Title: The development of an anthropomorphic and anthropometric thorax female phantom for experimental radiodosimentry

Authors: Monica P. Schettini, Margareth Maia, Tarcisio P.R. Campos

Addresses: Program of Pos-Graduation in Science and Nuclear Technics Department of Nuclear Engineering, School of Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Room 2285, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627 predio PCA-1, Brazil. ' Program of Pos-Graduation in Science and Nuclear Technics, Department of Nuclear Engineering, School of Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Room 2285, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627 predio PCA-1, Brazil. ' Program of Pos-Graduation in Science and Nuclear Technics, Department of Nuclear Engineering, School of Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Room 2285, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627 predio PCA-1, Brazil

Abstract: Anthropomorphic-anthropometrical phantoms are simulator objects for measuring absorbed dose in conditions equivalent to those found in the exposure of the internal organs to charged particles, photons or neutrons generated by external beams or to internal intake of radioisotopes. This paper addresses the construction of an anatomical simulator that retains the anthropomorphic and anthropometrical features of the human thorax. The phantom was constructed in-house by tissue substitutes representing bone skeleton, muscular tissue, lungs, mediastinum and the organs of the upper quadrants of the abdomen, such as the liver and spleen. A tomography was accomplished showing the radiological response verifying the similarity of the electronic density obtained by the number of Hounsfield (HU) to the human tissues. The coefficients of the conversion of fluency-kerma for photons and neutrons were calculated for human tissues and the tissue substitutes for each organ, and it was observed that the values were similar.

Keywords: esophageal cancer; anthropomorphic phantoms; anthropometric phantoms; radiotherapy; thorax female phantoms; low radiation; dose absorption; anatomical simulation; human thorax; tomography; photons; neutrons; human tissues; radiodosimentry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2007.015437

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2007 Vol.4 No.2, pp.124 - 135

Published online: 17 Oct 2007 *

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