A dose-point-kernel model for a low energy gamma-emitting stent in a heterogeneous medium

A computer dose model for a low energy gamma-emitting stent in a heterogeneous medium is described. The method is based on the Sievert model which is adapted to the dose-point-kernel (DPK) model to compute the dose distribution about filtered gamma sources (Sievert-DPK model). The new gamma stent model can take into account effects such as the metallic wire attenuation and the presence of dense calcified plaque in a stented artery. The Sievert-DPK model is tested against numerical simulations around cylindrical shell sources with dimensions comparable to those of a stent using a Monte Carlo transport code. For low energy gamma sources (Cs-131 and Pd-103), it is shown that the Sievert-DPK model is consistent with the Monte Carlo results to about 5%-10% for distances up to 5 mm from the cylindrical surface and 2.5 mm beyond the cylinder edges. These results indicate that the Sievert-DPK model may be useful to predict the dose in intravascular therapy applications for heterogeneous systems consisting of soft tissue, metal and dense plaque.