title: Comparison of computed tomography shielding design methods using RadShield.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To comprehensively compare four computed tomography (CT) scanner shielding design methods using RadShield, a Java-based graphical user interface (GUI).
  
  
  METHODS
  RadShield, a floor plan based GUI, was extended to calculate air kerma and barrier thickness using accepted methods from the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP), the British Institute of Radiology, and a method using isodose maps, for spatially distributed points beyond user defined barriers. For a stationary CT scanner, the overall shielding recommendations found using RadShield were also compared to those found by American Board of Radiology certified diagnostic medical physicists using the conventional NCRP dose length product method and the isodose map method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results between methods differed significantly for calculation point locations beyond the gantry and to the rear of the gantry. Overall shielding design recommendations across the four methods yielded similar average air kerma and thickness values for the barriers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RadShield was extended to perform CT shielding design and proved reliable using four methods.
authors.affiliation: Division of Diagnostic Imaging Physics, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Suite 3A, Zero Emerson Place, Boston, MA 02114, United States of America.
authors.forename: Matthew C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: DeLorenzo
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Dee H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Weiyuan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Isaac B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Rutel
mesh_terms: D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed