Using Monte Carlo methods for Hp(0.07) values assessment during the handling of 18F-FDG

Abstract

The dose limit for the skin of the hand is typically converted to a surface of 1 cm2, which means that one needs to measure point doses in different places on the hand. However, the commonly used method of measuring doses on the hand, i.e., using a dosimetric ring including one or several thermoluminescent detectors worn at the base of a finger, is not adequate for manual procedures such as labeling or radiopharmaceutical injection. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to create and conduct a series of computer simulations that, by recreating the actual working conditions, would provide information on the values of ionizing radiation doses received by the most exposed parts of the hands of employees of radiopharmaceutical production facilities, as well as those of nurses during the injection of radiopharmaceuticals. The simulations were carried out using Monte Carlo radiation transport calculations. The Hp(0.07) personal dose equivalent values obtained for the fingertips of the index and middle fingers of nursing staff and chemists were within the range limited by the minimum and maximum Hp(0.07) values obtained as a result of dosimetric measurements carried out in diagnostic and production centers. Only in the case of the nurse’s fingertip, the simulated value of Hp(0.07 slightly exceeded the measured maximum Hp(0.07) value. The comparison of measured and simulated dose values showed that the largest differences in Hp(0.07) values occurred at the thumb tip, and for ring finger and middle finger of some of the nurses investigated.

Optimising cylinder model dimensions for VARSKIN to simulate a droplet of radionuclide skin contamination using Geant4 Monte Carlo code

“…Monte carlo techniques are useful for calculating skin dose from radionuclide contamination but can be difficult to perform. Previous authors have used Monte Carlo methods for similar work comparing VARSKIN to independent Monte Carlo simulations [6, 7] and for specific radiation risk assessments [8]. However, to our knowledge, there is no literature available for the specific comparison of cylinder models to ‘true’ droplet shapes.…”