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Updated: Apr 16, 2026
X-ray Dose Reduction through Adaptive Exposure in Fluoroscopic Imaging
Published on: September 11, 2011
Reduction of fetal dose in computed tomography using anterior shields
William Moore1, Michael J Bonvento, Dwight Lee
1From the Department of Radiology, University Hospital, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to assess the potential of anterior in beam bismuth shields placed on the abdomen and the pelvis of a RANDO phantom to decrease radiation dose to a simulated fetus.
Methods:
Thermal luminescent dosimeters irradiated in a RANDO phantom were used to measure radiation dose at 0 weeks and 18 weeks after conception. An 18-week gestation was simulated by adding the corresponding equivalent of super-stuff to account for additional subcutaneous tissue. To assess image quality, a 461A body phantom with low contrast resolution phantom insert was used. The minimum size of low contrast resolution target visualize was recorded with no shielding and 25-cm-wide shielding.
Results:
With shields, there was a radiation dose reduction of 19% to 23% at 0-week gestation and 16% to 24% at 18-week gestation. No qualitative difference was found in low contrast detectability with the shields.
Conclusions:
These shields reduce fetal radiation exposure early in pregnancy with acceptable image quality.
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