title: Calibration of the photon component of 198Au stents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  198Au has promising characteristics for radioactive stent material, having properties as a mixed beta-particle and gamma emitter. Calibration of these radioactive stents is required to provide accurate clinical dosimetry.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have developed an electroplating technique to incorporate stable gold onto stents followed by activation to 198Au in the University of Wisconsin nuclear reactor. The calibration method is a modification of the NIST traceable, in-air calibration technique for high-dose-rate (HDR) 192Ir sources.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The air-kerma strength of HDR and low-dose-rate (LDR) sources was measured for proof of principle and found to agree to within 3% of values obtained with other NIST traceable calibration techniques. The photon component of two 198Au radioactive stents was measured over a period of 3 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The air-kerma strength of HDR and LDR sources was measured for proof of principle and found to agree to within 3% of values obtained with other NIST traceable calibration techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA. wsculberson@wisc.edu
authors.forename: Wesley S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Culberson
authors.forename: Larry A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: DeWerd
authors.forename: Bruce R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Thomadsen
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Micka
authors.forename: Tim D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Bohm
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D006050:Gold Radioisotopes; D017785:Photons; D015607:Stents
chemical_list: D006050:Gold Radioisotopes