• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.4644-4651
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• 2022

Due to its short half-life, thoron gas has been assumed to have negligible health hazards on humans compared to radon. But, one of the decay products with a long half-life can make it to be transported to a long distance and to cause a severe internal dose through respiration. Since most commercial radon detectors can not discriminate thoron signals from radon signals, it is very common to overestimate radon doses which in turn result in biased estimation of lung cancer risk in epidemiological studies. Though some methods had been suggested to measure thoron and radon separately, they could not be used for real-time measurement because of CR-39 or LR-115. In this study, an effective method was suggested to measure radon and thoron separately from the free air. It was observed that the activity of thoron decreases exponentially due to delay time caused by a long pipe between two chambers. Therefore from two ion chambers apart in time, it was demonstrated that thoron and radon could be measured separately and simultaneously. We also developed a collimated alpha source and with this source and an SBD, we could convert the ion chamber reading to count rate in cps.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2018

Current dosimetry protocols recommend the use of parallel-plate chambers in electron dosimetry because the electron fluence perturbation can be effectively minimized. However, substitutable methods to calibrate and measure the electron output and energy with the widely used cylindrical chamber should be developed in case a parallel-plate chamber is unavailable. In this study, we measured the correction factors and absolute dose-to-water of electrons with energies of 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, and 20 MeV using Farmer-type and Roos chambers by varying the dose rates according to the AAPM TG-51 protocol. The ion recombination factor and absolute dose were found to be varied across the chamber types, energy, and dose rate, and these phenomena were remarkable at a low energy (4 MeV), which was in good agreement with literature. While the ion recombination factor showed a difference across chamber types of less than 0.4%, the absolute dose differences between them were largest at 4 MeV at approximately 1.5%. We therefore found that the absolute dose with respect to the dose rate was strongly influenced by ion-collection efficiency. Although more rigorous validation with other types of chambers and protocols should be performed, the outcome of the study shows the feasibility of replacing the parallel-plate chamber with the cylindrical chamber in electron dosimetry.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.147-150
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• 2012

A recently introduced helium ion microscopy (HIM) was employed to observe uncoated pine leaf specimens. Adult leaves were collected from the seedlings of Pinus densiflora and P. rigida, air-dried at room temperature, and observed by HIM without metal coating. Ovoid or round stomata and distinct Florin rings could be discerned. The epicuticular waxes were present in the epistomatal chambers and Florin rings of stomata on the leaf surface. The epicuticular waxes were mostly straight, cylindrical, and ca. 1 ${\mu}m$ in length. The epistomatal chambers of P. rigida were filled with the epicuticular waxes, whereas those of P. densiflora were not filled with the epicuticular waxes. Based on their micromorphology, the epicuticular wax structures of the pine species were identified as tubules. These results suggest that the HIM could be used for the investigation of the plant stomata and epicuticular waxes of uncoated plant leaves. Due to the smaller ion probe and interaction volume, the HIM has advantages over conventional field emission scanning electron microscopy in terms of image resolution and charge neutralization.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.275-283
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• 2013

The patient radiation dose is different depending on selection of Ion chamber when taking Chest PA which using AEC. In this paper, we studied acquiring the best diagnostic images according to selection of Ion chamber on AEC mode as well as minimizing patient radiation dose. Experimental methods were selection of Ion chamber and change of sensitivity under the same conditions as Chest PA projection. At AEC mode, two upper ion chambers sensors and one lower ion chamber sensor were divided into 7 cases according to selection of on/off. after measuring five times respectively, we obtained average value and calculated exposure dose. Image assessment was done with measured Modulation Transfer Function, Peak Signal to Noise Ratio, Root Mean Square, Signal to Noise Ratio, Contrast to Noise Ratio, Mean to Standard deviation Ratio respectively. In exposure assessment results, selection of two upper chambers was the lowest. In resolution assessment results, image of two upper chambers had the second high spatial frequency at sensitivity at 625(High) was 1.343 lp/mm. RMS value of image selecting two upper chambers was low secondly. SNR, CNR, MSR were the high value secondly. As the sensitivity was increased, radiation dose was decreased but better image could be obtained on image quality. In order to obtain the best medical images while minimizing the dose, usage of two upper ion chambers is considered to be clinically useful at sensitivity 625(High).

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.300-301
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• 2002

Of many modalities for measuring output factor, we measured the outputs of 18mm, 14mm, 8mm and 4mm helmet in Gamma knife using ion chambers and a Gafrcromic MD-55 film and normalized the outputs of four helmets the one of a 18mm helmet. Ion chambers used for this paper were a PR-05P and a PinPoint having a volume of 0.07cc and 0.015cc respectively. The recommended output factors from a manufacture were 1, 0.984, 0.956, and 0.87. For PR-05P, the output factor of 14mm helmet showed a good agreement, but the ones of 8mm and 4mm helmet showed the difference of 4.6% and 47% respectively. For PinPoint, The output factors of 14mm and 8mm helmet showed a good agreement, but the one of a 4mm helmet showed a difference of 18%. The Gafcromic MD-55, however, showed a good agreement for all helmets.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.175-181
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• 2015

In this paper, we studied additional filter and Ion chamber combinations to reduce patient dose without decreasing image quality in digital chest x-ray projection. The experiment set 125 kVp, 320 mA, AEC mode. Ion chamber sensors was divided by 4 cases of combinations, then, we measured patient dose and calculated organ dose using PCXMC. Also, physical image assessment using MTF was performed. As a results, The surface entrance dose and organ dose were the lowest when selecting both left and right Ion chamber sensors under the same conditions of additional filter. In image quality assessment, The spatial frequency scored 2.494 lp/mm which was highest when selecting both right and left Ion-chambers and 0.1 mmCu filter. And to conclude, to select both right and left Ion chamber sensors and 0.1 mmCu filter will help for acquiring good quality image as well as reducing patient dose.

• 대한방사선방어학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.208-209
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• 2011

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.91-95
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• 1990

The solid state detector system was constructed using commercially available rectifier diode for the assessment of quality assurance in radiotherapy. Dosimetry system which consists of the electrometer and the water phanton was used for measuring small field size scanning. The measured results, which had linearity in accordance with variation of radiation dose for gamma-ray of Co- 60 and 6 and 10MV photons of linear accelerator, showed quite linear characteristics within 1% error. The percent depth dose of 10MV photon of Mevatron KD linear accelerator was measured in small field size using diode, and the results were compared with that of using ion chambers. The results show that the difference of percent depth dose between the value of diode and that of ion chamber was negligible in large field size. However, in small size less than 4$\times$4cm, the difference of percent depth dose estimated by diode and ion chamber was 4.7% by extrapolation to 0$\times$0cm. Considering the smaller volume of diode than that of ion chamber, it might be more reliable to use diode for estimating percent depth dose. Above results suggest that diode can be used for routine check such as beam profile, flatness, symmetry and energy

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.59-63
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• 2019

Purpose: To manage radiation measurement equipment, a web-based management program has been developed in this study. Materials and Methods: This program is based on a web service and Java Server Pages (JSP) and employs compatibility and accessibility. Results: The first step in the workflow has been designed to create accounts for each user or organization and to log in. The program consists of two parts: fields for listed instruments, and measurement information. The instruments for measuring radiation listed in this program are as follows: ionization chambers, survey meters, thermometers, barometers, electrometers, and phantoms. Instrument properties can be put in the recording fields and browsing for associated instruments can be performed. The main part of the program is the cross-calibration for each ion chamber. For instance, the ionization chamber to be used as a relative dosimeter can be registered by cross-calibration data with a reference chamber calibrated by an accredited laboratory. This program supports methods using the central axis transfer theory for cross-calibration for the ionization chambers. The reference and field ionization chambers were placed in a solid water phantom along the beam central axis at two different depths, and then the positions were switched. Each measured value was used for calculating the cross-calibration factor. Conclusions: Because many instruments are used and managed in radiation oncology departments, systematic, traceable recording is very important. The web-based program developed in this study is expected to be used effectively in the maintenance of radiation measurement instruments.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.781-789
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• 2022

KHNP had licensed Dynamic Control rod Reactivity Measurement (DCRM) method using detector current signals of PWRs in 2006. The method has been applied to all PWRs in Korea for about 15 years successfully. However, the original method was inapplicable to PWRs using low-sensitivity integral fission chamber as ex-core detectors because of their pulse pile-up and the nonlinearity of the mean-square voltage at low power region. Therefore, to overcome this disadvantage, a modified method, DCRM-EK, was developed using kinetics behavior after equilibrium condition where the pulse counts maintain the maximum value before pulse pile-up. Overall measurement, analysis procedure, and related computer codes were changed slightly to reflect the site test condition. The new method was applied to a total of 15 control rods of 1000 MWe and 1400 MWe PWRs in Korea with worths in the range of 200 pcm -1200 pcm. The results show the average difference of -0.4% and the maximum difference of 7.1% compared to the design values. Therefore, the new DCRM-EK will be applied to PWRs using low sensitivity integral fission chambers, and also can replace the original DCRM when the evaluation fails by big noises present in current or voltage signals of uncompensated/compensated ion chambers.