The present study examined the mechanical attributes of 135 conventional diagnostic X-ray machines in Mizoram, India. The purpose of studying the X-ray mechanical parameters, such as congruency, perpendicularity of the central beam, and half-value layer, was to improve the quality of the diagnostic image and reduce the patient dose. A battery-operated portable dosimeter was used to measure output radiation of the X-ray machine. The half-value layer was measured at a constant accelerating potential of 70 kVp and tube load. To measure the congruency and beam alignment perpendicularity, a congruence and alignment tool was used. The survey data were collected between June 2015 and June 2016. The authors followed international standard test procedures, and the results were compared to national and international standards. SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 17 was used to calculate the mean, range, and standard deviation. The half-value layer ranged from 0.45 to 3.00 mm; the mean half-value layer was 1.60 ± 0.51 SD mm. In comparison with national and international standards, only 27.83% (national) and 15.64% (international) of the machines' filtration were found to be within acceptable limits. The congruence misalignment of the x-axis varied between 0.50% and 15.30% of the source-to-image distance; for the y-axis, it ranged from 0.50 to 10.90%. When the congruence between the radiation beam and optical field was tested, 80.85% of diagnostic X-ray machines did not meet the prescribed acceptance parameters. When the perpendicularity between the central beam and the image receptor was tested, 69.81% did not meet safety standards.
Leakage radiation that transmitted the protected X-ray tube housing was measured and compared with national and international safety standard. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no tube housing leakage measurement has been done so far in the present study area. The authors considered all the conventional diagnostic X-ray units in Mizoram, India. Ion chamber survey meter was used to measure leakage radiation and it was placed at 5 different positions (left, right, front, back, top) of the X-ray tube. Measurements were done at 1 m focus-to-detector distance by projecting X-ray tube vertically downward with collimator diaphragms closed completely. SPSS statistics for windows, version 17.0 (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used to derived mean, standard error of the mean etc. The tube housing leakage exposure rates ranged between 0.03 mRh-1 and 500 mR h-1; among the 5 positions, rate measured in the front direction has the highest mean at 41.61±8.63 mR h-1; whereas the top has the lowest 4.57±1.16 mRh-1. Tube housing radiation level ranged from 0.01 to 58 mR in one hour. Leakage radiation was minimum at the top position of the tube and maximum in the front direction. All the equipment were in compliance with national and international standard norms, the highest leakage radiation level was 50.43% of the safety limit.
The main objective of the present study is to find out the intensity of radiation attenuated by different types of patient entrance doors (PED) as well as control panel (CP) protective barriers in diagnostic X-ray installations. To measure the intensity of ionizing radiation, ion chamber survey meter was used; all measurements were performed in freeze mode. In setting maximum accelerating potential, minimum tube current and fixed exposure time, a water phantom was exposed through maximum field size. Radiation exposure rates were measured at CPs as well as PEDs with and without barriers. In chest mission, radiation rates with PED ranged from 0.3 µSv/h to 0.7 mSv/h and without PED 0.2 mSv/h to 1.2 mSv/h. At the same time, in couch mission, radiation rates measured behind PED ranged from 0.3 µSv/h to 2.2 mSv/h and 0.03 mSv/h to 2.25 mSv/h in front of PED. All institutions showed higher exposure rates without PED; all types of doors considerably attenuated radiation. Among different types of door, lead-lined door attenuated 99.53% in chest mission and 97.44% in couch mission. While plywood doors attenuated approximately 40% of the incident radiation, it is more or less similar as air does in every half meter away from the phantom. Radiation rates in chest missions with CP barriers ranged from 2 µSv/h to 0.38 mSv/h, while 0.4 mSv/h to 2.35 mSv/h without CP barriers. In couch missions, radiation rates measured with CP barriers varied from 4 µSv/h to 0.6 mSv/h whereas without CP barriers from 0.7 mSv/h to 5 mSv/h. There was a significant difference between radiation measured behind and in front of the CP barriers. Among them, the percentage of attenuation was high in lead and concrete barriers.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.