As a complement to the training of first responders in their preparedness for accidents and incidents involving radiation, a radiac simulation, called RadiaX, was developed. RadiaX has a threefold purpose; to teach (i) the handling of specific instruments, (ii) the proper procedures in missions and (iii) basic principles in radiation physics and radiation protection. The simulation is developed as a modification of Half-Life 2, a famous computer game.
Information about each X-ray examination, in a modern digitized X-ray department is generated and stored in a PACS. Appropriate conversion factors, e.g. E/DAP, can be applied to separate projections and summed to the total effective dose for each examination. The objectives of the work were (i) to investigate the accuracy and precision in the calculated effective dose (ii) to identify data for registration of (1) patient dose, (2) exposure data, and (3) patient information (iii) to make it possible to derive dose statistics on patient level for documentation of diagnostic standard doses, optimizations, constancy checks, and future epidemiological studies. The effective doses were calculated using Monte Carlo based computer programs or by using tabulations. Conversion factors were calculated for different levels of information and the individual effective dose was compared to the most precise estimation. The results suggest that the accuracy in the estimations of effective dose increases by added information about the patient (gender, size) and how the examination was performed.
With an unmanned helicopter (UAS), known as drones, equipped with a gamma spectrometer, one can achieve both a high spatial resolution and good range, and be able to approach a radioactive source closely. Linköping University, Sweden, is proposing a microdrone system that will fill a gap between man-portable measurement systems and full-sized airborne systems, complementing the car-driven measurement systems. The system may play a unique role in many of our contingency scenarios in terms of accessibility, versatility, efficiency, and is advantageous from the viewpoint of radiation protection as it can be controlled at a safe distance.
Dosimeters based on the Direct Ion Storage technology is used as the first approved electronic personal dosimeter in Sweden at the County Councils in Östergötland and Kalmar. TL dosimeters are replaced by DIS-1 dosimeters for all category A personnel at six hospitals with totally 300 dosimeter holders. The advantages are longer issue periods and instant read outs, appreciated by both the service and the holders
RadiaDroid is an Android application that simulates the portable radiation detector Intensimeter 28 civ. and uses virtual radioactive sources, defined by GPS coordinates, radionuclide and activity. The trainees load a scenario and search the exercise area for radioactivity. The locations of sources and safety perimeters are reported. Creation of scenarios is possible in the application, but is facilitated in a PC tool that also presents the reports and the dose to the trainee.
Realistic and reliable dose models are required to estimate the radiological risks to non-human biota, in regions contaminated by radioactivity. To facilitate detailed dose calculations, a graphical user interface has been developed to the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport code (MCNP): the TADPOLE editor (Terrestrial and Aquatic Dose assessment Program for Organisms in their Local Environment). The editor is intended for site and biota specific analyses of absorbed dose from external γ- and β- radiation.
An experiment was performed in controlled, laboratory conditions as a first validation of the calculation models assigned by the editor. Measurements with TL-dosimeters yielded lower doses than was calculated by MCNP5 through the editor.
To provide an objective way of measuring image quality, a computer program was designed that automatically analyzes the test images of a contrast-detail (CD) phantom. The program gives a quantified measurement of image quality by calculating an Image Quality Figure (IQF). The aim of this work was to evaluate the program and adjust it to clinical situations in order to find the detectable level where the program gives a reliable figure of the contrast resolution. The program was applied on a large variety of images with lumbar spine and urographic parameters, from very low to very high image qualities. It was shown that the computer program produces IQFs with small variations and there were a strong linear statistical relation between the computerized evaluation and the evaluation performed by human observers (R 2 = 0.98). This method offers a fast and easy way of conducting image quality evaluations. Copyright © 2005 by SCAR (Society for Computer Applications in Radiology).
There is a significant potential in the use of unmanned remote controlled vehicles in sampling and measuring radiological events. No attempts to standardise sampling and measurement methods using these types of vehicles have yet been made. Common standards would simplify the use of remote controlled vehicles in an emergency scenario and would thus be very valuable in critical infrastructure protection (CIP). The main advantage of using unmanned systems in radiological events is the protection of the human personnel involved. This report is about current state-of-the-art of unmanned systems that have potential to be used for radiation measurements and sampling. It is believed that search and rescue robotics is the domain that is closest to the robots applicable to the radiation measurement scenarios. Therefore, a definition for search and rescue robots and outlines of their major subsystems are given. This is followed by a review of deployment scenarios for search and rescue robots outlining case studies of major emergencies at which robots have been deployed — with an assessment of their value to the emergency services. Additionally, research and development in search and rescue robotics, including current projects, testing environments and search and rescue robotics competitions, is outlined. Furthermore, this report shows unmanned robots and concepts for sensor systems capable of radiation detection based on state-of-the-art radiation sampling using unmanned ground vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles with rotary wings or unmanned aerial vehicles with fixed wings.
There is significant potential for the use of unmanned remote control vehicles in sampling andmeasuring radiological events. No attempt to standardise sampling and measurement methods usingthese types of vehicles has been made so far. Common standards would simplify the use of remotecontrol vehicles in an emergency scenario and would thus be very valuable in critical infrastructureprotection. The main advantage of using unmanned systems in radiological events is the protection ofthe involved human personnel.This document focuses on possible scenarios for remote control radiation measurements and samplingusing unmanned systems. We identified scenarios that can be separated in two categories. First, thereare prevention scenarios where unmanned systems can be used to prevent incidents involvingradioactive material and deterrence. Second, there are response scenarios where unmanned systemscan be used to gather information after incidents with radioactive material have occurred. We furthercondensed three main tasks (spatial mapping, search of sources and sampling) for unmanned systemsin the identified scenarios.In addition, this report summarises possible standards for unmanned systems. A very widelyrecognised standard collection of software frameworks for robot software development is the robotoperating system. Further important standards concerning communication with robots and control ofunmanned systems are battle management language, interoperability profile and joint architecture forunmanned systems.