title: An interlaboratory comparison of dosimetry for a multi-institutional radiobiological research project: Observations, problems, solutions and lessons learned.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  An interlaboratory comparison of radiation dosimetry was conducted to determine the accuracy of doses being used experimentally for animal exposures within a large multi-institutional research project. The background and approach to this effort are described and discussed in terms of basic findings, problems and solutions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dosimetry tests were carried out utilizing optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimeters embedded midline into mouse carcasses and thermal luminescence dosimeters (TLD) embedded midline into acrylic phantoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The effort demonstrated that the majority (4/7) of the laboratories was able to deliver sufficiently accurate exposures having maximum dosing errors of ≤5%. Comparable rates of 'dosimetric compliance' were noted between OSL- and TLD-based tests. Data analysis showed a highly linear relationship between 'measured' and 'target' doses, with errors falling largely between 0 and 20%. Outliers were most notable for OSL-based tests, while multiple tests by 'non-compliant' laboratories using orthovoltage X-rays contributed heavily to the wide variation in dosing errors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For the dosimetrically non-compliant laboratories, the relatively high rates of dosing errors were problematic, potentially compromising the quality of ongoing radiobiological research. This dosimetry effort proved to be instructive in establishing rigorous reviews of basic dosimetry protocols ensuring that dosing errors were minimized.
authors: a Tech Micro Services Co , Bethesda , MD , USA ;
authors: Thomas M
authors: TM
authors: Seed
authors: b Department of Genetics , University of Georgia , Athens , GA , USA ;
authors: Shiyun
authors: S
authors: Xiao
authors: b Department of Genetics , University of Georgia , Athens , GA , USA ;
authors: Nancy
authors: N
authors: Manley
authors: c Department of Immunology , Arizona Center for Aging, University of Arizona , Tucson , AZ , USA ;
authors: Janko
authors: J
authors: Nikolich-Zugich
authors: c Department of Immunology , Arizona Center for Aging, University of Arizona , Tucson , AZ , USA ;
authors: Jason
authors: J
authors: Pugh
authors: d Division of Hematologic Oncology , Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center , New York , NY , USA ;
authors: Marcel
authors: M
authors: Van den Brink
authors: e Division of Cellular and Molecular Toxicology , National Institute of Health Sciences , Tokyo , Japan ;
authors: Yoko
authors: Y
authors: Hirabayashi
authors: f Department of Immunology , University of Tokushima , Tokushima , Japan ;
authors: Koji
authors: K
authors: Yasutomo
authors: g Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine , Chiba University , Chiba , Japan ;
authors: Atsushi
authors: A
authors: Iwama
authors: h Department of Microbiology and Immunology , Keio University , Tokyo , Japan ;
authors: Shigeo
authors: S
authors: Koyasu
authors: i Human Vaccine Institute, Departments of Pathology and Medicine , Duke University , Durham , NC , USA ;
authors: Ivo
authors: I
authors: Shterev
authors: i Human Vaccine Institute, Departments of Pathology and Medicine , Duke University , Durham , NC , USA ;
authors: Gregory
authors: G
authors: Sempowski
authors: j Division of Allergy , Immunology and Transplantation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA ;
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Macchiarini
authors: k Department of Radiobiology and Molecular Epidemiology , Radiation Effects Research Foundation , Hiroshima , Japan ;
authors: Kei
authors: K
authors: Nakachi
authors: l Medical Radiation Research Center, University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA.
authors: Keith C
authors: KC
authors: Kunugi
authors: l Medical Radiation Research Center, University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA.
authors: Clifford G
authors: CG
authors: Hammer
authors: l Medical Radiation Research Center, University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA.
authors: Lawrence A
authors: LA
authors: Dewerd
mesh_terms: D065638:Absorption, Radiation; D000818:Animals; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007753:Laboratories / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D051379:Mice; D000069079:Radiation Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014915:Whole-Body Counting / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Dosimetry; OSL/TLD dosimeters; animal models; dose-response curve; haematology; ionizing; radiation