• 대한임상독성학회지
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.39-48
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• 2011

In mass casualty situation due to radiological accidents, it is important to start aggressive management with rapid triage decisions. External contamination needs immediate decontamination and internal contamination should be treated with special expertise and equipment to prevent the rapid uptake of radionuclides by target organs. Acute radiation syndrome shows a sequence of events that varies with the severity of the exposure. More severe exposures generally lead to more rapid onset of symptoms and severe clinical findings. After the massive exposure, various systems of the body reflect their severe damages that can lead to death within hours or up to several months. The disease progression has classically been divided into four stages: prodromal, latent, manifest illness, and recovery or death. Three characteristic clusters of symptoms including the hematopoietic syndrome, the gastrointestinal syndrome and the cerebrovascular syndrome are all associated with the acute radiation syndrome. The standard medical management of the patients with a potentially survivable radiation exposure includes good medical, surgical and supportive measures. Specific treatment with cytokines and bone marrow transplantation should be considered. The management of internal contamination is much the same as the treatment of poisoning. The standard decontamination should be applied to reduce uptake, and the chelating agents can be administered to enhance the clearance of radioisotopes. Radioactive iodine ($^{131}I$) as one of the nuclear fission products can increase the incidence of thyroid cancer in children. Potential benefit of potassium iodide prophylaxis is greater especially in neonates, infants and small children.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제46권3호
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• pp.120-126
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• 2021

Background: This paper aims to evaluate the clinical utility and radiation dosimetry, for the mobile X-ray imaging of patients with known or suspected infectious diseases, through the window of an isolation room. The suitability of this technique for imaging coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients is of particular focus here, although it is expected to have equal relevance to many infectious respiratory disease outbreaks. Materials and Methods: Two exposure levels were examined, a "typical" mobile exposure of 100 kVp/1.6 mAs and a "high" exposure of 120 kVp/5 mAs. Exposures of an anthropomorphic phantom were made, with and without a glass window present in the beam. The resultant phantom images were provided to experienced radiographers for image quality evaluation, using a Likert scale to rate the anatomical structure visibility. Results and Discussion: The incident air kerma doubled using the high exposure technique, from 29.47 µGy to 67.82 µGy and scattered radiation inside and outside the room increased. Despite an increase in beam energy, high exposure technique images received higher image quality scores than images acquired using lower exposure settings. Conclusion: Increased scattered radiation was very low and can be further mitigated by ensuring surrounding staff are appropriately distanced from both the patient and X-ray tube. Although an increase in incident air kerma was observed, practical advantages in infection control and personal protective equipment conservation were identified. Sites are encouraged to consider the use of this technique where appropriate, following the completion of standard justification practices.

• 대한방사선기술학회지:방사선기술과학
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• 제42권5호
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• pp.379-385
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• 2019

Radiation is used for various purposes such as cancer therapy, research of industrial and drugs. However, in case of radiation accidents such as terrorism, collapsing nuclear plant by natural disasters like Fukushima in 2011, very high radiation does expose to human and could lead to death. For this reason, many people are concerning about radiation exposures. Therefore, assessment and research of retrospective radiation dose to human by various path is an necessary task to be continuously developed. Radiation exposure for workers in radiation fields can be generally measured using a personal exposure dosimeter such as TLD, OSLD. However, general people can't be measured radiation doses when they are exposed to radiation. And even if radiation fields workers, when they do not in possession personal dosimeter, they also can't be measured exposure dose immediately. In this study, we conduct retrospective research on reconstruction of dose after exposure by using smart chip card of personal items through Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL). The OSL signal of smart chip card shows linear response from 0.06 Gy to 15 Gy and results of fading rate 45 %, 48% for 24 and 48 hours due to the natural emission of radiation in sample, respectively. The minimum detectable limit (MDD) was 0.38 mGy. This values are expected to use as correction values for reconstruction of exposure dose.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.127-135
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• 2003

The primary contributors to the total occupational radiation exposure in operating nuclear power plants are operation and maintenance activities doting refueling outages. The Advanced Power Reactor 1400 (APR1400) includes a number of design improvements and plans to utilize advanced maintenance methods and robotics to minimize the annual collective dose. The major radiation exposure reduction features implemented in APR1400 are a permanent refueling pool seal, quick opening transfer tube blind flange, improved hydrogen peroxide injection at shutdown, improved permanent steam generator work platforms, and more effective temporary shielding. The estimated average annual occupational radiation exposure for APR1400 based on the reference plant experience and an engineering judgment is determined to be in the order of 0.4 man-Sv, which is well within the design goal of 1 man-Sv. The basis of this average annual occupational radiation exposure estimation is an eighteen (18) month fuel cycle with maintenance performed to steam generators and reactor coolant pumps during refueling outage. The outage duration is assumed to be 28 days. The outage work is to be performed on a 24 hour per day basis, seven (7) days a week with overlapping twelve (12) hour work shifts. The occupational radiation exposure for APR1400 is also determined by an alternate method which consists of estimating radiation exposures expected for the major activities during the refueling outage. The major outage activities that cause the majority of the total radiation exposure during refueling outage such as fuel handling, reactor coolant pump maintenance, steam generator inspection and maintenance, reactor vessel head area maintenance, decontamination, and ICI & instrumentation maintenance activities are evaluated at a task level. The calculated value using this method is in close agreement with the value of 0.4 man-Sv, that has been determined based on the experience aid engineering judgement. Therefore, with the As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) advanced design features incorporated in the design, APR1400 design is to meet its design goal with sufficient margin, that is, more than a factor of two (2), if operated on art eighteen (18) month fuel cycle.

• 대한방사선기술학회지:방사선기술과학
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• 제38권4호
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• pp.483-489
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• 2015

현대의 의료용 방사선 발생장치는 영상을 저장하고 전송하기 위해 의료영상 표준규격으로 Digital image communications in medicine(DICOM)을 채택하고 있다. DICOM 규격에서는 피폭선량 정보 표시를 위해 DICOM dose Structured Report(DICOM dose SR)를 표준으로 제정하여 사용하고 있다. 이와 더불어 DICOM Modality Performed Procedure Step(DIOCM MPPS) 정보와 DICOM tag 정보에서도 부분적인 피폭선량 정보를 표시하고 있다. 본 연구에서는 DICOM과 관련된 피폭선량정보 표시방법에 대해 고찰하고 의료정보 시스템간의 상호연동 테스트를 위한 Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise(IHE)의 Radiation Exposure Monitoring(REM) 프로파일에 대해 살펴보았다. 의료기관에서 의료방사선피폭선량정보에 대한 품질관리를 위해서는 DICOM 정보에서 표시되는 피폭선량 정보형식에 대한 이해가 반드시 수반되어야 하고 장비도입 단계에서 관련 규격에 대한 검토가 이루어져야 한다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권11호
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• pp.4019-4025
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• 2023

Recently, a new monkey computational phantom, called Visible Monkey, was developed for non-ionizing radiation studies in animal research. In this study, we extended its applications to ionizing radiation studies by implementing the voxel model of the Visible Monkey into three general-purpose Monte Carlo (MC) codes: MCNP6, PHITS, and Geant4. The implementation work for MCNP and PHITS was conducted using the LATTICE, UNIVERSE, and FILL cards. The G4VNestedParameterisation class was used for Geant4. Then, organ dose coefficients (DCs) for idealized photon beams in the antero-posterior direction were calculated using the three codes and compared, showing excellent agreement (differences <3%). Additionally, organ DCs in other directions (postero-anterior, left-lateral, and right-lateral) were calculated and compared with those of the newborn and 1-year-old reference phantoms. Significant differences were observed (e.g., the stomach DC of the monkey was 5-fold greater than that of the 1-year-old phantom at 0.03 MeV) while the differences tended to decrease with increasing energy (mostly <20% at 10 MeV). The results of this study allows conducting MC simulations using the Visible Monkey to estimate organ-level doses, which should be valuable to support/improve monkey experiments involving ionizing radiation exposures.

• Journal of Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Neurosurgery
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.46-50
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• 2024

Objective: Diagnostic cerebral angiograms (DCAs) are widely used in neurosurgery due to their high sensitivity and specificity to diagnose and characterize pathology using ionizing radiation. Eliminating unnecessary radiation is critical to reduce risk to patients, providers, and health care staff. We investigated if reducing pulse and frame rates during routine DCAs would decrease radiation burden without compromising image quality. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of prospectively acquired data after implementing a quality improvement protocol in which pulse rate and frame rate were reduced from 15 p/s to 7.5 p/s and 7.5 f/s to 4.0 f/s respectively. Radiation doses and exposures were calculated. Two endovascular neurosurgeons reviewed randomly selected angiograms of both doses and blindly assessed their quality. Results: A total of 40 consecutive angiograms were retrospectively analyzed, 20 prior to the protocol change and 20 after. After the intervention, radiation dose, radiation per run, total exposure, and exposure per run were all significantly decreased even after adjustment for BMI (all p<0.05). On multivariable analysis, we identified a 46% decrease in total radiation dose and 39% decrease in exposure without compromising image quality or procedure time. Conclusions: We demonstrated that for routine DCAs, pulse rate of 7.5 with a frame rate of 4.0 is sufficient to obtain diagnostic information without compromising image quality or elongating procedure time. In the interest of patient, provider, and health care staff safety, we strongly encourage all interventionalists to be cognizant of radiation usage to avoid unnecessary radiation exposure and consequential health risks.

• 대한방사선기술학회지:방사선기술과학
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• 제43권3호
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• pp.169-176
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• 2020

Interventional radiology is performed under real-time fluoroscopy, and patients are exposed to a wide range of exposures for a long period of time depending on the examination and procedure. However, studies on radiation protection for patients during an intervention are insufficient. This study aims to evaluate the doses exposed during the intervention and the applicability of 3D printing materials. The organ dose for each intervention site was evaluated using a monte carlo simulatio. Also, the dose reduction effect of the critical organs was calculated when using a shielding device using 3D printing materials. As a result, the organ dose distribution for each intervention site showed a lower dose distribution for organs located far from the x-ray tube. It was analyzed that the influence of scattered rays was higher in the superficial organs of the back of the human body where x-rays were incident. The dose reduction effect on the critical organ using the 3D printing shield showed the highest testis among the gonads, and in the case of other organs, the dose reduction effect gradually decreased in the order of the eye, thyroid, breast, and ovary. Accordingly, it is judged that the 3D printed shield will be sufficiently usable as a shielding device for the radiation protection of critical organs.

• 한국의학물리학회지:의학물리
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.75-88
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• 2019

Diagnostic reference level (DRL) is employed to optimize the radiation doses of patients. The objective of this study is to review the DRLs for interventional procedures in Korea and abroad. Literature review was performed to investigate radiation dose index and measurement methodology commonly used in DRL determination. Dose area product (DAP) and fluoroscopy time within each major procedure category were systematically abstracted and analyzed. A wide variation was found in the radiation dose. The DAP values and fluoroscopy times ranged 0.01-3,081 Gy·㎠ and 2-16,878 seconds for all the interventional procedures, 8.5-1,679 Gy·㎠ and 32-5,775 seconds for the transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), and 0.1-686 Gy·㎠ and 16-6,636 seconds for the transfemoral cerebral angiography (TFCA), respectively. The DRL values of the DAP and fluoroscopy time were 238 Gy·㎠ and 1,224 seconds for the TACE and 189 Gy·㎠ and 686 seconds for the TFCA, respectively. Generally, the DRLs of Korea were lower than those of other developed countries, except for the percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with stent in arteries of the lower extremity (LE PTA and stent), aneurysm coil embolization, and Hickman insertion procedures. The wide variation in the radiation doses of the different procedures suggests that more attention must be paid to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure from medical imaging. Furthermore, periodic nationwide survey of medical radiation exposures is necessary to optimize the patient dose for radiation protection, which will ultimately contribute to patient dose reduction and radiological safety.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.391-396
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• 1988

Appreciable radiation exposures certainly occur in the workers who handle radioiodine in biochemical research, nuclear medicine diagnostics with the development of nuclear industries. But in the case of occurring the nuclear accidents, the early medical treatment of radiation injury should be necessary but little was reported in korea till now. Accordingly, to achieve of the basic data for protective roles and medical treatment of radiation injury, the present studies were carried out to evaluate the decontamination of radioiodine by the administration of the antithyroid drugs. The results observed are summarized as follows: 1. The administration of sodium iodide and potassium iodide results in rapid excretion of radioiodine and reduction of the whole body retention than the saline-only group. 2. Reguarding to thyroid protective effects, sodium iodide, potassium iodide and saline were effected significant in order. 3. In the control(saline) group, if administered with enough fluids, the whole body retention of radioiodine is reduced temporary shifts. But as far as radioprotective effects is concerned, saline was not more in the protective effects than the other groups. In conclusion, in case of nuclear accidents, if being administered sodium iodide and saline as quickly as possible, the radioprotective effects against the radiation hazard might be markedly increased in the internal contamination of radioiodine.