• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.171-177
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• 2020

Background: This study aims to determine the effective atomic number (Zeff) from dual-energy image sets obtained using a conventional computed tomography (CT) simulator. The estimated Zeff can be used for deriving the stopping power and material decomposition of CT images, thereby improving dose calculations in radiation therapy. Materials and Methods: An electron-density phantom was scanned using Philips Brilliance CT Big Bore at 80 and 140 kVp. The estimated Zeff values were compared with those obtained using the calibration phantom by applying the Rutherford, Schneider, and Joshi methods. The fitting parameters were optimized using the nonlinear least squares regression algorithm. The fitting curve and mass attenuation data were obtained from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The fitting parameters obtained from stopping power and material decomposition of CT images, were validated by estimating the residual errors between the reference and calculated Zeff values. Next, the calculation accuracy of Zeff was evaluated by comparing the calculated values with the reference Zeff values of insert plugs. The exposure levels of patients under additional CT scanning at 80, 120, and 140 kVp were evaluated by measuring the weighted CT dose index (CTDIw). Results and Discussion: The residual errors of the fitting parameters were lower than 2%. The best and worst Zeff values were obtained using the Schneider and Joshi methods, respectively. The maximum differences between the reference and calculated values were 11.3% (for lung during inhalation), 4.7% (for adipose tissue), and 9.8% (for lung during inhalation) when applying the Rutherford, Schneider, and Joshi methods, respectively. Under dual-energy scanning (80 and 140 kVp), the patient exposure level was approximately twice that in general single-energy scanning (120 kVp). Conclusion: Zeff was calculated from two image sets scanned by conventional single-energy CT simulator. The results obtained using three different methods were compared. The Zeff calculation based on single-energy exhibited appropriate feasibility.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.245-253
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• 2011

The hazard level will be increased with the augmentation of the dose received by patients. Therefore, patients radiation dose have been analyzed by this study for the radiology clinics located at Seoul and Gyeongin area from August 2009 to September 2010. In the case of the front and rear directional inspection of skull, patient radiation dose was turned out to be 1.75mGy for radiology clinic, 3.00mGy for UK, 3.00mGy for Japan, and 5.00mGy for Germany, therefore, radiology clinic was the lowest. In the case of lateral directional inspection of skull, patient radiation dose was turned out to be 1.49mGy for radiology clinic, 1.50mGy for 3rd medical institution, therefore, radiology clinic was measured lower, and it was lower than 3.00mGy which is the recommended dose of IAEA. In order to reduce medical exposure of patient, optimization of efficient protection of radiation and reduction of medical radiation exposure are thought to be required by observing recommendation of international organization based on the result of this study.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to find out the factors that affect the patient's exposure dose during the abdominal CT scan using the bolus tracking technique, and reducing the radiation exposure to the patient during the abdominal CT scan using the bolus tracking technique by adjusting the delay time according to the corresponding factor. The experiment was divided into two parts, and the first experiment was conducted with 300 patients There were 188 males and 112 females, and their average age was 58±12.18(19~85). In the second experiment, 150 subjects (100 males and 50 females) who were undergoing their follow-up examination among the first experiment subjects, and the difference in dose before and after was compared by applying the delay time according to the influencing factor. As a result of the first experiment, there was a relationship between the arrival time of the contrast media and the heart rate, and it was found that the arrival time decreased as the heart rate increased for both men and women. As a result of the second experiment, the average dose of CTDIvol and DLP before/after applying the delay time according to the heart rate decreased 4.98 mGy and 5.33 mGy·cm in the male group, and 3.54 mGy and 3.88 mGy·cm in the female group. By applying proper delay time according to the patient's heart rate during abdominal CT scan with the bolus tracking technique, the radiation exposure dose of the patient can be reduced.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.168-175
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• 2021

To investigate the perceptions and attitudes of dental hygienists toward radiation safety management in Korea. A total of 800 dental hygienists were randomly selected for an anonymous survey, and 203 of them participated. The questionnaire items included the following: sex, career period, type of installed radiographic equipment, recognition of the diagnostic reference level (DRL), participation in radiation safety education, and attitudes toward radiation protection for both patients and dental hygienists. The participants were divided into two groups according to their years of experience (< 10 years versus ≥ 10 years). The difference between the groups was investigated according to frequency distribution. Fisher's exact test or Pearson's chi-square (𝛘²) test was used as appropriate. A regression analysis was performed to investigate the impact of wearing a thyroid collar for personnel protection during patient radiation exposure. The types of installed radiographic equipment included panoramic radiography (96.1%), cephalometric radiography (76.9%), intraoral radiography (72.9%), and cone-beam computed tomography (69.5%). Significant differences were observed in the learning pathway for the DRL (Fisher's exact test, p < 0.05), satisfaction with radiation safety education (Pearson's 𝛘² test = 5.3975, Pr = 0.02), and use of personnel radiation monitoring systems (Pearson's 𝛘² test = 18.1233, Pr = 0.000) between the groups. Significant differences were also observed in personnel protection using a thyroid collar and patient protection during panoramic radiography (odds ratio = 14.2). Dental hygienists with more than 10 years of experience were more satisfied with radiation safety education and more interested in radiation monitoring. Considering career experience, customized, continuous, and effective radiation safety management education should be provided.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.241-249
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• 2015

As radiation therapy is one of three major cancer treatment methods, many cancer patients get radiation therapy. To exposure as much radiation to cancer while normal tissues near tumor get little radiation, medical physicists make a radiotherapy plan treatment and perform quality assurance before patient treatment. Despite these efforts, unintended medical accidents can occur by some errors. In order to solve the problem, patient internal dose reconstruction methods by measuring transit dose are suggested. As feasibility study for development of patient dose verification system, inverse square law, percentage depth dose and scatter factor are used to calculate dose in the water-equivalent homogeneous phantom. As a calibration results of ionization chamber and glass dosimeter to transit radiation, signals of glass dosimeter are 0.824 times at 6 MV and 0.736 times at 10 MV compared to dose measured by ionization chamber. Average scatter factor is 1.4 and Mayneord F factor was used to apply percentage depth dose data. When we verified the algorithm using the water-equivalent homogeneous phantom, maximum error was 1.65%.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.613-620
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• 2017

Planning dose must be delivered accurately for radiation therapy. Also, It must be needed accurately setup. However, patient positioning images were need for accuracy setup. Then patient positioning images is followed by additional exposure to radiation. For 45 points in the phantom, we measured the doses for 6 MV and 10 MV photon beams, OBI(On Board Imager) and CBCT(Conebeam Computed Tomography) using OSLD(Optically Stimulated Luminescent Dosimeter). We compared the differences in the cases where posture confirmation imaging at each point was added to the treatment dose. Also, we tried to propose a photography cycle that satisfies the 5% recommended by AAPM(The American Association of Physicists in Medicine). As a result, a maximum of 98.6 cGy was obtained at a minimum of 45.27 cGy at the 6 MV, a maximum of 99.66 cGy at a minimum of 53.34 cGy at the 10 MV, a maximum of 2.64 cGy at the minimum of 0.19 cGy for the OBI and a maximum of 17.18 cGy at the minimum of 0.54 cGy for the CBCT.The ratio of the radiation dose to the treatment dose is 3.49% in the case of 2D imaging and the maximum is 22.65% in the case of 3D imaging. Therefore, tolerance of 2D image is 1 exposure per day, and 3D image is 1 exposure per week. And it is need to calculation of separate in the parallelism at additional study.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.499-499
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• 2008

High voltage transformer of Diagnostic X-ray system has been contributed to wiping out disease to get a good quality images from patients. High voltage transformer of diagnostic X-ray system has been usefully used for diagnostic purpose but if high voltage transformer performances are deteriorated, low quality image will be archived. In this case, operator has to exposure to get a more good quality images. In this case, unexpected radiation could be exposed to patient and it is very harmful to the patient. And I would like to design and make equipment to checkable high voltage transformer performance after that I wish to test and study what it is most influences in radiation output quality.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.189-190
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• 2006

A patient table considering x-ray transparency, mechanical safety and compact multi-axis moving mechanism has been developed. The goal of medical imaging technology is to keep radiation exposure of patients during x-raying to a minimum. In order to obtain clear pictures at low dose, however, the x-ray table which supports the patient must be sufficiently permeable to radiation to allow good image resolution. The table top is made of low density foam for x-ray transparent effective area and structural aluminum plate to connect moving mechanism under the table, covered with thin carbon fiber. This sandwich construction is very rigid and lightweight, so the table top can handle relatively heavy load comparing to its cantilevered structure which is unavoidable as long as cooperate with C-arm radiography. To verify the design results finite element static analysis and experimental tests have been done. According to the verification the results well satisfy certification guide lines as a medical device.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2004.11c
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• pp.319-321
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• 2004

The average glandular dose (AGD) is determined by the breast entrance skin exposure, x-ray tube target material, beam quality (half-value layer), breast thickness, and breast composition. Almost breast cancer always arises in glandular breast tissue. As a result, the average radiation absorbed dose to glandular tissue is the preferred measure of the radiation risk associated with mammography. If the normalized average glandular dose is known, the average glandular dose can be computed from the product of the normalized average glandular dose and breast entrance skin exposure. In this study, AGD was calculated by the breast thickness and various x-ray energy (HVL) in 50% glandular 50% adipose breast by Mo.-Rh. assembly. AGD is 84 mrad in compressed 5 cm breast. These results show that as increasing the breast thickness, dose also increases. But as increasing the x-ray tube voltage, dose decreases because of high penetrating ratio through the object. But high tube voltage is reducing the subject contrast. From this result, we have to consider the trade-off between subject contrast of image and dose to the patient and choose proper x-ray energy range.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.59-64
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• 2011

We investigated the radiation exposure caused by DIPS, which is used to identify accurate repositioning and tumor location in pediatric cancer patients proton therapy. To compare and analyze DIPS condition, 50 pediatric cancer patients who underwent proton therapy were selected in Ilsan K cancer-specialized hospital from March 2007 to October 2009. For DIP exposure, 0.09~1.57 mGy is measured in AP and lateral directions and 23.55 mGy is measured in CSI patients. In whole brain patient, the amount of a day DIP exposure dose was 1.13 mGy. During treatment period, who exposed the biggest DIP dose are whole brain patients, 632.71 mGy is exposed. It is 1.13% of prescribed dose, represented dose is adequate because it is not exceeded 2% of recommended dose. Even though the exposed dose is not exceeded more than 2% of prescribed in DIP exposure, we should recognize the radiation damage and genetic influences to pediatric cancer patients, who is much sensitive to radiation and has longer mean residual life time. Therefore, DIPS guideline for pediatric cancer patients should be indicated to minimize the radiation exposure.