Measuring Spatial Radiation Dose Distribution During Abdominal Computed Tomography Scanning with Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dosimeters

Abstract Purpose As the proportion of medical radiation exposure increases, the exposure dose has received increasing attention. When performing interventional radiological diagnosis, examiners are often exposed to radiation. Therefore, patients and medical personnel are exposed to higher amounts of radiation dose. Accordingly, we used optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLDs) to measure the ambient air kerma during abdominal CT scanning to observe the spatial distribution of the doses. Methods An abdominal CT scan under a voltage of 120 kVp was performed, and OSLDs were used for the measurement. The measurement range extended from the examination couch that serves as the center point to the walls and was divided into four areas. The OSLD measurements were undertaken at three different heights (i.e., 85, 140, and 150 cm from the floor) for spatial dose detection. The OSLDs were fixed up to lines at the three height levels. Each dosimetry point was 50 cm apart. In addition, the surface incident doses of the prosthesis's mammary gland, liver, and gonad were estimated. Results According to the spatial dose distribution at the three different heights, the maximum dose and minimum dose in front of the bore were 0.194 ± 0.008 and 0.006 ± 0.001 mGy, respectively; 2 m away from the bore, the dose reduced to 9% of the maximum dose. The surface incident doses of the mammary gland, liver, and gonad were 1.321 ± 0.121, 13.083 ± 0.642, and 13.441 ± 0.658 mGy, respectively. Conclusion The spatial dose distribution revealed that the dose was the highest at the height of 140 cm and in front of the bore. The dose on the left side was higher than that on the right side. In addition, the dose was inversely proportional to the square of the distance. If the examiners must perform interventional radiological diagnosis during CT scanning, they should put on radiation protection equipment and stand behind the bore to minimize the radiation exposure.