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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Physics General".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 December 2021) | Viewed by 22114

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Dr. Pedro Costa

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Guest Editor

Nuclear Medicine Department, ESS - Polytechnic of Porto, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
Interests: nuclear medicine; radiopharmacy; radionuclide production
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Marco Naia

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Guest Editor

Physics Department, Sciences and Technology School, University of Coimbra, 3004-531 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: chemistry; engineering; materials science; physics

Prof. Dr. Francisco Alves

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Co-Guest Editor

ICNAS - Institute for Nuclear Science Applied to Health, University of Coimbra & ESTeSC, 3004-531 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: biophysics; cyclotrons; medical physics; radiation protection; radionuclide production
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, modern medicine has been evolving toward a direction where technology plays an important role. In such a context, applications and tools based on nuclear physics knowledge are recognized as very useful and relevant, with a direct impact for science and society. In fact, there are numerous areas that benefit from advances in the nuclear physics field, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy being two major examples of interest. Given the increasing importance of such medical specialties in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, this Special Issue of Applied Sciences aims to be an opportunity for sharing recent scientific work undertaken in the field of “Nuclear Physics in Medicine”. Thus, with this publication, the collection of original scientific contributions is intended, including theoretical or experimental work, mainly focused on instruments and methods for research using cyclotrons, innovative methods for radionuclide production, applications of radionuclides in medicine, and the exploration of radiotherapy based on charged particles, among others.

Other topics underlying the use or research of radiation physics in medicine will also be considered.

Prof. Dr. Pedro Costa
Prof. Dr. Marco Naia
Prof. Dr. Francisco Alves
Guest Editors

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Keywords

cyclotrons
nuclear medicine
nuclear physics
radionuclide production
radiotherapy

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 1033 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Uncertainties in Clinical High-Energy Photon Beam Calibrations Using Absorbed Dose Standards

by Fawzia E. M. Elbashir, Wassim Ksouri, Farouk Habbani, Ahmed M. El-Khayatt, Mohamed Hassan Eisa and Ibrahim I. Suliman

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(8), 3857; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12083857 - 11 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3314

Abstract

We compared the results of absorbed dose measurements made using the TRS-398, TG-51, and DIN protocols and their associated uncertainties to reduce discrepancies in measurement results made using the three protocols. This experiment was carried out on two Varian Medical linear accelerators with 4, 6, 10, and 20 MV photon energies using FC65-G and CC15 (cylindrical) and NACP-02-type (plane-parallel) ion chambers in water phantoms. The radiation beam quality index (Q) was determined from the measurement of percentage depth dose. It was used to determine the photon beam quality factor required with the ionization chamber calibration factor to convert the ion chamber reading into the absorbed dose to water. For the same beam quality, the TRS-398/TG-51 varied from 0.01% to 1.8%, whereas the ratio for TRS-398/DIN 6800-2 varied from 0.1% to 0.88%. The chamber-to-chamber variation was 0.09% in TRS-398/TG-51, 0.03% in TRS-398/DIN, and 0.02% in TG-51/DIN 6800-2. The expanded uncertainties (k = 1) were 1.24 and 1.25 when using TRS-398 and DIN 6800-2, respectively. Using the aforementioned three protocols, the results showed little chamber-to-chamber variation and uncertainty in absorbed dose measurements. The estimated uncertainties when using cylindrical ion chambers were slightly lower than those measured using plane-parallel chambers. The results are important in facilitating comparisons of absorbed dose measurements when using the three protocols. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nuclear and Radiation Physics in Medicine)

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19 pages, 2119 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Search for Tissue Equivalent Materials Based on Exposure and Energy Absorption Buildup Factor Computations

by Omrane Kadri and Abdulrahman Alfuraih

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(2), 798; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020798 - 13 Jan 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3032

Abstract

Tissue equivalent materials (TEM) are frequently used in research as a means to determine the delivered dose to patients undergoing various therapeutic procedures. They are used in routine quality assurance and quality control procedures in diagnostic and therapeutic physics. However, very few materials that are tissue equivalent have been developed for use in research at the low photon energies involved in diagnosis radiology. The objective of this study is to describe a series of TEMs designed to radiographically imitate human tissue at diagnostic photon energies. TEMs for adipose, cortical bone, fat, lung, and muscle tissues were investigated in terms of energy absorption and exposure buildup factors for photon energy range 15–150 keV and for penetration depths up to 40 mean free path. BUF was computed based on GP-fitting method. Moreover, we also compared some radiological properties, including the total attenuation and the energy-absorption attenuation, the effective atomic number, and the CT number at 30, 100, and 120 kVp. We found that SB3, Glycerol trioleate, and MS15 perfectly mimic cortical bone, fat, and muscle tissues, respectively. Additionally, AP6 and Stracey latex are good TEM for adipose and lung tissues, respectively. The results of this work should be useful in radiation diagnosis and dosimetry applications for the large physician researcher community. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nuclear and Radiation Physics in Medicine)

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12 pages, 36846 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of X-ray Radiation Detectability Using Fabricated ZnO-PB Based Extended Gate Field-Effect Transistor as X-ray Dosimeters

by Amal Mohamed Ahmed Ali, Naser M. Ahmed, Norlaili A. Kabir, Mohammed Khalil Mohammed Ali, Hanan Akhdar, Osamah A. Aldaghri, Khalid Hassan Ibnaouf and Abdelmoneim Sulieman

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(23), 11258; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112311258 - 27 Nov 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1744

Abstract

A new design of the MOSFET dosimeter is being developed in a different study to measure the dose delivered to the tissue layers. Development of zinc oxide-Lead (ZnO-Pb) of different thicknesses fabricated by chemical bath deposition were investigated to study their sensitivity following irradiation using a low absorbed dose that can be used in diagnostic and interventional radiology (9, 36.5, and 70 mGy) and high absorbed dose (1, 5, and 10 Gy) of X-ray. The morphology and structure of the as-prepared films were analysed using FESEM and XRD measurements. The device relies on sensing the changes in the local electric field arising from radiation interactions in the absorber, coupled with the semiconductor materials used in this work—ZnO-Pb as the EGFET. Then the sensitivity of all devices was examined. Generally, thin-film devices showed less sensitivity to X-ray than the disk type. The sensitivity of the thin film dropped from 6.66 mV/to 1.42 mV/Gy, while the sensitivity of the ZnO-Pb disk type was 23.3 mV/Gy, which then dropped to 6.30 6.42 mV/Gy. Furthermore, the disk type ZnO-Pb was exposed to a high absorbed dose and obtained a sensitivity value of 0.08 mV/Gy, while the ZnO-Pb thin film obtained 0.01 mV/Gy. This can be related to the influence of thickness on the sensitivity of the dosimeter. However, the device’s performance characteristics, like sensitivity to radiation exposure and operating dose area, were discovered to be strongly dependent on the materials employed, effective atomic number, and thickness of the materials. Based on the results shown above, these devices might be considered a low-cost candidate for real-time -radiation dosimetry at room temperature. Furthermore, the thickest sample of 1 mm showed better sensitivity to radiation, compared to the thinner samples. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nuclear and Radiation Physics in Medicine)

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21 pages, 7578 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermal Simulation Studies for the Characterization of a Cyclotron Liquid Target with Thick Niobium Target Windows

by Sergio J. C. do Carmo, Pedro M. de Oliveira and Francisco Alves

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(22), 10922; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112210922 - 18 Nov 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2035

Abstract

This work presents a simulation model developed with the aim to represent and study the thermal behavior of cyclotron liquid targets. Understanding and improving the thermal behavior of the target system is fundamental to improving the target overall performance, especially when using thick target windows, for which a larger amount of heat generated can be limiting. ANSYS CFX and SRIM software were used to develop a simulation model representing the IBA Nirta^® Ga-68 liquid target system, to study the use of thick niobium target windows. The model was validated by comparing the results with experimental data obtained for the same liquid target system. In the present study, simulation results and temperature distributions of the main target components were obtained by studying the main parameters of interests, such as the initial temperature and mass flow rate of the coolants, and also distinct target windows with different thicknesses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nuclear and Radiation Physics in Medicine)

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10 pages, 1411 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Radiation Protection Evaluations Following the Installations of Two Cardiovascular Digital X-ray Fluoroscopy Systems

by Ibrahim I. Suliman, Abdelmoneim Sulieman and Essam Mattar

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(20), 9749; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11209749 - 19 Oct 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3705

Abstract

Acceptance testing and commission are essential elements of the quality assurance program for imaging equipment. We present the results of a performance evaluation of Flat Panel-Based Cardiovascular Fluoroscopy X-ray Systems as a part of acceptance testing and commissioning. Measurements were obtained using a calibrated dose rate meter, patient equivalent phantoms, and Leeds image quality test tools. The results were compared with the manufacturer and European acceptability criteria. The entrance surface air kerma (ESAK) rate ranged from 8.0 to 12.0 mGy min⁻¹ in the continuous mode and from 0.01 to 0.04 mGy fr⁻¹ in the pulsed mode of operation. Detector-input air kerma rates ranged from 0.29 to 0.39 mGy min⁻¹ in continuous mode and from 0.02 to 0.07 µGy fr⁻¹ in pulsed mode. Fluoroscopy device half-value layer (HVL) ranged from 2.5 to 3.0 mm Al, and the low resolution ranged from 0.9 to 1.3%. The spatial resolution limit was double that of the image intensifier (2.4 to 3.6) lp/mm. Flat-panel fluoroscopy demonstrated superior image quality and dose performance as compared to conventional image intensifier-based fluoroscopy. The quality assurance measurements presented are essential in the rapid evaluation of the imaging system for acceptance testing and commissioning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nuclear and Radiation Physics in Medicine)

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8 pages, 1083 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modified Contrast-Detail Phantom for Determination of the CT Scanners Abilities for Low-Contrast Detection

by Moshi Geso, Salem Saeed Alghamdi, Abdulrahman Tajaldeen, Rowa Aljondi, Hind Alghamdi, Ali Zailae, Essam H. Mattar, Nissren Tamam, Abdullah Aljehani, Hiba Omer and Abdelmoneim Sulieman

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(14), 6661; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11146661 - 20 Jul 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3033

Abstract

Computerised tomography (CT) continues to be a corner stone medical and radiologic imaging modalities in radiology and radiotherapy departments. Its importance lies in its efficiency in low contrast detectability (LCD). The assessment of such capabilities requires rigorous image quality analysis using special designed phantoms with different densities as well as variation in atomic mass numbers (A) of the material. Absence of such ranges of densities and atomic mass numbers, limits the dynamic range of assessment. An example is Catphan phantom which represents only three subject contrast levels 0.3, 0.5 and 1 per cent. This project aims to present a phantom with extended range of available subject contrast to include very low-level values and to increase its dynamic scale. With this design, a relatively large number of different contrast objects (holes) can be presented for imaging by a CT scanner to assess its LCD ability. We shall thus introduce another LCD phantom to complement the existing ones, such as Catphan. The cylindrical phantom is constructed using Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), with craters (holes) having dimensions that gradually increase from 1.0 to 12.5 mm penetrated in configuration that extend from the centre to the corner. Each line of the drilled holes in the phantom is filled with contrast material of specific concentrations. As opposed to the phantom of low detail contrast used in planar imaging, the iodine (contrast material) in this phantom replaces the depth of the phantom holes. The iodine could be reduced to 0.2 l milli-Molar (mM) and can be varied for the next line of holes by a small increment depending on the required level of contrast detectability assessment required. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nuclear and Radiation Physics in Medicine)

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12 pages, 2896 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Imaging Protocol and Patients Radiation Exposure in Computed Tomography Colonography

by Mohammed Alsufayan, Abdelmoneim Sulieman, Rayan Moslem, Abdullah Asiri, Abdullah Alomary, Bandar M. Alanazi, Hassan Aldossari, Batil Alonazi and David A. Bradley

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(11), 4761; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114761 - 22 May 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3510

Abstract

In the screening and identifying of colon and rectum malignancy, computed tomography colonography (CTC) is a highly effective imaging technique, albeit patients receiving a significant effective dose. Accordingly, patient dose evaluation is an important need, seeking to ensure benefits outweigh the projected cancer risk. Objective: For CTC procedures carried out in the Radiology Department, Medical Imaging Operation Services, King Fahad Medical City (KFMC), evaluation is done using the current American College of Radiology (ACR) imaging protocol and concomitant patient-effective doses. Study is carried out on a sample size of 55 CTC procedures, involving 25 males (45%) and 30 females (55%). The patients were classified as follows: two groups based on CT machine; four groups based on the applied protocol; and three groups based on the procedure results. All procedures were carried out using two machines, the products of two different vendors (a GE Healthcare DISCOVERY CT 750 HD 64 slices dual-energy scanner and a Philips Brilliance CT 64 slices scanner). The overall mean, standard deviation (SD), median, and range of the effective dose (in mSv) were 11.57 ± 7.75, 9.25 (2.17–31.93). Automatic tube current modulation (ATCM) shows a significant increase in CTDI_vol up to 69% and effective dose (mSv) up to 95% than the manual tube current (mA) compared to the standard protocol. The CT protocol variation results in a three-fold variation in patient-effective dose. The technologist role is crucial in selecting a noise reference based on patient weight and adjusting tube current per slice to avoid overexposure during ATCM protocol. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nuclear and Radiation Physics in Medicine)

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