• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2016

The paper discusses radiation dose of dual energy CT on which copper modulation layer, is mounted in order to improve diagnostic performance of the dual energy CT. The radiation dose is estimated using MCNPX and its results are compared with that of the conventional dual energy CT system. CT X-ray spectra of 80 and 120 kVp, which are usually used for thorax, abdominal, head, and neck CT scans, were generated by the SPEC78 code and were used for the source specification 'SDEF' card for MCNPX dose modeling. The copper modulation layer was located 20 cm away from a source covering half of the X-ray window. The radiation dose was measured as changing its thickness from 0.5 to 2.0 mm at intervals of 0.5 mm. Since the MCNPX tally provides only normalized values to a single particle, the dose conversion coefficients of F6 tally for the modulation layer-based dual energy CBCT should be calculated for matching the modeling results into the actual dose. The dose conversion coefficient is $7.2*10^4cGy/output$ that is obtained from dose calibration curve between F6 tally and experimental results in which GAFCHORMIC EBT3 films were exposed by an already known source. Consequently, the dose of the modulation layer-based dual energy cone beam CT is 33~40% less than that of the single energy CT system. On the basis of the results, it is considered that scattered dose produced by the copper modulation layer is very small. It shows that the modulation layer-based dual energy CBCT system can effectively reduce radiation dose, which is the major disadvantage of established dual energy CT.

• Korean Journal of Digital Imaging in Medicine
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.23-31
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• 2012

There are AEC mode and fix mode to exposure when the whole spine antero-posterior radiography is done by using DR equipment. This study compared the utility of fix mode to AEC mode, by evaluating organ dose and effective dose and by examining the quality of radiographic image. GE DEFINIUM 8000 and ART-200X Rando Phantom manufactured by Flukebiometical were used for this study. The Rando phantom was set in front of wall detector of X-rays equipment. AEC mode was set at 80kVp and Fix mode was set at 80kVp, 25mAs, 32mAs, 40mAs, and 50mAs. Whole spine AP image were aquired by combining C, T-L and L-S spine images obtained through 3 exposures. When obtaining C, T-L and L-S spine images, were checked for Air kerma (mGy) value calculated by UNFORS Xi meter attached at the phantom surface of center of radiation field. The effective and organ doses were compared by PCXMC program (PC-Based Monte Carlo Program). The quality of obtained radiographic image was evaluated visually by 3 radiologists using resolution chart. When the effective doses was calculated based on tissue weighting factor of ICRP-103, 1.278mSv was measured by AEC mode, and Fix mode measured 0.405mSv at 25mAs, 0.518mSv at 32mAs, 0.649mSv at 40mAs, and 0.810mSv at 50mAS. In addition, the organ dose measured with esposure at 25mAs by Fix mode was almost equivalent to the organ dose by AEC mode, at the esophagus, thyroid, oral mucosa, salivaly glands located at the cervical spine part, while the organ dose by Fix mode was in general lower than the organ dose by AEC mode at the other organs. When Fix mode at 32mAs, 40mAs, and 50mAs was compared to AEC mode for organ dose in 26 organs, AEC mode had higher measurement in 21 organs but not for than brain, trachea, thyroid, oral mucosa, and salivaly glands which are located at the cervical spine part. The image quality evaluated by resolution test chart was much higher with AEC mode than the quality with Fix mode at all exposure conditions. However, while the image quality of cervical spine exposured at 50mAs by Fix mode was lower than the quality of AEC mode, thoraco-lumbar spine and lumbo-sacral spine were calculated and the quality was similar to AEC mode. Scoliosis occurs mainly at thoraco-lumbar and lumbo-sacral spine, not at cervical spine. Compared to AEC mode, Using the appropriate protocol (80kVp, 50mAs) of fix mode for whole spine AP radiography was thought to be useful because the image quality of the thoraco-lumar and lumbo-sacral spine was similar on AEC mode, Also organ and effective doses can be decreased with Fix mode. Therefore, It is considered that fix mode can be used properly with AEC mode for whole spine AP radiography when considering patient's body posture.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.161-169
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• 2017

The cone beam computed tomography(CBCT) which can acquire 3-dimensions images is widely used for confirmation of patient position before radiation therapy. In this study, through the simulation using the Monte Carlo technique, we will analyze the exposure dose by cone beam computed tomography and present the standardized data. For the experiment, MCNPX(ver. 2.5.0) was used and the photon beam spectrum was analyzed after Cone beam was simulated. As a result of analyzing the photon beam spectrum, the average energy ranged from 25.7 to 37.6 keV at the tube voltage of 80 ~ 120 kVp and the characteristic X-ray energy was 9, 60, 68 and 70 keV. As a result of using the water phantom, the percentage depth dose was measured, and the maximum dose appeared on the surface and decreased with depth. The absorbed dose also decreased as the depth increased. The absorbed dose of the whole phantom was 9.7 ~ 18.7 mGy. This is a dose which accounts for 0.2% of about 10 Gy, which is generally used for radiation therapy per week, which is not expected to have a significant effect on the treatment effect. However, it should not be overlooked even if it is small compared with prescription dose.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.49-55
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• 1997

This study was carried out to investigate radiographical and operating conditions of X-ray units and exposure doses to patients during chest radiography, so that the results could provide basic data used for reducing the exposure dose and for providing the diagnostic information with better quality. The conditions and exposure doses of 100 X-ray units mainly used for chest radiography were examined and also 100 radiological technologists mainly handling those apparatus at 76 medical facilities in Pusan were surveyed using a questionnaire from October 1 to December 31 in 1995. The following results were obtained from the study : 1. It was found that most units were capable of taking a high tube voltage radiography by showing 67% of the units equipped with the maximum tube voltage of 150 kV, 94% with more than 500 mA for the rating capacity and 85% with the full wave type of a signal phase. 2. For actual chest radiographical conditions, however, 80% of the units were operated at $60{\sim}100\;kVp$ and only 14% at 100 kVp and over for the high tube voltage. 3. The average exposure time was less than 0.1 second, and eighty four percent of the units adapted the X-ray tube currents ranging from 200 to 300 mA, 80% the focus-film distances between 180 and 210 cm, and 63% the focus sizes of more than 2.0 mm. 4. Most units(98%) employed additional filters made of aluminum, 75% the thickness of filters less than 2.0 mm, and only 2 units the compound filters. 5. Ortho chromatic system was only adopted in 13% of screen film system for the units, and 73% used the grid ratio at 8 : 1 for the low tube voltage during chest radiography. 6. The average exposure dose of all X-ray units during chest radiography was $371\;{\mu}Sv$ with a difference of about 16 times between the minimum to the maximum, and $386\;{\mu}Sv$ both at hospitals and at health centers, followed by $380\;{\mu}Sv$ at general hospitals and $263\;{\mu}Sv$ at university hospitals without showing any statistically significant differences. In conclusion, since patients during chest radiography at medical facilities in Pusan exposed to high levels of radiation, it is recommended that appropriate added filters and grids necessary for the high tube voltage radiography and high-speed screen systems should be adopted and used as soon as possible in order to reduce exposure dose to the patients.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.205-211
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• 2015

We evaluated the effectiveness of TL (Time Limit) method by comparing with NTL (Non-time limit) method when it is used for examinations for abdomen Anterior Posterior (AP) in this paper. The evaluation was conducted based on the comparison of dose, and of signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast to ratio (CNR) on both methods. The experiments were conducted with XGEO GC 80 (Samsung, Korea), Unfors ThinX RAD (Unfors, Sweden) and Rando Phantom (Alderson research laboratories, USA) and shielding material with the size of $5.5{\times}9{\times}0.1cm^3$. It was set to activate only two upper ionization chambers in automatic exposure control(AEC) mode and the tube-voltage was set to 80kVp. When the exposure time was limited, it is limited to 51 msec. The images both by NTL AEC method and TL AEC method were acquired when with and without attachment of shielding material on the upper ionization chambers. The images were evaluated by SNR and CNR which are the image evaluation methods using 'Image J'. The NTL AEC method showed increases in dose as much as 130.7% at maximum and 80% at minimum than other methods. The TL AEC method showed decreases in mAs and exposure dose than the NTL AEC method as much as 43.8% and 44.4% respectively. There were no significant differences in SNR or CNR for the experiments (($p{\geq}0.05$). Therefore, it is suggested that the TLAEC mode is more effective when examining patients who have high BMI index or a patient with a metallic substance in the body after surgery.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.10 no.12
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• pp.129-134
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• 2019

PVC was chosen as a plastic product that can cope with lead, a radiation shielding material that is widely used in medical institutions. In addition to radiation shielding clothing, we want to evaluate whether it can be used as a medical device component and industrial shielding material in low dose areas. Commercial PVC has a density of 3.68 g/㎠ and can be positively expected sufficient shielding effect in certain radiation areas such as material flexibility and economy efficiency, and can be transformed into various forms and used as a lightweight shielding wall. The shielding performance was tested by adjusting the thickness of 5 sheets of 3mm PVC in the range of medical radiation used for clinical examination in medical institutions. Shielding performance against effective energy was evaluated based on tube radiation voltage of medical radiation. The thicker the PVC, the lower the tube voltage and the lower the effective energy, the greater the shielding effect. The shielding effect was 70% at 12mm thickness and 80kVp tube voltage. Therefore, the shielding effect of PVC material has a high dependence of thickness. In the future, continuous research is needed to make thin and light eco-friendly products while improving shielding performance.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.407-414
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• 2016

This study is to minimize the patient dose and maintain the image quality according to change of source to image receptor distance and applying additional filter. In this study, we used the DR system, the tissue-equivalent abdomen phantom and the aluminium filter. The exposure conditions were set to 80 kVp using AEC mode. The collimation size was $16{\times}16inch$. The exposure dose were measured 10 times when the SID was changed with 100, 110, 120 and 130 cm, respectively. The pirana 657 for dosimeter was located on center of radiation irradiation. The acquired images were analyzed by using the image J. In the results, the tube current was increased with increasing the SID but ESD was decreased with increasing the SID. The decrease of ESD attribute to use of filter that remove the photon of lower energy. In the histogram results using image J, there were differences between the ESD and the exposure conditions according to change of SID. However, there were not differences in histogram. Therefore, the exposure dose could reduced when set the longer SID. For pediatric exam, the exposure dose could reduced when used the aluminium filter.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.343-350
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• 2010

We measured the radiation exposure for 55 persons (male: 36, female: 19) who was diagnosed with kidney and ureter stones and received ESWL. The absorbed dose was measured at the organ which is expected to absorb relatively much radiation (kidney, bladder, liver). The radiation dose measurement voltage 80kVp, current of 5mA as a fixed model of the human body by using the Rando phantom with Radiophotoluminescent Glass Dosimeter. Absorbed dose was measured for two times (5 minute and 10 minute, each) and converted to effective dose. Mean number of treatment was 1.8 times (1~4) per patient was the mean time of radiation exposure533 seconds (248-2516). For the treatment of right renal stone, the effective dose of right kidney, left kidney, liver and bladder was 2.458mSv, 0.152mSv, 1.404 mSv and 0.019mSv, respectively. For the treatment of left renal stone, the effective dose of right kidney, left kidney, liver and bladder was 2.496mSv, 0.252mSv, 0.178 mSv, and 0.017mSv, respectively. For the treatment of distal ureter stone, the effective dose of right kidney, left kidney and bladder was 0.009mSv, 0.01mSv and 3.742mSv, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2007

In this study, we have performed contrast-detail analysis for an amorphous selenium(a-Se) based digital X-ray imaging system by using a contrast-detail phantom(CDRAD 2.0) to test its low contrast performance. The X-ray imaging system utilizes an 500-mm-thick a-Se semiconductor X-ray absorber coated over an amorphous silicon(a-Si) TFT(thin-film transistor) detector matrix with a $139mm{\times}139mm$ pixel size and a $46.7cm{\times}46.7cm$ active area. In the measurement of contrast-detail curves we first acquired X-ray images of the CDRAD 2.0 phantom at given test conditions(i.e., 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 kVp, and 16 mA.s), and then evaluated the contrast-detail characteristics of the imaging system from each phantom image by using an image quality factor called the image-quality-figure-inverse(IQFinv). The IQFinv values for the imaging system gradually improved with the photon fluence, indicating the improvement of image visibility: 24.4, 35.3, 39.2, 41.5, and 43.4 at photon fluences of $1.8{\times}105$, $5.9{\times}105$, $11.3{\times}105$, $19.4{\times}105$, and $29.4{\times}105$ photons/$mm^2$, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.891-898
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• 2020

As the problem of shields made of lead has recently emerged, research on replacement shields is essential, and studies on the manufacture of diagnostic X-ray shields with 3D printers are also being actively conducted. Recently, with the development of metal mixed filaments, it has become possible to manufacture shielding materials easily, but studies on the nozzle size and output setting of 3D printers are insufficient. Therefore, this study aims to compare and analyze the results through a shielding rate experiment using a brass filament and a 3D printer, outputting the shield according to the nozzle size and layer height, and using a diagnostic radiation generator. The nozzle size was changed to 0.4, 0.8 mm, layer height 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 mm, and output. The shielding rate test was fixed at 40 mAs, and the shielding rate was analyzed by experimenting with 60, 80, and 100 kVp, respectively. As a result of the analysis, it was analyzed that the printing time could be reduced to 1/10 according to the nozzle size and the layer height, and the shielding rate could be increased by 1% or more.