• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.291-300
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• 2016

Background: It is necessary to assess radiation dose to workers due to inhalation of airborne particulates containing naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) to ensure radiological safety required by the Natural Radiation Safety Management Act. The objective of this study is to develop an internal dose assessment procedure for workers at industries using raw materials containing natural radionuclides. Materials and Methods: The dose assessment procedure was developed based on harmonization, accuracy, and proportionality. The procedure includes determination of dose assessment necessity, preliminary dose estimation, airborne particulate sampling and characterization, and detailed assessment of radiation dose. Results and Discussion: The developed dose assessment procedure is as follows. Radioactivity concentration criteria to determine dose assessment necessity are $10Bq{\cdot}g^{-1}$ for $^{40}K$ and $1Bq{\cdot}g^{-1}$ for the other natural radionuclides. The preliminary dose estimation is performed using annual limit on intake (ALI). The estimated doses are classified into 3 groups ( < 0.1 mSv, 0.1-0.3 mSv, and > 0.3 mSv). Air sampling methods are determined based on the dose estimates. Detailed dose assessment is performed using air sampling and particulate characterization. The final dose results are classified into 4 different levels ( < 0.1 mSv, 0.1-0.3 mSv, 0.3-1 mSv, and > 1 mSv). Proper radiation protection measures are suggested according to the dose level. The developed dose assessment procedure was applied for NORM industries in Korea, including coal combustion, phosphate processing, and monazite handing facilities. Conclusion: The developed procedure provides consistent dose assessment results and contributes to the establishment of optimization of radiological protection in NORM industries.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2016.10a
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• pp.277-278
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• 2016

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.129-134
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• 2002

The radiosurgery is planned that prescribed dose was irradiated to tumor for obtaining expected remedial value in stereotactic radiosurgery. The planning for many irregular tumor shape requires long computation time and skilled planners. Due to the rapid development in computer power recently, many optimization methods using computer has been proposed, although the practical method is still trial and error type of plan. In this study, many beam variables were considered and many tumor shapes were assumed cylinderical ideal models. Then, beam variables that covered the target within 50％ isodose curve were searched, the result was compared and analysed. The beam variables considered were isocenter separation distance, number of isocenters and collimator size. Dose distributions obtained with these variables were analysed by dose volume histogram(DVH) and dose profile at orthogonal plane. According to the results compared, the use of more isocenters than specified isocenter dosen't improve DVH and dose profile but only increases complexity of plan. The best result of DVH and dose profile are obtainedwhen isocenter separation was 1.0-1.2 in using same number of isocenter.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.509-517
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• 2023

This study analyzed imaging conditions and exposure index through clinical information collection and dose calculation programs in coronary angiography examinations. Through this, we aim to analyze the effective dose according to examination conditions and provide basic data for dose optimization. In this study, ALARA(As Low As Reasonably Achievable)-F(Fluoroscopy), a program for evaluating the radiation dose of patients and the collected clinical data, was used. First, analysis of imaging conditions and exposure index was performed based on the data of the dose report generated after coronary angiography. Second, after evaluating organ dose according to 9 imaging directions during coronary angiography, with the LAO fixed at 30°, dose evaluation was performed according to tube voltage, tube current, number of frames, focus-skin distance, and field size. Third, the effective dose for each organ was calculated according to the tissue weighting factors presented in ICRP(International Commission on Radiological Protection) recommendations. As a result, the average sum of air kerma during coronary angiography was evaluated as 234.0±112.1 mGy, the dose-area product was 25.9±13.0 Gy·cm², and the total fluoroscopy time was 2.5±2.0 min. Also, the organ dose tended to increase as the tube voltage, milliampere-second, number of frames, and irradiation range increased, whereas the organ dose decreased as the FSD increased. Therefore, medical radiation exposure to patients can be reduced by selecting the optimal tube voltage and field size during coronary angiography, maximizing the focal-skin distance, using the lowest tube current possible, and reducing the number of frames.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.53 no.8
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• pp.558-568
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• 2015

Objective: The objectives of this study were to measure pediatric organ and effective doses of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for orthodontic analysis and to compare them to those of panoramic and lateral cephalometric radiography, the conventional radiography for orthodontic analysis. Materials and Methods: Alphard VEGA for CBCT, Planmeca Proline XC for panoramic radiography and Orthophos CD for cephalometric radiography were used for this study. Thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) chips were located at 24 anatomic sites of 10-year-old anthropomorphic phantom and exposed during CBCT (C-mode; $200{\times}179mm$ FOV), panoramic and lateral cephalometric radiographic procedures at the clinical exposure settings for 10-year-old patient. Pediatric organ and effective doses were measured and calculated using ICRP 2007 tissue weighting factors. Results: Effective doses of CBCT, panoramic radiography and lateral cephlometric radiography in pediatric clinical exposure settings were $292.5{\mu}Sv$, $19.3{\mu}Sv$, and $4.4{\mu}Sv$ respectively. The thyroid gland contributed most significantly to the effective dose in all the radiographic procedures. Conclusion: Effective dose of CBCT was about 12 times to conventional radiographic procedures for orthodontic analysis in pediatric patient. The use of CBCT for orthodontic analysis should be fully justified over conventional radiography and dose optimization to decrease thyroid dose is needed in pediatric patients.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.79-82
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• 2005

In this study, we have tested the feasibility of the convex non-linear objective model and the line search optimization method for the fluence map optimization (FMO). We've created the convex nonlinear objective function with simple bound constraints and attained the optimal solution using well-known gradient algorithms with an Armijo line search that requires sufficient objective function decrease. The algorithms were applied to 10 head-and-neck cases. The numbers of beamlets were between 900 and 2,100 with a 3 mm isotropic dose grid. Nonlinear optimization methods could efficiently solve the IMRT FMO problem in well under a minute with high quality for clinical cases.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.127-133
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• 2011

In 2007, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) published Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Accordingly IAEA safety standards committees have reviewed and revised the BSS. The process of the implementation of the ICRP 103 into Korean radiation protection regulations has been continued. Although the new recommendations retain the fundamental protection principles, the impact of the new ICRP recommendations will necessarily be greater than ever before. ICRP recommends the application of dose constraint in planned situations and reference level in existing & emergency situations for strengthening of the principle of optimization. Dose constraints and reference level play a criterion on the level of individual dose as prospective and source-related values. Therefore it is necessary to apply dose constraints and reference levels to all nuclear and RI&RG facilities in Rep. of Korea. Dose constraints and reference level of occupational exposure will be set-up by the stakeholder itself with the cooperation of regulatory body. In this study, the implementation method was discussed to apply the dose constraints and reference level as the procedure for the optimization, not the tool of the regulation.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.15-25
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• 2012

The aim of this study is to evaluate plan quality and dose accuracy for Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) on the TG-119 and is to investigate the effects on variation of the selectable optimization parameters of VMAT. VMAT treatment planning was implemented on a Varian iX linear accelerator with ARIA record and verify system (Varian Mecical System Palo Alto, CA) and Oncentra MasterPlan treatment planning system (Nucletron BV, Veenendaal, Netherlands). Plan quality and dosimetric accuracy were evaluated by effect of varying a number of arc, gantry spacing and delivery time for the test geometries provided in TG-119. Plan quality for the target and OAR was evaluated by the mean value and the standard deviation of the Dose Volume Histograms (DVHs). The ionization chamber and $Delta^{4PT}$ bi-planar diode array were used for the dose evaluation. For treatment planning evaluation, all structure sets closed to the goals in the case of single arc, except for the C-shape (hard), and all structure sets achieved the goals in the case of dual arc, except for C-shape (hard). For the variation of a number of arc, the simple structure such as a prostate did not have the difference between single arc and dual arc, whereas the complex structure such as a head and neck showed a superior result in the case of dual arc. The dose distribution with gantry spacing of $4^{\circ}$ was shown better plan quality than the gantry spacing of $6^{\circ}$, but was similar results compared with gantry spacing of $2^{\circ}$. For the verification of dose accuracy with single arc and dual arc, the mean value of a relative error between measured and calculated value were within 3% and 4% for point dose and confidence limit values, respectively. For the verification on dose accuracy with the gantry intervals of $2^{\circ}$, $4^{\circ}$ and $6^{\circ}$, the mean values of relative error were within 3% and 5% for point dose and confidence limit values, respectively. In the verification of dose distribution with $Delta^{4PT}$ bi-planar diode array, gamma passing rate was $98.72{\pm}1.52%$ and $98.3{\pm}1.5%$ for single arc and dual arc, respectively. The confidence limit values were within 4%. The smaller the gantry spacing, the more accuracy results were shown. In this study, we performed the VMAT QA based on TG-119 procedure, and demonstrated that all structure sets were satisfied with acceptance criteria. And also, the results for the selective optimization variables informed the importance of selection for the suitable variables according to the clinical cases.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.380-387
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• 2015

A lead slowing-down spectrometer (LSDS) system is a promising nondestructive assay technique that enables a quantitative measurement of the isotopic contents of major fissile isotopes in spent nuclear fuel and its pyroprocessing counterparts, such as $^{235}U$, $^{239}Pu$, $^{241}Pu$, and, potentially, minor actinides. The LSDS system currently under development at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (Daejeon, Korea) is planned to utilize a high-flux ($>10^{12}n/cm^2{\cdot}s$) neutron source comprised of a high-energy (30 MeV)/high-current (~2 A) electron beam and a heavy metal target, which results in a very intense and complex radiation field for the facility, thus demanding structural shielding to guarantee the safety. Optimization of the structural shielding design was conducted using MCNPX for neutron dose rate evaluation of several representative hypothetical designs. In order to satisfy the construction cost and neutron attenuation capability of the facility, while simultaneously achieving the aimed dose rate limit (< $0.06{\mu}Sv/h$), a few shielding materials [high-density polyethylene (HDPE)eBorax, $B_4C$, and $Li_2CO_3$] were considered for the main neutron absorber layer, which is encapsulated within the double-sided concrete wall. The MCNP simulation indicated that HDPE-Borax is the most efficient among the aforementioned candidate materials, and the combined thickness of the shielding layers should exceed 100 cm to satisfy the dose limit on the outside surface of the shielding wall of the facility when limiting the thickness of the HDPE-Borax intermediate layer to below 5 cm. However, the shielding wall must include the instrumentation and installation holes for the LSDS system. The radiation leakage through the holes was substantially mitigated by adopting a zigzag-shape with concrete covers on both sides. The suggested optimized design of the shielding structure satisfies the dose rate limit and can be used for the construction of a facility in the near future.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.351-359
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• 1991

The current LINAC technique for radiosurgery utilizes a single isocenter approach with multiple noncoplanar arcs. This approach results in spherical dose distributions in the target. Many arteriovenous malformations and tumors suitable for radiosurgical treatment have non-spherical or irregular shapes. The basic approach presented in this paper is to use two or multiple isocenters with standard arcs to shape irregular target volumes through the use of multiple spherical targets. Selection of reasonable irradiation parameters in the first stage is critical to the success of real-time optimization. A useful guideline for optimum isocenter separation and collimator size is developed to shape the target margin uniformly with an desired isodose surface for an elongated target. The implementation of multiple isocenters with three dimensional dose model and application of multiple isocenters approach to several cases are discussed.