title: Calibration of a prompt neutron activation analysis facility for the measurement of total body protein.
abstract: Prompt neutron activation analysis with 252Cf has been used to measure total body protein. Since simultaneous irradiation and detection generated a high count rate at the detectors the nucleonic system was optimised to reduce distortions in the gamma ray energy spectrum. Tissue-equivalent phantoms were used to calibrate the apparatus. A total of 53 studies was performed on 39 normal subjects. Ratios of total body protein to fat-free mass agreed well with those from other centres and with cadaver studies. Duplicate measurements of 14 subjects gave a coefficient of variation of +/- 2.9% for a measurement of total body protein, which is close to that calculated from the known errors of the technique of +/- 2.7%. The whole body dose equivalent was 0.17 mSv.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Medical Engineering, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mackie
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cowen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hannan
mesh_terms: D000201:Activation Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D002138:Calibration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009501:Neutron Activation Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins