title: Scattered Dose Calculations and Measurements in a Life-Like Mouse Phantom.
abstract: Anatomically accurate phantoms are useful tools for radiation dosimetry studies. In this work, we demonstrate the construction of a new generation of life-like mouse phantoms in which the methods have been generalized to be applicable to the fabrication of any small animal. The mouse phantoms, with built-in density inhomogeneity, exhibit different scattering behavior dependent on where the radiation is delivered. Computer models of the mouse phantoms and a small animal irradiation platform were devised in Monte Carlo N-Particle code (MCNP). A baseline test replicating the irradiation system in a computational model shows minimal differences from experimental results from 50 Gy down to 0.1 Gy. We observe excellent agreement between scattered dose measurements and simulation results from X-ray irradiations focused at either the lung or the abdomen within our phantoms. This study demonstrates the utility of our mouse phantoms as measurement tools with the goal of using our phantoms to verify complex computational models.
authors.affiliation: a   Center for Radiological Research, Columbia University, New York, New York.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Welch
authors.affiliation: a   Center for Radiological Research, Columbia University, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: b   Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, Englewood, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Speiser
authors.affiliation: a   Center for Radiological Research, Columbia University, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Randers-Pehrson
authors.affiliation: a   Center for Radiological Research, Columbia University, New York, New York.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Brenner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000528:radiation effects*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging / Q000662:veterinary*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000662:veterinary*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000662:veterinary; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000662:veterinary*