Relationship between assistant’s lens exposure and dose information during computed tomography examinations

Abstract

According to International Commission of Radiological Protection (ICRP), the equivalent dose limit for the eye lens for occupational exposure is recommended to be 20 mSv/y, averaged over 5 years, with no single year above 50 mSv. Some studies reported the measurement of assistant’s lens exposure in diagnostic computed tomography (CT) examinations, but further investigation is still required in the association between the lens dose for assistants and various dose parameters. Therefore, we measured the assistant’s lens exposure using small optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters. The type of occupation, type of assistance, total scan time, total mAs, total scan length, and dose-length product (DLP) were recorded and analyzed in association with air kerma at the lens position. The assistance was classified into four types: “assisted ventilation,” “head holding,” “body holding,” and “raising patient’s arm.” The air kerma of lens position was not significantly different for each assistance type (p < 0.05, Kruskal-Wallis test). Further, the lens doses for assistants correlated with DLP, but with various strengths of correlation with the assistance type and were influenced by the distance from the CT gantry. In conclusion, lens dose during assistance and DLP demonstrated the strongest correlation. “Raising patient’s arm” and “head holding” exhibited stronger correlations, which required less table movement during the CT scan than “assisted ventilation” and “body holding.”