title: Monte Carlo simulations: a useful tool to extend in vivo calibrations and explore alternative approaches.
abstract: Designing and testing new equipment can be an expensive and time consuming process or the desired performance characteristics may preclude its construction due to technological shortcomings. Cost may also prevent other types of scenario being tested. An alternative is to use Monte Carlo simulations to make the investigations. This paper exemplifies how Monte Carlo code calculations can be used to fill the gap by describing two investigations: (1) the possible self-attenuation of homogeneously distributed natural uranium in a lung phantom; and (2) the effect of activity deposited in the ribs on the activity estimate from a lung count.
authors.affiliation: Human Monitoring Laboratory, Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 1C1, Canada. Gary_H_Kramer@hc-sc.gc.ca
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Thind
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration / Q000592:standards*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000379:methods; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012272:Ribs / Q000378:metabolism*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D014915:Whole-Body Counting / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D014501:Uranium