SU-E-I-100: Feasibility Study of Gamma-Ray Medical Radiography

The purpose of this research is to study an alternative technique to conventional x-ray radiography that requires less patient radiation dose, less cost, portable, requires less maintenance, and less power consumption. This research explores the feasibility of using gamma-ray radiography in medical imaging. Gamma-ray medical radiography has the potential to provide alternative diagnostic medical information to X-ray radiography.

Approximately one Ci of Am-241 radioactive source which emits monoenergetic 59.5 KeV gamma rays was used in this study. Several factors that influence this feasibility were studied. These were the radiation source uniformity, image uniformity, image quality parameters such as contrast, noise, and spatial resolution. In addition, visual assessment of several human phantom gamma-ray and x-ray images were conducted. The images were recorded on computed radiography image receptors and displayed on a standard monitor.

The radioactive source provided a relatively uniform radiation exposure and uniform images. Image noise was mainly dependent on the exposure time and the source size. Although the contrast depended on the window and level setting, it was also dependent on the exposure time and the source size. Spatial resolution was dependent on the source size and the magnification. The generated gamma-ray images were of lower quality than the X-ray images which was mainly due to the low radioactivity used. However, the gamma-ray images displayed most of the main structures contained in the humanoid phantoms.

Thisresearch explored the feasibility of using gamma-ray radiography in medical imaging and showed that gamma-ray medical radiography has the potential to provide alternative diagnostic medical information to X-ray radiography. Finally, this research also paves the way for the usage and production of high radioactive Am-241 source that will show high quality medical gamma-ray radiography is feasible.