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Residual radioactivity determination of brass aperture irradiated with wobbling proton beam by considering volume-source geometries

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the residual radioactivity of the patient-specific brass aperture induced by the proton beam of a single-ring wobbling system and the consequent radiation exposure to patients and staff. The gamma-ray spectra of the activated brass block were obtained using a high-purity germanium detector, following which the radionuclides were analyzed. Residual activity within the brass block was measured through the efficiency transfer method, and volume-source models were developed according to the distribution of the residual activity. The fitting equations for efficiency transfer factors were established with consideration of the activity distribution along the proton-beam direction. The ambient dose rate contributed by the activated brass was reduced to the level of the background radiation within approximately 3 h. Nevertheless, the residual activity of induced radionuclides with long half-lives, such as cobalt, which dominate the residual activity, should be monitored to ensure radiation safety.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the grants from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CMRPD1C0681, CMRPD1C0682, and CIRPD1C0053) and Ministry of Science and Technology, R.O.C (MOST 105-2314-B-182-033). The authors thank Particle Physics and Beam Delivery Core Laboratory of the Institute for Radiological Research, Chang Gung University/Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou for assistance with dose assessments. Hui-Yu Tsai is supported by Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (BMRPA61).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan

    Hui-Yu Tsai & Rong-Jiun Sheu

  2. Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan

    Hui-Yu Tsai & Rong-Jiun Sheu

  3. Department of Radiation Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, 333, Taiwan

    Bao-Yuan Wang, Hsien-Hsin Chen & Meei-Ling Jan

  4. Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, 259, Wen-Hwa 1st Rd., Kwei-Shan, Taoyuan, 333, Taiwan

    Hsien-Hsin Chen & Yung-Chieh Lin

  5. Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, 259, Wen-Hwa 1st rd., Taoyuan, 333, Taiwan

    Yung-Chieh Lin

  6. Medical Physics Research Center, Institute for Radiological Research, Chang Gung University / Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan City, Taiwan

    Meei-Ling Jan

  7. Health Physics Division, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan

    Fang-Yu Hsu

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  1. Hui-Yu Tsai
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Correspondence to Hui-Yu Tsai.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on A Sustainable Future for Medical Physics

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Tsai, HY., Wang, BY., Chen, HH. et al. Residual radioactivity determination of brass aperture irradiated with wobbling proton beam by considering volume-source geometries. Health Technol. 10, 1445–1454 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12553-020-00466-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12553-020-00466-x

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