• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.239-250
• /
• 2006

Computational anthropomorphic phantoms are computer models of human anatomy used in the calculation of radiation dose distribution in the human body upon exposure to a radiation source. Depending on the manner to represent human anatomy, they are categorized into two classes: stylized and tomographic phantoms. Stylized phantoms, which have mainly been developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), describe human anatomy by using simple mathematical equations of analytical geometry. Several improved stylized phantoms such as male and female adults, pediatric series, and enhanced organ models have been developed following the first hermaphrodite adult stylized phantom, Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD)-5 phantom. Although stylized phantoms have significantly contributed to dosimetry calculation, they provide only approximations of the true anatomical features of the human body and the resulting organ dose distribution. An alternative class of computational phantom, the tomographic phantom, is based upon three-dimensional imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and computed tomography (CT). The tomographic phantoms represent the human anatomy with a large number of voxels that are assigned tissue type and organ identity. To date, a total of around 30 tomographic phantoms including male and female adults, pediatric phantoms, and even a pregnant female, have been developed and utilized for realistic radiation dosimetry calculation. They are based on MRI/CT images or sectional color photos from patients, volunteers or cadavers. Several investigators have compared tomographic phantoms with stylized phantoms, and demonstrated the superiority of tomographic phantoms in terms of realistic anatomy and dosimetry calculation. This paper summarizes the history and current status of both stylized and tomographic phantoms, including Korean computational phantoms. Advantages, limitations, and future prospects are also discussed.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.149-153
• /
• 1984

Postoperative radiotherapy of breast cancer makes it possible to reduce loco-regional recurrence of breast cancer. The treatment technique, which can reduce the low-dose region at the junction and lung, is required. To produce proper dose distribution of internal mammary chain and chest wall, authors tried to find the method to expose $^{60}Co\;\gamma-ray$ on internal mammary region and 7MeV electron on chest wall. Exposure time of $^{60}Co\;\gamma$ and monitor unit of 9MeV were selected so that dose of $^{60}Co$ at 4cm depth was the same as that of 7Mev electron at $80\%$ dose depth. The position and direction of electron beam were changed for $^{60}Co$ beam: $0^{\circ},\;5^{\circ}$ for 0cm seperation; $0^{\circ},\;5^{\circ},\;10^{\circ}$ for 0.5cm seperation; $5^{\circ},\;10^{\circ},\;15^{\circ}$ for 1cm seperation. The results are as followings. 1. When the seperation of two fields was increased, dose on the axis of $^{60}Co$ beam was increased and dose at the junction region decreased while the volume of lung to be exposed to high dose and hot spot size were irregularly changed. 2. The dose distribution in the target volume of internal mammary and chest wall was most ideal when the seperation of two fields was $0\~0.5cm$ and the direction of electron beam was parallel to $^{60}Co$ beam.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.70-92
• /
• 2014

Objectives: Due to advance of science and IT technology, high tech imaging equipment like ultrasonography, CT, MRI and PET scan is constantly being developed and progressed; use of these techniques is needed for Korean medicine. Methods: Historical study was undertaken on the evidence of using ultrasonography. Normal organs and various sorts of diseases were also observed by ultrasonography. Results: Korean medicine judges disease of internal organs and condition of health by symptoms of functional disease and organic disease based on anatomical theory. Ultrasonography based on anatomical theory is non-invasive and free from radiation exposure and can be performed directly from clinical practice in real-time. Ultrasonography can be a big help for securing the stability of the internal organs in inserting needles in the thorax and abdomen as well as diagnosing functional and organic diseases based on anatomical theory. Conclusion: We look forward to a great development of scientification and objectification of Korean medicine by using and researching imaging equipment based on anatomical theory as well as ultrasonography.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2016

Background: It is very difficult to set a regulatory guidance or criteria for the protection of non-human species from the ionizing radiation, because there are no generally or internationally accepted methods for demonstrating the compliance with such criteria. It is needed that Korea develop the primary dose rate standards for the protection of both aquatic and terrestrial biota in the near future. Materials and Methods: The potential dose rates due to both external and internal radiation exposures to marine organisms such as plaice/flounder, gray mullet, and brown seaweed collected within territorial seas around the Korean Peninsula were estimated. Results and Discussion: The total dose rates to plaice/flounder, gray mullet and brown seaweed due to $^{40}K$, a primordial radionuclide in marine environment, were found to be 0.2%, 0.08% and 0.3% of approximately the values of the Derived Consideration Reference Levels (DCRLs, i.e. $1-10mGy{\cdot}d^{-1}$), respectively, as suggested by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) publication 124. The total dose rates to marine fishes and brown seaweed due to anthropogenic radionuclides such as $^{90}Sr$, $^{137}Cs$ and $^{239+240}Pu$ were considered to be negligible compared to the total dose rate due to $^{40}K$. The external exposure to benthic fish due to all radionuclides was much higher than that of pelagic fish. Conclusion: From this study, it is recommended that the further study is required to develop a national regulatory guidance for the evaluation of doses to non-human species.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.415-427
• /
• 2021

Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences has provided various beam irradiation services to researchers using a 50 MeV cyclotron beam line. In particular, since the neutron beam service uses the nuclear reaction between protons and beryllium, the possibility of activation of the irradiated sample increases by using a high current. In this study, MCNP 6.2 and FISPACT-II 4.0 were used to evaluate the possible activation during the 35 MeV 20 ㎂ neutron beam service, which is preferred by the researchers. As a result of the calculation, if the iron, copper, and tungsten samples were irradiated for more than 1 hour, long-lived radioisotopes were produced and their radioactivity exceeded the standard level for self-disposal. Under the conditions of 2 hours of daily irradiation, no activation occurred in the building materials, and the internal exposure of workers due to air activation inside the irradiation room was very insignificant. And when this air was discharged to environment, the radioactivity including this air was also satisfied the emission standard.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.274-284
• /
• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to describe the spectrometric analysis of gaseous cloud formation over reactor mixed uranium-and-plutonium (UP) fuel $(U_{0.8}Pu_{0.2})O_2$ samples heated to a temperature $>2,000^{\circ}C$, and thus forecast and evaluate radiation hazards threatening humans who cope with the consequences of any accident at a fission reactor loaded by UP mixed oxide $(U_{0.8}Pu_{0.2})O_2$, such as a mixture of 80% U and 20% Pu in weight. Materials and methods: The UP nuclear fuel samples were heated up to a temperature of over $2,000^{\circ}C$ in a suitable assembly (apparatus) at out-of-pile experiments' implementation, the experimental in-depth study of metabolism of active materials in living organisms by means of artificial irradiation of pigs by plutonium. Spectrometric measurements were carried out on the different exposed organs and tissues of pigs for the further estimation of human internal exposure by nuclear materials released from the core of a fission reactor fueled with UP mixed oxide. Results: The main results of the research described are the following: (1) following the research on the influence of mixed fuel fission products (radioactive isotopes being formed during reactor operation as a result of nuclear decay of elements included into the fuel composition) on living organisms, the authors determined the quantities of plutonium dioxide ($PuO_2$) that penetrated into blood and lay in the pulmonary region, liver, skeleton and other tissues; and (2) experiments confirmed that the output speed of plutonium out of the basic precipitation locations is very small. On the strength of the experimental evidence, the authors suggest that the biological output of plutonium can be disregarded in the process of evaluation of the internal irradiation doses.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.8
• /
• pp.3257-3265
• /
• 2015

Background: Radiotherapy is an important treatment of choice for breast cancer patients after breast-conserving surgery, and we compare the feasibility of using dual arc volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT2), single arc volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT1) and Multi-beam Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (M-IMRT) on patients after breast-conserving surgery. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients with breast cancer (half right-sided and half left-sided) treated by conservative lumpectomy and requiring whole breast radiotherapy with tumor bed boost were planned with three different radiotherapy techniques: 1) VMAT1; 2) VMAT2; 3) M-IMRT. The distributions for the planning target volume (PTV) and organs at risk (OARs) were compared. Dosimetries for all the techniques were compared. Results: All three techniques satisfied the dose constraint well. VMAT2 showed no obvious difference in the homogeneity index (HI) and conformity index (CI) of the PTV with respect to M-IMRT and VMAT1. VMAT2 clearly improved the treatment efficiency and can also decrease the mean dose and V5Gy of the contralateral lung. The mean dose and maximum dose of the spinal cord and contralateral breast were lower for VMAT2 than the other two techniques. The very low dose distribution (V1Gy) of the contralateral breast also showed great reduction in VMAT2 compared with the other two techniques. For the ipsilateral lung of right-sided breast cancer, the mean dose was decreased significantly in VMAT2 compared with VMAT1 and M-IMRT. The V20Gy and V30Gy of the ipsilateral lung of the left-sided breast cancer for VMAT2 showed obvious reduction compared with the other two techniques. The heart statistics of VMAT2 also decreased considerably compared to VMAT1 and M-IMRT. Conclusions: Compared to the other two techniques, the dual arc volumetric modulated arc therapy technique reduced radiation dose exposure to the organs at risk and maintained a reasonable target dose distribution.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.117-122
• /
• 2005

According to the Para. 5 of Art 2 of the Korean Nuclear Safety Regulations, which was revised in 1999, internal dose assessment as well as external one should be performed by law for employees at a nuclear power plant from 2003, and their estimate errors should also be within 50%. Thus, more accurate internal dosimetry becomes important. Corresponding to such regulation revision, we are developing a more accurate thyroid-uptake internal dosimetric system and have developed a Monte Carlo simulation code, the so-called CALEFF, to calculate the detection efficiency of the dosimetric system. In this paper, we calculated detection efficiencies with various test conditions by using the CALEFF code and discussed their characteristics. We may use the detection efficiency calculated by the code in calibrating the thyroid internal dose from measured data.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.507-512
• /
• 2004

This study was focused on the risk assessment of whether radiofrequency electromagnetic fields generated by mobile phone is cytogenetically toxic or not. We conducted the effects of 835-MHz electromagnetic field (EMF) on DNA strand breaks in mouse thymic lymphoma L5178Y $Tk^{+/1-}$ cells using alkaline comet assay. EMF frequency 835-MHz we chosen is one of the most popular communication frequency bands in Korean code-division multiple-access (CDMA) mobile phone system. The cells were exposed to 835-MHz EMF alone or 835-MHz EMF combined with cyclophosamide(CPA) or 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO) at specific absorption rate (SAR) of 4.0 W $kg^{-l}$ for 24 and 48hrs. DNA damage expressed as tail moment was increased more than two-fold after exposure to 835-MHz EMF for 24 and 48hr. In particular, CPA for 48hr and 4NQO for 24 hr enhanced notably the tail moment to 9-fold and 16-fold in the presence of 835-MHz EMF, respectively, compared to each single treatment. From these results, it appears that exposure to CDMA-mobile phone radiation at 835-MHz frequency may potentiate DNA strand breaks of mouse thymic lymphoma L5178Y $Tk^{+/1-}$;cells under the defined conditions of this study.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.151-154
• /
• 2014

Background: Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The incidence of lung cancer is aproximately 7-8 thousand percent in Turkish women. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical, pathological properties and survival data of female patients with lung cancer who were treated in our center. Materials and Methods: From 2007 to 2012, 50 women with lung cancer were enrolled. Patient data were evaluated retrospectively. Results: The median age was 61 (40-81). Forty patients (80%) were diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 10 patients (20%) were small cell carcinoma (SCC). Twelve (24%) patients were smokers and 13 of 16 non-smokers had a history of exposure to asbestos. The most common histologic subtype was adenocarcinoma (46%) and this accounted for 71% in patients with exposure to asbestos. The most common initial Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance score was 1 (24 patients, 48%) and initial stage was IV (25 patients, 50%) in the study group. During the median 15 months (1-96 months) followup period: 1 year overall survival (OS) was 68%, 2year overall survival was 36% and the median survival time was 19 months. According to univariate analysis, poor ECOG performance status, advanced stage, anemia and weight loss at time of diagnosis were negative prognostic factors. However, adenocarcinoma sub-type was a positive prognostic factor. Conclusions: In this study NSCLC sub-type, poor ECOG performance score, advanced stage, anemia and weight loss were prognostic factors in Turkish women with lung cancer.