title: Development of age-specific Japanese head phantoms for dose evaluation in paediatric head CT examinations.
abstract: In this study, the authors developed age-specific physical head phantoms simulating the physique of Japanese children for dose evaluation in paediatric head computed tomography (CT) examinations. Anatomical structures at 99 places in 0-, 0.5-, 1- and 3-y-old Japanese patients were measured using DICOM viewer software from CT images, and the head phantom of each age was designed. For trial manufacture, a 3-y-old head phantom consisting of acrylic resin and gypsum was produced by machine processing. Radiation doses for the head phantom were measured with radiophotoluminescence glass dosemeters and Si-pin photodiode dosemeters. To investigate whether the phantom shape was suitable for dose evaluation, organ doses in the same scan protocol were compared between the 3-y-old head and commercially available anthropomorphic phantoms having approximately the same head size. The doses of organs in both phantoms were equivalent. The authors' designed paediatric head phantom will be useful for dose evaluation in paediatric head CT examinations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 1-1-20 Daikominami, Higashi-ku, Nagoya 461-8673, Japan kawaura@met.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yamauchi-Kawaura
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 1-1-20 Daikominami, Higashi-ku, Nagoya 461-8673, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.affiliation: Radiological Protection Section, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akahane
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiology, Aichi Medical University Hospital, Nagakute, Aichi 480-1195, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.affiliation: Techno-Rad, Inc., 50-8, Higashi Arami, Tai, Miyama-cho, Kuze-gun, Kyoto 613-0036, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Narai
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 1-1-20 Daikominami, Higashi-ku, Nagoya 461-8673, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aoyama
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiology, Nagoya University Hospital, Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katsu
authors.affiliation: Radiological Protection Section, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Obara
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 1-1-20 Daikominami, Higashi-ku, Nagoya 461-8673, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 1-1-20 Daikominami, Higashi-ku, Nagoya 461-8673, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D065638:Absorption, Radiation; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006257:Head / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation*