Evaluation of a Proposed Biodegradable 188Re Source for Brachytherapy Application: A Review of Dosimetric Parameters

Quantitative assessment of full-width at half-maximum and detector energy threshold in X-ray imaging systems

BACKGROUND

The response function of imaging systems is regularly considered to improve the qualified maps in various fields. More the accuracy of this function, the higher the quality of the images.

METHODS

In this study, a distinct analytical relationship between full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) value and detector energy thresholds at distinct tube peak voltage of 100 kV has been addressed in X-ray imaging. The outcomes indicate that the behavior of the function is exponential. The relevant cut-off frequency and summation of point spread function S(PSF) were assessed at large and detailed energy ranges.

RESULTS

A compromise must be made between cut-off frequency and FWHM to determine the optimal model. By detailed energy range, the minimum and maximum of S(PSF) values were revealed at 20 keV and 48 keV, respectively, by 2979 and 3073. Although the maximum value of FWHM occurred at the energy of 48 keV by 224 mm, its minimum value was revealed at 62 keV by 217 mm. Generally, FWHM value converged to 220 mm and S(PSF) to 3026 with small fluctuations. Consequently, there is no need to increase the voltage of the X-ray tube after the energy threshold of 20 keV.

CONCLUSION

The proposed FWHM function may be used in designing the setup of the imaging parameters in order to reduce the absorbed dose and obtain the final accurate maps using the related mathematical suggestions.

Biomedical Radioactive Glasses for Brachytherapy

The fight against cancer is an old challenge for mankind. Apart from surgery and chemotherapy, which are the most common treatments, use of radiation represents a promising, less invasive strategy that can be performed both from the outside or inside the body. The latter approach, also known as brachytherapy, relies on the use of implantable beta-emitting seeds or microspheres for killing cancer cells. A set of radioactive glasses have been developed for this purpose but their clinical use is still mainly limited to liver cancer. This review paper provides a picture of the biomedical glasses developed and experimented for brachytherapy so far, focusing the discussion on the production methods and current limitations of the available options to their diffusion in clinical practice. Highly-durable neutron-activatable glasses in the yttria-alumina-silica oxide system are typically preferred in order to avoid the potentially-dangerous release of radioisotopes, while the compositional design of degradable glass systems suitable for use in radiotherapy still remains a challenge and would deserve further investigation in the near future.

Sol-gel-derived 58S bioactive glass containing holmium aiming brachytherapy applications: A dissolution, bioactivity, and cytotoxicity study

Bioactive glasses containing rare earth elements have been proposed as promising candidates for applications in brachytherapy of bone cancer. However, their safety relies on a proper dissolution to avoid radioactive materials in the human body, and desirable bioactive properties to regenerate the bone defect caused by the tumor. In this work, we proposed a new series of sol-gel-derived bioactive glasses containing holmium oxide, based on the system (100-x)(58SiO₂-33CaO-9P₂O₅)-xHo₂O₃ (x = 1.25, 2.5 and 5 wt%). The glasses were characterized regarding their dissolution behavior, bioactivity, and cytotoxicity with pre-osteoblastic cells. Also, in the dissolution experiments, the Arrhenius and Eyring equations were used to obtain some thermodynamic properties of glass dissolution. The results evidenced that the addition of holmium ions in the glass structure decreased the energy barrier of hydrolysis reactions, which favors glass dissolution in an early-stage. However, in the long-term, the strength of Si-O-Ho bonds may be the cause of more stable dissolution. Besides, glasses containing holmium were as bioactive as the 58S bioactive glasses, a highly bioactive composition. Cytotoxicity results showed that all glasses were not cytotoxic, and the composition containing 5 wt.% of Ho₂O₃ enhanced cell viability. Finally, these results suggest that these glasses are suitable materials for brachytherapy applications due to their proper dissolution behavior, high bioactivity, and high cell viability.

Introducing a novel coefficient on mixed-nanoparticles material: relationship between the theoretical and experimental densities

Nanoparticles (NPs) indicating a unique potential in bioradiation and nuclear reactor shielding are employed in many fields due to their particular specifications leading improving the mechanical properties as well as pore structure of the concrete-shield. The aim was to introduce a novel coefficient ( ξ ), namely the experimental to theoretical density ratio for mixed-NPs material at various nanoparticles percent concentrations (ω n a n o ) based on pure mathematical aspects along with the some suitable physical purposes by Monte Carlo method. The change in the mixture density to the change inω n a n o is always proportional to theω n a n o value. The density will become maximum at theω n a n o ∗ in which the physical, morphological and chemical features of NPs along with the amounts of voids in the material have a key role over estimating porosity percentage. The NPs' separation probability as born-cascaded-pairs towards very small radii may be formulated as ξ - ξ - 1 + ω n a n o ∗ + k ' ' | ω n a n o - ω n a n o ∗ | = k ' wherek ' andk ' ' are constant values. In conclusion, the theoretical results may be experimentally used in future work for different applications such as designing shield at a nuclear facility.

Determination of Gamma Camera's Calibration Factors for Quantitation of Diagnostic Radionuclides in Simultaneous Scattering and Attenuation Correction

OBJECTIVE

The characterization of cancerous tissue and bone metastasis can be distinguished by accurate assessment of accumulated uptake and activity from different radioisotopes. The various parameters and phenomena such as calibration factor, Compton scattering, attenuation and penetration intrinsicallyinfluence calibration equation, and the qualification of images as well.

METHODS

The camera calibration factor (CF) translates reconstructed count map into absolute activity map, which is determined by both planar and tomographic scans using different phantom geometries. In this study, the CF for radionuclides of Tc-99m and Sm-153 in soft tissue and bone was simulated by the Monte Carlo method, and experimental results were obtained in equivalent tissue and bone phantoms. It may be employed for the simultaneous correction of the scattering and attenuation rays interacted with the camera, leading to corrected counts. Also, the target depth (d) may be estimated by a combination of scattering and photoelectric functions, which we have published before.

RESULTS

The calibrated equations for soft tissue phantom for the radionuclides were obtained by RTc = - 10d+ 300 and RSm = -8d + 100, and the relative errors between the simulated and experimental results were 4.5% and 3.1%, respectively. The equations for bone phantom were RTc = -30d + 300 and RSm = - 10d + 100, and the relative errors were 5.4% and 5.6%. The R and d are in terms of cpm/mCi and cm. Besides, the collimators' impact was evaluated on the camera response, and the relevant equations were obtained by the Monte Carlo method. The calibrated equations as a function of various radiation angles on the center of camera's cells without using collimator indicated that both sources have the same quadratic coefficient by -2E-08 and same vertical width from the origin by 8E-05.

CONCLUSION

The presented procedure may help determine the absorbed dose in the target and likewise optimize treatment planning.

Spectroscopy and Optimizing Semiconductor Detector Data Under X and γ Photons Using Image Processing Technique

BACKGROUND

Spectroscopy is the study of the absorption and emission of light or other radiation by material. It is used to measure intensity of radiation by a function of wavelength.

METHODS

The spectra of semiconductor detector cadmium tungstate from water, iron, lead, aluminum, and soft tissue targets were experimentally obtained through incident 1E-3 GeV X-ray and ⁶⁰Co γ-ray and then optimized. The amounts of transmitting radiation attenuation were calculated in 0.2-2 cm thicknesses of the materials using reduction coefficient in theory. Data obtained from FLUKA's simulations were then compared with theoretical values by dividing per theoretical parameter, and mean values were obtained for the attenuation coefficients. Finally, by using the MATLAB software, these corrected coefficients were applied to the simulated data, and the spectra were replotted to optimize the detected values.

RESULTS

These obtained parameters increased while the material density increased, except for water and soft tissue materials under γ-ray of ⁶⁰Co. The multiple Compton scattering inside the low-density material affected the γ-photon deviation to reach the crystal. Also, iron had the lowest values of mass attenuation coefficient for both incident radiations, causing a great corrected coefficient and then a greater count in redrawing.

DISCUSSION

Although the lead material had the greatest density and X-attenuation coefficient, it revealed large amounts for both corrected coefficients, X and γ rays, of 100.90848 and 1.90900, respectively. In count estimation, results showed that the simulated spectra after optimization are more similar to practical spectra.

CONCLUSION

The policy on reducing radiation damage from ionizing particles necessitates evaluation of various material behaviors to determine which one will be instrumental for imaging or radiotherapy concerns.