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Voxel model of a rabbit: assessment of absorbed doses in organs after CT examination performed by two different protocols

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Abstract

The objective of this work was to assess absorbed doses in organs and tissues of a rabbit, following computed tomography (CT) examinations, using a dedicated 3D voxel model. Absorbed doses in relevant organs were calculated using the MCNP5 Monte Carlo software. Calculations were perfomed for two standard CT protocols, using tube voltages of 110 kVp and 130 kVp. Absorbed doses were calculated in 11 organs and tissues, i.e., skin, bones, brain, muscles, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidney, testicles, and fat tissue. The doses ranged from 15.3 to 28.3 mGy, and from 40.2 to 74.3 mGy, in the two investigated protocols. The organs that received the highest dose were bones and kidneys. In contrast, brain and spleen were organs that received the smallest doses. Doses in organs which are stretched along the body did not change significantly with distance. On the other hand, doses in organs which are localized in the body showed maximums and minimums. Using the voxel model, it is possible to calculate the dose distribution in the rabbit’s body after CT scans, and study the potential biological effects of CT doses in certain organs. The voxel model presented in this work can be used to calculated doses in all radiation experiments in which rabbits are used as experimental animals.

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Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

source photon as calculated with MCNP5 for various positions along the rabbit axis for 110 kVp (upper panel) and 130 kVp (lower panel). Distance was measured from the coordinate origin (see Fig. 1A)

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development (Agreement no. 451-03-9/2021-14/200122 and 451-03-9/2021-14/200143).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology and Radiation Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

    M. Mitrovic, N. Krstic & M. Lazarevic-Macanovic

  2. Radiation Protection Department, Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

    O. Ciraj-Bjelac

  3. Faculty of Science, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia

    Z. Jovanovic, D. Krstic & M. Zivkovic

  4. State University of Novi Pazar, Novi Pazar, Serbia

    D. Nikezic

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  1. M. Mitrovic
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  2. O. Ciraj-Bjelac
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  3. Z. Jovanovic
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  4. N. Krstic
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  5. D. Nikezic
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  6. D. Krstic
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  7. M. Zivkovic
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  8. M. Lazarevic-Macanovic
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Correspondence to D. Nikezic.

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The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Ethical standards

The study was conducted in line with existing ethical normatives and based on the Permission of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection—Veterinary Directorate, Republic of Serbia No. 323-07-03455/2015-05/5.

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Mitrovic, M., Ciraj-Bjelac, O., Jovanovic, Z. et al. Voxel model of a rabbit: assessment of absorbed doses in organs after CT examination performed by two different protocols. Radiat Environ Biophys 60, 631–638 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-021-00941-7

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