• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.207-215
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• 1998

There have been many radiation measurement methods so far among which film dosimetry, TLD, and ion chamber are the most frequently used methods. But this study describes a new radiation measurement method which uses polymer gel and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). The objective of this study is to fabricate a polymer gel sensitive to radiation and to generate a dose to MRI contrast relationship, and to apply this results to the radiation measurement for the brachytherapy. To do this, 12 cm diameter cylindrical gel phantom was made, and the phantom was irradiated using the 30 mm diameter circular collimator which was used for radiosurgery. And this irradiated phantom was scanned with MRI. To find out the relationship between the radiation dose and the transversal relaxation time, an image processing software(IDL) was used. From this study it is found out that the radiation dose showed linear relationship to the transversal relaxation time of the gel up to 17 Gy($R^2$=0.993) and they had a different relationship above 17 Gy. The dose distributions were calculated using these results for the Ir-192 sources, one for the HDR afterloading system and the other for a 2 mCi seed source. And these calculated dose distributions were compared to the ones from the treatment planning computers. From this study the dose to the irradiated gel's transversal relaxation time relationship was examined, and this result was tried for the measurement of the brachytherapy.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.83-88
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• 1999

Purpose: TLD experiments were set up to measure the dose distribution and to analyze the influence on dose measurement of thin metal plate and solid water phantom. The aim of the present study was to investigate the build-up effect of metal plate loaded on TLD chip and depth dose in the controlled environment of phantom measurements. Materials and Methods: Measurements were done by using LiF TLD-100 loaded by a thin metal plate with the same surface area (3.2$\times$3.2 $\textrm{mm}^2$) as TLD chip. TLD chips loaded with one metal plate from three different metal plate (Tin, Copper, Gold) of different thicknesses (0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.3 mm) were used respectively to measure radiation dose. Using the TLD loaded with one metal plate, surface dose and the depth dose at the build-up maximum region were investigated. Results: Using a metal plate on TLD chip increased the surface dose. Surface dose curve shows the dose build-up against equivalent thickness of metal to water. The values of TL reading obtained by using metal plate at depth of build-up maximum are about 8% to 13% lower than those obtained by normal TLD chip. Conclusion: The metal technique used for TLD dosimetry could provide clinicals information about the build-up of dose up to 4.2mm depth in addition to a depth dose distribution. The results of TLD with a metal plate measurements may help with decisions to boost or bolus certain areas of the skin.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1999

In this study, the dose distributions of a $^{32}$ p uniform cylindrical volume source and a surface source, a pure $\beta$emitter, were calculated in order to obtain information relevant to the utilization of a balloon catheter and a radioactive stent. The dose distributions of $^{32}$ p were calculated by means of the EGS4 code system. The sources are considered to be distributed uniformly in the volume and on the surface in the form of a cylinder with a radius of 1.5 mm and length of 20 mm. The energy of $\beta$particles emitted is chosen at random in the $\beta$ energy spectrum evaluated by the solution of the Dirac equation for the Coulomb potential. Liquid water is used to simulate the particle transport in the human body. The dose rates in a target at a 0.5mm radial distance from the surface of cylindrical volume and surface source are 12.133 cGy/s per GBq (0.449 cGy/s per mCi, uncertainty: 1.51%) and 24.732 cGy/s per GBq (0.915 cGy/s per mCi, uncertainty: 1.01%), respectively. The dose rates in the two sources decrease with distance in both radial and axial direction. On the basis of the above results, the determined initial activities were 29.69 mCi and 1.2278 $\mu$Ci for the balloon catheter and the radioactive stent using $^{32}$ P isotope, respectively. The total absorbed dose for optimal therapeutic regimen is considered to be 20 Gy and the treatment time in the case of the balloon catheter is less than 3 min. Absorbed doses in targets placed in a radial direction for the two sources were also calculated when it expressed initial activity in a 1 mCi/ml volume activity density for the cylindrical volume source and a 0.1 mCi/cm$^2$ area activity density for the surface source. The absorbed dose distribution around the $^{32}$ P cylindrical source with different size can be easily calculated using our results when the volume activity density and area activity density for the source are known.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.98-103
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the absorbed dose to the coronary artery segment from various sized balloon angio catheters. The liquid form of Ho-166 was produced at the KAERI by (n, ${\gamma}$ ) reaction. We used GafChromic film for the estimation of the absorbed dose by beta particles. The exposed films were read using a videodensitometer. Several film exposures were made with varying irradiation times and activities. A modified micrometer was used for the measurement of the absorbed dose distribution near the balloon surface. Four balloons of coronary catheters evaluated were 30 m long and 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 mm in diameter. All doses are plotted in units of Gy/min/GBq/ml as a function of radial distance in mm from the surface of balloon. The absorbed dose rate was 0.86, 1.01, 1.11 and 1.24 Gy/min/GBq/ml at a balloon surface for various balloon diameter 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 mm respectively. Using a vacuum pump, the air in the balloon was evacuated prior to instillation of the Ho-166 source. By removing air bubbles in the balloon, the absorbed dose distribution was more uniform.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.155-162
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• 1998

Ho-l66 was produced by neutron reaction in a reactor at the Korea Atomic Energy Institute (Taejon, Korea). Ho-l66 emits a high energy beta particles with a maximum energy of 1.85 MeV and small proportion of gamma rays (80 keV). Therefore, the radiation absorbed dose estimation could be based on the in-vivo quantification of the activity in tumors from the gamma camera images. Approximately 1 mCi of Ho-l66 in solution was mixed into the flood phantom and planar scintigraphic images were acquired with and without patient interposed between the phantom and scintillation camera. Transmission factor over an area of interest was calculated from the ratio of counts in selected regions of the two images described above. A dual-head gamma camera(Multispect2, Siemens, Hoffman Estates, IL, USA) equipped with medium energy collimators was utilized for imaging(80 keV${\pm}$10%). Fifty-nine year old female patient with hepatoma was enrolled into the therapeutic protocol after the informed consent obtained. Thirty millicuries(110MBq) of Ho-166-CHICO was injected into the right hepatic arterial branch supplying hepatoma. When the injection was completed, anterior and posterior scintigraphic views of the chest and pelvic regions were obtained for 3 successive days. Regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn over the organs in both the anterior and posterior views. The activity in those ROIs was estimated from geometric mean, calibration factor and transmission factors. Absorbed dose was calculated using the Marinelli formula and Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) schema. Tumor dose of the patient treated with 1110 MBq(30 mCi) Ho-l66 was calculated to be 179.7 Gy. Dose distribution to normal liver, spleen, lung and bone was 9.1, 10.3, 3.9, 5.0 % of the tumor dose respectively. In conclusion, tumor dose and absorbed dose to surrounding structures were calculated by daily external imaging after the Ho-l66 therapy for hepatoma. In order to limit the thresholding dose to each surrounding organ, absorbed dose calculation provides useful information.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.185-192
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• 1998

It is necessarily to evaluate the energy of X-ray emitted from linear accelerator in order to determine the accurate absorbed dose. The method of direct measurement for x-ray energy is very difficult and impractical. Therefore the method of using beam quality index is generally used. Several dosimetry protocols recommend the use of quality indices such as depth of dose maximum at radiation central axis, dose gradient, and dose level. The linear accelerator manufactures follow the recommendation as dosimetry protocols. The study was performed for us to select the most suitable parameter among the Quality indices as described above. For photon beams of 4, 6, 10, 15, and 21 MV nominal energies produced by four kinds of accelerators(Mitsubishi, Scanditronix, Siemens, Varian) in eleven institutions, We evaluated the x-ray energies obtained by the Quality indices as recommended by several dosimetry protocols and manufactures. Results showed that there were energy spreads according to the same accelerators and Quality indices even though nominal energies were same. It appeared that the percent depth dose at 10 cm (D$_{10}$(%)) gave the smallest deviation and spread of energies. As energies increased, the energy deviation increased for all the quality indices. It is desirable for the use of unified quality index to compare the evaluation of beam quality at different institutions.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.17-22
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• 1999

INJ-I, INJ-E, PFN, BMI, and PRF were selected among the various factors which constitute a digital linear accelerator to find effects on the dose distribution by changing current and voltage within the permitted scale which Mevatron automatically maintained. We measured the absorbed dose using an ion chamber, analyzed the waveform of beam output using an oscilloscope, and measured symmetry and flatness using a dosimetry system. An RFA plus (Scanditronix, Sweden) device was used as a dosimetry system. Then an 0.6cc ion chamber (PR06C, USA), an electrometer (Capintec192, USA), and an oscilloscope (Tektronix, USA) were employed to measure the changes on the dose distribution characteristics by changing the beam-tuning parameters. When the currents and the voltages of INJ-I, INJ-E, PFN, BMI, and PRF were modified, we were able to see the notable change on the dose rate by examining the change of the output pulse using the oscilloscope and by measuring them using the ion chamber. However, the results of energy and flatness graph from RF A plus were almost identical. The factors had fine differences: INJ-I, INJ-E, PFN, BMI, and PRF had 0.01∼0.02% differences in D10/D20, 0.1∼0.2 % differences in symmetry, and 0.1∼0.4% differences in flatness. Since Mevatron controlled itself automatically to keep the reference value of the factor, it was not able to see large differences in the dose distribution. There were fine differences on the dose rate distribution when the voltage and the currents of the digitized factors were modified Nonetheless, a basic operational management information was achieved.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.158-164
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• 2002

Some of synthetic chemicals can net as an endocrine disrupting substance in higher animals. Dioxins, DDT, PCBs and bisphenol A (BPA) are classified into endocrine disruptors and aye under a strict control in many countries. This research was designed to compare the clastogenic effects of BPA to those of ionizng radiation to establish the relaltive effectiveness of BPA by means of Tradescantia micronucleus assay. For the uptake of the BPA through the stems, groups of fresh cuttings of Tradescantia BNL 4430 weve placed in BPA solutions of 0 to 4 $\mu$M for 6 hours under continuous aeration. The other groups of the cuttings were irradiated with 0 to 0.5 Gy of gamma- rays. The frequencies of micronucleus showed a positive dose- response relationship in the range of 0 to 0.5 Gy, and a clear concentration-response relationship in the experimental range of BPA concentrations. By comparing the two experimental results, it is possible to estimate the BPA concentration and its equivalent radiation dose for a fixed value of MCN frequency. BPA of $ll.8\mu{M}$ can give rise to 53.3 MCN/100 tetrads, which is the same frequency induced by 25 cGy of gamma- rays. It is of biological importance that clinical symptoms start to develop after a whole body exposure to radiation higher than 25 cGy. The results indicate that the pollen mother cells are an excellent biological end- point for toxicity test of suspected endocrine disrupting chemicals such as bisphenol A, cotylphenol and nonylphenol.