Development and validation of materials radiologically equivalent to human tissues for ionizing radiation dosimetry and quality control

• Grant number: 21/14688-0
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2022
• Effective date (End): February 29, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biophysics - Radiology and Photobiology
• Principal researcher: Elisabeth Mateus Yoshimura
• Grantee: Gisell Ruiz Boiset
• Home Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/05982-0 - R&D&I in radiation metrology in the health area, AP.TEM

Abstract

We have been working on the design, development and characterization of phantoms with transmission and scattering properties equivalent to human tissue for dose to patients' studies in the range of radiation energies used in imaging diagnosis. The prototypes in study do not have national similar materials. In fact, even comparable phantoms available abroad, are not adequately characterized for a good representation of the attenuation and scattering properties of ionizing radiation in this energy range (20-150 keV). Thus, the relevance of this line of research are i) the elaboration and characterization of tissue-equivalent materials for radiology applications, ii) the construction of prototypes validated by experimental techniques. The methodologies to be developed and implemented by the post doc fellow to validate the materials include: Determination of sample elemental fractions using spectrometric and fluorescence techniques Transmission spectrometry of the samples Determination of linear and mass attenuation coefficients of the prototype samples Evaluation of physical properties of the materials, such as mass density, electronic density, effective atomic number Evaluation of changes in the structural properties of materials after submission to high radiation doses