Assessment of scattered and leakage radiation from ultra-portable X-ray systems in chest imaging: An independent study.
Ultraportable (UP) X-ray devices are ideal to use in community-based settings, particularly for chest X-ray (CXR) screening of tuberculosis (TB). Unfortunately, there is insufficient guidance on the radiation safety of these devices. This study aims to determine the radiation dose by UP X-ray device...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | PLOS Global Public Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003986 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832540003185459200 |
|---|---|
| author | Leonie E Paulis Roald S Schnerr Jarred Halton Zhi Zhen Qin Arlene Chua |
| author_facet | Leonie E Paulis Roald S Schnerr Jarred Halton Zhi Zhen Qin Arlene Chua |
| author_sort | Leonie E Paulis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ultraportable (UP) X-ray devices are ideal to use in community-based settings, particularly for chest X-ray (CXR) screening of tuberculosis (TB). Unfortunately, there is insufficient guidance on the radiation safety of these devices. This study aims to determine the radiation dose by UP X-ray devices to both the public and radiographers compared to international dose limits. Radiation dose measurements were performed with four UP X-ray devices that met international criteria, utilizing a clinically representative CXR set-up made with a thorax phantom. Scatter and leakage radiation dose were measured at various positions surrounding the phantom and X-ray tube, respectively. These measurements were used to calculate yearly radiation doses for different scenarios based on the median of all UP X-ray devices. From the yearly scatter doses, the minimum distances from the phantom needed to stay below the international public dose limit (1 mSv/year) were calculated. This distance was longest in the direction back towards the X-ray tube and shortest to the left/right sides of the phantom, e.g., 4.5 m and 2.5 m resp. when performing 50 exams/day, at 90 kV, 2.5 mAs and source skin distance (SSD) 1 m. Additional calculations including leakage radiation were conducted at a typical radiographer position (i.e., behind the X-ray tube), with a correction factor for wearing a lead apron. At 2 m behind the X-ray tube, a radiographer wearing a lead apron could perform 106 exams/day at 2.5 mAs and 29 exams/day at 10 mAs (90 kV, SSD 1 m), while keeping his/her radiation dose below the public dose limit (1 mSv/year) and well below the radiographer dose limit (20 mSv/year). In most CXR screening scenarios, the radiation dose of UP X-ray devices can be kept below 1 mSv/year by employing basic radiation safety rules on time, distance and shielding and using appropriate CXR exposure parameters. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ddb9331333de4f75a72b0a3f7e8b35f6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2767-3375 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLOS Global Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-ddb9331333de4f75a72b0a3f7e8b35f62025-02-05T05:50:28ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLOS Global Public Health2767-33752025-01-0151e000398610.1371/journal.pgph.0003986Assessment of scattered and leakage radiation from ultra-portable X-ray systems in chest imaging: An independent study.Leonie E PaulisRoald S SchnerrJarred HaltonZhi Zhen QinArlene ChuaUltraportable (UP) X-ray devices are ideal to use in community-based settings, particularly for chest X-ray (CXR) screening of tuberculosis (TB). Unfortunately, there is insufficient guidance on the radiation safety of these devices. This study aims to determine the radiation dose by UP X-ray devices to both the public and radiographers compared to international dose limits. Radiation dose measurements were performed with four UP X-ray devices that met international criteria, utilizing a clinically representative CXR set-up made with a thorax phantom. Scatter and leakage radiation dose were measured at various positions surrounding the phantom and X-ray tube, respectively. These measurements were used to calculate yearly radiation doses for different scenarios based on the median of all UP X-ray devices. From the yearly scatter doses, the minimum distances from the phantom needed to stay below the international public dose limit (1 mSv/year) were calculated. This distance was longest in the direction back towards the X-ray tube and shortest to the left/right sides of the phantom, e.g., 4.5 m and 2.5 m resp. when performing 50 exams/day, at 90 kV, 2.5 mAs and source skin distance (SSD) 1 m. Additional calculations including leakage radiation were conducted at a typical radiographer position (i.e., behind the X-ray tube), with a correction factor for wearing a lead apron. At 2 m behind the X-ray tube, a radiographer wearing a lead apron could perform 106 exams/day at 2.5 mAs and 29 exams/day at 10 mAs (90 kV, SSD 1 m), while keeping his/her radiation dose below the public dose limit (1 mSv/year) and well below the radiographer dose limit (20 mSv/year). In most CXR screening scenarios, the radiation dose of UP X-ray devices can be kept below 1 mSv/year by employing basic radiation safety rules on time, distance and shielding and using appropriate CXR exposure parameters.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003986 |
| spellingShingle | Leonie E Paulis Roald S Schnerr Jarred Halton Zhi Zhen Qin Arlene Chua Assessment of scattered and leakage radiation from ultra-portable X-ray systems in chest imaging: An independent study. PLOS Global Public Health |
| title | Assessment of scattered and leakage radiation from ultra-portable X-ray systems in chest imaging: An independent study. |
| title_full | Assessment of scattered and leakage radiation from ultra-portable X-ray systems in chest imaging: An independent study. |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of scattered and leakage radiation from ultra-portable X-ray systems in chest imaging: An independent study. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of scattered and leakage radiation from ultra-portable X-ray systems in chest imaging: An independent study. |
| title_short | Assessment of scattered and leakage radiation from ultra-portable X-ray systems in chest imaging: An independent study. |
| title_sort | assessment of scattered and leakage radiation from ultra portable x ray systems in chest imaging an independent study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003986 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT leonieepaulis assessmentofscatteredandleakageradiationfromultraportablexraysystemsinchestimaginganindependentstudy AT roaldsschnerr assessmentofscatteredandleakageradiationfromultraportablexraysystemsinchestimaginganindependentstudy AT jarredhalton assessmentofscatteredandleakageradiationfromultraportablexraysystemsinchestimaginganindependentstudy AT zhizhenqin assessmentofscatteredandleakageradiationfromultraportablexraysystemsinchestimaginganindependentstudy AT arlenechua assessmentofscatteredandleakageradiationfromultraportablexraysystemsinchestimaginganindependentstudy |