TITLE:
Preliminary Tests of a Kerma-Area Product (KAP) Meter to Be Used as a Monitor Chamber in a Conventional Diagnostic X Ray System
AUTHORS:
Eduardo Correa, Regina Medeiros, Maria da Penha Potiens, Vitor Vivolo, Nathalia Costa, Camila Murata, Cristina Kikuti
KEYWORDS:
KAP Meter, Quality Control, Diagnostic Radiology, Monitor Chamber
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Modern Physics,
Vol.6 No.4,
March
27,
2015
ABSTRACT: This
study presents the results of the preliminary tests performed using a kerma-area
product (KAP) meter in order to verify its usefulness as a monitor chamber in a
clinical X ray system, which will be used in ionization chambers’ quality
control program. The tests performed were repeatability, surface measurement
uniformity, linearity with tube current, measurement variation changing the
distance and field size, KAP chamber radiation attenuation, and energy
dependence. The KAP meter has presented a good repeatability (a maximum
variation of 0.4%); its surface has a homogeneous response (a maximum variation
of 1.0% among the different irradiated regions); the response is linear with
the tube current and the variation of the PKA along the distance is less than 3.43%. On the other hand, the results obtained
for chamber attenuation and energy dependence show that some corrections must
be applied when the measurements are made. The results have shown a good
performance of the KAP meter, confirming that it is possible to use this
instrument as a monitor chamber. However, it is important to highlight that
some correction factors for energy dependence and chamber radiation attenuation
must be considered.