Final Exam RT 202



TYPES OF IONIZATION


particulate -

  • radiation given off in particles (alpha, beta)

  • possess kinetic energy and are ionizing

alpha-

  • unstable nucleus has too many protons and neutrons

  • low penetration power

  • heavy atoms

  • loses 2 protons and 2 neutrons

  • 4amu

  • +2 charge

  • air travel = 1-10 cm

  • soft tissue travel = 1mm-100micrometers

  • 4-7MeV

  • highly ionizing

beta-

  • moderately unstable nucleus has too many neutrons

  • loses 1 negative or positive charge

  • 0amu

  • +/- 1

  • air travel = 0-10 meters

  • soft tissue travel = 0-2 cm

  • 0-7 MeV

  • stronger penetration power than alpha

electromagnetic -

  • travel as photons or wavelengths

  • tavel at the speed of light ( 3×10^8 ) ( velocity )

  • 0 amu and 0 charge so no nuclear transmutation

gamma -

  • when unstable nucleus undergoes radioactive decay

  • emitted from nuclei

  • air travel = 0-100 meters

  • soft tissue travel = 0-30cm

  • 0-5 MeV

  • low to high penetrating power ( not as ionizing as particulate )

xrays -

  • always artificial

  • emitted from orbital shell

  • air travel = 0-100 meters

  • soft tissue travel = 0-30 meters

  • 0-25 MeV (much higher than gamma)

  • high penetration power

electromagnetic emission spectrum-

xray emission spectrum -

added filtration

  • removes quality

  • decreases quantity

  • small shift to right

  • decreases average energy and intensity

  • changes in amplitude


target material

  • tungsten is best

  • gold

  • molybdenum

    • have high anomic numbers


generator type

  • increases quantity of xrays produced

  • increases average kV of beam


kVp curve ( what does the curve mean? left? right? higher? )

xray production

brems

  • “breaking radiation”

  • the energy given off from the projectile electron when it comes close to the tungsten nucleus and slows down

  • occurs at the xray tube


  • projectile electron

    • kenetic energy

    • comes close to nucleus

    • nuclear field slows down projectile elecron


  • deceleration

    • release of energy from projectile elecron emitted as xrays


  • range of energy

    • heterogenous / poly energetic nature of xray beam

    • counts for most amount of xrays in beam


characteristic

discrete energy

part of primary beam

projectile electron knocks out orbital electron creating xrays


  • transition

    • release of energy or radiation


  • characteristic cascade

    • orbital vacancy filled by outter shell electrons one after another


  • calcuation of energy photo emission

    • subtracting binding energies of shells involved

    • Kv of a characteristic xray produced from an electron falling from L to K shell

      =

      69-12= 57 Kv

    • K - 69

      L - 12

      M - 3

      N - 1

      O - .1

      P


( calculate characteristic radiation amounts and compare their emission spectrums -the graph )


brems and characteristic

( define )

( where does the interaction occur? )

Interactions

classical

  • unmodified, coherent, thompson scattering

  • no ionization - no energy transfer

  • low energy, less than 10keV

  • from tube

  • does not interact with any electrons

  • excites atom and leaves


PE

  • total absorbtion interaction

  • creates contrast

  • patient dose

  • most important for DX

  • 23-150 kVp

  • total energy transfer to electron

  • Eke = Ei- Eb



compton

  • modified, inelastic, incoherent

  • partial absorbtion interaction

  • scatter

  • not useful DX

  • 60-90 kVp

  • up to 1000 keV

  • ejects outer shell electron

  • RT dose

  • Ei = Es + Eb + Eke

  • scatter energy is alwasy higer than compton electron


pair production

  • high energy xray photons interacts with electromagnetic field of nucleus

  • at least 1.02 MeV of energy

  • radiation therapy not xray DX

  • annihilation reaction

    • positron combines with negative electron


photodisinegration

  • very high energy incident photons are absorbed by nucleus

  • xray photon crashed into nucleus

  • energy greater than 10 MeV

  • nucleus emits a nucleon to stabalize


( what energies are involved? )

( where in the atom the interaction occurs )

( what is produced? )

( which are diagnostic? )

( what affects probability and likelihood of interactions? )

( how contrast and absorbtion affects )


quantities and units

  • in air exposure

    • Rentogen

    • C/kg

    • air kerma

    • Gya

    • measures Gamma and X


  • absorbed dose

    • Rad

    • Gy

    • Gyt

    • measures Alpha, Beta, Gamma, X

    • PATIENT


  • equivalent dose

    • rem

    • Sv

    • measures Alpha, Beta, Gamma, X

    • PERSONNEL


detectors and monitors

film badge

uses a piece of film to measure amount of radiation in darkness of film piece


pocket dosimeter

  • ionization chamber

  • measures in air exposure

  • energy range 0-200mR

  • advantages

    • sensitive

    • immediatie reading

    • small and portable

  • disadvantages

    • daily identification

    • recalibration

    • daily manipulation

    • limited range of energies

    • no permanent record


TLD

  • crystalline material stores radiant energy

  • from heat

  • delayed emission of light

  • light is proportional to dose

  • lithium fluoride crystal absorbs radiation energy

  • annealing - heating crystal to make it glow

  • glow curve plotted

  • advantages

    • records exposures as low as 5mRem

    • not affected by humidity or pressure

    • can be worn 3 months

    • reusable


OSL

  • scanned by laser then gives off light (proportionate)

  • alumium oxide

  • more sensitive than TLD

  • alumium, copper, tin

  • advantages

    • most sensitive

    • 10 micro Sv or 1 mRem

    • can be re-evaluated

    • self contained and pre loaded

    • not affected by humidity

    • long term stability

  • disadvantages

    • measures only specific body part

    • no immediate readings


DIS

  • ionization chamber

  • saved by a memory chip

  • EEPROMs store data

  • amount of charge created is directly proportionate to amount of exposure

  • USB acess

  • advantages

    • instant acess

    • reusable

  • disadvantages

    • require constant use and measurement of data


geiger-muller

  • ionization chamber

  • audible sound

  • detects gamma, beta, X

  • can detect 1 ionizing event

  • can detect individual particles


ionization chamber connected to electrometer

  • used by medical physicists

  • gas filled detector


ionization chamber - type survey meter - cutie pie

  • both a rate meter and cumulative exposure instrument

  • measures gamma and X

  • 10- several thousand microgray/h

  • 1 mR/h - several thousand mR/h

  • monitoring radiographic xray installations



( how do different monitors work? )

( advantages and disadvantages of personnel monitors )

NCRP reports

NCRP 116

  • dose equivalents to personnel and public


NCRP 102

  • focuses on patient reduction of exposure

  • proper distance


NCRP 105

  • filtration


NCRP 160

  • medical exposure dose of patients


NCRP 147

  • changing equipment over the years trying to improve

  • structural shielding design for medical xray imaging facilities



cardinal principles

  • minimize time


  • protection of patient

    • exposure = exposure rate x time


  • maximize distance

    • double distance form source = intensity decreases by a factor of 4

    • triple distance form source = intensity decrases by a factor of 9


  • inverse square law

    • point source


  • 1 meter rule

    • patient source

    • divide exposure by 1000 if one meter away at 90 degrees


  • shielding

    • HVL

    • tenth value layer = 3.3 HVLs

doses

annual occupational effective dose limit - whole body

  • 50 mSv/yr

  • 5000 mrem/yr


lifetime effective dose - cumEfd

  • age x 10 mSv

  • age x 1 rem


skin

  • 500 mSv/yr

  • 50 rem/yr


extremities

  • 500 mSv/yr

  • 50 rem/yr


lens

  • 150 mSv/yr

  • 15 rem/yr


educational consideration

  • 1 mSv/yr

  • 100mrem/yr


embryo/fetus

  • monthly = .5 mSv

  • gestation = 5 mSv or .5 rem


public exposure

  • 1 mSv/yr


negligable dose

  • .01 mSv/yr


collective dose ( colEfd)

  • cumulative dose to a population or group exposed to a given radiation source


TEDE

  • resulting from internal and external sources of radiation


bone marrow average dose in U.S.

  • 1 mGyt/yr

  • 100rad/yr


GSD

  • .20 mSv

  • 20mrad


pregnancy

  • below 100 mGyt = abortion not indicated

  • above 250 mGyt = abortion is recommended


deep dose equivalent

  • annual whole body dose

  • carried to lifetime dose

  • 50 mSv/yr


shallow dose equivalent

  • 500 mSv/yr


lifetime dose

  • whole body dose

equipment

tube housing

  • reduces radiation leakage to less than 1 mGya/hr at 1 meter from housing

  • leakage radiation because xrays emit isotropically


source to image receptor distance

  • accurate to 2%


reproducibility

  • consistency in exposure during repeated exposures

  • cannot vary more than 5%


linearity

  • consistency with exposures with varying mA station and times

  • cannot vary more than 10%


distances

stationary radiographic

  • SSD not less than 15”

  • SID not less than 40”


mobile radiography

  • 1 meter rule

  • exposure cord at least 2 meters


stationary fluoro

  • SSD SHOULD not be less than 15”

  • SSD SHALL not be less than 12”


mobile fluoro

  • SHALL not be less than 12”


measurements

tube housing

  • less than 1 mGya/hr at 1 meter


permanent filter in fluoro

  • 2.5 mm Al


image intensifier

  • 2 mm Al

  • primary barrier


bucky slot cover

  • .25 mm Pb


protective curtain

  • .25 mm Pb

  • primary barrier


DAP

  • SHOULD not exceed 21 mGya/min for each mA of operation

  • SHALL not exceed 100 mGya/min


fluoro

how to reduce scatter?

  • by reducing pt dose


how to reduce magnification?

  • intensifier side as close to pt


how to reduce dose?

  • tube under pt

  • pulsed radiography

  • intensifier side as close to pt as possible


patient protection equipment

shielded when within 5cm or 2in of collimated primary beam


gonadal shield

  • .5mm Pb

  • flat contact

  • shaped contact

  • shadow


what positioning reduces dose?

  • pa chest for thyroid

  • pa pelvis

  • pa scoli series to breast tissue


personnel protection equipment



barriers

primary barrier

  • any wall perpindicular to primary beam

    • bucky wall

    • floor

    • image intensifier

    • protective curtain


  • material

    • 4” masonry

    • 1.6mm Pb

    • lead, concrete, brick, block


secondary barrier

  • any wall parallel to brimary beam

    • ceiling

    • doors

    • control booth wall

    • glass window


  • material

    • overlap primary by 1/2 “

    • extend to ceiling

    • .8mm Pb

    • 4 thickness gypsum board


controlled area

  • less than 1 mSv/wk

  • EqD of workers 50 mSv/yr MAX


uncontrolled area

  • less than 1 mSv/yr

  • MAX is 20 microSv/wk


use factor

indicated by the proportional amount of time during ehich the xray beam is energized

  • full occupancy

    • 1U


  • partial occupancy

    • ¼ U


  • occasional occupancy

    • 1/16 U


workload

number of examinations performed



personnel

  • where to stand in mobile and fluoro?

    • behind control booth


  • who holds patients and who doesnt

    • patient aid


  • lead apron content

    • standard is .5 mm Pb


  • pregnancy

    • inform RSO

    • declare yourself a pregnant worker

    • wear a secondary monitor