title: Calculation of the maximum allowed ambient dose rate outside CT rooms to quantitatively assess the structural shielding performance.
abstract: The goal of this study was to develop a method to quantitatively assess the structural shielding performance of computed tomography (CT) rooms in Switzerland. The method was based on the comparison between calculated maximum allowed ambient dose rate (DR) and measured ambient DR in adjacent spaces. If the measured DR exceeds the calculated maximum allowed value, additional shielding is required; otherwise the shielding is sufficient. The maximum allowed ambient DR was calculated using two different shielding concepts either based on the tube loading of the scanner or on the accumulated dose length product of the scans. The method was validated for 36 spiral CT head protocols. The average ratio of the maximum allowed ambient DR between both concepts was 1.11 (range 0.57-2.14). Among 36 CT rooms, 7 room boundaries were insufficiently shielded. In conclusion, this method allows the authority to check on-site the compliance of the structural shielding with legal requirements.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Protection Division, Federal Office of Public Health, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Treier
authors.affiliation: Radiation Protection Division, Federal Office of Public Health, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Landis
authors.affiliation: Radiation Protection Division, Federal Office of Public Health, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Th
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Theiler
authors.affiliation: Radiation Protection Division, Federal Office of Public Health, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stritt
authors.affiliation: Radiation Protection Division, Federal Office of Public Health, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ph R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Trueb
authors.affiliation: Radiation Protection Division, Federal Office of Public Health, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baechler
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D011482:Protective Devices; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection; D013557:Switzerland; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed