Khaisang Hemtiwakorn. Measurements of entrance surface dose and organ dose in four common radiographic examinations : a comparative study between free-in-air method and thermoluminescent dosimetry. Master's Degree(Radiological Technology). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2008.
Measurements of entrance surface dose and organ dose in four common radiographic examinations : a comparative study between free-in-air method and thermoluminescent dosimetry
Abstract:
Entrance surface doses (ESD) and organ doses were measured by the free-in-air
and TLD methods, and compared. The dose measurements were investigated in four
common radiographic examinations: the AP abdomen, AP lumbar spine, PA chest,
and lateral skull. For ESD measurements by the free-in-air method, a calibrated 6 cm3
ionization chamber was used to measure an exposure in free-air and the ESDs was
calculated. For ESDs measured using the TLD method, calibrated TLD-100H discs
were attached directly to the skin of an Alderson Rando phantom at a central axis of
the x-ray beam for measuring the ESD. For organ dose measurements by the free-inair
method, tabulated data from the U.S. FDA Handbook No. 89-8031 published in
1988 was used to estimate the organ dose. For organ dose measurements using the
TLD method, TLD-100H rods were inserted inside the phantom for measuring the
organ dose.
Results showed that ESDs measured by the free-in-air method agreed with the
TLD method within ±20 percent in both manual and AEC modes (r= 0.982, p<0.001).
ESDs measured by the free-in-air method at 10x10 cm2 field size also tended to be
lower than the TLD method. For the free-in-air method using clinically used field size
as used in the TLD method, ESDs tended to be higher. However, care should be taken
when an ESD measurement with a very short exposure time is selected by AEC. For
the organ dose measurements, organ doses measured by the free-in-air method agreed
with the TLD method within ±30 percent (r= 0.938, p= 0.001) for organs inside the
primary beam. There was no linear relationship between the two methods for
measuring the scattered doses (r= 0.383, p= 0.309), and it was also underestimated
when measuring with the TLD method.
This study concludes that the free-in-air method using an ionization chamber is
an easy and cost effective method for ESD measurement in diagnostic radiology.
Free-in-air method based on tabulated data from the FDA Handbook No.89-8031 can
also be used to estimate organ doses inside the primary beam. However, it may not be
recommended for estimating the scattered doses to the organs outside the primary
beam.