A Study of Dose Rates and Phantom Measurements of Radioisotopes used in Nuclear Medicine

Joshua Ierace:
A Study of Dose Rates and Phantom Measurements of Radioisotopes used in Nuclear Medicine Imaging and Therapy Procedures

Supervisors
Mario Djukelic (Department of Medical Technology and Physics, SCGH)
Christine Sinnott (Department of Medical Technology and Physics, SCGH)
Rikki Nezich (Department of Medical Technology and Physics, SCGH)
Paul Brayshaw (Department of Nuclear Medicine and WA PET Centre, SCGH)
Dr. Pejman Rowshan Farzad (School of Physics, Maths and Computing, Physics,
UWA)

Research Plan:
Patients that are administered radiopharmaceuticals for radioisotope therapies and/or diagnostic imaging procedures are sources of radiation exposure. Healthcare workers and other professionals have demonstrated concerns regarding exposure from radioactive patients [1]. Various studies have explored the dose rates from nuclear medicine patients at different time periods, such as at time
of injection, time of patient discharge, and from previously treated patients returning for a medical follow-up [2, 3].
These dose rates can be used to estimate the absorbed dose to healthcare workers such as nurses, sonographers, doctors, physicists and nuclear medicine technologists, as well as carers and the general public [4].
This research project aims to validate the software “NuMex” (Nuclear Medicine External Exposures) currently employed at the Department of Medical Technology and Physics and the Nuclear Medicine Department at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH). To validate this model, phantom measurements and dose rate measurements will need to be conducted for a variety of different types of radioisotopes used in nuclear medicine. An emphasis will be on radionuclides that are commonly used for radioisotope therapies, as the energies of these radionuclides are generally higher and pose higher health concerns [1]. Comparing both calculated dose rates and measured dose rates with NuMex has the potential to validate this model as an effective and useful tool in providing accurate
and safe precautions for individuals interacting with nuclear medicine patients.
The implementation of this validated model could be used to delay procedures involving staff and nuclear medicine patients, in order to reduce occupational exposure to staff and plan/schedule treatments more efficiently.

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