A Novel Anthropometric Phantom for Rapid Radiological Triage: A Quick Sort Triage Solution

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Detection and Measurement
• Public Health

Background:

• Accurate identification of internal radiation exposure is critical after radiological incidents.
• Existing methods may not be sufficient for rapid, large-scale triage.
• Clinical Decision Guides (CDGs) set action levels for internal contamination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel, rapid triage method for detecting internal radiation exposure.
• To assess the efficacy of a conventional Geiger-Mueller (GM) detector for this purpose.
• To establish a reliable screening tool for individuals potentially exposed to radioactive materials.

Main Methods:

• A novel triage method using a portable GM detector placed against the lower anterior torso.
• Development of a custom anthropometric phantom simulating human tissues and GI tract for detector response evaluation.
• Testing with sealed sources (232Th, 137Cs) to determine measurement efficiency for 1 CDG intake levels.

Main Results:

• The Quick Sort triage procedure reliably detected internal deposition equivalent to 1 CDG for 232Th.
• Significantly lower activity levels of 137Cs were also reliably detected within hours post-intake.
• The method demonstrated effectiveness across a range of photon energies, suitable for various fission products.

Conclusions:

• The Quick Sort triage procedure offers a reliable and rapid method for identifying individuals with internal radiation exposure above action guidelines.
• This method can be crucial for immediate post-radiological event management and public health.
• The validated technique is adaptable for diverse radioactive material distributions, including uniform contamination and "hot spots".