Monte Carlo simulation of an anthropometric phantom used for calibrating in vivo K-XRF spectroscopy measurements of stable lead in bone.
An anthropometric surrogate (phantom) of the human leg was defined in the constructs of the Monte Carlo N Particle (MCNP) code to predict the response when used in calibrating K x-ray fluorescence (K-XRF) spectrometry measurements of stable lead in bone. The predicted response compared favorably with measurements using the anthropometric phantom containing a tibia with increasing stable lead content. These benchmark measurements confirmed the validity of a modified MCNP code to accurately simulate K-XRF spectrometry measurements of stable lead in bone. A second, cylindrical leg phantom was simulated to determine whether the shape of the calibration phantom is a significant factor in evaluating K-XRF performance. Simulations of the cylindrical and anthropometric calibration phantoms suggest that a cylindrical calibration standard overestimates lead content of a human leg up to 4%. A two-way analysis of variance determined that phantom shape is a statistically significant factor in predicting the K-XRF response. These results suggest that an anthropometric phantom provides a more accurate calibration standard compared to the conventional cylindrical shape, and that a cylindrical shape introduces a 4% positive bias in measured lead values.
Lodwick
Camille J
CJ
Oregon State University, Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics, 116 Radiation Center, Corvallis, OR 97331-5902, USA. camille.lodwick@oregonstate.edu
Spitz
Henry B
HB
D000886:Anthropometry; D019985:Benchmarking; D002138:Calibration; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis*; D007867:Leg Bones / Q000737:chemistry*; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission
D007854:Lead