modification and benchmarking of SKYSHINE-III for use with ISFSI cask arrays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hertel, N.E.; Napolitano, D.G.

1997-12-01

Dry cask storage arrays are becoming more and more common at nuclear power plants in the United States. Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 72, limits doses at the controlled area boundary of these independent spent-fuel storage installations (ISFSI) to 0.25 mSv (25 mrem)/yr. The minimum controlled area boundaries of such a facility are determined by cask array dose calculations, which include direct radiation and radiation scattered by the atmosphere, also known as skyshine. NAC International (NAC) uses SKYSHINE-III to calculate the gamma-ray and neutron dose rates as a function of distance from ISFSI arrays. In thismore » paper, we present modifications to the SKYSHINE-III that more explicitly model cask arrays. In addition, we have benchmarked the radiation transport methods used in SKYSHINE-III against {sup 60}Co gamma-ray experiments and MCNP neutron calculations.« less

Around Semipalatinsk nuclear test site: progress of dose estimations relevant to the consequences of nuclear tests (a summary of 3rd Dosimetry Workshop on the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site area, RIRBM, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 9-11 of March, 2005).

PubMed

Stepanenko, Valeriy F; Hoshi, Masaharu; Bailiff, Ian K; Ivannikov, Alexander I; Toyoda, Shin; Yamamoto, Masayoshi; Simon, Steven L; Matsuo, Masatsugu; Kawano, Noriyuki; Zhumadilov, Zhaxybay; Sasaki, Masao S; Rosenson, Rafail I; Apsalikov, Kazbek N

2006-02-01

The paper is an analytical overview of the main results presented at the 3rd Dosimetry Workshop in Hiroshima(9-11 of March 2005), where different aspects of the dose reconstruction around the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site(SNTS) were discussed and summarized. The results of the international intercomparison of the retrospective luminescence dosimetry(RLD) method for Dolon' village(Kazakhstan) were presented at the Workshop and good concurrence between dose estimations by different laboratories from 6 countries (Japan, Russia, USA, Germany, Finland and UK) was pointed out. The accumulated dose values in brick for a common depth of 10mm depth obtained independently by all participating laboratories were in good agreement for all four brick samples from Dolon' village, Kazakhstan, with the average value of the local gamma dose due to fallout (near the sampling locations) being about 220 mGy(background dose has been subtracted).Furthermore, using a conversion factor of about 2 to obtain the free-in-air dose, a value of local dose approximately 440 mGy is obtained, which supports the results of external dose calculations for Dolon': recently published soil contamination data, archive information and new models were used for refining dose calculations and the external dose in air for Dolon village was estimated to be about 500 mGy. The results of electron spin resonance(ESR) dosimetry with tooth enamel have demonstrated the notable progress in application of ESR dosimetry to the problems of dose reconstruction around the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. At the present moment, dose estimates by the ESR method have become more consistent with calculated values and with retrospective luminescence dosimetry data, but differences between ESR dose estimates and RLD/calculation data were noted. For example mean ESR dose for eligible tooth samples from Dolon' village was estimated to be about 140 mGy(above background dose), which is less than dose values obtained by RLD and calculations. A possible explanation of the differences between ESR and RLD/calculations doses is the following: for interpretation of ESR data the "shielding and behaviour" factors for investigated persons should be taken into account. The "upper level" of the combination of "shielding and behaviour" factors of dose reduction for inhabitants of Dolon' village of about 0.28 was obtained by comparing the individual ESR tooth enamel dose estimates with the calculated mean dose for this settlement. The biological dosimetry data related to the settlements near SNTS were presented at the Workshop. A higher incidence of unstable chromosome aberrations, micronucleus in lymphocytes, nuclear abnormalities of thyroid follicular cells, T-cell receptor mutations in peripheral blood were found for exposed areas (Dolon', Sarjal) in comparison with unexposed ones(Kokpekty). The significant greater frequency of stable translocations (results of analyses of chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes by the FISH technique) was demonstrated for Dolon' village in comparison with Chekoman(unexposed village). The elevated level of stable translocations in Dolon' corresponds to a dose of about 180 mSv, which is close to the results of ESR dosimetry for this village. The importance of investigating specific morphological types of thyroid nodules for thyroid dosimetry studies was pointed out. In general the 3rd Dosimetry Workshop has demonstrated remarkable progress in developing an international level of common approaches for retrospective dose estimations around the SNTS and in understanding the tasks for the future joint work in this direction. In the framework of a special session the problems of developing a database and registry in order to support epidemiological studies around SNTS were discussed. The results of investigation of psychological consequences of nuclear tests, which are expressed in the form of verbal behaviour, were presented at this session as well.

Development and application of a dosimetry model (ExDoM2) for calculating internal dose of specific particle-bound metals in the human body.

PubMed

Chalvatzaki, Eleftheria; Lazaridis, Mihalis

2015-01-01

The objective of the current study was to develop a dosimetry model (ExDoM2) for calculating internal dose of specific particle-bound metals (As, Pb, Cd, Cr and Mn) in the human body. The ExDoM2 is a revised version of a respiratory tract model (ExDoM) incorporating a new particle clearance mechanism in the respiratory tract model and a Physiologically-Based PharmacoKinetic (PBPK) model. The revised respiratory tract model was used to calculate the deposition, clearance and retention of particles in the human respiratory tract and the mass transferred to the oesophagus (gastrointestinal tract) and blood. The PBPK module was used to analyze the distribution of metals (As, Pb, Cd, Cr and Mn) from the blood circulation system to other organs or tissues like liver, kidneys, heart, brain, muscle and bone. The model was applied to calculate the internal human dose for an adult Caucasian male exposed to particulate mass matter (PM), PMPb, PMCd, PMMn and PMCr in an urban area (Athens, Greece). The analysis showed that at the end of the exposure (one day exposure scenario) to PMPb, the major accumulation occurs in the bone, blood and muscle, whereas as regards PMCd the major accumulation occurs in the other tissues, like kidney and liver. In addition, for PMMn, the major accumulation occurs in the other tissues and lungs, whereas as regards PMCr the major accumulation occurs in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and lungs. Therefore, ExDoM2 is an important feature in studying deposition of particles in the human body.

Neutron fluence-to-dose conversion coefficients for embryo and fetus.

PubMed

Chen, Jing; Meyerhof, Dorothy; Vlahovich, Slavica

2004-01-01

A problem of concern in radiation protection is the exposure of pregnant women to ionising radiation, because of the high radiosensitivity of the embryo and fetus. External neutron exposure is of concern when pregnant women travel by aeroplane. Dose assessments for neutrons frequently rely on fluence-to-dose conversion coefficients. While neutron fluence-to-dose conversion coefficients for adults are recommended in International Commission on Radiological Protection publications and International Commission on Radiological Units and Measurements reports, conversion coefficients for embryos and fetuses are not given in the publications. This study undertakes Monte Carlo calculations to determine the mean absorbed doses to the embryo and fetus when the mother is exposed to neutron fields. A new set of mathematical models for the embryo and fetus has been developed at Health Canada and is used together with mathematical phantoms of a pregnant female developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Monoenergetic neutrons from 1 eV to 10 MeV are considered in this study. The irradiation geometries include antero-posterior (AP), postero-anterior (PA), lateral (LAT), rotational (ROT) and isotropic (ISO) geometries. At each of these standard irradiation geometries, absorbed doses to the fetal brain and body are calculated; for the embryo at 8 weeks and the fetus at 3, 6 or 9 months. Neutron fluence-to-absorbed dose conversion coefficients are derived for the four age groups. Neutron fluence-to-equivalent dose conversion coefficients are given for the AP irradiations which yield the highest radiation dose to the fetal body in the neutron energy range considered here. The results indicate that for neutrons <10 MeV more protection should be given to pregnant women in the first trimester due to the higher absorbed dose per unit neutron fluence to the fetus.

In vivo diode dosimetry vs. computerized tomography and digitally reconstructed radiographs for critical organ dose calculation in high-dose-rate brachytherapy of cervical cancer.

PubMed

Hassouna, Ashraf H; Bahadur, Yasir A; Constantinescu, Camelia; El Sayed, Mohamed E; Naseem, Hussain; Naga, Adly F

2011-01-01

To investigate the correlation between the dose predicted by the treatment planning system using digitally reconstructed radiographs or three-dimensional (3D)-reconstructed CT images and the dose measured by semiconductor detectors, under clinical conditions of high-dose-rate brachytherapy of the cervix uteri. Thirty-two intracavitary brachytherapy applications were performed for 12 patients with cancer of the cervix uteri. The prescribed dose to Point A was 7 Gy. Dose was calculated for both International Commissioning on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) bladder and rectal points based on digitally reconstructed radiographs and for 3D CT images-based volumetric calculation of the bladder and rectum. In vivo diode dosimetry was performed for the bladder and rectum. The ICRU reference point and the volumes of 1, 2, and 5cm(3) received 3.6±0.9, 5.6±2.0, 5.1±1.7, 4.3±1.4 and 5.0±1.2, 5.3±1.3, 4.9±1.1, and 4.2±0.9 Gy for the bladder and rectum, respectively. The ratio of the 1cm(3) and the ICRU reference point dose to the diode dose was 1.8±0.7 and 1.2±0.5 for the bladder and 1.9±0.6 and 1.7±0.5 for the rectum, respectively. 3D image-based dose calculation is the most accurate and reliable method to evaluate the dose given to critical organs. In vivo diode dosimetry is an important method of quality assurance, but clinical decisions should be made based on 3D-reconstructed CT image calculations. Copyright © 2011 American Brachytherapy Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of interpatient variability on organ dose estimates according to MIRD schema: Uncertainty and variance-based sensitivity analysis.

PubMed

Zvereva, Alexandra; Kamp, Florian; Schlattl, Helmut; Zankl, Maria; Parodi, Katia

2018-05-17

Variance-based sensitivity analysis (SA) is described and applied to the radiation dosimetry model proposed by the Committee on Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) for the organ-level absorbed dose calculations in nuclear medicine. The uncertainties in the dose coefficients thus calculated are also evaluated. A Monte Carlo approach was used to compute first-order and total-effect SA indices, which rank the input factors according to their influence on the uncertainty in the output organ doses. These methods were applied to the radiopharmaceutical (S)-4-(3- 18 F-fluoropropyl)-L-glutamic acid ( 18 F-FSPG) as an example. Since 18 F-FSPG has 11 notable source regions, a 22-dimensional model was considered here, where 11 input factors are the time-integrated activity coefficients (TIACs) in the source regions and 11 input factors correspond to the sets of the specific absorbed fractions (SAFs) employed in the dose calculation. The SA was restricted to the foregoing 22 input factors. The distributions of the input factors were built based on TIACs of five individuals to whom the radiopharmaceutical 18 F-FSPG was administered and six anatomical models, representing two reference, two overweight, and two slim individuals. The self-absorption SAFs were mass-scaled to correspond to the reference organ masses. The estimated relative uncertainties were in the range 10%-30%, with a minimum and a maximum for absorbed dose coefficients for urinary bladder wall and heart wall, respectively. The applied global variance-based SA enabled us to identify the input factors that have the highest influence on the uncertainty in the organ doses. With the applied mass-scaling of the self-absorption SAFs, these factors included the TIACs for absorbed dose coefficients in the source regions and the SAFs from blood as source region for absorbed dose coefficients in highly vascularized target regions. For some combinations of proximal target and source regions, the corresponding cross-fire SAFs were found to have an impact. Global variance-based SA has been for the first time applied to the MIRD schema for internal dose calculation. Our findings suggest that uncertainties in computed organ doses can be substantially reduced by performing an accurate determination of TIACs in the source regions, accompanied by the estimation of individual source region masses along with the usage of an appropriate blood distribution in a patient's body and, in a few cases, the cross-fire SAFs from proximal source regions. © 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Organ and effective dose rate coefficients for submersion exposure in occupational settings

DOE PAGES

Veinot, K. G.; Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, TN; Dewji, S. A.; ...

2017-08-24

External dose coefficients for environmental exposure scenarios are often computed using assumption on infinite or semi-infinite radiation sources. For example, in the case of a person standing on contaminated ground, the source is assumed to be distributed at a given depth (or between various depths) and extending outwards to an essentially infinite distance. In the case of exposure to contaminated air, the person is modeled as standing within a cloud of infinite, or semi-infinite, source distribution. However, these scenarios do not mimic common workplace environments where scatter off walls and ceilings may significantly alter the energy spectrum and dose coefficients.more » In this study, dose rate coefficients were calculated using the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) reference voxel phantoms positioned in rooms of three sizes representing an office, laboratory, and warehouse. For each room size calculations using the reference phantoms were performed for photons, electrons, and positrons as the source particles to derive mono-energetic dose rate coefficients. Since the voxel phantoms lack the resolution to perform dose calculations at the sensitive depth for the skin, a mathematical phantom was developed and calculations were performed in each room size with the three source particle types. Coefficients for the noble gas radionuclides of ICRP Publication 107 (e.g., Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, and Rn) were generated by folding the corresponding photon, electron, and positron emissions over the mono-energetic dose rate coefficients. Finally, results indicate that the smaller room sizes have a significant impact on the dose rate per unit air concentration compared to the semi-infinite cloud case. For example, for Kr-85 the warehouse dose rate coefficient is 7% higher than the office dose rate coefficient while it is 71% higher for Xe-133.« less

Organ and effective dose rate coefficients for submersion exposure in occupational settings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Veinot, K. G.; Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, TN; Dewji, S. A.

External dose coefficients for environmental exposure scenarios are often computed using assumption on infinite or semi-infinite radiation sources. For example, in the case of a person standing on contaminated ground, the source is assumed to be distributed at a given depth (or between various depths) and extending outwards to an essentially infinite distance. In the case of exposure to contaminated air, the person is modeled as standing within a cloud of infinite, or semi-infinite, source distribution. However, these scenarios do not mimic common workplace environments where scatter off walls and ceilings may significantly alter the energy spectrum and dose coefficients.more » In this study, dose rate coefficients were calculated using the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) reference voxel phantoms positioned in rooms of three sizes representing an office, laboratory, and warehouse. For each room size calculations using the reference phantoms were performed for photons, electrons, and positrons as the source particles to derive mono-energetic dose rate coefficients. Since the voxel phantoms lack the resolution to perform dose calculations at the sensitive depth for the skin, a mathematical phantom was developed and calculations were performed in each room size with the three source particle types. Coefficients for the noble gas radionuclides of ICRP Publication 107 (e.g., Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, and Rn) were generated by folding the corresponding photon, electron, and positron emissions over the mono-energetic dose rate coefficients. Finally, results indicate that the smaller room sizes have a significant impact on the dose rate per unit air concentration compared to the semi-infinite cloud case. For example, for Kr-85 the warehouse dose rate coefficient is 7% higher than the office dose rate coefficient while it is 71% higher for Xe-133.« less

Ischaemic heart disease incidence and mortality in an extended cohort of Mayak workers first employed in 1948–1982

PubMed Central

Grigoryeva, Evgeniya S; Haylock, Richard G E; Pikulina, Maria V; Moseeva, Maria B

2015-01-01

Objective: Incidence and mortality from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) was studied in an extended cohort of 22,377 workers first employed at the Mayak Production Association during 1948–82 and followed up to the end of 2008. Methods: Relative risks and excess relative risks per unit dose (ERR/Gy) were calculated based on the maximum likelihood using Epicure software (Hirosoft International Corporation, Seattle, WA). Dose estimates used in analyses were provided by an updated “Mayak Worker Dosimetry System—2008”. Results: A significant increasing linear trend in IHD incidence with total dose from external γ-rays was observed after having adjusted for non-radiation factors and dose from internal radiation {ERR/Gy = 0.10 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.04 to 0.17]}. The pure quadratic model provided a better fit of the data than did the linear one. No significant association of IHD mortality with total dose from external γ-rays after having adjusted for non-radiation factors and dose from internal alpha radiation was observed in the study cohort [ERR/Gy = 0.06 (95% CI: <0 to 0.15)]. A significant increasing linear trend was observed in IHD mortality with total absorbed dose from internal alpha radiation to the liver after having adjusted for non-radiation factors and dose from external γ-rays in both the whole cohort [ERR/Gy = 0.21 (95% CI: 0.01 to 0.58)] and the subcohort of workers exposed at alpha dose <1.00 Gy [ERR/Gy = 1.08 (95% CI: 0.34 to 2.15)]. No association of IHD incidence with total dose from internal alpha radiation to the liver was found in the whole cohort after having adjusted for non-radiation factors and external gamma dose [ERR/Gy = 0.02 (95% CI: not available to 0.10)]. Statistically significant dose effect was revealed in the subcohort of workers exposed to internal alpha radiation at dose to the liver <1.00 Gy [ERR/Gy = 0.44 (95% CI: 0.09 to 0.85)]. Conclusion: This study provides strong evidence of IHD incidence and mortality association with external γ-ray exposure and some evidence of IHD incidence and mortality association with internal alpha-radiation exposure. Advances in knowledge: It is the first time the validity of internal radiation dose estimates has been shown to affect the risk of IHD incidence. PMID:26224431

A small-scale anatomical dosimetry model of the liver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stenvall, Anna; Larsson, Erik; Strand, Sven-Erik; Jönsson, Bo-Anders

2014-07-01

Radionuclide therapy is a growing and promising approach for treating and prolonging the lives of patients with cancer. For therapies where high activities are administered, the liver can become a dose-limiting organ; often with a complex, non-uniform activity distribution and resulting non-uniform absorbed-dose distribution. This paper therefore presents a small-scale dosimetry model for various source-target combinations within the human liver microarchitecture. Using Monte Carlo simulations, Medical Internal Radiation Dose formalism-compatible specific absorbed fractions were calculated for monoenergetic electrons; photons; alpha particles; and 125I, 90Y, 211At, 99mTc, 111In, 177Lu, 131I and 18F. S values and the ratio of local absorbed dose to the whole-organ average absorbed dose was calculated, enabling a transformation of dosimetry calculations from macro- to microstructure level. For heterogeneous activity distributions, for example uptake in Kupffer cells of radionuclides emitting low-energy electrons (125I) or high-LET alpha particles (211At) the target absorbed dose for the part of the space of Disse, closest to the source, was more than eight- and five-fold the average absorbed dose to the liver, respectively. With the increasing interest in radionuclide therapy of the liver, the presented model is an applicable tool for small-scale liver dosimetry in order to study detailed dose-effect relationships in the liver.

Evaluation of effective dose for a patient under Ga-67 nuclear examination using TLD, water phantom and a simplified model

PubMed Central

Chu, Kuang Hua; Lin, Yu Ting; Hsu, Chia Chun; Chen, Chien Yi; Pan, Lung Kwang

2012-01-01

This study evaluated the effective dose of Ga-67 for a patient undergoing Ga-67 citrate nuclear examination by applying thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) technique and an indigenous water phantom. The Ga-67 radionuclide remaining in the body inevitably generated a measurable internal dose even though gamma camera scanning took only minutes to complete the clinical examination. For effective simulation of the cumulated effective dose for a patient undergoing examination, 150 TLDs were placed inside the water phantom for 6 days to monitor the gamma ray dose from the distributed Ga-67 citrate solution. The inserted TLDs represented internal organs, and the effective dose was calculated according to data in the ICRP-60 report. The water phantom was designed to model the body of a healthy human weighing 70 kg, and the water that was mixed with Ga-67 citrate solution was slowly replaced with fresh feed water to yield the required biological half life of the phantom. After continuously feeding in fresh water throughout the 6 days of TLD exposure, the TLDs were analyzed to determine the effective doses from the various biological half lives of the phantom. The derived effective dose of 185 MBq Ga-67 citrate solution for male/female (M/F) was 10.7/12.2, 10.7/12.0, 8.7/9.9 and 6.0/6.8 mSv, of biological half lives of 6.0, 4.5, 3.0 and 1.5 days, respectively. Although these experimental results correlated well with earlier empirical studies, they were lower than most calculated values. The cumulated uncertainty in the effective dose was 12.5–19.4%, which was acceptable in terms of both TLD counting statistic and reproducibility. PMID:22915780

Comparison between beta radiation dose distribution due to LDR and HDR ocular brachytherapy applicators using GATE Monte Carlo platform.

PubMed

Mostafa, Laoues; Rachid, Khelifi; Ahmed, Sidi Moussa

2016-08-01

Eye applicators with 90Sr/90Y and 106Ru/106Rh beta-ray sources are generally used in brachytherapy for the treatment of eye diseases as uveal melanoma. Whenever, radiation is used in treatment, dosimetry is essential. However, knowledge of the exact dose distribution is a critical decision-making to the outcome of the treatment. The Monte Carlo technique provides a powerful tool for calculation of the dose and dose distributions which helps to predict and determine the doses from different shapes of various types of eye applicators more accurately. The aim of this work consisted in using the Monte Carlo GATE platform to calculate the 3D dose distribution on a mathematical model of the human eye according to international recommendations. Mathematical models were developed for four ophthalmic applicators, two HDR 90Sr applicators SIA.20 and SIA.6, and two LDR 106Ru applicators, a concave CCB model and a flat CCB model. In present work, considering a heterogeneous eye phantom and the chosen tumor, obtained results with the use of GATE for mean doses distributions in a phantom and according to international recommendations show a discrepancy with respect to those specified by the manufacturers. The QC of dosimetric parameters shows that contrarily to the other applicators, the SIA.20 applicator is consistent with recommendations. The GATE platform show that the SIA.20 applicator present better results, namely the dose delivered to critical structures were lower compared to those obtained for the other applicators, and the SIA.6 applicator, simulated with MCNPX generates higher lens doses than those generated by GATE. Copyright © 2016 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NCICT: a computational solution to estimate organ doses for pediatric and adult patients undergoing CT scans.

PubMed

Lee, Choonsik; Kim, Kwang Pyo; Bolch, Wesley E; Moroz, Brian E; Folio, Les

2015-12-01

We developed computational methods and tools to assess organ doses for pediatric and adult patients undergoing computed tomography (CT) examinations. We used the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) reference pediatric and adult phantoms combined with the Monte Carlo simulation of a reference CT scanner to establish comprehensive organ dose coefficients (DC), organ absorbed dose per unit volumetric CT Dose Index (CTDIvol) (mGy/mGy). We also developed methods to estimate organ doses with tube current modulation techniques and size specific dose estimates. A graphical user interface was designed to obtain user input of patient- and scan-specific parameters, and to calculate and display organ doses. A batch calculation routine was also integrated into the program to automatically calculate organ doses for a large number of patients. We entitled the computer program, National Cancer Institute dosimetry system for CT(NCICT). We compared our dose coefficients with those from CT-Expo, and evaluated the performance of our program using CT patient data. Our pediatric DCs show good agreements of organ dose estimation with those from CT-Expo except for thyroid. Our results support that the adult phantom in CT-Expo seems to represent a pediatric individual between 10 and 15 years rather than an adult. The comparison of CTDIvol values between NCICT and dose pages from 10 selected CT scans shows good agreements less than 12% except for two cases (up to 20%). The organ dose comparison between mean and modulated mAs shows that mean mAs-based calculation significantly overestimates dose (up to 2.4-fold) to the organs in close proximity to lungs in chest and chest-abdomen-pelvis scans. Our program provides more realistic anatomy based on the ICRP reference phantoms, higher age resolution, the most up-to-date bone marrow dosimetry, and several convenient features compared to previous tools. The NCICT will be available for research purpose in the near future.

Feasibility of MR-only proton dose calculations for prostate cancer radiotherapy using a commercial pseudo-CT generation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maspero, Matteo; van den Berg, Cornelis A. T.; Landry, Guillaume; Belka, Claus; Parodi, Katia; Seevinck, Peter R.; Raaymakers, Bas W.; Kurz, Christopher

2017-12-01

A magnetic resonance (MR)-only radiotherapy workflow can reduce cost, radiation exposure and uncertainties introduced by CT-MRI registration. A crucial prerequisite is generating the so called pseudo-CT (pCT) images for accurate dose calculation and planning. Many pCT generation methods have been proposed in the scope of photon radiotherapy. This work aims at verifying for the first time whether a commercially available photon-oriented pCT generation method can be employed for accurate intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) dose calculation. A retrospective study was conducted on ten prostate cancer patients. For pCT generation from MR images, a commercial solution for creating bulk-assigned pCTs, called MR for Attenuation Correction (MRCAT), was employed. The assigned pseudo-Hounsfield Unit (HU) values were adapted to yield an increased agreement to the reference CT in terms of proton range. Internal air cavities were copied from the CT to minimise inter-scan differences. CT- and MRCAT-based dose calculations for opposing beam IMPT plans were compared by gamma analysis and evaluation of clinically relevant target and organ at risk dose volume histogram (DVH) parameters. The proton range in beam’s eye view (BEV) was compared using single field uniform dose (SFUD) plans. On average, a (2%, 2 mm) gamma pass rate of 98.4% was obtained using a 10% dose threshold after adaptation of the pseudo-HU values. Mean differences between CT- and MRCAT-based dose in the DVH parameters were below 1 Gy (<1.5% ). The median proton range difference was 0.1 mm, with on average 96% of all BEV dose profiles showing a range agreement better than 3 mm. Results suggest that accurate MR-based proton dose calculation using an automatic commercial bulk-assignment pCT generation method, originally designed for photon radiotherapy, is feasible following adaptation of the assigned pseudo-HU values.

Low-dose CT of postoperative pelvic fractures: a comparison with radiography.

PubMed

Eriksson, Thomas; Berg, Per; Olerud, Claes; Shalabi, Adel; Hänni, Mari

2018-01-01

Background Computed tomography (CT) is superior to conventional radiography (CR) for assessing internal fixation of pelvic fractures, but with a higher radiation exposure. Low-dose CT (LDCT) could possibly have a sufficient diagnostic accuracy but with a lower radiation dose. Purpose To compare postoperative diagnostic accuracy of LDCT and CR after open reduction and internal fixation of pelvic fracture. Material and Methods Twenty-one patients were examined with LDCT and CR 0-9 days after surgery. The examinations were reviewed by two musculoskeletal radiologists. Hardware, degree of fracture reduction, image quality, and reviewing time were assessed, and effective radiation dose was calculated. Inter-reader agreement was calculated. Results LDCT was significantly better than CR in determining whether hardware positioning was assessable ( P < 0.001). Acetabular congruence was assessable in all fractured patients with LDCT. In 12 of the 32 assessments with CR of patients with an acetabular fracture, joint congruence was not assessable due to overlapping hardware ( P = 0.001). Image quality was significantly higher for LDCT. Median time to review was 240 s for LDCT compared to 180 s for CR. Effective dose was 0.79 mSv for LDCT compared to 0.32 mSv for CR ( P < 0.001). Conclusion LDCT is more reliable than CR in assessing hardware position and fracture reduction. Joint congruency is sometimes not possible to assess with CR, due to overlapping hardware. The image quality is higher, but also the effective dose, with LDCT than with CR.

Effective dose in SMAW and FCAW welding processes using rutile consumables.

PubMed

Herranz, M; Rozas, S; Idoeta, R; Alegría, N

2014-03-01

The shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) and flux cored arc welding (FCAW) processes use covered electrodes and flux cored wire as consumables. Among these consumables, ones containing rutile are the most widely used, and since they have a considerable natural radioactive content, they can be considered as NORM (naturally occurring radioactive material). To calculate the effective dose on workers during their use in a conservative situation, samples of slag and aerosols and particles emitted or deposited during welding were taken and measured by gamma, alpha and beta spectrometry. An analytical method was also developed for estimating the activity concentration of radionuclides in the inhaled air. (222)Rn activity concentration was also assessed. With all these data, internal and external doses were calculated. The results show that external doses are negligible in comparison with internal ones, which do not exceed 1 mSv yr(-1), either in this conservative situation or in any other more favourable one. Radionuclides after Rn in the radioactive natural series are emitted at the same activity concentration to the atmosphere, this being around 17 times higher than that corresponding to radionuclides before Rn. Taking into account these conclusions and the analytical method developed, it can be concluded that one way to assess the activity concentration of natural radionuclides in inhaled air and hence effective doses could be the early gamma-ray spectrometry of aerosols and particles sampled during the welding process.

Assessment of natural radioactivity levels in soil samples from some areas in Assiut, Egypt.

PubMed

El-Gamal, Hany; Farid, M El-Azab; Abdel Mageed, A I; Hasabelnaby, M; Hassanien, Hassanien M

2013-12-01

The natural radioactivity of soil samples from Assiut city, Egypt, was studied. The activity concentrations of 28 samples were measured with a NaI(Tl) detector. The radioactivity concentrations of (226)Ra, (232)Th, and (40)K showed large variations, so the results were classified into two groups (A and B) to facilitate the interpretation of the results. Group A represents samples collected from different locations in Assiut and characterized by low activity concentrations with average values of 46.15 ± 9.69, 30.57 ± 4.90, and 553.14 ± 23.19 for (226)Ra, (232)Th, and (40)K, respectively. Group B represents samples mainly collected from the area around Assiut Thermal Power Plant and characterized by very high activity concentrations with average values of 3,803 ± 145, 1,782 ± 98, and 1,377 ± 78 for (226)Ra, (232)Th, and (40)K, respectively. In order to evaluate the radiological hazard of the natural radioactivity, the radium equivalent activity (Raeq), the absorbed dose rate (D), the annual effective dose rate (E), the external hazard index (H ex), and the annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE) have been calculated and compared with the internationally approved values. For group A, the calculated averages of these parameters are in good agreement with the international recommended values except for the absorbed dose rate and the AGDE values which are slightly higher than the international recommended values. However, for group B, all obtained averages of these parameters are much higher by several orders of magnitude than the international recommended values. The present work provides a background of radioactivity concentrations in the soil of Assiut.

Irradiation of members of the general public from radioactive caesium following the Chernobyl reactor accident: Field studies in a highly contaminated area in the Bryansk region, Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thornberg, Charlotte

From 1990 to 1998, estimations of the effective dose due to irradiation from 137Cs and 134Cs were carried out for inhabitants in rural villages in the Bryansk region, Russia. The villages, situated about 180 km from the Chernobyl power plant received deposition of 137Cs in the range 0.9-2.7 MBq m-2 due to the accident in 1986. The body burden of 137,134Cs was estimated from measurements of the urinary concentration of caesium radionuclides, together with in vivo measurements using a portable detector. The external effective dose was estimated from measurements with thermoluminescent (TL)-dosemeters worn by the participants during one month each year. In a case study, the changes in biokinetics of 137Cs during pregnancy was investigated in a woman with an unintended intake of 137Cs via mushrooms grown in the area. During pregnancy the biological half-time of caesium was 54% of that before pregnancy. The ratio of the 137Cs concentration in breast milk (Bq L-1) to that in the mother's body (Bq kg-1) was 15% one month after the child was born. The body burden of 137Cs in the Russian individuals calculated from urine samples showed a good agreement with the body burden estimated from in vivo measurements in the same individuals. Normalisation of the caesium concentration in the urine samples by the use of potassium or creatinine excretion introduced systematic differences and a larger spread in the calculated values of the 137Cs body burden as compared with calculations without normalisation. The yearly effective dose to inhabitants in the Russian villages varied between 1.2 and 2.5 mSv as a mean for all villages between 1991 and 1998 and the internal effective dose was 30-50% of the total effective dose. The external effective dose decreased on average 15% per year, while the internal effective dose varied, depending to a great extent on the availability of mushrooms. The cumulated effective dose for a 70-year period after the accident was calculated to be 100 mSv assuming that the effective dose will decrease by only the physical decay of 137Cs (2% per year) after 1998. Individuals may receive considerably higher effective doses, up to 0.5 Sv during a life-time considering the large spread in dose values among individuals.

Modeling gamma radiation dose in dwellings due to building materials.

PubMed

de Jong, Peter; van Dijk, Willem

2008-01-01

A model is presented that calculates the absorbed dose rate in air of gamma radiation emitted by building materials in a rectangular body construction. The basis for these calculations is formed by a fixed set of specific absorbed dose rates (the dose rate per Bq kg(-1) 238U, 232Th, and 40K), as determined for a standard geometry with the dimensions 4 x 5 x 2.8 m3. Using the computer codes Marmer and MicroShield, correction factors are assessed that quantify the influence of several room and material related parameters on the specific absorbed dose rates. The investigated parameters are the position in the construction; the thickness, density, and dimensions of the construction parts; the contribution from the outer leave; the presence of doors and windows; the attenuation by internal partition walls; the contribution from building materials present in adjacent rooms; and the effect of non-equilibrium due to 222Rn exhalation. To verify the precision, the proposed method is applied to three Dutch reference dwellings, i.e., a row house, a coupled house, and a gallery apartment. The averaged difference with MCNP calculations is found to be 4%.

IDACstar: A MCNP Application to Perform Realistic Dose Estimations from Internal or External Contamination of Radiopharmaceuticals.

PubMed

Ören, Ünal; Hiller, Mauritius; Andersson, M

2017-04-28

A Monte Carlo-based stand-alone program, IDACstar (Internal Dose Assessment by Computer), was developed, dedicated to perform radiation dose calculations using complex voxel simulations. To test the program, two irradiation situations were simulated, one hypothetical contamination case with 600 MBq of 99mTc and one extravasation case involving 370 MBq of 18F-FDG. The effective dose was estimated to be 0.042 mSv for the contamination case and 4.5 mSv for the extravasation case. IDACstar has demonstrated that dosimetry results from contamination or extravasation cases can be acquired with great ease. An effective tool for radiation protection applications is provided with IDACstar allowing physicists at nuclear medicine departments to easily quantify the radiation risk of stochastic effects when a radiation accident has occurred. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effect of respiratory motion on internal radiation dosimetry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xie, Tianwu; Zaidi, Habib, E-mail: habib.zaidi@hcuge.ch; Geneva Neuroscience Center, Geneva University, Geneva CH-1205

Purpose: Estimation of the radiation dose to internal organs is essential for the assessment of radiation risks and benefits to patients undergoing diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine procedures including PET. Respiratory motion induces notable internal organ displacement, which influences the absorbed dose for external exposure to radiation. However, to their knowledge, the effect of respiratory motion on internal radiation dosimetry has never been reported before. Methods: Thirteen computational models representing the adult male at different respiratory phases corresponding to the normal respiratory cycle were generated from the 4D dynamic XCAT phantom. Monte Carlo calculations were performed using the MCNP transportmore » code to estimate the specific absorbed fractions (SAFs) of monoenergetic photons/electrons, the S-values of common positron-emitting radionuclides (C-11, N-13, O-15, F-18, Cu-64, Ga-68, Rb-82, Y-86, and I-124), and the absorbed dose of {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose ({sup 18}F-FDG) in 28 target regions for both the static (average of dynamic frames) and dynamic phantoms. Results: The self-absorbed dose for most organs/tissues is only slightly influenced by respiratory motion. However, for the lung, the self-absorbed SAF is about 11.5% higher at the peak exhale phase than the peak inhale phase for photon energies above 50 keV. The cross-absorbed dose is obviously affected by respiratory motion for many combinations of source-target pairs. The cross-absorbed S-values for the heart contents irradiating the lung are about 7.5% higher in the peak exhale phase than the peak inhale phase for different positron-emitting radionuclides. For {sup 18}F-FDG, organ absorbed doses are less influenced by respiratory motion. Conclusions: Respiration-induced volume variations of the lungs and the repositioning of internal organs affect the self-absorbed dose of the lungs and cross-absorbed dose between organs in internal radiation dosimetry. The dynamic anatomical model provides more accurate internal radiation dosimetry estimates for the lungs and abdominal organs based on realistic modeling of respiratory motion. This work also contributes to a better understanding of model-induced uncertainties in internal radiation dosimetry.« less

Early Dose Response to Yttrium-90 Microsphere Treatment of Metastatic Liver Cancer by a Patient-Specific Method Using Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography and Positron Emission Tomography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Campbell, Janice M.; Department of Radiation Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI; Wong, C. Oliver

2009-05-01

Purpose: To evaluate a patient-specific single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)-based method of dose calculation for treatment planning of yttrium-90 ({sup 90}Y) microsphere selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT). Methods and Materials: Fourteen consecutive {sup 90}Y SIRTs for colorectal liver metastasis were retrospectively analyzed. Absorbed dose to tumor and normal liver tissue was calculated by partition methods with two different tumor/normal liver vascularity ratios: an average 3:1 and a patient-specific ratio derived from pretreatment technetium-99m macroaggregated albumin SPECT. Tumor response was quantitatively evaluated from fluorine-18 fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography scans. Results: Positron emission tomography showed a significant decrease in total tumor standardizedmore » uptake value (average, 52%). There was a significant difference in the tumor absorbed dose between the average and specific methods (p = 0.009). Response vs. dose curves fit by linear and linear-quadratic modeling showed similar results. Linear fit r values increased for all tumor response parameters with the specific method (+0.20 for mean standardized uptake value). Conclusion: Tumor dose calculated with the patient-specific method was more predictive of response in liver-directed {sup 90}Y SIRT.« less

Health Physics Society Comments to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regulatory Reform Task Force.

PubMed

Ring, Joseph; Tupin, Edward; Elder, Deirdre; Hiatt, Jerry; Sheetz, Michael; Kirner, Nancy; Little, Craig

2018-05-01

The Health Physics Society (HPS) provided comment to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on options to consider when developing an action plan for President Trump's Executive Order to evaluate regulations for repeal, replacement, or modification. The HPS recommended that the EPA reconsider their adherence to the linear no-threshold (LNT) model for radiation risk calculations and improve several documents by better addressing uncertainties in low-dose, low dose-rate (LDDR) radiation exposure environments. The authors point out that use of the LNT model near background levels cannot provide reliable risk projections, use of the LNT model and collective-dose calculations in some EPA documents is inconsistent with the recommendations of international organizations, and some EPA documents have not been exposed to the public comment rule-making process. To assist in establishing a better scientific basis for the risks of low dose rate and low dose radiation exposure, the EPA should continue to support the "Million Worker Study," led by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement.

Calculated organ doses for Mayak production association central hall using ICRP and MCNP.

PubMed

Choe, Dong-Ok; Shelkey, Brenda N; Wilde, Justin L; Walk, Heidi A; Slaughter, David M

2003-03-01

As part of an ongoing dose reconstruction project, equivalent organ dose rates from photons and neutrons were estimated using the energy spectra measured in the central hall above the graphite reactor core located in the Russian Mayak Production Association facility. Reconstruction of the work environment was necessary due to the lack of personal dosimeter data for neutrons in the time period prior to 1987. A typical worker scenario for the central hall was developed for the Monte Carlo Neutron Photon-4B (MCNP) code. The resultant equivalent dose rates for neutrons and photons were compared with the equivalent dose rates derived from calculations using the conversion coefficients in the International Commission on Radiological Protection Publications 51 and 74 in order to validate the model scenario for this Russian facility. The MCNP results were in good agreement with the results of the ICRP publications indicating the modeling scenario was consistent with actual work conditions given the spectra provided. The MCNP code will allow for additional orientations to accurately reflect source locations.

4D dose calculation and delivery with interplay effects between respiratory motion and uniform scanning proton beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Qingya

2011-12-01

Proton radiotherapy has advantages to deliver accurate high conformal radiation dose to the tumor while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue and critical structures. However, the treatment effectiveness is degraded greatly due to patient free breathing during treatment delivery. Motion compensation for proton radiotherapy is especially challenging as proton beam is more sensitive to the density change along the beam path. Tumor respiratory motion during treatment delivery will affect the proton dose distribution and the selection of optimized parameters for treatment planning, which has not been fully addressed yet in the existing approaches for proton dose calculation. The purpose of this dissertation is to develop an approach for more accurate dose delivery to a moving tumor in proton radiotherapy, i.e., 4D proton dose calculation and delivery, for the uniform scanning proton beam. A three-step approach has been carried out to achieve this goal. First, a solution for the proton output factor calculation which will convert the prescribed dose to machine deliverable monitor unit for proton dose delivery has been proposed and implemented. The novel sector integration method is accurate and time saving, which considers the various beam scanning patterns and treatment field parameters, such as aperture shape, aperture size, measuring position, beam range, and beam modulation. Second, tumor respiratory motion behavior has been statistically characterized and the results have been applied to advanced image guided radiation treatment. Different statistical analysis and correlation discovery approaches have been investigated. The internal / external motion correlation patterns have been simulated, analyzed, and applied in a new hybrid gated treatment to improve the target coverage. Third, a dose calculation method has been developed for 4D proton treatment planning which integrates the interplay effects of tumor respiratory motion patterns and proton beam delivery mechanism. These three steps provide an innovative integrated framework for accurate 4D proton dose calculation and treatment planning for a moving tumor, which extends the functionalities of existing 3D planning systems. In short, this dissertation work addresses a few important problems for effective proton radiotherapy to a moving target. The outcomes of the dissertation are very useful for motion compensation with advanced image guided proton treatment.

SU-E-T-513: Investigating Dose of Internal Target Volume After Correcting for Tissue Heterogeneity in SBRT Lung Plans with Homogeneity Calculation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qi, P; Zhuang, T; Magnelli, A

2015-06-15

Purpose It was recommended to use the prescription of 54 Gy/3 with heterogeneity corrections for previously established dose scheme of 60 Gy/3 with homogeneity calculation. This study is to investigate dose coverage for the internal target volume (ITV) with and without heterogeneity correction. Methods Thirty patients who received stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) to a dose of 60 Gy in 3 fractions with homogeneous planning for early stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were selected. ITV was created either from 4DCT scans or a fusion of multi-phase respiratory scans. Planning target volume (PTV) was a 5 mm expansion of the ITV. Formore » this study, we recalculated homogeneous clinical plans using heterogeneity corrections with monitor units set as clinically delivered. All plans were calculated with 3 mm dose grids and collapsed cone convolution algorithm. To account for uncertainties from tumor delineation and image-guided radiotherapy, a structure ITV2mm was created by expanding ITV with 2 mm margins. Dose coverage to the PTV, ITV and ITV2mm were compared with a student paired t-test. Results With heterogeneity corrections, the PTV V60Gy decreased by 10.1% ± 18.4% (p<0.01) while the maximum dose to the PTV increased by 3.7 ± 4.3% (p<0.01). With and without corrections, D99% was 65.8 ± 4.0 Gy and 66.7 ± 4.8 Gy (p=0.15) for the ITV, and 63.9 ± 3.4 Gy and 62.9 ± 4.6 Gy for the ITV2mm (p=0.22), respectively. The mean dose to the ITV and ITV2mm increased 3.6% ± 4.7% (p<0.01) and 2.3% ± 5.2% (p=0.01) with heterogeneity corrections. Conclusion After heterogeneity correction, the peripheral coverage of the PTV decreased to approximately 54 Gy, but D99% of the ITV and ITV2mm was unchanged and the mean dose to the ITV and ITV2mm was increased. Clinical implication of these results requires more investigation.« less

A case study of the long-term retention of 137Cs after inhalation of high temperature reactor fuel element ash.

PubMed

Froning, M; Kozielewski, T; Schläger, M; Hill, P

2004-01-01

In 1987, a worker was internally contaminated with 137Cs as a result of an accident during the handling of high temperature reactor fuel element ash. In the long-term follow-up monitoring an unusual retention behaviour was found. The observed time dependence of caesium retention does not agree with the standard models of ICRP Publication 30. The present case can be better explained by assuming an intake of a mixture of type F and type S compounds. However, experimental data can be best described by a four-exponential retention function with two long-lived components, which was used as an ad hoc model for dose calculation. The resulting dose is compared with doses calculated on the basis of ICRP Publication 66.

ANALYSIS OF EPR AND FISH STUDIES OF RADIATION DOSES IN PERSONS WHO LIVED IN THE UPPER REACHES OF THE TECHA RIVER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Degteva, M. O.; Shagina, N. B.; Shishkina, Elena A.

Waterborne radioactive releases into the Techa River from the Mayak Production Association in Russia during 1949–1956 resulted in significant doses to about 30,000 persons who lived in downstream settlements. The residents were exposed to internal and external radiation. Two methods for reconstruction of the external dose are considered in this paper, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements of teeth and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) measurements of chromosome translocations in circulating lymphocytes. The main issue in the application of the EPR and FISH methods for reconstruction of the external dose for the Techa Riverside residents was strontium radioisotopes incorporated in teethmore » and bones that served as a source of confounding local exposures. In order to estimate and subtract doses from incorporated 89,90Sr, the EPR and FISH assays were supported by measurements of 90Sr-body burdens and estimates of 90Sr concentrations in dental tissues by the luminescence method. The resulting dose estimates derived from EPR and FISH measurements for residents of the upper Techa River were found to be consistent: the mean values vary from 510 – 550 mGy for the villages located close to the site of radioactive release to 130 – 160 mGy for the more distant villages. The upper bound of individual estimates for both methods is equal to 2.2 – 2.3 Gy. The EPR- and FISH-based dose estimates were compared with the doses calculated for the donors using the Techa River Dosimetry System (TRDS). The TRDS external dose assessments were based on the data on contamination of the Techa River floodplain, simulation of ai r kerma above the contaminated soil, age-dependent life-styles and individual residence histories. For correct comparison TRDS-based doses were calculated from two sources: external exposure from the contaminated environment and internal exposure from 137Cs incorporated in donors’ soft tissues. The TRDS-based absorbed doses in tooth enamel and muscle were in agreement with with EPR- and FISH-based estimates within uncertainty bounds. Basically, the agreement between the estimates has confirmed the validity of external doses calculated with the Techa River Dosimetry System.« less

Dose calculations accounting for breathing motion in stereotactic lung radiotherapy based on 4D-CT and the internal target volume.

PubMed

Admiraal, Marjan A; Schuring, Danny; Hurkmans, Coen W

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the 4D accumulated dose delivered to the CTV in stereotactic radiotherapy of lung tumours, for treatments planned on an average CT using an ITV derived from the Maximum Intensity Projection (MIP) CT. For 10 stage I lung cancer patients, treatment plans were generated based on 4D-CT images. From the 4D-CT scan, 10 time-sorted breathing phases were derived, along with the average CT and the MIP. The ITV with a margin of 0mm was used as a PTV to study a worst case scenario in which the differences between 3D planning and 4D dose accumulation will be largest. Dose calculations were performed on the average CT. Dose prescription was 60Gy to 95% of the PTV, and at least 54Gy should be received by 99% of the PTV. Plans were generated using the inverse planning module of the Pinnacle(3) treatment planning system. The plans consisted of nine coplanar beams with two segments each. After optimisation, the treatment plan was transferred to all breathing phases and the delivered dose per phase was calculated using an elastic body spline model available in our research version of Pinnacle (8.1r). Then, the cumulative dose to the CTV over all breathing phases was calculated and compared to the dose distribution of the original treatment plan. Although location, tumour size and breathing-induced tumour movement varied widely between patients, the PTV planning criteria could always be achieved without compromising organs at risk criteria. After 4D dose calculations, only very small differences between the initial planned PTV coverage and resulting CTV coverage were observed. For all patients, the dose delivered to 99% of the CTV exceeded 54Gy. For nine out of 10 patients also the criterion was met that the volume of the CTV receiving at least the prescribed dose was more than 95%. When the target dose is prescribed to the ITV (PTV=ITV) and dose calculations are performed on the average CT, the cumulative CTV dose compares well to the planned dose to the ITV. Thus, the concept of treatment plan optimisation and evaluation based on the average CT and the ITV is a valid approach in stereotactic lung treatment. Even with a zero ITV to PTV margin, no significantly different dose coverage of the CTV arises from the breathing motion induced dose variation over time.

Radiation leakage dose from Elekta electron collimation system

PubMed Central

Hogstrom, Kenneth R.; Carver, Robert L.

2016-01-01

This study provided baseline data required for a greater project, whose objective was to design a new Elekta electron collimation system having significantly lighter electron applicators with equally low out‐of field leakage dose. Specifically, off‐axis dose profiles for the electron collimation system of our uniquely configured Elekta Infinity accelerator with the MLCi2 treatment head were measured and calculated for two primary purposes: 1) to evaluate and document the out‐of‐field leakage dose in the patient plane and 2) to validate the dose distributions calculated using a BEAMnrc Monte Carlo (MC) model for out‐of‐field dose profiles. Off‐axis dose profiles were measured in a water phantom at 100 cm SSD for 1 and 2 cm depths along the in‐plane, cross‐plane, and both diagonal axes using a cylindrical ionization chamber with the 10×10 and 20×20 cm2 applicators and 7, 13, and 20 MeV beams. Dose distributions were calculated using a previously developed BEAMnrc MC model of the Elekta Infinity accelerator for the same beam energies and applicator sizes and compared with measurements. Measured results showed that the in‐field beam flatness met our acceptance criteria (±3% on major and ±4% on diagonal axes) and that out‐of‐field mean and maximum percent leakage doses in the patient plane met acceptance criteria as specified by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Cross‐plane out‐of‐field dose profiles showed greater leakage dose than in‐plane profiles, attributed to the curved edges of the upper X‐ray jaws and multileaf collimator. Mean leakage doses increased with beam energy, being 0.93% and 0.85% of maximum central axis dose for the 10×10 and 20×20 cm2 applicators, respectively, at 20 MeV. MC calculations predicted the measured dose to within 0.1% in most profiles outside the radiation field; however, excluding modeling of nontrimmer applicator components led to calculations exceeding measured data by as much as 0.2% for some regions along the in‐plane axis. Using EGSnrc LATCH bit filtering to separately calculate out‐of‐field leakage dose components (photon dose, primary electron dose, and electron dose arising from interactions in various collimating components), MC calculations revealed that the primary electron dose in the out‐of‐field leakage region was small and decreased as beam energy increased. Also, both the photon dose component and electron dose component resulting from collimator scatter dominated the leakage dose, increasing with increasing beam energy. We concluded that our custom Elekta Infinity with the MLCi2 treatment head met IEC leakage dose criteria in the patient plane. Also, accuracy of our MC model should be sufficient for our use in the design of a new, improved electron collimation system. PACS number(s): 87.56.nk, 87.10.Rt, 87.56.J PMID:27685101

Dosimetric impact of a change in breathing period on VMAT stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olding, T.; Alexander, KM

2017-05-01

The dosimetric impact of a change in breathing period during treatment was assessed for a volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) lung plan optimized according to our centre’s planning protocol. Plan delivery was evaluated at three breathing rates ranging from 7 to 23 breaths-per-minute (BPM) against the planning anatomy (15 BPM) calculated dose. Dynamic ion chamber, EBT3 film and Fricke-xylenol orange-gelatin (FXG) gel measurements were acquired using a motion phantom with appropriate inserts for each dosimeter. The results show good agreement between measured and calculated plan dose within the internal gross tumour volume (IGTV) target.

Using physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling and benchmark dose methods to derive an occupational exposure limit for N-methylpyrrolidone.

PubMed

Poet, T S; Schlosser, P M; Rodriguez, C E; Parod, R J; Rodwell, D E; Kirman, C R

2016-04-01

The developmental effects of NMP are well studied in Sprague-Dawley rats following oral, inhalation, and dermal routes of exposure. Short-term and chronic occupational exposure limit (OEL) values were derived using an updated physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for NMP, along with benchmark dose modeling. Two suitable developmental endpoints were evaluated for human health risk assessment: (1) for acute exposures, the increased incidence of skeletal malformations, an effect noted only at oral doses that were toxic to the dam and fetus; and (2) for repeated exposures to NMP, changes in fetal/pup body weight. Where possible, data from multiple studies were pooled to increase the predictive power of the dose-response data sets. For the purposes of internal dose estimation, the window of susceptibility was estimated for each endpoint, and was used in the dose-response modeling. A point of departure value of 390 mg/L (in terms of peak NMP in blood) was calculated for skeletal malformations based on pooled data from oral and inhalation studies. Acceptable dose-response model fits were not obtained using the pooled data for fetal/pup body weight changes. These data sets were also assessed individually, from which the geometric mean value obtained from the inhalation studies (470 mg*hr/L), was used to derive the chronic OEL. A PBPK model for NMP in humans was used to calculate human equivalent concentrations corresponding to the internal dose point of departure values. Application of a net uncertainty factor of 20-21, which incorporates data-derived extrapolation factors, to the point of departure values yields short-term and chronic occupational exposure limit values of 86 and 24 ppm, respectively. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Combined internal-external radiotherapy (CIERT) in a cell model].

PubMed

Oehme, Liane; Bartzsch, Thomas; Maucksch, Ute; Freudenberg, Robert; Wunderlich, Gerd; Kotzerke, Jörg

2018-06-01

Combined internal-external radiotherapy (CIERT) requires a unified assessment of biologic radiation effects in addition to the total dose. The concept of biological effective dose (BED) was evaluated in a cell model. The thyroid NIS-positive cell line FRTL-5 was irradiated with X-ray and the radiotracer Tc-99m pertechnetate either alone or in combination. The cellular uptake of the radionuclide during the incubation time of 24 h was controlled by the presence or absence of perchlorate. Dose calculation was performed based on measured uptake values. Cell specific radiobiologic parameters were derived from dose effect curves using the colony forming assay as biological endpoint. For the combination of the radiation qualities the sequence and time difference were varied. Cell survival was compared with the prediction of the BED model. The radiobiologic parameters from X-ray dose response were α = (0.22 ± 0.02) Gy -1 and β = (0.021 ± 0.001) Gy -2 . The half life for repair was (1.51 ± 0.21) h. These values could also explain the dose response curves for Tc-99m-irradiation with exponential decreasing dose rate. CIERT experiments showed no significant differences in cell survival regarding sequence and irradiation break. When the radionuclide uptake was not prevented the cell survival for the combination of X-ray and Tc-99m was lower than the prediction by BED calculations. The validity of the BED formalism for different dose rates and radiation qualities was verified. Supraaddive effects measured in the combination of X-ray and intracellular Tc-99m might be caused by Auger and conversion electrons, however further experiments are necessary. Schattauer GmbH.

On effective dose for radiotherapy based on doses to nontarget organs and tissues

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Uselmann, Adam J., E-mail: ajuselmann@wisc.edu; Thomadsen, Bruce R.

2015-02-15

Purpose: The National Council for Radiation Protection and Measurement (NCRP) published estimates for the collective population dose and the mean effective dose to the population of the United States from medical imaging procedures for 1980/1982 and for 2006. The earlier report ignored the effective dose from radiotherapy and the latter gave a cursory discussion of the topic but again did not include it in the population exposure for various reasons. This paper explains the methodology used to calculate the effective dose in due to radiotherapy procedures in the latter NCRP report and revises the values based on more detailed modeling.more » Methods: This study calculated the dose to nontarget organs from radiotherapy for reference populations using CT images and published peripheral dose data. Results: Using International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) 60 weighting factors, the total effective dose to nontarget organs in radiotherapy patients is estimated as 298 ± 194 mSv per patient, while the U.S. population effective dose is 0.939 ± 0.610 mSv per person, with a collective dose of 283 000 ± 184 000 person Sv per year. Using ICRP 103 weighting factors, the effective dose is 281 ± 183 mSv per patient, 0.887 ± 0.577 mSv per person in the U.S., and 268 000 ± 174 000 person Sv per year. The uncertainty in the calculations is largely governed by variations in patient size, which was accounted for by considering a range of patient sizes and taking the average treatment site to nontarget organ distance. Conclusions: The methods used to estimate the effective doses from radiotherapy used in NCRP Report No. 160 have been explained and the values updated.« less

The computation of ICRP dose coefficients for intakes of radionuclides with PLEIADES: biokinetic aspects.

PubMed

Fell, T P

2007-01-01

The ICRP has published dose coefficients for the ingestion or inhalation of radionuclides in a series of reports covering intakes by workers and members of the public including children and pregnant or lactating women. The calculation of these coefficients conveniently divides into two distinct parts--the biokinetic and dosimetric. This paper gives a brief summary of the methods used to solve the biokinetic problem in the generation of dose coefficients on behalf of the ICRP, as implemented in the Health Protection Agency's internal dosimetry code PLEIADES.

DNA Damage Dependence on the Subcellular Distribution of Low-Energy Beta Emitters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cutaia, Claudia; Alloni, Daniele; Mariotti, Luca; Friedland, Werner; Ottolenghi, Andrea

One of the main issues of low-energy internal emitters is related to the short ranges of beta particles, compared to the dimensions of the biological targets (e.g. the cell nucleus). Also depending on the chemical form, the radionuclide may be more concentrated in the cytoplasm of the target cell (in our calculations a human fibroblast in interphase) and consequently the conventional dosimetry may overestimate the dose to the nucleus; whereas if the radionuclide is more concentrated in the nuclei of the cells there is a risk of underestimating the nucleus dose. The computer code PARTRAC was modified to calculate the energy depositions in the nucleus and the DNA damage for different relative concentrations of the radionuclide in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm. The nuclides considered in the simulations were Tritium (the electrons emitted due to the β - decay have an average energy of 5.7 keV, corresponding to an average range of 0.42 µm) and Nickel-63 (the electrons emitted have an average energy of 17 keV corresponding to an average range of 5 µm). In the case of Tritium, the dose in the nucleus due the tracks generated outside this region is 15% of the average dose in the cell, whereas in the case of Nickel-63 the dose in the nucleus resulted to be 64% of the average dose in the cell. The distributions of DNA fragments as a function of the relative concentration of the nuclides in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm, were also calculated. In the same conditions, the number of complex lesions (which have a high probability of inducing lethal damage to the cells) per Gy (circa 0.5-1) and the total number of double strand breaks (DSBs) per Gy (circa 40) were also calculated. To complete the characterization of the effects of internal emitters inside the cell the distributions of DSBs per chromosome were studied for different radionuclide distributions in the cell. The results obtained from these simulations show the possible overestimation or underestimation of the risk, (particularly for Tritium intake), due to the distribution of the low energy emitters at subcellular levels.

Evaluation of dual energy quantitative CT for determining the spatial distributions of red marrow and bone for dosimetry in internal emitter radiation therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goodsitt, Mitchell M., E-mail: goodsitt@umich.edu; Shenoy, Apeksha; Howard, David

2014-05-15

Purpose: To evaluate a three-equation three-unknown dual-energy quantitative CT (DEQCT) technique for determining region specific variations in bone spongiosa composition for improved red marrow dose estimation in radionuclide therapy. Methods: The DEQCT method was applied to 80/140 kVp images of patient-simulating lumbar sectional body phantoms of three sizes (small, medium, and large). External calibration rods of bone, red marrow, and fat-simulating materials were placed beneath the body phantoms. Similar internal calibration inserts were placed at vertebral locations within the body phantoms. Six test inserts of known volume fractions of bone, fat, and red marrow were also scanned. External-to-internal calibration correctionmore » factors were derived. The effects of body phantom size, radiation dose, spongiosa region segmentation granularity [single (∼17 × 17 mm) region of interest (ROI), 2 × 2, and 3 × 3 segmentation of that single ROI], and calibration method on the accuracy of the calculated volume fractions of red marrow (cellularity) and trabecular bone were evaluated. Results: For standard low dose DEQCT x-ray technique factors and the internal calibration method, the RMS errors of the estimated volume fractions of red marrow of the test inserts were 1.2–1.3 times greater in the medium body than in the small body phantom and 1.3–1.5 times greater in the large body than in the small body phantom. RMS errors of the calculated volume fractions of red marrow within 2 × 2 segmented subregions of the ROIs were 1.6–1.9 times greater than for no segmentation, and RMS errors for 3 × 3 segmented subregions were 2.3–2.7 times greater than those for no segmentation. Increasing the dose by a factor of 2 reduced the RMS errors of all constituent volume fractions by an average factor of 1.40 ± 0.29 for all segmentation schemes and body phantom sizes; increasing the dose by a factor of 4 reduced those RMS errors by an average factor of 1.71 ± 0.25. Results for external calibrations exhibited much larger RMS errors than size matched internal calibration. Use of an average body size external-to-internal calibration correction factor reduced the errors to closer to those for internal calibration. RMS errors of less than 30% or about 0.01 for the bone and 0.1 for the red marrow volume fractions would likely be satisfactory for human studies. Such accuracies were achieved for 3 × 3 segmentation of 5 mm slice images for: (a) internal calibration with 4 times dose for all size body phantoms, (b) internal calibration with 2 times dose for the small and medium size body phantoms, and (c) corrected external calibration with 4 times dose and all size body phantoms. Conclusions: Phantom studies are promising and demonstrate the potential to use dual energy quantitative CT to estimate the spatial distributions of red marrow and bone within the vertebral spongiosa.« less

Evaluation of dual energy quantitative CT for determining the spatial distributions of red marrow and bone for dosimetry in internal emitter radiation therapy

PubMed Central

Goodsitt, Mitchell M.; Shenoy, Apeksha; Shen, Jincheng; Howard, David; Schipper, Matthew J.; Wilderman, Scott; Christodoulou, Emmanuel; Chun, Se Young; Dewaraja, Yuni K.

2014-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate a three-equation three-unknown dual-energy quantitative CT (DEQCT) technique for determining region specific variations in bone spongiosa composition for improved red marrow dose estimation in radionuclide therapy. Methods: The DEQCT method was applied to 80/140 kVp images of patient-simulating lumbar sectional body phantoms of three sizes (small, medium, and large). External calibration rods of bone, red marrow, and fat-simulating materials were placed beneath the body phantoms. Similar internal calibration inserts were placed at vertebral locations within the body phantoms. Six test inserts of known volume fractions of bone, fat, and red marrow were also scanned. External-to-internal calibration correction factors were derived. The effects of body phantom size, radiation dose, spongiosa region segmentation granularity [single (∼17 × 17 mm) region of interest (ROI), 2 × 2, and 3 × 3 segmentation of that single ROI], and calibration method on the accuracy of the calculated volume fractions of red marrow (cellularity) and trabecular bone were evaluated. Results: For standard low dose DEQCT x-ray technique factors and the internal calibration method, the RMS errors of the estimated volume fractions of red marrow of the test inserts were 1.2–1.3 times greater in the medium body than in the small body phantom and 1.3–1.5 times greater in the large body than in the small body phantom. RMS errors of the calculated volume fractions of red marrow within 2 × 2 segmented subregions of the ROIs were 1.6–1.9 times greater than for no segmentation, and RMS errors for 3 × 3 segmented subregions were 2.3–2.7 times greater than those for no segmentation. Increasing the dose by a factor of 2 reduced the RMS errors of all constituent volume fractions by an average factor of 1.40 ± 0.29 for all segmentation schemes and body phantom sizes; increasing the dose by a factor of 4 reduced those RMS errors by an average factor of 1.71 ± 0.25. Results for external calibrations exhibited much larger RMS errors than size matched internal calibration. Use of an average body size external-to-internal calibration correction factor reduced the errors to closer to those for internal calibration. RMS errors of less than 30% or about 0.01 for the bone and 0.1 for the red marrow volume fractions would likely be satisfactory for human studies. Such accuracies were achieved for 3 × 3 segmentation of 5 mm slice images for: (a) internal calibration with 4 times dose for all size body phantoms, (b) internal calibration with 2 times dose for the small and medium size body phantoms, and (c) corrected external calibration with 4 times dose and all size body phantoms. Conclusions: Phantom studies are promising and demonstrate the potential to use dual energy quantitative CT to estimate the spatial distributions of red marrow and bone within the vertebral spongiosa. PMID:24784380

SU-E-J-181: Effect of Prostate Motion On Combined Brachytherapy and External Beam Dose Based On Daily Motion of the Prostate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Narayana, V; McLaughlin, P; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

2015-06-15

Purpose: In this study, the adequacy of target expansions on the combined external beam and implant dose was examined based on the measured daily motion of the prostate. Methods: Thirty patients received an I–125 prostate implant prescribed to dose of 90Gy. This was followed by external beam to deliver a dose of 90Gyeq (external beam equivalent) to the prostate over 25 to 30 fractions. An ideal IMRT plan was developed by optimizing the external beam dose based on the delivered implant dose. The implant dose was converted to an equivalent external beam dose using the linear quadratic model. Patients weremore » set up on the treatment table by daily orthogonal imaging and aligning the marker seeds in the prostate. Orthogonal images were obtained at the end of treatment to assess prostate intrafraction motion. Based on the observed motion of the markers between the initial and final images, 5 individual plans showing the actual dose delivered to the patient were calculated. A final true dose distribution was established based on summing the implant dose and the 5 external beam plans. Dose to the prostate, seminal vesicles, lymphnodes and normal tissues, rectal wall, urethra and lower sphincter were calculated and compared to ideal. On 18 patients who were sexually active, dose to the corpus cavernosum and internal pudendal artery was also calculated. Results: The average prostate motion in 3 orthogonal directions was less than 1 mm with a standard deviation of less than +2 mm. Dose and volume parameters showed that there was no decrease in dose to the targets and a marginal decrease in dose to in normal tissues. Conclusion: Dose delivered by seed implant moves with the prostate, decreasing the impact of intrafractions dose movement on actual dose delivered. Combined brachytherapy and external beam dose delivered to the prostate was not sensitive to prostate motion.« less

Dosimetry of Strontium eye applicator: Comparison of Monte Carlo calculations and radiochromic film measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laoues, M.; Khelifi, R.; Moussa, A. S.

2015-01-01

Strontium-90 eye applicators are a beta-ray emitter with a relatively high-energy (maximum energy about 2.28 MeV and average energy about 0.9 MeV). These applicators come in different shapes and dimensions; they are used for the treatment of eye diseases. Whenever, radiation is used in treatment, dosimetry is essential. However, knowledge of the exact dose distribution is a critical decision-making to the outcome of the treatment. The main aim of our study is to simulate the dosimetry of the SIA.20 eye applicator with Monte Carlo GATE 6.1 platform and to compare the calculated results with those measured with EBT2 films. This means that GATE and EBT2 were used to quantify the surface and depths dose- rate, the relative dose profile and the dosimetric parameters in according to international recommendations. Calculated and measured results are in good agreement and they are consistent with the ICRU and NCS recommendations.

Efficiency of personal dosimetry methods in vascular interventional radiology.

PubMed

Bacchim Neto, Fernando Antonio; Alves, Allan Felipe Fattori; Mascarenhas, Yvone Maria; Giacomini, Guilherme; Maués, Nadine Helena Pelegrino Bastos; Nicolucci, Patrícia; de Freitas, Carlos Clayton Macedo; Alvarez, Matheus; Pina, Diana Rodrigues de

2017-05-01

The aim of the present study was to determine the efficiency of six methods for calculate the effective dose (E) that is received by health professionals during vascular interventional procedures. We evaluated the efficiency of six methods that are currently used to estimate professionals' E, based on national and international recommendations for interventional radiology. Equivalent doses on the head, neck, chest, abdomen, feet, and hands of seven professionals were monitored during 50 vascular interventional radiology procedures. Professionals' E was calculated for each procedure according to six methods that are commonly employed internationally. To determine the best method, a more efficient E calculation method was used to determine the reference value (reference E) for comparison. The highest equivalent dose were found for the hands (0.34±0.93mSv). The two methods that are described by Brazilian regulations overestimated E by approximately 100% and 200%. The more efficient method was the one that is recommended by the United States National Council on Radiological Protection and Measurements (NCRP). The mean and median differences of this method relative to reference E were close to 0%, and its standard deviation was the lowest among the six methods. The present study showed that the most precise method was the one that is recommended by the NCRP, which uses two dosimeters (one over and one under protective aprons). The use of methods that employ at least two dosimeters are more efficient and provide better information regarding estimates of E and doses for shielded and unshielded regions. Copyright © 2017 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Patient Selection and Activity Planning Guide for Selective Internal Radiotherapy With Yttrium-90 Resin Microspheres

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lau, Wan-Yee, E-mail: josephlau@surgery.cuhk.edu.hk; Kennedy, Andrew S.; Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

Purpose: Selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT) with yttrium-90 ({sup 90}Y) resin microspheres can improve the clinical outcomes for selected patients with inoperable liver cancer. This technique involves intra-arterial delivery of {beta}-emitting microspheres into hepatocellular carcinomas or liver metastases while sparing uninvolved structures. Its unique mode of action, including both {sup 90}Y brachytherapy and embolization of neoplastic microvasculature, necessitates activity planning methods specific to SIRT. Methods and Materials: A panel of clinicians experienced in {sup 90}Y resin microsphere SIRT was convened to integrate clinical experience with the published data to propose an activity planning pathway for radioembolization. Results: Accurate planning is essentialmore » to minimize potentially fatal sequelae such as radiation-induced liver disease while delivering tumoricidal {sup 90}Y activity. Planning methods have included empiric dosing according to degree of tumor involvement, empiric dosing adjusted for the body surface area, and partition model calculations using Medical Internal Radiation Dose principles. It has been recommended that at least two of these methods be compared when calculating the microsphere activity for each patient. Conclusions: Many factors inform {sup 90}Y resin microsphere SIRT activity planning, including the therapeutic intent, tissue and vasculature imaging, tumor and uninvolved liver characteristics, previous therapies, and localization of the microsphere infusion. The influence of each of these factors has been discussed.« less

SPECT-CT in routine clinical practice: increase in patient radiation dose compared with SPECT alone.

PubMed

Sharma, Punit; Sharma, Shekhar; Ballal, Sanjana; Bal, Chandrasekhar; Malhotra, Arun; Kumar, Rakesh

2012-09-01

To assess the patient radiation dose during routine clinical single-photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography (SPECT-CT) and measure the increase as compared with SPECT alone. Data pertaining to 357 consecutive patients who had undergone radioisotope imaging along with SPECT-CT of a selected volume were retrospectively evaluated. Dose of the injected radiopharmaceutical (MBq) was noted, and the effective dose (mSv) was calculated as per International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) guidelines. The volume-weighted computed tomography dose index (CTDIvol) and dose length product of the CT were also assessed using standard phantoms. The effective dose (mSv) due to CT was calculated as the product of dose length product and a conversion factor depending on the region of investigation, using ICRP guidelines. The dose due to CT was compared among different investigations. The increase in effective dose was calculated as CT dose expressed as a percentage of radiopharmaceutical dose. The per-patient CT effective dose for different studies varied between 0.06 and 11.9 mSv. The mean CT effective dose was lowest for 99mTc-ethylene cysteine dimer brain SPECT-CT (0.9 ± 0.7) and highest for 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate bone SPECT-CT (4.2 ± 2.8). The increase in radiation dose (SPECT-CT vs. SPECT) varied widely (2.3-666.4% for 99mTc-tracers and 0.02-96.2% for 131I-tracers). However, the effective dose of CT in SPECT-CT was less than the values reported for conventional CT examinations of the same regions. Addition of CT to nuclear medicine imaging in the form of SPECT-CT increases the radiation dose to the patient, with the effective dose due to CT exceeding the effective dose of RP in many instances. Hence, appropriate utilization and optimization of the protocols of SPECT-CT is needed to maximize benefit to patients.

An overview on GSF activities at the Semipalatinsk Test Site, Kazakhstan.

PubMed

Semioshkina, Natalia; Voigt, Gabrielle

2006-02-01

The Semipalatinsk Test Site (STS) in Kazakhstan was one of the major sites used by the former USSR for testing nuclear weapons for more than 40 years. Since the early 1990s, agricultural activities have been re-established there by neighbouring collective and private farms. Therefore, it has become important to evaluate the radiological situation and the current and future risk to people living on and using the contaminated area. During the last eight years, GSF has participated in many international projects performed on the STS to evaluate the radiological situation. A large number of soil, vegetation and food samples has been collected and analysed. Internal dose is one of the main components of the total dose when deriving risk factors for a population living within the test site. Internal doses, based on food monitoring and whole body measurements, were calculated for adults and were in the range of 13-500 microSv/y due to radiocaesium and radiostrontium.

Occupational exposure due to naturally occurring radionuclide material in granite quarry industry.

PubMed

Ademola, J A

2012-02-01

The potential occupational exposure in granite quarry industry due to the presence of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) has been investigated. The activity concentrations of (40)K, (226)Ra and (232)Th were determined using gamma-ray spectroscopy method. The annual effective dose of workers through different exposure pathways was determined by model calculations. The total annual effective dose varied from 21.48 to 33.69 μSv y(-1). Inhalation dose contributes the highest to the total effective dose. The results obtained were much lower than the intervention exemption levels (1.0 mSv y(-1)) given in the International Commission on Radiological Protection Publication 82.

Development and application of a rat PBPK model to elucidate kidney and liver effects induced by ETBE and tert-butanol

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Salazar, Keith D., E-mail: Salazar.keith@epa.gov; Brinkerhoff, Christopher J., E-mail: Brinkerhoff.Chris@epa.gov; Lee, Janice S., E-mail: Lee.JaniceS@epa.gov

Subchronic and chronic studies in rats of the gasoline oxygenates ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) and tert-butanol (TBA) report similar noncancer kidney and liver effects but differing results with respect to kidney and liver tumors. Because TBA is a major metabolite of ETBE, it is possible that TBA is the active toxic moiety in all these studies, with reported differences due simply to differences in the internal dose. To test this hypothesis, a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model was developed for ETBE and TBA to calculate internal dosimetrics of TBA following either TBA or ETBE exposure. This model, based on earlier PBPKmore » models of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), was used to evaluate whether kidney and liver effects are consistent across routes of exposure, as well as between ETBE and TBA studies, on the basis of estimated internal dose. The results demonstrate that noncancer kidney effects, including kidney weight changes, urothelial hyperplasia, and chronic progressive nephropathy (CPN), yielded consistent dose–response relationships across routes of exposure and across ETBE and TBA studies using TBA blood concentration as the dose metric. Relative liver weights were also consistent across studies on the basis of TBA metabolism, which is proportional to TBA liver concentrations. However, kidney and liver tumors were not consistent using any dose metric. These results support the hypothesis that TBA mediates the noncancer kidney and liver effects following ETBE administration; however, additional factors besides internal dose are necessary to explain the induction of liver and kidney tumors. - Highlights: • We model two metabolically-related fuel oxygenates to address toxicity data gaps. • Kidney and liver effects are compared on an internal dose basis. • Noncancer kidney effects are consistent using TBA blood concentration. • Liver weight changes are consistent using TBA metabolic rate. • Kidney and liver tumors are not consistent using any internal dose metric.« less

Microdosimetric Analysis Confirms Similar Biological Effectiveness of External Exposure to Gamma-Rays and Internal Exposure to 137Cs, 134Cs, and 131I

PubMed Central

Sato, Tatsuhiko; Manabe, Kentaro; Hamada, Nobuyuki

2014-01-01

The risk of internal exposure to 137Cs, 134Cs, and 131I is of great public concern after the accident at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant. The relative biological effectiveness (RBE, defined herein as effectiveness of internal exposure relative to the external exposure to γ-rays) is occasionally believed to be much greater than unity due to insufficient discussions on the difference of their microdosimetric profiles. We therefore performed a Monte Carlo particle transport simulation in ideally aligned cell systems to calculate the probability densities of absorbed doses in subcellular and intranuclear scales for internal exposures to electrons emitted from 137Cs, 134Cs, and 131I, as well as the external exposure to 662 keV photons. The RBE due to the inhomogeneous radioactive isotope (RI) distribution in subcellular structures and the high ionization density around the particle trajectories was then derived from the calculated microdosimetric probability density. The RBE for the bystander effect was also estimated from the probability density, considering its non-linear dose response. The RBE due to the high ionization density and that for the bystander effect were very close to 1, because the microdosimetric probability densities were nearly identical between the internal exposures and the external exposure from the 662 keV photons. On the other hand, the RBE due to the RI inhomogeneity largely depended on the intranuclear RI concentration and cell size, but their maximum possible RBE was only 1.04 even under conservative assumptions. Thus, it can be concluded from the microdosimetric viewpoint that the risk from internal exposures to 137Cs, 134Cs, and 131I should be nearly equivalent to that of external exposure to γ-rays at the same absorbed dose level, as suggested in the current recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. PMID:24919099

Radiation absorbed dose estimates for 18F-BPA PET.

PubMed

Kono, Yuzuru; Kurihara, Hiroaki; Kawamoto, Hiroshi; Yasui, Naoko; Honda, Naoki; Igaki, Hiroshi; Itami, Jun

2017-09-01

Background Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a molecular radiation therapy approach based on the 10 B (n, α) 7 Li nuclear reaction in cancer cells. In BNCT, delivery of 10 B in the form of 4-borono-phenylalanine conjugated with fructose (BPA-fr) to the cancer cells is important. The PET tracer 4-borono-2-18F-fluoro-phenylalanine (FBPA) has been used to predict the accumulation of BPA-fr before BNCT. Purpose To determine the biodistribution and dosimetric parameters in 18F-BPA PET/CT studies. Material and Methods Human biokinetic data were obtained during clinical 18F-BPA PET studies between February and June 2015 at one institution. Nine consecutive patients were studied prospectively. The internal radiation dose was calculated on the basis of radioactivity data from blood, urine, and normal tissue of the heart, liver, spleen, kidney, and other parts of the body at each time point using OLINDA/EXM1.1 program. We compared our calculations with published 18F-FDG data. Results Adult patients (3 men, 3 women; age range, 28-68 years) had significantly smaller absorbed doses than pediatric patients (3 patients; age range, 5-12 years) ( P = 0.003). The mean effective dose was 57% lower in adult patients compared with pediatric patients. Mean effective doses for 18F-BPA were 25% lower than those for 18F-FDG presented in International Commission of Radiation Protection (ICRP) publication 106. Conclusion We found significant differences in organ absorbed doses for 18F-BPA against those for 18F-FDG presented in ICRP publication 106. Mean effective doses for 18F-BPA were smaller than those for 18F-FDG in the publication by 0.5-38% (mean difference, 25%).

Development of a Spect-Based Three-Dimensional Treatment Planner for Radionuclide Therapy with Iodine -131.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giap, Huan Bosco

Accurate calculation of absorbed dose to target tumors and normal tissues in the body is an important requirement for establishing fundamental dose-response relationships for radioimmunotherapy. Two major obstacles have been the difficulty in obtaining an accurate patient-specific 3-D activity map in-vivo and calculating the resulting absorbed dose. This study investigated a methodology for 3-D internal dosimetry, which integrates the 3-D biodistribution of the radionuclide acquired from SPECT with a dose-point kernel convolution technique to provide the 3-D distribution of absorbed dose. Accurate SPECT images were reconstructed with appropriate methods for noise filtering, attenuation correction, and Compton scatter correction. The SPECT images were converted into activity maps using a calibration phantom. The activity map was convolved with an ^{131}I dose-point kernel using a 3-D fast Fourier transform to yield a 3-D distribution of absorbed dose. The 3-D absorbed dose map was then processed to provide the absorbed dose distribution in regions of interest. This methodology can provide heterogeneous distributions of absorbed dose in volumes of any size and shape with nonuniform distributions of activity. Comparison of the activities quantitated by our SPECT methodology to true activities in an Alderson abdominal phantom (with spleen, liver, and spherical tumor) yielded errors of -16.3% to 4.4%. Volume quantitation errors ranged from -4.0 to 5.9% for volumes greater than 88 ml. The percentage differences of the average absorbed dose rates calculated by this methodology and the MIRD S-values were 9.1% for liver, 13.7% for spleen, and 0.9% for the tumor. Good agreement (percent differences were less than 8%) was found between the absorbed dose due to penetrating radiation calculated from this methodology and TLD measurement. More accurate estimates of the 3 -D distribution of absorbed dose can be used as a guide in specifying the minimum activity to be administered to patients to deliver a prescribed absorbed dose to tumor without exceeding the toxicity limits of normal tissues.

Use of convolution/superposition-based treatment planning system for dose calculations in the kilovoltage energy range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alaei, Parham

2000-11-01

A number of procedures in diagnostic radiology and cardiology make use of long exposures to x rays from fluoroscopy units. Adverse effects of these long exposure times on the patients' skin have been documented in recent years. These include epilation, erythema, and, in severe cases, moist desquamation and tissue necrosis. Potential biological effects from these exposures to other organs include radiation-induced cataracts and pneumonitis. Although there have been numerous studies to measure or calculate the dose to skin from these procedures, there have only been a handful of studies to determine the dose to other organs. Therefore, there is a need for accurate methods to measure the dose in tissues and organs other than the skin. This research was concentrated in devising a method to determine accurately the radiation dose to these tissues and organs. The work was performed in several stages: First, a three dimensional (3D) treatment planning system used in radiation oncology was modified and complemented to make it usable with the low energies of x rays used in diagnostic radiology. Using the system for low energies required generation of energy deposition kernels using Monte Carlo methods. These kernels were generated using the EGS4 Monte Carlo system of codes and added to the treatment planning system. Following modification, the treatment planning system was evaluated for its accuracy of calculations in low energies within homogeneous and heterogeneous media. A study of the effects of lungs and bones on the dose distribution was also performed. The next step was the calculation of dose distributions in humanoid phantoms using this modified system. The system was used to calculate organ doses in these phantoms and the results were compared to those obtained from other methods. These dose distributions can subsequently be used to create dose-volume histograms (DVHs) for internal organs irradiated by these beams. Using this data and the concept of normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) developed for radiation oncology, the risk of future complications in a particular organ can be estimated.

Independent dose verification system with Monte Carlo simulations using TOPAS for passive scattering proton therapy at the National Cancer Center in Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Wook-Geun; Testa, Mauro; Kim, Hak Soo; Jeong, Jong Hwi; Byeong Lee, Se; Kim, Yeon-Joo; Min, Chul Hee

2017-10-01

For the independent validation of treatment plans, we developed a fully automated Monte Carlo (MC)-based patient dose calculation system with the tool for particle simulation (TOPAS) and proton therapy machine installed at the National Cancer Center in Korea to enable routine and automatic dose recalculation for each patient. The proton beam nozzle was modeled with TOPAS to simulate the therapeutic beam, and MC commissioning was performed by comparing percent depth dose with the measurement. The beam set-up based on the prescribed beam range and modulation width was automated by modifying the vendor-specific method. The CT phantom was modeled based on the DICOM CT files with TOPAS-built-in function, and an in-house-developed C++ code directly imports the CT files for positioning the CT phantom, RT-plan file for simulating the treatment plan, and RT-structure file for applying the Hounsfield unit (HU) assignment, respectively. The developed system was validated by comparing the dose distributions with those calculated by the treatment planning system (TPS) for a lung phantom and two patient cases of abdomen and internal mammary node. The results of the beam commissioning were in good agreement of up to 0.8 mm2 g-1 for B8 option in both of the beam range and the modulation width of the spread-out Bragg peaks. The beam set-up technique can predict the range and modulation width with an accuracy of 0.06% and 0.51%, respectively, with respect to the prescribed range and modulation in arbitrary points of B5 option (128.3, 132.0, and 141.2 mm2 g-1 of range). The dose distributions showed higher than 99% passing rate for the 3D gamma index (3 mm distance to agreement and 3% dose difference) between the MC simulations and the clinical TPS in the target volume. However, in the normal tissues, less favorable agreements were obtained for the radiation treatment planning with the lung phantom and internal mammary node cases. The discrepancies might come from the limitations of the clinical TPS, which is the inaccurate dose calculation algorithm for the scattering effect, in the range compensator and inhomogeneous material. Moreover, the steep slope of the compensator, conversion of the HU values to the human phantom, and the dose calculation algorithm for the HU assignment also could be reasons of the discrepancies. The current study could be used for the independent dose validation of treatment plans including high inhomogeneities, the steep compensator, and riskiness such as lung, head & neck cases. According to the treatment policy, the dose discrepancies predicted with MC could be used for the acceptance decision of the original treatment plan.

Development of Monte Carlo simulations to provide scanner-specific organ dose coefficients for contemporary CT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jansen, Jan T. M.; Shrimpton, Paul C.

2016-07-01

The ImPACT (imaging performance assessment of CT scanners) CT patient dosimetry calculator is still used world-wide to estimate organ and effective doses (E) for computed tomography (CT) examinations, although the tool is based on Monte Carlo calculations reflecting practice in the early 1990’s. Subsequent developments in CT scanners, definitions of E, anthropomorphic phantoms, computers and radiation transport codes, have all fuelled an urgent need for updated organ dose conversion factors for contemporary CT. A new system for such simulations has been developed and satisfactorily tested. Benchmark comparisons of normalised organ doses presently derived for three old scanners (General Electric 9800, Philips Tomoscan LX and Siemens Somatom DRH) are within 5% of published values. Moreover, calculated normalised values of CT Dose Index for these scanners are in reasonable agreement (within measurement and computational uncertainties of  ±6% and  ±1%, respectively) with reported standard measurements. Organ dose coefficients calculated for a contemporary CT scanner (Siemens Somatom Sensation 16) demonstrate potential deviations by up to around 30% from the surrogate values presently assumed (through a scanner matching process) when using the ImPACT CT Dosimetry tool for newer scanners. Also, illustrative estimates of E for some typical examinations and a range of anthropomorphic phantoms demonstrate the significant differences (by some 10’s of percent) that can arise when changing from the previously adopted stylised mathematical phantom to the voxel phantoms presently recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), and when following the 2007 ICRP recommendations (updated from 1990) concerning tissue weighting factors. Further simulations with the validated dosimetry system will provide updated series of dose coefficients for a wide range of contemporary scanners.

NOTE: A Monte Carlo study of dose rate distribution around the specially asymmetric CSM3-a 137Cs source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez-Calatayud, J.; Lliso, F.; Ballester, F.; Serrano, M. A.; Lluch, J. L.; Limami, Y.; Puchades, V.; Casal, E.

2001-07-01

The CSM3 137Cs type stainless-steel encapsulated source is widely used in manually afterloaded low dose rate brachytherapy. A specially asymmetric source, CSM3-a, has been designed by CIS Bio International (France) substituting the eyelet side seed with an inactive material in the CSM3 source. This modification has been done in order to allow a uniform dose level over the upper vaginal surface when this `linear' source is inserted at the top of the dome vaginal applicators. In this study the Monte Carlo GEANT3 simulation code, incorporating the source geometry in detail, was used to investigate the dosimetric characteristics of this special CSM3-a 137Cs brachytherapy source. The absolute dose rate distribution in water around this source was calculated and is presented in the form of an along-away table. Comparison of Sievert integral type calculations with Monte Carlo results are discussed.

131 iodine gamma dose determination in the thyroid gland using two geometrical shapes: a comparative study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Betka, A.; Bentabet, A.; Azbouche, A.; Fenineche, N.; Adjiri, A.; Dib, A.

2015-05-01

In order to study the internal gamma dose, we used a Monte Carlo code ‘Penelope’ simulation with two geometrical models (cylindrical and spherical). The deposited energy was determined via the loss of energy calculated from the quantum theory for inelastic collisions based on the first-order (plane-wave) Born approximation for charged particles with individual atoms and molecules. Our results show that the cylindrical geometry is more suitable for carrying out such a study. Moreover, we developed an analytical expression for the 131 iodine gamma dose (the energy deposited per photon absorbed dose). This latter could be considered as an important tool for evaluating the gamma dose without going through stochastic models.

Luminescence isochron dating: a new approach using different grain sizes.

PubMed

Zhao, H; Li, S H

2002-01-01

A new approach to isochron dating is described using different sizes of quartz and K-feldspar grains. The technique can be applied to sites with time-dependent external dose rates. It is assumed that any underestimation of the equivalent dose (De) using K-feldspar is by a factor F, which is independent of grain size (90-350 microm) for a given sample. Calibration of the beta source for different grain sizes is discussed, and then the sample ages are calculated using the differences between quartz and K-feldspar De from grains of similar size. Two aeolian sediment samples from north-eastern China are used to illustrate the application of the new method. It is confirmed that the observed values of De derived using K-feldspar underestimate the expected doses (based on the quartz De) but, nevertheless, these K-feldspar De values correlate linearly with the calculated internal dose rate contribution, supporting the assumption that the underestimation factor F is independent of grain size. The isochron ages are also compared with the results obtained using quartz De and the measured external dose rates.

The estimation of absorbed dose rates for non-human biota : an extended inter-comparison.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Batlle, J. V. I.; Beaugelin-Seiller, K.; Beresford, N. A.

An exercise to compare 10 approaches for the calculation of unweighted whole-body absorbed dose rates was conducted for 74 radionuclides and five of the ICRP's Reference Animals and Plants, or RAPs (duck, frog, flatfish egg, rat and elongated earthworm), selected for this exercise to cover a range of body sizes, dimensions and exposure scenarios. Results were analysed using a non-parametric method requiring no specific hypotheses about the statistical distribution of data. The obtained unweighted absorbed dose rates for internal exposure compare well between the different approaches, with 70% of the results falling within a range of variation of {+-}20%. Themore » variation is greater for external exposure, although 90% of the estimates are within an order of magnitude of one another. There are some discernible patterns where specific models over- or under-predicted. These are explained based on the methodological differences including number of daughter products included in the calculation of dose rate for a parent nuclide; source-target geometry; databases for discrete energy and yield of radionuclides; rounding errors in integration algorithms; and intrinsic differences in calculation methods. For certain radionuclides, these factors combine to generate systematic variations between approaches. Overall, the technique chosen to interpret the data enabled methodological differences in dosimetry calculations to be quantified and compared, allowing the identification of common issues between different approaches and providing greater assurance on the fundamental dose conversion coefficient approaches used in available models for assessing radiological effects to biota.« less

Cellular dosimetry calculations for Strontium-90 using Monte Carlo code PENELOPE.

PubMed

Hocine, Nora; Farlay, Delphine; Boivin, Georges; Franck, Didier; Agarande, Michelle

2014-11-01

To improve risk assessments associated with chronic exposure to Strontium-90 (Sr-90), for both the environment and human health, it is necessary to know the energy distribution in specific cells or tissue. Monte Carlo (MC) simulation codes are extremely useful tools for calculating deposition energy. The present work was focused on the validation of the MC code PENetration and Energy LOss of Positrons and Electrons (PENELOPE) and the assessment of dose distribution to bone marrow cells from punctual Sr-90 source localized within the cortical bone part. S-values (absorbed dose per unit cumulated activity) calculations using Monte Carlo simulations were performed by using PENELOPE and Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended (MCNPX). Cytoplasm, nucleus, cell surface, mouse femur bone and Sr-90 radiation source were simulated. Cells are assumed to be spherical with the radii of the cell and cell nucleus ranging from 2-10 μm. The Sr-90 source is assumed to be uniformly distributed in cell nucleus, cytoplasm and cell surface. The comparison of S-values calculated with PENELOPE to MCNPX results and the Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) values agreed very well since the relative deviations were less than 4.5%. The dose distribution to mouse bone marrow cells showed that the cells localized near the cortical part received the maximum dose. The MC code PENELOPE may prove useful for cellular dosimetry involving radiation transport through materials other than water, or for complex distributions of radionuclides and geometries.

Development and application of a rat PBPK model to elucidate kidney and liver effects induced by ETBE and tert-butanol.

PubMed

Salazar, Keith D; Brinkerhoff, Christopher J; Lee, Janice S; Chiu, Weihsueh A

2015-11-01

Subchronic and chronic studies in rats of the gasoline oxygenates ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) and tert-butanol (TBA) report similar noncancer kidney and liver effects but differing results with respect to kidney and liver tumors. Because TBA is a major metabolite of ETBE, it is possible that TBA is the active toxic moiety in all these studies, with reported differences due simply to differences in the internal dose. To test this hypothesis, a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model was developed for ETBE and TBA to calculate internal dosimetrics of TBA following either TBA or ETBE exposure. This model, based on earlier PBPK models of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), was used to evaluate whether kidney and liver effects are consistent across routes of exposure, as well as between ETBE and TBA studies, on the basis of estimated internal dose. The results demonstrate that noncancer kidney effects, including kidney weight changes, urothelial hyperplasia, and chronic progressive nephropathy (CPN), yielded consistent dose-response relationships across routes of exposure and across ETBE and TBA studies using TBA blood concentration as the dose metric. Relative liver weights were also consistent across studies on the basis of TBA metabolism, which is proportional to TBA liver concentrations. However, kidney and liver tumors were not consistent using any dose metric. These results support the hypothesis that TBA mediates the noncancer kidney and liver effects following ETBE administration; however, additional factors besides internal dose are necessary to explain the induction of liver and kidney tumors. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Monte Carlo estimation of radiation dose in organs of female and male adult phantoms due to FDG-F18 absorbed in the lungs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belinato, Walmir; Santos, William S.; Silva, Rogério M. V.; Souza, Divanizia N.

2014-03-01

The determination of dose conversion factors (S values) for the radionuclide fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) absorbed in the lungs during a positron emission tomography (PET) procedure was calculated using the Monte Carlo method (MCNPX version 2.7.0). For the obtained dose conversion factors of interest, it was considered a uniform absorption of radiopharmaceutical by the lung of a healthy adult human. The spectrum of fluorine was introduced in the input data file for the simulation. The simulation took place in two adult phantoms of both sexes, based on polygon mesh surfaces called FASH and MASH with anatomy and posture according to ICRP 89. The S values for the 22 internal organs/tissues, chosen from ICRP No. 110, for the FASH and MASH phantoms were compared with the results obtained from a MIRD V phantoms called ADAM and EVA used by the Committee on Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD). We observed variation of more than 100% in S values due to structural anatomical differences in the internal organs of the MASH and FASH phantoms compared to the mathematical phantom.

Use of probability analysis to establish routine bioassay screening levels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carbaugh, E.H.; Sula, M.J.; McFadden, K.M.

1990-09-01

Probability analysis was used by the Hanford Internal Dosimetry Program to establish bioassay screening levels for tritium and uranium in urine. Background environmental levels of these two radionuclides are generally detectable by the highly sensitive urine analysis procedures routinely used at Hanford. Establishing screening levels requires balancing the impact of false detection with the consequence of potentially undetectable occupation dose. To establish the screening levels, tritium and uranium analyses were performed on urine samples collected from workers exposed only to environmental sources. All samples were collected at home using a simulated 12-hour protocol for tritium and a simulated 24-hour collectionmore » protocol for uranium. Results of the analyses of these samples were ranked according to tritium concentration or total sample uranium. The cumulative percentile was calculated and plotted using log-probability coordinates. Geometric means and screening levels corresponding to various percentiles were estimated by graphical interpolation and standard calculations. The potentially annual internal dose associated with a screening level was calculated. Screening levels were selected corresponding to the 99.9 percentile, implying that, on the average, 1 out of 1000 samples collected from an unexposed worker population would be expected to exceed the screening level. 4 refs., 2 figs.« less

Personal Dose Equivalent Conversion Coefficients For Photons To 1 GEV

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Veinot, K. G.; Hertel, N. E.

2010-09-27

The personal dose equivalent, H{sub p}(d), is the quantity recommended by the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) to be used as an approximation of the protection quantity Effective Dose when performing personal dosemeter calibrations. The personal dose equivalent can be defined for any location and depth within the body. Typically, the location of interest is the trunk where personal dosemeters are usually worn and in this instance a suitable approximation is a 30 cm X 30 cm X 15 cm slab-type phantom. For this condition the personal dose equivalent is denoted as H{sub p,slab}(d) and the depths,more » d, are taken to be 0.007 cm for non-penetrating and 1 cm for penetrating radiation. In operational radiation protection a third depth, 0.3 cm, is used to approximate the dose to the lens of the eye. A number of conversion coefficients for photons are available for incident energies up to several MeV, however, data to higher energies are limited. In this work conversion coefficients up to 1 GeV have been calculated for H{sub p,slab}(10) and H{sub p,slab}(3) using both the kerma approximation and by tracking secondary charged particles. For H{sub p}(0.07) the conversion coefficients were calculated, but only to 10 MeV due to computational limitations. Additionally, conversions from air kerma to H{sub p,slab}(d) have been determined and are reported. The conversion coefficients were determined for discrete incident energies, but analytical fits of the coefficients over the energy range are provided. Since the inclusion of air can influence the production of secondary charged particles incident on the face of the phantom conversion coefficients have been determined both in vacuo and with the source and slab immersed within a sphere in air. The conversion coefficients for the personal dose equivalent are compared to the appropriate protection quantity, calculated according to the recommendations of the latest International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) guidance.« less

Dose conversion coefficients for photon exposure of the human eye lens.

PubMed

Behrens, R; Dietze, G

2011-01-21

In recent years, several papers dealing with the eye lens dose have been published, because epidemiological studies implied that the induction of cataracts occurs even at eye lens doses of less than 500 mGy. Different questions were addressed: Which personal dose equivalent quantity is appropriate for monitoring the dose to the eye lens? Is a new definition of the dose quantity H(p)(3) based on a cylinder phantom to represent the human head necessary? Are current conversion coefficients from fluence to equivalent dose to the lens sufficiently accurate? To investigate the latter question, a realistic model of the eye including the inner structure of the lens was developed. Using this eye model, conversion coefficients for electrons have already been presented. In this paper, the same eye model-with the addition of the whole body-was used to calculate conversion coefficients from fluence (and air kerma) to equivalent dose to the lens for photon radiation from 5 keV to 10 MeV. Compared to the values adopted in 1996 by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), the new values are similar between 40 keV and 1 MeV and lower by up to a factor of 5 and 7 for photon energies at about 10 keV and 10 MeV, respectively. Above 1 MeV, the new values (calculated without kerma approximation) should be applied in pure photon radiation fields, while the values adopted by the ICRP in 1996 (calculated with kerma approximation) should be applied in case a significant contribution from secondary electrons originating outside the body is present.

Dose conversion coefficients for photon exposure of the human eye lens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behrens, R.; Dietze, G.

2011-01-01

In recent years, several papers dealing with the eye lens dose have been published, because epidemiological studies implied that the induction of cataracts occurs even at eye lens doses of less than 500 mGy. Different questions were addressed: Which personal dose equivalent quantity is appropriate for monitoring the dose to the eye lens? Is a new definition of the dose quantity Hp(3) based on a cylinder phantom to represent the human head necessary? Are current conversion coefficients from fluence to equivalent dose to the lens sufficiently accurate? To investigate the latter question, a realistic model of the eye including the inner structure of the lens was developed. Using this eye model, conversion coefficients for electrons have already been presented. In this paper, the same eye model—with the addition of the whole body—was used to calculate conversion coefficients from fluence (and air kerma) to equivalent dose to the lens for photon radiation from 5 keV to 10 MeV. Compared to the values adopted in 1996 by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), the new values are similar between 40 keV and 1 MeV and lower by up to a factor of 5 and 7 for photon energies at about 10 keV and 10 MeV, respectively. Above 1 MeV, the new values (calculated without kerma approximation) should be applied in pure photon radiation fields, while the values adopted by the ICRP in 1996 (calculated with kerma approximation) should be applied in case a significant contribution from secondary electrons originating outside the body is present.

Measurement of micronuclei and internal dose in mice demonstrates that 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) has no genotoxic potency in vivo.

PubMed

Aasa, Jenny; Törnqvist, Margareta; Abramsson-Zetterberg, Lilianne

2017-11-01

In this study 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD), a compound that appears as contaminant in refined cooking oils, has been studied with regard to genotoxicity in vivo (mice) with simultaneous measurement of internal dose using state-of-the-art methodologies. Genotoxicity (chromosomal aberrations) was measured by flow cytometry with dual lasers as the frequency of micronuclei in erythrocytes in peripheral blood from BalbC mice intraperitoneally exposed to 3-MCPD (0, 50, 75, 100, 125 mg/kg). The internal doses of 3-MCPD in the mice were calculated from N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-valine adducts to hemoglobin (Hb), quantified at very low levels by high-resolution mass spectrometry. Convincing evidence for absence of genotoxic potency in correlation to measured internal doses in the mice was demonstrated, despite relatively high administered doses of 3-MCPD. The results are discussed in relation to another food contaminant that is formed as ester in parallel to 3-MCPD esters in oil processing, i.e. glycidol, which has been studied previously by us in a similar experimental setup. Glycidol has been shown to be genotoxic, and in addition to have ca. 1000 times higher rate of adduct formation compared to that observed for 3-MCPD. The conclusion is that at simultaneous exposure to 3-MCPD and glycidol the concern about genotoxicity would be glycidol. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New Stochastic Annual Limits on Intake for Selected Radionuclides

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carbaugh, Eugene H.

Annual limits on intake (ALI) have historically been tabulated by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (e.g., ICRP 1979, 1961) and also by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA 1988). These compilations have been rendered obsolete by more recent ICRP dosimetry methods, and, rather than provide new ALIs, the ICRP has opted instead to provide committed dose coefficients from which an ALI can be determined by a user for a specific set of conditions. The U.S. Department of Energy historically has referenced compilations of ALIs and has defined their method of calculation in its radiation protection regulation (10 CFDR 835), butmore » has never provided a specific compilation. Under June 2007 amendments to 10 CFR 835, ALIs can be calculated by dividing an appropriate dose limit, either 5-rem (0.05 Sv) effective dose or 50 rem (0.5 Sv) equivalent dose to an individual organ or tissue, by an appropriate committed dose coefficient. When based on effective dose, the ALI is often referred to as a stochastic annual limit on intake (SALI), and when based on the individual organ or tissue equivalent limit, it has often been called a deterministic annual limit on intake (DALI).« less

Conversion of ICRP male reference phantom to polygon-surface phantom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeom, Yeon Soo; Han, Min Cheol; Kim, Chan Hyeong; Jeong, Jong Hwi

2013-10-01

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) reference phantoms, developed based on computed tomography images of human bodies, provide much more realism of human anatomy than the previously used MIRD5 (Medical Internal Radiation Dose) mathematical phantoms. It has been, however, realized that the ICRP reference phantoms have some critical limitations showing a considerable amount of holes for the skin and wall organs mainly due to the nature of voxels of which the phantoms are made, especially due to their low voxel resolutions. To address this problem, we are planning to develop the polygon-surface version of ICRP reference phantoms by directly converting the ICRP reference phantoms (voxel phantoms) to polygon-surface phantoms. The objective of this preliminary study is to see if it is indeed possible to construct the high-quality polygon-surface phantoms based on the ICRP reference phantoms maintaining identical organ morphology and also to identify any potential issues, and technologies to address these issues, in advance. For this purpose, in the present study, the ICRP reference male phantom was roughly converted to a polygon-surface phantom. Then, the constructed phantom was implemented in Geant4, Monte Carlo particle transport code, for dose calculations, and the calculated dose values were compared with those of the original ICRP reference phantom to see how much the calculated dose values are sensitive to the accuracy of the conversion process. The results of the present study show that it is certainly possible to convert the ICRP reference phantoms to surface phantoms with enough accuracy. In spite of using relatively less resources (<2 man-months), we were able to construct the polygon-surface phantom with the organ masses perfectly matching the ICRP reference values. The analysis of the calculated dose values also implies that the dose values are indeed not very sensitive to the detailed morphology of the organ models in the phantom for highly penetrating radiations such as photons and neutrons. The results of the electron beams, on the other hand, show that the dose values of the polygon-surface phantom are higher by a factor of 2-5 times than those of the ICRP reference phantom for the skin and wall organs which have large holes due to low voxel resolution. The results demonstrate that the ICRP reference phantom could provide significantly unreasonable dose values to thin or wall organs especially for weakly penetrating radiations. Therefore, when compared to the original ICRP reference phantoms, it is believed that the polygon-surface version of ICRP reference phantoms properly developed will not only provide the same or similar dose values (say, difference <5 or 10%) for highly penetrating radiations, but also provide correct dose values for the weakly penetrating radiations such as electrons and other charged particles.

Identification of Trends into Dose Calculations for Astronauts through Performing Sensitivity Analysis on Calculational Models Used by the Radiation Health Office

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Thomas; VanBaalen, Mary

2009-01-01

The Radiation Health Office (RHO) determines each astronaut s cancer risk by using models to associate the amount of radiation dose that astronauts receive from spaceflight missions. The baryon transport codes (BRYNTRN), high charge (Z) and energy transport codes (HZETRN), and computer risk models are used to determine the effective dose received by astronauts in Low Earth orbit (LEO). This code uses an approximation of the Boltzman transport formula. The purpose of the project is to run this code for various International Space Station (ISS) flight parameters in order to gain a better understanding of how this code responds to different scenarios. The project will determine how variations in one set of parameters such as, the point of the solar cycle and altitude can affect the radiation exposure of astronauts during ISS missions. This project will benefit NASA by improving mission dosimetry.

Investigation of the environmental impacts of naturally occurring radionuclides in the processing of sulfide ores for gold using gamma spectrometry.

PubMed

Gbadago, J K; Faanhof, A; Darko, E O; Schandorf, C

2011-09-01

The possible environmental impacts of naturally occurring radionuclides on workers and a critical community, as a result of milling and processing sulfide ores for gold by a mining company at Bogoso in the western region of Ghana, have been investigated using gamma spectroscopy. Indicative doses for the workers during sulfide ore processing were calculated from the activity concentrations measured at both physical and chemical processing stages. The dose rate, annual effective dose equivalent, radium equivalent activity, external and internal hazard indices, and radioactivity level index for tailings, for the de-silted sediments of run-off from the vicinity of the tailings dam through the critical community, and for the soils of the critical community's basic schools were calculated and found to be lower than their respective permissible limits. The environmental impact of the radionuclides is therefore expected to be low in this mining environment.

Four-dimensional dose evaluation using deformable image registration in radiotherapy for liver cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoon Jung, Sang; Min Yoon, Sang; Ho Park, Sung

2013-01-15

Purpose: In order to evaluate the dosimetric impact of respiratory motion on the dose delivered to the target volume and critical organs during free-breathing radiotherapy, a four-dimensional dose was evaluated using deformable image registration (DIR). Methods: Four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) images were acquired for 11 patients who were treated for liver cancer. Internal target volume-based treatment planning and dose calculation (3D dose) were performed using the end-exhalation phase images. The four-dimensional dose (4D dose) was calculated based on DIR of all phase images from 4DCT to the planned image. Dosimetric parameters from the 4D dose, were calculated and compared withmore » those from the 3D dose. Results: There was no significant change of the dosimetric parameters for gross tumor volume (p > 0.05). The increase D{sub mean} and generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD) for liver were by 3.1%{+-} 3.3% (p= 0.003) and 2.8%{+-} 3.3% (p= 0.008), respectively, and for duodenum, they were decreased by 15.7%{+-} 11.2% (p= 0.003) and 15.1%{+-} 11.0% (p= 0.003), respectively. The D{sub max} and gEUD for stomach was decreased by 5.3%{+-} 5.8% (p= 0.003) and 9.7%{+-} 8.7% (p= 0.003), respectively. The D{sub max} and gEUD for right kidney was decreased by 11.2%{+-} 16.2% (p= 0.003) and 14.9%{+-} 16.8% (p= 0.005), respectively. For left kidney, D{sub max} and gEUD were decreased by 11.4%{+-} 11.0% (p= 0.003) and 12.8%{+-} 12.1% (p= 0.005), respectively. The NTCP values for duodenum and stomach were decreased by 8.4%{+-} 5.8% (p= 0.003) and 17.2%{+-} 13.7% (p= 0.003), respectively. Conclusions: The four-dimensional dose with a more realistic dose calculation accounting for respiratory motion revealed no significant difference in target coverage and potentially significant change in the physical and biological dosimetric parameters in normal organs during free-breathing treatment.« less

Evaluation of a semiautomated lung mass calculation technique for internal dosimetry applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Busse, Nathan; Erwin, William; Pan, Tinsu

2013-12-15

Purpose: The authors sought to evaluate a simple, semiautomated lung mass estimation method using computed tomography (CT) scans obtained using a variety of acquisition techniques and reconstruction parameters for mass correction of medical internal radiation dose-based internal radionuclide radiation absorbed dose estimates.Methods: CT scans of 27 patients with lung cancer undergoing stereotactic body radiation therapy treatment planning with PET/CT were analyzed retrospectively. For each patient, free-breathing (FB) and respiratory-gated 4DCT scans were acquired. The 4DCT scans were sorted into ten respiratory phases, representing one complete respiratory cycle. An average CT reconstruction was derived from the ten-phase reconstructions. Mid expiration breath-holdmore » CT scans were acquired in the same session for many patients. Deep inspiration breath-hold diagnostic CT scans of many of the patients were obtained from different scanning sessions at similar time points to evaluate the effect of contrast administration and maximum inspiration breath-hold. Lung mass estimates were obtained using all CT scan types, and intercomparisons made to assess lung mass variation according to scan type. Lung mass estimates using the FB CT scans from PET/CT examinations of another group of ten male and ten female patients who were 21–30 years old and did not have lung disease were calculated and compared with reference lung mass values. To evaluate the effect of varying CT acquisition and reconstruction parameters on lung mass estimation, an anthropomorphic chest phantom was scanned and reconstructed with different CT parameters. CT images of the lungs were segmented using the OsiriX MD software program with a seed point of about −850 HU and an interval of 1000. Lung volume, and mean lung, tissue, and air HUs were recorded for each scan. Lung mass was calculated by assuming each voxel was a linear combination of only air and tissue. The specific gravity of lung volume was calculated using the formula (lung HU − air HU)/(tissue HU − air HU), and mass = specific gravity × total volume × 1.04 g/cm{sup 3}.Results: The range of calculated lung masses was 0.51–1.29 kg. The average male and female lung masses during FB CT were 0.80 and 0.71 kg, respectively. The calculated lung mass varied across the respiratory cycle but changed to a lesser degree than did lung volume measurements (7.3% versus 15.4%). Lung masses calculated using deep inspiration breath-hold and average CT were significantly larger (p < 0.05) than were some masses calculated using respiratory-phase and FB CT. Increased voxel size and smooth reconstruction kernels led to high lung mass estimates owing to partial volume effects.Conclusions: Organ mass correction is an important component of patient-specific internal radionuclide dosimetry. Lung mass calculation necessitates scan-based density correction to account for volume changes owing to respiration. The range of lung masses in the authors’ patient population represents lung doses for the same absorbed energy differing from 25% below to 64% above the dose found using reference phantom organ masses. With proper management of acquisition parameters and selection of FB or midexpiration breath hold scans, lung mass estimates with about 10% population precision may be achieved.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yu, S; Green, G; Sehgal, V

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the dose response of radioembolization using yttrium-90 (Y-90) microspheres in patients treated for unresectable cholangiocarcinoma. This study utilized partition dosimetry model for the dose calculation. The results show survival benefit with dose escalation. Methods: Between February 2009 and March 2013, ten patients with pathology proven unresectable cholangiocarcinoma were radioembolized with Y-90 microspheres. Patients underwent initial pre-treatment angiographic assessment for blood flow and 99mTc- MAA for lung shunt evaluation. Activity of Y-90 administration was calculated using the Body Surface Area (BSA) and target volumes which were determined by contouring the pre-treatment MRI/CTmore » images using a radiation therapy treatment planning system. Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) method was used to assess the dosimetric results of Y90. Partition model based on the tumor to-liver activity uptake estimated from pretreatment 99mTc- MAA study was used to calculate the dose delivered to the target. The variables assessed included: administered dose, toxicity based on clinical changes, imaging based tumor response, and survival. Results: Ten patients were radioembolized with Y-90 microspheres to either one hepatic lobe or both left and right lobes. Patients were stratified by dose. Four patients who received dose greater than 140Gy (p < 0.05) all survived. The corresponding activity they received was greater than 35 mCi. Six out of ten patients died of disease with median survival of 18 weeks (range 12–81wks). Conclusion: Given the growing body of data for Y-90 microspheres in the context of cholangiocarcinoma, radioembolization may become an important treatment modality for an appropriately selected group of patients. Our study further substantiates past studies and shows additional evidence of a survival benefit with dose escalation.« less

A method for the assessment of specific energy distribution in a model tumor system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Noska, M.A.

1996-12-31

Due to the short range of alpha particles in tissue, the calculation of dose from internally deposited alpha emitters requires a detailed analysis of the microscopic distribution of the radionuclide in order to determine the spatial distribution of energy emission events and, from this, the spatial distribution of dose. In the present study, the authors used quantitative autoradiography (QAR) to assess the microdistribution of a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody (MAb) fragment in human glioma xenografts in mice.

New Fetal Dose Estimates from 18F-FDG Administered During Pregnancy: Standardization of Dose Calculations and Estimations with Voxel-Based Anthropomorphic Phantoms.

PubMed

Zanotti-Fregonara, Paolo; Chastan, Mathieu; Edet-Sanson, Agathe; Ekmekcioglu, Ozgul; Erdogan, Ezgi Basak; Hapdey, Sebastien; Hindie, Elif; Stabin, Michael G

2016-11-01

Data from the literature show that the fetal absorbed dose from 18 F-FDG administration to the pregnant mother ranges from 0.5E-2 to 4E-2 mGy/MBq. These figures were, however, obtained using different quantification techniques and with basic geometric anthropomorphic phantoms. The aim of this study was to refine the fetal dose estimates of published as well as new cases using realistic voxel-based phantoms. The 18 F-FDG doses to the fetus (n = 19; 5-34 wk of pregnancy) were calculated with new voxel-based anthropomorphic phantoms of the pregnant woman. The image-derived fetal time-integrated activity values were combined with those of the mothers' organs from the International Commission on Radiological Protection publication 106 and the dynamic bladder model with a 1-h bladder-voiding interval. The dose to the uterus was used as a proxy for early pregnancy (up to 10 wk). The time-integrated activities were entered into OLINDA/EXM 1.1 to derive the dose with the classic anthropomorphic phantoms of pregnant women, then into OLINDA/EXM 2.0 to assess the dose using new voxel-based phantoms. The average fetal doses (mGy/MBq) with OLINDA/EXM 2.0 were 2.5E-02 in early pregnancy, 1.3E-02 in the late part of the first trimester, 8.5E-03 in the second trimester, and 5.1E-03 in the third trimester. The differences compared with the doses calculated with OLINDA/EXM 1.1 were +7%, +70%, +35%, and -8%, respectively. Except in late pregnancy, the doses estimated with realistic voxelwise anthropomorphic phantoms are higher than the doses derived from old geometric phantoms. The doses remain, however, well below the threshold for any deterministic effects. Thus, pregnancy is not an absolute contraindication of a clinically justified 18 F-FDG PET scan. © 2016 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

HDRK-Man: a whole-body voxel model based on high-resolution color slice images of a Korean adult male cadaver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Chan Hyeong; Hyoun Choi, Sang; Jeong, Jong Hwi; Lee, Choonsik; Chung, Min Suk

2008-08-01

A Korean voxel model, named 'High-Definition Reference Korean-Man (HDRK-Man)', was constructed using high-resolution color photographic images that were obtained by serially sectioning the cadaver of a 33-year-old Korean adult male. The body height and weight, the skeletal mass and the dimensions of the individual organs and tissues were adjusted to the reference Korean data. The resulting model was then implemented into a Monte Carlo particle transport code, MCNPX, to calculate the dose conversion coefficients for the internal organs and tissues. The calculated values, overall, were reasonable in comparison with the values from other adult voxel models. HDRK-Man showed higher dose conversion coefficients than other models, due to the facts that HDRK-Man has a smaller torso and that the arms of HDRK-Man are shifted backward. The developed model is believed to adequately represent average Korean radiation workers and thus can be used for more accurate calculation of dose conversion coefficients for Korean radiation workers in the future.

Measurements of the neutron dose and energy spectrum on the International Space Station during expeditions ISS-16 to ISS-21.

PubMed

Smith, M B; Akatov, Yu; Andrews, H R; Arkhangelsky, V; Chernykh, I V; Ing, H; Khoshooniy, N; Lewis, B J; Machrafi, R; Nikolaev, I; Romanenko, R Y; Shurshakov, V; Thirsk, R B; Tomi, L

2013-01-01

As part of the international Matroshka-R and Radi-N experiments, bubble detectors have been used on board the ISS in order to characterise the neutron dose and the energy spectrum of neutrons. Experiments using bubble dosemeters inside a tissue-equivalent phantom were performed during the ISS-16, ISS-18 and ISS-19 expeditions. During the ISS-20 and ISS-21 missions, the bubble dosemeters were supplemented by a bubble-detector spectrometer, a set of six detectors that was used to determine the neutron energy spectrum at various locations inside the ISS. The temperature-compensated spectrometer set used is the first to be developed specifically for space applications and its development is described in this paper. Results of the dose measurements indicate that the dose received at two different depths inside the phantom is not significantly different, suggesting that bubble detectors worn by a person provide an accurate reading of the dose received inside the body. The energy spectra measured using the spectrometer are in good agreement with previous measurements and do not show a strong dependence on the precise location inside the station. To aid the understanding of the bubble-detector response to charged particles in the space environment, calculations have been performed using a Monte-Carlo code, together with data collected on the ISS. These calculations indicate that charged particles contribute <2% to the bubble count on the ISS, and can therefore be considered as negligible for bubble-detector measurements in space.

Lower thresholds for lifetime health effects in mammals from high-LET radiation - Comparison with chronic low-LET radiation.

PubMed

Sazykina, Tatiana G; Kryshev, Alexander I

2016-12-01

Lower threshold dose rates and confidence limits are quantified for lifetime radiation effects in mammalian animals from internally deposited alpha-emitting radionuclides. Extensive datasets on effects from internal alpha-emitters are compiled from the International Radiobiological Archives. In total, the compiled database includes 257 records, which are analyzed by means of non-parametric order statistics. The generic lower threshold for alpha-emitters in mammalian animals (combined datasets) is 6.6·10 -5  Gy day -1 . Thresholds for individual alpha-emitting elements differ considerably: plutonium and americium - 2.0·10 -5  Gy day -1 ; radium - 2.1·10 -4  Gy day -1 . Threshold for chronic low-LET radiation is previously estimated at 1·10 -3  Gy day -1 . For low exposures, the following values of alpha radiation weighting factor w R for internally deposited alpha-emitters in mammals are quantified: w R (α) = 15 as a generic value for the whole group of alpha-emitters; w R (Pu) = 50 for plutonium; w R (Am) = 50 for americium; w R (Ra) = 5 for radium. These values are proposed to serve as radiation weighting factors in calculations of equivalent doses to non-human biota. The lower threshold dose rate for long-lived mammals (dogs) is significantly lower than comparing with the threshold for short-lived mammals (mice): 2.7·10 -5  Gy day -1 , and 2.0·10 -4  Gy day -1 , respectively. The difference in thresholds is exactly reflecting the relationship between the natural longevity of these two species. Graded scale of severity in lifetime radiation effects in mammals is developed, based on compiled datasets. Being placed on the severity scale, the effects of internal alpha-emitters are situated in the zones of considerably lower dose rates than effects of the same severity caused by low-LET radiation. RBE values, calculated for effects of equal severity, are found to depend on the intensity of chronic exposure: different RBE values are characteristic for low, moderate, and high lifetime exposures (30, 70, and 13, respectively). The results of the study provide a basis for selecting correct values of radiation weighting factors in dose assessment to non-human biota. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role of shielding in modulating the effects of solar particle events: Monte Carlo calculation of absorbed dose and DNA complex lesions in different organs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ballarini, F.; Biaggi, M.; De Biaggi, L.; Ferrari, A.; Ottolenghi, A.; Panzarasa, A.; Paretzke, H. G.; Pelliccioni, M.; Sala, P.; Scannicchio, D.;

Role of shielding in modulating the effects of solar particle events: Monte Carlo calculation of absorbed dose and DNA complex lesions in different organs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballarini, F.; Biaggi, M.; De Biaggi, L.; Ferrari, A.; Ottolenghi, A.; Panzarasa, A.; Paretzke, H. G.; Pelliccioni, M.; Sala, P.; Scannicchio, D.; Zankl, M.

2004-01-01

Distributions of absorbed dose and DNA clustered damage yields in various organs and tissues following the October 1989 solar particle event (SPE) were calculated by coupling the FLUKA Monte Carlo transport code with two anthropomorphic phantoms (a mathematical model and a voxel model), with the main aim of quantifying the role of the shielding features in modulating organ doses. The phantoms, which were assumed to be in deep space, were inserted into a shielding box of variable thickness and material and were irradiated with the proton spectra of the October 1989 event. Average numbers of DNA lesions per cell in different organs were calculated by adopting a technique already tested in previous works, consisting of integrating into "condensed-history" Monte Carlo transport codes - such as FLUKA - yields of radiobiological damage, either calculated with "event-by-event" track structure simulations, or taken from experimental works available in the literature. More specifically, the yields of "Complex Lesions" (or "CL", defined and calculated as a clustered DNA damage in a previous work) per unit dose and DNA mass (CL Gy -1 Da -1) due to the various beam components, including those derived from nuclear interactions with the shielding and the human body, were integrated in FLUKA. This provided spatial distributions of CL/cell yields in different organs, as well as distributions of absorbed doses. The contributions of primary protons and secondary hadrons were calculated separately, and the simulations were repeated for values of Al shielding thickness ranging between 1 and 20 g/cm 2. Slight differences were found between the two phantom types. Skin and eye lenses were found to receive larger doses with respect to internal organs; however, shielding was more effective for skin and lenses. Secondary particles arising from nuclear interactions were found to have a minor role, although their relative contribution was found to be larger for the Complex Lesions than for the absorbed dose, due to their higher LET and thus higher biological effectiveness.

A kinematic model to estimate the effective dose of radioactive isotopes in the human body for radiological protection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasaki, S.; Yamada, T.

2013-12-01

The great earthquake attacked the north-east area in Japan in March 11, 2011. The system of electrical facilities to control Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station was completely destroyed by the following tsunamis. From the damaged reactor containment vessels, an amount of radioactive substances had leaked and been diffused in the vicinity of this station. Radiological internal exposure becomes a serious social issue both in Japan and all over the world. The present study provides an easily understandable, kinematic-based model to estimate the effective dose of radioactive substances in a human body by simplified the complicated mechanism of metabolism. International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has developed an exact model, which is well-known as a standard method to calculate the effective dose for radiological protection. However, owing to that the above method accord too much with the actual mechanism of metabolism in human bodies, it becomes rather difficult for non-professional people of radiology to gasp the whole images of the movement and the influences of radioactive substances in a human body. Therefore, in the present paper we propose a newly-derived and easily-understandable model to estimate the effective dose. The present method is very similar with the traditional and conventional hydrological tank model. Ingestion flux of radioactive substances corresponds to rain intensity and the storage of radioactive substances to the water storage in a basin in runoff analysis. The key of this method is to estimate the energy radiated from the radioactive nuclear disintegration of an atom by using classical theory of E. Fermi of beta decay and special relativity for various kinds of radioactive atoms. The parameters used in this study are only physical half-time and biological half-time, and there are no intentional and operational parameters of coefficients to adjust our theoretical runoff to observation of ICRP. Figure.1 compares time series of effective cesium-137 dose according to age calculated by ICRP software with calculated by the present method. Plots are calculated values by ICRP, the solid line is analytic solution given from the present method. It should be noted that the present study does not consider complicated mechanism, but it could give equally accurate results comparing to existing research. Time series of effective Cs-137 dose according to age when food contains 1 Bq/year is ingested for 1 year. (Plots are calculated values by ICRP. The solid line is analytic solution given from the present method)

Development of 1-year-old computational phantom and calculation of organ doses during CT scans using Monte Carlo simulation.

PubMed

Pan, Yuxi; Qiu, Rui; Gao, Linfeng; Ge, Chaoyong; Zheng, Junzheng; Xie, Wenzhang; Li, Junli

2014-09-21

With the rapidly growing number of CT examinations, the consequential radiation risk has aroused more and more attention. The average dose in each organ during CT scans can only be obtained by using Monte Carlo simulation with computational phantoms. Since children tend to have higher radiation sensitivity than adults, the radiation dose of pediatric CT examinations requires special attention and needs to be assessed accurately. So far, studies on organ doses from CT exposures for pediatric patients are still limited. In this work, a 1-year-old computational phantom was constructed. The body contour was obtained from the CT images of a 1-year-old physical phantom and the internal organs were deformed from an existing Chinese reference adult phantom. To ensure the organ locations in the 1-year-old computational phantom were consistent with those of the physical phantom, the organ locations in 1-year-old computational phantom were manually adjusted one by one, and the organ masses were adjusted to the corresponding Chinese reference values. Moreover, a CT scanner model was developed using the Monte Carlo technique and the 1-year-old computational phantom was applied to estimate organ doses derived from simulated CT exposures. As a result, a database including doses to 36 organs and tissues from 47 single axial scans was built. It has been verified by calculation that doses of axial scans are close to those of helical scans; therefore, this database could be applied to helical scans as well. Organ doses were calculated using the database and compared with those obtained from the measurements made in the physical phantom for helical scans. The differences between simulation and measurement were less than 25% for all organs. The result shows that the 1-year-old phantom developed in this work can be used to calculate organ doses in CT exposures, and the dose database provides a method for the estimation of 1-year-old patient doses in a variety of CT examinations.

Development of 1-year-old computational phantom and calculation of organ doses during CT scans using Monte Carlo simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Yuxi; Qiu, Rui; Gao, Linfeng; Ge, Chaoyong; Zheng, Junzheng; Xie, Wenzhang; Li, Junli

2014-09-01

With the rapidly growing number of CT examinations, the consequential radiation risk has aroused more and more attention. The average dose in each organ during CT scans can only be obtained by using Monte Carlo simulation with computational phantoms. Since children tend to have higher radiation sensitivity than adults, the radiation dose of pediatric CT examinations requires special attention and needs to be assessed accurately. So far, studies on organ doses from CT exposures for pediatric patients are still limited. In this work, a 1-year-old computational phantom was constructed. The body contour was obtained from the CT images of a 1-year-old physical phantom and the internal organs were deformed from an existing Chinese reference adult phantom. To ensure the organ locations in the 1-year-old computational phantom were consistent with those of the physical phantom, the organ locations in 1-year-old computational phantom were manually adjusted one by one, and the organ masses were adjusted to the corresponding Chinese reference values. Moreover, a CT scanner model was developed using the Monte Carlo technique and the 1-year-old computational phantom was applied to estimate organ doses derived from simulated CT exposures. As a result, a database including doses to 36 organs and tissues from 47 single axial scans was built. It has been verified by calculation that doses of axial scans are close to those of helical scans; therefore, this database could be applied to helical scans as well. Organ doses were calculated using the database and compared with those obtained from the measurements made in the physical phantom for helical scans. The differences between simulation and measurement were less than 25% for all organs. The result shows that the 1-year-old phantom developed in this work can be used to calculate organ doses in CT exposures, and the dose database provides a method for the estimation of 1-year-old patient doses in a variety of CT examinations.

Organ shielding and doses in Low-Earth orbit calculated for spherical and anthropomorphic phantoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthiä, Daniel; Berger, Thomas; Reitz, Günther

2013-08-01

Humans in space are exposed to elevated levels of radiation compared to ground. Different sources contribute to the total exposure with galactic cosmic rays being the most important component. The application of numerical and anthropomorphic phantoms in simulations allows the estimation of dose rates from galactic cosmic rays in individual organs and whole body quantities such as the effective dose. The male and female reference phantoms defined by the International Commission on Radiological Protection and the hermaphrodite numerical RANDO phantom are voxel implementations of anthropomorphic phantoms and contain all organs relevant for radiation risk assessment. These anthropomorphic phantoms together with a spherical water phantom were used in this work to translate the mean shielding of organs in the different anthropomorphic voxel phantoms into positions in the spherical phantom. This relation allows using a water sphere as surrogate for the anthropomorphic phantoms in both simulations and measurements. Moreover, using spherical phantoms in the calculation of radiation exposure offers great advantages over anthropomorphic phantoms in terms of computational time. In this work, the mean shielding of organs in the different voxel phantoms exposed to isotropic irradiation is presented as well as the corresponding depth in a water sphere. Dose rates for Low-Earth orbit from galactic cosmic rays during solar minimum conditions were calculated using the different phantoms and are compared to the results for a spherical water phantom in combination with the mean organ shielding. For the spherical water phantom the impact of different aluminium shielding between 1 g/cm2 and 100 g/cm2 was calculated. The dose equivalent rates were used to estimate the effective dose rate.

Comparison of 2D and 3D Imaging and Treatment Planning for Postoperative Vaginal Apex High-Dose Rate Brachytherapy for Endometrial Cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Russo, James K.; Armeson, Kent E.; Richardson, Susan, E-mail: srichardson@radonc.wustl.edu

2012-05-01

Purpose: To evaluate bladder and rectal doses using two-dimensional (2D) and 3D treatment planning for vaginal cuff high-dose rate (HDR) in endometrial cancer. Methods and Materials: Ninety-one consecutive patients treated between 2000 and 2007 were evaluated. Seventy-one and 20 patients underwent 2D and 3D planning, respectively. Each patient received six fractions prescribed at 0.5 cm to the superior 3 cm of the vagina. International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) doses were calculated for 2D patients. Maximum and 2-cc doses were calculated for 3D patients. Organ doses were normalized to prescription dose. Results: Bladder maximum doses were 178% ofmore » ICRU doses (p < 0.0001). Two-cubic centimeter doses were no different than ICRU doses (p = 0.22). Two-cubic centimeter doses were 59% of maximum doses (p < 0.0001). Rectal maximum doses were 137% of ICRU doses (p < 0.0001). Two-cubic centimeter doses were 87% of ICRU doses (p < 0.0001). Two-cubic centimeter doses were 64% of maximum doses (p < 0.0001). Using the first 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 fractions, we predicted the final bladder dose to within 10% for 44%, 59%, 83%, 82%, and 89% of patients by using the ICRU dose, and for 45%, 55%, 80%, 85%, and 85% of patients by using the maximum dose, and for 37%, 68%, 79%, 79%, and 84% of patients by using the 2-cc dose. Using the first 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 fractions, we predicted the final rectal dose to within 10% for 100%, 100%, 100%, 100%, and 100% of patients by using the ICRU dose, and for 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, and 75% of patients by using the maximum dose, and for 68%, 95%, 84%, 84%, and 84% of patients by using the 2-cc dose. Conclusions: Doses to organs at risk vary depending on the calculation method. In some cases, final dose accuracy appears to plateau after the third fraction, indicating that simulation and planning may not be necessary in all fractions. A clinically relevant level of accuracy should be determined and further research conducted to address this issue.« less

Clinical application of a OneDose MOSFET for skin dose measurements during internal mammary chain irradiation with high dose rate brachytherapy in carcinoma of the breast.

PubMed

Kinhikar, Rajesh A; Sharma, Pramod K; Tambe, Chandrashekhar M; Mahantshetty, Umesh M; Sarin, Rajiv; Deshpande, Deepak D; Shrivastava, Shyam K

2006-07-21

In our earlier study, we experimentally evaluated the characteristics of a newly designed metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) OneDose in-vivo dosimetry system for Ir-192 (380 keV) energy and the results were compared with thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs). We have now extended the same study to the clinical application of this MOSFET as an in-vivo dosimetry system. The MOSFET was used during high dose rate brachytherapy (HDRBT) of internal mammary chain (IMC) irradiation for a carcinoma of the breast. The aim of this study was to measure the skin dose during IMC irradiation with a MOSFET and a TLD and compare it with the calculated dose with a treatment planning system (TPS). The skin dose was measured for ten patients. All the patients' treatment was planned on a PLATO treatment planning system. TLD measurements were performed to compare the accuracy of the measured results from the MOSFET. The mean doses measured with the MOSFET and the TLD were identical (0.5392 Gy, 15.85% of the prescribed dose). The mean dose was overestimated by the TPS and was 0.5923 Gy (17.42% of the prescribed dose). The TPS overestimated the skin dose by 9% as verified by the MOSFET and TLD. The MOSFET provides adequate in-vivo dosimetry for HDRBT. Immediate readout after irradiation, small size, permanent storage of dose and ease of use make the MOSFET a viable alternative for TLDs.

Evaluation of internal alpha radiation exposure and subsequent infertility among a cohort of women formerly employed in the radium dial industry.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schieve, L. A.; Davis, F.; Roeske, J.

1997-02-01

This study examined the effect of internal exposure to {alpha}-particle radiation on subsequent fertility among women employed in the radium dial industry prior to 1930, when appreciable amounts of radium were often ingested through the practice of pointing the paint brush with the lips. The analysis was limited to women for whom a radium body burden measurement had been obtained and who were married prior to age 45 (n=603). Internal radiation dose to the ovary was calculated based on initial intakes of radium-226 and radium-228, average ovarian mass, number and energy of {alpha} particles emitted, fraction of energy absorbed withmore » in the ovary, effective retention integrals and estimated photon irradiation. Time between marriage and pregnancy, number of pregnancies and number of live births served as surrogates for fertility. Radiation appeared to have no effect on fertility at estimated cumulative ovarian dose equivalents below 5 Sv; above this dose, however, statistically significant declines in both number of pregnancies and live births were observed. These trends persisted after multivariable adjustment for potential confounding variables and after exclusion of subjects contributing a potential classification or selection bias to the study. Additionally, the high-dose group experienced fewer live births than would have been expected based on population rates. There were no differences in time to first pregnancy between high- and low-dose groups. These results are consistent with earlier studies of {gamma}-ray exposures and suggest that exposure to high doses of radiation from internally deposited radium reduces fertility rather than inducing sterility.« less

A STUDY OF PREDICTED BONE MARROW DISTRIBUTION ON CALCULATED MARROW DOSE FROM EXTERNAL RADIATION EXPOSURES USING TWO SETS OF IMAGE DATA FOR THE SAME INDIVIDUAL

PubMed Central

Caracappa, Peter F.; Chao, T. C. Ephraim; Xu, X. George

2010-01-01

Red bone marrow is among the tissues of the human body that are most sensitive to ionizing radiation, but red bone marrow cannot be distinguished from yellow bone marrow by normal radiographic means. When using a computational model of the body constructed from computed tomography (CT) images for radiation dose, assumptions must be applied to calculate the dose to the red bone marrow. This paper presents an analysis of two methods of calculating red bone marrow distribution: 1) a homogeneous mixture of red and yellow bone marrow throughout the skeleton, and 2) International Commission on Radiological Protection cellularity factors applied to each bone segment. A computational dose model was constructed from the CT image set of the Visible Human Project and compared to the VIP-Man model, which was derived from color photographs of the same individual. These two data sets for the same individual provide the unique opportunity to compare the methods applied to the CT-based model against the observed distribution of red bone marrow for that individual. The mass of red bone marrow in each bone segment was calculated using both methods. The effect of the different red bone marrow distributions was analyzed by calculating the red bone marrow dose using the EGS4 Monte Carlo code for parallel beams of monoenergetic photons over an energy range of 30 keV to 6 MeV, cylindrical (simplified CT) sources centered about the head and abdomen over an energy range of 30 keV to 1 MeV, and a whole-body electron irradiation treatment protocol for 3.9 MeV electrons. Applying the method with cellularity factors improves the average difference in the estimation of mass in each bone segment as compared to the mass in VIP-Man by 45% over the homogenous mixture method. Red bone marrow doses calculated by the two methods are similar for parallel photon beams at high energy (above about 200 keV), but differ by as much as 40% at lower energies. The calculated red bone marrow doses differ significantly for simplified CT and electron beam irradiation, since the computed red bone marrow dose is a strong function of the cellularity factor applied to bone segments within the primary radiation beam. These results demonstrate the importance of properly applying realistic cellularity factors to computation dose models of the human body. PMID:19430219

A study of predicted bone marrow distribution on calculated marrow dose from external radiation exposures using two sets of image data for the same individual.

PubMed

Caracappa, Peter F; Chao, T C Ephraim; Xu, X George

2009-06-01

Red bone marrow is among the tissues of the human body that are most sensitive to ionizing radiation, but red bone marrow cannot be distinguished from yellow bone marrow by normal radiographic means. When using a computational model of the body constructed from computed tomography (CT) images for radiation dose, assumptions must be applied to calculate the dose to the red bone marrow. This paper presents an analysis of two methods of calculating red bone marrow distribution: 1) a homogeneous mixture of red and yellow bone marrow throughout the skeleton, and 2) International Commission on Radiological Protection cellularity factors applied to each bone segment. A computational dose model was constructed from the CT image set of the Visible Human Project and compared to the VIP-Man model, which was derived from color photographs of the same individual. These two data sets for the same individual provide the unique opportunity to compare the methods applied to the CT-based model against the observed distribution of red bone marrow for that individual. The mass of red bone marrow in each bone segment was calculated using both methods. The effect of the different red bone marrow distributions was analyzed by calculating the red bone marrow dose using the EGS4 Monte Carlo code for parallel beams of monoenergetic photons over an energy range of 30 keV to 6 MeV, cylindrical (simplified CT) sources centered about the head and abdomen over an energy range of 30 keV to 1 MeV, and a whole-body electron irradiation treatment protocol for 3.9 MeV electrons. Applying the method with cellularity factors improves the average difference in the estimation of mass in each bone segment as compared to the mass in VIP-Man by 45% over the homogenous mixture method. Red bone marrow doses calculated by the two methods are similar for parallel photon beams at high energy (above about 200 keV), but differ by as much as 40% at lower energies. The calculated red bone marrow doses differ significantly for simplified CT and electron beam irradiation, since the computed red bone marrow dose is a strong function of the cellularity factor applied to bone segments within the primary radiation beam. These results demonstrate the importance of properly applying realistic cellularity factors to computation dose models of the human body.

Direct dose mapping versus energy/mass transfer mapping for 4D dose accumulation: fundamental differences and dosimetric consequences.

PubMed

Li, Haisen S; Zhong, Hualiang; Kim, Jinkoo; Glide-Hurst, Carri; Gulam, Misbah; Nurushev, Teamour S; Chetty, Indrin J

2014-01-06

The direct dose mapping (DDM) and energy/mass transfer (EMT) mapping are two essential algorithms for accumulating the dose from different anatomic phases to the reference phase when there is organ motion or tumor/tissue deformation during the delivery of radiation therapy. DDM is based on interpolation of the dose values from one dose grid to another and thus lacks rigor in defining the dose when there are multiple dose values mapped to one dose voxel in the reference phase due to tissue/tumor deformation. On the other hand, EMT counts the total energy and mass transferred to each voxel in the reference phase and calculates the dose by dividing the energy by mass. Therefore it is based on fundamentally sound physics principles. In this study, we implemented the two algorithms and integrated them within the Eclipse treatment planning system. We then compared the clinical dosimetric difference between the two algorithms for ten lung cancer patients receiving stereotactic radiosurgery treatment, by accumulating the delivered dose to the end-of-exhale (EE) phase. Specifically, the respiratory period was divided into ten phases and the dose to each phase was calculated and mapped to the EE phase and then accumulated. The displacement vector field generated by Demons-based registration of the source and reference images was used to transfer the dose and energy. The DDM and EMT algorithms produced noticeably different cumulative dose in the regions with sharp mass density variations and/or high dose gradients. For the planning target volume (PTV) and internal target volume (ITV) minimum dose, the difference was up to 11% and 4% respectively. This suggests that DDM might not be adequate for obtaining an accurate dose distribution of the cumulative plan, instead, EMT should be considered.

Direct dose mapping versus energy/mass transfer mapping for 4D dose accumulation: fundamental differences and dosimetric consequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Haisen S.; Zhong, Hualiang; Kim, Jinkoo; Glide-Hurst, Carri; Gulam, Misbah; Nurushev, Teamour S.; Chetty, Indrin J.

2014-01-01

The direct dose mapping (DDM) and energy/mass transfer (EMT) mapping are two essential algorithms for accumulating the dose from different anatomic phases to the reference phase when there is organ motion or tumor/tissue deformation during the delivery of radiation therapy. DDM is based on interpolation of the dose values from one dose grid to another and thus lacks rigor in defining the dose when there are multiple dose values mapped to one dose voxel in the reference phase due to tissue/tumor deformation. On the other hand, EMT counts the total energy and mass transferred to each voxel in the reference phase and calculates the dose by dividing the energy by mass. Therefore it is based on fundamentally sound physics principles. In this study, we implemented the two algorithms and integrated them within the Eclipse treatment planning system. We then compared the clinical dosimetric difference between the two algorithms for ten lung cancer patients receiving stereotactic radiosurgery treatment, by accumulating the delivered dose to the end-of-exhale (EE) phase. Specifically, the respiratory period was divided into ten phases and the dose to each phase was calculated and mapped to the EE phase and then accumulated. The displacement vector field generated by Demons-based registration of the source and reference images was used to transfer the dose and energy. The DDM and EMT algorithms produced noticeably different cumulative dose in the regions with sharp mass density variations and/or high dose gradients. For the planning target volume (PTV) and internal target volume (ITV) minimum dose, the difference was up to 11% and 4% respectively. This suggests that DDM might not be adequate for obtaining an accurate dose distribution of the cumulative plan, instead, EMT should be considered.

Configuration and validation of an analytical model predicting secondary neutron radiation in proton therapy using Monte Carlo simulations and experimental measurements.

PubMed

Farah, J; Bonfrate, A; De Marzi, L; De Oliveira, A; Delacroix, S; Martinetti, F; Trompier, F; Clairand, I

2015-05-01

This study focuses on the configuration and validation of an analytical model predicting leakage neutron doses in proton therapy. Using Monte Carlo (MC) calculations, a facility-specific analytical model was built to reproduce out-of-field neutron doses while separately accounting for the contribution of intra-nuclear cascade, evaporation, epithermal and thermal neutrons. This model was first trained to reproduce in-water neutron absorbed doses and in-air neutron ambient dose equivalents, H*(10), calculated using MCNPX. Its capacity in predicting out-of-field doses at any position not involved in the training phase was also checked. The model was next expanded to enable a full 3D mapping of H*(10) inside the treatment room, tested in a clinically relevant configuration and finally consolidated with experimental measurements. Following the literature approach, the work first proved that it is possible to build a facility-specific analytical model that efficiently reproduces in-water neutron doses and in-air H*(10) values with a maximum difference less than 25%. In addition, the analytical model succeeded in predicting out-of-field neutron doses in the lateral and vertical direction. Testing the analytical model in clinical configurations proved the need to separate the contribution of internal and external neutrons. The impact of modulation width on stray neutrons was found to be easily adjustable while beam collimation remains a challenging issue. Finally, the model performance agreed with experimental measurements with satisfactory results considering measurement and simulation uncertainties. Analytical models represent a promising solution that substitutes for time-consuming MC calculations when assessing doses to healthy organs. Copyright © 2015 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radiation dose reduction efficiency of buildings after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.

PubMed

Monzen, Satoru; Hosoda, Masahiro; Osanai, Minoru; Tokonami, Shinji

2014-01-01

Numerous radionuclides were released from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (F1-NPS) in Japan following the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. Local residents have been eager to calculate their individual radiation exposure. Thus, absorbed dose rates in the indoor and outdoor air at evacuation sites in the Fukushima Prefecture were measured using a gamma-ray measuring devices, and individual radiation exposure was calculated by assessing the radiation dose reduction efficiency (defined as the ratio of absorbed dose rate in the indoor air to the absorbed dose rate in the outdoor air) of wood, aluminum, and reinforced concrete buildings. Between March 2011 and July 2011, dose reduction efficiencies of wood, aluminum, and reinforced concrete buildings were 0.55 ± 0.04, 0.15 ± 0.02, and 0.19 ± 0.04, respectively. The reduction efficiency of wood structures was 1.4 times higher than that reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The efficiency of reinforced concrete was similar to previously reported values, whereas that of aluminum structures has not been previously reported. Dose reduction efficiency increased in proportion to the distance from F1-NPS at 8 of the 18 evacuation sites. Time variations did not reflect dose reduction efficiencies at evacuation sites although absorbed dose rates in the outdoor air decreased. These data suggest that dose reduction efficiency depends on structure types, levels of contamination, and evacuee behaviors at evacuation sites.

Dosimetry and image quality assessment in a direct radiography system

PubMed Central

Oliveira, Bruno Beraldo; de Oliveira, Marcio Alves; Paixão, Lucas; Teixeira, Maria Helena Araújo; Nogueira, Maria do Socorro

2014-01-01

Objective To evaluate the mean glandular dose with a solid state detector and the image quality in a direct radiography system, utilizing phantoms. Materials and Methods Irradiations were performed with automatic exposure control and polymethyl methacrylate slabs with different thicknesses to calculate glandular dose values. The image quality was evaluated by means of the structures visualized on the images of the phantoms. Results Considering the uncertainty of the measurements, the mean glandular dose results are in agreement with the values provided by the equipment and with internationally adopted reference levels. Results obtained from images of the phantoms were in agreement with the reference values. Conclusion The present study contributes to verify the equipment conformity as regards dose values and image quality. PMID:25741119

An Update of Recent Phits Code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sihver, Lembit; Sato, Tatsuhiko; Niita, Koji; Iwase, Hiroshi; Iwamoto, Yosuke; Matsuda, Norihiro; Nakashima, Hiroshi; Sakamoto, Yukio; Gustafsson, Katarina; Mancusi, Davide

We will first present the current status of the General-Purpose Particle and Heavy-Ion Transport code System (PHITS). In particular, we will describe benchmarking of calculated cross sections against measurements; we will introduce a relativistically covariant version of JQMD, called R- JQMD, that features an improved ground-state initialization algorithm, and we will show heavyion charge-changing cross sections simulated with R-JQMD and compare them to experimental data and to results predicted by the JQMD model. We will also show calculations of dose received by aircrews and personnel in space from cosmic radiation. In recent years, many countries have issued regulations or recommendations to set annual dose limitations for aircrews. Since estimation of cosmic-ray spectra in the atmosphere is an essential issue for the evaluation of aviation doses we have calculated these spectra using PHITS. The accuracy of the simulation, which has well been verified by experimental data taken under various conditions, will be presented together with a software called EXPACS-V, that can visualize the cosmic-ray dose rates at ground level or at a certain altitude on the map of Google Earth, using the PHITS based Analytical Radiation Model in the Atmosphere (PARMA). PARMA can instantaneously calculate the cosmic-ray spectra anywhere in the world by specifying the atmospheric depth, the vertical cut-off rigidity and the force-field potential. For the purpose of examining the applicability of PHITS to the shielding design in space, the absorbed doses in a tissue equivalent water phantom inside an imaginary space vessel has been estimated for different shielding materials of different thicknesses. The results confirm previous results which indicate that PHITS is a suitable tool when performing shielding design studies of spacecrafts. Finally we have used PHITS for the calculations of depth-dose distributions in MATROSHKA, which is an ESA project dedicated to determining the radiation load on astronauts within and outside the International Space Station (ISS).

Dose conversion coefficients based on the Chinese mathematical phantom and MCNP code for external photon irradiation.

PubMed

Qiu, Rui; Li, Junli; Zhang, Zhan; Liu, Liye; Bi, Lei; Ren, Li

2009-02-01

A set of conversion coefficients from kerma free-in-air to the organ-absorbed dose are presented for external monoenergetic photon beams from 10 keV to 10 MeV based on the Chinese mathematical phantom, a whole-body mathematical phantom model. The model was developed based on the methods of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory mathematical phantom series and data from the Chinese Reference Man and the Reference Asian Man. This work is carried out to obtain the conversion coefficients based on this model, which represents the characteristics of the Chinese population, as the anatomical parameters of the Chinese are different from those of Caucasians. Monte Carlo simulation with MCNP code is carried out to calculate the organ dose conversion coefficients. Before the calculation, the effects from the physics model and tally type are investigated, considering both the calculation efficiency and precision. In the calculation irradiation conditions include anterior-posterior, posterior-anterior, right lateral, left lateral, rotational and isotropic geometries. Conversion coefficients from this study are compared with those recommended in the Publication 74 of International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP74) since both the sets of data are calculated with mathematical phantoms. Overall, consistency between the two sets of data is observed and the difference for more than 60% of the data is below 10%. However, significant deviations are also found, mainly for the superficial organs (up to 65.9%) and bone surface (up to 66%). The big difference of the dose conversion coefficients for the superficial organs at high photon energy could be ascribed to kerma approximation for the data in ICRP74. Both anatomical variations between races and the calculation method contribute to the difference of the data for bone surface.

Urethra sparing - potential of combined Nickel-Titanium stent and intensity modulated radiation therapy in prostate cancer.

PubMed

Thomsen, Jakob Borup; Arp, Dennis Tideman; Carl, Jesper

2012-05-01

To investigate a novel method for sparing urethra in external beam radiotherapy of prostate cancer and to evaluate the efficacy of such a treatment in terms of tumour control using a mathematical model. This theoretical study includes 20 patients previously treated for prostate cancer using external beam radiotherapy. All patients had a Nickel-Titanium (Ni-Ti) stent inserted into the prostate part of urethra. The stent has been used during the treatment course as an internal marker for patient positioning prior to treatment. In this study the stent is used for delineating urethra while intensity modulated radiotherapy was used for lowering dose to urethra. Evaluation of the dose plans were performed using a tumour control probability model based on the concept of uniform equivalent dose. The feasibility of the urethra dose reduction method is validated and a reduction of about 17% is shown to be possible. Calculations suggest a nearly preserved tumour control probability. A new concept for urethra dose reduction is presented. The method relies on the use of a Ni-Ti stent as a fiducial marker combined with intensity modulated radiotherapy. Theoretical calculations suggest preserved tumour control. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The COOLER Code: A Novel Analytical Approach to Calculate Subcellular Energy Deposition by Internal Electron Emitters.

PubMed

Siragusa, Mattia; Baiocco, Giorgio; Fredericia, Pil M; Friedland, Werner; Groesser, Torsten; Ottolenghi, Andrea; Jensen, Mikael

2017-08-01

COmputation Of Local Electron Release (COOLER), a software program has been designed for dosimetry assessment at the cellular/subcellular scale, with a given distribution of administered low-energy electron-emitting radionuclides in cellular compartments, which remains a critical step in risk/benefit analysis for advancements in internal radiotherapy. The software is intended to overcome the main limitations of the medical internal radiation dose (MIRD) formalism for calculations of cellular S-values (i.e., dose to a target region in the cell per decay in a given source region), namely, the use of the continuous slowing down approximation (CSDA) and the assumption of a spherical cell geometry. To this aim, we developed an analytical approach, entrusted to a MATLAB-based program, using as input simulated data for electron spatial energy deposition directly derived from full Monte Carlo track structure calculations with PARTRAC. Results from PARTRAC calculations on electron range, stopping power and residual energy versus traveled distance curves are presented and, when useful for implementation in COOLER, analytical fit functions are given. Example configurations for cells in different culture conditions (V79 cells in suspension or adherent culture) with realistic geometrical parameters are implemented for use in the tool. Finally, cellular S-value predictions by the newly developed code are presented for different cellular geometries and activity distributions (uniform activity in the nucleus, in the entire cell or on the cell surface), validated against full Monte Carlo calculations with PARTRAC, and compared to MIRD standards, as well as results based on different track structure calculations (Geant4-DNA). The largest discrepancies between COOLER and MIRD predictions were generally found for electrons between 25 and 30 keV, where the magnitude of disagreement in S-values can vary from 50 to 100%, depending on the activity distribution. In calculations for activity distribution on the cell surface, MIRD predictions appeared to fail the most. The proposed method is suitable for Auger-cascade electrons, but can be extended to any energy of interest and to beta spectra; as an example, the 3 H case is also discussed. COOLER is intended to be accessible to everyone (preclinical and clinical researchers included), and may provide important information for the selection of radionuclides, the interpretation of radiobiological or preclinical results, and the general establishment of doses in any scenario, e.g., with cultured cells in the laboratory or with therapeutic or diagnostic applications. The software will be made available for download from the DTU-Nutech website: http://www.nutech.dtu.dk/ .

Effects of Endogenous Formaldehyde in Nasal Tissues on Inhaled Formmaldehyde Dosimetry Predictions in the Rat, Monkey, and Human Nasal Passages

EPA Science Inventory

ABSTRACT Formaldehyde, a nasal carcinogen, is also an endogenous compound that is present in all living cells. Due to its high solubility and reactivity, quantitative risk estimates for inhaled formaldehyde rely on internal dose calculations in the upper respiratory tract which ...

NOTE: Clinical application of a OneDose™ MOSFET for skin dose measurements during internal mammary chain irradiation with high dose rate brachytherapy in carcinoma of the breast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinhikar, Rajesh A.; Sharma, Pramod K.; Tambe, Chandrashekhar M.; Mahantshetty, Umesh M.; Sarin, Rajiv; Deshpande, Deepak D.; Shrivastava, Shyam K.

2006-07-01

In our earlier study, we experimentally evaluated the characteristics of a newly designed metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) OneDose™ in-vivo dosimetry system for Ir-192 (380 keV) energy and the results were compared with thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs). We have now extended the same study to the clinical application of this MOSFET as an in-vivo dosimetry system. The MOSFET was used during high dose rate brachytherapy (HDRBT) of internal mammary chain (IMC) irradiation for a carcinoma of the breast. The aim of this study was to measure the skin dose during IMC irradiation with a MOSFET and a TLD and compare it with the calculated dose with a treatment planning system (TPS). The skin dose was measured for ten patients. All the patients' treatment was planned on a PLATO treatment planning system. TLD measurements were performed to compare the accuracy of the measured results from the MOSFET. The mean doses measured with the MOSFET and the TLD were identical (0.5392 Gy, 15.85% of the prescribed dose). The mean dose was overestimated by the TPS and was 0.5923 Gy (17.42% of the prescribed dose). The TPS overestimated the skin dose by 9% as verified by the MOSFET and TLD. The MOSFET provides adequate in-vivo dosimetry for HDRBT. Immediate readout after irradiation, small size, permanent storage of dose and ease of use make the MOSFET a viable alternative for TLDs.

Absorbed dose calculations in a brachytherapy pelvic phantom using the Monte Carlo method

PubMed Central

Rodríguez, Miguel L.; deAlmeida, Carlos E.

2002-01-01

Monte Carlo calculations of the absorbed dose at various points of a brachytherapy anthropomorphic phantom are presented. The phantom walls and internal structures are made of polymethylmethacrylate and its external shape was taken from a female Alderson phantom. A complete Fletcher‐Green type applicator with the uterine tandem was fixed at the bottom of the phantom reproducing a typical geometrical configuration as that attained in a gynecological brachytherapy treatment. The dose rate produced by an array of five 137Cs CDC‐J type sources placed in the applicator colpostats and the uterine tandem was evaluated by Monte Carlo simulations using the code penelope at three points: point A, the rectum, and the bladder. The influence of the applicator in the dose rate was evaluated by comparing Monte Carlo simulations of the sources alone and the sources inserted in the applicator. Differences up to 56% in the dose may be observed for the two cases in the planes including the rectum and bladder. The results show a reduction of the dose of 15.6%, 14.0%, and 5.6% in the rectum, bladder, and point A respectively, when the applicator wall and shieldings are considered. PACS number(s): 87.53Jw, 87.53.Wz, 87.53.Vb, 87.66.Xa PMID:12383048

Pediatric Phantom Dosimetry of Kodak 9000 Cone-beam Computed Tomography.

PubMed

Yepes, Juan F; Booe, Megan R; Sanders, Brian J; Jones, James E; Ehrlich, Ygal; Ludlow, John B; Johnson, Brandon

2017-05-15

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the radiation dose of the Kodak 9000 cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) device for different anatomical areas using a pediatric phantom. Absorbed doses resulting from maxillary and mandibular region three by five cm CBCT volumes of an anthropomorphic 10-year-old child phantom were acquired using optical stimulated dosimetry. Equivalent doses were calculated for radiosensitive tissues in the head and neck area, and effective dose for maxillary and mandibular examinations were calculated following the 2007 recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). Of the mandibular scans, the salivary glands had the highest equivalent dose (1,598 microsieverts [μSv]), followed by oral mucosa (1,263 μSv), extrathoracic airway (pharynx, larynx, and trachea; 859 μSv), and thyroid gland (578 μSv). For the maxilla, the salivary glands had the highest equivalent dose (1,847 μSv), followed closely by oral mucosa (1,673 μSv), followed by the extrathoracic airway (pharynx, larynx, and trachea; 1,011 μSv) and lens of the eye (202 μSv). Compared to previous research of the Kodak 9000, completed with the adult phantom, a child receives one to three times more radiation for mandibular scans and two to 10 times more radiation for maxillary scans.

[Radiation protective quality of spacesuit "Orlan-M" during extravehicular activities on the International Space Station].

PubMed

Shurshakov, V A; Kartashov, D A; Kolomenskiĭ, A V; Petrov, V M; Red'ko, V I; Abramov, I P; Letkova, L I; Tikhomirov, E P

2006-01-01

Sampling irradiation of spacesuit "Orlan-M" allowed construction of a simulation model of the spacesuit shielding function for critical body organs. The critical organs self-shielding model is a Russian standard anthropomorphic phantom. Radiation protective quality of the spacesuit was assessed by calculating the dose attenuation rates for several critical body organs of an ISS crewmember implementing EVA. These calculations are intended for more accurate assessment of radiation risk to the ISS crews donning "Orlan-M" in near-Earth orbits.

Current and historical individual data about exposure of workers in the rayon industry to carbon disulfide and their validity in calculating the cumulative dose.

PubMed

Göen, Thomas; Schramm, Axel; Baumeister, Thomas; Uter, Wolfgang; Drexler, Hans

2014-08-01

The objective of the study was to investigate how exposure to carbon disulfide (CS2) in a rayon-manufacturing plant has changed within two decades and whether it is possible to calculate valid data for the individual cumulative exposure. The data for CS2 concentration in air and biological exposure monitoring (2-thio-1,3-thiaxolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TTCA) in urine) from two cross-sectional studies, performed in 1992 (n = 362) and 2009 (n = 212) in a German rayon-manufacturing plant, were compared to data obtained from company-internal measurements between the studies. Using the data from the cross-sectional studies and company-internal data, cumulative external exposure and the cumulative internal exposure were calculated for each worker. External and internal CS2 exposure of the employees decreased from 1992 (medians 4.0 ppm and 1.63 mgTTCA/g creatinine) to 2009 (medians 2.5 ppm and 0.86 mg/g). However, company-internal CS2 data do not show a straight trend for this period. The annual medians of the company-internal measurement of external exposure to CS2 have varied between 2.7 and 8.4 ppm, in which median values exceeded 5 ppm generally since 2000. The annual medians for the company-internal biomonitoring assessment ranged between 1.2 and 2.8 mg/g creatinine. The cumulative CS2 exposure ranged from 8.5 to 869.5 ppm years for external exposure and between 1.30 and 176.2 mg/g creatinine years for the internal exposure. Significant correlations were found between the current air pollution and the internal exposure in 2009 but also between the cumulative external and internal CS2 exposure. Current exposure data, usually collected in cross-sectional studies, rarely allow a reliable statement on the cumulative dose, because of higher exposure in the past and of fluctuating courses of exposure. On the other hand, company-internal exposure data may be affected by non-representative measurement strategies. Some verification of the reliability of cumulative exposure data may be possible by testing the correlation between cumulative exposure data of external assessment and biological monitoring.

Radiation dose due to radon and thoron progeny inhalation in high-level natural radiation areas of Kerala, India.

PubMed

Omori, Yasutaka; Tokonami, Shinji; Sahoo, Sarata Kumar; Ishikawa, Tetsuo; Sorimachi, Atsuyuki; Hosoda, Masahiro; Kudo, Hiromi; Pornnumpa, Chanis; Nair, Raghu Ram K; Jayalekshmi, Padmavaty Amma; Sebastian, Paul; Akiba, Suminori

2017-03-20

In order to evaluate internal exposure to radon and thoron, concentrations for radon, thoron, and thoron progeny were measured for 259 dwellings located in high background radiation areas (HBRAs, outdoor external dose: 3-5 mGy y -1 ) and low background radiation areas (control areas, outdoor external dose: 1 mGy y -1 ) in Karunagappally Taluk, Kerala, India. The measurements were conducted using passive-type radon-thoron detectors and thoron progeny detectors over two six-month measurement periods from June 2010 to June 2011. The results showed no major differences in radon and thoron progeny concentrations between the HBRAs and the control areas. The geometric mean of the annual effective dose due to radon and thoron was calculated as 0.10 and 0.44 mSv, respectively. The doses were small, but not negligible compared with the external dose in the two areas.

Comparison of Three Methods of Calculation, Experimental and Monte Carlo Simulation in Investigation of Organ Doses (Thyroid, Sternum, Cervical Vertebra) in Radioiodine Therapy

PubMed Central

Shahbazi-Gahrouei, Daryoush; Ayat, Saba

2012-01-01

Radioiodine therapy is an effective method for treating thyroid cancer carcinoma, but it has some affects on normal tissues, hence dosimetry of vital organs is important to weigh the risks and benefits of this method. The aim of this study is to measure the absorbed doses of important organs by Monte Carlo N Particle (MCNP) simulation and comparing the results of different methods of dosimetry by performing a t-paired test. To calculate the absorbed dose of thyroid, sternum, and cervical vertebra using the MCNP code, *F8 tally was used. Organs were simulated by using a neck phantom and Medical Internal Radiation Dosimetry (MIRD) method. Finally, the results of MCNP, MIRD, and Thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) measurements were compared by SPSS software. The absorbed dose obtained by Monte Carlo simulations for 100, 150, and 175 mCi administered 131I was found to be 388.0, 427.9, and 444.8 cGy for thyroid, 208.7, 230.1, and 239.3 cGy for sternum and 272.1, 299.9, and 312.1 cGy for cervical vertebra. The results of paired t-test were 0.24 for comparing TLD dosimetry and MIRD calculation, 0.80 for MCNP simulation and MIRD, and 0.19 for TLD and MCNP. The results showed no significant differences among three methods of Monte Carlo simulations, MIRD calculation and direct experimental dosimetry using TLD. PMID:23717806

Natural radioactivity in surface soil samples from dwelling areas in Tehran city, Iran.

PubMed

Asgharizadeh, F; Ghannadi, M; Samani, A B; Meftahi, M; Shalibayk, M; Sahafipour, S A; Gooya, E S

2013-09-01

The study was carried out to determine radioactivity concentrations in surface soil samples of the city of Tehran and associated potential radiological hazards. The natural radionuclide ((226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K) contents were determined for 50 locations throughout the geological surface formations in a representative area in the city of Tehran, Iran, using high-resolution gamma-spectrometric analysis. The range of activity concentrations of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in the soil from the studied areas varies from 30.5±0.6 to 45.4±0.9, 27.3±0.5 to 57.1±1.1 and 328.0±4.6 to 768.5±13.4 Bq kg(-1) with overall mean values of 38.8±0.7, 43.4±0.8 and 555.1±8.9 Bq kg(-1), respectively. The mean radium equivalent activity, external hazard index, internal hazard index to quantify the internal exposure to radon and its daughter products, as well as the gamma activity concentration index for each sample are 143.6±4.6 Bq kg(-1), 0.39, 0.49 and 0.53, respectively. The average estimated radium equivalent is comparable with reported values for many countries in the world. Therefore, these areas may not pose radiological risks to the inhabitants due to harmful effects of the ionising radiation from the natural radioactivity in soil. The calculated average external and internal hazard indexes were found to be less than unity, as a recommended safe level. Estimates of the measured radionuclide content have been made for calculating the absorbed dose rate in the outdoor air at 1 m above the ground level. The absorbed dose rates resulting from those concentrations ranged from 48.1 to 88.7 nGy h(-1). Assuming a 20 % occupancy factor proposed by UNSCEAR, 2000, the corresponding effective dose rates in outdoor air equivalent to the population were calculated to be between 0.06 and 0.11 mSv y(-1). The measurement results and calculated values obtained from this study indicate that the dwelling areas in Tehran city, Iran, have background radioactivity levels within natural limits.

Biota Modeling in EPA's Preliminary Remediation Goal and Dose Compliance Concentration Calculators for Use in EPA Superfund Risk Assessment: Explanation of Intake Rate Derivation, Transfer Factor Compilation, and Mass Loading Factor Sources

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Manning, Karessa L.; Dolislager, Fredrick G.; Bellamy, Michael B.

The Preliminary Remediation Goal (PRG) and Dose Compliance Concentration (DCC) calculators are screening level tools that set forth Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) recommended approaches, based upon currently available information with respect to risk assessment, for response actions at Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) sites, commonly known as Superfund. The screening levels derived by the PRG and DCC calculators are used to identify isotopes contributing the highest risk and dose as well as establish preliminary remediation goals. Each calculator has a residential gardening scenario and subsistence farmer exposure scenarios that require modeling of the transfer of contaminants frommore » soil and water into various types of biota (crops and animal products). New publications of human intake rates of biota; farm animal intakes of water, soil, and fodder; and soil to plant interactions require updates be implemented into the PRG and DCC exposure scenarios. Recent improvements have been made in the biota modeling for these calculators, including newly derived biota intake rates, more comprehensive soil mass loading factors (MLFs), and more comprehensive soil to tissue transfer factors (TFs) for animals and soil to plant transfer factors (BV's). New biota have been added in both the produce and animal products categories that greatly improve the accuracy and utility of the PRG and DCC calculators and encompass greater geographic diversity on a national and international scale.« less

Construction of boundary-surface-based Chinese female astronaut computational phantom and proton dose estimation

PubMed Central

Sun, Wenjuan; JIA, Xianghong; XIE, Tianwu; XU, Feng; LIU, Qian

2013-01-01

With the rapid development of China's space industry, the importance of radiation protection is increasingly prominent. To provide relevant dose data, we first developed the Visible Chinese Human adult Female (VCH-F) phantom, and performed further modifications to generate the VCH-F Astronaut (VCH-FA) phantom, incorporating statistical body characteristics data from the first batch of Chinese female astronauts as well as reference organ mass data from the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP; both within 1% relative error). Based on cryosection images, the original phantom was constructed via Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline (NURBS) boundary surfaces to strengthen the deformability for fitting the body parameters of Chinese female astronauts. The VCH-FA phantom was voxelized at a resolution of 2 × 2 × 4 mm3for radioactive particle transport simulations from isotropic protons with energies of 5000–10 000 MeV in Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended (MCNPX) code. To investigate discrepancies caused by anatomical variations and other factors, the obtained doses were compared with corresponding values from other phantoms and sex-averaged doses. Dose differences were observed among phantom calculation results, especially for effective dose with low-energy protons. Local skin thickness shifts the breast dose curve toward high energy, but has little impact on inner organs. Under a shielding layer, organ dose reduction is greater for skin than for other organs. The calculated skin dose per day closely approximates measurement data obtained in low-Earth orbit (LEO). PMID:23135158

Radiation doses in examination of lower third molars with computed tomography and conventional radiography.

PubMed

Ohman, A; Kull, L; Andersson, J; Flygare, L

2008-12-01

To measure organ doses and calculate effective doses for pre-operative radiographic examination of lower third molars with CT and conventional radiography (CR). Measurements of organ doses were made on an anthropomorphic head phantom with lithium fluoride thermoluminescent dosemeters. The dosemeters were placed in regions corresponding to parotid and submandibular glands, mandibular bone, thyroid gland, skin, eye lenses and brain. The organ doses were used for the calculation of effective doses according to proposed International Commission on Radiological Protection 2005 guidelines. For the CT examination, a Siemens Somatom Plus 4 Volume Zoom was used and exposure factors were set to 120 kV and 100 mAs. For conventional radiographs, a Scanora unit was used and panoramic, posteroanterior, stereographic (scanogram) and conventional spiral tomographic views were exposed. The effective doses were 0.25 mSv, 0.060 mSv and 0.093 mSv for CT, CR without conventional tomography and CR with conventional spiral tomography, respectively. The effective dose is low when CT examination with exposure factors optimized for the examination of bone structures is performed. However, the dose is still about four times as high as for CR without tomography. CT should therefore not be a standard method for the examination of lower third molars. In cases where there is a close relationship between the tooth and the inferior alveolar nerve the advantages of true sectional imaging, such as CT, outweighs the higher effective dose and is recommended. Further reduction in the dose is feasible with further optimization of examination protocols and the development of newer techniques.

A quantitative visual dashboard to explore exposures to ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Exposure Prioritization (Ex Priori) model features a simplified, quantitative visual dashboard to explore exposures across chemical space. Diverse data streams are integrated within the interface such that different exposure scenarios for “individual,” “population,” or “professional” time-use profiles can be interchanged to tailor exposure and quantitatively explore multi-chemical signatures of exposure, internalized dose (uptake), body burden, and elimination. Ex Priori will quantitatively extrapolate single-point estimates of both exposure and internal dose for multiple exposure scenarios, factors, products, and pathways. Currently, EPA is investigating its usefulness in life cycle analysis, insofar as its ability to enhance exposure factors used in calculating characterization factors for human health. Presented at 2016 Annual ISES Meeting held in Utrecht, The Netherlands, from 9-13 October 2016.

Quantitative comparisons of cancer induction in humans by internally deposited radionuclides and external radiation.

PubMed

Harrison, J D; Muirhead, C R

2003-01-01

To compare quantitative estimates of lifetime cancer risk in humans for exposures to internally deposited radionuclides and external radiation. To assess the possibility that risks from radionuclide exposures may be underestimated. Risk estimates following internal exposures can be made for a small number of alpha-particle-emitting nuclides. (1) Lung cancer in underground miners exposed by inhalation to radon-222 gas and its short-lived progeny. Studies of residential (222)Rn exposure are generally consistent with predictions from the miner studies. (2) Liver cancer and leukaemia in patients given intravascular injections of Thorotrast, a thorium-232 oxide preparation that concentrates in liver, spleen and bone marrow. (3) Bone cancer in patients given injections of radium-224, and in workers exposed occupationally to (226)Ra and (228)Ra, mainly by ingestion. (4) Lung cancer in Mayak workers exposed to plutonium-239, mainly by inhalation. Liver and bone cancers were also seen, but the dosimetry is not yet sufficiently good enough to provide quantitative estimates of risks. Comparisons can be made between risk estimates for radiation-induced cancer derived for radionuclide exposure and those derived for the A-bomb survivors, exposed mainly to low-LET (linear energy transfer) external radiation. Data from animal studies, using dogs and rodents, allow comparisons of cancer induction by a range of alpha- and beta-/gamma-emitting radionuclides. They provide information on relative biological effectiveness (RBE), dose-response relationships, dose-rate effects and the location of target cells for different malignancies. For lung and liver cancer, the estimated values of risk per Sv for internal exposure, assuming an RBE for alpha-particles of 20, are reasonably consistent with estimates for external exposure to low-LET radiation. This also applies to bone cancer when risk is calculated on the basis of average bone dose, but consideration of dose to target cells on bone surfaces suggests a low RBE for alpha-particles. Similarly, for leukaemia, the comparison of risks from alpha-irradiation ((232)Th and progeny) and external radiation suggest a low alpha RBE; this conclusion is supported by animal data. Risk estimates for internal exposure are dependent on the assumptions made in calculating dose. Account is taken of the distribution of radionuclides within tissues and the distribution of target cells for cancer induction. For the lungs and liver, the available human and animal data provide support for current assumptions. However, for bone cancer and leukaemia, it may be that changes are required. Bone cancer risk may be best assessed by calculating dose to a 50 micro m layer of marrow adjacent to endosteal (inner) bone surfaces rather than to a single 10 micro m cell layer as currently assumed. Target cells for leukaemia may be concentrated towards the centre of marrow cavities so that the risk of leukaemia from bone-seeking radionuclides, particularly alpha emitters, may be overestimated by the current assumption of uniform distribution of target cells throughout red bone marrow. The lifetime risk estimates considered here for exposure to internally deposited radionuclides and to external radiation are subject to uncertainties, arising from the dosimetric assumptions made, from the quality of cancer incidence and mortality data and from aspects of risk modelling; including variations in baseline rates between populations for some cancer types. Bearing in mind such uncertainties, comparisons of risk estimates for internal emitters and external radiation show good agreement for lung and liver cancers. For leukaemia, the available data suggest that the assumption of an alpha-particle RBE of 20 can result in overestimates of risk. For bone cancer, it also appears that current assumptions will overestimate risks from alpha-particle-emitting nuclides, particularly at low doses.

Assessing the reliability of dose coefficients for exposure to radioiodine by members of the public, accounting for dosimetric and risk model uncertainties.

PubMed

Puncher, M; Zhang, W; Harrison, J D; Wakeford, R

2017-06-26

Assessments of risk to a specific population group resulting from internal exposure to a particular radionuclide can be used to assess the reliability of the appropriate International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) dose coefficients used as a radiation protection device for the specified exposure pathway. An estimate of the uncertainty on the associated risk is important for informing judgments on reliability; a derived uncertainty factor, UF, is an estimate of the 95% probable geometric difference between the best risk estimate and the nominal risk and is a useful tool for making this assessment. This paper describes the application of parameter uncertainty analysis to quantify uncertainties resulting from internal exposures to radioiodine by members of the public, specifically 1, 10 and 20-year old females from the population of England and Wales. Best estimates of thyroid cancer incidence risk (lifetime attributable risk) are calculated for ingestion or inhalation of 129 I and 131 I, accounting for uncertainties in biokinetic model and cancer risk model parameter values. These estimates are compared with the equivalent ICRP derived nominal age-, sex- and population-averaged estimates of excess thyroid cancer incidence to obtain UFs. Derived UF values for ingestion or inhalation of 131 I for 1 year, 10-year and 20-year olds are around 28, 12 and 6, respectively, when compared with ICRP Publication 103 nominal values, and 9, 7 and 14, respectively, when compared with ICRP Publication 60 values. Broadly similar results were obtained for 129 I. The uncertainties on risk estimates are largely determined by uncertainties on risk model parameters rather than uncertainties on biokinetic model parameters. An examination of the sensitivity of the results to the risk models and populations used in the calculations show variations in the central estimates of risk of a factor of around 2-3. It is assumed that the direct proportionality of excess thyroid cancer risk and dose observed at low to moderate acute doses and incorporated in the risk models also applies to very small doses received at very low dose rates; the uncertainty in this assumption is considerable, but largely unquantifiable. The UF values illustrate the need for an informed approach to the use of ICRP dose and risk coefficients.

Updated mortality analysis of radiation workers at Rocketdyne (Atomics International), 1948-2008

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boice, John; Cohen, Sarah; Mumma, Michael

Updated analyses of mortality data are presented on 5,801 radiation workers, including 2,232 monitored for radionuclide intakes, and 41,169 non-radiation workers employed 1948-1999 at Rocketdyne (Atomics International). The worker population is unique in that lifetime occupational doses from all places of employment were sought and incorporated into the analyses. Further, radiation doses from intakes of 14 different radionuclides were calculated for 16 organs or tissues using biokinetic models of the International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP). The mean dose from external radiation was 13.5 mSv (maximum 1 Sv), and the mean lung dose from external and internal radiation combined wasmore » 19.0 mSv (maximum 3.6 Sv). An additional nine years of follow-up, from December 31,1999 through 2008, increased the person-years of observation by 21.7% to 196,674 (mean 33.9 years) and the number of cancer deaths by 50% to 684. Analyses included comparisons with the general population and the computation of standardized mortality ratios (SMRs), and internal comparisons using proportional hazards models. All cancers taken together (SMR 0.88; 95% CI 0.81-0.95), lung cancer (SMR 0.87; 95% CI 0.76-1.00) and leukemia other than chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) (SMR 1.04; 95% 0.67-1.53) were not significantly elevated. Cox regression analyses revealed no significant dose-response trends for any cancer. For all cancers excluding leukemia, the relative risk (RR) at 100 mSv was estimated as 0.98 (95% CI 0.82-1.17) and for all leukemia other than CLL it was 1.06 (95% CI 0.50-2.23). Uranium was the primary radionuclide contributing to internal exposures, but significant increases in lung and kidney disease were not seen. The extended follow-up re-enforces the findings in the previous study in failing to observe a detectable increase in cancer deaths associated with radiation, but strong conclusions still cannot be drawn because of small numbers and relatively low career doses. Larger combined studies of early workers in the United States following similar methodologies are warranted to refine and clarify radiation risks following protracted exposures.« less

Absorbed organ and effective doses from digital intra-oral and panoramic radiography applying the ICRP 103 recommendations for effective dose estimations

PubMed Central

Thilander-Klang, Anne; Ylhan, Betȕl; Lofthag-Hansen, Sara; Ekestubbe, Annika

2016-01-01

Objective: During dental radiography, the salivary and thyroid glands are at radiation risk. In 2007, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) updated the methodology for determining the effective dose, and the salivary glands were assigned tissue-specific weighting factors for the first time. The aims of this study were to determine the absorbed dose to the organs and to calculate, applying the ICRP publication 103 tissue-weighting factors, the effective doses delivered during digital intraoral and panoramic radiography. Methods: Thermoluminescent dosemeter measurements were performed on an anthropomorphic head and neck phantom. The organ-absorbed doses were measured at 30 locations, representing different radiosensitive organs in the head and neck, and the effective dose was calculated according to the ICRP recommendations. Results: The salivary glands and the oral mucosa received the highest absorbed doses from both intraoral and panoramic radiography. The effective dose from a full-mouth intraoral examination was 15 μSv and for panoramic radiography, the effective dose was in the range of 19–75 μSv, depending on the panoramic equipment used. Conclusion: The effective dose from a full-mouth intraoral examination is lower and that from panoramic radiography is higher than previously reported. Clinicians should be aware of the higher effective dose delivered during panoramic radiography and the risk–benefit profile of this technique must be assessed for the individual patient. Advances in knowledge: The effective dose of radiation from panoramic radiography is higher than previously reported and there is large variability in the delivered radiation dosage among the different types of equipment used. PMID:27452261

Acceptance and commissioning of a treatment planning system based on Monte Carlo calculations.

PubMed

Lopez-Tarjuelo, J; Garcia-Molla, R; Juan-Senabre, X J; Quiros-Higueras, J D; Santos-Serra, A; de Marco-Blancas, N; Calzada-Feliu, S

2014-04-01

The Monaco Treatment Planning System (TPS), based on a virtual energy fluence model of the photon beam head components of the linac and a dose computation engine made with Monte Carlo (MC) algorithm X-Ray Voxel MC (XVMC), has been tested before being put into clinical use. An Elekta Synergy with 6 MV was characterized using routine equipment. After the machine's model was installed, a set of functionality, geometric, dosimetric and data transfer tests were performed. The dosimetric tests included dose calculations in water, heterogeneous phantoms and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) verifications. Data transfer tests were run for every imaging device, TPS and the electronic medical record linked to Monaco. Functionality and geometric tests were run properly. Dose calculations in water were in accordance with measurements so that, in 95% of cases, differences were up to 1.9%. Dose calculation in heterogeneous media showed expected results found in the literature. IMRT verification results with an ionization chamber led to dose differences lower than 2.5% for points inside a standard gradient. When an 2-D array was used, all the fields passed the g (3%, 3 mm) test with a percentage of succeeding points between 90% and 95%, of which the majority of the mentioned fields had a percentage of succeeding points between 95% and 100%. Data transfer caused problems that had to be solved by means of changing our workflow. In general, tests led to satisfactory results. Monaco performance complied with published international recommendations and scored highly in the dosimetric ambit. However, the problems detected when the TPS was put to work together with our current equipment showed that this kind of product must be completely commissioned, without neglecting data workflow, before treating the first patient.

Long-term accumulation of uranium in bones of Wistar rats as a function of intake dosages.

PubMed

Arruda-Neto, J D T; Guevara, M V Manso; Nogueira, G P; Saiki, M; Cestari, A C; Shtejer, K; Deppman, A; Pereira Filho, J W; Garcia, F; Geraldo, L P; Gouveia, A N; Guzmán, F; Mesa, J; Rodriguez, O; Semmler, R; Vanin, V R

2004-01-01

Groups of Wistar rats were fed with ration doped with uranyl nitrate at concentration A ranging from 0.5 to 100 ppm, starting after the weaning period and lasting until the postpuberty period when the animals were sacrificed. Uranium in the ashes of bones was determined by neutron activation analysis. It was found that the uranium concentration in the bones, as a function of A, exhibits a change in its slope at approximately 20 ppm-a probable consequence of the malfunctioning of kidneys. The uranium transfer coefficient was obtained and an analytical expression was fitted into the data, thus allowing extrapolation down to low doses. Internal and localized doses were calculated. Absorbed doses exceeded the critical dose, even for the lowest uranium dosage.

Dose Equivalents for Antipsychotic Drugs: The DDD Method.

PubMed

Leucht, Stefan; Samara, Myrto; Heres, Stephan; Davis, John M

2016-07-01

Dose equivalents of antipsychotics are an important but difficult to define concept, because all methods have weaknesses and strongholds. We calculated dose equivalents based on defined daily doses (DDDs) presented by the World Health Organisation's Collaborative Center for Drug Statistics Methodology. Doses equivalent to 1mg olanzapine, 1mg risperidone, 1mg haloperidol, and 100mg chlorpromazine were presented and compared with the results of 3 other methods to define dose equivalence (the "minimum effective dose method," the "classical mean dose method," and an international consensus statement). We presented dose equivalents for 57 first-generation and second-generation antipsychotic drugs, available as oral, parenteral, or depot formulations. Overall, the identified equivalent doses were comparable with those of the other methods, but there were also outliers. The major strength of this method to define dose response is that DDDs are available for most drugs, including old antipsychotics, that they are based on a variety of sources, and that DDDs are an internationally accepted measure. The major limitations are that the information used to estimate DDDS is likely to differ between the drugs. Moreover, this information is not publicly available, so that it cannot be reviewed. The WHO stresses that DDDs are mainly a standardized measure of drug consumption, and their use as a measure of dose equivalence can therefore be misleading. We, therefore, recommend that if alternative, more "scientific" dose equivalence methods are available for a drug they should be preferred to DDDs. Moreover, our summary can be a useful resource for pharmacovigilance studies. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Measurement of natural radioactivity in Jordanian building materials and their contribution to the public indoor gamma dose rate.

PubMed

Sharaf, J M; Hamideen, M S

2013-10-01

This study is undertaken to determine the activity concentration of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in samples of commonly used building materials in Jordan. Samples of seven different materials were collected from construction sites and local agencies supplying raw construction materials and analyzed using a HPGe gamma-ray spectrometer, taking into account self-attenuation in bulk samples. The average specific activity concentrations of (226)Ra, (232)Th, and (40)K ranged from 2.84 to 41.52, 0.78 to 58.42. and 3.74 to 897 Bq/kg, respectively. All the samples had radium equivalent activities well below the limit of 370 Bq/kg set by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD, 1979). External and internal hazard indices, absorbed dose and annual effective dose rate associated with the radionuclides of interest were calculated and compared with the international legislation and guidance. In general, most of the activities did not exceed the recommended international limits, except for granite and ceramic samples which are usually used as secondary building materials in Jordan. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An analysis of the equivalent dose calculation for the remainder tissues

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zankl, M.; Drexler, G.

1995-09-01

In the 1990 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection, the risk-weighted quantity {open_quotes}effective dose equivalent{close_quotes} was replaced by a similar quantity, {open_quotes}effective dose.{close_quotes} Among other alterations, the selection of the organs and tissues contributing to the risk-weighted quantity and their respective weighting factors were changed, including a modified definition of the so-called {open_quotes}remainder.{close_quotes} Close consideration of this latter definition shows that is causes certain ambiguities are unexpected effects which are dealt with in the following. For several geometries of external photon irradiation, the numerical differences of two possible methods of evaluating the remainder dose from the doses tomore » ten single organs, namely as arithmetic mean or as mass weighted average, are assessed. It is shown that deviation from these averaging procedures, as prescribed for these cases where a remainder organ receives a higher dose than an organ with a specified weighting factor, cause discontinuities in the energy dependence of the remainder dose and, consequently, also non-additivity of this quantity. These problems are discussed, and it is shown that, although the numerical consequences for the calculation of the effective dose are small, this unsatisfactory situation needs clarification. One approach might be to abolish some of the ICRP guidance relating to the appropriate tissue weighting factors for the remainder tissues and organs and to make other guidance more precise. 14 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Ladtap XL Version 2017: A Spreadsheet For Estimating Dose Resulting From Aqueous Releases

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Minter, K.; Jannik, T.

LADTAP XL© is an EXCEL© spreadsheet used to estimate dose to offsite individuals and populations resulting from routine and accidental releases of radioactive materials to the Savannah River. LADTAP XL© contains two worksheets: LADTAP and IRRIDOSE. The LADTAP worksheet estimates dose for environmental pathways including external exposure resulting from recreational activities on the Savannah River and internal exposure resulting from ingestion of water, fish, and invertebrates originating from the Savannah River. IRRIDOSE estimates offsite dose to individuals and populations from irrigation of foodstuffs with contaminated water from the Savannah River. In 2004, a complete description of the LADTAP XL© codemore » and an associated user’s manual was documented in LADTAP XL©: A Spreadsheet for Estimating Dose Resulting from Aqueous Release (WSRC-TR-2004-00059) and revised input parameters, dose coefficients, and radionuclide decay constants were incorporated into LADTAP XL© Version 2013 (SRNL-STI-2011-00238). LADTAP XL© Version 2017 is a slight modification to Version 2013 with minor changes made for more user-friendly parameter inputs and organization, updates in the time conversion factors used within the dose calculations, and fixed an issue with the expected time build-up parameter referenced within the population shoreline dose calculations. This manual has been produced to update the code description, verification of the models, and provide an updated user’s manual. LADTAP XL© Version 2017 has been verified by Minter (2017) and is ready for use at the Savannah River Site (SRS).« less

Reconstruction of Internal Doses for the Alpha-Risk Case-Control Study of Lung Cancer and Leukaemia Among European Nuclear Workers.

PubMed

Bingham, Derek; Bérard, Philippe; Birchall, Alan; Bull, Richard; Cardis, Elisabeth; Challeton-de Vathaire, Cécile; Grellier, James; Hurtgen, Christian; Puncher, Matthew; Riddell, Anthony; Thierry-Chef, Isabelle

2017-05-01

The Alpha-Risk study required the reconstruction of doses to lung and red bone marrow for lung cancer and leukaemia cases and their matched controls from cohorts of nuclear workers in the UK, France and Belgium. The dosimetrists and epidemiologists agreed requirements regarding the bioassay data, biokinetic and dosimetric models and dose assessment software to be used and doses to be reported. The best values to use for uncertainties on the monitoring data, setting of exposure regimes and characteristics of the exposure material, including lung solubility, were the responsibility of the dosimetrist responsible for each cohort. Among 1721 subjects, the median absorbed dose to the lung from alpha radiations was 2.1 mGy, with a maximum dose of 316 mGy. The lung doses calculated reflect the higher levels of exposure seen among workers in the early years of the nuclear industry compared to today. © Crown copyright 2016.

Cytogenetic damage analysis in mice chronically exposed to low-dose internal tritium beta-particle radiation.

PubMed

Roch-Lefèvre, Sandrine; Grégoire, Eric; Martin-Bodiot, Cécile; Flegal, Matthew; Fréneau, Amélie; Blimkie, Melinda; Bannister, Laura; Wyatt, Heather; Barquinero, Joan-Francesc; Roy, Laurence; Benadjaoud, Mohamed; Priest, Nick; Jourdain, Jean-René; Klokov, Dmitry

2018-06-08

The aim of this study was to carry out a comprehensive examination of potential genotoxic effects of low doses of tritium delivered chronically to mice and to compare these effects to the ones resulting from equivalent doses of gamma-irradiation. Mice were chronically exposed for one or eight months to either tritiated water (HTO) or organically bound tritium (OBT) in drinking water at concentrations of 10 kBq/L, 1 MBq/L or 20 MBq/L. Dose rates of internal β-particle resulting from such tritium treatments were calculated and matching external gamma-exposures were carried out. We measured cytogenetic damage in bone marrow and in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and the cumulative tritium doses (0.009 - 181 mGy) were used to evaluate the dose-response of OBT in PBLs, as well as its relative biological effectiveness (RBE). Neither tritium, nor gamma exposures produced genotoxic effects in bone marrow. However, significant increases in chromosome damage rates in PBLs were found as a result of chronic OBT exposures at 1 and 20 M Bq/L, but not at 10 kBq/L. When compared to an external acute gamma-exposure ex vivo , the RBE of OBT for chromosome aberrations induction was evaluated to be significantly higher than 1 at cumulative tritium doses below 10 mGy. Although found non-existent at 10 kBq/L (the WHO limit), the genotoxic potential of low doses of tritium (>10 kBq/L), mainly OBT, may be higher than currently assumed.

Patient-specific FDG dosimetry for adult males, adult females, and very low birth weight infants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niven, Erin

Fluorodeoxyglucose is the most commonly used radiopharmaceutical in Positron Emission Tomography, with applications in neurology, cardiology, and oncology. Despite its routine use worldwide, the radiation absorbed dose estimates from FDG have been based primarily on data obtained from two dogs studied in 1977 and 11 adults (most likely males) studied in 1982. In addition, the dose estimates calculated for FDG have been centered on the adult male, with little or no mention of variations in the dose estimates due to sex, age, height, weight, nationality, diet, or pathological condition. Through an extensive investigation into the Medical Internal Radiation Dose schema for calculating absorbed doses, I have developed a simple patient-specific equation; this equation incorporates the parameters necessary for alterations to the mathematical values of the human model to produce an estimate more representative of the individual under consideration. I have used this method to determine the range of absorbed doses to FDG from the collection of a large quantity of biological data obtained in adult males, adult females, and very low birth weight infants. Therefore, a more accurate quantification of the dose to humans from FDG has been completed. My results show that per unit administered activity, the absorbed dose from FDG is higher for infants compared to adults, and the dose for adult women is higher than for adult men. Given an injected activity of approximately 3.7 MBq kg-1, the doses for adult men, adult women, and full-term newborns would be on the order of 5.5, 7.1, and 2.8 mSv, respectively. These absorbed doses are comparable to the doses received from other nuclear medicine procedures.

Optimisation of environmental remediation: how to select and use the reference levels.

PubMed

Balonov, M; Chipiga, L; Kiselev, S; Sneve, M; Yankovich, T; Proehl, G

2018-06-01

A number of past industrial activities and accidents have resulted in the radioactive contamination of large areas at many sites around the world, giving rise to a need for remediation. According to the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), such situations should be managed as existing exposure situations (ExESs). Control of exposure to the public in ExESs is based on the application of appropriate reference levels (RLs) for residual doses. The implementation of this potentially fruitful concept for the optimisation of remediation in various regions is hampered by a lack of practical experience and relevant guidance. This paper suggests a generic methodology for the selection of numeric values of relevant RLs both in terms of residual annual effective dose and derived RLs (DRLs) based on an appropriate dose assessment. The value for an RL should be selected in the range of the annual residual effective dose of 1-20 mSv, depending on the prevailing circumstances for the exposure under consideration. Within this range, RL values should be chosen by the following assessment steps: (a) assessment of the projected dose, i.e. the dose to a representative person without remedial actions by means of a realistic model as opposed to a conservative model; (b) modelling of the residual dose to a representative person following application of feasible remedial actions; and (c) selection of an RL value between the projected and residual doses, taking account of the prevailing social and economic conditions. This paper also contains some recommendations for practical implementation of the selected RLs for the optimisation of public protection. The suggested methodology used for the selection of RLs (in terms of dose) and the calculation of DRLs (in terms of activity concentration in food, ambient dose rate, etc) has been illustrated by a retrospective analysis of post-Chernobyl monitoring and modelling data from the Bryansk region, Russia, 2001. From this example, it follows that analysis of real data leads to the selection of an RL from a relatively narrow annual dose range (in this case, about 2-3 mSv), from which relevant DRLs can be calculated and directly used for optimisation of the remediation programme.

Hybrid dose calculation: a dose calculation algorithm for microbeam radiation therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donzelli, Mattia; Bräuer-Krisch, Elke; Oelfke, Uwe; Wilkens, Jan J.; Bartzsch, Stefan

2018-02-01

Microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) is still a preclinical approach in radiation oncology that uses planar micrometre wide beamlets with extremely high peak doses, separated by a few hundred micrometre wide low dose regions. Abundant preclinical evidence demonstrates that MRT spares normal tissue more effectively than conventional radiation therapy, at equivalent tumour control. In order to launch first clinical trials, accurate and efficient dose calculation methods are an inevitable prerequisite. In this work a hybrid dose calculation approach is presented that is based on a combination of Monte Carlo and kernel based dose calculation. In various examples the performance of the algorithm is compared to purely Monte Carlo and purely kernel based dose calculations. The accuracy of the developed algorithm is comparable to conventional pure Monte Carlo calculations. In particular for inhomogeneous materials the hybrid dose calculation algorithm out-performs purely convolution based dose calculation approaches. It is demonstrated that the hybrid algorithm can efficiently calculate even complicated pencil beam and cross firing beam geometries. The required calculation times are substantially lower than for pure Monte Carlo calculations.

DICOM organ dose does not accurately represent calculated dose in mammography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suleiman, Moayyad E.; Brennan, Patrick C.; McEntee, Mark F.

2016-03-01

This study aims to analyze the agreement between the mean glandular dose estimated by the mammography unit (organ dose) and mean glandular dose calculated using Dance et al published method (calculated dose). Anonymised digital mammograms from 50 BreastScreen NSW centers were downloaded and exposure information required for the calculation of dose was extracted from the DICOM header along with the organ dose estimated by the system. Data from quality assurance annual tests for the included centers were collected and used to calculate the mean glandular dose for each mammogram. Bland-Altman analysis and a two-tailed paired t-test were used to study the agreement between calculated and organ dose and the significance of any differences. A total of 27,869 dose points from 40 centers were included in the study, mean calculated dose and mean organ dose (+/- standard deviation) were 1.47 (+/-0.66) and 1.38 (+/-0.56) mGy respectively. A statistically significant 0.09 mGy bias (t = 69.25; p<0.0001) with 95% limits of agreement between calculated and organ doses ranging from -0.34 and 0.52 were shown by Bland-Altman analysis, which indicates a small yet highly significant difference between the two means. The use of organ dose for dose audits is done at the risk of over or underestimating the calculated dose, hence, further work is needed to identify the causal agents for differences between organ and calculated doses and to generate a correction factor for organ dose.

Three-Dimensional Radiobiologic Dosimetry: Application of Radiobiologic Modeling to Patient-Specific 3-Dimensional Imaging–Based Internal Dosimetry

PubMed Central

Prideaux, Andrew R.; Song, Hong; Hobbs, Robert F.; He, Bin; Frey, Eric C.; Ladenson, Paul W.; Wahl, Richard L.; Sgouros, George

2010-01-01

Phantom-based and patient-specific imaging-based dosimetry methodologies have traditionally yielded mean organ-absorbed doses or spatial dose distributions over tumors and normal organs. In this work, radiobiologic modeling is introduced to convert the spatial distribution of absorbed dose into biologically effective dose and equivalent uniform dose parameters. The methodology is illustrated using data from a thyroid cancer patient treated with radioiodine. Methods Three registered SPECT/CT scans were used to generate 3-dimensional images of radionuclide kinetics (clearance rate) and cumulated activity. The cumulated activity image and corresponding CT scan were provided as input into an EGSnrc-based Monte Carlo calculation: The cumulated activity image was used to define the distribution of decays, and an attenuation image derived from CT was used to define the corresponding spatial tissue density and composition distribution. The rate images were used to convert the spatial absorbed dose distribution to a biologically effective dose distribution, which was then used to estimate a single equivalent uniform dose for segmented volumes of interest. Equivalent uniform dose was also calculated from the absorbed dose distribution directly. Results We validate the method using simple models; compare the dose-volume histogram with a previously analyzed clinical case; and give the mean absorbed dose, mean biologically effective dose, and equivalent uniform dose for an illustrative case of a pediatric thyroid cancer patient with diffuse lung metastases. The mean absorbed dose, mean biologically effective dose, and equivalent uniform dose for the tumor were 57.7, 58.5, and 25.0 Gy, respectively. Corresponding values for normal lung tissue were 9.5, 9.8, and 8.3 Gy, respectively. Conclusion The analysis demonstrates the impact of radiobiologic modeling on response prediction. The 57% reduction in the equivalent dose value for the tumor reflects a high level of dose nonuniformity in the tumor and a corresponding reduced likelihood of achieving a tumor response. Such analyses are expected to be useful in treatment planning for radionuclide therapy. PMID:17504874

Approximate distribution of dose among foetal organs for radioiodine uptake via placenta transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millard, R. K.; Saunders, M.; Palmer, A. M.; Preece, A. W.

2001-11-01

Absorbed radiation doses to internal foetal organs were calculated according to the medical internal radiation dose (MIRD) technique in this study. Anthropomorphic phantoms of the pregnant female as in MIRDOSE3 enabled estimation of absorbed dose to the whole foetus at two stages of gestation. Some foetal organ self-doses could have been estimated by invoking simple spherical models for thyroid, liver, etc, but we investigated the use of the MIRDOSE3 new-born phantom as a surrogate for the stage 3 foetus, scaled to be compatible with total foetal body mean absorbed dose/cumulated activity. We illustrate the method for obtaining approximate dose distribution in the foetus near term following intake of 1 MBq of 123I, 124I, 125I or 131I as sodium iodide by the mother using in vivo biodistribution data examples from a good model of placenta transfer. Doses to the foetal thyroid of up to 1.85 Gy MBq-1 were predicted from the 131I uptake data. Activity in the foetal thyroid was the largest contributor to absorbed dose in the foetal body, brain, heart and thymus. Average total doses to the whole foetus ranged from 0.16 to 1.2 mGy MBq-1 for stages 1 and 3 of pregnancy using the MIRDOSE3 program, and were considerably higher than those predicted from the maternal contributions alone. Doses to the foetal thymus and stomach were similar, around 2-3 mGy MBq-1. Some foetal organ doses from the radioiodides were ten times higher than to the corresponding organs of the mother, and up to 100 times higher to the thyroid. The fraction of activity uptakes in foetal organs were distributed similarly to the maternal ones.

Consideration of the ICRP 2006 revised tissue weighting factors on age-dependent values of the effective dose for external photons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Choonsik; Lee, Choonik; Han, Eun Young; Bolch, Wesley E.

2007-01-01

The effective dose recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is the sum of organ equivalent doses weighted by corresponding tissue weighting factors, wT. ICRP is in the process of revising its 1990 recommendations on the effective dose where new values of organs and tissue weighting factors have been proposed and published in draft form for consultation by the radiological protection community. In its 5 June 2006 draft recommendations, new organs and tissues have been introduced in the effective dose which do not exist within the 1987 Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) phantom series (e.g., salivary glands). Recently, the investigators at University of Florida have updated the series of ORNL phantoms by implementing new organ models and adopting organ-specific elemental composition and densities. In this study, the effective dose changes caused by the transition from the current recommendation of ICRP Publication 60 to the 2006 draft recommendations were investigated for external photon irradiation across the range of ICRP reference ages (newborn, 1-year, 5-year, 10-year, 15-year and adult) and for six idealized irradiation geometries: anterior-posterior (AP), posterior-anterior (PA), left-lateral (LLAT), right-lateral (RLAT), rotational (ROT) and isotropic (ISO). Organ-absorbed doses were calculated by implementing the revised ORNL phantoms in the Monte Carlo radiation transport code, MCNPX2.5, after which effective doses were calculated under the 1990 and draft 2006 evaluation schemes of the ICRP. Effective doses calculated under the 2006 draft scheme were slightly higher than estimated under ICRP Publication 60 methods for all irradiation geometries exclusive of the AP geometry where an opposite trend was observed. The effective doses of the adult phantom were more greatly affected by the change in tissue weighting factors than that seen within the paediatric members of the phantom series. Additionally, dose conversion coefficients for newly identified radiosensitive organs—salivary glands, gall bladder, heart and prostate—were reported, as well as the brain, which was originally considered in ICRP Publication 60 as a member of the remainder category of the effective dose.

Pencil-beam redefinition algorithm dose calculations for electron therapy treatment planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyd, Robert Arthur

2001-08-01

The electron pencil-beam redefinition algorithm (PBRA) of Shiu and Hogstrom has been developed for use in radiotherapy treatment planning (RTP). Earlier studies of Boyd and Hogstrom showed that the PBRA lacked an adequate incident beam model, that PBRA might require improved electron physics, and that no data existed which allowed adequate assessment of the PBRA-calculated dose accuracy in a heterogeneous medium such as one presented by patient anatomy. The hypothesis of this research was that by addressing the above issues the PBRA-calculated dose would be accurate to within 4% or 2 mm in regions of high dose gradients. A secondary electron source was added to the PBRA to account for collimation-scattered electrons in the incident beam. Parameters of the dual-source model were determined from a minimal data set to allow ease of beam commissioning. Comparisons with measured data showed 3% or better dose accuracy in water within the field for cases where 4% accuracy was not previously achievable. A measured data set was developed that allowed an evaluation of PBRA in regions distal to localized heterogeneities. Geometries in the data set included irregular surfaces and high- and low-density internal heterogeneities. The data was estimated to have 1% precision and 2% agreement with accurate, benchmarked Monte Carlo (MC) code. PBRA electron transport was enhanced by modeling local pencil beam divergence. This required fundamental changes to the mathematics of electron transport (divPBRA). Evaluation of divPBRA with the measured data set showed marginal improvement in dose accuracy when compared to PBRA; however, 4% or 2mm accuracy was not achieved by either PBRA version for all data points. Finally, PBRA was evaluated clinically by comparing PBRA- and MC-calculated dose distributions using site-specific patient RTP data. Results show PBRA did not agree with MC to within 4% or 2mm in a small fraction (<3%) of the irradiated volume. Although the hypothesis of the research was shown to be false, the minor dose inaccuracies should have little or no impact on RTP decisions or patient outcome. Therefore, given ease of beam commissioning, documentation of accuracy, and calculational speed, the PBRA should be considered a practical tool for clinical use.

Assessment of natural radioactivity in various commercial tiles used for building purposes in Nigeria.

PubMed

Joel, E S; Maxwell, O; Adewoyin, O O; Ehi-Eromosele, C O; Embong, Z; Oyawoye, F

2018-01-01

In this study, we evaluated the activity concentration of natural radionuclides ( 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K) for fifteen (15) different brands of tile samples used for building purposes in Nigeria. The tile samples were analyzed using High purity Germanium gamma detector. The mean activity concentrations of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K were observed to be 61.1 ± 5.5 Bq/kg, 70.2 ± 6.08 Bq/kg and 514.7 ± 59.8 Bq/kg respectively. Various hazard indices such as absorbed dose rate, external and internal hazard index, annual effective dose rate, Gamma activity Index (Iγ) and Alpha Index (Iα) were calculated. The obtained results showed that the mean radium equivalent activity (Raeq), the absorbed dose rate (D), external and internal hazard index, the annual effective dose (AEDR) equivalent, Gamma activity Index (Iγ) and Alpha Index (Iα) were: 204.42 Bq/kg, 177.61 nGyh -1 , 0.55, 0.77, 0.96 mSvyr -1 , 0.74 and 0.32 respectively. The average value of radium equivalent obtained in this study is less than that of the recommended value of 370 Bq/kg but the average values of the other radiological hazards for some samples are found to be slightly above international recommended values except H ex , H in and AEDE which are within the international reference value of unity. The measured concentrations of these radioactive materials were correlated with other previous result obtained from similar tile materials used in other countries and found to be in good agreement with the international standard, however, the tiles are recommended for decoration purposes in Nigeria.

MIRD Pamphlet No. 23: Quantitative SPECT for Patient-Specific 3-Dimensional Dosimetry in Internal Radionuclide Therapy

PubMed Central

Dewaraja, Yuni K.; Frey, Eric C.; Sgouros, George; Brill, A. Bertrand; Roberson, Peter; Zanzonico, Pat B.; Ljungberg, Michael

2012-01-01

In internal radionuclide therapy, a growing interest in voxel-level estimates of tissue-absorbed dose has been driven by the desire to report radiobiologic quantities that account for the biologic consequences of both spatial and temporal nonuniformities in these dose estimates. This report presents an overview of 3-dimensional SPECT methods and requirements for internal dosimetry at both regional and voxel levels. Combined SPECT/CT image-based methods are emphasized, because the CT-derived anatomic information allows one to address multiple technical factors that affect SPECT quantification while facilitating the patient-specific voxel-level dosimetry calculation itself. SPECT imaging and reconstruction techniques for quantification in radionuclide therapy are not necessarily the same as those designed to optimize diagnostic imaging quality. The current overview is intended as an introduction to an upcoming series of MIRD pamphlets with detailed radionuclide-specific recommendations intended to provide best-practice SPECT quantification–based guidance for radionuclide dosimetry. PMID:22743252

The treatment of solid tumors by alpha emitters released from 224Ra-loaded sources—internal dosimetry analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arazi, L.; Cooks, T.; Schmidt, M.; Keisari, Y.; Kelson, I.

2010-02-01

Diffusing alpha-emitters radiation therapy (DART) is a proposed new form of brachytherapy, allowing the treatment of solid tumors by alpha particles. DART utilizes implantable sources carrying small activities of radium-224, which continually release into the tumor radon-220, polonium-216 and lead-212 atoms, while radium-224 itself remains fixed to the source. The released atoms disperse inside the tumor by diffusive and convective processes, creating, through their alpha emissions, a high-dose region measuring several mm in diameter about each source. The efficacy of DART has been demonstrated in preclinical studies on mice-borne squamous cell carcinoma and lung tumors and the method is now being developed toward clinical trials. This work studies DART safety with respect to the dose delivered to distant organs as a result of lead-212 leakage from the tumor through the blood, relying on a biokinetic calculation coupled to internal dose assessments. It is found that the dose-limiting organs are the kidneys and red bone marrow. Assuming a typical source spacing of ~5 mm and a typical radium-224 activity density of 0.4-0.8 MBq g-1 of tumor tissue, it is predicted that tumors weighing up to several hundred grams may be treated without reaching the tolerance dose in any organ.

WE-H-207A-07: Image-Based Versus Atlas-Based Internal Dosimetry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fallahpoor, M; Abbasi, M; Parach, A

Purpose: Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is known as the gold standard method for internal dosimetry. It requires radionuclide distribution from PET or SPECT and body structure from CT for accurate dose calculation. The manual or semi-automatic segmentation of organs from CT images is a major obstacle. The aim of this study is to compare the dosimetry results based on patient’s own CT and a digital humanoid phantom as an atlas with pre-specified organs. Methods: SPECT-CT images of a 50 year old woman who underwent bone pain palliation with Samarium-153 EDTMP for osseous metastases from breast cancer were used. The anatomicalmore » date and attenuation map were extracted from SPECT/CT and three XCAT digital phantoms with different BMIs (i.e. matched (38.8) and unmatched (35.5 and 36.7) with patient’s BMI that was 38.3). Segmentation of patient’s organs in CT image was performed using itk-SNAP software. GATE MC Simulator was used for dose calculation. Specific absorbed fractions (SAFs) and S-values were calculated for the segmented organs. Results: The differences between SAFs and S-values are high using different anatomical data and range from −13% to 39% for SAF values and −109% to 79% for S-values in different organs. In the spine, the clinically important target organ for Samarium Therapy, the differences in the S-values and SAF values are higher between XCAT phantom and CT when the phantom with identical BMI is employed (53.8% relative difference in S-value and 26.8% difference in SAF). However, the whole body dose values were the same between the calculations based on the CT and XCAT with different BMIs. Conclusion: The results indicated that atlas-based dosimetry using XCAT phantom even with matched BMI for patient leads to considerable errors as compared to image-based dosimetry that uses the patient’s own CT Patient-specific dosimetry using CT image is essential for accurate results.« less

241Am Ingrowth and Its Effect on Internal Dose

DOE PAGES

Konzen, Kevin

2016-07-01

Generally, plutonium has been manufactured to support commercial and military applications involving heat sources, weapons and reactor fuel. This work focuses on three typical plutonium mixtures, while observing the potential of 241Am ingrowth and its effect on internal dose. The term “ingrowth” is used to describe 241Am production due solely from the decay of 241Pu as part of a plutonium mixture, where it is initially absent or present in a smaller quantity. Dose calculation models do not account for 241Am ingrowth unless the 241Pu quantity is specified. This work suggested that 241Am ingrowth be considered in bioassay analysis when theremore » is a potential of a 10% increase to the individual’s committed effective dose. It was determined that plutonium fuel mixtures, initially absent of 241Am, would likely exceed 10% for typical reactor grade fuel aged less than 30 years; however, heat source grade and aged weapons grade fuel would normally fall below this threshold. In conclusion, although this work addresses typical plutonium mixtures following separation, it may be extended to irradiated commercial uranium fuel and is expected to be a concern in the recycling of spent fuel.« less

Galactic and solar radiation exposure to aircrew during a solar cycle.

PubMed

Lewis, B J; Bennett, L G I; Green, A R; McCall, M J; Ellaschuk, B; Butler, A; Pierre, M

2002-01-01

An on-going investigation using a tissue-equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) has been carried out to measure the ambient dose equivalent rate of the cosmic radiation exposure of aircrew during a solar cycle. A semi-empirical model has been derived from these data to allow for the interpolation of the dose rate for any global position. The model has been extended to an altitude of up to 32 km with further measurements made on board aircraft and several balloon flights. The effects of changing solar modulation during the solar cycle are characterised by correlating the dose rate data to different solar potential models. Through integration of the dose-rate function over a great circle flight path or between given waypoints, a Predictive Code for Aircrew Radiation Exposure (PCAIRE) has been further developed for estimation of the route dose from galactic cosmic radiation exposure. This estimate is provided in units of ambient dose equivalent as well as effective dose, based on E/H x (10) scaling functions as determined from transport code calculations with LUIN and FLUKA. This experimentally based treatment has also been compared with the CARI-6 and EPCARD codes that are derived solely from theoretical transport calculations. Using TEPC measurements taken aboard the International Space Station, ground based neutron monitoring, GOES satellite data and transport code analysis, an empirical model has been further proposed for estimation of aircrew exposure during solar particle events. This model has been compared to results obtained during recent solar flare events.

Analysis of activation and shutdown contact dose rate for EAST neutral beam port

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yuqing; Wang, Ji; Zhong, Guoqiang; Li, Jun; Wang, Jinfang; Xie, Yahong; Wu, Bin; Hu, Chundong

2017-12-01

For the safe operation and maintenance of neutral beam injector (NBI), specific activity and shutdown contact dose rate of the sample material SS316 are estimated around the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST) neutral beam port. Firstly, the neutron emission intensity is calculated by TRANSP code while the neutral beam is co-injected to EAST. Secondly, the neutron activation and shutdown contact dose rates for the neutral beam sample materials SS316 are derived by the Monte Carlo code MCNP and the inventory code FISPACT-2007. The simulations indicate that the primary radioactive nuclides of SS316 are 58Co and 54Mn. The peak contact dose rate is 8.52 × 10-6 Sv/h after EAST shutdown one second. That is under the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) design values 1 × 10-5 Sv/h.

Estimating Effective Dose of Radiation From Pediatric Cardiac CT Angiography Using a 64-MDCT Scanner: New Conversion Factors Relating Dose-Length Product to Effective Dose.

PubMed

Trattner, Sigal; Chelliah, Anjali; Prinsen, Peter; Ruzal-Shapiro, Carrie B; Xu, Yanping; Jambawalikar, Sachin; Amurao, Maxwell; Einstein, Andrew J

2017-03-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the conversion factors that enable accurate estimation of the effective dose (ED) used for cardiac 64-MDCT angiography performed for children. Anthropomorphic phantoms representative of 1- and 10-year-old children, with 50 metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor dosimeters placed in organs, underwent scanning performed using a 64-MDCT scanner with different routine clinical cardiac scan modes and x-ray tube potentials. Organ doses were used to calculate the ED on the basis of weighting factors published in 1991 in International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) publication 60 and in 2007 in ICRP publication 103. The EDs and the scanner-reported dose-length products were used to determine conversion factors for each scan mode. The effect of infant heart rate on the ED and the conversion factors was also assessed. The mean conversion factors calculated using the current definition of ED that appeared in ICRP publication 103 were as follows: 0.099 mSv · mGy -1 · cm -1 , for the 1-year-old phantom, and 0.049 mSv · mGy -1 · cm -1 , for the 10-year-old phantom. These conversion factors were a mean of 37% higher than the corresponding conversion factors calculated using the older definition of ED that appeared in ICRP publication 60. Varying the heart rate did not influence the ED or the conversion factors. Conversion factors determined using the definition of ED in ICRP publication 103 and cardiac, rather than chest, scan coverage suggest that the radiation doses that children receive from cardiac CT performed using a contemporary 64-MDCT scanner are higher than the radiation doses previously reported when older chest conversion factors were used. Additional up-to-date pediatric cardiac CT conversion factors are required for use with other contemporary CT scanners and patients of different age ranges.

Alternative calculations of individual patient time in therapeutic range while taking warfarin: results from the ROCKET AF trial.

PubMed

Singer, Daniel E; Hellkamp, Anne S; Yuan, Zhong; Lokhnygina, Yuliya; Patel, Manesh R; Piccini, Jonathan P; Hankey, Graeme J; Breithardt, Günter; Halperin, Jonathan L; Becker, Richard C; Hacke, Werner; Nessel, Christopher C; Mahaffey, Kenneth W; Fox, Keith A A; Califf, Robert M

2015-03-03

In the ROCKET AF (Rivaroxaban-Once-daily, oral, direct Factor Xa inhibition Compared with vitamin K antagonism for prevention of stroke and Embolism Trial in Atrial Fibrillation) trial, marked regional differences in control of warfarin anticoagulation, measured as the average individual patient time in the therapeutic range (iTTR) of the international normalized ratio (INR), were associated with longer inter-INR test intervals. The standard Rosendaal approach can produce biased low estimates of TTR after an appropriate dose change if the follow-up INR test interval is prolonged. We explored the effect of alternative calculations of TTR that more immediately account for dose changes on regional differences in mean iTTR in the ROCKET AF trial. We used an INR imputation method that accounts for dose change. We compared group mean iTTR values between our dose change-based method with the standard Rosendaal method and determined that the differences between approaches depended on the balance of dose changes that produced in-range INRs ("corrections") versus INRs that were out of range in the opposite direction ("overshoots"). In ROCKET AF, the overall mean iTTR of 55.2% (Rosendaal) increased up to 3.1% by using the dose change-based approach, depending on assumptions. However, large inter-regional differences in anticoagulation control persisted. TTR, the standard measure of control of warfarin anticoagulation, depends on imputing daily INR values for the vast majority of follow-up days. Our TTR calculation method may better reflect the impact of warfarin dose changes than the Rosendaal approach. In the ROCKET AF trial, this dose change-based approach led to a modest increase in overall mean iTTR but did not materially affect the large inter-regional differences previously reported. URL: ClinicalTrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00403767. © 2015 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

Alternative Calculations of Individual Patient Time in Therapeutic Range While Taking Warfarin: Results From the ROCKET AF Trial

PubMed Central

Singer, Daniel E.; Hellkamp, Anne S.; Yuan, Zhong; Lokhnygina, Yuliya; Patel, Manesh R.; Piccini, Jonathan P.; Hankey, Graeme J.; Breithardt, Günter; Halperin, Jonathan L.; Becker, Richard C.; Hacke, Werner; Nessel, Christopher C.; Mahaffey, Kenneth W.; Fox, Keith A. A.; Califf, Robert M.

2015-01-01

Background In the ROCKET AF (Rivaroxaban–Once‐daily, oral, direct Factor Xa inhibition Compared with vitamin K antagonism for prevention of stroke and Embolism Trial in Atrial Fibrillation) trial, marked regional differences in control of warfarin anticoagulation, measured as the average individual patient time in the therapeutic range (iTTR) of the international normalized ratio (INR), were associated with longer inter‐INR test intervals. The standard Rosendaal approach can produce biased low estimates of TTR after an appropriate dose change if the follow‐up INR test interval is prolonged. We explored the effect of alternative calculations of TTR that more immediately account for dose changes on regional differences in mean iTTR in the ROCKET AF trial. Methods and Results We used an INR imputation method that accounts for dose change. We compared group mean iTTR values between our dose change–based method with the standard Rosendaal method and determined that the differences between approaches depended on the balance of dose changes that produced in‐range INRs (“corrections”) versus INRs that were out of range in the opposite direction (“overshoots”). In ROCKET AF, the overall mean iTTR of 55.2% (Rosendaal) increased up to 3.1% by using the dose change–based approach, depending on assumptions. However, large inter‐regional differences in anticoagulation control persisted. Conclusions TTR, the standard measure of control of warfarin anticoagulation, depends on imputing daily INR values for the vast majority of follow‐up days. Our TTR calculation method may better reflect the impact of warfarin dose changes than the Rosendaal approach. In the ROCKET AF trial, this dose change–based approach led to a modest increase in overall mean iTTR but did not materially affect the large inter‐regional differences previously reported. Clinical Trial Registration URL: ClinicalTrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00403767. PMID:25736441

The accuracy of the out-of-field dose calculations using a model based algorithm in a commercial treatment planning system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lilie; Ding, George X.

2014-07-01

The out-of-field dose can be clinically important as it relates to the dose of the organ-at-risk, although the accuracy of its calculation in commercial radiotherapy treatment planning systems (TPSs) receives less attention. This study evaluates the uncertainties of out-of-field dose calculated with a model based dose calculation algorithm, anisotropic analytical algorithm (AAA), implemented in a commercial radiotherapy TPS, Varian Eclipse V10, by using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations, in which the entire accelerator head is modeled including the multi-leaf collimators. The MC calculated out-of-field doses were validated by experimental measurements. The dose calculations were performed in a water phantom as well as CT based patient geometries and both static and highly modulated intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) fields were evaluated. We compared the calculated out-of-field doses, defined as lower than 5% of the prescription dose, in four H&N cancer patients and two lung cancer patients treated with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and IMRT techniques. The results show that the discrepancy of calculated out-of-field dose profiles between AAA and the MC depends on the depth and is generally less than 1% for in water phantom comparisons and in CT based patient dose calculations for static field and IMRT. In cases of VMAT plans, the difference between AAA and MC is <0.5%. The clinical impact resulting from the error on the calculated organ doses were analyzed by using dose-volume histograms. Although the AAA algorithm significantly underestimated the out-of-field doses, the clinical impact on the calculated organ doses in out-of-field regions may not be significant in practice due to very low out-of-field doses relative to the target dose.

Quantitative assessment of the accuracy of dose calculation using pencil beam and Monte Carlo algorithms and requirements for clinical quality assurance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ali, Imad, E-mail: iali@ouhsc.edu; Ahmad, Salahuddin

2013-10-01

To compare the doses calculated using the BrainLAB pencil beam (PB) and Monte Carlo (MC) algorithms for tumors located in various sites including the lung and evaluate quality assurance procedures required for the verification of the accuracy of dose calculation. The dose-calculation accuracy of PB and MC was also assessed quantitatively with measurement using ionization chamber and Gafchromic films placed in solid water and heterogeneous phantoms. The dose was calculated using PB convolution and MC algorithms in the iPlan treatment planning system from BrainLAB. The dose calculation was performed on the patient's computed tomography images with lesions in various treatmentmore » sites including 5 lungs, 5 prostates, 4 brains, 2 head and necks, and 2 paraspinal tissues. A combination of conventional, conformal, and intensity-modulated radiation therapy plans was used in dose calculation. The leaf sequence from intensity-modulated radiation therapy plans or beam shapes from conformal plans and monitor units and other planning parameters calculated by the PB were identical for calculating dose with MC. Heterogeneity correction was considered in both PB and MC dose calculations. Dose-volume parameters such as V95 (volume covered by 95% of prescription dose), dose distributions, and gamma analysis were used to evaluate the calculated dose by PB and MC. The measured doses by ionization chamber and EBT GAFCHROMIC film in solid water and heterogeneous phantoms were used to quantitatively asses the accuracy of dose calculated by PB and MC. The dose-volume histograms and dose distributions calculated by PB and MC in the brain, prostate, paraspinal, and head and neck were in good agreement with one another (within 5%) and provided acceptable planning target volume coverage. However, dose distributions of the patients with lung cancer had large discrepancies. For a plan optimized with PB, the dose coverage was shown as clinically acceptable, whereas in reality, the MC showed a systematic lack of dose coverage. The dose calculated by PB for lung tumors was overestimated by up to 40%. An interesting feature that was observed is that despite large discrepancies in dose-volume histogram coverage of the planning target volume between PB and MC, the point doses at the isocenter (center of the lesions) calculated by both algorithms were within 7% even for lung cases. The dose distributions measured with EBT GAFCHROMIC films in heterogeneous phantoms showed large discrepancies of nearly 15% lower than PB at interfaces between heterogeneous media, where these lower doses measured by the film were in agreement with those by MC. The doses (V95) calculated by MC and PB agreed within 5% for treatment sites with small tissue heterogeneities such as the prostate, brain, head and neck, and paraspinal tumors. Considerable discrepancies, up to 40%, were observed in the dose-volume coverage between MC and PB in lung tumors, which may affect clinical outcomes. The discrepancies between MC and PB increased for 15 MV compared with 6 MV indicating the importance of implementation of accurate clinical treatment planning such as MC. The comparison of point doses is not representative of the discrepancies in dose coverage and might be misleading in evaluating the accuracy of dose calculation between PB and MC. Thus, the clinical quality assurance procedures required to verify the accuracy of dose calculation using PB and MC need to consider measurements of 2- and 3-dimensional dose distributions rather than a single point measurement using heterogeneous phantoms instead of homogenous water-equivalent phantoms.« less

Fukushima Daiichi Radionuclide Inventories

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cardoni, Jeffrey N.; Jankovsky, Zachary Kyle

Radionuclide inventories are generated to permit detailed analyses of the Fukushima Daiichi meltdowns. This is necessary information for severe accident calculations, dose calculations, and source term and consequence analyses. Inventories are calculated using SCALE6 and compared to values predicted by international researchers supporting the OECD/NEA's Benchmark Study on the Accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (BSAF). Both sets of inventory information are acceptable for best-estimate analyses of the Fukushima reactors. Consistent nuclear information for severe accident codes, including radionuclide class masses and core decay powers, are also derived from the SCALE6 analyses. Key nuclide activity ratios are calculated asmore » functions of burnup and nuclear data in order to explore the utility for nuclear forensics and support future decommissioning efforts.« less

Radioactivity Risk Assessment of Radon and Gamma Dose at One Uranium Tailings Pond in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lou, Yalong; Liu, Yong; Peng, Guowen; Zhao, Guodong; Zhang, Yan; Yang, Zhu

2018-01-01

A year-long monitoring of gamma radiation effective dose rate and radon concentration had been done in the reservoir area of one uranium tailings pond in Hunan province (The monitoring area included indoor and outdoor area of residential buildings and workshops, tailings dam slope). Afterwards, the annual effective radiation dose of the people in that radiation environment had been calculated based on the results of monitoring, as well as a radiation risk assessment. According to the assessment, gamma radiation effective dose rate and radon concentration in the monitoring area were low, and the annual effective radiation dose was far below the international standard (30mSv), which showed that the radiation would not put the people’s health at risk. However, the annual effective radiation dose of gamma was far above that of radon in the area of uranium tailings pond; therefore, it’s advisable to take quarantine measures in in the area of uranium tailings pond to keep the surrounding residents away from unnecessary ionizing radiation.

SU-E-CAMPUS-I-05: Internal Dosimetric Calculations for Several Imaging Radiopharmaceuticals in Preclinical Studies and Quantitative Assessment of the Mouse Size Impact On Them. Realistic Monte Carlo Simulations Based On the 4D-MOBY Model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kostou, T; Papadimitroulas, P; Kagadis, GC

2014-06-15

Purpose: Commonly used radiopharmaceuticals were tested to define the most important dosimetric factors in preclinical studies. Dosimetric calculations were applied in two different whole-body mouse models, with varying organ size, so as to determine their impact on absorbed doses and S-values. Organ mass influence was evaluated with computational models and Monte Carlo(MC) simulations. Methods: MC simulations were executed on GATE to determine dose distribution in the 4D digital MOBY mouse phantom. Two mouse models, 28 and 34 g respectively, were constructed based on realistic preclinical exams to calculate the absorbed doses and S-values of five commonly used radionuclides in SPECT/PETmore » studies (18F, 68Ga, 177Lu, 111In and 99mTc).Radionuclide biodistributions were obtained from literature. Realistic statistics (uncertainty lower than 4.5%) were acquired using the standard physical model in Geant4. Comparisons of the dosimetric calculations on the two different phantoms for each radiopharmaceutical are presented. Results: Dose per organ in mGy was calculated for all radiopharmaceuticals. The two models introduced a difference of 0.69% in their brain masses, while the largest differences were observed in the marrow 18.98% and in the thyroid 18.65% masses.Furthermore, S-values of the most important target-organs were calculated for each isotope. Source-organ was selected to be the whole mouse body.Differences on the S-factors were observed in the 6.0–30.0% range. Tables with all the calculations as reference dosimetric data were developed. Conclusion: Accurate dose per organ and the most appropriate S-values are derived for specific preclinical studies. The impact of the mouse model size is rather high (up to 30% for a 17.65% difference in the total mass), and thus accurate definition of the organ mass is a crucial parameter for self-absorbed S values calculation.Our goal is to extent the study for accurate estimations in small animal imaging, whereas it is known that there is a large variety in the anatomy of the organs.« less

The influence of the dose calculation resolution of VMAT plans on the calculated dose for eye lens and optic pathway.

PubMed

Park, Jong Min; Park, So-Yeon; Kim, Jung-In; Carlson, Joel; Kim, Jin Ho

2017-03-01

To investigate the effect of dose calculation grid on calculated dose-volumetric parameters for eye lenses and optic pathways. A total of 30 patients treated using the volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) technique, were retrospectively selected. For each patient, dose distributions were calculated with calculation grids ranging from 1 to 5 mm at 1 mm intervals. Identical structures were used for VMAT planning. The changes in dose-volumetric parameters according to the size of the calculation grid were investigated. Compared to dose calculation with 1 mm grid, the maximum doses to the eye lens with calculation grids of 2, 3, 4 and 5 mm increased by 0.2 ± 0.2 Gy, 0.5 ± 0.5 Gy, 0.9 ± 0.8 Gy and 1.7 ± 1.5 Gy on average, respectively. The Spearman's correlation coefficient between dose gradients near structures vs. the differences between the calculated doses with 1 mm grid and those with 5 mm grid, were 0.380 (p < 0.001). For the accurate calculation of dose distributions, as well as efficiency, using a grid size of 2 mm appears to be the most appropriate choice.

Comparison of fluence-to-dose conversion coefficients for deuterons, tritons and helions.

PubMed

Copeland, Kyle; Friedberg, Wallace; Sato, Tatsuhiko; Niita, Koji

2012-02-01

Secondary radiation in aircraft and spacecraft includes deuterons, tritons and helions. Two sets of fluence-to-effective dose conversion coefficients for isotropic exposure to these particles were compared: one used the particle and heavy ion transport code system (PHITS) radiation transport code coupled with the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) reference phantoms (PHITS-ICRP) and the other the Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended (MCNPX) radiation transport code coupled with modified BodyBuilder™ phantoms (MCNPX-BB). Also, two sets of fluence-to-effective dose equivalent conversion coefficients calculated using the PHITS-ICRP combination were compared: one used quality factors based on linear energy transfer; the other used quality factors based on lineal energy (y). Finally, PHITS-ICRP effective dose coefficients were compared with PHITS-ICRP effective dose equivalent coefficients. The PHITS-ICRP and MCNPX-BB effective dose coefficients were similar, except at high energies, where MCNPX-BB coefficients were higher. For helions, at most energies effective dose coefficients were much greater than effective dose equivalent coefficients. For deuterons and tritons, coefficients were similar when their radiation weighting factor was set to 2.

A summary of evidence on radiation exposures received near to the Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons test site in Kazakhstan.

PubMed

Simon, Steven L; Baverstock, Keith F; Lindholm, Carita

2003-06-01

The presently available evidence about the magnitude of doses received by members of the public living in villages in the vicinity of Semipalatinsk nuclear test in Kazakhstan, particularly with respect to external radiation, while preliminary, is conflicting. The village of Dolon, in particular, has been identified for many years as the most highly exposed location in the vicinity of the test site. Previous publications cited external doses of more than 2 Gy to residents of Dolon while an expert group assembled by the WHO in 1997 estimated that external doses were likely to have been less than 0.5 Gy. In 2001, a larger expert group workshop was held in Helsinki jointly by the WHO, the National Cancer Institute of the United States, and the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland, with the expressed purpose to acquire data to evaluate the state of knowledge concerning doses received in Kazakhstan. This paper summarizes evidence presented at that workshop. External dose estimates from calculations based on sparse physical measurements and bio-dosimetric estimates based on chromosome abnormalities and electron paramagnetic resonance from a relatively small sample of teeth do not agree well. The physical dose estimates are generally higher than the biodosimetric estimates (1 Gy or more compared to 0.5 Gy or less). When viewed in its entirety, the present body of evidence does not appear to support external doses greater than 0.5 Gy; however, research is continuing to try and resolve the difference in dose estimates from the different methods. Thyroid doses from internal irradiation, which can only be estimated via calculation, are expected to have been several times greater than the doses from external irradiation, especially where received by small children.

SU-E-T-374: Evaluation and Verification of Dose Calculation Accuracy with Different Dose Grid Sizes for Intracranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Han, C; Schultheiss, T

Purpose: In this study, we aim to evaluate the effect of dose grid size on the accuracy of calculated dose for small lesions in intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), and to verify dose calculation accuracy with radiochromic film dosimetry. Methods: 15 intracranial lesions from previous SRS patients were retrospectively selected for this study. The planning target volume (PTV) ranged from 0.17 to 2.3 cm{sup 3}. A commercial treatment planning system was used to generate SRS plans using the volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) technique using two arc fields. Two convolution-superposition-based dose calculation algorithms (Anisotropic Analytical Algorithm and Acuros XB algorithm) weremore » used to calculate volume dose distribution with dose grid size ranging from 1 mm to 3 mm with 0.5 mm step size. First, while the plan monitor units (MU) were kept constant, PTV dose variations were analyzed. Second, with 95% of the PTV covered by the prescription dose, variations of the plan MUs as a function of dose grid size were analyzed. Radiochomic films were used to compare the delivered dose and profile with the calculated dose distribution with different dose grid sizes. Results: The dose to the PTV, in terms of the mean dose, maximum, and minimum dose, showed steady decrease with increasing dose grid size using both algorithms. With 95% of the PTV covered by the prescription dose, the total MU increased with increasing dose grid size in most of the plans. Radiochromic film measurements showed better agreement with dose distributions calculated with 1-mm dose grid size. Conclusion: Dose grid size has significant impact on calculated dose distribution in intracranial SRS treatment planning with small target volumes. Using the default dose grid size could lead to under-estimation of delivered dose. A small dose grid size should be used to ensure calculation accuracy and agreement with QA measurements.« less

An automated DICOM database capable of arbitrary data mining (including radiation dose indicators) for quality monitoring.

PubMed

Wang, Shanshan; Pavlicek, William; Roberts, Catherine C; Langer, Steve G; Zhang, Muhong; Hu, Mengqi; Morin, Richard L; Schueler, Beth A; Wellnitz, Clinton V; Wu, Teresa

2011-04-01

The U.S. National Press has brought to full public discussion concerns regarding the use of medical radiation, specifically x-ray computed tomography (CT), in diagnosis. A need exists for developing methods whereby assurance is given that all diagnostic medical radiation use is properly prescribed, and all patients' radiation exposure is monitored. The "DICOM Index Tracker©" (DIT) transparently captures desired digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) tags from CT, nuclear imaging equipment, and other DICOM devices across an enterprise. Its initial use is recording, monitoring, and providing automatic alerts to medical professionals of excursions beyond internally determined trigger action levels of radiation. A flexible knowledge base, aware of equipment in use, enables automatic alerts to system administrators of newly identified equipment models or software versions so that DIT can be adapted to the new equipment or software. A dosimetry module accepts mammography breast organ dose, skin air kerma values from XA modalities, exposure indices from computed radiography, etc. upon receipt. The American Association of Physicists in Medicine recommended a methodology for effective dose calculations which are performed with CT units having DICOM structured dose reports. Web interface reporting is provided for accessing the database in real-time. DIT is DICOM-compliant and, thus, is standardized for international comparisons. Automatic alerts currently in use include: email, cell phone text message, and internal pager text messaging. This system extends the utility of DICOM for standardizing the capturing and computing of radiation dose as well as other quality measures.

Effect of leaded glasses and thyroid shielding on cone beam CT radiation dose in an adult female phantom

PubMed Central

Goren, AD; Prins, RD; Dauer, LT; Quinn, B; Al-Najjar, A; Faber, RD; Patchell, G; Branets, I; Colosi, DC

2013-01-01

Objectives: This study aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of leaded glasses in reducing the lens of eye dose and of lead thyroid collars in reducing the dose to the thyroid gland of an adult female from dental cone beam CT (CBCT). The effect of collimation on the radiation dose in head organs is also examined. Methods: Dose measurements were conducted by placing optically stimulated luminescent dosemeters in an anthropomorphic female phantom. Eye lens dose was measured by placing a dosemeter on the anterior surface of the phantom eye location. All exposures were performed on one commercially available dental CBCT machine, using selected collimation and exposure techniques. Each scan technique was performed without any lead shielding and then repeated with lead shielding in place. To calculate the percent reduction from lead shielding, the dose measured with lead shielding was divided by the dose measured without lead shielding. The percent reduction from collimation was calculated by comparing the dose measured with collimation to the dose measured without collimation. Results: The dose to the internal eye for one of the scans without leaded glasses or thyroid shield was 0.450 cGy and with glasses and thyroid shield was 0.116 cGy (a 74% reduction). The reduction to the lens of the eye was from 0.396 cGy to 0.153 cGy (a 61% reduction). Without glasses or thyroid shield, the thyroid dose was 0.158 cGy; and when both glasses and shield were used, the thyroid dose was reduced to 0.091 cGy (a 42% reduction). Conclusions: Collimation alone reduced the dose to the brain by up to 91%, with a similar reduction in other organs. Based on these data, leaded glasses, thyroid collars and collimation minimize the dose to organs outside the field of view. PMID:23412460

Calculation of Blood Dose in Patients Treated With 131I Using MIRD, Imaging, and Blood Sampling Methods

PubMed Central

Piruzan, Elham; Haghighatafshar, Mahdi; Faghihi, Reza; Entezarmahdi, Seyed Mohammad

2016-01-01

Abstract Radioiodine therapy is known as the most effective treatment of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) to ablate remnant thyroid tissue after surgery. In patients with DTC treated with radioiodine, internal radiation dosimetry of radioiodine is useful for radiation risk assessment. The aim of this study is to describe a method to estimate the absorbed dose to the blood using medical internal radiation dosimetry methods. In this study, 23 patients with DTC with different administrated activities, 3.7, 4.62, and 5.55 GBq after thyroidectomy, were randomly selected. Blood dosimetry of treated patients was performed with external whole body counting using a dual-head gamma camera imaging device and also with blood sample activity measurements using a dose calibrator. Absorbed dose to the blood was measured at 2, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 96 hours after the administration of radioiodine with the 2 methods. Based on the results of whole body counting and blood sample activity dose rate measurements, 96 hours after administration of 3.7, 4.62, and 5.55 GBq of radioiodine, absorbed doses to patients’ blood were 0.65 ± 0.20, 0.67 ± 0.18, 0.79 ± 0.51 Gy, respectively. Increasing radioiodine activity from 3.7 to 5.55 GBq increased blood dose significantly, while there was no significant difference in blood dose between radioiodine dosages of 3.7 and 4.62 GBq. Our results revealed a significant correlation between the blood absorbed dose and blood sample activity and between the blood absorbed dose and whole body counts 24 to 48 hours after the administration of radioiodine. PMID:26986171

Calculation of Blood Dose in Patients Treated With 131I Using MIRD, Imaging, and Blood Sampling Methods.

PubMed

Piruzan, Elham; Haghighatafshar, Mahdi; Faghihi, Reza; Entezarmahdi, Seyed Mohammad

2016-03-01

Radioiodine therapy is known as the most effective treatment of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) to ablate remnant thyroid tissue after surgery. In patients with DTC treated with radioiodine, internal radiation dosimetry of radioiodine is useful for radiation risk assessment. The aim of this study is to describe a method to estimate the absorbed dose to the blood using medical internal radiation dosimetry methods. In this study, 23 patients with DTC with different administrated activities, 3.7, 4.62, and 5.55 GBq after thyroidectomy, were randomly selected. Blood dosimetry of treated patients was performed with external whole body counting using a dual-head gamma camera imaging device and also with blood sample activity measurements using a dose calibrator. Absorbed dose to the blood was measured at 2, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 96 hours after the administration of radioiodine with the 2 methods. Based on the results of whole body counting and blood sample activity dose rate measurements, 96 hours after administration of 3.7, 4.62, and 5.55 GBq of radioiodine, absorbed doses to patients' blood were 0.65 ± 0.20, 0.67 ± 0.18, 0.79 ± 0.51 Gy, respectively. Increasing radioiodine activity from 3.7 to 5.55 GBq increased blood dose significantly, while there was no significant difference in blood dose between radioiodine dosages of 3.7 and 4.62 GBq. Our results revealed a significant correlation between the blood absorbed dose and blood sample activity and between the blood absorbed dose and whole body counts 24 to 48 hours after the administration of radioiodine.

Comparison of Chest Wall and Lymphatic Radiotherapy Techniques in Patients with Left Breast Carcinoma.

PubMed

Gültekin, Melis; Karabuğa, Mehmet; Yıldız, Ferah; Özyiğit, Gökhan; Cengiz, Mustafa; Zorlu, Faruk; Akyol, Fadıl; Gürkaynak, Murat

2014-04-01

The aim of this study was to find the most appropriate technique for postmastectomy chest wall (CW) and lymphatic irradiation. Partially wide tangent, 30/70 photon/electron mix, 20/80 photon/electron mix and CW and internal mammary en face electron field, were studied on computerized tomography (CT) scans of 10 left breast carcinoma patients and dosimetric calculations have been studied. Dose volume histograms (DVH) obtained from treatment planning system (TPS) were used for minimal, maximal and mean doses received by the clinical target volumes and critical structures. Partially wide tangent field resulted in the most homogeneous dose distribution for the CW and a significantly lower lung and heart doses compared with all other techniques. However, right breast dose was significantly higher for partially wide tangent technique than that each of the other techniques. Approximately 0.6-7.9% differences were found between thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) and treatment planning system (TPS). The daily surface doses calculating using Gafchromic® external beam therapy (EBT) dosimetry films were 161.8±2.7 cGy for the naked, 241.0±1.5 cGy when 0.5 cm bolus was used and 255.3±2.7 cGy when 1 cm bolus was used. As a result of this study, partially wide tangent field was found to be the most appropriate technique in terms of the dose distribution, treatment planning and set-up procedure. The main disadvantage of this technique was the higher dose to the contralateral breast comparing the other techniques.

SU-F-T-441: Dose Calculation Accuracy in CT Images Reconstructed with Artifact Reduction Algorithm

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ng, C; Chan, S; Lee, F

Purpose: Accuracy of radiotherapy dose calculation in patients with surgical implants is complicated by two factors. First is the accuracy of CT number, second is the dose calculation accuracy. We compared measured dose with dose calculated on CT images reconstructed with FBP and an artifact reduction algorithm (OMAR, Philips) for a phantom with high density inserts. Dose calculation were done with Varian AAA and AcurosXB. Methods: A phantom was constructed with solid water in which 2 titanium or stainless steel rods could be inserted. The phantom was scanned with the Philips Brillance Big Bore CT. Image reconstruction was done withmore » FBP and OMAR. Two 6 MV single field photon plans were constructed for each phantom. Radiochromic films were placed at different locations to measure the dose deposited. One plan has normal incidence on the titanium/steel rods. In the second plan, the beam is at almost glancing incidence on the metal rods. Measurements were then compared with dose calculated with AAA and AcurosXB. Results: The use of OMAR images slightly improved the dose calculation accuracy. The agreement between measured and calculated dose was best with AXB and image reconstructed with OMAR. Dose calculated on titanium phantom has better agreement with measurement. Large discrepancies were seen at points directly above and below the high density inserts. Both AAA and AXB underestimated the dose directly above the metal surface, while overestimated the dose below the metal surface. Doses measured downstream of metal were all within 3% of calculated values. Conclusion: When doing treatment planning for patients with metal implants, care must be taken to acquire correct CT images to improve dose calculation accuracy. Moreover, great discrepancies in measured and calculated dose were observed at metal/tissue interface. Care must be taken in estimating the dose in critical structures that come into contact with metals.« less

Dose specification for radiation therapy: dose to water or dose to medium?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, C.-M.; Li, Jinsheng

2011-05-01

The Monte Carlo method enables accurate dose calculation for radiation therapy treatment planning and has been implemented in some commercial treatment planning systems. Unlike conventional dose calculation algorithms that provide patient dose information in terms of dose to water with variable electron density, the Monte Carlo method calculates the energy deposition in different media and expresses dose to a medium. This paper discusses the differences in dose calculated using water with different electron densities and that calculated for different biological media and the clinical issues on dose specification including dose prescription and plan evaluation using dose to water and dose to medium. We will demonstrate that conventional photon dose calculation algorithms compute doses similar to those simulated by Monte Carlo using water with different electron densities, which are close (<4% differences) to doses to media but significantly different (up to 11%) from doses to water converted from doses to media following American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group 105 recommendations. Our results suggest that for consistency with previous radiation therapy experience Monte Carlo photon algorithms report dose to medium for radiotherapy dose prescription, treatment plan evaluation and treatment outcome analysis.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Y M; Bush, K; Han, B

Purpose: Accurate and fast dose calculation is a prerequisite of precision radiation therapy in modern photon and particle therapy. While Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculation provides high dosimetric accuracy, the drastically increased computational time hinders its routine use. Deterministic dose calculation methods are fast, but problematic in the presence of tissue density inhomogeneity. We leverage the useful features of deterministic methods and MC to develop a hybrid dose calculation platform with autonomous utilization of MC and deterministic calculation depending on the local geometry, for optimal accuracy and speed. Methods: Our platform utilizes a Geant4 based “localized Monte Carlo” (LMC) methodmore » that isolates MC dose calculations only to volumes that have potential for dosimetric inaccuracy. In our approach, additional structures are created encompassing heterogeneous volumes. Deterministic methods calculate dose and energy fluence up to the volume surfaces, where the energy fluence distribution is sampled into discrete histories and transported using MC. Histories exiting the volume are converted back into energy fluence, and transported deterministically. By matching boundary conditions at both interfaces, deterministic dose calculation account for dose perturbations “downstream” of localized heterogeneities. Hybrid dose calculation was performed for water and anthropomorphic phantoms. Results: We achieved <1% agreement between deterministic and MC calculations in the water benchmark for photon and proton beams, and dose differences of 2%–15% could be observed in heterogeneous phantoms. The saving in computational time (a factor ∼4–7 compared to a full Monte Carlo dose calculation) was found to be approximately proportional to the volume of the heterogeneous region. Conclusion: Our hybrid dose calculation approach takes advantage of the computational efficiency of deterministic method and accuracy of MC, providing a practical tool for high performance dose calculation in modern RT. The approach is generalizable to all modalities where heterogeneities play a large role, notably particle therapy.« less

Neutron dose rate analysis on HTGR-10 reactor using Monte Carlo code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suwoto; Adrial, H.; Hamzah, A.; Zuhair; Bakhri, S.; Sunaryo, G. R.

2018-02-01

The HTGR-10 reactor is cylinder-shaped core fuelled with kernel TRISO coated fuel particles in the spherical pebble with helium cooling system. The outlet helium gas coolant temperature outputted from the reactor core is designed to 700 °C. One advantage HTGR type reactor is capable of co-generation, as an addition to generating electricity, the reactor was designed to produce heat at high temperature can be used for other processes. The spherical fuel pebble contains 8335 TRISO UO2 kernel coated particles with enrichment of 10% and 17% are dispersed in a graphite matrix. The main purpose of this study was to analysis the distribution of neutron dose rates generated from HTGR-10 reactors. The calculation and analysis result of neutron dose rate in the HTGR-10 reactor core was performed using Monte Carlo MCNP5v1.6 code. The problems of double heterogeneity in kernel fuel coated particles TRISO and spherical fuel pebble in the HTGR-10 core are modelled well with MCNP5v1.6 code. The neutron flux to dose conversion factors taken from the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP-74) was used to determine the dose rate that passes through the active core, reflectors, core barrel, reactor pressure vessel (RPV) and a biological shield. The calculated results of neutron dose rate with MCNP5v1.6 code using a conversion factor of ICRP-74 (2009) for radiation workers in the radial direction on the outside of the RPV (radial position = 220 cm from the center of the patio HTGR-10) provides the respective value of 9.22E-4 μSv/h and 9.58E-4 μSv/h for enrichment 10% and 17%, respectively. The calculated values of neutron dose rates are compliant with BAPETEN Chairman’s Regulation Number 4 Year 2013 on Radiation Protection and Safety in Nuclear Energy Utilization which sets the limit value for the average effective dose for radiation workers 20 mSv/year or 10μSv/h. Thus the protection and safety for radiation workers to be safe from the radiation source has been fulfilled. From the result analysis, it can be concluded that the model of calculation result of neutron dose rate for HTGR-10 core has met the required radiation safety standards.

An international dosimetry exchange for boron neutron capture therapy. Part I: Absorbed dose measurements.

PubMed

Binns, P J; Riley, K J; Harling, O K; Kiger, W S; Munck af Rosenschöld, P M; Giusti, V; Capala, J; Sköld, K; Auterinen, I; Serén, T; Kotiluoto, P; Uusi-Simola, J; Marek, M; Viererbl, L; Spurny, F

2005-12-01

An international collaboration was organized to undertake a dosimetry exchange to enable the future combination of clinical data from different centers conducting neutron capture therapy trials. As a first step (Part I) the dosimetry group from the Americas, represented by MIT, visited the clinical centers at Studsvik (Sweden), VTT Espoo (Finland), and the Nuclear Research Institute (NRI) at Rez (Czech Republic). A combined VTT/NRI group reciprocated with a visit to MIT. Each participant performed a series of dosimetry measurements under equivalent irradiation conditions using methods appropriate to their clinical protocols. This entailed in-air measurements and dose versus depth measurements in a large water phantom. Thermal neutron flux as well as fast neutron and photon absorbed dose rates were measured. Satisfactory agreement in determining absorbed dose within the experimental uncertainties was obtained between the different groups although the measurement uncertainties are large, ranging between 3% and 30% depending upon the dose component and the depth of measurement. To improve the precision in the specification of absorbed dose amongst the participants, the individually measured dose components were normalized to the results from a single method. Assuming a boron concentration of 15 microg g(-1) that is typical of concentrations realized clinically with the boron delivery compound boronophenylalanine-fructose, systematic discrepancies in the specification of the total biologically weighted dose of up to 10% were apparent between the different groups. The results from these measurements will be used in future to normalize treatment plan calculations between the different clinical dosimetry protocols as Part II of this study.

Solid cancer mortality associated with chronic external radiation exposure at the French atomic energy commission and nuclear fuel company.

PubMed

Metz-Flamant, C; Samson, E; Caër-Lorho, S; Acker, A; Laurier, D

2011-07-01

Studies of nuclear workers make it possible to directly quantify the risks associated with ionizing radiation exposure at low doses and low dose rates. Studies of the CEA (Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique) and AREVA Nuclear Cycle (AREVA NC) cohort, currently the most informative such group in France, describe the long-term risk to nuclear workers associated with external exposure. Our aim is to assess the risk of mortality from solid cancers among CEA and AREVA NC nuclear workers and its association with external radiation exposure. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated and internal Poisson regressions were conducted, controlling for the main confounding factors [sex, attained age, calendar period, company and socioeconomic status (SES)]. During the period 1968-2004, there were 2,035 solid cancers among the 36,769 CEA-AREVA NC workers. Cumulative external radiation exposure was assessed for the period 1950-2004, and the mean cumulative dose was 12.1 mSv. Mortality rates for all causes and all solid cancers were both significantly lower in this cohort than in the general population. A significant excess of deaths from pleural cancer, not associated with cumulative external dose, was observed, probably due to past asbestos exposure. We observed a significant excess of melanoma, also unassociated with dose. Although cumulative external dose was not associated with mortality from all solid cancers, the central estimated excess relative risk (ERR) per Sv of 0.46 for solid cancer mortality was higher than the 0.26 calculated for male Hiroshima and Nagasaki A-bomb survivors 50 years or older and exposed at the age of 30 years or older. The modification of our results after stratification for SES demonstrates the importance of this characteristic in occupational studies, because it makes it possible to take class-based lifestyle differences into account, at least partly. These results show the great potential of a further joint international study of nuclear workers, which should improve knowledge about the risks associated with chronic low doses and provide useful risk estimates for radiation protection.

SU-C-201-06: Utility of Quantitative 3D SPECT/CT Imaging in Patient Specific Internal Dosimetry of 153-Samarium with GATE Monte Carlo Package

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fallahpoor, M; Abbasi, M; Sen, A

Purpose: Patient-specific 3-dimensional (3D) internal dosimetry in targeted radionuclide therapy is essential for efficient treatment. Two major steps to achieve reliable results are: 1) generating quantitative 3D images of radionuclide distribution and attenuation coefficients and 2) using a reliable method for dose calculation based on activity and attenuation map. In this research, internal dosimetry for 153-Samarium (153-Sm) was done by SPECT-CT images coupled GATE Monte Carlo package for internal dosimetry. Methods: A 50 years old woman with bone metastases from breast cancer was prescribed 153-Sm treatment (Gamma: 103keV and beta: 0.81MeV). A SPECT/CT scan was performed with the Siemens Simbia-Tmore » scanner. SPECT and CT images were registered using default registration software. SPECT quantification was achieved by compensating for all image degrading factors including body attenuation, Compton scattering and collimator-detector response (CDR). Triple energy window method was used to estimate and eliminate the scattered photons. Iterative ordered-subsets expectation maximization (OSEM) with correction for attenuation and distance-dependent CDR was used for image reconstruction. Bilinear energy mapping is used to convert Hounsfield units in CT image to attenuation map. Organ borders were defined by the itk-SNAP toolkit segmentation on CT image. GATE was then used for internal dose calculation. The Specific Absorbed Fractions (SAFs) and S-values were reported as MIRD schema. Results: The results showed that the largest SAFs and S-values are in osseous organs as expected. S-value for lung is the highest after spine that can be important in 153-Sm therapy. Conclusion: We presented the utility of SPECT-CT images and Monte Carlo for patient-specific dosimetry as a reliable and accurate method. It has several advantages over template-based methods or simplified dose estimation methods. With advent of high speed computers, Monte Carlo can be used for treatment planning on a day to day basis.« less

Radiological Risk Assessment of Capstone Depleted Uranium Aerosols

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hahn, Fletcher; Roszell, Laurie E.; Daxon, Eric G.

2009-02-26

Assessment of the health risk from exposure to aerosols of depleted uranium (DU) is an important outcome of the Capstone aerosol studies that established exposure ranges to personnel in armored combat vehicles perforated by DU munitions. Although the radiation exposure from DU is low, there is concern that DU deposited in the body may increase cancer rates. Radiation doses to various organs of the body resulting from the inhalation of DU aerosols measured in the Capstone studies were calculated using International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) models. Organs and tissues with the highest calculated committed equivalent 50-yr doses were lungmore » and extrathoracic tissues (nose and nasal passages, pharynx, larynx, mouth and thoracic lymph nodes). Doses to the bone surface and kidney were about 5 to 10% of the doses to the extrathoracic tissues. The methodologies of the ICRP International Steering Committee on Radiation Standards (ISCORS) were used for determining the whole body cancer risk. Organ-specific risks were estimated using ICRP and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methodologies. Risks for crewmembers and first responders were determined for selected scenarios based on the time interval of exposure and for vehicle and armor type. The lung was the organ with the highest cancer mortality risk, accounting for about 97% of the risks summed from all organs. The highest mean lifetime risk for lung cancer for the scenario with the longest exposure time interval (2 h) was 0.42%. This risk is low compared with the natural or background risk of 7.35%. These risks can be significantly reduced by using an existing ventilation system (if operable) and by reducing personnel time in the vehicle immediately after perforation.« less

The Dose-Response Relationship Between Training Load and Aerobic Fitness in Academy Rugby Union Players.

PubMed

Taylor, Richard J; Sanders, Dajo; Myers, Tony; Abt, Grant; Taylor, Celia A; Akubat, Ibrahim

2018-02-01

To identify the dose-response relationship between measures of training load (TL) and changes in aerobic fitness in academy rugby union players. Training data from 10 academy rugby union players were collected during a 6-wk in-season period. Participants completed a lactate-threshold test that was used to assess VO 2 max, velocity at VO 2 max, velocity at 2 mmol/L (lactate threshold), and velocity at 4 mmol/L (onset of lactate accumulation; vOBLA) as measures of aerobic fitness. Internal-TL measures calculated were Banister training impulse (bTRIMP), Edwards TRIMP, Lucia TRIMP, individualized TRIMP (iTRIMP), and session RPE (sRPE). External-TL measures calculated were total distance, PlayerLoad™, high-speed distance >15 km/h, very-high-speed distance >18 km/h, and individualized high-speed distance based on each player's vOBLA. A second-order-regression (quadratic) analysis found that bTRIMP (R 2  = .78, P = .005) explained 78% of the variance and iTRIMP (R 2  = .55, P = .063) explained 55% of the variance in changes in VO 2 max. All other HR-based internal-TL measures and sRPE explained less than 40% of variance with fitness changes. External TL explained less than 42% of variance with fitness changes. In rugby players, bTRIMP and iTRIMP display a curvilinear dose-response relationship with changes in maximal aerobic fitness.

AIR KERMA TO Hp(3) CONVERSION COEFFICIENTS FOR IEC 61267 RQR X-RAY RADIATION QUALITIES: APPLICATION TO DOSE MONITORING OF THE LENS OF THE EYE IN MEDICAL DIAGNOSTICS.

PubMed

Principi, S; Guardiola, C; Duch, M A; Ginjaume, M

2016-09-01

Recent studies highlight the fact that the new eye lens dose limit can be exceeded in interventional radiology procedures and that eye lens monitoring could be required for these workers. The recommended operational quantity for monitoring of eye lens exposure is the personal dose equivalent at 3 mm depth Hp(3) (ICRU 51). However, there are no available conversion coefficients in international standards, while in the literature coefficients have only been calculated for monoenergetic beams and for ISO 4037-1 X-ray qualities. The aim of this article is to provide air kerma to Hp(3) conversion coefficients for a cylindrical phantom made of ICRU-4 elements tissue-equivalent material for RQR radiation qualities (IEC-61267) from 40 to 120 kV and for angles of incidence from 0 to 180°, which are characteristic of medical workplace. Analytic calculations using interpolation techniques and Monte Carlo modelling have been compared. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Cellular internalization and morphological analysis after intravenous injection of a highly hydrophilic octahedral rhenium cluster complex - a new promising X-ray contrast agent.

PubMed

Krasilnikova, Anna A; Solovieva, Anastasiya O; Trifonova, Kristina E; Brylev, Konstantin A; Ivanov, Anton A; Kim, Sung-Jin; Shestopalov, Michael A; Fufaeva, Maria S; Shestopalov, Alexander M; Mironov, Yuri V; Poveshchenko, Alexander F; Shestopalova, Lidia V

2016-11-01

The octahedral cluster compound Na 2 H 8 [{Re 6 Se 8 }(P(C 2 H 4 CONH 2 )(C 2 H 4 COO) 2 ) 6 ] has been shown to be highly radio dense, thus becoming a promising X-ray contrast agent. It was also shown that this compound had low cytotoxic effect in vitro, low acute toxicity in vivo and was eliminated rapidly from the body through the urinary tract. The present contribution describes a more detailed cellular internalization assay and morphological analysis after intravenous injection of this hexarhenium cluster compound at different doses. The median lethal dose (LD 50 ) of intravenously administrated compound was calculated (4.67 ± 0.69 g/kg). Results of the study clearly indicated that the cluster complex H n [{Re 6 Se 8 }(P(C 2 H 4 CONH 2 )(C 2 H 4 COO) 2 ) 6 ] n-10 was not internalized into cells in vitro and induced only moderate morphological alterations of kidneys at high doses without any changes in morphology of liver, spleen, duodenum, or heart of mice. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

HDRK-Woman: whole-body voxel model based on high-resolution color slice images of Korean adult female cadaver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeom, Yeon Soo; Jeong, Jong Hwi; Kim, Chan Hyeong; Han, Min Cheol; Ham, Bo Kyoung; Cho, Kun Woo; Hwang, Sung Bae

2014-07-01

In a previous study, we constructed a male reference Korean phantom; HDRK-Man (High-Definition Reference Korean-Man), to represent Korean adult males for radiation protection purposes. In the present study, a female phantom; HDRK-Woman (High-Definition Reference Korean-Woman), was constructed to represent Korean adult females. High-resolution color photographic images obtained by serial sectioning of a 26 year-old Korean adult female cadaver were utilized. The body height and weight, the skeletal mass, and the dimensions of the individual organs and tissues were adjusted to the reference Korean data. The phantom was then compared with the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) female reference phantom in terms of calculated organ doses and organ-depth distributions. Additionally, the effective doses were calculated using both the HDRK-Man and HDRK-Woman phantoms, and the values were compared with those of the ICRP reference phantoms.

HDRK-Woman: whole-body voxel model based on high-resolution color slice images of Korean adult female cadaver.

PubMed

Yeom, Yeon Soo; Jeong, Jong Hwi; Kim, Chan Hyeong; Han, Min Cheol; Ham, Bo Kyoung; Cho, Kun Woo; Hwang, Sung Bae

2014-07-21

In a previous study, we constructed a male reference Korean phantom; HDRK-Man (High-Definition Reference Korean-Man), to represent Korean adult males for radiation protection purposes. In the present study, a female phantom; HDRK-Woman (High-Definition Reference Korean-Woman), was constructed to represent Korean adult females. High-resolution color photographic images obtained by serial sectioning of a 26 year-old Korean adult female cadaver were utilized. The body height and weight, the skeletal mass, and the dimensions of the individual organs and tissues were adjusted to the reference Korean data. The phantom was then compared with the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) female reference phantom in terms of calculated organ doses and organ-depth distributions. Additionally, the effective doses were calculated using both the HDRK-Man and HDRK-Woman phantoms, and the values were compared with those of the ICRP reference phantoms.

Development of the optimal radiochromic film dosimetry system for measurement of IMRT radiation beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Jameson Todd

The complex dose patterns that result in Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy make the typical QA of a second calculation insufficient for ensuring safe treatment of patients. Many facilities choose to deliver the treatment to film inserted in a phantom and calculate the dose delivered as an additional check of the treatment plan. Radiochromic films allow for measurements without the use of a processor in the current digital age. International Specialty Products developed Gafchromic EBT film, which is a radiochromic film having a useful range of 1 -- 800 cGy. EBT film properties are fully analyzed including studies of uniformity, spectral absorption, exposure sensitivity, energy dependence and post exposure density growth. Dosimetric performance on commercially available digitizers is studied with specific attention on the shortcomings. Finally, a custom designed scanner is built specifically for EBT film and its unique properties. Performance of the EBT digitizer is analyzed and compared against currently available scanners.

Determination of the uncertainties in radiation doses from ingestion of strontium-90

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apostoaei, Andrei Iulian

Quantification of the uncertainties in the internal dosimetry is important because it can impact the outcome of dose reconstruction, risk assessment or epidemiological studies. This research focused on determination of the uncertainties in the dose factors from a single ingestion of 90Sr by adults, and analyzed the changes with age and the effect of gender. The uncertainties in the estimated dose factors are a factor of 6 for the bone surface, 5 for the red bone marrow, 2.5 for bladder and stomach, 2.2 for the small intestine, 2.1 for the upper large intestine and 2.7 for the lower large intestine. For the rest of the organs the uncertainty is a factor of 3. Only four parameters of the biokinetic model showed an age-dependency within the adult age group: the fractional transfers of strontium from plasma to cortical and trabecular bone, and the removal rates from the cortical and trabecular bone, respectively. When age-dependent biokinetic parameters were used, the estimated dose-factors are very close to the dose factors obtained using age-independent kinetics (within 40%). Thus, the dose factors based on age-independent parameters should suffice for most practical purposes. The dose factors and the associated uncertainties were also calculated as a function of age-at-exposure and attained age. These age dependent curves can be used for estimating doses from continuous intakes, or doses delivered over a limited portion of time. In addition to the committed dose, an expected dose is also estimated in this work. The expected dose is calculated using the dose rate weighted by the probability of surviving up to the age when the dose-rate is delivered. For exposure at young ages the expected dose and the committed dose are similar, but the committed dose decreases to zero when exposure occurs close to age 70, while the expected dose has elevated values pass age 70. No gender differences were found for bone surface, for red bone marrow, and the large intestine. The doses to the soft tissues for females are larger by 20% than the doses for males, because of the differences in the whole-body mass between males and females.

HADOC: a computer code for calculation of external and inhalation doses from acute radionuclide releases

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Strenge, D.L.; Peloquin, R.A.

The computer code HADOC (Hanford Acute Dose Calculations) is described and instructions for its use are presented. The code calculates external dose from air submersion and inhalation doses following acute radionuclide releases. Atmospheric dispersion is calculated using the Hanford model with options to determine maximum conditions. Building wake effects and terrain variation may also be considered. Doses are calculated using dose conversion factor supplied in a data library. Doses are reported for one and fifty year dose commitment periods for the maximum individual and the regional population (within 50 miles). The fractional contribution to dose by radionuclide and exposure modemore » are also printed if requested.« less

Fetal and maternal dose assessment for diagnostic scans during pregnancy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rafat Motavalli, Laleh; Miri Hakimabad, Hashem; Hoseinian Azghadi, Elie

2016-05-01

Despite the concerns about prenatal exposure to ionizing radiation, the number of nuclear medicine examinations performed for pregnant women increased in the past decade. This study attempts to better quantify radiation doses due to diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures during pregnancy with the help of our recently developed 3, 6, and 9 month pregnant hybrid phantoms. The reference pregnant models represent the adult female international commission on radiological protection (ICRP) reference phantom as a base template with a fetus in her gravid uterus. Six diagnostic scintigraphy scans using different radiopharmaceuticals were selected as typical diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures. Furthermore, the biokinetic data of radioiodine was updated in this study. A compartment representing iodide in fetal thyroid was addressed explicitly in the biokinetic model. Calculations were performed using the Monte Carlo transport method. Tabulated dose coefficients for both maternal and fetal organs are provided. The comparison was made with the previously published fetal doses calculated for stylized pregnant female phantoms. In general, the fetal dose in previous studies suffers from an underestimation of up to 100% compared to fetal dose at organ level in this study. A maximum of difference in dose was observed for the fetal thyroid compared to the previous studies, in which the traditional models did not contain the fetal thyroid. Cumulated activities of major source organs are primarily responsible for the discrepancies in the organ doses. The differences in fetal dose depend on several other factors including chord length distribution between fetal organs and maternal major source organs, and anatomical differences according to gestation periods. Finally, considering the results of this study, which was based on the realistic pregnant female phantoms, a more informed evaluation of the risks and benefits of the different procedures could be made.

Organ dose conversion coefficients for pediatric reference computational phantoms in external photon radiation fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Lienard A.

In the event of a radiological accident or attack, it is important to estimate the organ doses to those exposed. In general, it is difficult to measure organ dose directly in the field and therefore dose conversion coefficients (DCC) are needed to convert measurable values such as air kerma to organ dose. Previous work on these coefficients has been conducted mainly for adults with a focus on radiation protection workers. Hence, there is a large gap in the literature for pediatric values. This study coupled a Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended (MCNPX) code with International Council of Radiological Protection (ICRP)-adopted University of Florida and National Cancer Institute pediatric reference phantoms to calculate a comprehensive list of dose conversion coefficients (mGy/mGy) to convert air-kerma to organ dose. Parameters included ten phantoms (newborn, 1-year, 5-year, 10-year, 15-year old male and female), 28 organs over 33 energies between 0.01 and 20 MeV in six (6) irradiation geometries relevant to a child who might be exposed to a radiological release: anterior-posterior (AP), posterior-anterior (PA), right-lateral (RLAT), left-lateral (LLAT), rotational (ROT), and isotropic (ISO). Dose conversion coefficients to the red bone marrow over 36 skeletal sites were also calculated. It was hypothesized that the pediatric organ dose conversion coefficients would follow similar trends to the published adult values as dictated by human anatomy, but be of a higher magnitude. It was found that while the pediatric coefficients did yield similar patterns to that of the adult coefficients, depending on the organ and irradiation geometry, the pediatric values could be lower or higher than that of the adult coefficients.

An integrated service digital network (ISDN)-based international telecommunication between Samsung Medical Center and Hokkaido University using telecommunication helped radiotherapy planning and information system (THERAPIS).

PubMed

Huh, S J; Shirato, H; Hashimoto, S; Shimizu, S; Kim, D Y; Ahn, Y C; Choi, D; Miyasaka, K; Mizuno, J

2000-07-01

This study introduces the integrated service digital network (ISDN)-based international teleradiotherapy system (THERAPIS) in radiation oncology between hospitals in Seoul, South Korea and in Sapporo, Japan. THERAPIS has the following functions: (1) exchange of patient's image data, (2) real-time teleconference, and (3) communication of the treatment planning, dose calculation and distribution, and of portal verification images between the remote hospitals. Our preliminary results of applications on eight patients demonstrated that the international telecommunication using THERAPIS was clinically useful and satisfactory with sufficient bandwidth for the transfer of patient data for clinical use in radiation oncology.

The Impact of Monte Carlo Dose Calculations on Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siebers, J. V.; Keall, P. J.; Mohan, R.

The effect of dose calculation accuracy for IMRT was studied by comparing different dose calculation algorithms. A head and neck IMRT plan was optimized using a superposition dose calculation algorithm. Dose was re-computed for the optimized plan using both Monte Carlo and pencil beam dose calculation algorithms to generate patient and phantom dose distributions. Tumor control probabilities (TCP) and normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCP) were computed to estimate the plan outcome. For the treatment plan studied, Monte Carlo best reproduces phantom dose measurements, the TCP was slightly lower than the superposition and pencil beam results, and the NTCP values differed little.

Dependence of Coronary 3-Dimensional Dose Maps on Coronary Topologies and Beam Set in Breast Radiation Therapy: A Study Based on CT Angiographies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moignier, Alexandra, E-mail: alexandra.moignier@gmail.com; Broggio, David; Derreumaux, Sylvie

2014-05-01

Purpose: In left-side breast radiation therapy (RT), doses to the left main (LM) and left anterior descending (LAD) coronary arteries are usually assessed after delineation by prior anatomic knowledge on the treatment planning computed tomography (CT) scan. In this study, dose sensitivity due to interindividual coronary topology variation was assessed, and hot spots were located. Methods and Materials: Twenty-two detailed heart models, created from heart computed tomography angiographies, were fitted into a single representative female thorax. Two breast RT protocols were then simulated into a treatment planning system: the first protocol comprised tangential and tumoral bed beams (TGs{sub T}B) atmore » 50 + 16 Gy, the second protocol added internal mammary chain beams at 50 Gy to TGs{sub T}B (TGs{sub T}B{sub I}MC). For the heart, the LAD, and the LM, several dose indicators were calculated: dose-volume histograms, mean dose (D{sub mean}), minimal dose received by the most irradiated 2% of the volume (D{sub 2%}), and 3-dimensional (3D) dose maps. Variations of these indicators with anatomies were studied. Results: For the LM, the intermodel dispersion of D{sub mean} and D{sub 2%} was 10% and 11%, respectively, with TGs{sub T}B and 40% and 80%, respectively, with TGs{sub T}B{sub I}MC. For the LAD, these dispersions were 19% (D{sub mean}) and 49% (D{sub 2%}) with TGs{sub T}B and 35% (D{sub mean}) and 76% (D{sub 2%}) with TGs{sub T}B{sub I}MC. The 3D dose maps revealed that the internal mammary chain beams induced hot spots between 20 and 30 Gy on the LM and the proximal LAD for some coronary topologies. Without IMC beams, hot spots between 5 and 26 Gy are located on the middle and distal LAD. Conclusions: Coronary dose distributions with hot spot location and dose level can change significantly depending on coronary topology, as highlighted by 3D coronary dose maps. In clinical practice, coronary imaging may be required for a relevant coronary dose assessment, especially in cases of internal mammary chain irradiation.« less

Determination of the spatial resolution required for the HEDR dose code. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project: Dose code recovery activities, Calculation 007

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Napier, B.A.; Simpson, J.C.

1992-12-01

A series of scoping calculations has been undertaken to evaluate the doses that may have been received by individuals living in the vicinity of the Hanford site. This scoping calculation (Calculation 007) examined the spatial distribution of potential doses resulting from releases in the year 1945. This study builds on the work initiated in the first scoping calculation, of iodine in cow`s milk; the third scoping calculation, which added additional pathways; the fifth calculation, which addressed the uncertainty of the dose estimates at a point; and the sixth calculation, which extrapolated the doses throughout the atmospheric transport domain. A projectionmore » of dose to representative individuals throughout the proposed HEDR atmospheric transport domain was prepared on the basis of the HEDR source term. Addressed in this calculation were the contributions to iodine-131 thyroid dose of infants from (1) air submersion and groundshine external dose, (2) inhalation, (3) ingestion of soil by humans, (4) ingestion of leafy vegetables, (5) ingestion of other vegetables and fruits, (6) ingestion of meat, (7) ingestion of eggs, and (8) ingestion of cows` milk from-Feeding Regime 1 as described in scoping calculation 001.« less

Calculation of local skin doses with ICRP adult mesh-type reference computational phantoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeom, Yeon Soo; Han, Haegin; Choi, Chansoo; Nguyen, Thang Tat; Lee, Hanjin; Shin, Bangho; Kim, Chan Hyeong; Han, Min Cheol

2018-01-01

Recently, Task Group 103 of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) developed new mesh-type reference computational phantoms (MRCPs) for adult males and females in order to address the limitations of the current voxel-type reference phantoms described in ICRP Publication 110 due to their limited voxel resolutions and the nature of the voxel geometry. One of the substantial advantages of the MRCPs over the ICRP-110 reference phantoms is the inclusion of a 50-μm-thick radiosensitive skin basal-cell layer; however, a methodology for calculating the local skin dose (LSD), i.e., the maximum dose to the basal layer averaged over a 1-cm2 area, has yet to be developed. In the present study, a dedicated program for the LSD calculation with the MRCPs was developed based on the mean shift algorithm and the Geant4 Monte Carlo code. The developed program was used to calculate local skin dose coefficients (LSDCs) for electrons and alpha particles, which were then compared with the values given in ICRP Publication 116 that were produced with a simple tissue-equivalent cube model. The results of the present study show that the LSDCs of the MRCPs are generally in good agreement with the ICRP-116 values for alpha particles, but for electrons, significant differences are found at energies higher than 0.15 MeV. The LSDCs of the MRCPs are greater than the ICRP-116 values by as much as 2.7 times at 10 MeV, which is due mainly to the different curvature between realistic MRCPs ( i.e., curved) and the simple cube model ( i.e., flat).

Is the use of the cervical vertebrae maturation method justified to determine skeletal age? A comparison of radiation dose of two strategies for skeletal age estimation.

PubMed

Patcas, Raphael; Signorelli, Luca; Peltomäki, Timo; Schätzle, Marc

2013-10-01

The aim of this study was to assess effective doses of a lateral cephalogram radiograph with and without thyroid shield and compare the differences with the radiation dose of a hand-wrist radiograph. Thermoluminescent dosimeters were placed at 19 different sites in the head and neck of a tissue-equivalent human skull (RANDO phantom). Analogue lateral cephalograms with and without thyroid shield (67 kV, 250 mA, 10 mAs) and hand-wrist radiographs (40 kV, 250 mA, 10 mAs) were obtained. The effective doses were calculated using the 2007 International Commission on Radiological Protection recommendations. The effective dose for conventional lateral cephalogram without a thyroid shield was 5.03 microsieverts (µSv). By applying a thyroid shield to the RANDO phantom, a remarkable dose reduction of 1.73 µSv could be achieved. The effective dose of a conventional hand-wrist radiograph was calculated to be 0.16 µSv. Adding the effective dose of the hand-wrist radiograph to the effective dose of the lateral cephalogram with thyroid shield resulted in a cumulative effective dose of 3.46 µSv. Without thyroid shield, the effective dose of a lateral cephalogram was approximately 1.5-fold increased than the cumulative effective dose of a hand-wrist radiograph and a lateral cephalogram with thyroid shield. Thyroid is an organ that is very sensitive to radiation exposure. Its shielding will significantly reduce the effective dose. An additional hand-wrist radiograph, involving no vulnerable tissues, however, causes very little radiation risk. In accordance with the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle, if an evaluation of skeletal age is indicated, an additional hand-wrist radiograph seems much more justifiable than removing the thyroid shield.

Evaluation of the Eclipse eMC algorithm for bolus electron conformal therapy using a standard verification dataset.

PubMed

Carver, Robert L; Sprunger, Conrad P; Hogstrom, Kenneth R; Popple, Richard A; Antolak, John A

2016-05-08

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and calculation speed of electron dose distributions calculated by the Eclipse electron Monte Carlo (eMC) algorithm for use with bolus electron conformal therapy (ECT). The recent com-mercial availability of bolus ECT technology requires further validation of the eMC dose calculation algorithm. eMC-calculated electron dose distributions for bolus ECT have been compared to previously measured TLD-dose points throughout patient-based cylindrical phantoms (retromolar trigone and nose), whose axial cross sections were based on the mid-PTV (planning treatment volume) CT anatomy. The phantoms consisted of SR4 muscle substitute, SR4 bone substitute, and air. The treatment plans were imported into the Eclipse treatment planning system, and electron dose distributions calculated using 1% and < 0.2% statistical uncertainties. The accuracy of the dose calculations using moderate smoothing and no smooth-ing were evaluated. Dose differences (eMC-calculated less measured dose) were evaluated in terms of absolute dose difference, where 100% equals the given dose, as well as distance to agreement (DTA). Dose calculations were also evaluated for calculation speed. Results from the eMC for the retromolar trigone phantom using 1% statistical uncertainty without smoothing showed calculated dose at 89% (41/46) of the measured TLD-dose points was within 3% dose difference or 3 mm DTA of the measured value. The average dose difference was -0.21%, and the net standard deviation was 2.32%. Differences as large as 3.7% occurred immediately distal to the mandible bone. Results for the nose phantom, using 1% statistical uncertainty without smoothing, showed calculated dose at 93% (53/57) of the measured TLD-dose points within 3% dose difference or 3 mm DTA. The average dose difference was 1.08%, and the net standard deviation was 3.17%. Differences as large as 10% occurred lateral to the nasal air cavities. Including smoothing had insignificant effects on the accuracy of the retromolar trigone phantom calculations, but reduced the accuracy of the nose phantom calculations in the high-gradient dose areas. Dose calculation times with 1% statistical uncertainty for the retromolar trigone and nose treatment plans were 30 s and 24 s, respectively, using 16 processors (Intel Xeon E5-2690, 2.9 GHz) on a framework agent server (FAS). In comparison, the eMC was significantly more accurate than the pencil beam algorithm (PBA). The eMC has comparable accuracy to the pencil beam redefinition algorithm (PBRA) used for bolus ECT planning and has acceptably low dose calculation times. The eMC accuracy decreased when smoothing was used in high-gradient dose regions. The eMC accuracy was consistent with that previously reported for accuracy of the eMC electron dose algorithm and shows that the algorithm is suitable for clinical implementation of bolus ECT.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Katsuta, Y; Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendal, Miyagi; Kadoya, N

Purpose: In this study, we developed a system to calculate three dimensional (3D) dose that reflects dosimetric error caused by leaf miscalibration for head and neck and prostate volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) without additional treatment planning system calculation on real time. Methods: An original system called clarkson dose calculation based dosimetric error calculation to calculate dosimetric error caused by leaf miscalibration was developed by MATLAB (Math Works, Natick, MA). Our program, first, calculates point doses at isocenter for baseline and modified VMAT plan, which generated by inducing MLC errors that enlarged aperture size of 1.0 mm with clarkson dosemore » calculation. Second, error incuced 3D dose was generated with transforming TPS baseline 3D dose using calculated point doses. Results: Mean computing time was less than 5 seconds. For seven head and neck and prostate plans, between our method and TPS calculated error incuced 3D dose, the 3D gamma passing rates (0.5%/2 mm, global) are 97.6±0.6% and 98.0±0.4%. The dose percentage change with dose volume histogram parameter of mean dose on target volume were 0.1±0.5% and 0.4±0.3%, and with generalized equivalent uniform dose on target volume were −0.2±0.5% and 0.2±0.3%. Conclusion: The erroneous 3D dose calculated by our method is useful to check dosimetric error caused by leaf miscalibration before pre treatment patient QA dosimetry checks.« less

Assessing endotoxins in equine-derived snake antivenoms: Comparison of the USP pyrogen test and the Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate assay (LAL).

PubMed

Solano, Gabriela; Gómez, Aarón; León, Guillermo

2015-10-01

Snake antivenoms are parenterally administered; therefore, endotoxin content must be strictly controlled. Following international indications to calculate endotoxin limits, it was determined that antivenom doses between 20 mL and 120 mL should not exceed 17.5 Endotoxin Units per milliliter (EU/mL) and 2.9 EU/mL, respectively. The rabbit pyrogen test (RPT) has been used to evaluate endotoxin contamination in antivenoms, but some laboratories have recently implemented the LAL assay. We compared the capability of both tests to evaluate endotoxin contamination in antivenoms, and we found that both methods can detect all endotoxin concentrations in the range of the antivenom specifications. The acceptance criteria of RPT and LAL must be harmonized by calculating the endotoxin limit as the quotient of the threshold pyrogenic dose and the therapeutic dose and the dose administered to rabbits as the quotient of the threshold pyrogenic dose and the endotoxin limit. Since endotoxins from Gram-negative bacteria exert different pyrogenicity, if contamination occurred, antivenom batches that induce pyrogenic reactions may be found in spite of passing LAL specifications. Although LAL assay can be used to assess endotoxin content throughout the antivenom manufacturing process, we recommend that the release of final products be based on the results of both methods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of bioequivalence of rifampicin, isoniazid and pyrazinamide in a four drug fixed dose combination with separate formulations at the same dose levels.

PubMed

Agrawal, Shrutidevi; Kaur, Kanwal Jit; Singh, Inderjit; Bhade, Shantaram R; Kaul, Chaman Lal; Panchagnula, Ramesh

2002-02-21

Tuberculosis (TB) needs treatment with three to five different drugs simultaneously, depending on the patient category. These drugs can be given as single drug preparations or fixed dose combinations (FDCs) of two more drugs in a single formulation. World Health Organization and International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) recommend FDCs only of proven bioavailability. The relative bioavailability of rifampicin (RIF), isoniazid (INH) and pyrazinamide (PYZ) was assessed on a group of 13 healthy male subjects from a four drug FDC versus separate formulations at the same dose levels. The study was designed to be an open, crossover experiment. A total of nine blood samples each of 3 ml volume were collected over a period of 24-h. The concentrations of RIF, its main metabolite desacetyl RIF (DRIF), INH and PYZ in plasma were assessed by HPLC analysis. Pharmacokinetic parameters namely AUC(0-24), AUC(0-inf), C(max), T(max), were calculated and subjected to different statistical tests (Hauschke analysis, two way ANOVA, normal and log transformed confidence interval) at 90% confidence interval. In addition, elimination rate constant (K(el)) and absorption efficiencies for each drug were also calculated. It was concluded that four drugs FDC tablet is bioequivalent for RIF, INH and PYZ to separate formulation at the same dose levels.

Calculation of Organ Doses for a Large Number of Patients Undergoing CT Examinations.

PubMed

Bahadori, Amir; Miglioretti, Diana; Kruger, Randell; Flynn, Michael; Weinmann, Sheila; Smith-Bindman, Rebecca; Lee, Choonsik

2015-10-01

The objective of our study was to develop an automated calculation method to provide organ dose assessment for a large cohort of pediatric and adult patients undergoing CT examinations. We adopted two dose libraries that were previously published: the volume CT dose index-normalized organ dose library and the tube current-exposure time product (100 mAs)-normalized weighted CT dose index library. We developed an algorithm to calculate organ doses using the two dose libraries and the CT parameters available from DICOM data. We calculated organ doses for pediatric (n = 2499) and adult (n = 2043) CT examinations randomly selected from four health care systems in the United States and compared the adult organ doses with the values calculated from the ImPACT calculator. The median brain dose was 20 mGy (pediatric) and 24 mGy (adult), and the brain dose was greater than 40 mGy for 11% (pediatric) and 18% (adult) of the head CT studies. Both the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and ImPACT methods provided similar organ doses (median discrepancy < 20%) for all organs except the organs located close to the scanning boundaries. The visual comparisons of scanning coverage and phantom anatomies revealed that the NCI method, which is based on realistic computational phantoms, provides more accurate organ doses than the ImPACT method. The automated organ dose calculation method developed in this study reduces the time needed to calculate doses for a large number of patients. We have successfully used this method for a variety of CT-related studies including retrospective epidemiologic studies and CT dose trend analysis studies.

Analysis of ovarian dose of women employed in the radium watch dial industry: A macrodosimetric and microdosimetric approach

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roeske, J.C.; Stinchcomb, T.G.; Schieve, L.

1999-01-01

In the 1920s, painters in the radium watch dial industry frequently tipped their brushes with their tongues resulting in the ingestion of radium-226 and/or radium-228. Earlier dosimetric studies (1950--1990) attempted to correlate the magnitude of biological effects (e.g., increased cancer incidence) with variations in radium uptake. Recently, there is a renewed interest on the part of epidemiologists studying additional possible effects (e.g., low birthrate and sex ratio). The goal of this work is to review and update the determination of dose to the ovaries from both external and internal radiation hazards in an attempt to correlate ovarian dose with thesemore » additional possible effects. The dose to the ovaries can be attributed to four major sources: (1) external gamma irradiation from the containers of radium paint; (2) alpha and (3) beta particle emissions due to sources which decay within the ovaries; and (4) internal gamma irradiation released throughout the body. Data obtained in earlier dosimetric studies on the quantity of Ra-226 and/or Ra-228 ingested were used in this study. Dose is estimated on a macroscopic scale by calculating the average dose deposited within the entire ovary. In addition, a microdosimetric analysis is performed which considers the statistical variation of energy deposited within individual oocyte nuclei. Sources of uncertainty, and the use of these data in new epidemiological studies are discussed.« less

A simple calculation method for determination of equivalent square field.

PubMed

Shafiei, Seyed Ali; Hasanzadeh, Hadi; Shafiei, Seyed Ahmad

2012-04-01

Determination of the equivalent square fields for rectangular and shielded fields is of great importance in radiotherapy centers and treatment planning software. This is accomplished using standard tables and empirical formulas. The goal of this paper is to present a formula based on analysis of scatter reduction due to inverse square law to obtain equivalent field. Tables are published by different agencies such as ICRU (International Commission on Radiation Units and measurements), which are based on experimental data; but there exist mathematical formulas that yield the equivalent square field of an irregular rectangular field which are used extensively in computation techniques for dose determination. These processes lead to some complicated and time-consuming formulas for which the current study was designed. In this work, considering the portion of scattered radiation in absorbed dose at a point of measurement, a numerical formula was obtained based on which a simple formula was developed to calculate equivalent square field. Using polar coordinate and inverse square law will lead to a simple formula for calculation of equivalent field. The presented method is an analytical approach based on which one can estimate the equivalent square field of a rectangular field and may be used for a shielded field or an off-axis point. Besides, one can calculate equivalent field of rectangular field with the concept of decreased scatter radiation with inverse square law with a good approximation. This method may be useful in computing Percentage Depth Dose and Tissue-Phantom Ratio which are extensively used in treatment planning.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Iwai, P; Lins, L Nadler

Purpose: There is a lack of studies with significant cohort data about patients using pacemaker (PM), implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device undergoing radiotherapy. There is no literature comparing the cumulative doses delivered to those cardiac implanted electronic devices (CIED) calculated by different algorithms neither studies comparing doses with heterogeneity correction or not. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the algorithms Pencil Beam Convolution (PBC), Analytical Anisotropic Algorithm (AAA) and Acuros XB (AXB) as well as heterogeneity correction on risk categorization of patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 19 3DCRT ormore » IMRT plans of 17 patients was conducted, calculating the dose delivered to CIED using three different calculation algorithms. Doses were evaluated with and without heterogeneity correction for comparison. Risk categorization of the patients was based on their CIED dependency and cumulative dose in the devices. Results: Total estimated doses at CIED calculated by AAA or AXB were higher than those calculated by PBC in 56% of the cases. In average, the doses at CIED calculated by AAA and AXB were higher than those calculated by PBC (29% and 4% higher, respectively). The maximum difference of doses calculated by each algorithm was about 1 Gy, either using heterogeneity correction or not. Values of maximum dose calculated with heterogeneity correction showed that dose at CIED was at least equal or higher in 84% of the cases with PBC, 77% with AAA and 67% with AXB than dose obtained with no heterogeneity correction. Conclusion: The dose calculation algorithm and heterogeneity correction did not change the risk categorization. Since higher estimated doses delivered to CIED do not compromise treatment precautions to be taken, it’s recommend that the most sophisticated algorithm available should be used to predict dose at the CIED using heterogeneity correction.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bronskill, M.J.

The spatial distribution of radioactivity in the injection site, and its rate of clearance, have been measured in patients undergoing various types of interstitial radiocolloid lymphoscintigraphy using 99mTc-antimony sulfide colloid. The clearance of radioactivity from the injection site, and the expansion with time of the localized radioactivity vary considerably for different sites of injection. Maximum absorbed dose estimates of 45.6 rads to the center of the injection site (rectus sheath) and 21 rads to individual lymph nodes have been calculated for patients undergoing internal mammary lymphoscintigraphy with 450 mu Ci injected radioactivity. Absorbed dose estimates for finger web, toe web,more » and perianal injection sites are also presented.« less

Considerations for applying VARSKIN mod 2 to skin dose calculations averaged over 10 cm2.

PubMed

Durham, James S

2004-02-01

VARSKIN Mod 2 is a DOS-based computer program that calculates the dose to skin from beta and gamma contamination either directly on skin or on material in contact with skin. The default area for calculating the dose is 1 cm2. Recently, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued new guidelines for calculating shallow dose equivalent from skin contamination that requires the dose be averaged over 10 cm2. VARSKIN Mod 2 was not filly designed to calculate beta or gamma dose estimates averaged over 10 cm2, even though the program allows the user to calculate doses averaged over 10 cm2. This article explains why VARSKIN Mod 2 overestimates the beta dose when applied to 10 cm2 areas, describes a manual method for correcting the overestimate, and explains how to perform reasonable gamma dose calculations averaged over 10 cm2. The article also describes upgrades underway in Varskin 3.

Application of Advanced Materials Protecting from Influence of Free Space Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dotsenko, Oleg; Shovkoplyas, Yuriy

2016-07-01

High cost and low availability of the components certified for use in the space environment forces satellite designers to using industrial and even commercial items. Risks associated with insufficient knowledge about behavior of these components in radiation environment are parried, mainly, by careful radiating designing of a satellite where application of special protective materials with improved space radiation shielding characteristics is one of the most widely used practices. Another advantage of protective materials application appears when a satellite designer needs using equipment in more severe space environment conditions then it has been provided at the equipment development. In such cases only expensive repeated qualification of the equipment hardness can be alternative to protective materials application. But mostly this way is unacceptable for satellite developers, being within strong financial and temporal restrictions. To apply protective materials effectively, the developer should have possibility to answer the question: "Where inside a satellite shall I place these materials and what shall be their shape to meet the requirements on space radiation hardness with minimal mass and volume expenses?" At that, the minimum set of requirements on space radiation hardness include: ionizing dose, nonionizing dose, single events, and internal charging. The standard calculative models and experimental techniques, now in use for space radiation hardness assurance of a satellite are unsuitable for the problem solving in such formulation. The sector analysis methodology, widely used in satellite radiating designing, is applicable only for aluminium shielding and doesn't allow taking into account advantages of protective materials. The programs simulating transport of space radiations through a substance with the use of Monte-Carlo technique, such as GEANT4, FLUKA, HZETRN and others, are fully applicable in view of their capabilities; but time required for calculations with use of these tools makes their utilization extremely problematic in the engineering practice. The calculative and experimental technique developed by the authors allows estimation of ionizing dose, nonionizing dose, single events, and internal charging of solar and trapped electron and proton radiations at the requested points inside a satellite when the special protective materials have been applied. The results of developed technique application are in satisfactory agreement with the results achieved with the help of the standard calculative models.

Practical strategies when using a stable isotope labeled microtracer for absolute bioavailability assessment: A case study of a high oral dose clinical candidate GDC-0810.

PubMed

Chen, Buyun; Lu, Pingping; Freeman, Dugan; Gao, Yang; Choo, Edna; DeMent, Kevin; Savage, Scott; Zhang, Kelly; Milanwoski, Dennis; Liu, Lichuan; Dean, Brian; Deng, Yuzhong

2018-05-30

The pH labile metabolite, hydrophobicity, high oral dose and systematic exposure of GDC-0810 posed tremendous challenges to develop a LC-MS method for a stable isotope labeled aBA study. In this study, we explored practical solutions to balance stability and sensitivity and to cope with the impact of high C p.o. to C i.v. ratio on the labeling selection and assay dynamic range. A [ 13 C 9 ] GDC-0810 was synthesized to minimize the isotopic interference between PO dose, internal standard and I.V. microtracer. A highly sensitive LC-MS assay was validated for quantitation of [ 13 C 9 ] GDC-0810 from 5 to 1250 pg/mL. The optimized method was applied to a proof of concept cynomolgus monkey aBA study and the bioavailability calculated using microtracer dosing and regular dosing were similar to each other. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

RADIOACTIVITY DOSAGE OF ORNAMENTAL GRANITIC ROCKS BASED ON CHEMICAL, MINERALOGICAL AND LITHOLOGICAL DATA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Salas, H.T.; Nalini, H.A. Jr.; Mendes, J.C.

2004-10-03

One hundred samples of granitic rock were collected from granite traders in Belo Horizonte. Autoradiography, optical microscopy, diffractometry, and chemical analysis (X-ray spectrometry, X-ray fluorescence, neutron activation, gravimetry and electron probe microanalysis) were used to determine the mineral assemblages and lithotypes. Autoradiographic results for several samples showed the presence of monazite, allanite and zircon. Chemical analysis revealed concentrations of uranium of {le} 30ppm, and thorium {le} 130ppm. Higher concentrations generally correlated with high concentrations of light rare earths in silica-rich rocks of granitic composition. Calculations were made of radioactive doses for floor tiles in a standard room for samples withmore » total concentration of uranium and thorium greater than 60ppm. On the basis of calculations of {sup 232}Th, {sup 40}K and {sup 226}Ra from Th, K and U analysis, the doses calculated were between 0.11 and 0.34 mSv/year, which are much lower than the acceptable international exposure standard of 1.0 mSv/year.« less

Verification of shielding effect by the water-filled materials for space radiation in the International Space Station using passive dosimeters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kodaira, S.; Tolochek, R. V.; Ambrozova, I.; Kawashima, H.; Yasuda, N.; Kurano, M.; Kitamura, H.; Uchihori, Y.; Kobayashi, I.; Hakamada, H.; Suzuki, A.; Kartsev, I. S.; Yarmanova, E. N.; Nikolaev, I. V.; Shurshakov, V. A.

2014-01-01

The dose reduction effects for space radiation by installation of water shielding material ("protective curtain") of a stack board consisting of the hygienic wipes and towels have been experimentally evaluated in the International Space Station by using passive dosimeters. The averaged water thickness of the protective curtain was 6.3 g/cm2. The passive dosimeters consisted of a combination of thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs) and plastic nuclear track detectors (PNTDs). Totally 12 passive dosimeter packages were installed in the Russian Service Module during late 2010. Half of the packages were located at the protective curtain surface and the other half were at the crew cabin wall behind or aside the protective curtain. The mean absorbed dose and dose equivalent rates are measured to be 327 μGy/day and 821 μSv/day for the unprotected packages and 224 μGy/day and 575 μSv/day for the protected packages, respectively. The observed dose reduction rate with protective curtain was found to be 37 ± 7% in dose equivalent, which was consistent with the calculation in the spherical water phantom by PHITS. The contributions due to low and high LET particles were found to be comparable in observed dose reduction rate. The protective curtain would be effective shielding material for not only trapped particles (several 10 MeV) but also for low energy galactic cosmic rays (several 100 MeV/n). The properly utilized protective curtain will effectively reduce the radiation dose for crew living in space station and prolong long-term mission in the future.

Rectal Dose and Source Strength of the High-Dose-Rate Iridium-192 Both Affect Late Rectal Bleeding After Intracavitary Radiation Therapy for Uterine Cervical Carcinoma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Isohashi, Fumiaki, E-mail: isohashi@radonc.med.osaka-u.ac.j; Yoshioka, Yasuo; Koizumi, Masahiko

2010-07-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to reconfirm our previous findings that the rectal dose and source strength both affect late rectal bleeding after high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy (HDR-ICBT), by using a rectal dose calculated in accordance with the definitions of the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements Report 38 (ICRU{sub RP}) or of dose-volume histogram (DVH) parameters by the Groupe Europeen de Curietherapie of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. Methods and Materials: Sixty-two patients who underwent HDR-ICBT and were followed up for 1 year or more were studied. The rectal dose for ICBT was calculatedmore » by using the ICRP{sub RP} based on orthogonal radiographs or the DVH parameters based on computed tomography (CT). The total dose was calculated as the biologically equivalent dose expressed in 2-Gy fractions (EQD{sub 2}). The relationship between averaged source strength or the EQD{sub 2} and late rectal bleeding was then analyzed. Results: When patients were divided into four groups according to rectal EQD{sub 2} ({>=} or =} or <2.4 cGy.m{sup 2}.h{sup -1}), the group with both a high EQD{sub 2} and a high source strength showed a significantly greater probability of rectal bleeding for ICRU{sub RP}, D{sub 2cc}, and D{sub 1cc}. The patients with a median rectal dose above the threshold level did not show a greater frequency of rectal bleeding unless the source strength exceeded 2.4 cGy.m{sup 2}.h{sup -1}. Conclusions: Our results obtained with data based on ICRU{sub RP} and CT-based DVH parameters indicate that rectal dose and source strength both affect rectal bleeding after HDR-ICBT.« less

Uncertainty of inhalation dose coefficients for representative physical and chemical forms of iodine-131

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harvey, Richard Paul, III

Releases of radioactive material have occurred at various Department of Energy (DOE) weapons facilities and facilities associated with the nuclear fuel cycle in the generation of electricity. Many different radionuclides have been released to the environment with resulting exposure of the population to these various sources of radioactivity. Radioiodine has been released from a number of these facilities and is a potential public health concern due to its physical and biological characteristics. Iodine exists as various isotopes, but our focus is on 131I due to its relatively long half-life, its prevalence in atmospheric releases and its contribution to offsite dose. The assumption of physical and chemical form is speculated to have a profound impact on the deposition of radioactive material within the respiratory tract. In the case of iodine, it has been shown that more than one type of physical and chemical form may be released to, or exist in, the environment; iodine can exist as a particle or as a gas. The gaseous species can be further segregated based on chemical form: elemental, inorganic, and organic iodides. Chemical compounds in each class are assumed to behave similarly with respect to biochemistry. Studies at Oak Ridge National Laboratories have demonstrated that 131I is released as a particulate, as well as in elemental, inorganic and organic chemical form. The internal dose estimate from 131I may be very different depending on the effect that chemical form has on fractional deposition, gas uptake, and clearance in the respiratory tract. There are many sources of uncertainty in the estimation of environmental dose including source term, airborne transport of radionuclides, and internal dosimetry. Knowledge of uncertainty in internal dosimetry is essential for estimating dose to members of the public and for determining total uncertainty in dose estimation. Important calculational steps in any lung model is regional estimation of deposition fractions and gas uptake of radionuclides in various regions of the lung. Variability in regional radionuclide deposition within lung compartments may significantly contribute to the overall uncertainty of the lung model. The uncertainty of lung deposition and biological clearance is dependent upon physiological and anatomical parameters of individuals as well as characteristic parameters of the particulate material. These parameters introduce uncertainty into internal dose estimates due to their inherent variability. Anatomical and physiological input parameters are age and gender dependent. This work has determined the uncertainty in internal dose estimates and the sensitive parameters involved in modeling particulate deposition and gas uptake of different physical and chemical forms of 131I with age and gender dependencies.

The reference individual of radiation protection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eckerman, K.F.; Cristy, M.

1995-12-31

The 70-kg {open_quotes}standard man{close_quotes} representing a typical Western adult male has been used in physiological models since at least the 1920s. In 1949 at the Chalk River conference, health physicists from the U.S., UK, and Canada agreed on the concept of a standard man to facilitate comparison of internal dose estimates. The 70-kg standard man included specifications of the masses of 25 organs and tissues, total body content of 15 elements, total water intake and output, water content of the body, and some anatomical and physiological data for the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. In 1959, in its Publication 2{sup 2}more » on permissible doses for internal radiation the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) modified standard man. In 1963 the ICRP established a task group to revise and extend the standard man concept. The name was changed later to Reference Man and the task group`s work was published in 1975 as ICRP Publication 23{sup 3}. Publication 23 similar to Publication 2, updates and documents the sources of the data. Data on women, children, and fetuses were also collected, where available, but these data were limited primarily to anatomical data and only a few reference values were established for these groups. Information assembled during the course of the effort on the Reference Man report was used at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to construct a mathematical representation of the body (a phantom) that was suitable for use with Monte Carlo methods in the calculation of organ doses. That effort was undertaken to improve estimates of dose from photon-emitting radionuclides residing within organs, so-called internal emitters. The phantom, although updated throughout the years, remains today as the basis for organ dose estimates in nuclear medicine and radiation protection and underlies the radiation risk data derived from the epidemiologic studies of the atomic bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.« less

Environmental consequences of postulate plutonium releases from Atomics International's Nuclear Materials Development Facility (NMDF), Santa Susana, California, as a result of severe natural phenomena

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jamison, J.D.; Watson, E.C.

1982-02-01

Potential environmental consequences in terms of radiation dose to people are presented for postulated plutonium releases caused by severe natural phenomena at the Atomics International's Nuclear Materials Development Facility (NMDF), in the Santa Susana site, California. The severe natural phenomena considered are earthquakes, tornadoes, and high straight-line winds. Plutonium deposition values are given for significant locations around the site. All important potential exposure pathways are examined. The most likely 50-year committed dose equivalents are given for the maximum-exposed individual and the population within a 50-mile radius of the plant. The maximum plutonium deposition values likely to occur offsite are alsomore » given. The most likely calculated 50-year collective committed dose equivalents are all much lower than the collective dose equivalent expected from 50 years of exposure to natural background radiation and medical x-rays. The most likely maximum residual plutonium contamination estimated to be deposited offsite following the earthquake, and the 150-mph and 170-mph tornadoes are above the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed guideline for plutonium in the general environment of 0.2 ..mu..Ci/m/sup 2/. The deposition values following the 110-mph and the 130-mph tornadoes are below the EPA proposed guideline.« less

Monte Carlo evaluation of RapidArc™ oropharynx treatment planning strategies for sparing of midline structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bush, K.; Zavgorodni, S.; Gagne, I.; Townson, R.; Ansbacher, W.; Beckham, W.

2010-08-01

The aim of the study was to perform the Monte Carlo (MC) evaluation of RapidArc™ (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA) dose calculations for four oropharynx midline sparing planning strategies. Six patients with squamous cell cancer of the oropharynx were each planned with four RapidArc head and neck treatment strategies consisting of single and double photon arcs. In each case, RTOG0522 protocol objectives were used during planning optimization. Dose calculations performed with the analytical anisotropic algorithm (AAA) are compared against BEAMnrc/DOSXYZnrc dose calculations for the 24-plan dataset. Mean dose and dose-to-98%-of-structure-volume (D98%) were used as metrics in the evaluation of dose to planning target volumes (PTVs). Mean dose and dose-to-2%-of-structure-volume (D2%) were used to evaluate dose differences within organs at risk (OAR). Differences in the conformity index (CI) and the homogeneity index (HI) as well as 3D dose distributions were also observed. AAA calculated PTV mean dose, D98%, and HIs showed very good agreement with MC dose calculations within the 0.8% MC (statistical) calculation uncertainty. Regional node volume (PTV-80%) mean dose and D98% were found to be overestimated (1.3%, σ = 0.8% and 2.3%, σ = 0.8%, respectively) by the AAA with respect to MC calculations. Mean dose and D2% to OAR were also observed to be consistently overestimated by the AAA. Increasing dose calculation differences were found in planning strategies exhibiting a higher overall fluence modulation. From the plan dataset, the largest local dose differences were observed in heavily shielded regions and within the esophageal and sinus cavities. AAA dose calculations as implemented in RapidArc™ demonstrate excellent agreement with MC calculations in unshielded regions containing moderate inhomogeneities. Acceptable agreement is achieved in regions of increased MLC shielding. Differences in dose are attributed to inaccuracies in the AAA-modulated fluence modeling, modeling of material inhomogeneities and dose deposition within low-density materials. The use of MC dose calculations leads to the same general conclusion as using AAA that a two arc delivery with limited collimator opening can provide the greatest amount of midline sparing compared to the other techniques investigated.

NUNDO: a numerical model of a human torso phantom and its application to effective dose equivalent calculations for astronauts at the ISS.

PubMed

Puchalska, Monika; Bilski, Pawel; Berger, Thomas; Hajek, Michael; Horwacik, Tomasz; Körner, Christine; Olko, Pawel; Shurshakov, Vyacheslav; Reitz, Günther

2014-11-01

The health effects of cosmic radiation on astronauts need to be precisely quantified and controlled. This task is important not only in perspective of the increasing human presence at the International Space Station (ISS), but also for the preparation of safe human missions beyond low earth orbit. From a radiation protection point of view, the baseline quantity for radiation risk assessment in space is the effective dose equivalent. The present work reports the first successful attempt of the experimental determination of the effective dose equivalent in space, both for extra-vehicular activity (EVA) and intra-vehicular activity (IVA). This was achieved using the anthropomorphic torso phantom RANDO(®) equipped with more than 6,000 passive thermoluminescent detectors and plastic nuclear track detectors, which have been exposed to cosmic radiation inside the European Space Agency MATROSHKA facility both outside and inside the ISS. In order to calculate the effective dose equivalent, a numerical model of the RANDO(®) phantom, based on computer tomography scans of the actual phantom, was developed. It was found that the effective dose equivalent rate during an EVA approaches 700 μSv/d, while during an IVA about 20 % lower values were observed. It is shown that the individual dose based on a personal dosimeter reading for an astronaut during IVA results in an overestimate of the effective dose equivalent of about 15 %, whereas under an EVA conditions the overestimate is more than 200 %. A personal dosemeter can therefore deliver quite good exposure records during IVA, but may overestimate the effective dose equivalent received during an EVA considerably.

PROBABILISTIC SAFETY ASSESSMENT OF OPERATIONAL ACCIDENTS AT THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rucker, D.F.

2000-09-01

This report presents a probabilistic safety assessment of radioactive doses as consequences from accident scenarios to complement the deterministic assessment presented in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Safety Analysis Report (SAR). The International Council of Radiation Protection (ICRP) recommends both assessments be conducted to ensure that ''an adequate level of safety has been achieved and that no major contributors to risk are overlooked'' (ICRP 1993). To that end, the probabilistic assessment for the WIPP accident scenarios addresses the wide range of assumptions, e.g. the range of values representing the radioactive source of an accident, that could possibly have beenmore » overlooked by the SAR. Routine releases of radionuclides from the WIPP repository to the environment during the waste emplacement operations are expected to be essentially zero. In contrast, potential accidental releases from postulated accident scenarios during waste handling and emplacement could be substantial, which necessitates the need for radiological air monitoring and confinement barriers (DOE 1999). The WIPP Safety Analysis Report (SAR) calculated doses from accidental releases to the on-site (at 100 m from the source) and off-site (at the Exclusive Use Boundary and Site Boundary) public by a deterministic approach. This approach, as demonstrated in the SAR, uses single-point values of key parameters to assess the 50-year, whole-body committed effective dose equivalent (CEDE). The basic assumptions used in the SAR to formulate the CEDE are retained for this report's probabilistic assessment. However, for the probabilistic assessment, single-point parameter values were replaced with probability density functions (PDF) and were sampled over an expected range. Monte Carlo simulations were run, in which 10,000 iterations were performed by randomly selecting one value for each parameter and calculating the dose. Statistical information was then derived from the 10,000 iteration batch, which included 5%, 50%, and 95% dose likelihood, and the sensitivity of each assumption to the calculated doses. As one would intuitively expect, the doses from the probabilistic assessment for most scenarios were found to be much less than the deterministic assessment. The lower dose of the probabilistic assessment can be attributed to a ''smearing'' of values from the high and low end of the PDF spectrum of the various input parameters. The analysis also found a potential weakness in the deterministic analysis used in the SAR, a detail on drum loading was not taken into consideration. Waste emplacement operations thus far have handled drums from each shipment as a single unit, i.e. drums from each shipment are kept together. Shipments typically come from a single waste stream, and therefore the curie loading of each drum can be considered nearly identical to that of its neighbor. Calculations show that if there are large numbers of drums used in the accident scenario assessment, e.g. 28 drums in the waste hoist failure scenario (CH5), then the probabilistic dose assessment calculations will diverge from the deterministically determined doses. As it is currently calculated, the deterministic dose assessment assumes one drum loaded to the maximum allowable (80 PE-Ci), and the remaining are 10% of the maximum. The effective average of drum curie content is therefore less in the deterministic assessment than the probabilistic assessment for a large number of drums. EEG recommends that the WIPP SAR calculations be revisited and updated to include a probabilistic safety assessment.« less

Influence of dose calculation algorithms on the predicted dose distribution and NTCP values for NSCLC patients.

PubMed

Nielsen, Tine B; Wieslander, Elinore; Fogliata, Antonella; Nielsen, Morten; Hansen, Olfred; Brink, Carsten

2011-05-01

To investigate differences in calculated doses and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) values between different dose algorithms. Six dose algorithms from four different treatment planning systems were investigated: Eclipse AAA, Oncentra MasterPlan Collapsed Cone and Pencil Beam, Pinnacle Collapsed Cone and XiO Multigrid Superposition, and Fast Fourier Transform Convolution. Twenty NSCLC patients treated in the period 2001-2006 at the same accelerator were included and the accelerator used for treatments were modeled in the different systems. The treatment plans were recalculated with the same number of monitor units and beam arrangements across the dose algorithms. Dose volume histograms of the GTV, PTV, combined lungs (excluding the GTV), and heart were exported and evaluated. NTCP values for heart and lungs were calculated using the relative seriality model and the LKB model, respectively. Furthermore, NTCP for the lungs were calculated from two different model parameter sets. Calculations and evaluations were performed both including and excluding density corrections. There are found statistical significant differences between the calculated dose to heart, lung, and targets across the algorithms. Mean lung dose and V20 are not very sensitive to change between the investigated dose calculation algorithms. However, the different dose levels for the PTV averaged over the patient population are varying up to 11%. The predicted NTCP values for pneumonitis vary between 0.20 and 0.24 or 0.35 and 0.48 across the investigated dose algorithms depending on the chosen model parameter set. The influence of the use of density correction in the dose calculation on the predicted NTCP values depends on the specific dose calculation algorithm and the model parameter set. For fixed values of these, the changes in NTCP can be up to 45%. Calculated NTCP values for pneumonitis are more sensitive to the choice of algorithm than mean lung dose and V20 which are also commonly used for plan evaluation. The NTCP values for heart complication are, in this study, not very sensitive to the choice of algorithm. Dose calculations based on density corrections result in quite different NTCP values than calculations without density corrections. It is therefore important when working with NTCP planning to use NTCP parameter values based on calculations and treatments similar to those for which the NTCP is of interest.

Patient-specific CT dosimetry calculation: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Fearon, Thomas; Xie, Huchen; Cheng, Jason Y; Ning, Holly; Zhuge, Ying; Miller, Robert W

2011-11-15

Current estimation of radiation dose from computed tomography (CT) scans on patients has relied on the measurement of Computed Tomography Dose Index (CTDI) in standard cylindrical phantoms, and calculations based on mathematical representations of "standard man". Radiation dose to both adult and pediatric patients from a CT scan has been a concern, as noted in recent reports. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of adapting a radiation treatment planning system (RTPS) to provide patient-specific CT dosimetry. A radiation treatment planning system was modified to calculate patient-specific CT dose distributions, which can be represented by dose at specific points within an organ of interest, as well as organ dose-volumes (after image segmentation) for a GE Light Speed Ultra Plus CT scanner. The RTPS calculation algorithm is based on a semi-empirical, measured correction-based algorithm, which has been well established in the radiotherapy community. Digital representations of the physical phantoms (virtual phantom) were acquired with the GE CT scanner in axial mode. Thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLDs) measurements in pediatric anthropomorphic phantoms were utilized to validate the dose at specific points within organs of interest relative to RTPS calculations and Monte Carlo simulations of the same virtual phantoms (digital representation). Congruence of the calculated and measured point doses for the same physical anthropomorphic phantom geometry was used to verify the feasibility of the method. The RTPS algorithm can be extended to calculate the organ dose by calculating a dose distribution point-by-point for a designated volume. Electron Gamma Shower (EGSnrc) codes for radiation transport calculations developed by National Research Council of Canada (NRCC) were utilized to perform the Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. In general, the RTPS and MC dose calculations are within 10% of the TLD measurements for the infant and child chest scans. With respect to the dose comparisons for the head, the RTPS dose calculations are slightly higher (10%-20%) than the TLD measurements, while the MC results were within 10% of the TLD measurements. The advantage of the algebraic dose calculation engine of the RTPS is a substantially reduced computation time (minutes vs. days) relative to Monte Carlo calculations, as well as providing patient-specific dose estimation. It also provides the basis for a more elaborate reporting of dosimetric results, such as patient specific organ dose volumes after image segmentation.

Characterization of Low-Energy Photon-Emitting Brachytherapy Sources with Modified Strengths for Applications in Focal Therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, Joshua L.

Permanent implants of low-energy photon-emitting brachytherapy sources are used to treat a variety of cancers. Individual source models must be separately characterized due to their unique geometry, materials, and radionuclides, which all influence their dose distributions. Thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) are often used for dose measurements around low-energy photon-emitting brachytherapy sources. TLDs are typically calibrated with higher energy sources such as 60Co, which requires a correction for the change in the response of the TLDs as a function of photon energy. These corrections have historically been based on TLD response to x ray bremsstrahlung spectra instead of to brachytherapy sources themselves. This work determined the TLD intrinsic energy dependence for 125I and 103Pd sources relative to 60Co, which allows for correction of TLD measurements of brachytherapy sources with factors specific to their energy spectra. Traditional brachytherapy sources contain mobile internal components and large amounts of high-Z material such as radio-opaque markers and titanium encapsulations. These all contribute to perturbations and uncertainties in the dose distribution around the source. The CivaString is a new elongated 103Pd brachytherapy source with a fixed internal geometry, polymer encapsulation, and lengths ranging from 1 to 6 cm, which offers advantages over traditional source designs. This work characterized the CivaString source and the results facilitated the formal approval of this source for use in clinical treatments. Additionally, the accuracy of a superposition technique for dose calculation around the sources with lengths >1 cm was verified. Advances in diagnostic techniques are paving the way for focal brachytherapy in which the dose is intentionally modulated throughout the target volume to focus on subvolumes that contain cancer cells. Brachytherapy sources with variable longitudinal strength (VLS) are a promising candidate for use in focal brachytherapy treatments given their customizable activity distributions, although they are not yet commercially available. This work characterized five prototype VLS sources, developed methods for clinical calibration and verification of these sources, and developed an analytical dose calculation algorithm that scales with both source length and VLS.

Improving spot-scanning proton therapy patient specific quality assurance with HPlusQA, a second-check dose calculation engine.

PubMed

Mackin, Dennis; Li, Yupeng; Taylor, Michael B; Kerr, Matthew; Holmes, Charles; Sahoo, Narayan; Poenisch, Falk; Li, Heng; Lii, Jim; Amos, Richard; Wu, Richard; Suzuki, Kazumichi; Gillin, Michael T; Zhu, X Ronald; Zhang, Xiaodong

2013-12-01

The purpose of this study was to validate the use of HPlusQA, spot-scanning proton therapy (SSPT) dose calculation software developed at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, as second-check dose calculation software for patient-specific quality assurance (PSQA). The authors also showed how HPlusQA can be used within the current PSQA framework. The authors compared the dose calculations of HPlusQA and the Eclipse treatment planning system with 106 planar dose measurements made as part of PSQA. To determine the relative performance and the degree of correlation between HPlusQA and Eclipse, the authors compared calculated with measured point doses. Then, to determine how well HPlusQA can predict when the comparisons between Eclipse calculations and the measured dose will exceed tolerance levels, the authors compared gamma index scores for HPlusQA versus Eclipse with those of measured doses versus Eclipse. The authors introduce the αβγ transformation as a way to more easily compare gamma scores. The authors compared measured and calculated dose planes using the relative depth, z∕R × 100%, where z is the depth of the measurement and R is the proton beam range. For relative depths than less than 80%, both Eclipse and HPlusQA calculations were within 2 cGy of dose measurements on average. When the relative depth was greater than 80%, the agreement between the calculations and measurements fell to 4 cGy. For relative depths less than 10%, the Eclipse and HPlusQA dose discrepancies showed a negative correlation, -0.21. Otherwise, the correlation between the dose discrepancies was positive and as large as 0.6. For the dose planes in this study, HPlusQA correctly predicted when Eclipse had and had not calculated the dose to within tolerance 92% and 79% of the time, respectively. In 4 of 106 cases, HPlusQA failed to predict when the comparison between measurement and Eclipse's calculation had exceeded the tolerance levels of 3% for dose and 3 mm for distance-to-agreement. The authors found HPlusQA to be reasonably effective (79% ± 10%) in determining when the comparison between measured dose planes and the dose planes calculated by the Eclipse treatment planning system had exceeded the acceptable tolerance levels. When used as described in this study, HPlusQA can reduce the need for patient specific quality assurance measurements by 64%. The authors believe that the use of HPlusQA as a dose calculation second check can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the QA process.

Impact of the Lok-bar for High-precision Radiotherapy with Tomotherapy.

PubMed

Hirata, Makoto; Monzen, Hajime; Tamura, Mikoto; Kubo, Kazuki; Matsumoto, Kenji; Hanaoka, Kohei; Okumura, Masahiko; Nishimura, Yasumasa

2018-05-01

Patient immobilization systems are used to establish a reproducible patient position relative to the couch. In this study, the impact of conventional lok-bars for CT-simulation (CIVCO-bar) and treatment (iBEAM-bar) were compared with a novel lok-bar (mHM-bar) in tomotherapy. Verification was obtained as follows: i. artifacts in CT images; ii. dose attenuation rate of lok-bar, compared to without lok-bar; and iii. dose differences between the calculated and measured absorbed doses. With the CIVCO-bar, there were obvious metal artifacts, while there were nearly no artifacts with the mHM-bar. The mean dose attenuation rates with the mHM-bar and iBEAM-bar were 1.31% and 2.28%, and the mean dose difference was 1.55% and 1.66% for mHM-bar and iBEAM-bar. Using the mHM-bar reduced artifacts on the CT image and improved dose attenuation are obtained. The lok-bar needs to be inserted as a structure set in treatment planning with tomotherapy. Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Assessment of doses to game animals in Finland.

PubMed

Vetikko, Virve; Kostiainen, Eila

2013-11-01

A study was carried out to assess the dose rates to game animals in Finland affected by the radioactive caesium deposition that occurred after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine in 1986. The aim of this assessment was to obtain new information on the dose rates to mammals and birds under Finnish conditions. Dose rates were calculated using the ERICA Assessment Tool developed within the EC 6th Framework Programme. The input data consisted of measured activity concentrations of (137)Cs and (134)Cs in soil and lake water samples and in flesh samples of selected animal species obtained for environmental monitoring. The study sites were located in the municipality of Lammi, Southern Finland, where the average (137)Cs deposition was 46.5 kBq m(-2) (1 October 1987). The study sites represented the areas receiving the highest deposition in Finland after the Chernobyl accident. The selected species included moose (Alces alces), arctic hare (Lepus timidus) and several bird species: black grouse (Tetrao tetrix), hazel hen (Bonasia bonasia), mallard (Anas platurhynchos), goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) and teal (Anas crecca). For moose, dose rates were calculated for the years 1986-1990 and for the 2000s. For all other species, maximal measured activity concentrations were used. The results showed that the dose rates to these species did not exceed the default screening level of 10 μGy h(-1) used as a protection criterion. The highest total dose rate (internal and external summed), 3.7 μGy h(-1), was observed for the arctic hare in 1986. Although the dose rate of 3.7 μGy h(-1) cannot be considered negligible given the uncertainties involved in predicting the dose rates, the possible harmful effects related to this dose rate are too small to be assessed based on current knowledge on the biological effects of low doses in mammals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of CT contrast agent on dose calculation of intensity modulated radiation therapy plan for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

PubMed

Lee, F K-H; Chan, C C-L; Law, C-K

2009-02-01

Contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) has been used for delineation of treatment target in radiotherapy. The different Hounsfield unit due to the injected contrast agent may affect radiation dose calculation. We investigated this effect on intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Dose distributions of 15 IMRT plans were recalculated on CECT. Dose statistics for organs at risk (OAR) and treatment targets were recorded for the plain CT-calculated and CECT-calculated plans. Statistical significance of the differences was evaluated. Correlations were also tested, among magnitude of calculated dose difference, tumor size and level of enhancement contrast. Differences in nodal mean/median dose were statistically significant, but small (approximately 0.15 Gy for a 66 Gy prescription). In the vicinity of the carotid arteries, the difference in calculated dose was also statistically significant, but only with a mean of approximately 0.2 Gy. We did not observe any significant correlation between the difference in the calculated dose and the tumor size or level of enhancement. The results implied that the calculated dose difference was clinically insignificant and may be acceptable for IMRT planning.

Comparing the dosimetric impact of interfractional anatomical changes in photon, proton and carbon ion radiotherapy for pancreatic cancer patients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houweling, Antonetta C.; Crama, Koen; Visser, Jorrit; Fukata, Kyohei; Rasch, Coen R. N.; Ohno, Tatsuya; Bel, Arjan; van der Horst, Astrid

2017-04-01

Radiotherapy using charged particles is characterized by a low dose to the surrounding healthy organs, while delivering a high dose to the tumor. However, interfractional anatomical changes can greatly affect the robustness of particle therapy. Therefore, we compared the dosimetric impact of interfractional anatomical changes (i.e. body contour differences and gastrointestinal gas volume changes) in photon, proton and carbon ion therapy for pancreatic cancer patients. In this retrospective planning study, photon, proton and carbon ion treatment plans were created for 9 patients. Fraction dose calculations were performed using daily cone-beam CT (CBCT) images. To this end, the planning CT was deformably registered to each CBCT; gastrointestinal gas volumes were delineated on the CBCTs and copied to the deformed CT. Fraction doses were accumulated rigidly. To compare planned and accumulated dose, dose-volume histogram (DVH) parameters of the planned and accumulated dose of the different radiotherapy modalities were determined for the internal gross tumor volume, internal clinical target volume (iCTV) and organs-at-risk (OARs; duodenum, stomach, kidneys, liver and spinal cord). Photon plans were highly robust against interfractional anatomical changes. The difference between the planned and accumulated DVH parameters for the photon plans was less than 0.5% for the target and OARs. In both proton and carbon ion therapy, however, coverage of the iCTV was considerably reduced for the accumulated dose compared with the planned dose. The near-minimum dose ({{D}98 % } ) of the iCTV reduced with 8% for proton therapy and with 10% for carbon ion therapy. The DVH parameters of the OARs differed less than 3% for both particle modalities. Fractionated radiotherapy using photons is highly robust against interfractional anatomical changes. In proton and carbon ion therapy, such changes can severely reduce the dose coverage of the target.

Density overwrites of internal tumor volumes in intensity modulated proton therapy plans for mobile lung tumors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Botas, Pablo; Grassberger, Clemens; Sharp, Gregory; Paganetti, Harald

2018-02-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate internal tumor volume density overwrite strategies to minimize intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) plan degradation of mobile lung tumors. Four planning paradigms were compared for nine lung cancer patients. Internal gross tumor volume (IGTV) and internal clinical target volume (ICTV) structures were defined encompassing their respective volumes in every 4DCT phase. The paradigms use different planning CT (pCT) created from the average intensity projection (AIP) of the 4DCT, overwriting the density within the IGTV to account for movement. The density overwrites were: (a) constant filling with 100 HU (C100) or (b) 50 HU (C50), (c) maximum intensity projection (MIP) across phases, and (d) water equivalent path length (WEPL) consideration from beam’s-eye-view. Plans were created optimizing dose-influence matrices calculated with fast GPU Monte Carlo (MC) simulations in each pCT. Plans were evaluated with MC on the 4DCTs using a model of the beam delivery time structure. Dose accumulation was performed using deformable image registration. Interplay effect was addressed applying 10 times rescanning. Significantly less DVH metrics degradation occurred when using MIP and WEPL approaches. Target coverage (D99≥slant 70 Gy(RBE)) was fulfilled in most cases with MIP and WEPL (D{{99}WEPL}=69.2+/- 4.0 Gy (RBE)), keeping dose heterogeneity low (D5-D{{95}WEPL}=3.9+/- 2.0 Gy(RBE)). The mean lung dose was kept lowest by the WEPL strategy, as well as the maximum dose to organs at risk (OARs). The impact on dose levels in the heart, spinal cord and esophagus were patient specific. Overall, the WEPL strategy gives the best performance and should be preferred when using a 3D static geometry for lung cancer IMPT treatment planning. Newly available fast MC methods make it possible to handle long simulations based on 4D data sets to perform studies with high accuracy and efficiency, even prior to individual treatment planning.

Cumulative doses analysis in young trauma patients: a single-centre experience.

PubMed

Salerno, Sergio; Marrale, Maurizio; Geraci, Claudia; Caruso, Giuseppe; Lo Re, Giuseppe; Lo Casto, Antonio; Midiri, Massimo

2016-02-01

Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) represents the main source of radiation exposure in trauma patients. The radiation exposure of young patients is a matter of considerable medical concern due to possible long-term effects. Multiple MDCT studies have been observed in the young trauma population with an increase in radiation exposure. We have identified 249 young adult patients (178 men and 71 women; age range 14-40 years) who had received more than one MDCT study between June 2010 and June 2014. According to the International Commission on Radiological Protection publication, we have calculated the cumulative organ dose tissue-weighting factors by using CT-EXPO software(®). We have observed a mean cumulative dose of about 27 mSv (range from 3 to 297 mSv). The distribution analysis is characterised by low effective dose, below 20 mSv, in the majority of the patients. However, in 29 patients, the effective dose was found to be higher than 20 mSv. Dose distribution for the various organs analysed (breasts, ovaries, testicles, heart and eye lenses) shows an intense peak for lower doses, but in some cases high doses were recorded. Even though cumulative doses may have long-term effects, which are still under debate, high doses are observed in this specific group of young patients.

Pediatric patient and staff dose measurements in barium meal fluoroscopic procedures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filipov, D.; Schelin, H. R.; Denyak, V.; Paschuk, S. A.; Porto, L. E.; Ledesma, J. A.; Nascimento, E. X.; Legnani, A.; Andrade, M. E. A.; Khoury, H. J.

2015-11-01

This study investigates patient and staff dose measurements in pediatric barium meal series fluoroscopic procedures. It aims to analyze radiographic techniques, measure the air kerma-area product (PKA), and estimate the staff's eye lens, thyroid and hands equivalent doses. The procedures of 41 patients were studied, and PKA values were calculated using LiF:Mg,Ti thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) positioned at the center of the patient's upper chest. Furthermore, LiF:Mg,Cu,P TLDs were used to estimate the equivalent doses. The results showed a discrepancy in the radiographic techniques when compared to the European Commission recommendations. Half of the results of the analyzed literature presented lower PKA and dose reference level values than the present study. The staff's equivalent doses strongly depends on the distance from the beam. A 55-cm distance can be considered satisfactory. However, a distance decrease of ~20% leads to, at least, two times higher equivalent doses. For eye lenses this dose is significantly greater than the annual limit set by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. In addition, the occupational doses were found to be much higher than in the literature. Changing the used radiographic techniques to the ones recommended by the European Communities, it is expected to achieve lower PKA values ​​and occupational doses.

INTERNAL RADIATION DOSE MEASUREMENTS IN LIVE EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS. PART II

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nold, M.M.; Hayes, R.L.; Comar, C.L.

1960-12-01

Silver phosphate glass dosimeter rods were implanted in various portions of the digestive tract and the radiation dose was measured after ingestion of a known amount of Y/sup 90/. It was found that a state of diarrhea reduced the average radiation dose by a factor of from 2 to 4. In the constipated animal the dose was increased by a factor of from 3 to 7. Investigation was made to determine the role of various processes governing the radiation dose delivered to gastrointestinal mucosa. The total dose to a particular site along the intestinal tract was obtained by determination ofmore » the time integral of the radioactive concentration. Serial sacrifices were made at specific times after administration of the radioactivity. Calculations in this manner agreed exceptionally well with the doses that were measured by the glass dosimeter method. It is estimated that 4 and 17 - c of Y/sup 90/ for the dog and goat, respectively, will deliver a 300mrad dose to the critical organ, the lower large intestine. The twelve-fold average difference in dose between the diarrhea and constipation groups of dogs emphasizes the importance of the physical state of bowel passages upon the dose delivered to the critical organ. (auth)« less

Determination of the spatial resolution required for the HEDR dose code

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Napier, B.A.; Simpson, J.C.

1992-12-01

A series of scoping calculations has been undertaken to evaluate the doses that may have been received by individuals living in the vicinity of the Hanford site. This scoping calculation (Calculation 007) examined the spatial distribution of potential doses resulting from releases in the year 1945. This study builds on the work initiated in the first scoping calculation, of iodine in cow's milk; the third scoping calculation, which added additional pathways; the fifth calculation, which addressed the uncertainty of the dose estimates at a point; and the sixth calculation, which extrapolated the doses throughout the atmospheric transport domain. A projectionmore » of dose to representative individuals throughout the proposed HEDR atmospheric transport domain was prepared on the basis of the HEDR source term. Addressed in this calculation were the contributions to iodine-131 thyroid dose of infants from (1) air submersion and groundshine external dose, (2) inhalation, (3) ingestion of soil by humans, (4) ingestion of leafy vegetables, (5) ingestion of other vegetables and fruits, (6) ingestion of meat, (7) ingestion of eggs, and (8) ingestion of cows' milk from-Feeding Regime 1 as described in scoping calculation 001.« less

Methodology comparison for gamma-heating calculations in material-testing reactors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lemaire, M.; Vaglio-Gaudard, C.; Lyoussi, A.

2015-07-01

The Jules Horowitz Reactor (JHR) is a Material-Testing Reactor (MTR) under construction in the south of France at CEA Cadarache (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission). It will typically host about 20 simultaneous irradiation experiments in the core and in the beryllium reflector. These experiments will help us better understand the complex phenomena occurring during the accelerated ageing of materials and the irradiation of nuclear fuels. Gamma heating, i.e. photon energy deposition, is mainly responsible for temperature rise in non-fuelled zones of nuclear reactors, including JHR internal structures and irradiation devices. As temperature is a key parameter for physicalmore » models describing the behavior of material, accurate control of temperature, and hence gamma heating, is required in irradiation devices and samples in order to perform an advanced suitable analysis of future experimental results. From a broader point of view, JHR global attractiveness as a MTR depends on its ability to monitor experimental parameters with high accuracy, including gamma heating. Strict control of temperature levels is also necessary in terms of safety. As JHR structures are warmed up by gamma heating, they must be appropriately cooled down to prevent creep deformation or melting. Cooling-power sizing is based on calculated levels of gamma heating in the JHR. Due to these safety concerns, accurate calculation of gamma heating with well-controlled bias and associated uncertainty as low as possible is all the more important. There are two main kinds of calculation bias: bias coming from nuclear data on the one hand and bias coming from physical approximations assumed by computer codes and by general calculation route on the other hand. The former must be determined by comparison between calculation and experimental data; the latter by calculation comparisons between codes and between methodologies. In this presentation, we focus on this latter kind of bias. Nuclear heating is represented by the physical quantity called absorbed dose (energy deposition induced by particle-matter interactions, divided by mass). Its calculation with Monte Carlo codes is possible but computationally expensive as it requires transport simulation of charged particles, along with neutrons and photons. For that reason, the calculation of another physical quantity, called KERMA, is often preferred, as KERMA calculation with Monte Carlo codes only requires transport of neutral particles. However, KERMA is only an estimator of the absorbed dose and many conditions must be fulfilled for KERMA to be equal to absorbed dose, including so-called condition of electronic equilibrium. Also, Monte Carlo computations of absorbed dose still present some physical approximations, even though there is only a limited number of them. Some of these approximations are linked to the way how Monte Carlo codes apprehend the transport simulation of charged particles and the productive and destructive interactions between photons, electrons and positrons. There exists a huge variety of electromagnetic shower models which tackle this topic. Differences in the implementation of these models can lead to discrepancies in calculated values of absorbed dose between different Monte Carlo codes. The magnitude of order of such potential discrepancies should be quantified for JHR gamma-heating calculations. We consequently present a two-pronged plan. In a first phase, we intend to perform compared absorbed dose / KERMA Monte Carlo calculations in the JHR. This way, we will study the presence or absence of electronic equilibrium in the different JHR structures and experimental devices and we will give recommendations for the choice of KERMA or absorbed dose when calculating gamma heating in the JHR. In a second phase, we intend to perform compared TRIPOLI4 / MCNP absorbed dose calculations in a simplified JHR-representative geometry. For this comparison, we will use the same nuclear data library for both codes (the European library JEFF3.1.1 and photon library EPDL97) so as to isolate the effects from electromagnetic shower models on absorbed dose calculation. This way, we hope to get insightful feedback on these models and their implementation in Monte Carlo codes. (authors)« less

Dose calculation and verification of the Vero gimbal tracking treatment delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasetio, H.; Wölfelschneider, J.; Ziegler, M.; Serpa, M.; Witulla, B.; Bert, C.

2018-02-01

The Vero linear accelerator delivers dynamic tumor tracking (DTT) treatment using a gimbal motion. However, the availability of treatment planning systems (TPS) to simulate DTT is limited. This study aims to implement and verify the gimbal tracking beam geometry in the dose calculation. Gimbal tracking was implemented by rotating the reference CT outside the TPS according to the ring, gantry, and gimbal tracking position obtained from the tracking log file. The dose was calculated using these rotated CTs. The geometric accuracy was verified by comparing calculated and measured film response using a ball bearing phantom. The dose was verified by comparing calculated 2D dose distributions and film measurements in a ball bearing and a homogeneous phantom using a gamma criterion of 2%/2 mm. The effect of implementing the gimbal tracking beam geometry in a 3D patient data dose calculation was evaluated using dose volume histograms (DVH). Geometrically, the gimbal tracking implementation accuracy was  <0.94 mm. The isodose lines agreed with the film measurement. The largest dose difference of 9.4% was observed at maximum tilt positions with an isocenter and target separation of 17.51 mm. Dosimetrically, gamma passing rates were  >98.4%. The introduction of the gimbal tracking beam geometry in the dose calculation shifted the DVH curves by 0.05%-1.26% for the phantom geometry and by 5.59% for the patient CT dataset. This study successfully demonstrates a method to incorporate the gimbal tracking beam geometry into dose calculations. By combining CT rotation and MU distribution according to the log file, the TPS was able to simulate the Vero tracking treatment dose delivery. The DVH analysis from the gimbal tracking dose calculation revealed changes in the dose distribution during gimbal DTT that are not visible with static dose calculations.

Acceleration of intensity-modulated radiotherapy dose calculation by importance sampling of the calculation matrices.

PubMed

Thieke, Christian; Nill, Simeon; Oelfke, Uwe; Bortfeld, Thomas

2002-05-01

In inverse planning for intensity-modulated radiotherapy, the dose calculation is a crucial element limiting both the maximum achievable plan quality and the speed of the optimization process. One way to integrate accurate dose calculation algorithms into inverse planning is to precalculate the dose contribution of each beam element to each voxel for unit fluence. These precalculated values are stored in a big dose calculation matrix. Then the dose calculation during the iterative optimization process consists merely of matrix look-up and multiplication with the actual fluence values. However, because the dose calculation matrix can become very large, this ansatz requires a lot of computer memory and is still very time consuming, making it not practical for clinical routine without further modifications. In this work we present a new method to significantly reduce the number of entries in the dose calculation matrix. The method utilizes the fact that a photon pencil beam has a rapid radial dose falloff, and has very small dose values for the most part. In this low-dose part of the pencil beam, the dose contribution to a voxel is only integrated into the dose calculation matrix with a certain probability. Normalization with the reciprocal of this probability preserves the total energy, even though many matrix elements are omitted. Three probability distributions were tested to find the most accurate one for a given memory size. The sampling method is compared with the use of a fully filled matrix and with the well-known method of just cutting off the pencil beam at a certain lateral distance. A clinical example of a head and neck case is presented. It turns out that a sampled dose calculation matrix with only 1/3 of the entries of the fully filled matrix does not sacrifice the quality of the resulting plans, whereby the cutoff method results in a suboptimal treatment plan.

10 CFR 835.203 - Combining internal and external equivalent doses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Combining internal and external equivalent doses. 835.203 Section 835.203 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION PROTECTION Standards for Internal and External Exposure § 835.203 Combining internal and external equivalent doses. (a) The total effective dose...

Validation of a virtual source model of medical linac for Monte Carlo dose calculation using multi-threaded Geant4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aboulbanine, Zakaria; El Khayati, Naïma

2018-04-01

The use of phase space in medical linear accelerator Monte Carlo (MC) simulations significantly improves the execution time and leads to results comparable to those obtained from full calculations. The classical representation of phase space stores directly the information of millions of particles, producing bulky files. This paper presents a virtual source model (VSM) based on a reconstruction algorithm, taking as input a compressed file of roughly 800 kb derived from phase space data freely available in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) database. This VSM includes two main components; primary and scattered particle sources, with a specific reconstruction method developed for each. Energy spectra and other relevant variables were extracted from IAEA phase space and stored in the input description data file for both sources. The VSM was validated for three photon beams: Elekta Precise 6 MV/10 MV and a Varian TrueBeam 6 MV. Extensive calculations in water and comparisons between dose distributions of the VSM and IAEA phase space were performed to estimate the VSM precision. The Geant4 MC toolkit in multi-threaded mode (Geant4-[mt]) was used for fast dose calculations and optimized memory use. Four field configurations were chosen for dose calculation validation to test field size and symmetry effects, , , and for squared fields, and for an asymmetric rectangular field. Good agreement in terms of formalism, for 3%/3 mm and 2%/3 mm criteria, for each evaluated radiation field and photon beam was obtained within a computation time of 60 h on a single WorkStation for a 3 mm voxel matrix. Analyzing the VSM’s precision in high dose gradient regions, using the distance to agreement concept (DTA), showed also satisfactory results. In all investigated cases, the mean DTA was less than 1 mm in build-up and penumbra regions. In regards to calculation efficiency, the event processing speed is six times faster using Geant4-[mt] compared to sequential Geant4, when running the same simulation code for both. The developed VSM for 6 MV/10 MV beams widely used, is a general concept easy to adapt in order to reconstruct comparable beam qualities for various linac configurations, facilitating its integration for MC treatment planning purposes.

A prospective cohort study of exposure-response relationship for vibration-induced white finger.

PubMed

Bovenzi, M

2010-01-01

To investigate prospectively the relation between vibration-induced white finger (VWF) and measures of cumulative (lifetime) exposure to hand-transmitted vibration (HTV). Two hundred and forty-nine HTV workers and 138 control men of the same companies participated in a 3-year follow-up study. The diagnosis of VWF (Raynaud's phenomenon in the controls) was based on the medical history, the administration of colour charts and the results of a cold test. Tool vibration magnitudes were expressed as root-mean-square (r.m.s.) acceleration, frequency-weighted according to international standard ISO 5349-1 and also unweighted over the frequency range 6.3-1250 Hz. From the vibration magnitudes and exposure durations, alternative measures of cumulative vibration dose were calculated for each HTV worker, according to the expression: dose = Sigmaa(i)(m)t(i), where a(i) is the acceleration magnitude on tool i, t(i) is the lifetime exposure duration (hours) for tool i, and m = 0, 1, 2 or 4. The incidence of VWF varied from 5 to 6% in the HTV workers versus 0 to 1.5% for Raynaud's phenomenon in the controls. After adjusting for potential confounders, measures of cumulative vibration dose derived from total operating hours and high powers of unweighted acceleration (ie, , with m>1) gave better predictions of the occurrence of VWF than dose measures calculated from frequency-weighted acceleration (ie, ). These findings were observed in the entire sample of HTV workers, in those with no VWF at the initial investigation, and in those with normal cold test results at baseline. This prospective cohort study suggests that measures of cumulative vibration doses constructed from unweighted r.m.s. acceleration perform better for the prediction of VWF than dose measures calculated according to the recommendations of current standards. These findings should contribute to the improvement of the ISO frequency weighting for evaluating the severity of hand-transmitted vibration.

Advantage of 3D volumetric dosemeter in delivery quality assurance of dynamic arc therapy: comparison of pencil beam and Monte Carlo calculations

PubMed Central

Shin, H-J; Song, J H; Jung, J-Y; Kwak, Y-K; Kay, C S; Kang, Y-N; Choi, B O; Jang, H S

2013-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of pencil beam calculation (PBC) and Monte Carlo calculation (MCC) for dynamic arc therapy (DAT) in a cylindrically shaped homogenous phantom, by comparing the two plans with an ion chamber, a film and a three-dimensional (3D) volumetric dosemeter. Methods: For this study, an in-house phantom was constructed, and the PBC and MCC plans for DAT were performed using iPlan® RT (BrainLAB®, Heimstetten, Germany). The A16 micro ion chamber (Standard Imaging, Middleton, WI), Gafchromic® EBT2 film (International Specialty Products, Wayne, NJ) and ArcCHECK™ (Sun Nuclear, Melbourne, FL) were used for measurements. For comparison with each plan, two-dimensional (2D) and 3D gamma analyses were performed using 3%/3 mm and 2%/2 mm criteria. Results: The difference between the PBC and MCC plans using 2D and 3D gamma analyses was found to be 7.85% and 28.8%, respectively. The ion chamber and 2D dose distribution measurements did not exhibit this difference revealed by the comparison between the PBC and MCC plans. However, the 3D assessment showed a significant difference between the PBC and MCC (62.7% for PBC vs 93.4% for MCC, p = 0.034). Conclusion: Evaluation using a 3D volumetric dosemeter can be clinically useful for delivery quality assurance (QA), and the MCC should be used to achieve the most reliable dose calculation for DAT. Advances in knowledge: (1) The DAT plan calculated using the PBC has a limitation in the calculation methods, and a 3D volumetric dosemeter was found to be an adequate tool for delivery QA of DAT. (2) The MCC was superior to PBC in terms of the accuracy in dose calculation for DAT even in the homogenous condition. PMID:24234583

Stereotactic, Single-Dose Irradiation of Lung Tumors: A Comparison of Absolute Dose and Dose Distribution Between Pencil Beam and Monte Carlo Algorithms Based on Actual Patient CT Scans

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen Huixiao; Lohr, Frank; Fritz, Peter

2010-11-01

Purpose: Dose calculation based on pencil beam (PB) algorithms has its shortcomings predicting dose in tissue heterogeneities. The aim of this study was to compare dose distributions of clinically applied non-intensity-modulated radiotherapy 15-MV plans for stereotactic body radiotherapy between voxel Monte Carlo (XVMC) calculation and PB calculation for lung lesions. Methods and Materials: To validate XVMC, one treatment plan was verified in an inhomogeneous thorax phantom with EDR2 film (Eastman Kodak, Rochester, NY). Both measured and calculated (PB and XVMC) dose distributions were compared regarding profiles and isodoses. Then, 35 lung plans originally created for clinical treatment by PB calculationmore » with the Eclipse planning system (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA) were recalculated by XVMC (investigational implementation in PrecisePLAN [Elekta AB, Stockholm, Sweden]). Clinically relevant dose-volume parameters for target and lung tissue were compared and analyzed statistically. Results: The XVMC calculation agreed well with film measurements (<1% difference in lateral profile), whereas the deviation between PB calculation and film measurements was up to +15%. On analysis of 35 clinical cases, the mean dose, minimal dose and coverage dose value for 95% volume of gross tumor volume were 1.14 {+-} 1.72 Gy, 1.68 {+-} 1.47 Gy, and 1.24 {+-} 1.04 Gy lower by XVMC compared with PB, respectively (prescription dose, 30 Gy). The volume covered by the 9 Gy isodose of lung was 2.73% {+-} 3.12% higher when calculated by XVMC compared with PB. The largest differences were observed for small lesions circumferentially encompassed by lung tissue. Conclusions: Pencil beam dose calculation overestimates dose to the tumor and underestimates lung volumes exposed to a given dose consistently for 15-MV photons. The degree of difference between XVMC and PB is tumor size and location dependent. Therefore XVMC calculation is helpful to further optimize treatment planning.« less

Estimating the uncertainty of calculated out-of-field organ dose from a commercial treatment planning system.

PubMed

Wang, Lilie; Ding, George X

2018-06-12

Therapeutic radiation to cancer patients is accompanied by unintended radiation to organs outside the treatment field. It is known that the model-based dose algorithm has limitation in calculating the out-of-field doses. This study evaluated the out-of-field dose calculated by the Varian Eclipse treatment planning system (v.11 with AAA algorithm) in realistic treatment plans with the goal of estimating the uncertainties of calculated organ doses. Photon beam phase-space files for TrueBeam linear accelerator were provided by Varian. These were used as incident sources in EGSnrc Monte Carlo simulations of radiation transport through the downstream jaws and MLC. Dynamic movements of the MLC leaves were fully modeled based on treatment plans using IMRT or VMAT techniques. The Monte Carlo calculated out-of-field doses were then compared with those calculated by Eclipse. The dose comparisons were performed for different beam energies and treatment sites, including head-and-neck, lung, and pelvis. For 6 MV (FF/FFF), 10 MV (FF/FFF), and 15 MV (FF) beams, Eclipse underestimated out-of-field local doses by 30%-50% compared with Monte Carlo calculations when the local dose was <1% of prescribed dose. The accuracy of out-of-field dose calculations using Eclipse is improved when collimator jaws were set at the smallest possible aperture for MLC openings. The Eclipse system consistently underestimates out-of-field dose by a factor of 2 for all beam energies studied at the local dose level of less than 1% of prescribed dose. These findings are useful in providing information on the uncertainties of out-of-field organ doses calculated by Eclipse treatment planning system. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Modification and validation of an analytical source model for external beam radiotherapy Monte Carlo dose calculations.

PubMed

Davidson, Scott E; Cui, Jing; Kry, Stephen; Deasy, Joseph O; Ibbott, Geoffrey S; Vicic, Milos; White, R Allen; Followill, David S

2016-08-01

A dose calculation tool, which combines the accuracy of the dose planning method (DPM) Monte Carlo code and the versatility of a practical analytical multisource model, which was previously reported has been improved and validated for the Varian 6 and 10 MV linear accelerators (linacs). The calculation tool can be used to calculate doses in advanced clinical application studies. One shortcoming of current clinical trials that report dose from patient plans is the lack of a standardized dose calculation methodology. Because commercial treatment planning systems (TPSs) have their own dose calculation algorithms and the clinical trial participant who uses these systems is responsible for commissioning the beam model, variation exists in the reported calculated dose distributions. Today's modern linac is manufactured to tight specifications so that variability within a linac model is quite low. The expectation is that a single dose calculation tool for a specific linac model can be used to accurately recalculate dose from patient plans that have been submitted to the clinical trial community from any institution. The calculation tool would provide for a more meaningful outcome analysis. The analytical source model was described by a primary point source, a secondary extra-focal source, and a contaminant electron source. Off-axis energy softening and fluence effects were also included. The additions of hyperbolic functions have been incorporated into the model to correct for the changes in output and in electron contamination with field size. A multileaf collimator (MLC) model is included to facilitate phantom and patient dose calculations. An offset to the MLC leaf positions was used to correct for the rudimentary assumed primary point source. Dose calculations of the depth dose and profiles for field sizes 4 × 4 to 40 × 40 cm agree with measurement within 2% of the maximum dose or 2 mm distance to agreement (DTA) for 95% of the data points tested. The model was capable of predicting the depth of the maximum dose within 1 mm. Anthropomorphic phantom benchmark testing of modulated and patterned MLCs treatment plans showed agreement to measurement within 3% in target regions using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD). Using radiochromic film normalized to TLD, a gamma criteria of 3% of maximum dose and 2 mm DTA was applied with a pass rate of least 85% in the high dose, high gradient, and low dose regions. Finally, recalculations of patient plans using DPM showed good agreement relative to a commercial TPS when comparing dose volume histograms and 2D dose distributions. A unique analytical source model coupled to the dose planning method Monte Carlo dose calculation code has been modified and validated using basic beam data and anthropomorphic phantom measurement. While this tool can be applied in general use for a particular linac model, specifically it was developed to provide a singular methodology to independently assess treatment plan dose distributions from those clinical institutions participating in National Cancer Institute trials.

SU-E-T-226: Correction of a Standard Model-Based Dose Calculator Using Measurement Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, M; Jiang, S; Lu, W

Purpose: To propose a hybrid method that combines advantages of the model-based and measurement-based method for independent dose calculation. Modeled-based dose calculation, such as collapsed-cone-convolution/superposition (CCCS) or the Monte-Carlo method, models dose deposition in the patient body accurately; however, due to lack of detail knowledge about the linear accelerator (LINAC) head, commissioning for an arbitrary machine is tedious and challenging in case of hardware changes. On the contrary, the measurement-based method characterizes the beam property accurately but lacks the capability of dose disposition modeling in heterogeneous media. Methods: We used a standard CCCS calculator, which is commissioned by published data,more » as the standard model calculator. For a given machine, water phantom measurements were acquired. A set of dose distributions were also calculated using the CCCS for the same setup. The difference between the measurements and the CCCS results were tabulated and used as the commissioning data for a measurement based calculator. Here we used a direct-ray-tracing calculator (ΔDRT). The proposed independent dose calculation consists of the following steps: 1. calculate D-model using CCCS. 2. calculate D-ΔDRT using ΔDRT. 3. combine Results: D=D-model+D-ΔDRT. Results: The hybrid dose calculation was tested on digital phantoms and patient CT data for standard fields and IMRT plan. The results were compared to dose calculated by the treatment planning system (TPS). The agreement of the hybrid and the TPS was within 3%, 3 mm for over 98% of the volume for phantom studies and lung patients. Conclusion: The proposed hybrid method uses the same commissioning data as those for the measurement-based method and can be easily extended to any non-standard LINAC. The results met the accuracy, independence, and simple commissioning criteria for an independent dose calculator.« less

Four-dimensional dose reconstruction through in vivo phase matching of cine images of electronic portal imaging device

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yoon, Jihyung; Jung, Jae Won, E-mail: jungj@ecu.ed

Purpose: A method is proposed to reconstruct a four-dimensional (4D) dose distribution using phase matching of measured cine images to precalculated images of electronic portal imaging device (EPID). Methods: (1) A phantom, designed to simulate a tumor in lung (a polystyrene block with a 3 cm diameter embedded in cork), was placed on a sinusoidally moving platform with an amplitude of 1 cm and a period of 4 s. Ten-phase 4D computed tomography (CT) images of the phantom were acquired. A planning target volume (PTV) was created by adding a margin of 1 cm around the internal target volume ofmore » the tumor. (2) Three beams were designed, which included a static beam, a theoretical dynamic beam, and a planning-optimized dynamic beam (PODB). While the theoretical beam was made by manually programming a simplistic sliding leaf motion, the planning-optimized beam was obtained from treatment planning. From the three beams, three-dimensional (3D) doses on the phantom were calculated; 4D dose was calculated by means of the ten phase images (integrated over phases afterward); serving as “reference” images, phase-specific EPID dose images under the lung phantom were also calculated for each of the ten phases. (3) Cine EPID images were acquired while the beams were irradiated to the moving phantom. (4) Each cine image was phase-matched to a phase-specific CT image at which common irradiation occurred by intercomparing the cine image with the reference images. (5) Each cine image was used to reconstruct dose in the phase-matched CT image, and the reconstructed doses were summed over all phases. (6) The summation was compared with forwardly calculated 4D and 3D dose distributions. Accounting for realistic situations, intratreatment breathing irregularity was simulated by assuming an amplitude of 0.5 cm for the phantom during a portion of breathing trace in which the phase matching could not be performed. Intertreatment breathing irregularity between the time of treatment and the time of planning CT was considered by utilizing the same reduced amplitude when the phantom was irradiated. To examine the phase matching in a humanoid environment, the matching was also performed in a digital phantom (4D XCAT phantom). Results: For the static, the theoretical, and the planning-optimized dynamic beams, the 4D reconstructed doses showed agreement with the forwardly calculated 4D doses within the gamma pass rates of 92.7%, 100%, and 98.1%, respectively, at the isocenter plane given by 3%/3 mm criteria. Excellent agreement in dose volume histogram of PTV and lung-PTV was also found between the two 4D doses, while substantial differences were found between the 3D and the 4D doses. The significant breathing irregularities modeled in this study were found not to be noticeably affecting the reconstructed dose. The phase matching was performed equally well in a digital phantom. Conclusions: The method of retrospective phase determination of a moving object under irradiation provided successful 4D dose reconstruction. This method will provide accurate quality assurance and facilitate adaptive therapy when distinguishable objects such as well-defined tumors, diaphragm, and organs with markers (pancreas and liver) are covered by treatment beam apertures.« less

Four-dimensional dose reconstruction through in vivo phase matching of cine images of electronic portal imaging device.

PubMed

Yoon, Jihyung; Jung, Jae Won; Kim, Jong Oh; Yi, Byong Yong; Yeo, Inhwan

2016-07-01

A method is proposed to reconstruct a four-dimensional (4D) dose distribution using phase matching of measured cine images to precalculated images of electronic portal imaging device (EPID). (1) A phantom, designed to simulate a tumor in lung (a polystyrene block with a 3 cm diameter embedded in cork), was placed on a sinusoidally moving platform with an amplitude of 1 cm and a period of 4 s. Ten-phase 4D computed tomography (CT) images of the phantom were acquired. A planning target volume (PTV) was created by adding a margin of 1 cm around the internal target volume of the tumor. (2) Three beams were designed, which included a static beam, a theoretical dynamic beam, and a planning-optimized dynamic beam (PODB). While the theoretical beam was made by manually programming a simplistic sliding leaf motion, the planning-optimized beam was obtained from treatment planning. From the three beams, three-dimensional (3D) doses on the phantom were calculated; 4D dose was calculated by means of the ten phase images (integrated over phases afterward); serving as "reference" images, phase-specific EPID dose images under the lung phantom were also calculated for each of the ten phases. (3) Cine EPID images were acquired while the beams were irradiated to the moving phantom. (4) Each cine image was phase-matched to a phase-specific CT image at which common irradiation occurred by intercomparing the cine image with the reference images. (5) Each cine image was used to reconstruct dose in the phase-matched CT image, and the reconstructed doses were summed over all phases. (6) The summation was compared with forwardly calculated 4D and 3D dose distributions. Accounting for realistic situations, intratreatment breathing irregularity was simulated by assuming an amplitude of 0.5 cm for the phantom during a portion of breathing trace in which the phase matching could not be performed. Intertreatment breathing irregularity between the time of treatment and the time of planning CT was considered by utilizing the same reduced amplitude when the phantom was irradiated. To examine the phase matching in a humanoid environment, the matching was also performed in a digital phantom (4D XCAT phantom). For the static, the theoretical, and the planning-optimized dynamic beams, the 4D reconstructed doses showed agreement with the forwardly calculated 4D doses within the gamma pass rates of 92.7%, 100%, and 98.1%, respectively, at the isocenter plane given by 3%/3 mm criteria. Excellent agreement in dose volume histogram of PTV and lung-PTV was also found between the two 4D doses, while substantial differences were found between the 3D and the 4D doses. The significant breathing irregularities modeled in this study were found not to be noticeably affecting the reconstructed dose. The phase matching was performed equally well in a digital phantom. The method of retrospective phase determination of a moving object under irradiation provided successful 4D dose reconstruction. This method will provide accurate quality assurance and facilitate adaptive therapy when distinguishable objects such as well-defined tumors, diaphragm, and organs with markers (pancreas and liver) are covered by treatment beam apertures.

SU-F-T-151: Measurement Evaluation of Skin Dose in Scanning Proton Beam Therapy for Breast Cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yu, J; Nichols, E; Strauss, D

Purpose: To measure the skin dose and compare it with the calculated dose from a treatment planning system (TPS) for breast cancer treatment using scanning proton beam therapy (SPBT). Methods: A single en-face-beam SPBT plan was generated by a commercial TPS for two breast cancer patients. The treatment volumes were the entire breasts (218 cc and 1500 cc) prescribed to 50.4 Gy (RBE) in 28 fractions. A range shifter of 5 cm water equivalent thickness was used. The organ at risk (skin) was defined to be 5 mm thick from the surface. The skin doses were measured in water withmore » an ADCL calibrated parallel plate (PP) chamber. The measured data were compared with the values calculated in the TPS. Skin dose calculations can be subject to uncertainties created by the definition of the external contour and the limitations of the correction based algorithms, such as proton convolution superposition. Hence, the external contours were expanded by 0, 3 mm and 1 cm to include additional pixels for dose calculation. In addition, to examine the effects of the cloth gown on the skin dose, the skin dose measurements were conducted with and without gown. Results: On average the measured skin dose was 4% higher than the calculated values. At deeper depths, the measured and calculated doses were in better agreement (< 2%). Large discrepancy occur for the dose calculated without external expansion due to volume averaging. The addition of the gown only increased the measured skin dose by 0.4%. Conclusion: The implemented TPS underestimated the skin dose for breast treatments. Superficial dose calculation without external expansion would result in large errors for SPBT for breast cancer.« less

Development of computational pregnant female and fetus models and assessment of radiation dose from positron-emitting tracers.

PubMed

Xie, Tianwu; Zaidi, Habib

2016-12-01

Molecular imaging using PET and hybrid (PET/CT and PET/MR) modalities nowadays plays a pivotal role in the clinical setting for diagnosis and staging, treatment response monitoring, and radiation therapy treatment planning of a wide range of oncologic malignancies. The developing embryo/fetus presents a high sensitivity to ionizing radiation. Therefore, estimation of the radiation dose delivered to the embryo/fetus and pregnant patients from PET examinations to assess potential radiation risks is highly praised. We constructed eight embryo/fetus models at various gestation periods with 25 identified tissues according to reference data recommended by the ICRP publication 89 representing the anatomy of the developing embryo/fetus. The developed embryo/fetus models were integrated into realistic anthropomorphic computational phantoms of the pregnant female and used for estimating, using Monte Carlo calculations, S-values of common positron-emitting radionuclides, organ absorbed dose, and effective dose of a number of positron-emitting labeled radiotracers. The absorbed dose is nonuniformly distributed in the fetus. The absorbed dose of the kidney and liver of the 8-week-old fetus are about 47.45 % and 44.76 % higher than the average absorbed dose of the fetal total body for all investigated radiotracers. For 18 F-FDG, the fetal effective doses are 2.90E-02, 3.09E-02, 1.79E-02, 1.59E-02, 1.47E-02, 1.40E-02, 1.37E-02, and 1.27E-02 mSv/MBq at the 8th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 30th, 35th, and 38th weeks of gestation, respectively. The developed pregnant female/fetus models matching the ICRP reference data can be exploited by dedicated software packages for internal and external dose calculations. The generated S-values will be useful to produce new standardized dose estimates to pregnant patients and embryo/fetus from a variety of positron-emitting labeled radiotracers.

DEVELOPMENT OF A SET OF MESH-BASED AND AGE-DEPENDENT CHINESE PHANTOMS AND APPLICATION FOR CT DOSE CALCULATIONS.

PubMed

Pi, Yifei; Liu, Tianyu; Xu, X George

2018-06-01

Phantoms for organ dose calculations are essential in radiation protection dosimetry. This article describes the development of a set of mesh-based and age-dependent phantoms for Chinese populations using reference data recommended by the Chinese government and by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Existing mesh-based RPI adult male (RPI-AM) and RPI adult female (RPI-AF) phantoms were deformed to form new phantoms according to anatomical data for the height and weight of Chinese individuals of 5 years old male, 5 years old female, 10 years old male, 10 years old female,15 years old male, 15 years old female, adult male and adult female-named USTC-5 M, USTC-5F, USTC-10M, USTC-10F, USTC-15M, USTC-15F, USTC-AM and USTC-AF, respectively. Following procedures to ensure the accuracy, more than 120 organs/tissues in each model were adjusted to match the Chinese reference parameters and the mass errors were within 0.5%. To demonstrate the usefulness, these new set of phantoms were combined with a fully validated model of the GE LightSpeed Pro 16 multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scanner and the GPU-based ARCHER Monte Carlo code to compute organ doses from CT examinations. Organ doses for adult models were then compared with the data of RPI-AM and RPI-AF under the same conditions. The absorbed doses and the effective doses of RPI phantoms are found to be lower than these of the USTC adult phantoms whose body sizes are smaller. Comparisons for the doses among different ages and genders were also made. It was found that teenagers receive more radiation doses than adults do. Such Chinese-specific phantoms are clearly better suited in organ dose studies for the Chinese individuals than phantoms designed for western populations. As already demonstrated, data derived from age-specific Chinese phantoms can help CT operators and designers to optimize image quality and doses.

Improving spot-scanning proton therapy patient specific quality assurance with HPlusQA, a second-check dose calculation engine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mackin, Dennis; Li, Yupeng; Taylor, Michael B.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to validate the use of HPlusQA, spot-scanning proton therapy (SSPT) dose calculation software developed at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, as second-check dose calculation software for patient-specific quality assurance (PSQA). The authors also showed how HPlusQA can be used within the current PSQA framework.Methods: The authors compared the dose calculations of HPlusQA and the Eclipse treatment planning system with 106 planar dose measurements made as part of PSQA. To determine the relative performance and the degree of correlation between HPlusQA and Eclipse, the authors compared calculated with measured point doses.more » Then, to determine how well HPlusQA can predict when the comparisons between Eclipse calculations and the measured dose will exceed tolerance levels, the authors compared gamma index scores for HPlusQA versus Eclipse with those of measured doses versus Eclipse. The authors introduce the αβγ transformation as a way to more easily compare gamma scores.Results: The authors compared measured and calculated dose planes using the relative depth, z/R × 100%, where z is the depth of the measurement and R is the proton beam range. For relative depths than less than 80%, both Eclipse and HPlusQA calculations were within 2 cGy of dose measurements on average. When the relative depth was greater than 80%, the agreement between the calculations and measurements fell to 4 cGy. For relative depths less than 10%, the Eclipse and HPlusQA dose discrepancies showed a negative correlation, −0.21. Otherwise, the correlation between the dose discrepancies was positive and as large as 0.6. For the dose planes in this study, HPlusQA correctly predicted when Eclipse had and had not calculated the dose to within tolerance 92% and 79% of the time, respectively. In 4 of 106 cases, HPlusQA failed to predict when the comparison between measurement and Eclipse's calculation had exceeded the tolerance levels of 3% for dose and 3 mm for distance-to-agreement.Conclusions: The authors found HPlusQA to be reasonably effective (79%± 10%) in determining when the comparison between measured dose planes and the dose planes calculated by the Eclipse treatment planning system had exceeded the acceptable tolerance levels. When used as described in this study, HPlusQA can reduce the need for patient specific quality assurance measurements by 64%. The authors believe that the use of HPlusQA as a dose calculation second check can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the QA process.« less

Space dosimetry with the application of a 3D silicon detector telescope: response function and inverse algorithm.

PubMed

Pázmándi, Tamás; Deme, Sándor; Láng, Edit

2006-01-01

One of the many risks of long-duration space flights is the excessive exposure to cosmic radiation, which has great importance particularly during solar flares and higher sun activity. Monitoring of the cosmic radiation on board space vehicles is carried out on the basis of wide international co-operation. Since space radiation consists mainly of charged heavy particles (protons, alpha and heavier particles), the equivalent dose differs significantly from the absorbed dose. A radiation weighting factor (w(R)) is used to convert absorbed dose (Gy) to equivalent dose (Sv). w(R) is a function of the linear energy transfer of the radiation. Recently used equipment is suitable for measuring certain radiation field parameters changing in space and over time, so a combination of different measurements and calculations is required to characterise the radiation field in terms of dose equivalent. The objectives of this project are to develop and manufacture a three-axis silicon detector telescope, called Tritel, and to develop software for data evaluation of the measured energy deposition spectra. The device will be able to determine absorbed dose and dose equivalent of the space radiation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thomas, D; O’Connell, D; Lamb, J

Purpose: To demonstrate real-time dose calculation of free-breathing MRI guided Co−60 treatments, using a motion model and Monte-Carlo dose calculation to accurately account for the interplay between irregular breathing motion and an IMRT delivery. Methods: ViewRay Co-60 dose distributions were optimized on ITVs contoured from free-breathing CT images of lung cancer patients. Each treatment plan was separated into 0.25s segments, accounting for the MLC positions and beam angles at each time point. A voxel-specific motion model derived from multiple fast-helical free-breathing CTs and deformable registration was calculated for each patient. 3D images for every 0.25s of a simulated treatment weremore » generated in real time, here using a bellows signal as a surrogate to accurately account for breathing irregularities. Monte-Carlo dose calculation was performed every 0.25s of the treatment, with the number of histories in each calculation scaled to give an overall 1% statistical uncertainty. Each dose calculation was deformed back to the reference image using the motion model and accumulated. The static and real-time dose calculations were compared. Results: Image generation was performed in real time at 4 frames per second (GPU). Monte-Carlo dose calculation was performed at approximately 1frame per second (CPU), giving a total calculation time of approximately 30 minutes per treatment. Results show both cold- and hot-spots in and around the ITV, and increased dose to contralateral lung as the tumor moves in and out of the beam during treatment. Conclusion: An accurate motion model combined with a fast Monte-Carlo dose calculation allows almost real-time dose calculation of a free-breathing treatment. When combined with sagittal 2D-cine-mode MRI during treatment to update the motion model in real time, this will allow the true delivered dose of a treatment to be calculated, providing a useful tool for adaptive planning and assessing the effectiveness of gated treatments.« less

Comparative dosimetric evaluation of nanotargeted (188)Re-(DXR)-liposome for internal radiotherapy.

PubMed

Chang, Chih-Hsien; Stabin, Michael G; Chang, Ya-Jen; Chen, Liang-Cheng; Chen, Min-Hua; Chang, Tsui-Jung; Lee, Te-Wei; Ting, Gann

2008-12-01

A dosimetric analysis was performed to evaluate nanoliposomes as carriers of radionuclides ((188)Re-liposomes) and radiochemotherapeutic drugs [(188)Re-doxorubicin (DXR)-liposomes] in internal radiotherapy for colon carcinoma, as evaluated in mice. Pharmacokinetic data for (188)Re-N, N-bis (2-mercaptoethyl)-N',N'-diethylethylenediamine (BMEDA), (188)Re-liposome, and (188)Re-DXR-liposome were obtained for the estimation of absorbed doses in tumors and normal organs. Two colon carcinoma mouse models were employed: subcutaneous growing solid tumor and malignant ascites pervading tumor models. Radiation-dose estimates for normal tissues and tumors were calculated by using the OLINDA/EXM program. An evaluation of a recommended maximum administered activity (MAA) for the nanotargeted drugs was also made. Mean absorbed doses derived from (188)Re-liposome and (188)Re-DXR-liposome in normal tissues were generally similar to those from (188)Re-BMEDA in intraperitoneal and intravenous administration. Tissue-absorbed dose in the liver was 0.24-0.40 and 0.17-0.26 (mGy/MBq) and in red marrow was 0.033-0.050 and 0.038-0.046 (mGy/MBq), respectively, for (188)Re-liposome and (188)Re-DXR-liposome. Tumor-absorbed doses for the nanotargeted (188)Re-liposome and (188)Re-DXR-liposome were higher than those of (188)Re-BMEDA for both routes of administration (4-26-fold). Dose to red marrow defined the recommended MAA. Our results suggest that radionuclide and chemoradiotherapeutic passive targeting delivery, using nanoliposomes as the carrier, is feasible and promising in systemic-targeted radionuclide therapy.

A point kernel algorithm for microbeam radiation therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debus, Charlotte; Oelfke, Uwe; Bartzsch, Stefan

2017-11-01

Microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) is a treatment approach in radiation therapy where the treatment field is spatially fractionated into arrays of a few tens of micrometre wide planar beams of unusually high peak doses separated by low dose regions of several hundred micrometre width. In preclinical studies, this treatment approach has proven to spare normal tissue more effectively than conventional radiation therapy, while being equally efficient in tumour control. So far dose calculations in MRT, a prerequisite for future clinical applications are based on Monte Carlo simulations. However, they are computationally expensive, since scoring volumes have to be small. In this article a kernel based dose calculation algorithm is presented that splits the calculation into photon and electron mediated energy transport, and performs the calculation of peak and valley doses in typical MRT treatment fields within a few minutes. Kernels are analytically calculated depending on the energy spectrum and material composition. In various homogeneous materials peak, valley doses and microbeam profiles are calculated and compared to Monte Carlo simulations. For a microbeam exposure of an anthropomorphic head phantom calculated dose values are compared to measurements and Monte Carlo calculations. Except for regions close to material interfaces calculated peak dose values match Monte Carlo results within 4% and valley dose values within 8% deviation. No significant differences are observed between profiles calculated by the kernel algorithm and Monte Carlo simulations. Measurements in the head phantom agree within 4% in the peak and within 10% in the valley region. The presented algorithm is attached to the treatment planning platform VIRTUOS. It was and is used for dose calculations in preclinical and pet-clinical trials at the biomedical beamline ID17 of the European synchrotron radiation facility in Grenoble, France.

An international dosimetry exchange for BNCT part II: computational dosimetry normalizations.

PubMed

Riley, K J; Binns, P J; Harling, O K; Albritton, J R; Kiger, W S; Rezaei, A; Sköld, K; Seppälä, T; Savolainen, S; Auterinen, I; Marek, M; Viererbl, L; Nievaart, V A; Moss, R L

2008-12-01

The meaningful sharing and combining of clinical results from different centers in the world performing boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) requires improved precision in dose specification between programs. To this end absorbed dose normalizations were performed for the European clinical centers at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, Petten (The Netherlands), Nuclear Research Institute, Rez (Czech Republic), VTT, Espoo (Finland), and Studsvik, Nyköping (Sweden). Each European group prepared a treatment plan calculation that was bench-marked against Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) dosimetry performed in a large, water-filled phantom to uniformly evaluate dose specifications with an estimated precision of +/-2%-3%. These normalizations were compared with those derived from an earlier exchange between Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and MIT in the USA. Neglecting the uncertainties related to biological weighting factors, large variations between calculated and measured dose are apparent that depend upon the 10B uptake in tissue. Assuming a boron concentration of 15 microg g(-1) in normal tissue, differences in the evaluated maximum dose to brain for the same nominal specification of 10 Gy(w) at the different facilities range between 7.6 and 13.2 Gy(w) in the trials using boronophenylalanine (BPA) as the boron delivery compound and between 8.9 and 11.1 Gy(w) in the two boron sulfhydryl (BSH) studies. Most notably, the value for the same specified dose of 10 Gy(w) determined at the different participating centers using BPA is significantly higher than at BNL by 32% (MIT), 43% (VTT), 49% (JRC), and 74% (Studsvik). Conversion of dose specification is now possible between all active participants and should be incorporated into future multi-center patient analyses.

Assessment of human effective absorbed dose of 67 Ga-ECC based on biodistribution rat data.

PubMed

Shanehsazzadeh, Saeed; Yousefnia, Hassan; Lahooti, Afsaneh; Zolghadri, Samaneh; Jalilian, Amir Reza; Afarideh, Hossien

2015-02-01

In a diagnostic context, determination of absorbed dose is required before the introduction of a new radiopharmaceutical to the market to obtain marketing authorization from the relevant agencies. In this work, the absorbed dose of [67 Ga]-ethylenecysteamine cysteine [(67 Ga)ECC] to human organs was determined by using distribution data for rats. For biodistribution data, the animals were sacrificed by CO2 asphyxiation at selected times after injection (0.5, 2 and 48 h, n = 3 for each time interval), then the tissue (blood, heart, lung, brain, intestine, feces, skin, stomach, kidneys, liver, muscle and bone) were removed. The absorbed dose was determined by Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) method after calculating cumulated activities in each organ. Our prediction shows that a 185-MBq injection of (67)Ga-ECC into the humans might result in an estimated absorbed dose of 0.029 mGy in the whole body. The highest absorbed doses are observed in the spleen and liver with 33.766 and 16.847 mGy, respectively. The results show that this radiopharmaceutical can be a good SPECT tracer since it can be produced easily and also the absorbed dose in each organ is less than permitted absorbed dose.

Determination of dose distributions and parameter sensitivity. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project; dose code recovery activities; Calculation 005

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Napier, B.A.; Farris, W.T.; Simpson, J.C.

1992-12-01

A series of scoping calculations has been undertaken to evaluate the absolute and relative contribution of different radionuclides and exposure pathways to doses that may have been received by individuals living in the vicinity of the Hanford site. This scoping calculation (Calculation 005) examined the contributions of numerous parameters to the uncertainty distribution of doses calculated for environmental exposures and accumulation in foods. This study builds on the work initiated in the first scoping study of iodine in cow`s milk and the third scoping study, which added additional pathways. Addressed in this calculation were the contributions to thyroid dose ofmore » infants from (1) air submersion and groundshine external dose, (2) inhalation, (3) ingestion of soil by humans, (4) ingestion of leafy vegetables, (5) ingestion of other vegetables and fruits, (6) ingestion of meat, (7) ingestion of eggs, and (8) ingestion of cows` milk from Feeding Regime 1 as described in Calculation 001.« less

Beam shaping assembly of a D-T neutron source for BNCT and its dosimetry simulation in deeply-seated tumor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faghihi, F.; Khalili, S.

2013-08-01

This article involves two aims for BNCT. First case includes a beam shaping assembly estimation for a D-T neutron source to find epi-thermal neutrons which are the goal in the BNCT. Second issue is the percent depth dose calculation in the adult Snyder head phantom. Monte-Carlo simulations and verification of a suggested beam shaping assembly (including internal neutron multiplier, moderator, filter, external neutron multiplier, collimator, and reflector dimensions) for thermalizing a D-T neutron source as well as increasing neutron flux are carried out and our results are given herein. Finally, we have simulated its corresponding doses for treatment planning of a deeply-seated tumor.

Dose calculation of dynamic trajectory radiotherapy using Monte Carlo.

PubMed

Manser, P; Frauchiger, D; Frei, D; Volken, W; Terribilini, D; Fix, M K

2018-04-06

Using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) delivery technique gantry position, multi-leaf collimator (MLC) as well as dose rate change dynamically during the application. However, additional components can be dynamically altered throughout the dose delivery such as the collimator or the couch. Thus, the degrees of freedom increase allowing almost arbitrary dynamic trajectories for the beam. While the dose delivery of such dynamic trajectories for linear accelerators is technically possible, there is currently no dose calculation and validation tool available. Thus, the aim of this work is to develop a dose calculation and verification tool for dynamic trajectories using Monte Carlo (MC) methods. The dose calculation for dynamic trajectories is implemented in the previously developed Swiss Monte Carlo Plan (SMCP). SMCP interfaces the treatment planning system Eclipse with a MC dose calculation algorithm and is already able to handle dynamic MLC and gantry rotations. Hence, the additional dynamic components, namely the collimator and the couch, are described similarly to the dynamic MLC by defining data pairs of positions of the dynamic component and the corresponding MU-fractions. For validation purposes, measurements are performed with the Delta4 phantom and film measurements using the developer mode on a TrueBeam linear accelerator. These measured dose distributions are then compared with the corresponding calculations using SMCP. First, simple academic cases applying one-dimensional movements are investigated and second, more complex dynamic trajectories with several simultaneously moving components are compared considering academic cases as well as a clinically motivated prostate case. The dose calculation for dynamic trajectories is successfully implemented into SMCP. The comparisons between the measured and calculated dose distributions for the simple as well as for the more complex situations show an agreement which is generally within 3% of the maximum dose or 3mm. The required computation time for the dose calculation remains the same when the additional dynamic moving components are included. The results obtained for the dose comparisons for simple and complex situations suggest that the extended SMCP is an accurate dose calculation and efficient verification tool for dynamic trajectory radiotherapy. This work was supported by Varian Medical Systems. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

A simple calculation method for determination of equivalent square field

PubMed Central

Shafiei, Seyed Ali; Hasanzadeh, Hadi; Shafiei, Seyed Ahmad

2012-01-01

Determination of the equivalent square fields for rectangular and shielded fields is of great importance in radiotherapy centers and treatment planning software. This is accomplished using standard tables and empirical formulas. The goal of this paper is to present a formula based on analysis of scatter reduction due to inverse square law to obtain equivalent field. Tables are published by different agencies such as ICRU (International Commission on Radiation Units and measurements), which are based on experimental data; but there exist mathematical formulas that yield the equivalent square field of an irregular rectangular field which are used extensively in computation techniques for dose determination. These processes lead to some complicated and time-consuming formulas for which the current study was designed. In this work, considering the portion of scattered radiation in absorbed dose at a point of measurement, a numerical formula was obtained based on which a simple formula was developed to calculate equivalent square field. Using polar coordinate and inverse square law will lead to a simple formula for calculation of equivalent field. The presented method is an analytical approach based on which one can estimate the equivalent square field of a rectangular field and may be used for a shielded field or an off-axis point. Besides, one can calculate equivalent field of rectangular field with the concept of decreased scatter radiation with inverse square law with a good approximation. This method may be useful in computing Percentage Depth Dose and Tissue-Phantom Ratio which are extensively used in treatment planning. PMID:22557801

SU-E-T-381: Evaluation of Calculated Dose Accuracy for Organs-At-Risk Located at Out-Of-Field in a Commercial Treatment Planning System for High Energy Photon Beams Produced From TrueBeam Accelerators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, L; Ding, G

Purpose: Dose calculation accuracy for the out-of-field dose is important for predicting the dose to the organs-at-risk when they are located outside primary beams. The investigations on evaluating the calculation accuracy of treatment planning systems (TPS) on out-of-field dose in existing publications have focused on low energy (6MV) photon. This study evaluates out-of-field dose calculation accuracy of AAA algorithm for 15MV high energy photon beams. Methods: We used the EGSnrc Monte Carlo (MC) codes to evaluate the AAA algorithm in Varian Eclipse TPS (v.11). The incident beams start with validated Varian phase-space sources for a TrueBeam linac equipped with Millenniummore » 120 MLC. Dose comparisons between using AAA and MC for CT based realistic patient treatment plans using VMAT techniques for prostate and lung were performed and uncertainties of organ dose predicted by AAA at out-of-field location were evaluated. Results: The results show that AAA calculations under-estimate doses at the dose level of 1% (or less) of prescribed dose for CT based patient treatment plans using VMAT techniques. In regions where dose is only 1% of prescribed dose, although AAA under-estimates the out-of-field dose by 30% relative to the local dose, it is only about 0.3% of prescribed dose. For example, the uncertainties of calculated organ dose to liver or kidney that is located out-of-field is <0.3% of prescribed dose. Conclusion: For 15MV high energy photon beams, very good agreements (<1%) in calculating dose distributions were obtained between AAA and MC. The uncertainty of out-of-field dose calculations predicted by the AAA algorithm for realistic patient VMAT plans is <0.3% of prescribed dose in regions where the dose relative to the prescribed dose is <1%, although the uncertainties can be much larger relative to local doses. For organs-at-risk located at out-of-field, the error of dose predicted by Eclipse using AAA is negligible. This work was conducted in part using the resources of Varian research grant VUMC40590-R.« less

SU-E-T-117: Analysis of the ArcCHECK Dosimetry Gamma Failure Using the 3DVH System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cho, S; Choi, W; Lee, H

2015-06-15

Purpose: To evaluate gamma analysis failure for the VMAT patient specific QA using ArcCHECK cylindrical phantom. The 3DVH system(Sun Nuclear, FL) was used to analyze the dose difference statistic between measured dose and treatment planning system calculated dose. Methods: Four case of gamma analysis failure were selected retrospectively. Our institution gamma analysis indexes were absolute dose, 3%/3mm and 90%pass rate in the ArcCHECK dosimetry. The collapsed cone convolution superposition (CCCS) dose calculation algorithm for VMAT was used. Dose delivery was performed with Elekta Agility. The A1SL(standard imaging, WI) and cavity plug were used for point dose measurement. Delivery QA plansmore » and images were used for 3DVH Reference data instead of patient plan and image. The measured data of ‘.txt’ file was used for comparison at diodes to acquire a global dose level. The,.acml’ file was used for AC-PDP and to calculated point dose. Results: The global dose of 3DVH was calculated as 1.10 Gy, 1.13, 1.01 and 0.2 Gy respectively. The global dose of 0.2 Gy case was induced by distance discrepancy. The TPS calculated point dose of was 2.33 Gy to 2.77 Gy and 3DVH calculated dose was 2.33 Gy to 2.68 Gy. The maximum dose differences were −2.83% and −3.1% for TPS vs. measured dose and TPS vs. 3DVH calculated respectively in the same case. The difference between measured and 3DVH was 0.1% in that case. The 3DVH gamma pass rate was 98% to 99.7%. Conclusion: We found the TPS calculation error by 3DVH calculation using ArcCHECK measured dose. It seemed that our CCCS algorithm RTP system over estimated at the central region and underestimated scattering at the peripheral diode detector point. The relative gamma analysis and point dose measurement would be recommended for VMAT DQA in the gamma failure case of ArcCHECK dosimetry.« less

Effect of Embolization Material in the Calculation of Dose Deposition in Arteriovenous Malformations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

De la Cruz, O. O. Galvan; Moreno-Jimenez, S.; Larraga-Gutierrez, J. M.

2010-12-07

In this work it is studied the impact of the incorporation of high Z materials (embolization material) in the dose calculation for stereotactic radiosurgery treatment for arteriovenous malformations. A statistical analysis is done to establish the variables that may impact in the dose calculation. To perform the comparison pencil beam (PB) and Monte Carlo (MC) calculation algorithms were used. The comparison between both dose calculations shows that PB overestimates the dose deposited. The statistical analysis, for the quantity of patients of the study (20), shows that the variable that may impact in the dose calculation is the volume of themore » high Z material in the arteriovenous malformation. Further studies have to be done to establish the clinical impact with the radiosurgery result.« less

Shuttle radiation dose measurements in the International Space Station orbits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Badhwar, Gautam D.

2002-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) is now a reality with the start of a permanent human presence on board. Radiation presents a serious risk to the health and safety of the astronauts, and there is a clear requirement for estimating their exposures prior to and after flights. Predictions of the dose rate at times other than solar minimum or solar maximum have not been possible, because there has been no method to calculate the trapped-particle spectrum at intermediate times. Over the last few years, a tissue-equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) has been flown at a fixed mid-deck location on board the Space Shuttle in 51.65 degrees inclination flights. These flights have provided data that cover the expected changes in the dose rates due to changes in altitude and changes in solar activity from the solar minimum to the solar maximum of the current 23rd solar cycle. Based on these data, a simple function of the solar deceleration potential has been derived that can be used to predict the galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) dose rates to within +/-10%. For altitudes to be covered by the ISS, the dose rate due to the trapped particles is found to be a power-law function, rho(-2/3), of the atmospheric density, rho. This relationship can be used to predict trapped dose rates inside these spacecraft to +/-10% throughout the solar cycle. Thus, given the shielding distribution for a location inside the Space Shuttle or inside an ISS module, this approach can be used to predict the combined GCR + trapped dose rate to better than +/-15% for quiet solar conditions.

SU-F-T-415: Differences in Lung Sparing in Deep Inspiration Breath-Hold and Free Breathing Breast Plans Calculated in Pinnacle and Monaco

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saenz, D; Stathakis, S

Purpose: Deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) is used for left-sided breast radiotherapy to spare the heart and lung. The magnitude of sparing has been shown to be significant. Monte Carlo, furthermore, has the potential to calculate most accurately the dose in the heterogeneous lung medium at the interface with the lung wall. The lung dose was investigated in Monaco to determine the level of sparing relative to that calculated in Pinnacle{sup 3}. Methods: Five patients undergoing DIBH radiotherapy on an Elekta Versa HD linear accelerator in conjunction with the Catalyst C-RAD surface imaging system were planned using Phillips Pinnacle{sup 3}. Freemore » breathing plans were also created to clinically assure a benefit. Both plans were re-calculated in Monaco to determine if there were any significant differences. The mean heart dose, mean left lung, and mean total lung dose were compared in addition to the V20 for left and both lungs. Dose was calculated as dose to medium as well as dose to water with a statistical precision of 0.7%. Results: Mean lung dose was significantly different (p < 0.003) between the two calculations for both DIBH (11.6% higher in Monaco) and free breathing (14.2% higher in Monaco). V20 was also higher in Monaco (p < 0.05) for DIBH (5.7% higher) and free breathing (4.9% higher). The mean heart dose was not significantly different between the dose calculations for either DIBH or free breathing. Results were no more than 0.1% different when calculated as dose to water. Conclusion: The use of Monte Carlo can provide insight on the lung dose for both free breathing and DIBH techniques for whole breast irradiation. While the sparing (dose reductions with DIBH as compared to free breathing) is equivalent for either planning system, the lung doses themselves are higher when calculated with Monaco.« less

Independent Monte-Carlo dose calculation for MLC based CyberKnife radiotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackeprang, P.-H.; Vuong, D.; Volken, W.; Henzen, D.; Schmidhalter, D.; Malthaner, M.; Mueller, S.; Frei, D.; Stampanoni, M. F. M.; Dal Pra, A.; Aebersold, D. M.; Fix, M. K.; Manser, P.

2018-01-01

This work aims to develop, implement and validate a Monte Carlo (MC)-based independent dose calculation (IDC) framework to perform patient-specific quality assurance (QA) for multi-leaf collimator (MLC)-based CyberKnife® (Accuray Inc., Sunnyvale, CA) treatment plans. The IDC framework uses an XML-format treatment plan as exported from the treatment planning system (TPS) and DICOM format patient CT data, an MC beam model using phase spaces, CyberKnife MLC beam modifier transport using the EGS++ class library, a beam sampling and coordinate transformation engine and dose scoring using DOSXYZnrc. The framework is validated against dose profiles and depth dose curves of single beams with varying field sizes in a water tank in units of cGy/Monitor Unit and against a 2D dose distribution of a full prostate treatment plan measured with Gafchromic EBT3 (Ashland Advanced Materials, Bridgewater, NJ) film in a homogeneous water-equivalent slab phantom. The film measurement is compared to IDC results by gamma analysis using 2% (global)/2 mm criteria. Further, the dose distribution of the clinical treatment plan in the patient CT is compared to TPS calculation by gamma analysis using the same criteria. Dose profiles from IDC calculation in a homogeneous water phantom agree within 2.3% of the global max dose or 1 mm distance to agreement to measurements for all except the smallest field size. Comparing the film measurement to calculated dose, 99.9% of all voxels pass gamma analysis, comparing dose calculated by the IDC framework to TPS calculated dose for the clinical prostate plan shows 99.0% passing rate. IDC calculated dose is found to be up to 5.6% lower than dose calculated by the TPS in this case near metal fiducial markers. An MC-based modular IDC framework was successfully developed, implemented and validated against measurements and is now available to perform patient-specific QA by IDC.

SU-F-T-142: An Analytical Model to Correct the Aperture Scattered Dose in Clinical Proton Beams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sun, B; Liu, S; Zhang, T

2016-06-15

Purpose: Apertures or collimators are used to laterally shape proton beams in double scattering (DS) delivery and to sharpen the penumbra in pencil beam (PB) delivery. However, aperture-scattered dose is not included in the current dose calculations of treatment planning system (TPS). The purpose of this study is to provide a method to correct the aperture-scattered dose based on an analytical model. Methods: A DS beam with a non-divergent aperture was delivered using a single-room proton machine. Dose profiles were measured with an ion-chamber scanning in water and a 2-D ion chamber matrix with solid-water buildup at various depths. Themore » measured doses were considered as the sum of the non-contaminated dose and the aperture-scattered dose. The non-contaminated dose was calculated by TPS and subtracted from the measured dose. Aperture scattered-dose was modeled as a 1D Gaussian distribution. For 2-D fields, to calculate the scatter-dose from all the edges of aperture, a sum of weighted distance was used in the model based on the distance from calculation point to aperture edge. The gamma index was calculated between the measured and calculated dose with and without scatter correction. Results: For a beam with range of 23 cm and aperture size of 20 cm, the contribution of the scatter horn was ∼8% of the total dose at 4 cm depth and diminished to 0 at 15 cm depth. The amplitude of scatter-dose decreased linearly with the depth increase. The 1D gamma index (2%/2 mm) between the calculated and measured profiles increased from 63% to 98% for 4 cm depth and from 83% to 98% at 13 cm depth. The 2D gamma index (2%/2 mm) at 4 cm depth has improved from 78% to 94%. Conclusion: Using the simple analytical method the discrepancy between the measured and calculated dose has significantly improved.« less

Patient‐specific CT dosimetry calculation: a feasibility study

PubMed Central

Xie, Huchen; Cheng, Jason Y.; Ning, Holly; Zhuge, Ying; Miller, Robert W.

2011-01-01

Current estimation of radiation dose from computed tomography (CT) scans on patients has relied on the measurement of Computed Tomography Dose Index (CTDI) in standard cylindrical phantoms, and calculations based on mathematical representations of “standard man”. Radiation dose to both adult and pediatric patients from a CT scan has been a concern, as noted in recent reports. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of adapting a radiation treatment planning system (RTPS) to provide patient‐specific CT dosimetry. A radiation treatment planning system was modified to calculate patient‐specific CT dose distributions, which can be represented by dose at specific points within an organ of interest, as well as organ dose‐volumes (after image segmentation) for a GE Light Speed Ultra Plus CT scanner. The RTPS calculation algorithm is based on a semi‐empirical, measured correction‐based algorithm, which has been well established in the radiotherapy community. Digital representations of the physical phantoms (virtual phantom) were acquired with the GE CT scanner in axial mode. Thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLDs) measurements in pediatric anthropomorphic phantoms were utilized to validate the dose at specific points within organs of interest relative to RTPS calculations and Monte Carlo simulations of the same virtual phantoms (digital representation). Congruence of the calculated and measured point doses for the same physical anthropomorphic phantom geometry was used to verify the feasibility of the method. The RTPS algorithm can be extended to calculate the organ dose by calculating a dose distribution point‐by‐point for a designated volume. Electron Gamma Shower (EGSnrc) codes for radiation transport calculations developed by National Research Council of Canada (NRCC) were utilized to perform the Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. In general, the RTPS and MC dose calculations are within 10% of the TLD measurements for the infant and child chest scans. With respect to the dose comparisons for the head, the RTPS dose calculations are slightly higher (10%–20%) than the TLD measurements, while the MC results were within 10% of the TLD measurements. The advantage of the algebraic dose calculation engine of the RTPS is a substantially reduced computation time (minutes vs. days) relative to Monte Carlo calculations, as well as providing patient‐specific dose estimation. It also provides the basis for a more elaborate reporting of dosimetric results, such as patient specific organ dose volumes after image segmentation. PACS numbers: 87.55.D‐, 87.57.Q‐, 87.53.Bn, 87.55.K‐ PMID:22089016

TU-D-209-05: Automatic Calculation of Organ and Effective Dose for CBCT and Interventional Fluoroscopic Procedures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xiong, Z; Vijayan, S; Oines, A

Purpose: To compare PCXMC and EGSnrc calculated organ and effective radiation doses from cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and interventional fluoroscopically-guided procedures using automatic exposure-event grouping. Methods: For CBCT, we used PCXMC20Rotation.exe to automatically calculate the doses and compared the results to those calculated using EGSnrc with the Zubal patient phantom. For interventional procedures, we use the dose tracking system (DTS) which we previously developed to produce a log file of all geometry and exposure parameters for every x-ray pulse during a procedure, and the data in the log file is input into PCXMC and EGSnrc for dose calculation. A MATLABmore » program reads data from the log files and groups similar exposures to reduce calculation time. The definition files are then automatically generated in the format used by PCXMC and EGSnrc. Processing is done at the end of the procedure after all exposures are completed. Results: For the Toshiba Infinix CBCT LCI-Middle-Abdominal protocol, most organ doses calculated with PCXMC20Rotation closely matched those calculated with EGSnrc. The effective doses were 33.77 mSv with PCXMC20Rotation and 32.46 mSv with EGSnrc. For a simulated interventional cardiac procedure, similar close agreement in organ dose was obtained between the two codes; the effective doses were 12.02 mSv with PCXMC and 11.35 mSv with EGSnrc. The calculations can be completed on a PC without manual intervention in less than 15 minutes with PCXMC and in about 10 hours with EGSnrc, depending on the level of data grouping and accuracy desired. Conclusion: Effective dose and most organ doses in CBCT and interventional radiology calculated by PCXMC closely match those calculated by EGSnrc. Data grouping, which can be done automatically, makes the calculation time with PCXMC on a standard PC acceptable. This capability expands the dose information that can be provided by the DTS. Partial support from NIH Grant R01-EB002873 and Toshiba Medical Systems Corp.« less

SU-E-T-120: Analytic Dose Verification for Patient-Specific Proton Pencil Beam Scanning Plans

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chang, C; Mah, D

2015-06-15

Purpose: To independently verify the QA dose of proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) plans using an analytic dose calculation model. Methods: An independent proton dose calculation engine is created using the same commissioning measurements as those employed to build our commercially available treatment planning system (TPS). Each proton PBS plan is exported from the TPS in DICOM format and calculated by this independent dose engine in a standard 40 x 40 x 40 cm water tank. This three-dimensional dose grid is then compared with the QA dose calculated by the commercial TPS, using standard Gamma criterion. A total of 18more » measured pristine Bragg peaks, ranging from 100 to 226 MeV, are used in the model. Intermediate proton energies are interpolated. Similarly, optical properties of the spots are measured in air over 15 cm upstream and downstream, and fitted to a second-order polynomial. Multiple Coulomb scattering in water is approximated analytically using Preston and Kohler formula for faster calculation. The effect of range shifters on spot size is modeled with generalized Highland formula. Note that the above formulation approximates multiple Coulomb scattering in water and we therefore chose not use the full Moliere/Hanson form. Results: Initial examination of 3 patient-specific prostate PBS plans shows that agreement exists between 3D dose distributions calculated by the TPS and the independent proton PBS dose calculation engine. Both calculated dose distributions are compared with actual measurements at three different depths per beam and good agreements are again observed. Conclusion: Results here showed that 3D dose distributions calculated by this independent proton PBS dose engine are in good agreement with both TPS calculations and actual measurements. This tool can potentially be used to reduce the amount of different measurement depths required for patient-specific proton PBS QA.« less

Patient-specific IMRT verification using independent fluence-based dose calculation software: experimental benchmarking and initial clinical experience.

PubMed

Georg, Dietmar; Stock, Markus; Kroupa, Bernhard; Olofsson, Jörgen; Nyholm, Tufve; Ahnesjö, Anders; Karlsson, Mikael

2007-08-21

Experimental methods are commonly used for patient-specific intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) verification. The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy and performance of independent dose calculation software (denoted as 'MUV' (monitor unit verification)) for patient-specific quality assurance (QA). 52 patients receiving step-and-shoot IMRT were considered. IMRT plans were recalculated by the treatment planning systems (TPS) in a dedicated QA phantom, in which an experimental 1D and 2D verification (0.3 cm(3) ionization chamber; films) was performed. Additionally, an independent dose calculation was performed. The fluence-based algorithm of MUV accounts for collimator transmission, rounded leaf ends, tongue-and-groove effect, backscatter to the monitor chamber and scatter from the flattening filter. The dose calculation utilizes a pencil beam model based on a beam quality index. DICOM RT files from patient plans, exported from the TPS, were directly used as patient-specific input data in MUV. For composite IMRT plans, average deviations in the high dose region between ionization chamber measurements and point dose calculations performed with the TPS and MUV were 1.6 +/- 1.2% and 0.5 +/- 1.1% (1 S.D.). The dose deviations between MUV and TPS slightly depended on the distance from the isocentre position. For individual intensity-modulated beams (total 367), an average deviation of 1.1 +/- 2.9% was determined between calculations performed with the TPS and with MUV, with maximum deviations up to 14%. However, absolute dose deviations were mostly less than 3 cGy. Based on the current results, we aim to apply a confidence limit of 3% (with respect to the prescribed dose) or 6 cGy for routine IMRT verification. For off-axis points at distances larger than 5 cm and for low dose regions, we consider 5% dose deviation or 10 cGy acceptable. The time needed for an independent calculation compares very favourably with the net time for an experimental approach. The physical effects modelled in the dose calculation software MUV allow accurate dose calculations in individual verification points. Independent calculations may be used to replace experimental dose verification once the IMRT programme is mature.

Comparison of a 3-D multi-group SN particle transport code with Monte Carlo for intracavitary brachytherapy of the cervix uteri.

PubMed

Gifford, Kent A; Wareing, Todd A; Failla, Gregory; Horton, John L; Eifel, Patricia J; Mourtada, Firas

2009-12-03

A patient dose distribution was calculated by a 3D multi-group S N particle transport code for intracavitary brachytherapy of the cervix uteri and compared to previously published Monte Carlo results. A Cs-137 LDR intracavitary brachytherapy CT data set was chosen from our clinical database. MCNPX version 2.5.c, was used to calculate the dose distribution. A 3D multi-group S N particle transport code, Attila version 6.1.1 was used to simulate the same patient. Each patient applicator was built in SolidWorks, a mechanical design package, and then assembled with a coordinate transformation and rotation for the patient. The SolidWorks exported applicator geometry was imported into Attila for calculation. Dose matrices were overlaid on the patient CT data set. Dose volume histograms and point doses were compared. The MCNPX calculation required 14.8 hours, whereas the Attila calculation required 22.2 minutes on a 1.8 GHz AMD Opteron CPU. Agreement between Attila and MCNPX dose calculations at the ICRU 38 points was within +/- 3%. Calculated doses to the 2 cc and 5 cc volumes of highest dose differed by not more than +/- 1.1% between the two codes. Dose and DVH overlays agreed well qualitatively. Attila can calculate dose accurately and efficiently for this Cs-137 CT-based patient geometry. Our data showed that a three-group cross-section set is adequate for Cs-137 computations. Future work is aimed at implementing an optimized version of Attila for radiotherapy calculations.

Comparison of a 3D multi‐group SN particle transport code with Monte Carlo for intercavitary brachytherapy of the cervix uteri

PubMed Central

Wareing, Todd A.; Failla, Gregory; Horton, John L.; Eifel, Patricia J.; Mourtada, Firas

2009-01-01

A patient dose distribution was calculated by a 3D multi‐group SN particle transport code for intracavitary brachytherapy of the cervix uteri and compared to previously published Monte Carlo results. A Cs‐137 LDR intracavitary brachytherapy CT data set was chosen from our clinical database. MCNPX version 2.5.c, was used to calculate the dose distribution. A 3D multi‐group SN particle transport code, Attila version 6.1.1 was used to simulate the same patient. Each patient applicator was built in SolidWorks, a mechanical design package, and then assembled with a coordinate transformation and rotation for the patient. The SolidWorks exported applicator geometry was imported into Attila for calculation. Dose matrices were overlaid on the patient CT data set. Dose volume histograms and point doses were compared. The MCNPX calculation required 14.8 hours, whereas the Attila calculation required 22.2 minutes on a 1.8 GHz AMD Opteron CPU. Agreement between Attila and MCNPX dose calculations at the ICRU 38 points was within ±3%. Calculated doses to the 2 cc and 5 cc volumes of highest dose differed by not more than ±1.1% between the two codes. Dose and DVH overlays agreed well qualitatively. Attila can calculate dose accurately and efficiently for this Cs‐137 CT‐based patient geometry. Our data showed that a three‐group cross‐section set is adequate for Cs‐137 computations. Future work is aimed at implementing an optimized version of Attila for radiotherapy calculations. PACS number: 87.53.Jw

A probabilistic safety analysis of incidents in nuclear research reactors.

PubMed

Lopes, Valdir Maciel; Agostinho Angelo Sordi, Gian Maria; Moralles, Mauricio; Filho, Tufic Madi

2012-06-01

This work aims to evaluate the potential risks of incidents in nuclear research reactors. For its development, two databases of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were used: the Research Reactor Data Base (RRDB) and the Incident Report System for Research Reactor (IRSRR). For this study, the probabilistic safety analysis (PSA) was used. To obtain the result of the probability calculations for PSA, the theory and equations in the paper IAEA TECDOC-636 were used. A specific program to analyse the probabilities was developed within the main program, Scilab 5.1.1. for two distributions, Fischer and chi-square, both with the confidence level of 90 %. Using Sordi equations, the maximum admissible doses to compare with the risk limits established by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) were obtained. All results achieved with this probability analysis led to the conclusion that the incidents which occurred had radiation doses within the stochastic effects reference interval established by the ICRP-64.

Modification and validation of an analytical source model for external beam radiotherapy Monte Carlo dose calculations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davidson, Scott E., E-mail: sedavids@utmb.edu

Purpose: A dose calculation tool, which combines the accuracy of the dose planning method (DPM) Monte Carlo code and the versatility of a practical analytical multisource model, which was previously reported has been improved and validated for the Varian 6 and 10 MV linear accelerators (linacs). The calculation tool can be used to calculate doses in advanced clinical application studies. One shortcoming of current clinical trials that report dose from patient plans is the lack of a standardized dose calculation methodology. Because commercial treatment planning systems (TPSs) have their own dose calculation algorithms and the clinical trial participant who usesmore » these systems is responsible for commissioning the beam model, variation exists in the reported calculated dose distributions. Today’s modern linac is manufactured to tight specifications so that variability within a linac model is quite low. The expectation is that a single dose calculation tool for a specific linac model can be used to accurately recalculate dose from patient plans that have been submitted to the clinical trial community from any institution. The calculation tool would provide for a more meaningful outcome analysis. Methods: The analytical source model was described by a primary point source, a secondary extra-focal source, and a contaminant electron source. Off-axis energy softening and fluence effects were also included. The additions of hyperbolic functions have been incorporated into the model to correct for the changes in output and in electron contamination with field size. A multileaf collimator (MLC) model is included to facilitate phantom and patient dose calculations. An offset to the MLC leaf positions was used to correct for the rudimentary assumed primary point source. Results: Dose calculations of the depth dose and profiles for field sizes 4 × 4 to 40 × 40 cm agree with measurement within 2% of the maximum dose or 2 mm distance to agreement (DTA) for 95% of the data points tested. The model was capable of predicting the depth of the maximum dose within 1 mm. Anthropomorphic phantom benchmark testing of modulated and patterned MLCs treatment plans showed agreement to measurement within 3% in target regions using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD). Using radiochromic film normalized to TLD, a gamma criteria of 3% of maximum dose and 2 mm DTA was applied with a pass rate of least 85% in the high dose, high gradient, and low dose regions. Finally, recalculations of patient plans using DPM showed good agreement relative to a commercial TPS when comparing dose volume histograms and 2D dose distributions. Conclusions: A unique analytical source model coupled to the dose planning method Monte Carlo dose calculation code has been modified and validated using basic beam data and anthropomorphic phantom measurement. While this tool can be applied in general use for a particular linac model, specifically it was developed to provide a singular methodology to independently assess treatment plan dose distributions from those clinical institutions participating in National Cancer Institute trials.« less

PET/CT-Based Dosimetry in 90Y-Microsphere Selective Internal Radiation Therapy: Single Cohort Comparison With Pretreatment Planning on (99m)Tc-MAA Imaging and Correlation With Treatment Efficacy.

PubMed

Song, Yoo Sung; Paeng, Jin Chul; Kim, Hyo-Cheol; Chung, Jin Wook; Cheon, Gi Jeong; Chung, June-Key; Lee, Dong Soo; Kang, Keon Wook

2015-06-01

⁹⁰Y PET/CT can be acquired after ⁹⁰Y-microsphere selective radiation internal therapy (SIRT) to describe radioactivity distribution. We performed dosimetry using ⁹⁰Y-microsphere PET/CT data to evaluate treatment efficacy and appropriateness of activity planning from (99m)Tc-MAA scan and SPECT/CT. Twenty-three patients with liver malignancy were included in the study. (99m)Tc-MAA was injected during planning angiography and whole body (99m)Tc-MAA scan and liver SPECT/CT were acquired. After SIRT using ⁹⁰Y-resin microsphere, ⁹⁰Y-microsphere PET/CT was acquired. A partition model (PM) using 4 compartments (tumor, intarget normal liver, out-target normal liver, and lung) was adopted, and absorbed dose to each compartment was calculated based on measurements from (99m)Tc-MAA SPECT/CT and ⁹⁰Y-microsphere PET/CT, respectively, to be compared with each other. Progression-free survival (PFS) was evaluated in terms of tumor absorbed doses calculated by (99m)Tc-MAA SPECT/CT and ⁹⁰Y-microsphere PET/CT results. Lung shunt fraction was overestimated on (99m)Tc-MAA scan compared with ⁹⁰Y-microsphere PET/CT (0.060 ± 0.037 vs. 0.018 ± 0.026, P < 0.01). Tumor absorbed dose exhibited a close correlation between the results from (99m)Tc-MAA SPECT/CT and ⁹⁰Y-microsphere PET/CT (r = 0.64, P < 0.01), although the result from (99m)Tc-MAA SPECT/CT was significantly lower than that from ⁹⁰Y-microsphere PET/CT (135.4 ± 64.2 Gy vs. 185.0 ± 87.8 Gy, P < 0.01). Absorbed dose to in-target normal liver was overestimated on (99m)Tc-MAA SPECT/CT compared with PET/CT (62.6 ± 38.2 Gy vs. 45.2 ± 32.0 Gy, P = 0.02). Absorbed dose to out-target normal liver did not differ between (99m)Tc-MAA SPECT/CT and ⁹⁰Y-microsphere PET/CT (P = 0.49). Patients with tumor absorbed dose >200 Gy on ⁹⁰Y-microsphere PET/CT had longer PFS than those with tumor absorbed dose ≤200 Gy (286 ± 56 days vs. 92 ± 20 days, P = 0.046). Tumor absorbed dose calculated by (99m)Tc-MAA SPECT/CT was not a significant predictor for PFS. Activity planning based on (99m)Tc-MAA scan and SPECT/CT can be effectively used as a conservative method. Post-SIRT dosimetry based on ⁹⁰Y-microsphere PET/CT is an effective method to predict treatment efficacy.

PET/CT-Based Dosimetry in 90Y-Microsphere Selective Internal Radiation Therapy: Single Cohort Comparison With Pretreatment Planning on 99mTc-MAA Imaging and Correlation With Treatment Efficacy

PubMed Central

Song, Yoo Sung; Paeng, Jin Chul; Kim, Hyo-Cheol; Chung, Jin Wook; Cheon, Gi Jeong; Chung, June-Key; Lee, Dong Soo; Kang, Keon Wook

2015-01-01

Abstract 90Y PET/CT can be acquired after 90Y-microsphere selective radiation internal therapy (SIRT) to describe radioactivity distribution. We performed dosimetry using 90Y-microsphere PET/CT data to evaluate treatment efficacy and appropriateness of activity planning from 99mTc-MAA scan and SPECT/CT. Twenty-three patients with liver malignancy were included in the study. 99mTc-MAA was injected during planning angiography and whole body 99mTc-MAA scan and liver SPECT/CT were acquired. After SIRT using 90Y-resin microsphere, 90Y-microsphere PET/CT was acquired. A partition model (PM) using 4 compartments (tumor, intarget normal liver, out-target normal liver, and lung) was adopted, and absorbed dose to each compartment was calculated based on measurements from 99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT and 90Y-microsphere PET/CT, respectively, to be compared with each other. Progression-free survival (PFS) was evaluated in terms of tumor absorbed doses calculated by 99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT and 90Y-microsphere PET/CT results. Lung shunt fraction was overestimated on 99mTc-MAA scan compared with 90Y-microsphere PET/CT (0.060 ± 0.037 vs. 0.018 ± 0.026, P < 0.01). Tumor absorbed dose exhibited a close correlation between the results from 99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT and 90Y-microsphere PET/CT (r = 0.64, P < 0.01), although the result from 99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT was significantly lower than that from 90Y-microsphere PET/CT (135.4 ± 64.2 Gy vs. 185.0 ± 87.8 Gy, P < 0.01). Absorbed dose to in-target normal liver was overestimated on 99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT compared with PET/CT (62.6 ± 38.2 Gy vs. 45.2 ± 32.0 Gy, P = 0.02). Absorbed dose to out-target normal liver did not differ between 99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT and 90Y-microsphere PET/CT (P = 0.49). Patients with tumor absorbed dose >200 Gy on 90Y-microsphere PET/CT had longer PFS than those with tumor absorbed dose ≤200 Gy (286 ± 56 days vs. 92 ± 20 days, P = 0.046). Tumor absorbed dose calculated by 99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT was not a significant predictor for PFS. Activity planning based on 99mTc-MAA scan and SPECT/CT can be effectively used as a conservative method. Post-SIRT dosimetry based on 90Y-microsphere PET/CT is an effective method to predict treatment efficacy. PMID:26061323

SU-E-T-795: Validations of Dose Calculation Accuracy of Acuros BV in High-Dose-Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy with a Shielded Cylinder Applicator Using Monte Carlo Simulation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Y; Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing; Tian, Z

Purpose: Acuros BV has become available to perform accurate dose calculations in high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy with phantom heterogeneity considered by solving the Boltzmann transport equation. In this work, we performed validation studies regarding the dose calculation accuracy of Acuros BV in cases with a shielded cylinder applicator using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. Methods: Fifteen cases were considered in our studies, covering five different diameters of the applicator and three different shielding degrees. For each case, a digital phantom was created in Varian BrachyVision with the cylinder applicator inserted in the middle of a large water phantom. A treatment plan withmore » eight dwell positions was generated for these fifteen cases. Dose calculations were performed with Acuros BV. We then generated a voxelized phantom of the same geometry, and the materials were modeled according to the vendor’s specifications. MC dose calculations were then performed using our in-house developed fast MC dose engine for HDR brachytherapy (gBMC) on a GPU platform, which is able to simulate both photon transport and electron transport in a voxelized geometry. A phase-space file for the Ir-192 HDR source was used as a source model for MC simulations. Results: Satisfactory agreements between the dose distributions calculated by Acuros BV and those calculated by gBMC were observed in all cases. Quantitatively, we computed point-wise dose difference within the region that receives a dose higher than 10% of the reference dose, defined to be the dose at 5mm outward away from the applicator surface. The mean dose difference was ∼0.45%–0.51% and the 95-percentile maximum difference was ∼1.24%–1.47%. Conclusion: Acuros BV is able to accurately perform dose calculations in HDR brachytherapy with a shielded cylinder applicator.« less

SU-G-BRA-14: Dose in a Rigidly Moving Phantom with Jaw and MLC Compensation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chao, E; Lucas, D

Purpose: To validate dose calculation for a rigidly moving object with jaw motion and MLC shifts to compensate for the motion in a TomoTherapy™ treatment delivery. Methods: An off-line version of the TomoTherapy dose calculator was extended to perform dose calculations for rigidly moving objects. A variety of motion traces were added to treatment delivery plans, along with corresponding jaw compensation and MLC shift compensation profiles. Jaw compensation profiles were calculated by shifting the jaws such that the center of the treatment beam moved by an amount equal to the motion in the longitudinal direction. Similarly, MLC compensation profiles weremore » calculated by shifting the MLC leaves by an amount that most closely matched the motion in the transverse direction. The same jaw and MLC compensation profiles were used during simulated treatment deliveries on a TomoTherapy system, and film measurements were obtained in a rigidly moving phantom. Results: The off-line TomoTherapy dose calculator accurately predicted dose profiles for a rigidly moving phantom along with jaw motion and MLC shifts to compensate for the motion. Calculations matched film measurements to within 2%/1 mm. Jaw and MLC compensation substantially reduced the discrepancy between the delivered dose distribution and the calculated dose with no motion. For axial motion, the compensated dose matched the no-motion dose within 2%/1mm. For transverse motion, the dose matched within 2%/3mm (approximately half the width of an MLC leaf). Conclusion: The off-line TomoTherapy dose calculator accurately computes dose delivered to a rigidly moving object, and accurately models the impact of moving the jaws and shifting the MLC leaf patterns to compensate for the motion. Jaw tracking and MLC leaf shifting can effectively compensate for the dosimetric impact of motion during a TomoTherapy treatment delivery.« less

Dose equivalent rate constants and barrier transmission data for nuclear medicine facility dose calculations and shielding design.

PubMed

Kusano, Maggie; Caldwell, Curtis B

2014-07-01

A primary goal of nuclear medicine facility design is to keep public and worker radiation doses As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA). To estimate dose and shielding requirements, one needs to know both the dose equivalent rate constants for soft tissue and barrier transmission factors (TFs) for all radionuclides of interest. Dose equivalent rate constants are most commonly calculated using published air kerma or exposure rate constants, while transmission factors are most commonly calculated using published tenth-value layers (TVLs). Values can be calculated more accurately using the radionuclide's photon emission spectrum and the physical properties of lead, concrete, and/or tissue at these energies. These calculations may be non-trivial due to the polyenergetic nature of the radionuclides used in nuclear medicine. In this paper, the effects of dose equivalent rate constant and transmission factor on nuclear medicine dose and shielding calculations are investigated, and new values based on up-to-date nuclear data and thresholds specific to nuclear medicine are proposed. To facilitate practical use, transmission curves were fitted to the three-parameter Archer equation. Finally, the results of this work were applied to the design of a sample nuclear medicine facility and compared to doses calculated using common methods to investigate the effects of these values on dose estimates and shielding decisions. Dose equivalent rate constants generally agreed well with those derived from the literature with the exception of those from NCRP 124. Depending on the situation, Archer fit TFs could be significantly more accurate than TVL-based TFs. These results were reflected in the sample shielding problem, with unshielded dose estimates agreeing well, with the exception of those based on NCRP 124, and Archer fit TFs providing a more accurate alternative to TVL TFs and a simpler alternative to full spectral-based calculations. The data provided by this paper should assist in improving the accuracy and tractability of dose and shielding calculations for nuclear medicine facility design.

Protocols for the dosimetry of high-energy photon and electron beams: a comparison of the IAEA TRS-398 and previous international Codes of Practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andreo, Pedro; Saiful Huq, M.; Westermark, Mathias; Song, Haijun; Tilikidis, Aris; DeWerd, Larry; Shortt, Ken

2002-09-01

A new international Code of Practice for radiotherapy dosimetry co-sponsored by several international organizations has been published by the IAEA, TRS-398. It is based on standards of absorbed dose to water, whereas previous protocols (TRS-381 and TRS-277) were based on air kerma standards. To estimate the changes in beam calibration caused by the introduction of TRS-398, a detailed experimental comparison of the dose determination in reference conditions in high-energy photon and electron beams has been made using the different IAEA protocols. A summary of the formulation and reference conditions in the various Codes of Practice, as well as of their basic data, is presented first. Accurate measurements have been made in 25 photon and electron beams from 10 clinical accelerators using 12 different cylindrical and plane-parallel chambers, and dose ratios under different conditions of TRS-398 to the other protocols determined. A strict step-by-step checklist was followed by the two participating clinical institutions to ascertain that the resulting calculations agreed within tenths of a per cent. The maximum differences found between TRS-398 and the previous Codes of Practice TRS-277 (2nd edn) and TRS-381 are of the order of 1.5-2.0%. TRS-398 yields absorbed doses larger than the previous protocols, around 1.0% for photons (TRS-277) and for electrons (TRS-381 and TRS-277) when plane-parallel chambers are cross-calibrated. For the Markus chamber, results show a very large variation, although a fortuitous cancellation of the old stopping powers with the ND,w/NK ratios makes the overall discrepancy between TRS-398 and TRS-277 in this case smaller than for well-guarded plane-parallel chambers. Chambers of the Roos-type with a 60Co ND,w calibration yield the maximum discrepancy in absorbed dose, which varies between 1.0% and 1.5% for TRS-381 and between 1.5% and 2.0% for TRS-277. Photon beam calibrations using directly measured or calculated TPR20,10 from a percentage dose data at SSD = 100 cm were found to be indistinguishable. Considering that approximately 0.8% of the differences between TRS-398 and the NK-based protocols are caused by the change to the new type of standards, the remaining difference in absolute dose is due either to a close similarity in basic data or to a fortuitous cancellation of the discrepancies in data and type of chamber calibration. It is emphasized that the NK-ND,air and ND,w formalisms have very similar uncertainty when the same criteria are used for both procedures. Arguments are provided in support of the recommendation for a change in reference dosimetry based on standards of absorbed dose to water.

SU-F-T-428: An Optimization-Based Commissioning Tool for Finite Size Pencil Beam Dose Calculations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Y; Tian, Z; Song, T

Purpose: Finite size pencil beam (FSPB) algorithms are commonly used to pre-calculate the beamlet dose distribution for IMRT treatment planning. FSPB commissioning, which usually requires fine tuning of the FSPB kernel parameters, is crucial to the dose calculation accuracy and hence the plan quality. Yet due to the large number of beamlets, FSPB commissioning could be very tedious. This abstract reports an optimization-based FSPB commissioning tool we have developed in MatLab to facilitate the commissioning. Methods: A FSPB dose kernel generally contains two types of parameters: the profile parameters determining the dose kernel shape, and a 2D scaling factors accountingmore » for the longitudinal and off-axis corrections. The former were fitted using the penumbra of a reference broad beam’s dose profile with Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. Since the dose distribution of a broad beam is simply a linear superposition of the dose kernel of each beamlet calculated with the fitted profile parameters and scaled using the scaling factors, these factors could be determined by solving an optimization problem which minimizes the discrepancies between the calculated dose of broad beams and the reference dose. Results: We have commissioned a FSPB algorithm for three linac photon beams (6MV, 15MV and 6MVFFF). Dose of four field sizes (6*6cm2, 10*10cm2, 15*15cm2 and 20*20cm2) were calculated and compared with the reference dose exported from Eclipse TPS system. For depth dose curves, the differences are less than 1% of maximum dose after maximum dose depth for most cases. For lateral dose profiles, the differences are less than 2% of central dose at inner-beam regions. The differences of the output factors are within 1% for all the three beams. Conclusion: We have developed an optimization-based commissioning tool for FSPB algorithms to facilitate the commissioning, providing sufficient accuracy of beamlet dose calculation for IMRT optimization.« less

TU-H-CAMPUS-IeP1-05: A Framework for the Analytic Calculation of Patient-Specific Dose Distribution Due to CBCT Scan for IGRT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Youn, H; Jeon, H; Nam, J

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of an analytic framework to estimate patients’ absorbed dose distribution owing to daily cone-beam CT scan for image-guided radiation treatment. Methods: To compute total absorbed dose distribution, we separated the framework into primary and scattered dose calculations. Using the source parameters such as voltage, current, and bowtie filtration, for the primary dose calculation, we simulated the forward projection from the source to each voxel of an imaging object including some inhomogeneous inserts. Then we calculated the primary absorbed dose at each voxel based on the absorption probability deduced from the HU values and Beer’s law.more » In sequence, all voxels constructing the phantom were regarded as secondary sources to radiate scattered photons for scattered dose calculation. Details of forward projection were identical to that of the previous step. The secondary source intensities were given by using scatter-to- primary ratios provided by NIST. In addition, we compared the analytically calculated dose distribution with their Monte Carlo simulation results. Results: The suggested framework for absorbed dose estimation successfully provided the primary and secondary dose distributions of the phantom. Moreover, our analytic dose calculations and Monte Carlo calculations were well agreed each other even near the inhomogeneous inserts. Conclusion: This work indicated that our framework can be an effective monitor to estimate a patient’s exposure owing to cone-beam CT scan for image-guided radiation treatment. Therefore, we expected that the patient’s over-exposure during IGRT might be prevented by our framework.« less

Management of cosmic radiation exposure for aircraft crew in Japan.

PubMed

Yasuda, Hiroshi; Sato, Tatsuhiko; Yonehara, Hidenori; Kosako, Toshiso; Fujitaka, Kazunobu; Sasaki, Yasuhito

2011-07-01

The International Commission on Radiological Protection has recommended that cosmic radiation exposure of crew in commercial jet aircraft be considered as occupational exposure. In Japan, the Radiation Council of the government has established a guideline that requests domestic airlines to voluntarily keep the effective dose of cosmic radiation for aircraft crew below 5 mSv y(-1). The guideline also gives some advice and policies regarding the method of cosmic radiation dosimetry, the necessity of explanation and education about this issue, a way to view and record dose data, and the necessity of medical examination for crew. The National Institute of Radiological Sciences helps the airlines to follow the guideline, particularly for the determination of aviation route doses by numerical simulation. The calculation is performed using an original, easy-to-use program package called 'JISCARD EX' coupled with a PHITS-based analytical model and a GEANT4-based particle tracing code. The new radiation weighting factors recommended in 2007 are employed for effective dose determination. The annual individual doses of aircraft crew were estimated using this program.

Patient doses from CT examinations in Turkey.

PubMed

Ataç, Gökçe Kaan; Parmaksız, Aydın; İnal, Tolga; Bulur, Emine; Bulgurlu, Figen; Öncü, Tolga; Gündoğdu, Sadi

2015-01-01

We aimed to establish the first diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for computed tomography (CT) examinations in adult and pediatric patients in Turkey and compare these with international DRLs. CT performance information and examination parameters (for head, chest, high-resolution CT of the chest [HRCT-chest], abdominal, and pelvic protocols) from 1607 hospitals were collected via a survey. Dose length products and effective doses for standard patient sizes were calculated from the reported volume CT dose index (CTDIvol). The median number of protocols reported from the 167 responding hospitals (10% response rate) was 102 across five different age groups. Third quartile CTDIvol values for adult pelvic and all pediatric body protocols were higher than the European Commission standards but were comparable to studies conducted in other countries. The radiation dose indicators for adult patients were similar to those reported in the literature, except for those associated with head protocols. CT protocol optimization is necessary for adult head and pediatric chest, HRCT-chest, abdominal, and pelvic protocols. The findings from this study are recommended for use as national DRLs in Turkey.

SU-E-T-368: Evaluating Dosimetric Outcome of Modulated Photon Radiotherapy (XMRT) Optimization for Head and Neck Patients

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McGeachy, P; Villarreal-Barajas, JE; Khan, R

2015-06-15

Purpose: The dosimetric outcome of optimized treatment plans obtained by modulating the photon beamlet energy and fluence on a small cohort of four Head and Neck (H and N) patients was investigated. This novel optimization technique is denoted XMRT for modulated photon radiotherapy. The dosimetric plans from XMRT for H and N treatment were compared to conventional, 6 MV intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) optimization plans. Methods: An arrangement of two non-coplanar and five coplanar beams was used for all four H and N patients. Both XMRT and IMRT were subject to the same optimization algorithm, with XMRT optimization allowing bothmore » 6 and 18 MV beamlets while IMRT was restricted to 6 MV only. The optimization algorithm was based on a linear programming approach with partial-volume constraints implemented via the conditional value-at-risk method. H and N constraints were based off of those mentioned in the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 1016 protocol. XMRT and IMRT solutions were assessed using metrics suggested by International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements report 83. The Gurobi solver was used in conjunction with the CVX package to solve each optimization problem. Dose calculations and analysis were done in CERR using Monte Carlo dose calculation with VMC{sub ++}. Results: Both XMRT and IMRT solutions met all clinical criteria. Trade-offs were observed between improved dose uniformity to the primary target volume (PTV1) and increased dose to some of the surrounding healthy organs for XMRT compared to IMRT. On average, IMRT improved dose to the contralateral parotid gland and spinal cord while XMRT improved dose to the brainstem and mandible. Conclusion: Bi-energy XMRT optimization for H and N patients provides benefits in terms of improved dose uniformity to the primary target and reduced dose to some healthy structures, at the expense of increased dose to other healthy structures when compared with IMRT.« less

SU-E-J-33: Cardiac Movement in Deep Inspiration Breath-Hold for Left-Breast Cancer Radiotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, M; Lee, S; Suh, T

Purpose: The present study was designed to investigate the displacement of heart using Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH) CT data compared to free-breathing (FB) CT data and radiation exposure to heart. Methods: Treatment planning was performed on the computed tomography (CT) datasets of 20 patients who had received lumpectomy treatments. Heart, lung and both breasts were outlined. The prescribed dose was 50 Gy divided into 28 fractions. The dose distributions in all the plans were required to fulfill the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurement specifications that include 100% coverage of the CTV with ≥ 95% of the prescribedmore » dose and that the volume inside the CTV receiving > 107% of the prescribed dose should be minimized. Displacement of heart was measured by calculating the distance between center of heart and left breast. For the evaluation of radiation dose to heart, minimum, maximum and mean dose to heart were calculated. Results: The maximum and minimum left-right (LR) displacements of heart were 8.9 mm and 3 mm, respectively. The heart moved > 4 mm in the LR direction in 17 of the 20 patients. The distances between the heart and left breast ranged from 8.02–17.68 mm (mean, 12.23 mm) and 7.85–12.98 mm (mean, 8.97 mm) with DIBH CT and FB CT, respectively. The maximum doses to the heart were 3115 cGy and 4652 cGy for the DIBH and FB CT dataset, respectively. Conclusion: The present study has demonstrated that the DIBH technique could help to reduce the risk of radiation dose-induced cardiac toxicity by using movement of cardiac; away from radiation field. The DIBH technique could be used in an actual treatment room for a few minutes and could effectively reduce the cardiac dose when used with a sub-device or image acquisition standard to maintain consistent respiratory motion.« less

Estimated Internal and External Radiation Exposure of Caregivers of Patients With Pediatric Neuroblastoma Undergoing 131I Metaiodobenzylguanidine Therapy: A Prospective Pilot Study.

PubMed

Han, Sangwon; Yoo, Seon Hee; Koh, Kyung-Nam; Lee, Jong Jin

2017-04-01

Current recommendations suggest that family members should participate in the care of children receiving in-hospital I metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) therapy for neuroblastoma. The present study aimed to measure the external radiation exposure and estimate the internal radiation exposure of caregivers during the hospital stay for I MIBG therapy. Caregivers received radiation safety instructions and a potassium iodide solution for thyroid blockade before patient admission. External radiation exposure was determined using a personal pocket dosimeter. Serial 24-hour urine samples were collected from caregivers during the hospital stay. Estimated internal radiation exposure was calculated based on the urine activity. Twelve cases (mean age, 6.2 ± 3.5 years; range, 2-13 years) were enrolled. The mean administered activity was 233.3 ± 74.9 (range, 150.0-350.0) mCi. The mean external radiation dose was 5.8 ± 7.2 (range, 0.8-19.9) mSv. Caregivers of children older than 4 years had significantly less external radiation exposure than those of children younger than 4 years (1.9 ± 1.0 vs 16.4 ± 5.0 mSv; P = 0.012). The mean estimated internal radiation dose was 11.3 ± 10.2 (range, 1.0-29.8) μSv. Caregivers receive both external and internal radiation exposure while providing in-hospital care to children receiving I MIBG therapy for neuroblastoma. However, the internal radiation exposure was negligible compared with the external radiation exposure.

Occupational exposure to radon for underground tourist routes in Poland: Doses to lung and the risk of developing lung cancer.

PubMed

Walczak, Katarzyna; Olszewski, Jerzy; Politański, Piotr; Zmyślony, Marek

2017-07-14

Radon concentrations for 31 Polish underground tourist routes were analyzed. The equivalent dose to the lung, the effective dose and the relative risk were calculated for employees of the analyzed routes on the grounds of information on radon concentrations, work time, etc. The relative risk for lung cancers was calculated using the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR) VI Committee model. Equivalent doses to the lungs of workers were determined using the coefficients calculated by the Kendall and Smith. The conversion coefficient proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the report No. 33 was used for estimating the effective doses. In 13 routes, the effective dose was found to be above 1 mSv/year, and in 3 routes, it exceeded 6 mSv/year. For 5 routes, the equivalent dose to lungs was higher than 100 mSv/year, and in 1 case it was as high as 490 mSv/year. In 22.6% of underground workplaces the risk of developing lung cancer among employees was about 2 times higher than that for the general population, and for 1 tourist route it was about 5 times higher. The geometric mean of the relative risk of lung cancer for all workers of underground tourist routes was 1.73 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.6-1.87). Routes were divided into: caves, mines, post-military underground constructions and urban underground constructions. The difference between levels of the relative risk of developing lung cancer for all types of underground tourist routes was not found to be significant. If we include the professional group of the employees of underground tourist routes into the group of occupational exposure, the number of persons who are included in the Category A due to occupational exposure may increase by about 3/4. The professional group of the employees of underground tourist routes should be monitored for their exposure to radon. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(5):687-694. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

User Guide for GoldSim Model to Calculate PA/CA Doses and Limits

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, F.

2016-10-31

A model to calculate doses for solid waste disposal at the Savannah River Site (SRS) and corresponding disposal limits has been developed using the GoldSim commercial software. The model implements the dose calculations documented in SRNL-STI-2015-00056, Rev. 0 “Dose Calculation Methodology and Data for Solid Waste Performance Assessment (PA) and Composite Analysis (CA) at the Savannah River Site”.

TU-E-201-02: Eye Lens Dosimetry From CT Perfusion Studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, D.

Madan M. Rehani, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston Methods for Eye Lens Dosimetry and Studies On Lens Opacities with Interventionalists Radiation induced cataract is a major threat among staff working in interventional suites. Nearly 16 million interventional procedures are performed annually in USA. Recent studies by the principal investigator’s group, primarily among interventional cardiologists, on behalf of the International Atomic Energy Agency, show posterior subcapsular (PSC) changes in the eye lens in 38–53% of main operators and 21–45% of support staff. These changes have potential to lead to cataract in future years, as per information from A-Bombmore » survivors. The International Commission on Radiological Protection has reduced dose limit for staff by a factor of 7.5 (from 150 mSv/y to 20 mSv/y). With increasing emphasis on radiation induced cataracts and reduction in threshold dose for eye lens, there is a need to implement strategies for estimating eye lens dose. Unfortunately eye lens dosimetry is at infancy when it comes to routine application. Various approaches are being tried namely direct measurement using active or passive dosimeters kept close to eyes, retrospective estimations and lastly correlating patient dose in interventional procedures with staff eye dose. The talk will review all approaches available and ongoing active research in this area, as well as data from surveys done in Europe on status of eye dose monitoring in interventional radiology and nuclear medicine. The talk will provide update on how good is Hp(10) against Hp(3), estimations from CTDI values, Monte Carlo based simulations and current status of eye lens dosimetry in USA and Europe. The cataract risk among patients is in CT examinations of the head. Since radiation induced cataract predominantly occurs in posterior sub-capsular (PSC) region and is thus distinguishable from age or drug related cataracts and is also preventable, actions on awareness can lead to avoidance or even prevention. Learning Objectives: To understand recent changes in eye lens dose limits and thresholds for tissue reactions To understand different approaches to dose estimation for eye lens To learn about challenges in eye lens opacities among staff in interventional fluoroscopy Di Zhang, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Tustin, CA, USA Eye lens radiation dose from brain perfusion CT exams CT perfusion imaging requires repeatedly exposing one location of the head to monitor the uptake and washout of iodinated contrast. The accumulated radiation dose to the eye lens can be high, leading to concerns about potential radiation injury from these scans. CTDIvol assumes continuous z coverage and can overestimate eye lens dose in CT perfusion scans where the table do not increment. The radiation dose to the eye lens from clinical CT brain perfusion studies can be estimated using Monte Carlo simulation methods on voxelized patient models. MDCT scanners from four major manufacturers were simulated and the eye lens doses were estimated using the AAPM posted clinical protocols. They were also compared to CTDIvol values to evaluate the overestimation from CTDIvol. The efficacy of eye lens dose reduction techniques such as tilting the gantry and moving the scan location away from the eyelens were also investigated. Eye lens dose ranged from 81 mGy to 279 mGy, depending on the scanner and protocol used. It is between 59% and 63% of the CTDIvol values reported by the scanners. The eye lens dose is significantly reduced when the eye lenses were not directly irradiated. CTDIvol should not be interpreted as patient dose; this study has shown it to overestimate dose to the eye lens. These results may be used to provide more accurate estimates of actual dose to ensure that protocols are operated safely below thresholds. Tilting the gantry or moving the scanning region further away from the eyes are effective for reducing lens dose in clinical practice. These actions should be considered when they are consistent with the clinical task and patient anatomy. Learning Objectives: To become familiar with method of eye dose estimation for patient in specific situation of brain perfusion CT To become familiar with level of eye lens radiation doses in patients undergoing brain perfusion MDCT To understand methods for reducing eye lens dose to patient Jong Min Park, Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea Eye lens dosimetry in radiotherapy using contact lens-shaped applicator Dose calculation accuracy of commercial treatment planning systems is relatively low at shallow depths. Therefore, in-vivo measurements are often performed in the clinic to verify delivered doses to eye lens which are located at shallow depth. Current in-vivo dosimetry for eye lens during radiotherapy is generally performed with small in-vivo dosimeters on the surface of patient eyelid. Since this procedure potentially contains considerable uncertainty, a contact lens-shaped applicator made of acrylic (lens applicator) was developed for in-vivo measurements of eye lens dose during radiotherapy to reduce uncertainty. The lens applicator allows the insertion of commercially available metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) dosimeters. Computed tomography (CT) images of an anthropomorphic phantom with and without the lens applicator were acquired. A total of 20 VMAT plans were delivered to an anthropomorphic phantom and the doses with the lens applicator and the doses at the surface of the eyelid were measured using both micro and standard MOSFET dosimeters. The differences in measured dose at the surface of the eyelid from the calculated lens dose were acquired. The differences between the measured and the calculated doses at the lens applicator, as well as the differences between the measured and the calculated doses at the surface of the eyelid were acquired. The statistical significance of the differences was analyzed. The average difference between the measured and the calculated dose with the lens applicator was 16.8 % ± 10.4 % with a micro MOSFET dosimeter and 16.6 % ± 10.9% with a standard MOSFET dosimeter. The average difference without the lens applicator was 35.9% ± 41.5% with micro MOSFET dosimeter and 42.9% ± 52.2% with standard MOSFET dosimeter. The maximum difference with micro MOSFET dosimeter was 46% with the applicator and 188.4% without the applicator. For the standard MOSFET dosimeter, the maximum difference was 44.4% with the applicator and 246.4% without the applicator. The lens applicator allowed reduction of the differences between the calculated and the measured dose during in-vivo measurement for the eye lens as compared to in-vivo measurement at the surface of the eyelid. Learning Objectives: To understand limitations of dose calculation with commercial treatment planning system for eye lens during radiotherapy To learn about current in-vivo dosimetry methods for eye lens in the clinic To understand limitations of in-vivo dosimetry for eye lens during radiotherapy Di Zhang is an employee of Toshiba America Medical Systems.« less

TU-E-201-03: Eye Lens Dosimetry in Radiotherapy Using Contact Lens-Shaped Applicator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Park, J.

Madan M. Rehani, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston Methods for Eye Lens Dosimetry and Studies On Lens Opacities with Interventionalists Radiation induced cataract is a major threat among staff working in interventional suites. Nearly 16 million interventional procedures are performed annually in USA. Recent studies by the principal investigator’s group, primarily among interventional cardiologists, on behalf of the International Atomic Energy Agency, show posterior subcapsular (PSC) changes in the eye lens in 38–53% of main operators and 21–45% of support staff. These changes have potential to lead to cataract in future years, as per information from A-Bombmore » survivors. The International Commission on Radiological Protection has reduced dose limit for staff by a factor of 7.5 (from 150 mSv/y to 20 mSv/y). With increasing emphasis on radiation induced cataracts and reduction in threshold dose for eye lens, there is a need to implement strategies for estimating eye lens dose. Unfortunately eye lens dosimetry is at infancy when it comes to routine application. Various approaches are being tried namely direct measurement using active or passive dosimeters kept close to eyes, retrospective estimations and lastly correlating patient dose in interventional procedures with staff eye dose. The talk will review all approaches available and ongoing active research in this area, as well as data from surveys done in Europe on status of eye dose monitoring in interventional radiology and nuclear medicine. The talk will provide update on how good is Hp(10) against Hp(3), estimations from CTDI values, Monte Carlo based simulations and current status of eye lens dosimetry in USA and Europe. The cataract risk among patients is in CT examinations of the head. Since radiation induced cataract predominantly occurs in posterior sub-capsular (PSC) region and is thus distinguishable from age or drug related cataracts and is also preventable, actions on awareness can lead to avoidance or even prevention. Learning Objectives: To understand recent changes in eye lens dose limits and thresholds for tissue reactions To understand different approaches to dose estimation for eye lens To learn about challenges in eye lens opacities among staff in interventional fluoroscopy Di Zhang, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Tustin, CA, USA Eye lens radiation dose from brain perfusion CT exams CT perfusion imaging requires repeatedly exposing one location of the head to monitor the uptake and washout of iodinated contrast. The accumulated radiation dose to the eye lens can be high, leading to concerns about potential radiation injury from these scans. CTDIvol assumes continuous z coverage and can overestimate eye lens dose in CT perfusion scans where the table do not increment. The radiation dose to the eye lens from clinical CT brain perfusion studies can be estimated using Monte Carlo simulation methods on voxelized patient models. MDCT scanners from four major manufacturers were simulated and the eye lens doses were estimated using the AAPM posted clinical protocols. They were also compared to CTDIvol values to evaluate the overestimation from CTDIvol. The efficacy of eye lens dose reduction techniques such as tilting the gantry and moving the scan location away from the eyelens were also investigated. Eye lens dose ranged from 81 mGy to 279 mGy, depending on the scanner and protocol used. It is between 59% and 63% of the CTDIvol values reported by the scanners. The eye lens dose is significantly reduced when the eye lenses were not directly irradiated. CTDIvol should not be interpreted as patient dose; this study has shown it to overestimate dose to the eye lens. These results may be used to provide more accurate estimates of actual dose to ensure that protocols are operated safely below thresholds. Tilting the gantry or moving the scanning region further away from the eyes are effective for reducing lens dose in clinical practice. These actions should be considered when they are consistent with the clinical task and patient anatomy. Learning Objectives: To become familiar with method of eye dose estimation for patient in specific situation of brain perfusion CT To become familiar with level of eye lens radiation doses in patients undergoing brain perfusion MDCT To understand methods for reducing eye lens dose to patient Jong Min Park, Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea Eye lens dosimetry in radiotherapy using contact lens-shaped applicator Dose calculation accuracy of commercial treatment planning systems is relatively low at shallow depths. Therefore, in-vivo measurements are often performed in the clinic to verify delivered doses to eye lens which are located at shallow depth. Current in-vivo dosimetry for eye lens during radiotherapy is generally performed with small in-vivo dosimeters on the surface of patient eyelid. Since this procedure potentially contains considerable uncertainty, a contact lens-shaped applicator made of acrylic (lens applicator) was developed for in-vivo measurements of eye lens dose during radiotherapy to reduce uncertainty. The lens applicator allows the insertion of commercially available metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) dosimeters. Computed tomography (CT) images of an anthropomorphic phantom with and without the lens applicator were acquired. A total of 20 VMAT plans were delivered to an anthropomorphic phantom and the doses with the lens applicator and the doses at the surface of the eyelid were measured using both micro and standard MOSFET dosimeters. The differences in measured dose at the surface of the eyelid from the calculated lens dose were acquired. The differences between the measured and the calculated doses at the lens applicator, as well as the differences between the measured and the calculated doses at the surface of the eyelid were acquired. The statistical significance of the differences was analyzed. The average difference between the measured and the calculated dose with the lens applicator was 16.8 % ± 10.4 % with a micro MOSFET dosimeter and 16.6 % ± 10.9% with a standard MOSFET dosimeter. The average difference without the lens applicator was 35.9% ± 41.5% with micro MOSFET dosimeter and 42.9% ± 52.2% with standard MOSFET dosimeter. The maximum difference with micro MOSFET dosimeter was 46% with the applicator and 188.4% without the applicator. For the standard MOSFET dosimeter, the maximum difference was 44.4% with the applicator and 246.4% without the applicator. The lens applicator allowed reduction of the differences between the calculated and the measured dose during in-vivo measurement for the eye lens as compared to in-vivo measurement at the surface of the eyelid. Learning Objectives: To understand limitations of dose calculation with commercial treatment planning system for eye lens during radiotherapy To learn about current in-vivo dosimetry methods for eye lens in the clinic To understand limitations of in-vivo dosimetry for eye lens during radiotherapy Di Zhang is an employee of Toshiba America Medical Systems.« less

TU-E-201-00: Eye Lens Dosimetry for Patients and Staff

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

Madan M. Rehani, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston Methods for Eye Lens Dosimetry and Studies On Lens Opacities with Interventionalists Radiation induced cataract is a major threat among staff working in interventional suites. Nearly 16 million interventional procedures are performed annually in USA. Recent studies by the principal investigator’s group, primarily among interventional cardiologists, on behalf of the International Atomic Energy Agency, show posterior subcapsular (PSC) changes in the eye lens in 38–53% of main operators and 21–45% of support staff. These changes have potential to lead to cataract in future years, as per information from A-Bombmore » survivors. The International Commission on Radiological Protection has reduced dose limit for staff by a factor of 7.5 (from 150 mSv/y to 20 mSv/y). With increasing emphasis on radiation induced cataracts and reduction in threshold dose for eye lens, there is a need to implement strategies for estimating eye lens dose. Unfortunately eye lens dosimetry is at infancy when it comes to routine application. Various approaches are being tried namely direct measurement using active or passive dosimeters kept close to eyes, retrospective estimations and lastly correlating patient dose in interventional procedures with staff eye dose. The talk will review all approaches available and ongoing active research in this area, as well as data from surveys done in Europe on status of eye dose monitoring in interventional radiology and nuclear medicine. The talk will provide update on how good is Hp(10) against Hp(3), estimations from CTDI values, Monte Carlo based simulations and current status of eye lens dosimetry in USA and Europe. The cataract risk among patients is in CT examinations of the head. Since radiation induced cataract predominantly occurs in posterior sub-capsular (PSC) region and is thus distinguishable from age or drug related cataracts and is also preventable, actions on awareness can lead to avoidance or even prevention. Learning Objectives: To understand recent changes in eye lens dose limits and thresholds for tissue reactions To understand different approaches to dose estimation for eye lens To learn about challenges in eye lens opacities among staff in interventional fluoroscopy Di Zhang, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Tustin, CA, USA Eye lens radiation dose from brain perfusion CT exams CT perfusion imaging requires repeatedly exposing one location of the head to monitor the uptake and washout of iodinated contrast. The accumulated radiation dose to the eye lens can be high, leading to concerns about potential radiation injury from these scans. CTDIvol assumes continuous z coverage and can overestimate eye lens dose in CT perfusion scans where the table do not increment. The radiation dose to the eye lens from clinical CT brain perfusion studies can be estimated using Monte Carlo simulation methods on voxelized patient models. MDCT scanners from four major manufacturers were simulated and the eye lens doses were estimated using the AAPM posted clinical protocols. They were also compared to CTDIvol values to evaluate the overestimation from CTDIvol. The efficacy of eye lens dose reduction techniques such as tilting the gantry and moving the scan location away from the eyelens were also investigated. Eye lens dose ranged from 81 mGy to 279 mGy, depending on the scanner and protocol used. It is between 59% and 63% of the CTDIvol values reported by the scanners. The eye lens dose is significantly reduced when the eye lenses were not directly irradiated. CTDIvol should not be interpreted as patient dose; this study has shown it to overestimate dose to the eye lens. These results may be used to provide more accurate estimates of actual dose to ensure that protocols are operated safely below thresholds. Tilting the gantry or moving the scanning region further away from the eyes are effective for reducing lens dose in clinical practice. These actions should be considered when they are consistent with the clinical task and patient anatomy. Learning Objectives: To become familiar with method of eye dose estimation for patient in specific situation of brain perfusion CT To become familiar with level of eye lens radiation doses in patients undergoing brain perfusion MDCT To understand methods for reducing eye lens dose to patient Jong Min Park, Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea Eye lens dosimetry in radiotherapy using contact lens-shaped applicator Dose calculation accuracy of commercial treatment planning systems is relatively low at shallow depths. Therefore, in-vivo measurements are often performed in the clinic to verify delivered doses to eye lens which are located at shallow depth. Current in-vivo dosimetry for eye lens during radiotherapy is generally performed with small in-vivo dosimeters on the surface of patient eyelid. Since this procedure potentially contains considerable uncertainty, a contact lens-shaped applicator made of acrylic (lens applicator) was developed for in-vivo measurements of eye lens dose during radiotherapy to reduce uncertainty. The lens applicator allows the insertion of commercially available metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) dosimeters. Computed tomography (CT) images of an anthropomorphic phantom with and without the lens applicator were acquired. A total of 20 VMAT plans were delivered to an anthropomorphic phantom and the doses with the lens applicator and the doses at the surface of the eyelid were measured using both micro and standard MOSFET dosimeters. The differences in measured dose at the surface of the eyelid from the calculated lens dose were acquired. The differences between the measured and the calculated doses at the lens applicator, as well as the differences between the measured and the calculated doses at the surface of the eyelid were acquired. The statistical significance of the differences was analyzed. The average difference between the measured and the calculated dose with the lens applicator was 16.8 % ± 10.4 % with a micro MOSFET dosimeter and 16.6 % ± 10.9% with a standard MOSFET dosimeter. The average difference without the lens applicator was 35.9% ± 41.5% with micro MOSFET dosimeter and 42.9% ± 52.2% with standard MOSFET dosimeter. The maximum difference with micro MOSFET dosimeter was 46% with the applicator and 188.4% without the applicator. For the standard MOSFET dosimeter, the maximum difference was 44.4% with the applicator and 246.4% without the applicator. The lens applicator allowed reduction of the differences between the calculated and the measured dose during in-vivo measurement for the eye lens as compared to in-vivo measurement at the surface of the eyelid. Learning Objectives: To understand limitations of dose calculation with commercial treatment planning system for eye lens during radiotherapy To learn about current in-vivo dosimetry methods for eye lens in the clinic To understand limitations of in-vivo dosimetry for eye lens during radiotherapy Di Zhang is an employee of Toshiba America Medical Systems.« less

TU-E-201-01: Methods for Eye Lens Dosimetry and Studies On Lens Opacities with Interventionists

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rehani, M.

Madan M. Rehani, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston Methods for Eye Lens Dosimetry and Studies On Lens Opacities with Interventionalists Radiation induced cataract is a major threat among staff working in interventional suites. Nearly 16 million interventional procedures are performed annually in USA. Recent studies by the principal investigator’s group, primarily among interventional cardiologists, on behalf of the International Atomic Energy Agency, show posterior subcapsular (PSC) changes in the eye lens in 38–53% of main operators and 21–45% of support staff. These changes have potential to lead to cataract in future years, as per information from A-Bombmore » survivors. The International Commission on Radiological Protection has reduced dose limit for staff by a factor of 7.5 (from 150 mSv/y to 20 mSv/y). With increasing emphasis on radiation induced cataracts and reduction in threshold dose for eye lens, there is a need to implement strategies for estimating eye lens dose. Unfortunately eye lens dosimetry is at infancy when it comes to routine application. Various approaches are being tried namely direct measurement using active or passive dosimeters kept close to eyes, retrospective estimations and lastly correlating patient dose in interventional procedures with staff eye dose. The talk will review all approaches available and ongoing active research in this area, as well as data from surveys done in Europe on status of eye dose monitoring in interventional radiology and nuclear medicine. The talk will provide update on how good is Hp(10) against Hp(3), estimations from CTDI values, Monte Carlo based simulations and current status of eye lens dosimetry in USA and Europe. The cataract risk among patients is in CT examinations of the head. Since radiation induced cataract predominantly occurs in posterior sub-capsular (PSC) region and is thus distinguishable from age or drug related cataracts and is also preventable, actions on awareness can lead to avoidance or even prevention. Learning Objectives: To understand recent changes in eye lens dose limits and thresholds for tissue reactions To understand different approaches to dose estimation for eye lens To learn about challenges in eye lens opacities among staff in interventional fluoroscopy Di Zhang, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Tustin, CA, USA Eye lens radiation dose from brain perfusion CT exams CT perfusion imaging requires repeatedly exposing one location of the head to monitor the uptake and washout of iodinated contrast. The accumulated radiation dose to the eye lens can be high, leading to concerns about potential radiation injury from these scans. CTDIvol assumes continuous z coverage and can overestimate eye lens dose in CT perfusion scans where the table do not increment. The radiation dose to the eye lens from clinical CT brain perfusion studies can be estimated using Monte Carlo simulation methods on voxelized patient models. MDCT scanners from four major manufacturers were simulated and the eye lens doses were estimated using the AAPM posted clinical protocols. They were also compared to CTDIvol values to evaluate the overestimation from CTDIvol. The efficacy of eye lens dose reduction techniques such as tilting the gantry and moving the scan location away from the eyelens were also investigated. Eye lens dose ranged from 81 mGy to 279 mGy, depending on the scanner and protocol used. It is between 59% and 63% of the CTDIvol values reported by the scanners. The eye lens dose is significantly reduced when the eye lenses were not directly irradiated. CTDIvol should not be interpreted as patient dose; this study has shown it to overestimate dose to the eye lens. These results may be used to provide more accurate estimates of actual dose to ensure that protocols are operated safely below thresholds. Tilting the gantry or moving the scanning region further away from the eyes are effective for reducing lens dose in clinical practice. These actions should be considered when they are consistent with the clinical task and patient anatomy. Learning Objectives: To become familiar with method of eye dose estimation for patient in specific situation of brain perfusion CT To become familiar with level of eye lens radiation doses in patients undergoing brain perfusion MDCT To understand methods for reducing eye lens dose to patient Jong Min Park, Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea Eye lens dosimetry in radiotherapy using contact lens-shaped applicator Dose calculation accuracy of commercial treatment planning systems is relatively low at shallow depths. Therefore, in-vivo measurements are often performed in the clinic to verify delivered doses to eye lens which are located at shallow depth. Current in-vivo dosimetry for eye lens during radiotherapy is generally performed with small in-vivo dosimeters on the surface of patient eyelid. Since this procedure potentially contains considerable uncertainty, a contact lens-shaped applicator made of acrylic (lens applicator) was developed for in-vivo measurements of eye lens dose during radiotherapy to reduce uncertainty. The lens applicator allows the insertion of commercially available metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) dosimeters. Computed tomography (CT) images of an anthropomorphic phantom with and without the lens applicator were acquired. A total of 20 VMAT plans were delivered to an anthropomorphic phantom and the doses with the lens applicator and the doses at the surface of the eyelid were measured using both micro and standard MOSFET dosimeters. The differences in measured dose at the surface of the eyelid from the calculated lens dose were acquired. The differences between the measured and the calculated doses at the lens applicator, as well as the differences between the measured and the calculated doses at the surface of the eyelid were acquired. The statistical significance of the differences was analyzed. The average difference between the measured and the calculated dose with the lens applicator was 16.8 % ± 10.4 % with a micro MOSFET dosimeter and 16.6 % ± 10.9% with a standard MOSFET dosimeter. The average difference without the lens applicator was 35.9% ± 41.5% with micro MOSFET dosimeter and 42.9% ± 52.2% with standard MOSFET dosimeter. The maximum difference with micro MOSFET dosimeter was 46% with the applicator and 188.4% without the applicator. For the standard MOSFET dosimeter, the maximum difference was 44.4% with the applicator and 246.4% without the applicator. The lens applicator allowed reduction of the differences between the calculated and the measured dose during in-vivo measurement for the eye lens as compared to in-vivo measurement at the surface of the eyelid. Learning Objectives: To understand limitations of dose calculation with commercial treatment planning system for eye lens during radiotherapy To learn about current in-vivo dosimetry methods for eye lens in the clinic To understand limitations of in-vivo dosimetry for eye lens during radiotherapy Di Zhang is an employee of Toshiba America Medical Systems.« less

Monte Carlo dose calculations of beta-emitting sources for intravascular brachytherapy: a comparison between EGS4, EGSnrc, and MCNP.

PubMed

Wang, R; Li, X A

2001-02-01

The dose parameters for the beta-particle emitting 90Sr/90Y source for intravascular brachytherapy (IVBT) have been calculated by different investigators. At a distant distance from the source, noticeable differences are seen in these parameters calculated using different Monte Carlo codes. The purpose of this work is to quantify as well as to understand these differences. We have compared a series of calculations using an EGS4, an EGSnrc, and the MCNP Monte Carlo codes. Data calculated and compared include the depth dose curve for a broad parallel beam of electrons, and radial dose distributions for point electron sources (monoenergetic or polyenergetic) and for a real 90Sr/90Y source. For the 90Sr/90Y source, the doses at the reference position (2 mm radial distance) calculated by the three code agree within 2%. However, the differences between the dose calculated by the three codes can be over 20% in the radial distance range interested in IVBT. The difference increases with radial distance from source, and reaches 30% at the tail of dose curve. These differences may be partially attributed to the different multiple scattering theories and Monte Carlo models for electron transport adopted in these three codes. Doses calculated by the EGSnrc code are more accurate than those by the EGS4. The two calculations agree within 5% for radial distance <6 mm.

Dosimetric comparison of lung stereotactic body radiotherapy treatment plans using averaged computed tomography and end-exhalation computed tomography images: Evaluation of the effect of different dose-calculation algorithms and prescription methods

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mitsuyoshi, Takamasa; Nakamura, Mitsuhiro, E-mail: m_nkmr@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Matsuo, Yukinori

The purpose of this article is to quantitatively evaluate differences in dose distributions calculated using various computed tomography (CT) datasets, dose-calculation algorithms, and prescription methods in stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for patients with early-stage lung cancer. Data on 29 patients with early-stage lung cancer treated with SBRT were retrospectively analyzed. Averaged CT (Ave-CT) and expiratory CT (Ex-CT) images were reconstructed for each patient using 4-dimensional CT data. Dose distributions were initially calculated using the Ave-CT images and recalculated (in the same monitor units [MUs]) by employing Ex-CT images with the same beam arrangements. The dose-volume parameters, including D{sub 95}, D{submore » 90}, D{sub 50}, and D{sub 2} of the planning target volume (PTV), were compared between the 2 image sets. To explore the influence of dose-calculation algorithms and prescription methods on the differences in dose distributions evident between Ave-CT and Ex-CT images, we calculated dose distributions using the following 3 different algorithms: x-ray Voxel Monte Carlo (XVMC), Acuros XB (AXB), and the anisotropic analytical algorithm (AAA). We also used 2 different dose-prescription methods; the isocenter prescription and the PTV periphery prescription methods. All differences in PTV dose-volume parameters calculated using Ave-CT and Ex-CT data were within 3 percentage points (%pts) employing the isocenter prescription method, and within 1.5%pts using the PTV periphery prescription method, irrespective of which of the 3 algorithms (XVMC, AXB, and AAA) was employed. The frequencies of dose-volume parameters differing by >1%pt when the XVMC and AXB were used were greater than those associated with the use of the AAA, regardless of the dose-prescription method employed. All differences in PTV dose-volume parameters calculated using Ave-CT and Ex-CT data on patients who underwent lung SBRT were within 3%pts, regardless of the dose-calculation algorithm or the dose-prescription method employed.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mao, R; Tian, L; Ge, H

Purpose: To evaluate the dosimetry of microscopic disease (MD) region of lung cancer in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Methods: For simplicity, we assume organ moves along one dimension. The probability distribution function of tumor position was calculated according to the breathing cycle. The dose to the MD region was obtained through accumulating the treatment planning system calculated doses at different positions in a breathing cycle. A phantom experiment was then conducted to validate the calculated results using a motion phantom (The CIRS ‘Dynamic’ Thorax Phantom). The simulated breathing pattern used a cos4(x) curve with an amplitude of 10mm. Amore » 3-D conformal 7-field plan with 6X energy was created and the dose was calculated in the average intensity projection (AIP) simulation CT images. Both films (EBT2) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) detectors were inserted in the target of the phantom to measure the dose during radiation delivery (Varian Truebeam) and results were compared to planning dose parameters. Results: The Gamma analysis (3%/3mm) between measured dose using EBT2 film and calculated dose using AIP was 80.5%, indicating substantial dosimetric differences. While the Gamma analysis (3%/3mm) between measured dose using EBT2 and accumulated dose using 4D-CT was 98.9%, indicating the necessity of dose accumulation using 4D-CT. The measured doses using OSL and theoretically calculated doses using probability distribution function at the corresponding position were comparable. Conclusion: Use of static dose calculation in the treatment planning system could substantially underestimate the actually delivered dose in the MD region for a moving target. Funding Supported by NSFC, No.81372436.« less

Optimisation techniques in vaginal cuff brachytherapy.

PubMed

Tuncel, N; Garipagaoglu, M; Kizildag, A U; Andic, F; Toy, A

2009-11-01

The aim of this study was to explore whether an in-house dosimetry protocol and optimisation method are able to produce a homogeneous dose distribution in the target volume, and how often optimisation is required in vaginal cuff brachytherapy. Treatment planning was carried out for 109 fractions in 33 patients who underwent high dose rate iridium-192 (Ir(192)) brachytherapy using Fletcher ovoids. Dose prescription and normalisation were performed to catheter-oriented lateral dose points (dps) within a range of 90-110% of the prescribed dose. The in-house vaginal apex point (Vk), alternative vaginal apex point (Vk'), International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) rectal point (Rg) and bladder point (Bl) doses were calculated. Time-position optimisations were made considering dps, Vk and Rg doses. Keeping the Vk dose higher than 95% and the Rg dose less than 85% of the prescribed dose was intended. Target dose homogeneity, optimisation frequency and the relationship between prescribed dose, Vk, Vk', Rg and ovoid diameter were investigated. The mean target dose was 99+/-7.4% of the prescription dose. Optimisation was required in 92 out of 109 (83%) fractions. Ovoid diameter had a significant effect on Rg (p = 0.002), Vk (p = 0.018), Vk' (p = 0.034), minimum dps (p = 0.021) and maximum dps (p<0.001). Rg, Vk and Vk' doses with 2.5 cm diameter ovoids were significantly higher than with 2 cm and 1.5 cm ovoids. Catheter-oriented dose point normalisation provided a homogeneous dose distribution with a 99+/-7.4% mean dose within the target volume, requiring time-position optimisation.

Radioactivity of natural and artificial building materials - a comparative study.

PubMed

Szabó, Zs; Völgyesi, P; Nagy, H É; Szabó, Cs; Kis, Z; Csorba, O

2013-04-01

Building materials and their additives contain radioactive isotopes, which can increase both external and internal radioactive exposures of humans. In this study Hungarian natural (adobe) and artificial (brick, concrete, coal slag, coal slag concrete and gas silicate) building materials were examined. We qualified 40 samples based on their radium equivalent, activity concentration, external hazard and internal hazard indices and the determined threshold values of these parameters. Absorbed dose rate and annual effective dose for inhabitants living in buildings made of these building materials were also evaluated. The calculations are based on (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K activity concentrations determined by gamma-ray spectrometry. Measured radionuclide concentrations and hence, calculated indices and doses of artificial building materials show a rather disparate distribution compared to adobes. The studied coal slag samples among the artificial building materials have elevated (226)Ra content. Natural, i.e. adobe and also brick samples contain higher amount of (40)K compared to other artificial building materials. Correlation coefficients among radionuclide concentrations are consistent with the values in the literature and connected to the natural geochemical behavior of U, Th and K elements. Seven samples (coal slag and coal slag concrete) exceed any of the threshold values of the calculated hazard indices, however only three of them are considered to be risky to use according to the fact that the building material was used in bulk amount or in restricted usage. It is shown, that using different indices can lead to different conclusions; hence we recommend considering more of the indices at the same time when building materials are studied. Additionally, adding two times their statistical uncertainties to their values before comparing to thresholds should be considered for providing a more conservative qualification. We have defined radon hazard portion to point to the limitations of the internal hazard considerations based on only measured (226)Ra activity concentrations without direct radon measurements. Our data are compared to those obtained in other countries and they provide a good basis to expand the database of radioactivity of building materials and gives information about the safety and situation of the building material industry in this central region of Europe. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of amiodarone on warfarin anticoagulation: a register-based nationwide cohort study involving the Swedish population.

PubMed

Holm, J; Lindh, J D; Andersson, M L; Mannheimer, B

2017-03-01

Essentials Data on the effect of introducing amiodarone in patients already using warfarin regime are scarce. Information on 754 patients was extracted from three nationwide registers in Sweden. With amiodaron, 37% of patients had an international normalized ratio (INR) over 3.0 To avoid bleeding, the initiation of amiodarone should be accompanied by closer INR monitoring. Background Data indicate that the interaction between warfarin and amiodarone results in an increased warfarin effect. There are several large, well-performed studies using genetic and clinical factors such as co-medication to predict an adequate starting dose of warfarin. However, longitudinal data on the effect of introducing amiodarone in patients on an ongoing warfarin regime are more scarce. Objectives An investigation of how initiation of amiodarone affects the anticoagulant effect and dosing of warfarin, using data from three nationwide registries. Patients/Methods In a retrospective cohort study including 754 patients, warfarin doses were compared between two 4-week periods, before and 18-21 weeks after initiating co-treatment with amiodarone. In addition, warfarin doses and international normalized ratio (INR) values were calculated week-by-week after the initiation of amiodarone. Results The initiation of amiodarone increased the mean INR from 2.6 to 3.1. The proportion of patients with a supratherapeutic INR over 3.0 and 4.0 increased from 12% to 37% and 0.9% to 5.5%, respectively. The subsequent mean decrease in warfarin dose was 24.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 23.5, 25.6). The frequency of INR monitoring within 1 and 2 weeks after initiation of amiodarone was 67% and 90%. Conclusions Although warfarin doses in most patients were within the therapeutic range, more than one in three patients initiating co-treatment with amiodarone were exposed to a supratherapeutic anticoagulative effect within 3 weeks. In order to further avoid severe unnecessary bleeding, the initiation of amiodarone should be accompanied by closer INR monitoring, anticipating an average dose reduction of 25%. © 2017 International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

Dosimetric calculations for uranium miners for epidemiological studies.

PubMed

Marsh, J W; Blanchardon, E; Gregoratto, D; Hofmann, W; Karcher, K; Nosske, D; Tomásek, L

2012-05-01

Epidemiological studies on uranium miners are being carried out to quantify the risk of cancer based on organ dose calculations. Mathematical models have been applied to calculate the annual absorbed doses to regions of the lung, red bone marrow, liver, kidney and stomach for each individual miner arising from exposure to radon gas, radon progeny and long-lived radionuclides (LLR) present in the uranium ore dust and to external gamma radiation. The methodology and dosimetric models used to calculate these organ doses are described and the resulting doses for unit exposure to each source (radon gas, radon progeny and LLR) are presented. The results of dosimetric calculations for a typical German miner are also given. For this miner, the absorbed dose to the central regions of the lung is dominated by the dose arising from exposure to radon progeny, whereas the absorbed dose to the red bone marrow is dominated by the external gamma dose. The uncertainties in the absorbed dose to regions of the lung arising from unit exposure to radon progeny are also discussed. These dose estimates are being used in epidemiological studies of cancer in uranium miners.

Isobio software: biological dose distribution and biological dose volume histogram from physical dose conversion using linear-quadratic-linear model.

PubMed

Jaikuna, Tanwiwat; Khadsiri, Phatchareewan; Chawapun, Nisa; Saekho, Suwit; Tharavichitkul, Ekkasit

2017-02-01

To develop an in-house software program that is able to calculate and generate the biological dose distribution and biological dose volume histogram by physical dose conversion using the linear-quadratic-linear (LQL) model. The Isobio software was developed using MATLAB version 2014b to calculate and generate the biological dose distribution and biological dose volume histograms. The physical dose from each voxel in treatment planning was extracted through Computational Environment for Radiotherapy Research (CERR), and the accuracy was verified by the differentiation between the dose volume histogram from CERR and the treatment planning system. An equivalent dose in 2 Gy fraction (EQD 2 ) was calculated using biological effective dose (BED) based on the LQL model. The software calculation and the manual calculation were compared for EQD 2 verification with pair t -test statistical analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22 (64-bit). Two and three-dimensional biological dose distribution and biological dose volume histogram were displayed correctly by the Isobio software. Different physical doses were found between CERR and treatment planning system (TPS) in Oncentra, with 3.33% in high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) determined by D 90% , 0.56% in the bladder, 1.74% in the rectum when determined by D 2cc , and less than 1% in Pinnacle. The difference in the EQD 2 between the software calculation and the manual calculation was not significantly different with 0.00% at p -values 0.820, 0.095, and 0.593 for external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and 0.240, 0.320, and 0.849 for brachytherapy (BT) in HR-CTV, bladder, and rectum, respectively. The Isobio software is a feasible tool to generate the biological dose distribution and biological dose volume histogram for treatment plan evaluation in both EBRT and BT.

Clinical implementation and evaluation of the Acuros dose calculation algorithm.

PubMed

Yan, Chenyu; Combine, Anthony G; Bednarz, Greg; Lalonde, Ronald J; Hu, Bin; Dickens, Kathy; Wynn, Raymond; Pavord, Daniel C; Saiful Huq, M

2017-09-01

The main aim of this study is to validate the Acuros XB dose calculation algorithm for a Varian Clinac iX linac in our clinics, and subsequently compare it with the wildely used AAA algorithm. The source models for both Acuros XB and AAA were configured by importing the same measured beam data into Eclipse treatment planning system. Both algorithms were validated by comparing calculated dose with measured dose on a homogeneous water phantom for field sizes ranging from 6 cm × 6 cm to 40 cm × 40 cm. Central axis and off-axis points with different depths were chosen for the comparison. In addition, the accuracy of Acuros was evaluated for wedge fields with wedge angles from 15 to 60°. Similarly, variable field sizes for an inhomogeneous phantom were chosen to validate the Acuros algorithm. In addition, doses calculated by Acuros and AAA at the center of lung equivalent tissue from three different VMAT plans were compared to the ion chamber measured doses in QUASAR phantom, and the calculated dose distributions by the two algorithms and their differences on patients were compared. Computation time on VMAT plans was also evaluated for Acuros and AAA. Differences between dose-to-water (calculated by AAA and Acuros XB) and dose-to-medium (calculated by Acuros XB) on patient plans were compared and evaluated. For open 6 MV photon beams on the homogeneous water phantom, both Acuros XB and AAA calculations were within 1% of measurements. For 23 MV photon beams, the calculated doses were within 1.5% of measured doses for Acuros XB and 2% for AAA. Testing on the inhomogeneous phantom demonstrated that AAA overestimated doses by up to 8.96% at a point close to lung/solid water interface, while Acuros XB reduced that to 1.64%. The test on QUASAR phantom showed that Acuros achieved better agreement in lung equivalent tissue while AAA underestimated dose for all VMAT plans by up to 2.7%. Acuros XB computation time was about three times faster than AAA for VMAT plans, and computation time for other plans will be discussed at the end. Maximum difference between dose calculated by AAA and dose-to-medium by Acuros XB (Acuros_D m,m ) was 4.3% on patient plans at the isocenter, and maximum difference between D 100 calculated by AAA and by Acuros_D m,m was 11.3%. When calculating the maximum dose to spinal cord on patient plans, differences between dose calculated by AAA and Acuros_D m,m were more than 3%. Compared with AAA, Acuros XB improves accuracy in the presence of inhomogeneity, and also significantly reduces computation time for VMAT plans. Dose differences between AAA and Acuros_D w,m were generally less than the dose differences between AAA and Acuros_D m,m . Clinical practitioners should consider making Acuros XB available in clinics, however, further investigation and clarification is needed about which dose reporting mode (dose-to-water or dose-to-medium) should be used in clinics. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

TH-A-19A-06: Site-Specific Comparison of Analytical and Monte Carlo Based Dose Calculations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schuemann, J; Grassberger, C; Paganetti, H

2014-06-15

Purpose: To investigate the impact of complex patient geometries on the capability of analytical dose calculation algorithms to accurately predict dose distributions and to verify currently used uncertainty margins in proton therapy. Methods: Dose distributions predicted by an analytical pencilbeam algorithm were compared with Monte Carlo simulations (MCS) using TOPAS. 79 complete patient treatment plans were investigated for 7 disease sites (liver, prostate, breast, medulloblastoma spine and whole brain, lung and head and neck). A total of 508 individual passively scattered treatment fields were analyzed for field specific properties. Comparisons based on target coverage indices (EUD, D95, D90 and D50)more » were performed. Range differences were estimated for the distal position of the 90% dose level (R90) and the 50% dose level (R50). Two-dimensional distal dose surfaces were calculated and the root mean square differences (RMSD), average range difference (ARD) and average distal dose degradation (ADD), the distance between the distal position of the 80% and 20% dose levels (R80- R20), were analyzed. Results: We found target coverage indices calculated by TOPAS to generally be around 1–2% lower than predicted by the analytical algorithm. Differences in R90 predicted by TOPAS and the planning system can be larger than currently applied range margins in proton therapy for small regions distal to the target volume. We estimate new site-specific range margins (R90) for analytical dose calculations considering total range uncertainties and uncertainties from dose calculation alone based on the RMSD. Our results demonstrate that a reduction of currently used uncertainty margins is feasible for liver, prostate and whole brain fields even without introducing MC dose calculations. Conclusion: Analytical dose calculation algorithms predict dose distributions within clinical limits for more homogeneous patients sites (liver, prostate, whole brain). However, we recommend treatment plan verification using Monte Carlo simulations for patients with complex geometries.« less

SU-F-T-157: Physics Considerations Regarding Dosimetric Accuracy of Analytical Dose Calculations for Small Field Proton Therapy: A Monte Carlo Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Geng, C; Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing; Daartz, J

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of dose calculations by analytical dose calculation methods (ADC) for small field proton therapy in a gantry based passive scattering facility. Methods: 50 patients with intra-cranial disease were evaluated in the study. Treatment plans followed standard prescription and optimization procedures of proton stereotactic radiosurgery. Dose distributions calculated with the Monte Carlo (MC) toolkit TOPAS were used to represent delivered treatments. The MC dose was first adjusted using the output factor (OF) applied clinically. This factor is determined from the field size and the prescribed range. We then introduced a normalization factor to measure the differencemore » in mean dose between the delivered dose (MC dose with OF) and the dose calculated by ADC for each beam. The normalization was determined by the mean dose of the center voxels of the target area. We compared delivered dose distributions and those calculated by ADC in terms of dose volume histogram parameters and beam range distributions. Results: The mean target dose for a whole treatment is generally within 5% comparing delivered dose (MC dose with OF) and ADC dose. However, the differences can be as great as 11% for shallow and small target treated with a thick range compensator. Applying the normalization factor to the MC dose with OF can reduce the mean dose difference to less than 3%. Considering range uncertainties, the generally applied margins (3.5% of the prescribed range + 1mm) to cover uncertainties in range might not be sufficient to guarantee tumor coverage. The range difference for R90 (90% distal dose falloff) is affected by multiple factors, such as the heterogeneity index. Conclusion: This study indicates insufficient accuracy calculating proton doses using ADC. Our results suggest that uncertainties of target doses are reduced using MC techniques, improving the dosimetric accuracy for proton stereotactic radiosurgery. The work was supported by NIH/NCI under CA U19 021239. CG was partially supported by the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11475087).« less

SU-E-T-02: 90Y Microspheres Dosimetry Calculation with Voxel-S-Value Method: A Simple Use in the Clinic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maneru, F; Gracia, M; Gallardo, N

2015-06-15

Purpose: To present a simple and feasible method of voxel-S-value (VSV) dosimetry calculation for daily clinical use in radioembolization (RE) with {sup 90}Y microspheres. Dose distributions are obtained and visualized over CT images. Methods: Spatial dose distributions and dose in liver and tumor are calculated for RE patients treated with Sirtex Medical miscrospheres at our center. Data obtained from the previous simulation of treatment were the basis for calculations: Tc-99m maggregated albumin SPECT-CT study in a gammacamera (Infinia, General Electric Healthcare.). Attenuation correction and ordered-subsets expectation maximization (OSEM) algorithm were applied.For VSV calculations, both SPECT and CT were exported frommore » the gammacamera workstation and registered with the radiotherapy treatment planning system (Eclipse, Varian Medical systems). Convolution of activity matrix and local dose deposition kernel (S values) was implemented with an in-house developed software based on Python code. The kernel was downloaded from www.medphys.it. Final dose distribution was evaluated with the free software Dicompyler. Results: Liver mean dose is consistent with Partition method calculations (accepted as a good standard). Tumor dose has not been evaluated due to the high dependence on its contouring. Small lesion size, hot spots in health tissue and blurred limits can affect a lot the dose distribution in tumors. Extra work includes: export and import of images and other dicom files, create and calculate a dummy plan of external radiotherapy, convolution calculation and evaluation of the dose distribution with dicompyler. Total time spent is less than 2 hours. Conclusion: VSV calculations do not require any extra appointment or any uncomfortable process for patient. The total process is short enough to carry it out the same day of simulation and to contribute to prescription decisions prior to treatment. Three-dimensional dose knowledge provides much more information than other methods of dose calculation usually applied in the clinic.« less

Retrospective evaluation of a method to predict fresh-frozen plasma dosage in anticoagulated patients.

PubMed

Frazee, Lawrence A; Bourguet, Claire C; Gutierrez, Wilson; Elder-Arrington, Jacinta; Elackattu, Alphi E P; Haller, Nairmeen Awad

2008-01-01

In the United States, fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) is commonly used for urgent reversal of warfarin; however, dosage recommendations are difficult to find. If validated, a proposed method that uses a nonlinear relationship between international normalized ratio (INR) and clotting factor activity (CFa) would be useful. This study retrospectively evaluated a proposed equation with adult medical inpatients who received FFP for warfarin reversal. For each patient the equation was used to predict the dose of FFP required to achieve the observed change in INR, which was then compared to the actual dose. The equation was considered successful if the predicted dose was within +/-20% of the actual dose. Subgroup analyses included subjects who received concomitant vitamin K; subjects with supratherapeutic INRs (>3); and subjects with significantly elevated INRs (>5). Of the 209 patients screened, 91 met criteria for inclusion in the study. Use of the equation to calculate the predicted dose of FFP was successful in 11 patients (12.1%) with use of actual body weight for prediction and in 23 patients (25.3%) with use of ideal body weight (P = 0.02). The equation performed similarly in all subgroups analyzed. The mean predicted FFP dose was significantly greater than the actual dose in all patients when actual body weight was used (925.2 mL vs. 620.6 mL; P < 0.001). Least-squares regression modeling of repeat INR (converted to CFa) produced a model that accounted for 57% of the variance in repeat INR. The value predicted from the model was closer to the actual CFa than was the value predicted from the published equation in every comparison, but it was statistically different only when actual body weight was used. This study revealed that a published equation for calculation of FFP dose to reverse oral anticoagulation resulted in doses that were significantly higher than the actual dose. Use of ideal body weight improved accuracy but was still not successful for the majority of patients. Until trials are able to prospectively demonstrate the accuracy of a dose-prediction model for FFP, dosing will remain largely empiric.

COMPILATION OF CONVERSION COEFFICIENTS FOR THE DOSE TO THE LENS OF THE EYE

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Abstract A compilation of fluence-to-absorbed dose conversion coefficients for the dose to the lens of the eye is presented. The compilation consists of both previously published data and newly calculated values: photon data (5 keV–50 MeV for both kerma approximation and full electron transport), electron data (10 keV–50 MeV), and positron data (1 keV–50 MeV) – neutron data will be published separately. Values are given for angles of incidence from 0° up to 90° in steps of 15° and for rotational irradiation. The data presented can be downloaded from this article's website and they are ready for use by Report Committee (RC) 26. This committee has been set up by the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) and is working on a ‘proposal for a redefinition of the operational quantities for external radiation exposure’. PMID:27542816

Verification of screening level for decontamination implemented after Fukushima nuclear accident

PubMed Central

Ogino, Haruyuki; Ichiji, Takeshi; Hattori, Takatoshi

2012-01-01

The screening level for decontamination that has been applied for the surface of the human body and contaminated handled objects after the Fukushima nuclear accident was verified by assessing the doses that arise from external irradiation, ingestion, inhalation and skin contamination. The result shows that the annual effective dose that arises from handled objects contaminated with the screening level for decontamination (i.e. 100 000 counts per minute) is <1 mSv y−1, which can be considered as the intervention exemption level in accordance with the International Commission on Radiological Protection recommendations. Furthermore, the screening level is also found to protect the skin from the incidence of a deterministic effect because the absorbed dose of the skin that arises from direct deposition on the surface of the human body is calculated to be lower than the threshold of the deterministic effect assuming a practical exposure duration. PMID:22228683

Radon survey and soil gamma doses in primary schools of Batman, Turkey.

PubMed

Damla, Nevzat; Aldemir, Kamuran

2014-06-01

A survey was conducted to evaluate levels of indoor radon and gamma doses in 42 primary schools located in Batman, southeastern Anatolia, Turkey. Indoor radon measurements were carried out using CR-39 solid-state nuclear track detector-based radon dosimeters. The overall mean annual (222)Rn activity in the surveyed area was found to be 49 Bq m(-3) (equivalent to an annual effective dose of 0.25 mSv). However, in one of the districts (Besiri) the maximum radon value turned out to be 307 Bq m(-3). The estimated annual effective doses are less than the recommended action level (3-10 mSv). It is found that the radon concentration decreases with increasing floor number. The concentrations of natural and artificial radioisotopes were determined using gamma-ray spectroscopy for soil samples collected in close vicinity of the studied schools. The mean gamma activity concentrations in the soil samples were 31, 25, 329 and 12 Bq kg(-1) for (226)Ra, (232)Th, (40)K and (137)Cs, respectively. The radiological parameters such as the absorbed dose rate in air and the annual effective dose equivalent were calculated. These radiological parameters were evaluated and compared with the internationally recommended values.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klüter, Sebastian, E-mail: sebastian.klueter@med.uni-heidelberg.de; Schubert, Kai; Lissner, Steffen

Purpose: The dosimetric verification of treatment plans in helical tomotherapy usually is carried out via verification measurements. In this study, a method for independent dose calculation of tomotherapy treatment plans is presented, that uses a conventional treatment planning system with a pencil kernel dose calculation algorithm for generation of verification dose distributions based on patient CT data. Methods: A pencil beam algorithm that directly uses measured beam data was configured for dose calculation for a tomotherapy machine. Tomotherapy treatment plans were converted into a format readable by an in-house treatment planning system by assigning each projection to one static treatmentmore » field and shifting the calculation isocenter for each field in order to account for the couch movement. The modulation of the fluence for each projection is read out of the delivery sinogram, and with the kernel-based dose calculation, this information can directly be used for dose calculation without the need for decomposition of the sinogram. The sinogram values are only corrected for leaf output and leaf latency. Using the converted treatment plans, dose was recalculated with the independent treatment planning system. Multiple treatment plans ranging from simple static fields to real patient treatment plans were calculated using the new approach and either compared to actual measurements or the 3D dose distribution calculated by the tomotherapy treatment planning system. In addition, dose–volume histograms were calculated for the patient plans. Results: Except for minor deviations at the maximum field size, the pencil beam dose calculation for static beams agreed with measurements in a water tank within 2%/2 mm. A mean deviation to point dose measurements in the cheese phantom of 0.89% ± 0.81% was found for unmodulated helical plans. A mean voxel-based deviation of −0.67% ± 1.11% for all voxels in the respective high dose region (dose values >80%), and a mean local voxel-based deviation of −2.41% ± 0.75% for all voxels with dose values >20% were found for 11 modulated plans in the cheese phantom. Averaged over nine patient plans, the deviations amounted to −0.14% ± 1.97% (voxels >80%) and −0.95% ± 2.27% (>20%, local deviations). For a lung case, mean voxel-based deviations of more than 4% were found, while for all other patient plans, all mean voxel-based deviations were within ±2.4%. Conclusions: The presented method is suitable for independent dose calculation for helical tomotherapy within the known limitations of the pencil beam algorithm. It can serve as verification of the primary dose calculation and thereby reduce the need for time-consuming measurements. By using the patient anatomy and generating full 3D dose data, and combined with measurements of additional machine parameters, it can substantially contribute to overall patient safety.« less

Comparison of dermal and inhalation routes of entry for organic chemicals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jepson, Gary W.; Mcdougal, James N.; Clewell, Harvey J., III

1992-01-01

The quantitative comparison of the chemical concentration inside the body as the result of a dermal exposure versus an inhalation exposure is useful for assessing human health risks and deciding on an appropriate protective posture. In order to describe the relationship between dermal and inhalation routes of exposure, a variety of organic chemicals were evaluated. The types of chemicals chosen for the study were halogenated hydrocarbons, aromatic compounds, non-polar hydrocarbons and inhalation anesthetics. Both dermal and inhalation exposures were conducted in rats and the chemicals were in the form of vapors. Prior to the dermal exposure, rat fur was closely clipped and during the exposure rats were provided fresh breathing air through latex masks. Blood samples were taken during 4-hour exposures and analyzed for the chemical of interest. A physiologically based pharmacokinetic model was used to predict permeability constants (cm/hr) consistent with the observed blood concentrations of the chemical. The ratio of dermal exposure to inhalation exposure required to achieve the same internal dose of chemical was calculated for each test chemical. The calculated ratio in humans ranged from 18 for styrene to 1180 for isoflurane. This methodology can be used to estimate the dermal exposure required to reach the internal dose achieved by a specific inhalation exposure. Such extrapolation is important since allowable exposure standards are often set for inhalation exposures, but occupational exposures may be dermal.

Verification of calculated skin doses in postmastectomy helical tomotherapy.

PubMed

Ito, Shima; Parker, Brent C; Levine, Renee; Sanders, Mary Ella; Fontenot, Jonas; Gibbons, John; Hogstrom, Kenneth

2011-10-01

To verify the accuracy of calculated skin doses in helical tomotherapy for postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT). In vivo thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) were used to measure the skin dose at multiple points in each of 14 patients throughout the course of treatment on a TomoTherapy Hi·Art II system, for a total of 420 TLD measurements. Five patients were evaluated near the location of the mastectomy scar, whereas 9 patients were evaluated throughout the treatment volume. The measured dose at each location was compared with calculations from the treatment planning system. The mean difference and standard error of the mean difference between measurement and calculation for the scar measurements was -1.8% ± 0.2% (standard deviation [SD], 4.3%; range, -11.1% to 10.6%). The mean difference and standard error of the mean difference between measurement and calculation for measurements throughout the treatment volume was -3.0% ± 0.4% (SD, 4.7%; range, -18.4% to 12.6%). The mean difference and standard error of the mean difference between measurement and calculation for all measurements was -2.1% ± 0.2% (standard deviation, 4.5%: range, -18.4% to 12.6%). The mean difference between measured and calculated TLD doses was statistically significant at two standard deviations of the mean, but was not clinically significant (i.e., was <5%). However, 23% of the measured TLD doses differed from the calculated TLD doses by more than 5%. The mean of the measured TLD doses agreed with TomoTherapy calculated TLD doses within our clinical criterion of 5%. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Verification of Calculated Skin Doses in Postmastectomy Helical Tomotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ito, Shima; Parker, Brent C., E-mail: bcparker@marybird.com; Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, Baton Rouge, LA

2011-10-01

Purpose: To verify the accuracy of calculated skin doses in helical tomotherapy for postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT). Methods and Materials: In vivo thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) were used to measure the skin dose at multiple points in each of 14 patients throughout the course of treatment on a TomoTherapy Hi.Art II system, for a total of 420 TLD measurements. Five patients were evaluated near the location of the mastectomy scar, whereas 9 patients were evaluated throughout the treatment volume. The measured dose at each location was compared with calculations from the treatment planning system. Results: The mean difference and standard errormore » of the mean difference between measurement and calculation for the scar measurements was -1.8% {+-} 0.2% (standard deviation [SD], 4.3%; range, -11.1% to 10.6%). The mean difference and standard error of the mean difference between measurement and calculation for measurements throughout the treatment volume was -3.0% {+-} 0.4% (SD, 4.7%; range, -18.4% to 12.6%). The mean difference and standard error of the mean difference between measurement and calculation for all measurements was -2.1% {+-} 0.2% (standard deviation, 4.5%: range, -18.4% to 12.6%). The mean difference between measured and calculated TLD doses was statistically significant at two standard deviations of the mean, but was not clinically significant (i.e., was <5%). However, 23% of the measured TLD doses differed from the calculated TLD doses by more than 5%. Conclusions: The mean of the measured TLD doses agreed with TomoTherapy calculated TLD doses within our clinical criterion of 5%.« less

32 CFR 218.1 - Policies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... radiation environment to which the veteran was exposed and shall include inhaled, ingested and neutron doses. In determining the veteran's dose, initial neutron, initial gamma, residual gamma, and internal... dose, neutron dose, and internal dose. The minimum standards for reporting dose estimates are set forth...

32 CFR 218.1 - Policies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... radiation environment to which the veteran was exposed and shall include inhaled, ingested and neutron doses. In determining the veteran's dose, initial neutron, initial gamma, residual gamma, and internal... dose, neutron dose, and internal dose. The minimum standards for reporting dose estimates are set forth...

32 CFR 218.1 - Policies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... radiation environment to which the veteran was exposed and shall include inhaled, ingested and neutron doses. In determining the veteran's dose, initial neutron, initial gamma, residual gamma, and internal... dose, neutron dose, and internal dose. The minimum standards for reporting dose estimates are set forth...

32 CFR 218.1 - Policies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... radiation environment to which the veteran was exposed and shall include inhaled, ingested and neutron doses. In determining the veteran's dose, initial neutron, initial gamma, residual gamma, and internal... dose, neutron dose, and internal dose. The minimum standards for reporting dose estimates are set forth...

32 CFR 218.1 - Policies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... radiation environment to which the veteran was exposed and shall include inhaled, ingested and neutron doses. In determining the veteran's dose, initial neutron, initial gamma, residual gamma, and internal... dose, neutron dose, and internal dose. The minimum standards for reporting dose estimates are set forth...

γ-H2AX Kinetic Profile in Mouse Lymphocytes Exposed to the Internal Emitters Cesium-137 and Strontium-90

PubMed Central

Turner, Helen C.; Shuryak, Igor; Weber, Waylon; Doyle-Eisele, Melanie; Melo, Dunstana; Guilmette, Raymond; Amundson, Sally A.; Brenner, David J.

2015-01-01

In the event of a dirty bomb scenario or an industrial nuclear accident, a significant dose of volatile radionuclides such as 137Cs and 90Sr may be dispersed into the atmosphere as a component of fallout and inhaled or ingested by hundreds and thousands of people. To study the effects of prolonged exposure to ingested radionuclides, we have performed long-term (30 day) internal-emitter mouse irradiations using soluble-injected 137CsCl and 90SrCl2 radioisotopes. The effect of ionizing radiation on the induction and repair of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) in peripheral mouse lymphocytes in vivo was determined using the γ-H2AX biodosimetry marker. Using a serial sacrifice experimental design, whole-body radiation absorbed doses for 137Cs (0 to 10 Gy) and 90Sr (0 to 49 Gy) were delivered over 30 days following exposure to each radionuclide. The committed absorbed doses of the two internal emitters as a function of time post exposure were calculated based on their retention parameters and their derived dose coefficients for each specific sacrifice time. In order to measure the kinetic profile for γ-H2AX, peripheral blood samples were drawn at 5 specific timed dose points over the 30-day study period and the total γ-H2AX nuclear fluorescence per lymphocyte was determined using image analysis software. A key finding was that a significant γ-H2AX signal was observed in vivo several weeks after a single radionuclide exposure. A mechanistically-motivated model was used to analyze the temporal kinetics of γ-H2AX fluorescence. Exposure to either radionuclide showed two peaks of γ-H2AX: one within the first week, which may represent the death of mature, differentiated lymphocytes, and the second at approximately three weeks, which may represent the production of new lymphocytes from damaged progenitor cells. The complexity of the observed responses to internal irradiation is likely caused by the interplay between continual production and repair of DNA damage, cell cycle effects and apoptosis. PMID:26618801

γ-H2AX Kinetic Profile in Mouse Lymphocytes Exposed to the Internal Emitters Cesium-137 and Strontium-90.

PubMed

Turner, Helen C; Shuryak, Igor; Weber, Waylon; Doyle-Eisele, Melanie; Melo, Dunstana; Guilmette, Raymond; Amundson, Sally A; Brenner, David J

2015-01-01

In the event of a dirty bomb scenario or an industrial nuclear accident, a significant dose of volatile radionuclides such as 137Cs and 90Sr may be dispersed into the atmosphere as a component of fallout and inhaled or ingested by hundreds and thousands of people. To study the effects of prolonged exposure to ingested radionuclides, we have performed long-term (30 day) internal-emitter mouse irradiations using soluble-injected 137CsCl and 90SrCl2 radioisotopes. The effect of ionizing radiation on the induction and repair of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) in peripheral mouse lymphocytes in vivo was determined using the γ-H2AX biodosimetry marker. Using a serial sacrifice experimental design, whole-body radiation absorbed doses for 137Cs (0 to 10 Gy) and 90Sr (0 to 49 Gy) were delivered over 30 days following exposure to each radionuclide. The committed absorbed doses of the two internal emitters as a function of time post exposure were calculated based on their retention parameters and their derived dose coefficients for each specific sacrifice time. In order to measure the kinetic profile for γ-H2AX, peripheral blood samples were drawn at 5 specific timed dose points over the 30-day study period and the total γ-H2AX nuclear fluorescence per lymphocyte was determined using image analysis software. A key finding was that a significant γ-H2AX signal was observed in vivo several weeks after a single radionuclide exposure. A mechanistically-motivated model was used to analyze the temporal kinetics of γ-H2AX fluorescence. Exposure to either radionuclide showed two peaks of γ-H2AX: one within the first week, which may represent the death of mature, differentiated lymphocytes, and the second at approximately three weeks, which may represent the production of new lymphocytes from damaged progenitor cells. The complexity of the observed responses to internal irradiation is likely caused by the interplay between continual production and repair of DNA damage, cell cycle effects and apoptosis.

The development and validation of a Monte Carlo model for calculating the out-of-field dose from radiotherapy treatments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kry, Stephen

Introduction. External beam photon radiotherapy is a common treatment for many malignancies, but results in the exposure of the patient to radiation away from the treatment site. This out-of-field radiation irradiates healthy tissue and may lead to the induction of secondary malignancies. Out-of-field radiation is composed of photons and, at high treatment energies, neutrons. Measurement of this out-of-field dose is time consuming, often difficult, and is specific to the conditions of the measurements. Monte Carlo simulations may be a viable approach to determining the out-of-field dose quickly, accurately, and for arbitrary irradiation conditions. Methods. An accelerator head, gantry, and treatment vault were modeled with MCNPX and 6 MV and 18 MV beams were simulated. Photon doses were calculated in-field and compared to measurements made with an ion chamber in a water tank. Photon doses were also calculated out-of-field from static fields and compared to measurements made with thermoluminescent dosimeters in acrylic. Neutron fluences were calculated and compared to measurements made with gold foils. Finally, photon and neutron dose equivalents were calculated in an anthropomorphic phantom following intensity-modulated radiation therapy and compared to previously published dose equivalents. Results. The Monte Carlo model was able to accurately calculate the in-field dose. From static treatment fields, the model was also able to calculate the out-of-field photon dose within 16% at 6 MV and 17% at 18 MV and the neutron fluence within 19% on average. From the simulated IMRT treatments, the calculated out-of-field photon dose was within 14% of measurement at 6 MV and 13% at 18 MV on average. The calculated neutron dose equivalent was much lower than the measured value but is likely accurate because the measured neutron dose equivalent was based on an overestimated neutron energy. Based on the calculated out-of-field doses generated by the Monte Carlo model, it was possible to estimate the risk of fatal secondary malignancy, which was consistent with previous estimates except for the neutron discrepancy. Conclusions. The Monte Carlo model developed here is well suited to studying the out-of-field dose equivalent from photons and neutrons under a variety of irradiation configurations, including complex treatments on complex phantoms. Based on the calculated dose equivalents, it is possible to estimate the risk of secondary malignancy associated with out-of-field doses. The Monte Carlo model should be used to study, quantify, and minimize the out-of-field dose equivalent and associated risks received by patients undergoing radiation therapy.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, Z; Baker, J; Hsia, A

Purpose: The commercially available Leipzig-style Cone for High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy has a steep depth dose curve and a non-uniform dose distribution. This work shows the performance of a Ring Surface Applicator created using a 3D printer that can generate a better dose distribution. Calculated doses were verified with film measurement. Methods: The water equivalent red-ABS plastic was used to print the Ring Surface Applicator which hosts three catheters: a center piece with a straight catheter and two concentric rings with diameters of 3.5 and 5.5 cm. Gafchromic EBT2 film, Epson Expression 10000 flatbed scanner, and the online softwaremore » at radiochromic.com were used to analyze the measured data. 10cm×10cm piece of film was sandwiched between two 15×10×5cm3 polystyrene phantoms. The applicator was positioned directly on top of the phantom. Measurement was done using dwell time and positions calculated by Eclipse BrachyVision treatment planning system (RTP). Results: Depth dose curve was generated from the plan and measurement. The results show that the measured and calculated depth dose were in agreement (<3%) from surface to 4mm depth. A discrepancy of 6% was observed at 5 mm depth, where the dose is typically prescribed to. For depths deeper than 5 mm, the measured doses were lower than those calculated by Eclipse BrachyVision. This can be attributed to a combination of simple calculation algorithm using TG-43 and the lack of inhomogeneity correction. Dose profiles at 5 mm depth were also generated from TPS calculation and measured with film. The measured and calculated profiles are similar. Consistent with the depth dose curve, the measured dose is lower than the calculated. Conclusion: Our results showed that the Ring Surface Applicator, printed using 3D printer, can generate more uniform dose distribution within the target volume and can be safely used in the clinic.« less

Simulations of MATROSHKA experiments at ISS using PHITS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puchalska, Monika; Sihver, L.; Sato, T.; Berger, T.; Reitz, G.

Concerns about the biological effects of space radiation are increasing rapidly due to the per-spective of long-duration manned missions, both in relation to the International Space Station (ISS) and to manned interplanetary missions to Moon and Mars in the future. As a prepara-tion for these long duration space missions it is important to ensure an excellent capability to evaluate the impact of space radiation on human health in order to secure the safety of the astronauts/cosmonauts and minimize their risks. It is therefore necessary to measure the radi-ation load on the personnel both inside and outside the space vehicles and certify that organ and tissue equivalent doses can be simulated as accurate as possible. In this paper we will present simulations using the three-dimensional Monte Carlo Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) of long term dose measurements performed with the ESA supported ex-periment MATROSHKA (MTR), which is an anthropomorphic phantom containing over 6000 radiation detectors, mimicking a human head and torso. The MTR experiment, led by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), was launched in January 2004 and has measured the ab-sorbed dose from space radiation both inside and outside the ISS. In this paper preliminary comparisons of measured and calculated dose and organ doses in the MTR located outside the ISS will be presented. The results confirm previous calculations and measurements which indicate that PHITS is a suitable tool for estimations of dose received from cosmic radiation and when performing shielding design studies of spacecraft. Acknowledgement: The research leading to these results has received funding from the Euro-pean Commission in the frame of the FP7 HAMLET project (Project 218817).

FDA-sunlamp recommended Maximum Timer Interval And Exposure Schedule: consensus ISO/CIE dose equivalence.

PubMed

Dowdy, John C; Czako, Eugene A; Stepp, Michael E; Schlitt, Steven C; Bender, Gregory R; Khan, Lateef U; Shinneman, Kenneth D; Karos, Manuel G; Shepherd, James G; Sayre, Robert M

2011-09-01

The authors compared calculations of sunlamp maximum exposure times following current USFDA Guidance Policy on the Maximum Timer Interval and Exposure Schedule, with USFDA/CDRH proposals revising these to equivalent erythemal exposures of ISO/CIE Standard Erythema Dose (SED). In 2003, [USFDA/CDRH proposed replacing their unique CDRH/Lytle] erythema action spectrum with the ISO/CIE erythema action spectrum and revising the sunlamp maximum exposure timer to 600 J m(-2) ISO/CIE effective dose, presented as being biologically equivalent. Preliminary analysis failed to confirm said equivalence, indicating instead ∼38% increased exposure when applying these proposed revisions. To confirm and refine this finding, a collaboration of tanning bed and UV lamp manufacturers compiled 89 UV spectra representing a broad sampling of U.S. indoor tanning equipment. USFDA maximum recommended exposure time (Te) per current sunlamp guidance and CIE erythemal effectiveness per ISO/CIE standard were calculated. The CIE effective dose delivered per Te averaged 456 J(CIE) m(-2) (SD = 0.17) or ∼4.5 SED. The authors found that CDRH's proposed 600 J(CIE) m(-2) recommended maximum sunlamp exposure exceeds current Te erythemal dose by ∼33%. The current USFDA 0.75 MED initial exposure was ∼0.9 SED, consistent with 1.0 SED initial dose in existing international sunlamp standards. As no sunlamps analyzed exceeded 5 SED, a revised maximum exposure of 500 J(CIE) m(-2) (∼80% of CDRH's proposal) should be compatible with existing tanning equipment. A tanning acclimatization schedule is proposed beginning at 1 SED thrice-weekly, increasing uniformly stepwise over 4 wk to a 5 SED maximum exposure in conjunction with a tan maintenance schedule of twice-weekly 5 SED sessions, as biologically equivalent to current USFDA sunlamp policy.

Dose calculation accuracy of the Monte Carlo algorithm for CyberKnife compared with other commercially available dose calculation algorithms.

PubMed

Sharma, Subhash; Ott, Joseph; Williams, Jamone; Dickow, Danny

2011-01-01

Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithms have the potential for greater accuracy than traditional model-based algorithms. This enhanced accuracy is particularly evident in regions of lateral scatter disequilibrium, which can develop during treatments incorporating small field sizes and low-density tissue. A heterogeneous slab phantom was used to evaluate the accuracy of several commercially available dose calculation algorithms, including Monte Carlo dose calculation for CyberKnife, Analytical Anisotropic Algorithm and Pencil Beam convolution for the Eclipse planning system, and convolution-superposition for the Xio planning system. The phantom accommodated slabs of varying density; comparisons between planned and measured dose distributions were accomplished with radiochromic film. The Monte Carlo algorithm provided the most accurate comparison between planned and measured dose distributions. In each phantom irradiation, the Monte Carlo predictions resulted in gamma analysis comparisons >97%, using acceptance criteria of 3% dose and 3-mm distance to agreement. In general, the gamma analysis comparisons for the other algorithms were <95%. The Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm for CyberKnife provides more accurate dose distribution calculations in regions of lateral electron disequilibrium than commercially available model-based algorithms. This is primarily because of the ability of Monte Carlo algorithms to implicitly account for tissue heterogeneities, density scaling functions; and/or effective depth correction factors are not required. Copyright © 2011 American Association of Medical Dosimetrists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Space radiation absorbed dose distribution in a human phantom

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Badhwar, G. D.; Atwell, W.; Badavi, F. F.; Yang, T. C.; Cleghorn, T. F.

2002-01-01

The radiation risk to astronauts has always been based on measurements using passive thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs). The skin dose is converted to dose equivalent using an average radiation quality factor based on model calculations. The radiological risk estimates, however, are based on organ and tissue doses. This paper describes results from the first space flight (STS-91, 51.65 degrees inclination and approximately 380 km altitude) of a fully instrumented Alderson Rando phantom torso (with head) to relate the skin dose to organ doses. Spatial distributions of absorbed dose in 34 1-inch-thick sections measured using TLDs are described. There is about a 30% change in dose as one moves from the front to the back of the phantom body. Small active dosimeters were developed specifically to provide time-resolved measurements of absorbed dose rates and quality factors at five organ locations (brain, thyroid, heart/lung, stomach and colon) inside the phantom. Using these dosimeters, it was possible to separate the trapped-proton and the galactic cosmic radiation components of the doses. A tissue-equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) and a charged-particle directional spectrometer (CPDS) were flown next to the phantom torso to provide data on the incident internal radiation environment. Accurate models of the shielding distributions at the site of the TEPC, the CPDS and a scalable Computerized Anatomical Male (CAM) model of the phantom torso were developed. These measurements provided a comprehensive data set to map the dose distribution inside a human phantom, and to assess the accuracy and validity of radiation transport models throughout the human body. The results show that for the conditions in the International Space Station (ISS) orbit during periods near the solar minimum, the ratio of the blood-forming organ dose rate to the skin absorbed dose rate is about 80%, and the ratio of the dose equivalents is almost one. The results show that the GCR model dose-rate predictions are 20% lower than the observations. Assuming that the trapped-belt models lead to a correct orbit-averaged energy spectrum, the measurements of dose rates inside the phantom cannot be fully understood. Passive measurements using 6Li- and 7Li-based detectors on the astronauts and inside the brain and thyroid of the phantom show the presence of a significant contribution due to thermal neutrons, an area requiring additional study.

Radiation transport modeling and assessment to better predict radiation exposure, dose, and toxicological effects to human organs on long duration space flights.

PubMed

Denkins, P; Badhwar, G; Obot, V; Wilson, B; Jejelewo, O

2001-01-01

NASA is very interested in improving its ability to monitor and forecast the radiation levels that pose a health risk to space-walking astronauts as they construct the International Space Station and astronauts that will participate in long-term and deep-space missions. Human exploratory missions to the moon and Mars within the next quarter century, will expose crews to transient radiation from solar particle events which include high-energy galactic cosmic rays and high-energy protons. Because the radiation levels in space are high and solar activity is presently unpredictable, adequate shielding is needed to minimize the deleterious health effects of exposure to radiation. Today, numerous models have been developed and used to predict radiation exposure. Such a model is the Space Environment Information Systems (SPENVIS) modeling program, developed by the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronautics. SPENVIS, which has been assessed to be an excellent tool in characterizing the radiation environment for microelectronics and investigating orbital debris, is being evaluated for its usefulness with determining the dose and dose-equivalent for human exposure. Thus far. the calculations for dose-depth relations under varying shielding conditions have been in agreement with calculations done using HZETRN and PDOSE, which are well-known and widely used models for characterizing the environments for human exploratory missions. There is disagreement when assessing the impact of secondary radiation particles since SPENVIS does a crude estimation of the secondary radiation particles when calculating LET versus Flux. SPENVIS was used to model dose-depth relations for the blood-forming organs. Radiation sickness and cancer are life-threatening consequences resulting from radiation exposure. In space. exposure to radiation generally includes all of the critical organs. Biological and toxicological impacts have been included for discussion along with alternative risk mitigation methods--shielding and anti-carcinogens. c 2001. Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radiation transport modeling and assessment to better predict radiation exposure, dose, and toxicological effects to human organs on long duration space flights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Denkins, P.; Badhwar, G.; Obot, V.; Wilson, B.; Jejelewo, O.

2001-01-01

NASA is very interested in improving its ability to monitor and forecast the radiation levels that pose a health risk to space-walking astronauts as they construct the International Space Station and astronauts that will participate in long-term and deep-space missions. Human exploratory missions to the moon and Mars within the next quarter century, will expose crews to transient radiation from solar particle events which include high-energy galactic cosmic rays and high-energy protons. Because the radiation levels in space are high and solar activity is presently unpredictable, adequate shielding is needed to minimize the deleterious health effects of exposure to radiation. Today, numerous models have been developed and used to predict radiation exposure. Such a model is the Space Environment Information Systems (SPENVIS) modeling program, developed by the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronautics. SPENVIS, which has been assessed to be an excellent tool in characterizing the radiation environment for microelectronics and investigating orbital debris, is being evaluated for its usefulness with determining the dose and dose-equivalent for human exposure. Thus far. the calculations for dose-depth relations under varying shielding conditions have been in agreement with calculations done using HZETRN and PDOSE, which are well-known and widely used models for characterizing the environments for human exploratory missions. There is disagreement when assessing the impact of secondary radiation particles since SPENVIS does a crude estimation of the secondary radiation particles when calculating LET versus Flux. SPENVIS was used to model dose-depth relations for the blood-forming organs. Radiation sickness and cancer are life-threatening consequences resulting from radiation exposure. In space. exposure to radiation generally includes all of the critical organs. Biological and toxicological impacts have been included for discussion along with alternative risk mitigation methods--shielding and anti-carcinogens. c 2001. Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radiation transport modeling and assessment to better predict radiation exposure, dose, and toxicological effects to human organs on long duration space flights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denkins, Pamela; Badhwar, Gautam; Obot, Victor; Wilson, Bobby; Jejelewo, Olufisayo

2001-08-01

NASA is very interested in improving its ability to monitor and forecast the radiation levels that pose a health risk to space-walking astronauts as they construct the International Space Station and astronauts that will participate in long-term and deep-space missions. Human exploratory missions to the moon and Mars within the next quarter century, will expose crews to transient radiation from solar particle events which include high-energy galactic cosmic rays and high-energy protons. Because the radiation levels in space are high and solar activity is presently unpredictable, adequate shielding is needed to minimize the deleterious health effects of exposure to radiation. Today, numerous models have been developed and used to predict radiation exposure. Such a model is the Space Environment Information Systems (SPENVIS) modeling program, developed by the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronautics. SPENVIS, which has been assessed to be an excellent tool in characterizing the radiation environment for microelectronics and investigating orbital debris, is being evaluated for its usefulness with determining the dose and dose-equivalent for human exposure. Thus far, the calculations for dose-depth relations under varying shielding conditions have been in agreement with calculations done using HZETRN and PDOSE, which are well-known and widely used models for characterizing the environments for human exploratory missions. There is disagreement when assessing the impact of secondary radiation particles since SPENVIS does a crude estimation of the secondary radiation particles when calculating LET versus Flux. SPENVIS was used to model dose-depth relations for the blood-forming organs. Radiation sickness and cancer are life-threatening consequences resulting from radiation exposure. In space, exposure to radiation generally includes all of the critical organs. Biological and toxicological impacts have been included for discussion along with alternative risk mitigation methods — shielding and anti-carcinogens.

Individual exposures to drinking water trihalomethanes, low birth weight and small for gestational age risk: a prospective Kaunas cohort study.

PubMed

Grazuleviciene, Regina; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J; Vencloviene, Jone; Kostopoulou-Karadanelli, Maria; Krasner, Stuart W; Danileviciute, Asta; Balcius, Gediminas; Kapustinskiene, Violeta

2011-04-19

Evidence for an association between exposure during pregnancy to trihalomethanes (THMs) in drinking water and impaired fetal growth is still inconsistent and inconclusive, in particular, for various exposure routes. We examined the relationship of individual exposures to THMs in drinking water on low birth weight (LBW), small for gestational age (SGA), and birth weight (BW) in singleton births. We conducted a cohort study of 4,161 pregnant women in Kaunas (Lithuania), using individual information on drinking water, ingestion, showering and bathing, and uptake factors of THMs in blood, to estimate an internal dose of THM. We used regression analysis to evaluate the relationship between internal THM dose and birth outcomes, adjusting for family status, education, smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, blood pressure, ethnic group, previous preterm, infant gender, and birth year. The estimated internal dose of THMs ranged from 0.0025 to 2.40 mg/d. We found dose-response relationships for the entire pregnancy and trimester-specific THM and chloroform internal dose and risk for LBW and a reduction in BW. The adjusted odds ratio for third tertile vs. first tertile chloroform internal dose of entire pregnancy was 2.17, 95% CI 1.19-3.98 for LBW; the OR per every 0.1 μg/d increase in chloroform internal dose was 1.10, 95% CI 1.01-1.19. Chloroform internal dose was associated with a slightly increased risk of SGA (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.87-1.63 and OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.89-1.68, respectively, for second and third tertile of third trimester); the risk increased by 4% per every 0.1 μg/d increase in chloroform internal dose (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00-1.09). THM internal dose in pregnancy varies substantially across individuals, and depends on both water THM levels and water use habits. Increased internal dose may affect fetal growth.

Individual exposures to drinking water trihalomethanes, low birth weight and small for gestational age risk: a prospective Kaunas cohort study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Evidence for an association between exposure during pregnancy to trihalomethanes (THMs) in drinking water and impaired fetal growth is still inconsistent and inconclusive, in particular, for various exposure routes. We examined the relationship of individual exposures to THMs in drinking water on low birth weight (LBW), small for gestational age (SGA), and birth weight (BW) in singleton births. Methods We conducted a cohort study of 4,161 pregnant women in Kaunas (Lithuania), using individual information on drinking water, ingestion, showering and bathing, and uptake factors of THMs in blood, to estimate an internal dose of THM. We used regression analysis to evaluate the relationship between internal THM dose and birth outcomes, adjusting for family status, education, smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, blood pressure, ethnic group, previous preterm, infant gender, and birth year. Results The estimated internal dose of THMs ranged from 0.0025 to 2.40 mg/d. We found dose-response relationships for the entire pregnancy and trimester-specific THM and chloroform internal dose and risk for LBW and a reduction in BW. The adjusted odds ratio for third tertile vs. first tertile chloroform internal dose of entire pregnancy was 2.17, 95% CI 1.19-3.98 for LBW; the OR per every 0.1 μg/d increase in chloroform internal dose was 1.10, 95% CI 1.01-1.19. Chloroform internal dose was associated with a slightly increased risk of SGA (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.87-1.63 and OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.89-1.68, respectively, for second and third tertile of third trimester); the risk increased by 4% per every 0.1 μg/d increase in chloroform internal dose (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00-1.09). Conclusions THM internal dose in pregnancy varies substantially across individuals, and depends on both water THM levels and water use habits. Increased internal dose may affect fetal growth. PMID:21501533

Collective doses to man from dumping of radioactive waste in the Arctic Seas.

PubMed

Nielsen, S P; Iosjpe, M; Strand, P

1997-08-25

A box model for the dispersion of radionuclides in the marine environment covering the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean has been constructed. Collective doses from ingestion pathways have been calculated from unit releases of the radionuclides 3H, 60Co, 63Ni, 90Sr, 129I, 137Cs, 239Pu and 241Am into a fjord on the east coast of NovayaZemlya. The results show that doses for the shorter-lived radionuclides (e.g. 137Cs) are derived mainly from seafood production in the Barents Sea. Doses from the longer-lived radionuclides (e.g. 239Pu) are delivered through marine produce further away from the Arctic Ocean. Collective doses were calculated for two release scenarios, both of which are based on information of the dumping of radioactive waste in the Barents and Kara Seas by the former Soviet Union and on preliminary information from the International Arctic Sea Assessment Programme. A worst-case scenario was assumed according to which all radionuclides in liquid and solid radioactive waste were available for dispersion in the marine environment at the time of dumping. Release of radionuclides from spent nuclear fuel was assumed to take place by direct corrosion of the fuel ignoring the barriers that prevent direct contact between the fuel and the seawater. The second scenario selected assumed that releases of radionuclides from spent nuclear fuel do not occur until after failure of the protective barriers. All other liquid and solid radioactive waste was assumed to be available for dispersion at the time of discharge in both scenarios. The estimated collective dose for the worst-case scenario was about 9 manSv and that for the second scenario was about 3 manSv. In both cases, 137Cs is the radionuclide predicted to dominate the collective doses as well as the peak collective dose rates.

Organ and effective dose coefficients for cranial and caudal irradiation geometries: photons

DOE PAGES

Veinot, K. G.; Eckerman, K. F.; Hertel, N. E.

2015-05-02

With the introduction of new recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in Publication 103, the methodology for determining the protection quantity, effective dose, has been modified. The modifications include changes to the defined organs and tissues, the associated tissue weighting factors, radiation weighting factors and the introduction of reference sex-specific computational phantoms. Computations of equivalent doses in organs and tissues are now performed in both the male and female phantoms and the sex-averaged values used to determine the effective dose. Dose coefficients based on the ICRP 103 recommendations were reported in ICRP Publication 116, the revision ofmore » ICRP Publication 74 and ICRU Publication 57. The coefficients were determined for the following irradiation geometries: anterior-posterior (AP), posterior-anterior (PA), right and left lateral (RLAT and LLAT), rotational (ROT) and isotropic (ISO). In this work, the methodology of ICRP Publication 116 was used to compute dose coefficients for photon irradiation of the body with parallel beams directed upward from below the feet (caudal) and directed downward from above the head (cranial). These geometries may be encountered in the workplace from personnel standing on contaminated surfaces or volumes and from overhead sources. Calculations of organ and tissue kerma and absorbed doses for caudal and cranial exposures to photons ranging in energy from 10 keV to 10 GeV have been performed using the MCNP6.1 radiation transport code and the adult reference phantoms of ICRP Publication 110. As with calculations reported in ICRP 116, the effects of charged-particle transport are evident when compared with values obtained by using the kerma approximation. At lower energies the effective dose per particle fluence for cranial and caudal exposures is less than AP orientations while above similar to 30 MeV the cranial and caudal values are greater.« less

Organ and effective dose coefficients for cranial and caudal irradiation geometries: photons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Veinot, K. G.; Eckerman, K. F.; Hertel, N. E.

With the introduction of new recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in Publication 103, the methodology for determining the protection quantity, effective dose, has been modified. The modifications include changes to the defined organs and tissues, the associated tissue weighting factors, radiation weighting factors and the introduction of reference sex-specific computational phantoms. Computations of equivalent doses in organs and tissues are now performed in both the male and female phantoms and the sex-averaged values used to determine the effective dose. Dose coefficients based on the ICRP 103 recommendations were reported in ICRP Publication 116, the revision ofmore » ICRP Publication 74 and ICRU Publication 57. The coefficients were determined for the following irradiation geometries: anterior-posterior (AP), posterior-anterior (PA), right and left lateral (RLAT and LLAT), rotational (ROT) and isotropic (ISO). In this work, the methodology of ICRP Publication 116 was used to compute dose coefficients for photon irradiation of the body with parallel beams directed upward from below the feet (caudal) and directed downward from above the head (cranial). These geometries may be encountered in the workplace from personnel standing on contaminated surfaces or volumes and from overhead sources. Calculations of organ and tissue kerma and absorbed doses for caudal and cranial exposures to photons ranging in energy from 10 keV to 10 GeV have been performed using the MCNP6.1 radiation transport code and the adult reference phantoms of ICRP Publication 110. As with calculations reported in ICRP 116, the effects of charged-particle transport are evident when compared with values obtained by using the kerma approximation. At lower energies the effective dose per particle fluence for cranial and caudal exposures is less than AP orientations while above similar to 30 MeV the cranial and caudal values are greater.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Y; Liu, B; Liang, B

Purpose: Current CyberKnife treatment planning system (TPS) provided two dose calculation algorithms: Ray-tracing and Monte Carlo. Ray-tracing algorithm is fast, but less accurate, and also can’t handle irregular fields since a multi-leaf collimator system was recently introduced to CyberKnife M6 system. Monte Carlo method has well-known accuracy, but the current version still takes a long time to finish dose calculations. The purpose of this paper is to develop a GPU-based fast C/S dose engine for CyberKnife system to achieve both accuracy and efficiency. Methods: The TERMA distribution from a poly-energetic source was calculated based on beam’s eye view coordinate system,more » which is GPU friendly and has linear complexity. The dose distribution was then computed by inversely collecting the energy depositions from all TERMA points along 192 collapsed-cone directions. EGSnrc user code was used to pre-calculate energy deposition kernels (EDKs) for a series of mono-energy photons The energy spectrum was reconstructed based on measured tissue maximum ratio (TMR) curve, the TERMA averaged cumulative kernels was then calculated. Beam hardening parameters and intensity profiles were optimized based on measurement data from CyberKnife system. Results: The difference between measured and calculated TMR are less than 1% for all collimators except in the build-up regions. The calculated profiles also showed good agreements with the measured doses within 1% except in the penumbra regions. The developed C/S dose engine was also used to evaluate four clinical CyberKnife treatment plans, the results showed a better dose calculation accuracy than Ray-tracing algorithm compared with Monte Carlo method for heterogeneous cases. For the dose calculation time, it takes about several seconds for one beam depends on collimator size and dose calculation grids. Conclusion: A GPU-based C/S dose engine has been developed for CyberKnife system, which was proven to be efficient and accurate for clinical purpose, and can be easily implemented in TPS.« less

Critical Dose of Internal Organs Internal Exposure - 13471

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grigoryan, G.; Amirjanyan, A.; Grigoryan, N.

2013-07-01

The health threat posed by radionuclides has stimulated increased efforts to developed characterization on the biological behavior of radionuclides in humans in all ages. In an effort motivated largely by the Chernobyl nuclear accident, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is assembling a set of age specific biokinetic models for environmentally important radioelements. Radioactive substances in the air, mainly through the respiratory system and digestive tract, is inside the body. Radioactive substances are unevenly distributed in various organs and tissues. Therefore, the degree of damage will depend not only on the dose of radiation have but also on themore » critical organ, which is the most accumulation of radioactive substances, which leads to the defeat of the entire human body. The main objective of radiation protection, to avoid exceeding the maximum permissible doses of external and internal exposure of a person to prevent the physical and genetic damage people. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of radiation is called a dose of radiation a person in uniform getting her for 50 years does not cause changes in the health of the exposed individual and his progeny. The following classification of critical organs, depending on the category of exposure on their degree of sensitivity to radiation: First group: the whole body, gonads and red bone marrow; Second group: muscle, fat, liver, kidney, spleen, gastrointestinal tract, lungs and lens of the eye; The third group: bone, thyroid and skin; Fourth group: the hands, forearms, feet. MTD exposure whole body, gonads and bone marrow represent the maximum exposures (5 rem per year) experienced by people in their normal activities. The purpose of this article is intended dose received from various internal organs of the radionuclides that may enter the body by inhalation, and gastrointestinal tract. The biokinetic model describes the time dependent distribution and excretion of different radionuclides that have intake into the organism or absorbed into blood. Transport of different radionuclides between compartments is assumed to follow first order kinetics provided the concentration in red blood cells (RBCs) stays below a nonlinear threshold concentration. When the concentration in RBCs exceeds that threshold, the transfer rate from diffusible plasma to RBCs is assumed to decrease as the concentration in RBCs increases. For the calculations used capabilities AMBER by using the traces of radionuclides in the body. Model for the transfer of radionuclides in the body has been built on the basis of existing models at AMBER for lead. (authors)« less

Sub-second pencil beam dose calculation on GPU for adaptive proton therapy.

PubMed

da Silva, Joakim; Ansorge, Richard; Jena, Rajesh

2015-06-21

Although proton therapy delivered using scanned pencil beams has the potential to produce better dose conformity than conventional radiotherapy, the created dose distributions are more sensitive to anatomical changes and patient motion. Therefore, the introduction of adaptive treatment techniques where the dose can be monitored as it is being delivered is highly desirable. We present a GPU-based dose calculation engine relying on the widely used pencil beam algorithm, developed for on-line dose calculation. The calculation engine was implemented from scratch, with each step of the algorithm parallelized and adapted to run efficiently on the GPU architecture. To ensure fast calculation, it employs several application-specific modifications and simplifications, and a fast scatter-based implementation of the computationally expensive kernel superposition step. The calculation time for a skull base treatment plan using two beam directions was 0.22 s on an Nvidia Tesla K40 GPU, whereas a test case of a cubic target in water from the literature took 0.14 s to calculate. The accuracy of the patient dose distributions was assessed by calculating the γ-index with respect to a gold standard Monte Carlo simulation. The passing rates were 99.2% and 96.7%, respectively, for the 3%/3 mm and 2%/2 mm criteria, matching those produced by a clinical treatment planning system.

Monte Carlo dose distribution calculation at nuclear level for Auger-emitting radionuclide energies.

PubMed

Di Maria, S; Belchior, A; Romanets, Y; Paulo, A; Vaz, P

2018-05-01

The distribution of radiopharmaceuticals in tumor cells represents a fundamental aspect for a successful molecular targeted radiotherapy. It was largely demonstrated at microscopic level that only a fraction of cells in tumoral tissues incorporate the radiolabel. In addition, the distribution of the radionuclides at sub-cellular level, namely inside each nucleus, should also be investigated for accurate dosimetry estimation. The most used method to perform cellular dosimetry is the MIRD one, where S-values are able to estimate cellular absorbed doses for several electron energies, nucleus diameters, and considering homogeneous source distributions. However the radionuclide distribution inside nuclei can be also highly non-homogeneous. The aim of this study is to show in what extent a non-accurate cellular dosimetry could lead to misinterpretations of surviving cell fraction vs dose relationship; in this context, a dosimetric case study with 99m Tc is also presented. The state-of-art MCNP6 Monte Carlo simulation was used in order to model cell structures both in MIRD geometry (MG) and MIRD modified geometries (MMG), where also entire mitotic chromosome volumes were considered (each structure was modeled as liquid water material). In order to simulate a wide energy range of Auger emitting radionuclides, four mono energetic electron emissions were considered, namely 213eV, 6keV, 11keV and 20keV. A dosimetric calculation for 99m Tc undergoing inhomogeneous nuclear internalization was also performed. After a successful validation step between MIRD and our computed S-values for three Auger-emitting radionuclides ( 99m Tc, 125 I and 64 Cu), absorbed dose results showed that the standard MG could differ from the MMG from one to three orders of magnitude. These results were also confirmed by considering the 99m Tc spectrum emission (Auger and internal conversion electrons). Moreover, considering an inhomogeneous radionuclide distribution, the average electron energy that maximizes the absorbed dose was found to be different for MG and MMG. The modeling of realistic radionuclide localization inside cells, including a inhomogeneous nuclear distribution, revealed that i) a strong bias in surviving cell fraction vs dose relationships (taking to different radiobiological models) can arise; ii) the alternative models might contribute to a more accurate prediction of the radiobiological effects inherent to more specific molecular targeted radiotherapy strategies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Concentration Of Tritium In Urine And Internal Radiation Dose Estimation Of PTNBR Radiation Workers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tjahaja, Poppy Intan; Sukmabuana, Putu; Aisyah, Neneng Nur

2010-12-23

The operation of Triga 2000 reactor in Nuclear Technology Center for Materials and Radiometry (PTNBR BATAN) normally produce tritium radionuclide which is the activation product of deuterium atom in reactor primary cooling water. According to previous monitoring, tritium was detected with the concentration of 8.236{+-}0.677 kBq/L and 1.704{+-}0.046 Bq/L in the primary cooling water and in reactor hall air, respectively. The tritium in reactor hall air chronically can be inhaled by the workers. In this research, tritium content in radiation workers' urine was determined to estimate the internal radiation doses received by the workers. About 50-100 mL of urine samplesmore » were collected from 48 PTNBR workers that is classified as 24 radiation workers and 24 administration staffs as a control. Urine samples of 25 mL were then prepared by active charcoal and KMnO{sub 4} addition and followed with complete distillation. The 2 mL of distillate was added with 13 mL scintillator, shaked vigorously and remained in cool and dark condition for about 24 hours. The tritium in the samples was then measured using liquid scintillation counter (LSC) for 1 hour. From the measurement results it was obtained that the tritium concentration in the urine of radiation workers were in the range of not detected and 5.191 Bq/mL, whereas in the administration staffs the concentration were between not detected and 4.607 Bq/mL. Internally radiation doses were calculated using the tritium concentration data, and it was found the averages about 0.602 {mu}Sv/year and 0.532 {mu}Sv/year for radiation workers and administration staffs, respectively. The doses received by the workers were lower than that of the permissible doses from tritium, i.e. 40 {mu}Sv/year.« less

International Arctic Seas Assessment Project.

PubMed

Sjöblom, K L; Salo, A; Bewers, J M; Cooper, J; Dyer, R S; Lynn, N M; Mount, M E; Povinec, P P; Sazykina, T G; Schwarz, J; Scott, E M; Sivintsev, Y V; Tanner, J E; Warden, J M; Woodhead, D

1999-09-30

The International Atomic Energy Agency responded to the news that the former Soviet Union had dumped radioactive wastes in the shallow waters of the Arctic Seas, by launching the International Arctic Seas Assessment Project in 1993. The project had two objectives: to assess the risks to human health and to the environment associated with the radioactive wastes dumped in the Kara and Barents Seas; and to examine possible remedial actions related to the dumped wastes and to advise on whether they are necessary and justified. The current radiological situation in the Arctic waters was examined to assess whether there is any evidence for releases from the dumped waste. Potential future releases from the dumped wastes were predicted, concentrating on the high-level waste objects containing the major part of the radionuclide inventory of the wastes. Environmental transport of released radionuclides was modelled and the associated radiological impact on humans and the biota was assessed. The feasibility, costs and benefits of possible remedial measures applied to a selected high-level waste object were examined. Releases from identified dumped objects were found to be small and localised to the immediate vicinity of the dumping sites. Projected future annual doses to members of the public in typical local population groups were very small, less than 1 microSv--corresponding to a trivial risk. Projected future doses to a hypothetical group of military personnel patrolling the foreshore of the fjords in which wastes have been dumped were higher, up to 4 mSv/year, which still is of the same order as the average annual natural background dose. Moreover, since any of the proposed remedial actions were estimated to cost several million US$ to implement, remediation was not considered justified on the basis of potentially removing a collective dose of 10 man Sv. Doses calculated to marine fauna were insignificant, orders of magnitude below those at which detrimental effects on fauna populations might be expected to occur. Remediation was thus concluded not to be warranted on radiological grounds.

Respiratory gating based on internal electromagnetic motion monitoring during stereotactic liver radiation therapy: First results.

PubMed

Poulsen, Per Rugaard; Worm, Esben Schjødt; Hansen, Rune; Larsen, Lars Peter; Grau, Cai; Høyer, Morten

2015-01-01

Intrafraction motion may compromise the target dose in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of tumors in the liver. Respiratory gating can improve the treatment delivery, but gating based on an external surrogate signal may be inaccurate. This is the first paper reporting on respiratory gating based on internal electromagnetic monitoring during liver SBRT. Two patients with solitary liver metastases were treated with respiratory-gated SBRT guided by three implanted electromagnetic transponders. The treatment was delivered in end-exhale with beam-on when the centroid of the three transponders deviated less than 3 mm [left-right (LR) and anterior-posterior (AP) directions] and 4mm [cranio-caudal (CC)] from the planned position. For each treatment fraction, log files were used to determine the transponder motion during beam-on in the actual gated treatments and in simulated treatments without gating. The motion was used to reconstruct the dose to the clinical target volume (CTV) with and without gating. The reduction in D95 (minimum dose to 95% of the CTV) relative to the plan was calculated for both treatment courses. With gating the maximum course mean (standard deviation) geometrical error in any direction was 1.2 mm (1.8 mm). Without gating the course mean error would mainly increase for Patient 1 [to -2.8 mm (1.6 mm) (LR), 7.1 mm (5.8 mm) (CC), -2.6 mm (2.8mm) (AP)] due to a large systematic cranial baseline drift at each fraction. The errors without gating increased only slightly for Patient 2. The reduction in CTV D95 was 0.5% (gating) and 12.1% (non-gating) for Patient 1 and 0.3% (gating) and 1.7% (non-gating) for Patient 2. The mean duty cycle was 55%. Respiratory gating based on internal electromagnetic motion monitoring was performed for two liver SBRT patients. The gating added robustness to the dose delivery and ensured a high CTV dose even in the presence of large intrafraction motion.

IMRT head and neck treatment planning with a commercially available Monte Carlo based planning system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boudreau, C.; Heath, E.; Seuntjens, J.; Ballivy, O.; Parker, W.

2005-03-01

The PEREGRINE Monte Carlo dose-calculation system (North American Scientific, Cranberry Township, PA) is the first commercially available Monte Carlo dose-calculation code intended specifically for intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) treatment planning and quality assurance. In order to assess the impact of Monte Carlo based dose calculations for IMRT clinical cases, dose distributions for 11 head and neck patients were evaluated using both PEREGRINE and the CORVUS (North American Scientific, Cranberry Township, PA) finite size pencil beam (FSPB) algorithm with equivalent path-length (EPL) inhomogeneity correction. For the target volumes, PEREGRINE calculations predict, on average, a less than 2% difference in the calculated mean and maximum doses to the gross tumour volume (GTV) and clinical target volume (CTV). An average 16% ± 4% and 12% ± 2% reduction in the volume covered by the prescription isodose line was observed for the GTV and CTV, respectively. Overall, no significant differences were noted in the doses to the mandible and spinal cord. For the parotid glands, PEREGRINE predicted a 6% ± 1% increase in the volume of tissue receiving a dose greater than 25 Gy and an increase of 4% ± 1% in the mean dose. Similar results were noted for the brainstem where PEREGRINE predicted a 6% ± 2% increase in the mean dose. The observed differences between the PEREGRINE and CORVUS calculated dose distributions are attributed to secondary electron fluence perturbations, which are not modelled by the EPL correction, issues of organ outlining, particularly in the vicinity of air cavities, and differences in dose reporting (dose to water versus dose to tissue type).

Validation of a virtual source model of medical linac for Monte Carlo dose calculation using multi-threaded Geant4.

PubMed

Aboulbanine, Zakaria; El Khayati, Naïma

2018-04-13

The use of phase space in medical linear accelerator Monte Carlo (MC) simulations significantly improves the execution time and leads to results comparable to those obtained from full calculations. The classical representation of phase space stores directly the information of millions of particles, producing bulky files. This paper presents a virtual source model (VSM) based on a reconstruction algorithm, taking as input a compressed file of roughly 800 kb derived from phase space data freely available in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) database. This VSM includes two main components; primary and scattered particle sources, with a specific reconstruction method developed for each. Energy spectra and other relevant variables were extracted from IAEA phase space and stored in the input description data file for both sources. The VSM was validated for three photon beams: Elekta Precise 6 MV/10 MV and a Varian TrueBeam 6 MV. Extensive calculations in water and comparisons between dose distributions of the VSM and IAEA phase space were performed to estimate the VSM precision. The Geant4 MC toolkit in multi-threaded mode (Geant4-[mt]) was used for fast dose calculations and optimized memory use. Four field configurations were chosen for dose calculation validation to test field size and symmetry effects, [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] for squared fields, and [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] for an asymmetric rectangular field. Good agreement in terms of [Formula: see text] formalism, for 3%/3 mm and 2%/3 mm criteria, for each evaluated radiation field and photon beam was obtained within a computation time of 60 h on a single WorkStation for a 3 mm voxel matrix. Analyzing the VSM's precision in high dose gradient regions, using the distance to agreement concept (DTA), showed also satisfactory results. In all investigated cases, the mean DTA was less than 1 mm in build-up and penumbra regions. In regards to calculation efficiency, the event processing speed is six times faster using Geant4-[mt] compared to sequential Geant4, when running the same simulation code for both. The developed VSM for 6 MV/10 MV beams widely used, is a general concept easy to adapt in order to reconstruct comparable beam qualities for various linac configurations, facilitating its integration for MC treatment planning purposes.

Locomotor activity and tissue levels following acute administration of lambda- and gamma-cyhalothrin in rats

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moser, Virginia C., E-mail: Moser.ginger@epa.gov

Pyrethroids produce neurotoxicity that depends, in part, on the chemical structure. Common behavioral effects include locomotor activity changes and specific toxic syndromes (types I and II). In general these neurobehavioral effects correlate well with peak internal dose metrics. Products of cyhalothrin, a type II pyrethroid, include mixtures of isomers (e.g., λ-cyhalothrin) as well as enriched active isomers (e.g., γ-cyhalothrin). We measured acute changes in locomotor activity in adult male rats and directly correlated these changes to peak brain and plasma concentrations of λ- and γ-cyhalothrin using a within-subject design. One-hour locomotor activity studies were conducted 1.5 h after oral gavagemore » dosing, and immediately thereafter plasma and brains were collected for analyzing tissue levels using LC/MS/MS methods. Both isomers produced dose-related decreases in activity counts, and the effective dose range for γ-cyhalothrin was lower than for λ-cyhalothrin. Doses calculated to decrease activity by 50% were 2-fold lower for the γ-isomer (1.29 mg/kg) compared to λ-cyhalothrin (2.65 mg/kg). Salivation, typical of type II pyrethroids, was also observed at lower doses of γ-cyhalothrin. Administered dose correlated well with brain and plasma concentrations, which furthermore showed good correlations with activity changes. Brain and plasma levels were tightly correlated across doses. While γ-cyhalothrin was 2-fold more potent based on administered dose, the differences based on internal concentrations were less, with γ-cyhalothrin being 1.3- to 1.6-fold more potent than λ-cyhalothrin. These potency differences are consistent with the purity of the λ-isomer (approximately 43%) compared to the enriched isomer γ-cyhalothrin (approximately 98%). Thus, administered dose as well as differences in cyhalothrin isomers is a good predictor of behavioral effects. - Highlights: • Acute changes in locomotor activity were produced by λ- and γ-cyhalothrin. • γ-Cyhalothrin was about 2-fold more potent than λ-cyhalothrin. • Brain and plasma levels were tightly correlated across doses. • Activity changes correlated well with brain and plasma concentrations.« less

Metallic artifacts from internal scaphoid fracture fixation screws: comparison between C-arm flat-panel, cone-beam, and multidetector computed tomography.

PubMed

Finkenstaedt, Tim; Morsbach, Fabian; Calcagni, Maurizio; Vich, Magdalena; Pfirrmann, Christian W A; Alkadhi, Hatem; Runge, Val M; Andreisek, Gustav; Guggenberger, Roman

2014-08-01

The aim of this study was to compare image quality and extent of artifacts from scaphoid fracture fixation screws using different computed tomography (CT) modalities and radiation dose protocols. Imaging of 6 cadaveric wrists with artificial scaphoid fractures and different fixation screws was performed in 2 screw positions (45° and 90° orientation in relation to the x/y-axis) using multidetector CT (MDCT) and 2 flat-panel CT modalities, C-arm flat-panel CT (FPCT) and cone-beam CT (CBCT), the latter 2 with low and standard radiation dose protocols. Mean cartilage attenuation and metal artifact-induced absolute Hounsfield unit changes (= artifact extent) were measured. Two independent radiologists evaluated different image quality criteria using a 5-point Likert-scale. Interreader agreements (Cohen κ) were calculated. Mean absolute Hounsfield unit changes and quality ratings were compared using Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Artifact extent was significantly smaller for MDCT and standard-dose FPCT compared with CBCT low- and standard-dose acquisitions (all P < 0.05). No significant differences in artifact extent among different screw types and scanning positions were noted (P > 0.05). Both MDCT and FPCT standard-dose protocols showed equal ratings for screw bone interface, fracture line, and trabecular bone evaluation (P = 0.06, 0.2, and 0.2, respectively) and performed significantly better than FPCT low- and CBCT low- and standard-dose acquisitions (all P < 0.05). Good interreader agreement was found for image quality comparisons (Cohen κ = 0.76-0.78). Both MDCT and FPCT standard-dose acquisition showed comparatively less metal-induced artifacts and better overall image quality compared with FPCT low-dose and both CBCT acquisitions. Flat-panel CT may provide sufficient image quality to serve as a versatile CT alternative for postoperative imaging of internally fixated wrist fractures.

Some Considerations for Chelation Treatment and Surgical Excision Following Incorporation of Plutonium in Wounds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Poudel, Deepesh; Bertelli, Luiz; Klumpp, John A.

After a plutonium-contaminated wound, the role of an internal dosimetrist is to inform the patient and the physician of the dosimetric considerations. The doses averted due to medical treatments (excision or chelation) are higher if the treatments are administered early; therefore, the internal dosimetrist needs to rely on limited information on wound counts and process knowledge for advising the physician. For this study, several wound cases in the literature were reviewed to obtain estimates of the efficacies of surgical excision and chelation treatment after plutonium-contaminated wounds. The dose coefficients calculated by coupling the NCRP 156 wound model with the systemicmore » model were used to derive the decision guidelines that may indicate medical treatment based on 1) the concept of saved doses proposed by the NCRP 156 wound model, 2) the limits recommended by the CEC/DOE guidebook, and 3) the Clinical Decision Guidelines proposed in NCRP Report No. 161. These guidelines by themselves, however, are of limited use for several reasons, including 1) large uncertainties associated with wound measurements, 2) exposure to forms of radionuclides that cannot be assigned to a single category in the NCRP 156 framework, 3) inability of the NCRP 156 model to explain some of the wound cases in the literature, 4) neglect of the local doses to the wound site and the pathophysiological response of the tissue, 5) poorly understood relationship between effective doses and risks of late health effects, and 6) disregard of the psychological aspects of radionuclide intake.« less

Some Considerations for Chelation Treatment and Surgical Excision Following Incorporation of Plutonium in Wounds

DOE PAGES

Poudel, Deepesh; Bertelli, Luiz; Klumpp, John A.; ...

2018-03-01

After a plutonium-contaminated wound, the role of an internal dosimetrist is to inform the patient and the physician of the dosimetric considerations. The doses averted due to medical treatments (excision or chelation) are higher if the treatments are administered early; therefore, the internal dosimetrist needs to rely on limited information on wound counts and process knowledge for advising the physician. For this study, several wound cases in the literature were reviewed to obtain estimates of the efficacies of surgical excision and chelation treatment after plutonium-contaminated wounds. The dose coefficients calculated by coupling the NCRP 156 wound model with the systemicmore » model were used to derive the decision guidelines that may indicate medical treatment based on 1) the concept of saved doses proposed by the NCRP 156 wound model, 2) the limits recommended by the CEC/DOE guidebook, and 3) the Clinical Decision Guidelines proposed in NCRP Report No. 161. These guidelines by themselves, however, are of limited use for several reasons, including 1) large uncertainties associated with wound measurements, 2) exposure to forms of radionuclides that cannot be assigned to a single category in the NCRP 156 framework, 3) inability of the NCRP 156 model to explain some of the wound cases in the literature, 4) neglect of the local doses to the wound site and the pathophysiological response of the tissue, 5) poorly understood relationship between effective doses and risks of late health effects, and 6) disregard of the psychological aspects of radionuclide intake.« less

Outcomes of red blood cell transfusions prescribed in organ donors by the Digital Intern, an electronic decision support algorithm.

PubMed

Connor, Joseph P; Raife, Thomas; Medow, Joshua E

2018-02-01

The Digital Intern (DI) is an electronic decision support tool for the management of organ donors. One algorithm determines the dose, in units of red blood cells to be transfused, based on hematocrit (Hct) thresholds and targets. The effectiveness of the transfusion dose calculated by the DI in terms of achieving the selected Hct target and the duration of the targeted dose is not known. This was a retrospective study to describe the outcomes of transfusions prescribed by the DI. Pre- and posttransfusion Hct levels were compared to define response and all posttransfusion Hct values were plotted to evaluate the duration of the prescribed dose. A total of 120 organ donors were studied and 22 donors had 28 transfusions (six were transfused twice). The transfused donors were a mix of trauma and medical admissions and brain death and cardiac death donors. The transfusion target of 24% Hct was attained in 96% of transfusions. The mean number of units transfused was 1.4 and the mean time from transfusion to procurement was 19.8 hours. There was a decline in Hct over time after transfusion in all but one case with a mean decline of 1.9% Hct over 13 hours. Six donors were transfused twice, likely due to a longer donor time period (41.7 hr vs. 27 hr). The DI provided transfusion dosing that achieved the desired threshold in the majority of organ donors transfused. Ongoing work focuses on application of this technology to transfusions in general patient populations. © 2017 AABB.

SU-E-T-330: Dosimetric Impact of Intrafraction Respiratory Motion On Lung SBRT Treatment Using Cyberknife 0-View Tracking Mode

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rao, M; Chen, F; Cotrutz, C

2015-06-15

Purpose: To investigate the influence of respiratory motion on the delivered dose in lung stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) using Cyberknife (CK) 0-View tracking mode. Methods: CT scans at inspiration and expiration of an anthropomorphic motion phantom were fused base on the spine and an internal target volume (ITV) was created. A 5mm expansion around the ITV resulted in the planning target volume. Three CK plans were generated in Accuray MultiPlan using Lung Optimization Tracking 0-View technique with the minimum MU per beam set to (a) 5MU, (b) 15MU and (c) 30MU, respectively. Doses were calculated on the expiration CT usingmore » Monte-Carlo algorithm. Each plan was delivered 5 times with a range of different starting phases in the respiratory cycle to assess the dose variation due to interplay effect. The delivered dose was measured with EBT3 Gafchromic film which was inserted in the moving target of the phantom. The target motion range is 3 cm in superior-inferior (SI) direction with the breathing period of 5 seconds. Results: The gamma analysis (5%/2mm) of the dose with the films in the transverse plane resulted in average passing rate of 95.5±4.1%, 96.7±2.6%, and 96.2±2.5% for plan (a), (b), and (c), respectively. For the sagittal films, the average passing rate was 91.1±4.9%, 92.1±3.6%, and 92.3±2.9% for the three plans, respectively. The disagreement between measurement and dose calculations were mostly on the target edges in SI direction. The mean measured versus calculated dose differences at the edge of target in SI direction were (a) 3.9±4.8%, (b) 2.4±3.3%, and (c) 2.2±3.2% for the three plans, respectively. Conclusions: The plans with low-MU beams (below 10MU) tend to cause slightly larger dose variation. However in terms of target coverage, the overall clinical dosimetric impact of the intrafraction respiratory motion in lung SBRT is insignificant when averaged over 3∼5 fractions.« less

Calculation of the effective dose from natural radioactivity in soil using MCNP code.

PubMed

Krstic, D; Nikezic, D

2010-01-01

Effective dose delivered by photon emitted from natural radioactivity in soil was calculated in this work. Calculations have been done for the most common natural radionuclides in soil (238)U, (232)Th series and (40)K. A ORNL human phantoms and the Monte Carlo transport code MCNP-4B were employed to calculate the energy deposited in all organs. The effective dose was calculated according to ICRP 74 recommendations. Conversion factors of effective dose per air kerma were determined. Results obtained here were compared with other authors. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monte Carlo modeling of a 6 and 18 MV Varian Clinac medical accelerator for in-field and out-of-field dose calculations: development and validation

PubMed Central

Bednarz, Bryan; Xu, X George

2012-01-01

There is a serious and growing concern about the increased risk of radiation-induced second cancers and late tissue injuries associated with radiation treatment. To better understand and to more accurately quantify non-target organ doses due to scatter and leakage radiation from medical accelerators, a detailed Monte Carlo model of the medical linear accelerator is needed. This paper describes the development and validation of a detailed accelerator model of the Varian Clinac operating at 6 and 18 MV beam energies. Over 100 accelerator components have been defined and integrated using the Monte Carlo code MCNPX. A series of in-field and out-of-field dose validation studies were performed. In-field dose distributions calculated using the accelerator models were tuned to match measurement data that are considered the de facto ‘gold standard’ for the Varian Clinac accelerator provided by the manufacturer. Field sizes of 4 cm × 4 cm, 10 cm × 10 cm, 20 cm × 20 cm and 40 cm × 40 cm were considered. The local difference between calculated and measured dose on the percent depth dose curve was less than 2% for all locations. The local difference between calculated and measured dose on the dose profile curve was less than 2% in the plateau region and less than 2 mm in the penumbra region for all locations. Out-of-field dose profiles were calculated and compared to measurement data for both beam energies for field sizes of 4 cm × 4 cm, 10 cm × 10 cm and 20 cm × 20 cm. For all field sizes considered in this study, the average local difference between calculated and measured dose for the 6 and 18 MV beams was 14 and 16%, respectively. In addition, a method for determining neutron contamination in the 18 MV operating model was validated by comparing calculated in-air neutron fluence with reported calculations and measurements. The average difference between calculated and measured neutron fluence was 20%. As one of the most detailed accelerator models for both in-field and out-of-field dose calculations, the model will be combined with anatomically realistic computational patient phantoms into a computational framework to calculate non-target organ doses to patients from various radiation treatment plans. PMID:19141879

Fluence-to-dose conversion coefficients for heavy ions calculated using the PHITS code and the ICRP/ICRU adult reference computational phantoms.

PubMed

Sato, Tatsuhiko; Endo, Akira; Niita, Koji

2010-04-21

The fluence to organ-absorbed-dose and effective-dose conversion coefficients for heavy ions with atomic numbers up to 28 and energies from 1 MeV/nucleon to 100 GeV/nucleon were calculated using the PHITS code coupled to the ICRP/ICRU adult reference computational phantoms, following the instruction given in ICRP Publication 103 (2007 (Oxford: Pergamon)). The conversion coefficients for effective dose equivalents derived using the radiation quality factors of both Q(L) and Q(y) relationships were also estimated, utilizing the functions for calculating the probability densities of absorbed dose in terms of LET (L) and lineal energy (y), respectively, implemented in PHITS. The calculation results indicate that the effective dose can generally give a conservative estimation of the effective dose equivalent for heavy-ion exposure, although it is occasionally too conservative especially for high-energy lighter-ion irradiations. It is also found from the calculation that the conversion coefficients for the Q(y)-based effective dose equivalents are generally smaller than the corresponding Q(L)-based values because of the conceptual difference between LET and y as well as the numerical incompatibility between the Q(L) and Q(y) relationships. The calculated data of these dose conversion coefficients are very useful for the dose estimation of astronauts due to cosmic-ray exposure.

SU-E-T-29: A Web Application for GPU-Based Monte Carlo IMRT/VMAT QA with Delivered Dose Verification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Folkerts, M; University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA; Graves, Y

Purpose: To enable an existing web application for GPU-based Monte Carlo (MC) 3D dosimetry quality assurance (QA) to compute “delivered dose” from linac logfile data. Methods: We added significant features to an IMRT/VMAT QA web application which is based on existing technologies (HTML5, Python, and Django). This tool interfaces with python, c-code libraries, and command line-based GPU applications to perform a MC-based IMRT/VMAT QA. The web app automates many complicated aspects of interfacing clinical DICOM and logfile data with cutting-edge GPU software to run a MC dose calculation. The resultant web app is powerful, easy to use, and is ablemore » to re-compute both plan dose (from DICOM data) and delivered dose (from logfile data). Both dynalog and trajectorylog file formats are supported. Users upload zipped DICOM RP, CT, and RD data and set the expected statistic uncertainty for the MC dose calculation. A 3D gamma index map, 3D dose distribution, gamma histogram, dosimetric statistics, and DVH curves are displayed to the user. Additional the user may upload the delivery logfile data from the linac to compute a 'delivered dose' calculation and corresponding gamma tests. A comprehensive PDF QA report summarizing the results can also be downloaded. Results: We successfully improved a web app for a GPU-based QA tool that consists of logfile parcing, fluence map generation, CT image processing, GPU based MC dose calculation, gamma index calculation, and DVH calculation. The result is an IMRT and VMAT QA tool that conducts an independent dose calculation for a given treatment plan and delivery log file. The system takes both DICOM data and logfile data to compute plan dose and delivered dose respectively. Conclusion: We sucessfully improved a GPU-based MC QA tool to allow for logfile dose calculation. The high efficiency and accessibility will greatly facilitate IMRT and VMAT QA.« less

CALCULATIONAL TOOL FOR SKIN CONTAMINATION DOSE ESTIMATE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

HILL, R.L.

2005-03-31

A spreadsheet calculational tool was developed to automate the calculations performed for estimating dose from skin contamination. This document reports on the design and testing of the spreadsheet calculational tool.

MCNP-based computational model for the Leksell gamma knife.

PubMed

Trnka, Jiri; Novotny, Josef; Kluson, Jaroslav

2007-01-01

We have focused on the usage of MCNP code for calculation of Gamma Knife radiation field parameters with a homogenous polystyrene phantom. We have investigated several parameters of the Leksell Gamma Knife radiation field and compared the results with other studies based on EGS4 and PENELOPE code as well as the Leksell Gamma Knife treatment planning system Leksell GammaPlan (LGP). The current model describes all 201 radiation beams together and simulates all the sources in the same time. Within each beam, it considers the technical construction of the source, the source holder, collimator system, the spherical phantom, and surrounding material. We have calculated output factors for various sizes of scoring volumes, relative dose distributions along basic planes including linear dose profiles, integral doses in various volumes, and differential dose volume histograms. All the parameters have been calculated for each collimator size and for the isocentric configuration of the phantom. We have found the calculated output factors to be in agreement with other authors' works except the case of 4 mm collimator size, where averaging over the scoring volume and statistical uncertainties strongly influences the calculated results. In general, all the results are dependent on the choice of the scoring volume. The calculated linear dose profiles and relative dose distributions also match independent studies and the Leksell GammaPlan, but care must be taken about the fluctuations within the plateau, which can influence the normalization, and accuracy in determining the isocenter position, which is important for comparing different dose profiles. The calculated differential dose volume histograms and integral doses have been compared with data provided by the Leksell GammaPlan. The dose volume histograms are in good agreement as well as integral doses calculated in small calculation matrix volumes. However, deviations in integral doses up to 50% can be observed for large volumes such as for the total skull volume. The differences observed in treatment of scattered radiation between the MC method and the LGP may be important in this case. We have also studied the influence of differential direction sampling of primary photons and have found that, due to the anisotropic sampling, doses around the isocenter deviate from each other by up to 6%. With caution about the details of the calculation settings, it is possible to employ the MCNP Monte Carlo code for independent verification of the Leksell Gamma Knife radiation field properties.

SU-F-P-21: Study of Dosimetry Accuracy of Small Passively Scattered Proton Beam Fields

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Y; Gautam, A; Kerr, M

2016-06-15

Purpose: To study the accuracy of the dose distribution of very small irregular fields of passively scattered proton beams calculated by the analytical pencil beam model of the Eclipse treatment planning system (TPS). Methods: An irregular field with a narrow region (width < 1 cm) that was used for the treatment of a small volume adjacent to a previously treated area were chosen for this investigation. Point doses at different locations inside the field were measured with a small volume ion chamber (A26, Standard Imaging). 2-D dose distributions were measured using a 2-D ion chamber array (MatriXX, IBA). All themore » measurements were done in plastic water phantom. The measured dose distributions were compared with the verification plan dose calculated in a water like phantom for the patient treatment field without the use of the compensator. Results: Point doses measured with the ion chamber in the narrowest section of the field were found to differ as much as 10% from the Eclipse calculated dose at some of the points. The 2-D dose distribution measured with the MatriXX which was validated by comparison with limited film measurement, at the proximal 95%, center of the spread out Bragg Peak and distal 90% depths agreed reasonably well with the TPS calculated dose distribution with more than 92% of the pixels passing the 2% / 2 mm dose distance agreement. Conclusion: The dose calculated by the pencil beam model of the Eclipse TPS for narrow irregular fields may not be accurate within 5% at some locations of the field, especially at the points close to the field edge due to the limitation of the dose calculation model. Overall accuracy of the calculated 2-D dose distribution was found to be acceptable for the 2%/2 mm dose/distance agreement with the measurement.« less

[Absorbed dose and the effective dose of panoramic temporo mandibular joint radiography].

PubMed

Matsuo, Ayae; Okano, Tsuneichi; Gotoh, Kenichi; Yokoi, Midori; Hirukawa, Akiko; Okumura, Shinji; Koyama, Syuji

2011-01-01

This study measured the radiation doses absorbed by the patient during Panoramic temporo mandibular joint radiography (Panoramic TMJ), Schüllers method and Orbitoramus projection. The dose of the frontal view in Panoramic TMJ was compared to that with Orbitoramus projection and the lateral view in Panoramic TMJ was compared to that with Schüllers method. We measured the doses received by various organs and calculated the effective doses using the guidelines of the International Commission on Radiological Protection in Publication 103. Organ absorbed doses were measured using an anthropomorphic phantom, loaded with thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD), located at 160 sensitive sites. The dose shows the sum value of irradiation on both the right and left sides. In addition, we set a few different exposure field sizes. The effective dose for a frontal view in Panoramic TMJ was 11 µSv, and that for the lateral view was 14 µSv. The lens of the Orbitoramus projection was 40 times higher than the frontal view in Panoramic TMJ. Although the effective dose of the lateral view in Panoramic TMJ was 3 times higher than that of the small exposure field (10×10 cm on film) in Schüller's method, it was the same as that of a mid-sized exposure field. When the exposure field in the inferior 1/3 was reduced during panoramic TMJ, the effective doses could be decreased. Therefore we recommend that the size of the exposure field in Panoramic TMJ be decreased.

Updated Mortality Analysis of Radiation Workers at Rocketdyne (Atomics International), 1948-2008

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boice Jr JD, Colen SS, Mumma MT, Ellis ED, Eckerman DF, Leggett RW, Boecker BB, Brill B, Henderson BE

Updated analyses of mortality data are presented on 46,970 workers employed 1948-1999 at Rocketdyne (Atomics International). Overall, 5,801 workers were involved in radiation activities, including 2,232 who were monitored for intakes of radionuclides, and 41,169 workers were engaged in rocket testing or other non-radiation activities. The worker population is unique in that lifetime occupational doses from all places of employment were sought, updated and incorporated into the analyses. Further, radiation doses from intakes of 14 different radionuclides were calculated for 16 organs or tissues using biokinetic models of the International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP). Because only negligible exposures weremore » received by the 247 workers monitored for radiation activities after 1999, the mean dose from external radiation remained essentially the same at 13.5 mSv (maximum 1 Sv) as reported previously, as did the mean lung dose from external and internal radiation combined at 19.0 mSv (maximum 3.6 Sv). An additional 9 years of follow-up, from December 31,1999 through 2008, increased the person-years of observation for the radiation workers by 21.7% to 196,674 (mean 33.9 years) and the number of cancer deaths by 50% to 684. Analyses included external comparisons with the general population and the computation of standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and internal comparisons using proportional hazards models and the computation of relative risks (RRs). A low SMR for all causes of death (SMR 0.82; 95% CI 0.78-0.85) continued to indicate that the Rocketdyne radiation workers were healthier than the general population and were less likely to die. The SMRs for all cancers taken together (SMR 0.88; 95% CI 0.81-0.95), lung cancer (SMR 0.87; 95% CI 0.76-1.00) and leukemia other than chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) (SMR 1.04; 95% 0.67-1.53) were not significantly elevated. Cox regression analyses revealed no significant dose-response trends for any cancer. For all cancers excluding leukemia, the RR at 100 mSv was estimated as 0.98 (95% CI 0.82-1.17), and for all leukemia other than CLL it was 1.06 (95% CI 0.50-2.23). Uranium was the primary radionuclide contributing to internal exposures, but no significant increases in lung and kidney disease were seen. The extended follow-up reinforces the findings in the previous study in failing to observe a detectable increase in cancer deaths associated with radiation, but strong conclusions still cannot be drawn because of small numbers and relatively low career doses. Larger combined studies of early workers in the United States using similar methodologies are warranted to refine and clarify radiation risks after protracted exposures.« less

The Monte Carlo code MCPTV--Monte Carlo dose calculation in radiation therapy with carbon ions.

PubMed

Karg, Juergen; Speer, Stefan; Schmidt, Manfred; Mueller, Reinhold

2010-07-07

The Monte Carlo code MCPTV is presented. MCPTV is designed for dose calculation in treatment planning in radiation therapy with particles and especially carbon ions. MCPTV has a voxel-based concept and can perform a fast calculation of the dose distribution on patient CT data. Material and density information from CT are taken into account. Electromagnetic and nuclear interactions are implemented. Furthermore the algorithm gives information about the particle spectra and the energy deposition in each voxel. This can be used to calculate the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for each voxel. Depth dose distributions are compared to experimental data giving good agreement. A clinical example is shown to demonstrate the capabilities of the MCPTV dose calculation.

Initial experience of ArcCHECK and 3DVH software for RapidArc treatment plan verification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Infusino, Erminia; Mameli, Alessandra, E-mail: e.infusino@unicampus.it; Conti, Roberto

2014-10-01

The purpose of this study was to perform delivery quality assurance with ArcCHECK and 3DVH system (Sun Nuclear, FL) and to evaluate the suitability of this system for volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) (RapidArc [RA]) verification. This software calculates the delivered dose distributions in patients by perturbing the calculated dose using errors detected in fluence or planar dose measurements. The device is tested to correlate the gamma passing rate (%GP) and the composite dose predicted by 3DVH software. A total of 28 patients with prostate cancer who were treated with RA were analyzed. RA treatments were delivered to a diode arraymore » phantom (ArcCHECK), which was used to create a planned dose perturbation (PDP) file. The 3DVH analysis used the dose differences derived from comparing the measured dose with the treatment planning system (TPS)-calculated doses to perturb the initial TPS-calculated dose. The 3DVH then overlays the resultant dose on the patient's structures using the resultant “PDP” beams. Measured dose distributions were compared with the calculated ones using the gamma index (GI) method by applying the global (Van Dyk) normalization and acceptance criteria, i.e., 3%/3 mm. Paired differences tests were used to estimate statistical significance of the differences between the composite dose calculated using 3DVH and %GP. Also, statistical correlation by means of logistic regression analysis has been analyzed. Dose-volume histogram (DVH) analysis for patient plans revealed small differences between treatment plan calculations and 3DVH results for organ at risk (OAR), whereas planning target volume (PTV) of the measured plan was systematically higher than that predicted by the TPS. The t-test results between the planned and the estimated DVH values showed that mean values were incomparable (p < 0.05). The quality assurance (QA) gamma analysis 3%/3 mm showed that in all cases there were only weak-to-moderate correlations (Pearson r: 0.12 to 0.74). Moreover, clinically relevant differences increased with increasing QA passing rate, indicating that some of the largest dose differences occurred in the cases of high QA passing rates, which may be called “false negatives.” The clinical importance of any disagreement between the measured and the calculated dose is often difficult to interpret; however, beam errors (either in delivery or in TPS calculation) can affect the effectiveness of the patient dose. Further research is needed to determinate the role of a PDP-type algorithm to accurately estimate patient dose effect.« less

An Engineering Tool for the Prediction of Internal Dielectric Charging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodgers, D. J.; Ryden, K. A.; Wrenn, G. L.; Latham, P. M.; Sorensen, J.; Levy, L.

1998-11-01

A practical internal charging tool has been developed. It provides an easy-to-use means for satellite engineers to predict whether on-board dielectrics are vulnerable to electrostatic discharge in the outer radiation belt. The tool is designed to simulate irradiation of single-dielectric planar or cylindrical structures with or without shielding. Analytical equations are used to describe current deposition in the dielectric. This is fast and gives charging currents to sufficient accuracy given the uncertainties in other aspects of the problem - particularly material characteristics. Time-dependent internal electric fields are calculated, taking into account the effect on conductivity of electric field, dose rate and temperature. A worst-case model of electron fluxes in the outer belt has been created specifically for the internal charging problem and is built into the code. For output, the tool gives a YES or NO decision on the susceptibility of the structure to internal electrostatic breakdown and if necessary, calculates the required changes to bring the system below the breakdown threshold. A complementary programme of laboratory irradiations has been carried out to validate the tool. The results for Epoxy-fibreglass samples show that the code models electric field realistically for a wide variety of shields, dielectric thicknesses and electron spectra. Results for Teflon samples indicate that some further experimentation is required and the radiation-induced conductivity aspects of the code have not been validated.

Performance Characteristics of an Independent Dose Verification Program for Helical Tomotherapy

PubMed Central

Chang, Isaac C. F.; Chen, Jeff; Yartsev, Slav

2017-01-01

Helical tomotherapy with its advanced method of intensity-modulated radiation therapy delivery has been used clinically for over 20 years. The standard delivery quality assurance procedure to measure the accuracy of delivered radiation dose from each treatment plan to a phantom is time-consuming. RadCalc®, a radiotherapy dose verification software, has released specifically for beta testing a module for tomotherapy plan dose calculations. RadCalc®'s accuracy for tomotherapy dose calculations was evaluated through examination of point doses in ten lung and ten prostate clinical plans. Doses calculated by the TomoHDA™ tomotherapy treatment planning system were used as the baseline. For lung cases, RadCalc® overestimated point doses in the lung by an average of 13%. Doses within the spinal cord and esophagus were overestimated by 10%. Prostate plans showed better agreement, with overestimations of 6% in the prostate, bladder, and rectum. The systematic overestimation likely resulted from limitations of the pencil beam dose calculation algorithm implemented by RadCalc®. Limitations were more severe in areas of greater inhomogeneity and less prominent in regions of homogeneity with densities closer to 1 g/cm3. Recommendations for RadCalc® dose calculation algorithms and anatomical representation were provided based on the results of the study. PMID:28974862

Implementation of iodine biokinetic model for interpreting I-131 contamination in breast milk after the Fukushima nuclear disaster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tani, Kotaro; Kurihara, Osamu; Kim, Eunjoo; Yoshida, Satoshi; Sakai, Kazuo; Akashi, Makoto

2015-07-01

After the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant run by Tokyo Electric Power Company in 2011, breast milk samples obtained from volunteers living in Fukushima and neighboring prefectures were examined and small amounts of I-131 (2.2-36.3 Bq/kg) were detected in some samples. In this work, the I-131 concentrations in breast milk from nursing mothers in Ibaraki prefecture were calculated based on the iodine biokinetic model during lactation together with time-variable intake scenarios by inhalation of ambient air and ingestion of tap water, using the authors’ code. The calculated I-131 concentrations in breast milk generally agreed with those measured for the volunteers. Based on the results, thyroid equivalent doses to breast-fed infants were estimated for each place of residence of the volunteers on the assumption that these infants consumed 800 ml of breast milk every day, resulting in 10-11 mSv for Mito and Kasama cities and 1.1-1.8 mSv for Tsukuba and Moriya cities. It was suggested that breast milk consumption could be a major contributor to internal dose of breast-fed infants in areas with mild I-131 pollution; however, further studies considering personal behavior surveys would be necessary to estimate individual doses.

Implementation of iodine biokinetic model for interpreting I-131 contamination in breast milk after the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

PubMed

Tani, Kotaro; Kurihara, Osamu; Kim, Eunjoo; Yoshida, Satoshi; Sakai, Kazuo; Akashi, Makoto

2015-07-22

After the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant run by Tokyo Electric Power Company in 2011, breast milk samples obtained from volunteers living in Fukushima and neighboring prefectures were examined and small amounts of I-131 (2.2-36.3 Bq/kg) were detected in some samples. In this work, the I-131 concentrations in breast milk from nursing mothers in Ibaraki prefecture were calculated based on the iodine biokinetic model during lactation together with time-variable intake scenarios by inhalation of ambient air and ingestion of tap water, using the authors' code. The calculated I-131 concentrations in breast milk generally agreed with those measured for the volunteers. Based on the results, thyroid equivalent doses to breast-fed infants were estimated for each place of residence of the volunteers on the assumption that these infants consumed 800 ml of breast milk every day, resulting in 10-11 mSv for Mito and Kasama cities and 1.1-1.8 mSv for Tsukuba and Moriya cities. It was suggested that breast milk consumption could be a major contributor to internal dose of breast-fed infants in areas with mild I-131 pollution; however, further studies considering personal behavior surveys would be necessary to estimate individual doses.

STUDY OF NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY (226Ra, 232Th AND 40K) IN SOIL SAMPLES FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF AVERAGE EFFECTIVE DOSE AND RADIATION HAZARDS.

PubMed

Bangotra, Pargin; Mehra, Rohit; Kaur, Kirandeep; Jakhu, Rajan

2016-10-01

The activity concentration of 226 Ra (radium), 232 Th (thorium) and 40 K (potassium) has been measured in the soil samples collected from Mansa and Muktsar districts of Punjab (India) using NaI (Tikl) gamma detector. The concentration of three radionuclides ( 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K) in the studied area has been varied from 18±4 to 46±5, 53±7 to 98±8 and 248±54 to 756±110 Bq kg -1 , respectively. Radium equivalent activities (Ra eq ) have been calculated in soil samples for the assessment of the radiation hazards arising due to the use of these soil samples. The absorbed dose rate of 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K in studied area has been varied from 8 to 21, 33 to 61 and 9 to 25 nGy h -1 , respectively. The corresponding indoor and outdoor annual effective dose in studied area was 0.38 and 0.09 mSv, respectively. The external and internal hazard has been also calculated for the assessment of radiation hazards in the studied area. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

SU-F-T-600: Influence of Acuros XB and AAA Dose Calculation Algorithms On Plan Quality Metrics and Normal Lung Doses in Lung SBRT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yaparpalvi, R; Mynampati, D; Kuo, H

Purpose: To study the influence of superposition-beam model (AAA) and determinant-photon transport-solver (Acuros XB) dose calculation algorithms on the treatment plan quality metrics and on normal lung dose in Lung SBRT. Methods: Treatment plans of 10 Lung SBRT patients were randomly selected. Patients were prescribed to a total dose of 50-54Gy in 3–5 fractions (10?5 or 18?3). Doses were optimized accomplished with 6-MV using 2-arcs (VMAT). Doses were calculated using AAA algorithm with heterogeneity correction. For each plan, plan quality metrics in the categories- coverage, homogeneity, conformity and gradient were quantified. Repeat dosimetry for these AAA treatment plans was performedmore » using AXB algorithm with heterogeneity correction for same beam and MU parameters. Plan quality metrics were again evaluated and compared with AAA plan metrics. For normal lung dose, V{sub 20} and V{sub 5} to (Total lung- GTV) were evaluated. Results: The results are summarized in Supplemental Table 1. PTV volume was mean 11.4 (±3.3) cm{sup 3}. Comparing RTOG 0813 protocol criteria for conformality, AXB plans yielded on average, similar PITV ratio (individual PITV ratio differences varied from −9 to +15%), reduced target coverage (−1.6%) and increased R50% (+2.6%). Comparing normal lung doses, the lung V{sub 20} (+3.1%) and V{sub 5} (+1.5%) were slightly higher for AXB plans compared to AAA plans. High-dose spillage ((V105%PD - PTV)/ PTV) was slightly lower for AXB plans but the % low dose spillage (D2cm) was similar between the two calculation algorithms. Conclusion: AAA algorithm overestimates lung target dose. Routinely adapting to AXB for dose calculations in Lung SBRT planning may improve dose calculation accuracy, as AXB based calculations have been shown to be closer to Monte Carlo based dose predictions in accuracy and with relatively faster computational time. For clinical practice, revisiting dose-fractionation in Lung SBRT to correct for dose overestimates attributable to algorithm may very well be warranted.« less

A MULTIMODEL APPROACH FOR CALCULATING BENCHMARK DOSE

EPA Science Inventory

A Multimodel Approach for Calculating Benchmark Dose
Ramon I. Garcia and R. Woodrow Setzer

In the assessment of dose response, a number of plausible dose- response models may give fits that are consistent with the data. If no dose response formulation had been speci...

Study of dose calculation on breast brachytherapy using prism TPS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fendriani, Yoza; Haryanto, Freddy

2015-09-30

PRISM is one of non-commercial Treatment Planning System (TPS) and is developed at the University of Washington. In Indonesia, many cancer hospitals use expensive commercial TPS. This study aims to investigate Prism TPS which been applied to the dose distribution of brachytherapy by taking into account the effect of source position and inhomogeneities. The results will be applicable for clinical Treatment Planning System. Dose calculation has been implemented for water phantom and CT scan images of breast cancer using point source and line source. This study used point source and line source and divided into two cases. On the firstmore » case, Ir-192 seed source is located at the center of treatment volume. On the second case, the source position is gradually changed. The dose calculation of every case performed on a homogeneous and inhomogeneous phantom with dimension 20 × 20 × 20 cm{sup 3}. The inhomogeneous phantom has inhomogeneities volume 2 × 2 × 2 cm{sup 3}. The results of dose calculations using PRISM TPS were compared to literature data. From the calculation of PRISM TPS, dose rates show good agreement with Plato TPS and other study as published by Ramdhani. No deviations greater than ±4% for all case. Dose calculation in inhomogeneous and homogenous cases show similar result. This results indicate that Prism TPS is good in dose calculation of brachytherapy but not sensitive for inhomogeneities. Thus, the dose calculation parameters developed in this study were found to be applicable for clinical treatment planning of brachytherapy.« less

A clinical study of lung cancer dose calculation accuracy with Monte Carlo simulation.

PubMed

Zhao, Yanqun; Qi, Guohai; Yin, Gang; Wang, Xianliang; Wang, Pei; Li, Jian; Xiao, Mingyong; Li, Jie; Kang, Shengwei; Liao, Xiongfei

2014-12-16

The accuracy of dose calculation is crucial to the quality of treatment planning and, consequently, to the dose delivered to patients undergoing radiation therapy. Current general calculation algorithms such as Pencil Beam Convolution (PBC) and Collapsed Cone Convolution (CCC) have shortcomings in regard to severe inhomogeneities, particularly in those regions where charged particle equilibrium does not hold. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the PBC and CCC algorithms in lung cancer radiotherapy using Monte Carlo (MC) technology. Four treatment plans were designed using Oncentra Masterplan TPS for each patient. Two intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plans were developed using the PBC and CCC algorithms, and two three-dimensional conformal therapy (3DCRT) plans were developed using the PBC and CCC algorithms. The DICOM-RT files of the treatment plans were exported to the Monte Carlo system to recalculate. The dose distributions of GTV, PTV and ipsilateral lung calculated by the TPS and MC were compared. For 3DCRT and IMRT plans, the mean dose differences for GTV between the CCC and MC increased with decreasing of the GTV volume. For IMRT, the mean dose differences were found to be higher than that of 3DCRT. The CCC algorithm overestimated the GTV mean dose by approximately 3% for IMRT. For 3DCRT plans, when the volume of the GTV was greater than 100 cm(3), the mean doses calculated by CCC and MC almost have no difference. PBC shows large deviations from the MC algorithm. For the dose to the ipsilateral lung, the CCC algorithm overestimated the dose to the entire lung, and the PBC algorithm overestimated V20 but underestimated V5; the difference in V10 was not statistically significant. PBC substantially overestimates the dose to the tumour, but the CCC is similar to the MC simulation. It is recommended that the treatment plans for lung cancer be developed using an advanced dose calculation algorithm other than PBC. MC can accurately calculate the dose distribution in lung cancer and can provide a notably effective tool for benchmarking the performance of other dose calculation algorithms within patients.

Influence of different dose calculation algorithms on the estimate of NTCP for lung complications.

PubMed

Hedin, Emma; Bäck, Anna

2013-09-06

Due to limitations and uncertainties in dose calculation algorithms, different algorithms can predict different dose distributions and dose-volume histograms for the same treatment. This can be a problem when estimating the normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) for patient-specific dose distributions. Published NTCP model parameters are often derived for a different dose calculation algorithm than the one used to calculate the actual dose distribution. The use of algorithm-specific NTCP model parameters can prevent errors caused by differences in dose calculation algorithms. The objective of this work was to determine how to change the NTCP model parameters for lung complications derived for a simple correction-based pencil beam dose calculation algorithm, in order to make them valid for three other common dose calculation algorithms. NTCP was calculated with the relative seriality (RS) and Lyman-Kutcher-Burman (LKB) models. The four dose calculation algorithms used were the pencil beam (PB) and collapsed cone (CC) algorithms employed by Oncentra, and the pencil beam convolution (PBC) and anisotropic analytical algorithm (AAA) employed by Eclipse. Original model parameters for lung complications were taken from four published studies on different grades of pneumonitis, and new algorithm-specific NTCP model parameters were determined. The difference between original and new model parameters was presented in relation to the reported model parameter uncertainties. Three different types of treatments were considered in the study: tangential and locoregional breast cancer treatment and lung cancer treatment. Changing the algorithm without the derivation of new model parameters caused changes in the NTCP value of up to 10 percentage points for the cases studied. Furthermore, the error introduced could be of the same magnitude as the confidence intervals of the calculated NTCP values. The new NTCP model parameters were tabulated as the algorithm was varied from PB to PBC, AAA, or CC. Moving from the PB to the PBC algorithm did not require new model parameters; however, moving from PB to AAA or CC did require a change in the NTCP model parameters, with CC requiring the largest change. It was shown that the new model parameters for a given algorithm are different for the different treatment types.

Sensitivity of NTCP parameter values against a change of dose calculation algorithm.

PubMed

Brink, Carsten; Berg, Martin; Nielsen, Morten

2007-09-01

Optimization of radiation treatment planning requires estimations of the normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). A number of models exist that estimate NTCP from a calculated dose distribution. Since different dose calculation algorithms use different approximations the dose distributions predicted for a given treatment will in general depend on the algorithm. The purpose of this work is to test whether the optimal NTCP parameter values change significantly when the dose calculation algorithm is changed. The treatment plans for 17 breast cancer patients have retrospectively been recalculated with a collapsed cone algorithm (CC) to compare the NTCP estimates for radiation pneumonitis with those obtained from the clinically used pencil beam algorithm (PB). For the PB calculations the NTCP parameters were taken from previously published values for three different models. For the CC calculations the parameters were fitted to give the same NTCP as for the PB calculations. This paper demonstrates that significant shifts of the NTCP parameter values are observed for three models, comparable in magnitude to the uncertainties of the published parameter values. Thus, it is important to quote the applied dose calculation algorithm when reporting estimates of NTCP parameters in order to ensure correct use of the models.

Sensitivity of NTCP parameter values against a change of dose calculation algorithm

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brink, Carsten; Berg, Martin; Nielsen, Morten

2007-09-15

Optimization of radiation treatment planning requires estimations of the normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). A number of models exist that estimate NTCP from a calculated dose distribution. Since different dose calculation algorithms use different approximations the dose distributions predicted for a given treatment will in general depend on the algorithm. The purpose of this work is to test whether the optimal NTCP parameter values change significantly when the dose calculation algorithm is changed. The treatment plans for 17 breast cancer patients have retrospectively been recalculated with a collapsed cone algorithm (CC) to compare the NTCP estimates for radiation pneumonitis withmore » those obtained from the clinically used pencil beam algorithm (PB). For the PB calculations the NTCP parameters were taken from previously published values for three different models. For the CC calculations the parameters were fitted to give the same NTCP as for the PB calculations. This paper demonstrates that significant shifts of the NTCP parameter values are observed for three models, comparable in magnitude to the uncertainties of the published parameter values. Thus, it is important to quote the applied dose calculation algorithm when reporting estimates of NTCP parameters in order to ensure correct use of the models.« less

Dose estimation for astronauts using dose conversion coefficients calculated with the PHITS code and the ICRP/ICRU adult reference computational phantoms.

PubMed

Sato, Tatsuhiko; Endo, Akira; Sihver, Lembit; Niita, Koji

2011-03-01

Absorbed-dose and dose-equivalent rates for astronauts were estimated by multiplying fluence-to-dose conversion coefficients in the units of Gy.cm(2) and Sv.cm(2), respectively, and cosmic-ray fluxes around spacecrafts in the unit of cm(-2) s(-1). The dose conversion coefficients employed in the calculation were evaluated using the general-purpose particle and heavy ion transport code system PHITS coupled to the male and female adult reference computational phantoms, which were released as a common ICRP/ICRU publication. The cosmic-ray fluxes inside and near to spacecrafts were also calculated by PHITS, using simplified geometries. The accuracy of the obtained absorbed-dose and dose-equivalent rates was verified by various experimental data measured both inside and outside spacecrafts. The calculations quantitatively show that the effective doses for astronauts are significantly greater than their corresponding effective dose equivalents, because of the numerical incompatibility between the radiation quality factors and the radiation weighting factors. These results demonstrate the usefulness of dose conversion coefficients in space dosimetry. © Springer-Verlag 2010

Absorbed Dose and Dose Equivalent Calculations for Modeling Effective Dose

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welton, Andrew; Lee, Kerry

2010-01-01

While in orbit, Astronauts are exposed to a much higher dose of ionizing radiation than when on the ground. It is important to model how shielding designs on spacecraft reduce radiation effective dose pre-flight, and determine whether or not a danger to humans is presented. However, in order to calculate effective dose, dose equivalent calculations are needed. Dose equivalent takes into account an absorbed dose of radiation and the biological effectiveness of ionizing radiation. This is important in preventing long-term, stochastic radiation effects in humans spending time in space. Monte carlo simulations run with the particle transport code FLUKA, give absorbed and equivalent dose data for relevant shielding. The shielding geometry used in the dose calculations is a layered slab design, consisting of aluminum, polyethylene, and water. Water is used to simulate the soft tissues that compose the human body. The results obtained will provide information on how the shielding performs with many thicknesses of each material in the slab. This allows them to be directly applicable to modern spacecraft shielding geometries.

Development of a web-based CT dose calculator: WAZA-ARI.

PubMed

Ban, N; Takahashi, F; Sato, K; Endo, A; Ono, K; Hasegawa, T; Yoshitake, T; Katsunuma, Y; Kai, M

2011-09-01

A web-based computed tomography (CT) dose calculation system (WAZA-ARI) is being developed based on the modern techniques for the radiation transport simulation and for software implementation. Dose coefficients were calculated in a voxel-type Japanese adult male phantom (JM phantom), using the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System. In the Monte Carlo simulation, the phantom was irradiated with a 5-mm-thick, fan-shaped photon beam rotating in a plane normal to the body axis. The dose coefficients were integrated into the system, which runs as Java servlets within Apache Tomcat. Output of WAZA-ARI for GE LightSpeed 16 was compared with the dose values calculated similarly using MIRD and ICRP Adult Male phantoms. There are some differences due to the phantom configuration, demonstrating the significance of the dose calculation with appropriate phantoms. While the dose coefficients are currently available only for limited CT scanner models and scanning options, WAZA-ARI will be a useful tool in clinical practice when development is finalised.

Sensitivity of species to chemicals: dose-response characteristics for various test types (LC(50), LR(50) and LD(50)) and modes of action.

PubMed

Hendriks, A Jan; Awkerman, Jill A; de Zwart, Dick; Huijbregts, Mark A J

2013-11-01

While variable sensitivity of model species to common toxicants has been addressed in previous studies, a systematic analysis of inter-species variability for different test types, modes of action and species is as of yet lacking. Hence, the aim of the present study was to identify similarities and differences in contaminant levels affecting cold-blooded and warm-blooded species administered via different routes. To that end, data on lethal water concentrations LC50, tissue residues LR50 and oral doses LD50 were collected from databases, each representing the largest of its kind. LC50 data were multiplied by a bioconcentration factor (BCF) to convert them to internal concentrations that allow for comparison among species. For each endpoint data set, we calculated the mean and standard deviation of species' lethal level per compound. Next, the means and standard deviations were averaged by mode of action. Both the means and standard deviations calculated depended on the number of species tested, which is at odds with quality standard setting procedures. Means calculated from (BCF) LC50, LR50 and LD50 were largely similar, suggesting that different administration routes roughly yield similar internal levels. Levels for compounds interfering biochemically with elementary life processes were about one order of magnitude below that of narcotics disturbing membranes, and neurotoxic pesticides and dioxins induced death in even lower amounts. Standard deviations for LD50 data were similar across modes of action, while variability of LC50 values was lower for narcotics than for substances with a specific mode of action. The study indicates several directions to go for efficient use of available data in risk assessment and reduction of species testing. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stathakis, S; Defoor, D; Saenz, D

Purpose: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) outcomes are related to the delivered dose to the target and to surrounding tissue. We have commissioned a Monte Carlo based dose calculation algorithm to recalculated the delivered dose planned using pencil beam calculation dose engine. Methods: Twenty consecutive previously treated patients have been selected for this study. All plans were generated using the iPlan treatment planning system (TPS) and calculated using the pencil beam algorithm. Each patient plan consisted of 1 to 3 targets and treated using dynamically conformal arcs or intensity modulated beams. Multi-target treatments were delivered using multiple isocenters, one for each target.more » These plans were recalculated for the purpose of this study using a single isocenter. The CT image sets along with the plan, doses and structures were DICOM exported to Monaco TPS and the dose was recalculated using the same voxel resolution and monitor units. Benchmark data was also generated prior to patient calculations to assess the accuracy of the two TPS against measurements using a micro ionization chamber in solid water. Results: Good agreement, within −0.4% for Monaco and +2.2% for iPlan were observed for measurements in water phantom. Doses in patient geometry revealed up to 9.6% differences for single target plans and 9.3% for multiple-target-multiple-isocenter plans. The average dose differences for multi-target-single-isocenter plans were approximately 1.4%. Similar differences were observed for the OARs and integral dose. Conclusion: Accuracy of the beam is crucial for the dose calculation especially in the case of small fields such as those used in SRS treatments. A superior dose calculation algorithm such as Monte Carlo, with properly commissioned beam models, which is unaffected by the lack of electronic equilibrium should be preferred for the calculation of small fields to improve accuracy.« less

Recent skyshine calculations at Jefferson Lab

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Degtyarenko, P.

1997-12-01

New calculations of the skyshine dose distribution of neutrons and secondary photons have been performed at Jefferson Lab using the Monte Carlo method. The dose dependence on neutron energy, distance to the neutron source, polar angle of a source neutron, and azimuthal angle between the observation point and the momentum direction of a source neutron have been studied. The azimuthally asymmetric term in the skyshine dose distribution is shown to be important in the dose calculations around high-energy accelerator facilities. A parameterization formula and corresponding computer code have been developed which can be used for detailed calculations of the skyshinemore » dose maps.« less

Real-time dose calculation and visualization for the proton therapy of ocular tumours

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfeiffer, Karsten; Bendl, Rolf

2001-03-01

A new real-time dose calculation and visualization was developed as part of the new 3D treatment planning tool OCTOPUS for proton therapy of ocular tumours within a national research project together with the Hahn-Meitner Institut Berlin. The implementation resolves the common separation between parameter definition, dose calculation and evaluation and allows a direct examination of the expected dose distribution while adjusting the treatment parameters. The new tool allows the therapist to move the desired dose distribution under visual control in 3D to the appropriate place. The visualization of the resulting dose distribution as a 3D surface model, on any 2D slice or on the surface of specified ocular structures is done automatically when adapting parameters during the planning process. In addition, approximate dose volume histograms may be calculated with little extra time. The dose distribution is calculated and visualized in 200 ms with an accuracy of 6% for the 3D isodose surfaces and 8% for other objects. This paper discusses the advantages and limitations of this new approach.

Comprehensive evaluations of cone-beam CT dose in image-guided radiation therapy via GPU-based Monte Carlo simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montanari, Davide; Scolari, Enrica; Silvestri, Chiara; Jiang Graves, Yan; Yan, Hao; Cervino, Laura; Rice, Roger; Jiang, Steve B.; Jia, Xun

2014-03-01

Cone beam CT (CBCT) has been widely used for patient setup in image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). Radiation dose from CBCT scans has become a clinical concern. The purposes of this study are (1) to commission a graphics processing unit (GPU)-based Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculation package gCTD for Varian On-Board Imaging (OBI) system and test the calculation accuracy, and (2) to quantitatively evaluate CBCT dose from the OBI system in typical IGRT scan protocols. We first conducted dose measurements in a water phantom. X-ray source model parameters used in gCTD are obtained through a commissioning process. gCTD accuracy is demonstrated by comparing calculations with measurements in water and in CTDI phantoms. Twenty-five brain cancer patients are used to study dose in a standard-dose head protocol, and 25 prostate cancer patients are used to study dose in pelvis protocol and pelvis spotlight protocol. Mean dose to each organ is calculated. Mean dose to 2% voxels that have the highest dose is also computed to quantify the maximum dose. It is found that the mean dose value to an organ varies largely among patients. Moreover, dose distribution is highly non-homogeneous inside an organ. The maximum dose is found to be 1-3 times higher than the mean dose depending on the organ, and is up to eight times higher for the entire body due to the very high dose region in bony structures. High computational efficiency has also been observed in our studies, such that MC dose calculation time is less than 5 min for a typical case.

A bioassay experience and lessons learned on the internal contamination of (131)I during a maintenance period in a Korean nuclear power plant.

PubMed

Kim, Hee Geun; Kong, Tae Young

2012-08-01

During a maintenance period at a Korean nuclear power plant, internal exposure of radiation workers occurred by the inhalation of (131)I that was released into the reactor building from a primary system opening due to defective fuels. The internal activity in radiation workers contaminated by (131)I was immediately measured using a whole body counter (WBC). A whole body counting was performed again a few days later, considering the factors of equilibrium in the body. The intake and the committed effective dose were estimated based on the WBC results. The intake was also calculated by hand, based on both the entrance records to the reactor building, and the counted results of the air concentration for (131)I were compared with the whole body counting results.

Agreement between gamma passing rates using computed tomography in radiotherapy and secondary cancer risk prediction from more advanced dose calculated models

PubMed Central

Balosso, Jacques

2017-01-01

Background During the past decades, in radiotherapy, the dose distributions were calculated using density correction methods with pencil beam as type ‘a’ algorithm. The objectives of this study are to assess and evaluate the impact of dose distribution shift on the predicted secondary cancer risk (SCR), using modern advanced dose calculation algorithms, point kernel, as type ‘b’, which consider change in lateral electrons transport. Methods Clinical examples of pediatric cranio-spinal irradiation patients were evaluated. For each case, two radiotherapy treatment plans with were generated using the same prescribed dose to the target resulting in different number of monitor units (MUs) per field. The dose distributions were calculated, respectively, using both algorithms types. A gamma index (γ) analysis was used to compare dose distribution in the lung. The organ equivalent dose (OED) has been calculated with three different models, the linear, the linear-exponential and the plateau dose response curves. The excess absolute risk ratio (EAR) was also evaluated as (EAR = OED type ‘b’ / OED type ‘a’). Results The γ analysis results indicated an acceptable dose distribution agreement of 95% with 3%/3 mm. Although, the γ-maps displayed dose displacement >1 mm around the healthy lungs. Compared to type ‘a’, the OED values from type ‘b’ dose distributions’ were about 8% to 16% higher, leading to an EAR ratio >1, ranged from 1.08 to 1.13 depending on SCR models. Conclusions The shift of dose calculation in radiotherapy, according to the algorithm, can significantly influence the SCR prediction and the plan optimization, since OEDs are calculated from DVH for a specific treatment. The agreement between dose distribution and SCR prediction depends on dose response models and epidemiological data. In addition, the γ passing rates of 3%/3 mm does not translate the difference, up to 15%, in the predictions of SCR resulting from alternative algorithms. Considering that modern algorithms are more accurate, showing more precisely the dose distributions, but that the prediction of absolute SCR is still very imprecise, only the EAR ratio could be used to rank radiotherapy plans. PMID:28811995

SU-E-T-538: Evaluation of IMRT Dose Calculation Based on Pencil-Beam and AAA Algorithms.

PubMed

Yuan, Y; Duan, J; Popple, R; Brezovich, I

2012-06-01

To evaluate the accuracy of dose calculation for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) based on Pencil Beam (PB) and Analytical Anisotropic Algorithm (AAA) computation algorithms. IMRT plans of twelve patients with different treatment sites, including head/neck, lung and pelvis, were investigated. For each patient, dose calculation with PB and AAA algorithms using dose grid sizes of 0.5 mm, 0.25 mm, and 0.125 mm, were compared with composite-beam ion chamber and film measurements in patient specific QA. Discrepancies between the calculation and the measurement were evaluated by percentage error for ion chamber dose and γ〉l failure rate in gamma analysis (3%/3mm) for film dosimetry. For 9 patients, ion chamber dose calculated with AAA-algorithms is closer to ion chamber measurement than that calculated with PB algorithm with grid size of 2.5 mm, though all calculated ion chamber doses are within 3% of the measurements. For head/neck patients and other patients with large treatment volumes, γ〉l failure rate is significantly reduced (within 5%) with AAA-based treatment planning compared to generally more than 10% with PB-based treatment planning (grid size=2.5 mm). For lung and brain cancer patients with medium and small treatment volumes, γ〉l failure rates are typically within 5% for both AAA and PB-based treatment planning (grid size=2.5 mm). For both PB and AAA-based treatment planning, improvements of dose calculation accuracy with finer dose grids were observed in film dosimetry of 11 patients and in ion chamber measurements for 3 patients. AAA-based treatment planning provides more accurate dose calculation for head/neck patients and other patients with large treatment volumes. Compared with film dosimetry, a γ〉l failure rate within 5% can be achieved for AAA-based treatment planning. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

SU-F-T-119: Development of Heart Prediction Model to Increase Accuracy of Dose Reconstruction for Radiotherapy Patients

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mosher, E; Choi, M; Lee, C

Purpose: To assess individual variation in heart volume and location in order to develop a prediction model of the heart. This heart prediction model will be used to calculate individualized heart doses for radiotherapy patients in epidemiological studies. Methods: Chest CT images for 30 adult male and 30 adult female patients were obtained from NIH Clinical Center. Image-analysis computer programs were used to segment the whole heart and 8 sub-regions and to measure the volume of each sub- region and the dimension of the whole heart. An analytical dosimetry method was used for the 30 adult female patients to estimatemore » mean heart dose during conventional left breast radiotherapy. Results: The average volumes of the whole heart were 803.37 cm{sup 3} (COV 18.8%) and 570.19 cm{sup 3} (COV 18.8%) for adult male and female patients, respectively, which are comparable with the international reference volumes of 807.69 cm{sup 3} for males and 596.15 cm{sup 3} for females. Some patient characteristics were strongly correlated (R{sup 2}>0.5) with heart volume and heart dimensions (e.g., Body Mass Index vs. heart depth in males: R{sup 2}=0.54; weight vs. heart width in the adult females: R{sup 2}=0.63). We found that the mean heart dose 3.805 Gy (assuming prescribed dose of 50 Gy) in the breast radiotherapy simulations of the 30 adult females could be an underestimate (up to 1.6-fold) or overestimate (up to 1.8-fold) of the patient-specific heart dose. Conclusion: The study showed the significant variation in patient heart volumes and dimensions, resulting in substantial dose errors when a single average heart model is used for retrospective dose reconstruction. We are completing a multivariate analysis to develop a prediction model of the heart. This model will increase accuracy in dose reconstruction for radiotherapy patients and allow us to individualize heart dose calculations for patients whose CT images are not available.« less

Organ dose calculations by Monte Carlo modeling of the updated VCH adult male phantom against idealized external proton exposure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Guozhi; Liu, Qian; Zeng, Shaoqun; Luo, Qingming

2008-07-01

The voxel-based visible Chinese human (VCH) adult male phantom has offered a high-quality test bed for realistic Monte Carlo modeling in radiological dosimetry simulations. The phantom has been updated in recent effort by adding newly segmented organs, revising walled and smaller structures as well as recalibrating skeletal marrow distributions. The organ absorbed dose against external proton exposure was calculated at a voxel resolution of 2 × 2 × 2 mm3 using the MCNPX code for incident energies from 20 MeV to 10 GeV and for six idealized irradiation geometries: anterior-posterior (AP), posterior-anterior (PA), left-lateral (LLAT), right-lateral (RLAT), rotational (ROT) and isotropic (ISO), respectively. The effective dose on the VCH phantom was derived in compliance with the evaluation scheme for the reference male proposed in the 2007 recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). Algorithm transitions from the revised radiation and tissue weighting factors are accountable for approximately 90% and 10% of effective dose discrepancies in proton dosimetry, respectively. Results are tabulated in terms of fluence-to-dose conversion coefficients for practical use and are compared with data from other models available in the literature. Anatomical variations between various computational phantoms lead to dose discrepancies ranging from a negligible level to 100% or more at proton energies below 200 MeV, corresponding to the spatial geometric locations of individual organs within the body. Doses show better agreement at higher energies and the deviations are mostly within 20%, to which the organ volume and mass differences should be of primary responsibility. The impact of body size on dose distributions was assessed by dosimetry of a scaled-up VCH phantom that was resized in accordance with the height and total mass of the ICRP reference man. The organ dose decreases with the directionally uniform enlargement of voxels. Potential pathways to improve the VCH phantom have also been briefly addressed. This work pertains to VCH-based systematic multi-particle dose investigations and will contribute to comparative dosimetry studies of ICRP standardized voxel phantoms in the near future.

Clinical implementation of AXB from AAA for breast: Plan quality and subvolume analysis.

PubMed

Guebert, Alexandra; Conroy, Leigh; Weppler, Sarah; Alghamdi, Majed; Conway, Jessica; Harper, Lindsay; Phan, Tien; Olivotto, Ivo A; Smith, Wendy L; Quirk, Sarah

2018-05-01

Two dose calculation algorithms are available in Varian Eclipse software: Anisotropic Analytical Algorithm (AAA) and Acuros External Beam (AXB). Many Varian Eclipse-based centers have access to AXB; however, a thorough understanding of how it will affect plan characteristics and, subsequently, clinical practice is necessary prior to implementation. We characterized the difference in breast plan quality between AXB and AAA for dissemination to clinicians during implementation. Locoregional irradiation plans were created with AAA for 30 breast cancer patients with a prescription dose of 50 Gy to the breast and 45 Gy to the regional node, in 25 fractions. The internal mammary chain (IMC CTV ) nodes were covered by 80% of the breast dose. AXB, both dose-to-water and dose-to-medium reporting, was used to recalculate plans while maintaining constant monitor units. Target coverage and organ-at-risk doses were compared between the two algorithms using dose-volume parameters. An analysis to assess location-specific changes was performed by dividing the breast into nine subvolumes in the superior-inferior and left-right directions. There were minimal differences found between the AXB and AAA calculated plans. The median difference between AXB and AAA for breast CTV V 95% , was <2.5%. For IMC CTV , the median differences V 95% , and V 80% were <5% and 0%, respectively; indicating IMC CTV coverage only decreased when marginally covered. Mean superficial dose increased by a median of 3.2 Gy. In the subvolume analysis, the medial subvolumes were "hotter" when recalculated with AXB and the lateral subvolumes "cooler" with AXB; however, all differences were within 2 Gy. We observed minimal difference in magnitude and spatial distribution of dose when comparing the two algorithms. The largest observable differences occurred in superficial dose regions. Therefore, clinical implementation of AXB from AAA for breast radiotherapy is not expected to result in changes in clinical practice for prescribing or planning breast radiotherapy. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

A new concept of pencil beam dose calculation for 40-200 keV photons using analytical dose kernels.

PubMed

Bartzsch, Stefan; Oelfke, Uwe

2013-11-01

The advent of widespread kV-cone beam computer tomography in image guided radiation therapy and special therapeutic application of keV photons, e.g., in microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) require accurate and fast dose calculations for photon beams with energies between 40 and 200 keV. Multiple photon scattering originating from Compton scattering and the strong dependence of the photoelectric cross section on the atomic number of the interacting tissue render these dose calculations by far more challenging than the ones established for corresponding MeV beams. That is why so far developed analytical models of kV photon dose calculations fail to provide the required accuracy and one has to rely on time consuming Monte Carlo simulation techniques. In this paper, the authors introduce a novel analytical approach for kV photon dose calculations with an accuracy that is almost comparable to the one of Monte Carlo simulations. First, analytical point dose and pencil beam kernels are derived for homogeneous media and compared to Monte Carlo simulations performed with the Geant4 toolkit. The dose contributions are systematically separated into contributions from the relevant orders of multiple photon scattering. Moreover, approximate scaling laws for the extension of the algorithm to inhomogeneous media are derived. The comparison of the analytically derived dose kernels in water showed an excellent agreement with the Monte Carlo method. Calculated values deviate less than 5% from Monte Carlo derived dose values, for doses above 1% of the maximum dose. The analytical structure of the kernels allows adaption to arbitrary materials and photon spectra in the given energy range of 40-200 keV. The presented analytical methods can be employed in a fast treatment planning system for MRT. In convolution based algorithms dose calculation times can be reduced to a few minutes.

Internal exposure to neutron-activated 56Mn dioxide powder in Wistar rats: part 1: dosimetry.

PubMed

Stepanenko, Valeriy; Rakhypbekov, Tolebay; Otani, Keiko; Endo, Satoru; Satoh, Kenichi; Kawano, Noriyuki; Shichijo, Kazuko; Nakashima, Masahiro; Takatsuji, Toshihiro; Sakaguchi, Aya; Kato, Hiroaki; Onda, Yuichi; Fujimoto, Nariaki; Toyoda, Shin; Sato, Hitoshi; Dyussupov, Altay; Chaizhunusova, Nailya; Sayakenov, Nurlan; Uzbekov, Darkhan; Saimova, Aisulu; Shabdarbaeva, Dariya; Skakov, Mazhin; Vurim, Alexandr; Gnyrya, Vyacheslav; Azimkhanov, Almas; Kolbayenkov, Alexander; Zhumadilov, Kasym; Kairikhanova, Yankar; Kaprin, Andrey; Galkin, Vsevolod; Ivanov, Sergey; Kolyzhenkov, Timofey; Petukhov, Aleksey; Yaskova, Elena; Belukha, Irina; Khailov, Artem; Skvortsov, Valeriy; Ivannikov, Alexander; Akhmedova, Umukusum; Bogacheva, Viktoria; Hoshi, Masaharu

2017-03-01

There were two sources of ionizing irradiation after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: (1) initial gamma-neutron irradiation at the moment of detonation and (2) residual radioactivity. Residual radioactivity consisted of two components: radioactive fallout containing fission products, including radioactive fissile materials from nuclear device, and neutron-activated radioisotopes from materials on the ground. The dosimetry systems DS86 and DS02 were mainly devoted to the assessment of initial radiation exposure to neutrons and gamma rays, while only brief considerations were given for the estimation of doses caused by residual radiation exposure. Currently, estimation of internal exposure of atomic bomb survivors due to dispersed radioactivity and neutron-activated radioisotopes from materials on the ground is a matter of some interest, in Japan. The main neutron-activated radionuclides in soil dust were 24 Na, 28 Al, 31 Si, 32 P, 38 Cl, 42 K, 45 Ca, 46 Sc, 56 Mn, 59 Fe, 60 Co, and 134 Cs. The radionuclide 56 Mn (T 1/2 = 2.58 h) is known as one of the dominant beta- and gamma emitters during the first few hours after neutron irradiation of soil and other materials on ground, dispersed in the form of dust after a nuclear explosion in the atmosphere. To investigate the peculiarities of biological effects of internal exposure to 56 Mn in comparison with external gamma irradiation, a dedicated experiment with Wistar rats exposed to neutron-activated 56 Mn dioxide powder was performed recently by Shichijo and coworkers. The dosimetry required for this experiment is described here. Assessment of internal radiation doses was performed on the basis of measured 56 Mn activity in the organs and tissues of the rats and of absorbed fractions of internal exposure to photons and electrons calculated with the MCNP-4C Monte Carlo using a mathematical rat phantom. The first results of this international multicenter study show that the internal irradiation due to incorporated 56 Mn powder is highly inhomogeneous, and that the most irradiated organs of the experimental animals are: large intestine, small intestine, stomach, and lungs. Accumulated absorbed organ doses were 1.65, 1.33, 0.24, 0.10 Gy for large intestine, small intestine, stomach, and lungs, respectively. Other organs were irradiated at lower dose levels. These results will be useful for interpretation of the biological effects of internal exposure of experimental rats to powdered 56 Mn as observed by Shichijo and coworkers.

Ray-tracing in three dimensions for calculation of radiation-dose calculations. Master's thesis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kennedy, D.R.

1986-05-27

This thesis addresses several methods of calculating the radiation-dose distribution for use by technicians or clinicians in radiation-therapy treatment planning. It specifically covers the calculation of the effective pathlength of the radiation beam for use in beam models representing the dose distribution. A two-dimensional method by Bentley and Milan is compared to the method of Strip Trees developed by Duda and Hart and then a three-dimensional algorithm built to perform the calculations in three dimensions. The use of PRISMS conforms easily to the obtained CT Scans and provides a means of only doing two-dimensional ray-tracing while performing three-dimensional dose calculations.more » This method is already being applied and used in actual calculations.« less

SU-E-T-632: Preliminary Study On Treating Nose Skin Using Energy and Intensity Modulated Electron Beams with Monte Carlo Based Dose Calculations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jin, L; Eldib, A; Li, J

Purpose: Uneven nose surfaces and air cavities underneath and the use of bolus present complexity and dose uncertainty when using a single electron energy beam to plan treatments of nose skin with a pencil beam-based planning system. This work demonstrates more accurate dose calculation and more optimal planning using energy and intensity modulated electron radiotherapy (MERT) delivered with a pMLC. Methods: An in-house developed Monte Carlo (MC)-based dose calculation/optimization planning system was employed for treatment planning. Phase space data (6, 9, 12 and 15 MeV) were used as an input source for MC dose calculations for the linac. To reducemore » the scatter-caused penumbra, a short SSD (61 cm) was used. Our previous work demonstrates good agreement in percentage depth dose and off-axis dose between calculations and film measurement for various field sizes. A MERT plan was generated for treating the nose skin using a patient geometry and a dose volume histogram (DVH) was obtained. The work also shows the comparison of 2D dose distributions between a clinically used conventional single electron energy plan and the MERT plan. Results: The MERT plan resulted in improved target dose coverage as compared to the conventional plan, which demonstrated a target dose deficit at the field edge. The conventional plan showed higher dose normal tissue irradiation underneath the nose skin while the MERT plan resulted in improved conformity and thus reduces normal tissue dose. Conclusion: This preliminary work illustrates that MC-based MERT planning is a promising technique in treating nose skin, not only providing more accurate dose calculation, but also offering an improved target dose coverage and conformity. In addition, this technique may eliminate the necessity of bolus, which often produces dose delivery uncertainty due to the air gaps that may exist between the bolus and skin.« less

Calculation of organ doses from breast cancer radiotherapy: a Monte Carlo study

PubMed Central

Berris, T.; Mazonakis, M.; Stratakis, J.; Tzedakis, A.; Fasoulaki, A.

2013-01-01

The current study aimed to: a) utilize Monte Carlo simulation methods for the assessment of radiation doses imparted to all organs at risk to develop secondary radiation induced cancer, for patients undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer; and b) evaluate the effect of breast size on dose to organs outside the irradiation field. A simulated linear accelerator model was generated. The in‐field accuracy of the simulated photon beam properties was verified against percentage depth dose (PDD) and dose profile measurements on an actual water phantom. Off‐axis dose calculations were verified with thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) measurements on a humanoid physical phantom. An anthropomorphic mathematical phantom was used to simulate breast cancer radiotherapy with medial and lateral fields. The effect of breast size on the calculated organ dose was investigated. Local differences between measured and calculated PDDs and dose profiles did not exceed 2% for the points at depths beyond the depth of maximum dose and the plateau region of the profile, respectively. For the penumbral regions of the dose profiles, the distance to agreement (DTA) did not exceed 2 mm. The mean difference between calculated out‐of‐field doses and TLD measurements was 11.4%±5.9%. The calculated doses to peripheral organs ranged from 2.32 cGy up to 161.41 cGy depending on breast size and thus the field dimensions applied, as well as the proximity of the organs to the primary beam. An increase to the therapeutic field area by 50% to account for the large breast led to a mean organ dose elevation by up to 85.2% for lateral exposure. The contralateral breast dose ranged between 1.4% and 1.6% of the prescribed dose to the tumor. Breast size affects dose deposition substantially. PACS numbers: 87.10.rt, 87.56.bd, 87.53.Bn, 87.55.K‐, 87.55.ne, 87.56.jf, 87.56.J‐ PMID:23318389

Sub-second pencil beam dose calculation on GPU for adaptive proton therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Silva, Joakim; Ansorge, Richard; Jena, Rajesh

2015-06-01

Although proton therapy delivered using scanned pencil beams has the potential to produce better dose conformity than conventional radiotherapy, the created dose distributions are more sensitive to anatomical changes and patient motion. Therefore, the introduction of adaptive treatment techniques where the dose can be monitored as it is being delivered is highly desirable. We present a GPU-based dose calculation engine relying on the widely used pencil beam algorithm, developed for on-line dose calculation. The calculation engine was implemented from scratch, with each step of the algorithm parallelized and adapted to run efficiently on the GPU architecture. To ensure fast calculation, it employs several application-specific modifications and simplifications, and a fast scatter-based implementation of the computationally expensive kernel superposition step. The calculation time for a skull base treatment plan using two beam directions was 0.22 s on an Nvidia Tesla K40 GPU, whereas a test case of a cubic target in water from the literature took 0.14 s to calculate. The accuracy of the patient dose distributions was assessed by calculating the γ-index with respect to a gold standard Monte Carlo simulation. The passing rates were 99.2% and 96.7%, respectively, for the 3%/3 mm and 2%/2 mm criteria, matching those produced by a clinical treatment planning system.

SU-F-T-517: Determining the Tissue Equivalence of a Brass Mesh Bolus in a Reconstructed Chest Wall Irradiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shekel, E; Epstein, D; Levin, D

2016-06-15

Purpose: To determine the tissue equivalence of a brass mesh bolus (RPD) in the setting of a reconstructed chest wall irradiation Methods: We measured breast skin dose delivered by a tangential field plan on an anthropomorphic phantom using Mosfet and nanoDot (Landauer) dosimeters in five different locations on the breast. We also measured skin dose using no bolus, 5mm and 10 mm superflab bolus. In the Eclipse treatment planning system (Varian, Palo Alto, CA) we calculated skin dose for different bolus thicknesses, ranging from 0 to 10 mm, in order to evaluate which calculation best matches the brass mesh measurements,more » as the brass mesh cannot be simulated due to artefacts.Finally, we measured depth dose behavior with the brass mesh bolus to verify that the bolus does not affect the dose to the breast itself beyond the build-up region. Results: Mosfet and nanoDot measurements were consistent with each other.As expected, skin dose measurements with no bolus had the least agreement with Eclipse calculation, while measurements for 5 and 10 mm agreed well with the calculation despite the difficulty in conforming superflab bolus to the breast contour. For the brass mesh the best agreement was for 3 mm bolus Eclipse calculation. For Mosfets, the average measurement was 90.8% of the expected dose, and for nanoDots 88.33% compared to 83.34%, 88.64% and 93.94% (2,3 and 5 mm bolus calculation respectively).The brass mesh bolus increased skin dose by approximately 25% but there was no dose increase beyond the build-up region. Conclusion: Brass mesh bolus is most equivalent to a 3 mm bolus, and does not affect the dose beyond the build-up region. The brass mesh cannot be directly calculated in Eclipse, hence a 3mm bolus calculation is a good reflection of the dose response to the brass mesh bolus.« less

TU-D-201-05: Validation of Treatment Planning Dose Calculations: Experience Working with MPPG 5.a

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xue, J; Park, J; Kim, L

2016-06-15

Purpose: Newly published medical physics practice guideline (MPPG 5.a.) has set the minimum requirements for commissioning and QA of treatment planning dose calculations. We present our experience in the validation of a commercial treatment planning system based on MPPG 5.a. Methods: In addition to tests traditionally performed to commission a model-based dose calculation algorithm, extensive tests were carried out at short and extended SSDs, various depths, oblique gantry angles and off-axis conditions to verify the robustness and limitations of a dose calculation algorithm. A comparison between measured and calculated dose was performed based on validation tests and evaluation criteria recommendedmore » by MPPG 5.a. An ion chamber was used for the measurement of dose at points of interest, and diodes were used for photon IMRT/VMAT validations. Dose profiles were measured with a three-dimensional scanning system and calculated in the TPS using a virtual water phantom. Results: Calculated and measured absolute dose profiles were compared at each specified SSD and depth for open fields. The disagreement is easily identifiable with the difference curve. Subtle discrepancy has revealed the limitation of the measurement, e.g., a spike at the high dose region and an asymmetrical penumbra observed on the tests with an oblique MLC beam. The excellent results we had (> 98% pass rate on 3%/3mm gamma index) on the end-to-end tests for both IMRT and VMAT are attributed to the quality beam data and the good understanding of the modeling. The limitation of the model and the uncertainty of measurement were considered when comparing the results. Conclusion: The extensive tests recommended by the MPPG encourage us to understand the accuracy and limitations of a dose algorithm as well as the uncertainty of measurement. Our experience has shown how the suggested tests can be performed effectively to validate dose calculation models.« less

Determination of dose distributions and parameter sensitivity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Napier, B.A.; Farris, W.T.; Simpson, J.C.

1992-12-01

A series of scoping calculations has been undertaken to evaluate the absolute and relative contribution of different radionuclides and exposure pathways to doses that may have been received by individuals living in the vicinity of the Hanford site. This scoping calculation (Calculation 005) examined the contributions of numerous parameters to the uncertainty distribution of doses calculated for environmental exposures and accumulation in foods. This study builds on the work initiated in the first scoping study of iodine in cow's milk and the third scoping study, which added additional pathways. Addressed in this calculation were the contributions to thyroid dose ofmore » infants from (1) air submersion and groundshine external dose, (2) inhalation, (3) ingestion of soil by humans, (4) ingestion of leafy vegetables, (5) ingestion of other vegetables and fruits, (6) ingestion of meat, (7) ingestion of eggs, and (8) ingestion of cows' milk from Feeding Regime 1 as described in Calculation 001.« less

Locomotor activity and tissue levels following acute ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Pyrethroids produce neurotoxicity that depends, in part, on the chemical structure. Common behavioral effects include locomotor activity changes and specific toxic syndromes (types I and II). In general these neurobehavioral effects correlate well with peak internal dose metrics. Products of cyhalothrin, a type II pyrethroid, include mixtures of isomers (e.g., λ-cyhalothrin) as well as enriched active isomers (e.g., γ-cyhalothrin). We measured acute changes in locomotor activity in adult male rats and directly correlated these changes to peak brain and plasma concentrations of λ- and γ-cyhalothrin using a within-subject design. One-hour locomotor activity studies were conducted 1.5 h after oral gavage dosing, and immediately thereafter plasma and brains were collected for analyzing tissue levels using LC/MS/MS methods. Both isomers produced dose-related decreases in activity counts, and the effective dose range for γ-cyhalothrin was lower than for λ-cyhalothrin. Doses calculated to decrease activity by 50% were 2-fold lower for the γ-isomer (1.29 mg/kg) compared to λ-cyhalothrin (2.65 mg/kg). Salivation, typical of type II pyrethroids, was also observed at lower doses of γ-cyhalothrin. Administered dose correlated well with brain and plasma concentrations, which furthermore showed good correlations with activity changes. Brain and plasma levels were tightly correlated across doses. While γ-cyhalothrin was 2-fold more potent based on administ

The effective dose result of 18F-FDG PET-CT paediatric patients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussin, D.; Said, M. A.; Ali, N. S.; Tajuddin, A. A.; Zainon, R.

2017-05-01

Paediatric patient received high exposure from both CT and PET examination. Automatic Exposure Control (AEC) is important in CT dose reduction. This study aimed to compare the effective dose obtained from PET-CT scanner with and without the use of AEC function. In this study, 68 patients underwent PET-CT examination without the use of AEC function, while 25 patients used the AEC function during the examination. Patients involved in this study were between 2 to 15 years old with varies of malignancies and epilepsy diseases. The effective dose obtained from PET and CT examinations was calculated based on recommendation from International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 106 and ICRP publication 102. The outcome of this study shows that the radiation dose was reduced up to 20% with the use of AEC function. The mean average of effective dose result obtained from PET and CT examinations without the use of AEC and AEC function were found to be as 6.67 mSv, 6.77 mSv, 6.03mSv and 4.96 mSv respectively. Where total effective dose result of PET-CT with non-AEC and AEC were found to be 13.44 mSv and 10.99 mSv respectively. Conclusion of this study is, the installation of AEC function in PET-CT machine does play important role in CT dose reduction especially for paediatric patient.

The choice of statistical methods for comparisons of dosimetric data in radiotherapy.

PubMed

Chaikh, Abdulhamid; Giraud, Jean-Yves; Perrin, Emmanuel; Bresciani, Jean-Pierre; Balosso, Jacques

2014-09-18

Novel irradiation techniques are continuously introduced in radiotherapy to optimize the accuracy, the security and the clinical outcome of treatments. These changes could raise the question of discontinuity in dosimetric presentation and the subsequent need for practice adjustments in case of significant modifications. This study proposes a comprehensive approach to compare different techniques and tests whether their respective dose calculation algorithms give rise to statistically significant differences in the treatment doses for the patient. Statistical investigation principles are presented in the framework of a clinical example based on 62 fields of radiotherapy for lung cancer. The delivered doses in monitor units were calculated using three different dose calculation methods: the reference method accounts the dose without tissues density corrections using Pencil Beam Convolution (PBC) algorithm, whereas new methods calculate the dose with tissues density correction for 1D and 3D using Modified Batho (MB) method and Equivalent Tissue air ratio (ETAR) method, respectively. The normality of the data and the homogeneity of variance between groups were tested using Shapiro-Wilks and Levene test, respectively, then non-parametric statistical tests were performed. Specifically, the dose means estimated by the different calculation methods were compared using Friedman's test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. In addition, the correlation between the doses calculated by the three methods was assessed using Spearman's rank and Kendall's rank tests. The Friedman's test showed a significant effect on the calculation method for the delivered dose of lung cancer patients (p <0.001). The density correction methods yielded to lower doses as compared to PBC by on average (-5 ± 4.4 SD) for MB and (-4.7 ± 5 SD) for ETAR. Post-hoc Wilcoxon signed-rank test of paired comparisons indicated that the delivered dose was significantly reduced using density-corrected methods as compared to the reference method. Spearman's and Kendall's rank tests indicated a positive correlation between the doses calculated with the different methods. This paper illustrates and justifies the use of statistical tests and graphical representations for dosimetric comparisons in radiotherapy. The statistical analysis shows the significance of dose differences resulting from two or more techniques in radiotherapy.

Monte Carlo calculated doses to treatment volumes and organs at risk for permanent implant lung brachytherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutherland, J. G. H.; Furutani, K. M.; Thomson, R. M.

2013-10-01

Iodine-125 (125I) and Caesium-131 (131Cs) brachytherapy have been used with sublobar resection to treat stage I non-small cell lung cancer and other radionuclides, 169Yb and 103Pd, are considered for these treatments. This work investigates the dosimetry of permanent implant lung brachytherapy for a range of source energies and various implant sites in the lung. Monte Carlo calculated doses are calculated in a patient CT-derived computational phantom using the EGsnrc user-code BrachyDose. Calculations are performed for 103Pd, 125I, 131Cs seeds and 50 and 100 keV point sources for 17 implant positions. Doses to treatment volumes, ipsilateral lung, aorta, and heart are determined and compared to those determined using the TG-43 approach. Considerable variation with source energy and differences between model-based and TG-43 doses are found for both treatment volumes and organs. Doses to the heart and aorta generally increase with increasing source energy. TG-43 underestimates the dose to the heart and aorta for all implants except those nearest to these organs where the dose is overestimated. Results suggest that model-based dose calculations are crucial for selecting prescription doses, comparing clinical endpoints, and studying radiobiological effects for permanent implant lung brachytherapy.

Validation of a track repeating algorithm for intensity modulated proton therapy: clinical cases study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yepes, Pablo P.; Eley, John G.; Liu, Amy; Mirkovic, Dragan; Randeniya, Sharmalee; Titt, Uwe; Mohan, Radhe

2016-04-01

Monte Carlo (MC) methods are acknowledged as the most accurate technique to calculate dose distributions. However, due its lengthy calculation times, they are difficult to utilize in the clinic or for large retrospective studies. Track-repeating algorithms, based on MC-generated particle track data in water, accelerate dose calculations substantially, while essentially preserving the accuracy of MC. In this study, we present the validation of an efficient dose calculation algorithm for intensity modulated proton therapy, the fast dose calculator (FDC), based on a track-repeating technique. We validated the FDC algorithm for 23 patients, which included 7 brain, 6 head-and-neck, 5 lung, 1 spine, 1 pelvis and 3 prostate cases. For validation, we compared FDC-generated dose distributions with those from a full-fledged Monte Carlo based on GEANT4 (G4). We compared dose-volume-histograms, 3D-gamma-indices and analyzed a series of dosimetric indices. More than 99% of the voxels in the voxelized phantoms describing the patients have a gamma-index smaller than unity for the 2%/2 mm criteria. In addition the difference relative to the prescribed dose between the dosimetric indices calculated with FDC and G4 is less than 1%. FDC reduces the calculation times from 5 ms per proton to around 5 μs.

Radiation assessment to paediatric with F-18-FDG undergo whole-body PET/CT examination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhalisa, H.; Mohamad, A. S.; Rafidah, Z.

2016-01-01

This study was carried out on wholebody radiation dose assessment to paediatrics patient who undergo PET/CT scanner at Institut Kanser Negara. Consist of 68 patients with varies of malignancies and epilepsy disease case covering age between 2 years to 12 years old. This is a retrospective study from 2010-2014. The use of PET/CT scanner as an advanced tool has been proven to give an extra radiation dose to the patient. It is because of the radiation exposure from the combination of both CT and PET scans rather than a single CT or PET scan. Furthermore, a study on radiation dose to paediatric patient undergoing PET/CT is rare in Malaysia. So, the aim of this study is to estimate the wholebody effective dose to paediatric patient in Malaysia. Effective dose from PET scan was calculated based on the activity of F18 FDG and dose coefficient reported in International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 106. Effective dose from CT was determined using k coefficient as reported in ICRP publication 102 and Dose Length Product (DLP) value. The average effective dose from PET and CT were found to be 7.05mSv and 5.77mSv respectively. The mean wholebody effective dose received by a patient with combined PETCT examination was 12.78mSv. These results could be used as reference for dosimetry of a patient undergoing PETCT examination in Malaysia.

Dosimetric evaluation of a Monte Carlo IMRT treatment planning system incorporating the MIMiC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rassiah-Szegedi, P.; Fuss, M.; Sheikh-Bagheri, D.; Szegedi, M.; Stathakis, S.; Lancaster, J.; Papanikolaou, N.; Salter, B.

2007-12-01

The high dose per fraction delivered to lung lesions in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) demands high dose calculation and delivery accuracy. The inhomogeneous density in the thoracic region along with the small fields used typically in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatments poses a challenge in the accuracy of dose calculation. In this study we dosimetrically evaluated a pre-release version of a Monte Carlo planning system (PEREGRINE 1.6b, NOMOS Corp., Cranberry Township, PA), which incorporates the modeling of serial tomotherapy IMRT treatments with the binary multileaf intensity modulating collimator (MIMiC). The aim of this study is to show the validation process of PEREGRINE 1.6b since it was used as a benchmark to investigate the accuracy of doses calculated by a finite size pencil beam (FSPB) algorithm for lung lesions treated on the SBRT dose regime via serial tomotherapy in our previous study. Doses calculated by PEREGRINE were compared against measurements in homogeneous and inhomogeneous materials carried out on a Varian 600C with a 6 MV photon beam. Phantom studies simulating various sized lesions were also carried out to explain some of the large dose discrepancies seen in the dose calculations with small lesions. Doses calculated by PEREGRINE agreed to within 2% in water and up to 3% for measurements in an inhomogeneous phantom containing lung, bone and unit density tissue.

Calculation of Glucose Dose for Intraperitoneal Glucose Tolerance Tests in Lean and Obese Mice.

PubMed

Jørgensen, Mikkel S; Tornqvist, Kristina S; Hvid, Henning

2017-01-01

Glucose tolerance tests are used frequently in nonclinical research with laboratory animals, for example during characterization of obese phenotypes. Despite published standard operating procedures for glucose tolerance tests in rodents, how glucose doses should be calculated when obese and lean animals are compared is not well documented. Typically the glucose dose is calculated as 2 g/kg body weight, regardless of body composition. With this approach, obese mice receive larger glucose doses than do lean animals, potentially leading to overestimation of glucose intolerance in obese animals. In this study, we performed intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests in mice with diet-induced obesity and their lean controls, with glucose doses based on either the total body weight or the lean body mass of the animals. To determine glucose tolerance, we determined the blood glucose AUC during the glucose tolerance test. We found that the blood glucose AUC was increased significantly in obese mice compared with lean mice by 75% on average when glucose was dosed according to the lean body mass and by 87% when the glucose dose was calculated according to total body weight. Therefore, mice with diet-induced obesity were approximately equally glucose intolerant between the 2 dose-calculation protocols. However, we recommend calculating the glucose dose according to the lean body mass of the mice, because doing so eliminates the concern regarding overdosing of obese animals.

Fast dose kernel interpolation using Fourier transform with application to permanent prostate brachytherapy dosimetry.

PubMed

Liu, Derek; Sloboda, Ron S

2014-05-01

Boyer and Mok proposed a fast calculation method employing the Fourier transform (FT), for which calculation time is independent of the number of seeds but seed placement is restricted to calculation grid points. Here an interpolation method is described enabling unrestricted seed placement while preserving the computational efficiency of the original method. The Iodine-125 seed dose kernel was sampled and selected values were modified to optimize interpolation accuracy for clinically relevant doses. For each seed, the kernel was shifted to the nearest grid point via convolution with a unit impulse, implemented in the Fourier domain. The remaining fractional shift was performed using a piecewise third-order Lagrange filter. Implementation of the interpolation method greatly improved FT-based dose calculation accuracy. The dose distribution was accurate to within 2% beyond 3 mm from each seed. Isodose contours were indistinguishable from explicit TG-43 calculation. Dose-volume metric errors were negligible. Computation time for the FT interpolation method was essentially the same as Boyer's method. A FT interpolation method for permanent prostate brachytherapy TG-43 dose calculation was developed which expands upon Boyer's original method and enables unrestricted seed placement. The proposed method substantially improves the clinically relevant dose accuracy with negligible additional computation cost, preserving the efficiency of the original method.

Accuracy of radiotherapy dose calculations based on cone-beam CT: comparison of deformable registration and image correction based methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchant, T. E.; Joshi, K. D.; Moore, C. J.

2018-03-01

Radiotherapy dose calculations based on cone-beam CT (CBCT) images can be inaccurate due to unreliable Hounsfield units (HU) in the CBCT. Deformable image registration of planning CT images to CBCT, and direct correction of CBCT image values are two methods proposed to allow heterogeneity corrected dose calculations based on CBCT. In this paper we compare the accuracy and robustness of these two approaches. CBCT images for 44 patients were used including pelvis, lung and head & neck sites. CBCT HU were corrected using a ‘shading correction’ algorithm and via deformable registration of planning CT to CBCT using either Elastix or Niftyreg. Radiotherapy dose distributions were re-calculated with heterogeneity correction based on the corrected CBCT and several relevant dose metrics for target and OAR volumes were calculated. Accuracy of CBCT based dose metrics was determined using an ‘override ratio’ method where the ratio of the dose metric to that calculated on a bulk-density assigned version of the same image is assumed to be constant for each patient, allowing comparison to the patient’s planning CT as a gold standard. Similar performance is achieved by shading corrected CBCT and both deformable registration algorithms, with mean and standard deviation of dose metric error less than 1% for all sites studied. For lung images, use of deformed CT leads to slightly larger standard deviation of dose metric error than shading corrected CBCT with more dose metric errors greater than 2% observed (7% versus 1%).

Perfusion CT of the Brain and Liver and of Lung Tumors: Use of Monte Carlo Simulation for Patient Dose Estimation for Examinations With a Cone-Beam 320-MDCT Scanner.

PubMed

Cros, Maria; Geleijns, Jacob; Joemai, Raoul M S; Salvadó, Marçal

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to estimate the patient dose from perfusion CT examinations of the brain, lung tumors, and the liver on a cone-beam 320-MDCT scanner using a Monte Carlo simulation and the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). A Monte Carlo simulation based on the Electron Gamma Shower Version 4 package code was used to calculate organ doses and the effective dose in the reference computational phantoms for an adult man and adult woman as published by the ICRP. Three perfusion CT acquisition protocols--brain, lung tumor, and liver perfusion--were evaluated. Additionally, dose assessments were performed for the skin and for the eye lens. Conversion factors were obtained to estimate effective doses and organ doses from the volume CT dose index and dose-length product. The sex-averaged effective doses were approximately 4 mSv for perfusion CT of the brain and were between 23 and 26 mSv for the perfusion CT body protocols. The eye lens dose from the brain perfusion CT examination was approximately 153 mGy. The sex-averaged peak entrance skin dose (ESD) was 255 mGy for the brain perfusion CT studies, 157 mGy for the lung tumor perfusion CT studies, and 172 mGy for the liver perfusion CT studies. The perfusion CT protocols for imaging the brain, lung tumors, and the liver performed on a 320-MDCT scanner yielded patient doses that are safely below the threshold doses for deterministic effects. The eye lens dose, peak ESD, and effective doses can be estimated for other clinical perfusion CT examinations from the conversion factors that were derived in this study.

Alanine/EPR dosimetry applied to the verification of a total body irradiation protocol and treatment planning dose calculation using a humanoid phantom

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schaeken, B.; Lelie, S.; Meijnders, P.

2010-12-15

Purpose: To avoid complications in total body irradiation (TBI), it is important to achieve a homogeneous dose distribution throughout the body and to deliver a correct dose to the lung which is an organ at risk. The purpose of this work was to validate the TBI dose protocol and to check the accuracy of the 3D dose calculations of the treatment planning system. Methods: Dosimetry based on alanine/electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) was used to measure dose at numerous locations within an anthropomorphic phantom (Alderson) that was irradiated in a clinical TBI beam setup. The alanine EPR dosimetry system was calibratedmore » against water calorimetry in a Co-60 beam and the absorbed dose was determined by the use of ''dose-normalized amplitudes'' A{sub D}. The dose rate of the TBI beam was checked against a Farmer ionization chamber. The phantom measurements were compared to 3D dose calculations from a treatment planning system (Pinnacle) modeled for standard dose calculations. Results: Alanine dosimetry allowed accurate measurements which were in accordance with ionization chamber measurements. The combined relative standard measurement uncertainty in the Alderson phantom was U{sub r}(A{sub D})=0.6%. The humanoid phantom was irradiated to a reference dose of 10 Gy, limiting the lung dose to 7.5 Gy. The ratio of the average measured dose midplane in the craniocaudal direction to the reference dose was 1.001 with a spread of {+-}4.7% (1 sd). Dose to the lung was measured in 26 locations and found, in average, 1.8% lower than expected. Lung dose was homogeneous in the ventral-dorsal direction but a dose gradient of 0.10 Gy cm{sup -1} was observed in the craniocaudal direction midline within the lung lobe. 3D dose calculations (Pinnacle) were found, in average, 2% lower compared to dose measurements on the body axis and 3% lower for the lungs. Conclusions: The alanine/EPR dosimetry system allowed accurate dose measurements which enabled the authors to validate their TBI dose protocol. Dose calculations based on a collapsed cone convolution dose algorithm modeled for regular treatments are accurate within 3% and can further be improved when the algorithm is modeled for TBI.« less

Recalculation of dose for each fraction of treatment on TomoTherapy.

PubMed

Thomas, Simon J; Romanchikova, Marina; Harrison, Karl; Parker, Michael A; Bates, Amy M; Scaife, Jessica E; Sutcliffe, Michael P F; Burnet, Neil G

2016-01-01

The VoxTox study, linking delivered dose to toxicity requires recalculation of typically 20-37 fractions per patient, for nearly 2000 patients. This requires a non-interactive interface permitting batch calculation with multiple computers. Data are extracted from the TomoTherapy(®) archive and processed using the computational task-management system GANGA. Doses are calculated for each fraction of radiotherapy using the daily megavoltage (MV) CT images. The calculated dose cube is saved as a digital imaging and communications in medicine RTDOSE object, which can then be read by utilities that calculate dose-volume histograms or dose surface maps. The rectum is delineated on daily MV images using an implementation of the Chan-Vese algorithm. On a cluster of up to 117 central processing units, dose cubes for all fractions of 151 patients took 12 days to calculate. Outlining the rectum on all slices and fractions on 151 patients took 7 h. We also present results of the Hounsfield unit (HU) calibration of TomoTherapy MV images, measured over an 8-year period, showing that the HU calibration has become less variable over time, with no large changes observed after 2011. We have developed a system for automatic dose recalculation of TomoTherapy dose distributions. This does not tie up the clinically needed planning system but can be run on a cluster of independent machines, enabling recalculation of delivered dose without user intervention. The use of a task management system for automation of dose calculation and outlining enables work to be scaled up to the level required for large studies.

Lens of the eye dose calculation for neuro-interventional procedures and CBCT scans of the head

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Zhenyu; Vijayan, Sarath; Rana, Vijay; Jain, Amit; Rudin, Stephen; Bednarek, Daniel R.

2016-03-01

The aim of this work is to develop a method to calculate lens dose for fluoroscopically-guided neuro-interventional procedures and for CBCT scans of the head. EGSnrc Monte Carlo software is used to determine the dose to the lens of the eye for the projection geometry and exposure parameters used in these procedures. This information is provided by a digital CAN bus on the Toshiba Infinix C-Arm system which is saved in a log file by the real-time skin-dose tracking system (DTS) we previously developed. The x-ray beam spectra on this machine were simulated using BEAMnrc. These spectra were compared to those determined by SpekCalc and validated through measured percent-depth-dose (PDD) curves and half-value-layer (HVL) measurements. We simulated CBCT procedures in DOSXYZnrc for a CTDI head phantom and compared the surface dose distribution with that measured with Gafchromic film, and also for an SK150 head phantom and compared the lens dose with that measured with an ionization chamber. Both methods demonstrated good agreement. Organ dose calculated for a simulated neuro-interventional-procedure using DOSXYZnrc with the Zubal CT voxel phantom agreed within 10% with that calculated by PCXMC code for most organs. To calculate the lens dose in a neuro-interventional procedure, we developed a library of normalized lens dose values for different projection angles and kVp's. The total lens dose is then calculated by summing the values over all beam projections and can be included on the DTS report at the end of the procedure.

Poster - Thurs Eve-43: Verification of dose calculation with tissue inhomogeneity using MapCHECK.

PubMed

Korol, R; Chen, J; Mosalaei, H; Karnas, S

2008-07-01

MapCHECK (Sun Nuclear, Melbourne, FL) with 445 diode detectors has been used widely for routine IMRT quality assurance (QA) 1 . However, routine IMRT QA has not included the verification of inhomogeneity effects. The objective of this study is to use MapCHECK and a phantom to verify dose calculation and IMRT delivery with tissue inhomogeneity. A phantom with tissue inhomogeneities was placed on top of MapCHECK to measure the planar dose for an anterior beam with photon energy 6 MV or 18 MV. The phantom was composed of a 3.5 cm thick block of lung equivalent material and solid water arranged side by side with a 0.5 cm slab of solid water on the top of the phantom. The phantom setup including MapCHECK was CT scanned and imported into Pinnacle 8.0d for dose calculation. Absolute dose distributions were compared with gamma criteria 3% for dose difference and 3 mm for distance-to-agreement. The results are in good agreement between the measured and calculated planar dose with 88% pass rate based on the gamma analysis. The major dose difference was at the lung-water interface. Further investigation will be performed on a custom designed inhomogeneity phantom with inserts of varying densities and effective depth to create various dose gradients at the interface for dose calculation and delivery verification. In conclusion, a phantom with tissue inhomogeneities can be used with MapCHECK for verification of dose calculation and delivery with tissue inhomogeneity. © 2008 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Shading correction for cone-beam CT in radiotherapy: validation of dose calculation accuracy using clinical images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchant, T. E.; Joshi, K. D.; Moore, C. J.

2017-03-01

Cone-beam CT (CBCT) images are routinely acquired to verify patient position in radiotherapy (RT), but are typically not calibrated in Hounsfield Units (HU) and feature non-uniformity due to X-ray scatter and detector persistence effects. This prevents direct use of CBCT for re-calculation of RT delivered dose. We previously developed a prior-image based correction method to restore HU values and improve uniformity of CBCT images. Here we validate the accuracy with which corrected CBCT can be used for dosimetric assessment of RT delivery, using CBCT images and RT plans for 45 patients including pelvis, lung and head sites. Dose distributions were calculated based on each patient's original RT plan and using CBCT image values for tissue heterogeneity correction. Clinically relevant dose metrics were calculated (e.g. median and minimum target dose, maximum organ at risk dose). Accuracy of CBCT based dose metrics was determined using an "override ratio" method where the ratio of the dose metric to that calculated on a bulk-density assigned version of the image is assumed to be constant for each patient, allowing comparison to "gold standard" CT. For pelvis and head images the proportion of dose errors >2% was reduced from 40% to 1.3% after applying shading correction. For lung images the proportion of dose errors >3% was reduced from 66% to 2.2%. Application of shading correction to CBCT images greatly improves their utility for dosimetric assessment of RT delivery, allowing high confidence that CBCT dose calculations are accurate within 2-3%.

Radiation Protection

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Application of the Bulgarian emergency response system in case of nuclear accident in environmental assessment study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syrakov, Dimiter; Veleva, Blagorodka; Georgievs, Emilia; Prodanova, Maria; Slavov, Kiril; Kolarova, Maria

2014-05-01

The development of the Bulgarian Emergency Response System (BERS) for short term forecast in case of accidental radioactive releases to the atmosphere has been started in the mid 1990's [1]. BERS comprises of two main parts - operational and accidental, for two regions 'Europe' and 'Northern Hemisphere'. The operational part runs automatically since 2001 using the 72 hours meteorological forecast from DWD Global model, resolution in space of 1.5o and in time - 12 hours. For specified Nuclear power plants (NPPs), 3 days trajectories are calculated and presented on NIMH's specialized Web-site (http://info.meteo.bg/ews/). The accidental part is applied when radioactive releases are reported or in case of emergency exercises. BERS is based on numerical weather forecast information and long-range dispersion model accounting for the transport, dispersion, and radioactive transformations of pollutants. The core of the accidental part of the system is the Eulerian 3D dispersion model EMAP calculating concentration and deposition fields [2]. The system is upgraded with a 'dose calculation module' for estimation of the prognostic dose fields of 31 important radioactive gaseous and aerosol pollutants. The prognostic doses significant for the early stage of a nuclear accident are calculated as follows: the effective doses from external irradiation (air submersion + ground shinning); effective dose from inhalation; summarized effective dose and absorbed thyroid dose [3]. The output is given as 12, 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72 hours prognostic dose fields according the updated meteorology. The BERS was upgraded to simulate the dispersion of nuclear materials from Fukushima NPP [4], and results were presented in NIMH web-site. In addition BERS took part in the respective ENSEMBLE exercises to model 131I and 137Cs in Fukushima source term. In case of governmental request for expertise BERS was applied for environmental impact assessment of hypothetical accidental transboundary radioactive pollution. The consequences were estimated based on the worst emission scenario for the existing basic reactor type, selection of real meteorological forecast conditions, favoring the direct transport of the contaminated air masses to the territory of the country in consideration. In the present work BERS is used to estimate the worst case accidental scenario impact from a possible new unit of Paks Nuclear Power Plant, Hungary over the territory of Bulgaria. 1. D.Syrakov, M.Prodanova, 1998, Atmospheric Environment, 32 (24), 4367-4375. 2. D. Syrakov, M. Prodanova, K. Slavov, Inernationsal J. Environment and Pollution, 20, 1-6 (2003) 286-296. 3. D. Syrakov, B. Veleva, M. Prodanova, T. Popova, M. Kolarova, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 100 (2009) 151-156. 4. D.Syrakov, M Prodanova, J. Intern. Sci. Publ.: Ecology & Safety Vol. 6 Part 1 (2011) 94-102. www.scientific-publications.net.