[An Evaluation of Radiation Dose for Wide Volume Scan during Chest CT]

A volume scan can cover a range of 160 mm with a single gantry rotation. It can be performed sequentially (a wide volume [WV] scan) to cover more than 160 mm, and volume Xact+ (Xact+) can be used when volume scan is done to extend the reconstruction area. The purpose of this study was to investigate the dose distribution and organ doses for a WV scan during chest CT.

We arranged radiophotoluminescence glass dosimeters (RPLDs) linearly on the surface and inside of the phantom to evaluate the dose distribution along the z-axis. We also placed RPLDs at the lens, thyroid, and breast positions to evaluate organ doses. We performed WV and helical scans and WV scan using Xact+.

The absorbed doses increased at the borders of the volume scans, and dose peaks were observed there. The organ doses for the WV scan outside the acquisition range were lower than those for the helical scan. The organ doses inside the acquisition range changed by the locations of borders.

The WV scan increases the absorbed doses at the overlapping scanned regions, which can be reduced by using Xact+.