title: Dosimetry of a cone beam CT device for oral and maxillofacial radiology using Monte Carlo techniques and ICRP adult reference computational phantoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to calculate organ and effective doses for a range of available protocols in a particular cone beam CT (CBCT) scanner dedicated to dentistry and to derive effective dose conversion factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Monte Carlo simulations were used to calculate organ and effective doses using the International Commission on Radiological Protection voxel adult male and female reference phantoms (AM and AF) in an i-CAT CBCT. Nine different fields of view (FOVs) were simulated considering full- and half-rotation modes, and also a high-resolution acquisition for a particular protocol. Dose-area product (DAP) was measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dose to organs varied for the different FOVs, usually being higher in the AF phantom. For 360°, effective doses were in the range of 25-66 μSv, and 46 μSv for full head. Higher contributions to the effective dose corresponded to the remainder (31%; 27-36 range), salivary glands (23%; 20-29%), thyroid (13%; 8-17%), red bone marrow (10%; 9-11%) and oesophagus (7%; 4-10%). The high-resolution protocol doubled the standard resolution doses. DAP values were between 181 mGy cm(2) and 556 mGy cm(2) for 360°. For 180° protocols, dose to organs, effective dose and DAP were approximately 40% lower. A conversion factor (DAP to effective dose) of 0.130 ± 0.006 μSv mGy(-1) cm(-2) was derived for all the protocols, excluding full head. A wide variation in dose to eye lens and thyroid was found when shifting the FOV in the AF phantom.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Organ and effective doses varied according to field size, acquisition angle and positioning of the beam relative to radiosensitive organs. Good positive correlation between calculated effective dose and measured DAP was found.
authors.affiliation: Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Servei de Protecci Radiològica Sant Llorenç 21, 43201 Reus, Spain. juanjose.morant@urv.cat
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Morant
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salvadó
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hernández-Girón
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Casanovas
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calzado
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007568:Jaw / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D009928:Organ Specificity; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000592:standards*; D011874:Radiometry; D012016:Reference Values; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed