Nukes QA Flashcards
How do you test Uniformity?
Flood test. 2-5% uniformity allowed. 1% for SPECT.
How do you test Extrinsic Uniformity and how often?
Flood test with a collimator. Daily
How do you test Intrinsic Uniformity and how often?
Flood test without a collimator. Weekly.
What are the recommended counts for a flood test?
5-10 million
How often do you test gamma camera linearity? How?
Weekly with a bar phantom.
How often do you test SPECT center of rotation? How?
Monthly. 5 point sources along the axis of rotation. Ring artifact implies uniformity issue.
What is this and what do you use it for?
Well counter. Used for small samples (mainly the Wipe test). Uses a scintiallation detect.
What is this and what is it used for?
Thyroid Probe (scintillation detector, uses a small gamma camera with NaI crystal and single PMT). Calcualtes thyroid uptake values for patients and nuc med workers after I131 doses.
Can give you information about photopeaks.
What is this?
How does it detect radiation?
Gieger-Muller Counter
Gas-filled chamber. Used to detects counts only. Used for spills and packages.
What is this?
When is it used?
Ion Chamber (uses a gas-filled chamber)
Used to detect radiation at higher doses that would overload a gieger muller counter and is able to quantify dose. Dose callibrators are ion chambers.
What mechanism does a dose calibrator use to detect radiation?
Ion Chamber
How often is consistency checked on the dose calibrator?
Daily (should be within 5%)
How often is linearity checked with a dose calibrator?
Quarterly
When is accuracy checked with dose calibrators?
At device installation and annually
When is geometry checked with dose calibrators?
At device intallation and every time the device is moved and annually
What is considered a major spill? (think dose of radioisotope)?
Low Energy Isotopes: >100 mCi
Tc-99m, TI-201
Medium Energy Isotopes: >10 mCi
In-11, I-123, Ga-67
High Energy Isotopes: >1 mCi
I-131
What to in a major spill?
Clear the area
Cover the spill. DO NOT CLEAN IT UP.
Indicate boundaries of spill
Shield Source
NOTIFY THE RSO IMMEDIATELY
Decontaminate persons
Annual Radiation dose limit for the general public?
100 mrem (1 mSv)
No greater than 2 mrem/hr in unrestricted areas
When do you need a radiation area sign?
5 mrem (0.05 mSv) in 1 hr at 30 cm
What is considered a high radiation area?
100 mrem (1 mSv) in 1 hour at 30 cm
What is considered a very high radiation area?
500 rads (5 Gy) in 1 hour at 1 meter.
Note the change in units because we are now measuring deterministic effects, not just stoichiastic
Annual total body occupational radiation dose limit for a person?
5 rem (50 mSv)
Annual occupational dose limit to the ocular lens?
15 rem (150 mSv)