Speaker: Dr. Mauro Tambasco
Topic: “A Computational Tool for Computing kV X-ray Dose ”
Time: 2 p.m., Friday, October 11, 2013
Place: P-148 (Refreshments will be served at 1:45 in P-145A)
Abstract:
Significant kilovoltage (kV) x-ray dose can be accrued by patients undergoing interventional radiology or daily imaging for image guided radiotherapy procedures. Hence, a rapid, accurate, and clinically feasible method is needed to account for this dose. I will present the development and validation of a method that uses computed tomography voxel data to compute radiation dose absorbed from kV imaging procedures. Our computational method for assessing patient-specific dose from these medical procedures relies on using deterministic and stochastic methods to effectively solve the linear Boltzmann transport equation at a point or series of points of interest (POIs). Knowledge of the absorbed x-ray dose at the POIs can help clinicians assess and monitor accumulated radiation exposure to patients, and ensure that the proper balance of risk versus benefit of the x-ray imaging procedures is maintained.