The goal of this project is to develop the method and data to create a software which will compute the dose to a patient receiving a routine chest x-ray scan. The team will compute dose to patient through the use of MCNP which can accurately calculate energy deposition in a given area with below 5% uncertainty. From energy deposition, dose to a given organ can be calculated by utilizing conversion factors and normalizing to values measured with a detector. Additionally, the capabilities of MCNP will allow the team to vary conditions of the x-ray scan, including changes in filtration and collimation of the x-ray source beam and size of the x-ray field. The final product of the project is to create a user-friendly method to extract desired dose information for the full body as well specific important organs (lungs, breasts, gonads, liver, etc.). Results will be available for lookup using a Graphic User Interface that the end-user can access via web portal.
Team: Jacob Alter, Rachael Bulso, Louis Caponi, Tristan Grieve, Joseph Messina, Rebecca Rice
Project Advisor: Dr. X. George Xu
Members of the design group
Project Motivation
Every day across the globe patients undergo routine x-ray examinations, yet there are few resources available to the medical professionals to properly estimate the dose a patient will receive to their internal organs. It is essential for medical professionals to have a way to calculate the dose received by their patients in order to adhere to regulatory limits and ensure the safety of the patient. Calculating dose received by a patient can become an intense process, requiring professionals to account for hundreds of variables, including type of radiation, intensity of radiation, x-ray field size, organ volume, and organ density.
VIP man
Project Description
The goal of this project is to develop the method and data to create a software which will compute the dose to a patient receiving a routine chest x-ray scan. The team will compute dose to patient through the use of MCNP which can accurately calculate energy deposition in a given area with below 5% uncertainty. From energy deposition, dose to a given organ can be calculated by utilizing conversion factors and normalizing to values measured with a detector. Additionally, the capabilities of MCNP will allow the team to vary conditions of the x-ray scan, including changes in filtration and collimation of the x-ray source beam and size of the x-ray field. The final product of the project is to create a user-friendly method to extract desired dose information for the full body as well specific important organs (lungs, breasts, gonads, liver, etc.). Results will be available for lookup using a Graphic User Interface that the end-user can access via web portal.
Results and Accomplishments
MCNP simulations were completed for a total of 11 patient phenotypes, 2 filtration levels, and 5 energy levels. Dose results were calculated using a dose-conversion factor and reported in milligray. A GUI was created which allows the user to choose a peak voltage, current, and patient phenotype. Additionally, the team was able to begin preliminary validation and verification of results.