• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.77-83
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• 2004

The commissioning of a model-based treatment planning system requires many parameters to fit the measured depth doses and transverse profiles. For the commissioning of the Pinnacle$^3$ system, through the Monte Carlo (MC) simulation, the necessary parameters, including the photon spectrum, contaminant electrons, off-axis softening and fluency of photons, were observed. Through the simulation the parameters contained valuable information, but the calculated results of the Pinnacle$^3$ using the MC-derived parameters showed discrepancies with those measured for the off-axis softening and the fluency of photons. Even though the MC calculation produces reasonable values for the commissioning, the thorough physical basis of the Pinnacle$^3$'s commissioning process is needed in order to directly use the MC derived parameters.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.247-252
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• 2014

The medical institution has been used electromagnetic radiation of various energy. But researchers are divided on whether using apron for radiation shielding will be effective or not. The purpose of present study was to analyze electromagnetic radiation shielding effect of apron by using Monte carlo simulation. 1 MBq electromagnetic radiation was emitted from 10-500 keV at 10 keV increments in Monte carlo simulation. Then shielded radiation dose difference was confirmed, when 0.25 mmPb shield use for shielding. As a results, shielding ratio was markedly decreased in high energy electromagnetic radiation. The radiation dose was inversely increased with 0.25 mmPb shielding.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.162-168
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• 2012

In proton therapy, in vivo dose verification is one of the most important parts to fully utilize characteristics of proton dose distribution concentrating high dose with steep gradient and guarantee the patient safety. Currently, in order to image the proton dose distribution, a prompt gamma distribution detection system, which consists of an array of multiple CsI(Tl) scintillation detectors in the vertical direction, a collimator, and a multi-channel DAQ system is under development. In the present study, the optimal design of prompt gamma distribution detection system was studied by Monte Carlo simulations using the MCNPX code. For effective measurement of high-energy prompt gammas with enough imaging resolution, the dimensions of the CsI(Tl) scintillator was determined to be $6{\times}6{\times}50mm^3$. In order to maximize the detection efficiency for prompt gammas while minimizing the contribution of background gammas generated by neutron captures, the hole size and the length of the collimator were optimized as $6{\times}6mm^2$ and 150 mm, respectively. Finally, the performance of the detection system optimized in the present study was predicted by Monte Carlo simulations for a 150 MeV proton beam. Our result shows that the detection system in the optimal dimensions can effectively measure the 2D prompt gamma distribution and determine the beam range within 1 mm errors for 150 MeV proton beam.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.51-61
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• 2009

A Compton camera, which is based on the geometrical interpretation of Compton scattering, is a very promising gamma-ray imaging device considering its several advantages over the conventional gamma-ray imaging devices: high imaging sensitivity, 3-D imaging capability from a fixed position, multi-tracing functionality, and almost no limitation in photon energy. In the present study, a Monte Carlo-based, user-friendly Compton imaging simulator was developed in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI) based on Geant4 and $MATLAB^{TM}$. The simulator was tested against the experimental result of the double-scattering Compton camera, which is under development at Hanyang University in Korea. The imaging resolution of the simulated Compton image well agreed with that of the measured image. The imaging sensitivity of the measured data was 2~3 times higher than that of the simulated data, which is due to the fact that the measured data contains the random coincidence events. The performance of a stacking-structure type Compton camera was evaluated by using the simulator. The result shows that the Compton camera shows its highest performance when it uses 4 layers of scatterer detectors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.161-169
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• 2017

The cone beam computed tomography(CBCT) which can acquire 3-dimensions images is widely used for confirmation of patient position before radiation therapy. In this study, through the simulation using the Monte Carlo technique, we will analyze the exposure dose by cone beam computed tomography and present the standardized data. For the experiment, MCNPX(ver. 2.5.0) was used and the photon beam spectrum was analyzed after Cone beam was simulated. As a result of analyzing the photon beam spectrum, the average energy ranged from 25.7 to 37.6 keV at the tube voltage of 80 ~ 120 kVp and the characteristic X-ray energy was 9, 60, 68 and 70 keV. As a result of using the water phantom, the percentage depth dose was measured, and the maximum dose appeared on the surface and decreased with depth. The absorbed dose also decreased as the depth increased. The absorbed dose of the whole phantom was 9.7 ~ 18.7 mGy. This is a dose which accounts for 0.2% of about 10 Gy, which is generally used for radiation therapy per week, which is not expected to have a significant effect on the treatment effect. However, it should not be overlooked even if it is small compared with prescription dose.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.159-167
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• 2014

In Korea, July 2012, the law as called 'Act on Safety Control of Radioactive Rays Around Living Environment' was implemented to control the consumer product containing Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM), but, there are no appropriate database and effective dose calculation system. The aim of this study was to develop evaluation technique of the exposure dose with the use of the consumer products containing NORM and to understand the characteristics of the exposed dose according to the radiation type and energy. For the evaluate of exposure dose, the ICRP reference phantom was simulated by the MCNPX code based on Monte Carlo method, and the minimum, medium, maximum energy of alphas, betas, gammas from the representative NORM of Uranium decay series were used as the source term in the simulation. The annual effective doses were calculated by the exposure scenario of the consumer product usage time and position. Short range of the alpha and beta rays are mostly delivered the dose to the skin. On the other hand, the gamma rays mostly delivered the similar dose to all of the organs. The results of the annual effective dose with $1Bq{\cdot}g^{-1}$ radioactive stone-bed and 10% radioactive concentration were employed with the usage time of 7 hours 50 minute per day, the maximum annual effective dose of alphas, betas, gammas were calculated 0.0222, 0.0836, $0.0101mSv{\cdot}y^{-1}$, respectively.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2004

MIRD-type Korean adult male phantom, 'KMIRD' was constructed to calculate Korean-specific dosimetric quantities for radiation protection consideration. The external shape of KMIRD was based on national physical standard data of Korean. KMIRD has thicket trunk than MIRD5 and arm models divided from trunk. The height and weight of the KMIRD are 171 cm and 63.8 kg. ICRP23 data were referred to constitute organs and tissues of KMIRD. However nine organs were constructed based on Korean reference data provided by Radiation Health Research Institute. In the present study, the MCNPX2.3 Monte Carlo transport code was combined with KMIRD to calculate dose conversion coefficients for photon in the energy range from 0.05 to 10 MeV. The simulated irradiation geometries are broad parallel photon beams in AP, PA, LLAT and RLAT direction. Absorbed dose conversion coefficients were compared with data calculated with MIRD5, MIRD-type phantom based on ICRP23 reference man. In some organs, the discrepancies between two phantoms amount up to nearly 30%. The effective doses conversion coefficients of KMIRD are lower than those of MIRD5. The dose discrepancies between two MIRD-type phantoms ate because of physical differences between Korean and Western, also geometric differences between two phantoms. KMIRD should be revised using the full set of Korean reference data of all organs. The developed MIRD-type Korean adult male phantom can be applied to dose assessment of internal exposure.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.199-208
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• 2012

The computational human phantom including major radiation sensitive organs at risk (OARs) can be used in the field of radiotherapy, such as the variation of secondary cancer risks caused by the radiation therapy and the effective dose evaluation in diagnostic radiology. The present study developed a Korean adult female voxel phantom, VKH-Woman, based on serially sectioned color slice images of Korean female cadaver. The height and weight of the developed female voxel phantom are 160 cm and 52.72 kg, respectively that are virtually close to those of reference Korean female (161 cm and 54 kg). The female phantom consists of a total of 39 organs, including 27 organs recommended in the ICRP 103 publication for the effective dose calculations. The female phantom composes of $261{\times}109{\times}825$ voxels (=23,470,425 voxels) and the voxel resolution is $1.976{\times}1.976{\times}2.0619mm^3$ in the x, y, and z directions. The VHK-Woman is provided as both ASCII and Binary data formats to be conveniently implemented in Monte Carlo codes.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.159-165
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• 2005

The characterization of radiological contamination inside pipes generated during the decommission of a nuclear facility is necessary before pipes can be recycled or disposed. But, existing direct measurements of radioactive contamination level using the survey-meter can not estimate the characteristic of contamination on a local area such as the pipe inside. Moreover, the measurement of surface contamination level using the indirect methods has many problems of an application because of the difficulty of collecting sample and contamination possibility of a worker when collecting sample. In this work, plastic scintillator was simulated by using Monte Carlo simulation method for detection of beta radiation emitted from internal surfaces of small diameter pipe. Simulation results predicted the optimum thickness and geometry of plastic scintillator at which energy absorption for beta radiation was maximized. In addition, the problem of scintillator processing and transferring the detector into the pipe inside was considered when fabricating the plastic detector on the basis of simulation results. The characteristic of detector fabricated was also estimated. As a result, it was confirmed that detector capability was suitable for the measurement of contamination level. Also, the development of a detector for estimating the radiological characteristic of contamination on a local area such as the pipe inside was proven to be feasible.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.124-131
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• 2015

Radiation exposure to humans can be caused by the gamma rays emitted from natural radioactive elements(such as uranium, thorium and potassium and any of their decay products) of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials(NORM) or Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials(TENORM) added consumer products. In this study, assume that activity of radioactive elements is $^{238}U$, $^{235}U$, $^{232}Th$ $1Bq{\cdot}g^{-1}$, $^{40}K$ $10Bq{\cdot}g^{-1}$ and the gamma rays emitted from these natural radioactive elements radioactive equilibrium state. In this study, reflected End-User circumstances and evaluated annual exposure dose for products based on ICRP reference voxel phantoms and ICRP Recommendation 103 using the Monte Carlo Method. The consumer products classified according to the adhere to the skin(bracelet, necklace, belt-wrist, belt-ankle, belt-knee, moxa stone) or not(gypsum board, anion wallpaper, anion paint), and Geometric Modeling was reflected in Republic of Korea "Residential Living Trend-distributions and Design Guidelines For Common Types of Household.", was designed the Room model($3m{\times}4m{\times}2.8m$, a closed room, conservatively) and the ICRP reference phantom's 3D segmentation and modeling. The end-user's usage time assume that "Development and Application of Korean Exposure Factors." or conservatively 24 hours; in case of unknown. In this study, the results of the effective dose were 0.00003 ~ 0.47636 mSv per year and were confirmed the meaning of necessary for geometric modeling to ICRP reference phantoms through the equivalent dose rate of belt products.