OBJECTIVE: To develop a double-faced plane-parallel ionization chamber for measurement of air kerma and air kerma rate in X-radiation fields utilized in conventional radiography and mammography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The chamber has entrance windows made of aluminized polyester film, inner and guard electrodes of aluminum at one side (face A) and graphite at the other side (face G). The present study evaluated operational characteristics as regards response linearity, angular and energy dependence. RESULTS: The linearity of response was 0.86% for face A and 0.92% for face G. For radiation incidence angles, of 0° to ± 5°, the response variation was less than 0.8% for both faces of the chamber. The energy dependence of response was 0.8% for face A on X-ray qualities for conventional radiography, and 2.4% for the face G of the chamber on X-ray qualities for mammography. CONCLUSION: This chamber can be utilized on a routine basis for measurement of air kerma and air kerma rate in X-ray beams utilized in conventional radiography and mammography.

Keywords: Conventional radiography, Mammography, Quality control, Ionization chamber

OBJECTIVE: To perform a survey on routine quality control tests of dose calibrators at nuclear medicine units in the city of São Paulo, SP, Brazil. To evaluate the accuracy of measurements of seven dose calibrators activities, utilizing sources of clinically significant radionuclides at the calibration laboratory of Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The survey on quality control of dose calibrators has been based on questionnaires answered by the nuclear medicine units. Seven dose calibrators, Ga-67, Tc-99m and Tl-201 sources and a secondary standard instrument have been utilized in the accuracy study. RESULTS: The survey results on the quality control tests of the dose calibrators showed some inappropriateness, for example, the absence of daily reproducibility tests in all of the units. The accuracy tests for the seven dose calibrators showed results within the acceptable limit in compliance with the national regulations (±10%). CONCLUSION: According to the few nuclear medicine units participating in the survey, the dose calibrators quality control is unsatisfactory. The accuracy study of seven dose calibrators has not demonstrated any performance faults, and has established the calibration of these instruments for the utilized sources.

Keywords: Nuclear medicine, Dose calibrators, Calibration, Quality control

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work was to establish a working standard for intercomparison and calibration of dose calibrators used in most of nuclear medicine facilities for the determination of the activity of radionuclides administered to patients in specific examinations or therapeutic procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A commercial dose calibrator, a set of standard radioactive sources, and syringes, vials and ampoules with radionuclide solutions used in nuclear medicine were utilized in this work. RESULTS: The commercial dose calibrator was calibrated for radionuclide solutions used in nuclear medicine. Simple instrument tests, such as linearity response and variation response with the source volume at a constant source activity concentration were performed. CONCLUSION: This instrument may be used as a reference system for intercomparison and calibration of other activity meters, as a method of quality control of dose calibrators utilized in nuclear medicine facilities.

Keywords: Nuclear medicine, Dose calibrator, Working standard, Intercomparison, Calibration, Quality control