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Evaluation of protective shielding thickness for diagnostic radiology rooms: Theory and computer simulation
Author(s) -
Costa Paulo R.,
Caldas Linda V. E.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
medical physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.473
H-Index - 180
eISSN - 2473-4209
pISSN - 0094-2405
DOI - 10.1118/1.1427309
Subject(s) - electromagnetic shielding , attenuation , radiation protection , radiography , waveform , radiation , computer science , medical physics , optics , nuclear medicine , physics , medicine , nuclear physics , telecommunications , radar , quantum mechanics
This work presents the development and evaluation using modern techniques to calculate radiation protection barriers in clinical radiographic facilities. Our methodology uses realistic primary and scattered spectra. The primary spectra were computer simulated using a waveform generalization and a semiempirical model (the Tucker–Barnes–Chakraborty model). The scattered spectra were obtained from published data. An analytical function was used to produce attenuation curves from polycromatic radiation for specified kVp, waveform, and filtration. The results of this analytical function are given in ambient dose equivalent units. The attenuation curves were obtained by application of Archer's model to computer simulation data. The parameters for the best fit to the model using primary and secondary radiation data from different radiographic procedures were determined. They resulted in an optimized model for shielding calculation for any radiographic room. The shielding costs were about 50% lower than those calculated using the traditional method based on Report No. 49 of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements.