Experimental validation of a comprehensive fluoroscopy peak skin dose model using four different computational...

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiological Sciences
• Computational Modeling

Background:

• Accurate Peak Skin Dose (PSD) determination is critical for managing radiation-induced skin injuries in patients undergoing Fluoroscopically Guided Interventional Procedures (FGIP).
• Effective PSD assessment guides follow-up care and risk stratification for patients exposed to radiation during FGIPs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of a Peak Skin Dose (PSD) estimation model for Fluoroscopically Guided Interventional Procedures (FGIP).
• To assess the utility of mathematical and anthropomorphic computational phantoms in mimicking patient dimensions for precise PSD calculation.

Main Methods:

• Extracted geometric and dosimetric parameters from FGIPs stored in a dose tracking system.
• Developed a hybrid computational human phantom (HCHP) and three mathematical phantoms (cylindrical, ellipsoidal, semi-ellipsoidal) scaled to patient dimensions.
• Validated PSD calculations against reference measurements using Thermoluminescent Dosimeters (TLDs) on an anthropomorphic phantom, comparing with traditional methods.

Main Results:

• The hybrid computational human phantom (HCHP) and mathematical phantoms yielded PSD estimations with minimal differences (0.1%–6.6%) compared to TLD measurements.
• Traditional PSD calculation methods showed significantly larger discrepancies, with differences up to -19.1%.
• The HCHP demonstrated a slight edge in accuracy over mathematical phantoms, with differences of 0.1% and 0.4% for the two FGIPs.

Conclusions:

• Computational phantoms accurately model patient anatomy for evaluating radiation PSD in FGIPs.
• The HCHP provides superior accuracy for PSD calculation compared to traditional methods and is practically comparable to mathematical phantoms.
• While requiring more computational resources, the HCHP offers a robust approach to PSD estimation, outperforming conventional techniques.