Title: AP and PA thorax radiographs: dose evaluation using the FAX phantom

Authors: Samanda Cristine Arruda Correa, Edmilson Monteiro De Souza, Ademir Xavier Da Silva, Helio Yoriyaz, Ricardo Tadeu Lopes

Addresses: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ, Centro de Tecnologia, Bloco G, Sala 206, Programa de Engenharia Nuclear/COPPE-DNC/Poli/UFRJ, Caixa Postal 68509, 21941–972 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ' Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ, Centro de Tecnologia, Bloco G, Sala 206, Programa de Engenharia Nuclear/COPPE-DNC/Poli/UFRJ, Caixa Postal 68509, 21941–972 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ' Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ, Centro de Tecnologia, Bloco G, Sala 206, Programa de Engenharia Nuclear/COPPE-DNC/Poli/UFRJ, Caixa Postal 68509, 21941–972 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ' Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares/CNEN – SP, Av. Lineu Prestes, 2242 – Cidade Universitaria – Armando Salles Oliveira Pinheiros, Caixa Postal 11049, 05508–000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. ' Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro-UFRJ, Centro de Tecnologia, Bloco G, Sala 206, Programa de Engenharia Nuclear/COPPE-DNC/Poli/UFRJ, Caixa Postal 68509, 21945–970 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract: Considering that the risks associated with ionising radiation are dependent on the characteristics of the exposed individual and that the structures and sizes of the human body vary considerably as a function of gender, efforts must be made in order to study the effective and absorbed doses in thoracic radiological examinations, taking into account the special features of the female anatomy. In this work, the Monte Carlo code Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended (MCNPX) and the Female Adult voXel (FAX) phantom are combined in order to investigate how the effective and absorbed doses vary in thoracic radiological examinations. The results suggest that different precautionary measures should be taken depending on the chosen geometric projection and that the application of higher voltages to the X-ray tube appears to be an alternative to reduce the effective and absorbed doses.

Keywords: thorax radiographs; Monte Carlo simulation; female adult voxel phantom; effective doses; absorbed doses; low radiation; ionising radiation; female anatomy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2008.020253

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2008 Vol.5 No.3, pp.237 - 255

Published online: 10 Sep 2008 *

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