• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제51권3호
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• pp.843-852
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• 2019

In the present study, we established a comprehensive dataset of dose coefficients (DCs) of the new meshtype ICRP reference computational phantoms (MRCPs) for idealized external exposures of photons and electrons with the Geant4 code. Subsequently, the DCs for the nine organs/tissues, calculated for their thin radiosensitive target regions, were compared with the values calculated by averaging the absorbed doses over the entire organ/tissue regions to observe the influence of the thin sensitive regions on dose calculations. The result showed that the influences for both photons and electrons were generally insignificant for the majority of organs/tissues, but very large for the skin and eye lens, especially for electrons. Furthermore, the large influence for the skin eventually affected the effective dose calculations for electrons. The DCs of the MRCPs also were compared with the current ICRP-116 values produced with the current ICRP-110 reference phantoms. The result showed that the DCs for the majority of organs/ tissues and effective dose were generally similar to the ICRP-116 values for photons, except for very low energies; however, for electrons, significant differences from the ICRP-116 values were found in the DCs, particularly for superficial organs/tissues and skeletal tissues, and also for effective dose.

• 대한방사선기술학회지:방사선기술과학
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• 제45권2호
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• pp.103-109
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• 2022

To maintain improved image quality in mammography, the quality control process is performed using the ACR (American college of radiology) phantom. In addition, many studied were performed by fabricating the customized breast phantom to provide more information in mammography. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the image quality by designing the modified ACR phantoms. The five modified acrlylic ACR phantoms were designed by considering insert position and phantom thickness. The phantoms were consisted of 4.5, 3.0, and 1.5 cm in terms of phantom thickness, and 3.0, 2.0, and 0.5 cm in terms of insert position, respectively. The acquired images were evaluated by PSNR (peak signal to noise ratio), RMSE (root mean square error), CC (correlation coefficient), CNR (contrast to noise ratio), and COV (coefficient of variation). Based on the similarity analysis, the result is suitable between conventional and new designed phantoms. In addition, the CNR and COV results in terms of insert position showed that image quality for 0.5 cm was 2.3 and 27.4% improved compared with 2 and 3 cm, respectively. According to phantom thickness results, the CNR result for 1.5 cm and COV result for 4.5 cm were 50.1 and 62.7% improved compared with that those conditions. In conclusion, we confirmed that the image quality depends on the breast size and thickness through modified ACR phantom study.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권7호
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• pp.2599-2605
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• 2022

The Korea Retrospective Dosimetry network (KREDOS) performed an inter-laboratory comparison to confirm the harmonization and reliability of the results of retrospective dosimetry using mobile phone. The mobile phones were exposed to ¹⁹²Ir while attached to the human phantoms in the field experiment, and the exposure doses read by each laboratory were compared. This paper describes the reference dosimetry performed to present the reference values for inter-comparison and to obtain additional information about the dose distribution. Reference dosimetry included both measurement using LiF:Mg,Cu,Si and calculation via MCNP simulation to allow a comparison of doses obtained with the two different methodologies. When irradiating the phones, LiF elements were attached to the phones and phantoms and irradiated at the same time. The comparison results for the front of the phantoms were in good agreement, with an average relative difference of about 10%, while an average of about 16% relative difference occurred for the back and side of the phantom. The differences were attributed to the different characteristics of the physical and simulated phantoms, such as anatomical structure and constituent materials. Nevertheless, there was about 4% of under-estimation compared to measurements in the overall linear fitting, indicating the calculations were well matched to the measurements.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제49권1호
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• pp.50-64
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• 2024

Background: The reference dose coefficients (DCs) of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) have been widely used to estimate organ doses of individuals for risk assessments. This approach has been well accepted because individual anatomy data are usually unavailable, although dosimetric uncertainty exists due to the anatomical difference between the reference phantoms and the individuals. We attempted to quantify the individual variation of organ doses for photon external exposures by calculating and comparing organ DCs for 30 individuals against the ICRP reference DCs. Materials and Methods: We acquired computed tomography images from 30 patients in which eight organs (brain, breasts, liver, lungs, skeleton, skin, stomach, and urinary bladder) were segmented using the ImageJ software to create voxel phantoms. The phantoms were implemented into the Monte Carlo N-Particle 6 (MCNP6) code and then irradiated by broad parallel photon beams (10 keV to 10 MeV) at four directions (antero-posterior, postero-anterior, left-lateral, right-lateral) to calculate organ DCs. Results and Discussion: There was significant variation in organ doses due to the difference in anatomy among the individuals, especially in the kilovoltage region (e.g., <100 keV). For example, the red bone marrow doses at 0.01 MeV varied from 3 to 7 orders of the magnitude depending on the irradiation geometry. In contrast, in the megavoltage region (1-10 MeV), the individual variation of the organ doses was found to be negligibly small (differences <10%). It was also interesting to observe that the organ doses of the ICRP reference phantoms showed good agreement with the mean values of the organ doses among the patients in many cases. Conclusion: The results of this study would be informative to improve insights in individual-specific dosimetry. It should be extended to further studies in terms of many different aspects (e.g., other particles such as neutrons, other exposures such as internal exposures, and a larger number of individuals/patients) in the future.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제49권1호
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• pp.1-18
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• 2024

Exponential growth has been observed in nuclear medicine procedures worldwide in the past decades. The considerable increase is attributed to the advance of positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography, as well as the introduction of new radiopharmaceuticals. Although nuclear medicine procedures provide undisputable diagnostic and therapeutic benefits to patients, the substantial increase in radiation exposure to nuclear medicine patients raises concerns about potential adverse health effects and calls for the urgent need to monitor exposure levels. In the current article, model-based internal dosimetry methods were reviewed, focusing on Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) formalism, biokinetic data, human anatomy models (stylized, voxel, and hybrid computational human phantoms), and energy spectrum data of radionuclides. Key results from many articles on nuclear medicine dosimetry and comparisons of dosimetry quantities based on different types of human anatomy models were summarized. Key characteristics of seven model-based dose calculation tools were tabulated and discussed, including dose quantities, computational human phantoms used for dose calculations, decay data for radionuclides, biokinetic data, and user interface. Lastly, future research needs in nuclear medicine dosimetry were discussed. Model-based internal dosimetry methods were reviewed focusing on MIRD formalism, biokinetic data, human anatomy models, and energy spectrum data of radionuclides. Future research should focus on updating biokinetic data, revising energy transfer quantities for alimentary and gastrointestinal tracts, accounting for body size in nuclear medicine dosimetry, and recalculating dose coefficients based on the latest biokinetic and energy transfer data.

• 한국의학물리학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국의학물리학회 2002년도 Proceedings
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• pp.415-417
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• 2002

Images of microcalcification specks showed large variation in conventional radiographs of phantoms which are approved for mammography image quality standard by the American College of Radiology (ACR). This kind of variation is not appropriate for image quality standards because the number of specks are visually counted in images and that number is important in image quality evaluation. Our study using synchrotron radiation (SR) imaging revealed the overlapping of micro-sized air bubble(s) to some specks, and also the structural deformation or crackings. Eight phantoms approved by ACR from two different makers and an air-bubble phantom were examined. SR imaging was performed at a synchrotron radiation facility, SPring-8, in Japan. The image-detector was a fluorescent-screen optical-lens coupling system using a CCD camera with a spatial resolution of 6 $\square$m. Objects when imaged with longer sample-to-detector distance show edge enhancement due to a difference in refraction indices, that is refraction enhancement. Refraction-enhanced SR images revealed that some of specks carried foreign objects, which were proven to be air. In phantoms provided by one maker, attaching/overlapping airs were observed for 62 out of 150 specks (41%) , with a higher incidence for the smallest specks. A speck becomes hardly visible in a conventional radiograph when air(s) overlaps the majority part of a speck, though depending on the size of the air-inclusion and on its configuration. Those airs might have been adsorbed on a speck surface before being embedded and then introduced into the matrix together with specks. Our study using SR imaging has clearly shown the nature of defects in some mammography phantoms which seriously degrade the quality as an image standard.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권8호
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• pp.2935-2940
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• 2023

A polystyrene phantom was developed following the guidance of the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) for gamma knife (GK) quality assurance. Its performance was assessed by measuring the absorbed dose rate to water and dose distributions. The phantom was made of polystyrene, which has an electron density (1.0156) similar to that of water. The phantom included one outer phantom and four inner phantoms. Two inner phantoms held PTW T31010 and Exradin A16 ion chambers. One inner phantom held a film in the XY plane of the Leksell coordinate system, and another inner phantom held a film in the YZ or ZX planes. The absorbed dose rate to water and beam profiles of the machine-specific reference (msr) field, namely, the 16 mm collimator field of a GK Perfexion^TM or Icon^TM, were measured at seven GK sites. The measured results were compared to those of an IAEA-recommended solid water (SW) phantom. The radius of the polystyrene phantom was determined to be 7.88 cm by converting the electron density of the plastic, considering a water depth of 8 g/cm². The absorbed dose rates to water measured in both phantoms differed from the treatment planning program by less than 1.1%. Before msr correction, the PTW T31010 dose rates (PTW Freiberg GmbH, New York, NY, USA) in the polystyrene phantom were 0.70 (0.29)% higher on average than those in the SW phantom. The Exradin A16 (Standard Imaging, Middleton, WI, USA) dose rates were 0.76 (0.32)% higher in the polystyrene phantom. After msr correction factors were applied, there were no statistically significant differences in the A16 dose rates measured in the two phantoms; however, the T31010 dose rates were 0.72 (0.29)% higher in the polystyrene phantom. When the full widths at half maximum and penumbras of the msr field were compared, no significant differences between the two phantoms were observed, except for the penumbra in the Y-axis. However, the difference in the penumbra was smaller than variations among different sites. A polystyrene phantom developed for gamma knife dosimetry showed dosimetric performance comparable to that of a commercial SW phantom. In addition to its cost effectiveness, the polystyrene phantom removes air space around the detector. Additional simulations of the msr correction factors of the polystyrene phantom should be performed.

• 한국원자력학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국원자력학회 2001년도 추계학술발표회요약집
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• pp.311.1-311
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• 2001

• 한국원자력학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국원자력학회 2001년도 추계학술발표회요약집
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• pp.310.2-310
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• 2001

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.30-37
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• 2014

최근 표준한국인 성인남녀 복셀 팬텀 한 쌍인 High-Definition Reference Korean-Man (HDRK-Man)과 High-Definition Reference Korean-Woman (HDRK-Woman)을 개발한 바 있다. HDRK-Man과 HDRK-Woman은 각각 한국인 성인 남성과 여성을 대표하므로 이들을 이용하면 한국인 고유의 유효선량을 계산할 수 있다. 이러한 한국인 고유의 유효선량을 계산하기 위해서는 표준한국인 팬텀을 이용한 몬테칼로 선량계산을 수행하여야 한다. 하지만 이러한 몬테칼로 선량계산은 전산인체모델에 대한 이해와 고도의 몬테칼로 전산모사 기술이 요구되기 때문에 몬테칼로 전산모사 경험이 적은 연구자들에게는 접근성이 용이하지 않다. 최근 UFPE (Federal University of Pernambuco) 연구팀에서는 몬테칼로 선량계산 온라인 시스템인 CALDOSE_X를 운영하고 있다. CALDOSE_X는 사용자가 온라인상에서 직접 입력한 선원조건에 따라 곧바로 몬테칼로 선량계산을 수행하고 계산된 결과를 제공해주는 온라인 서비스이다. 따라서 CALDOSE_X를 이용하면 몬테칼로 전산모사 경험 없이도 누구나 쉽게 원하는 선원조건에 대한 선량계산을 수행할 수 있다. 하지만 CALDOSE_X에서 제공하는 선량값은 서양인 전산팬텀을 이용하기 때문에, 이를 한국인 종사자에 대한 방사선 방호목적으로 사용하기에는 여전히 한계가 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 온라인상에서 사용자가 입력한 선원조건에 따라 실시간으로 표준 한국인에 대한 유효선량을 계산할 수 있는 웹 기반 표준한국인 선량평가 시스템을 구축하였다.