Counting 241Am in the BfS Human Skull Phantom on Contact—Evaluation in the Human Monitoring Laboratory. Issue 3 (March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Chunsheng; Hauck, Barry; Capello, Kevin; Nogueira, Pedro; Lopez, Maria A.; Kramer, Gary H.
• Is Part Of: Health physics. Volume 108:Issue 3(2015:Mar.)
• Publication Date: 2015-03
• Subjects: Biophysics -- Periodicals; Health Physics -- periodicals; Radiation Protection -- periodicals; Radiotherapy -- periodicals; Medische fysica; Electronic journals; 612.01448
• DOI: 10.1097/HP.0000000000000180
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0017-9078

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Skull counting can be used to assess the activity of radionuclides internally deposited in the bone. The Human Monitoring Laboratory (HML) at Health Canada conducted the measurement of ²⁴¹Am in the BfS (Bundesamt für Strahlenschuts) skull phantom on contact with the skull for various positions. By placing the detector in contact, the HML can improve the counting efficiency by over 20% compared to placing the detector 1 cm above the surface of the skull. Among all the positions tested, the forehead position is the preferred counting geometry due to the design of HML's counting facility and the comfort it would provide to the individual being counted, although this counting position did not offer the highest counting efficiency for the gamma rays (either the 59.5 keV or the 26.3 keV) emitted by ²⁴¹Am.</p> </sec> </abstract>