Report No. 147 (2004) presents recommendations and technical information related to the design and installation of structural shielding for facilities that use x rays for medical imaging. The purpose of structural shielding is to limit radiation exposure to employees and members of the public. The information supersedes the recommendations that address such facilities in NCRP Report No. 49, Structural Shielding Design and Evaluation for Medical Use of X Rays and Gamma Rays of Energies Up to 10 MeV, which was issued in September 1976. NCRP Report No. 147 includes a discussion of the various factors to be considered in the selection of appropriate shielding materials and in the calculation of barrier thicknesses. The Report presents the fundamentals of radiation shielding, discusses shielding design goals for controlled and uncontrolled areas in or near x-ray imaging facilities and defines the relationship of these goals to the NCRP effective dose limits for radiation workers and members of the public. The Report includes a detailed discussion of the recommended shielding design methodology for x-ray imaging facilities and provides an extensive collection of shielding data and sample shielding calculations for various types of x-ray imaging facilities. The Report is mainly intended for those individuals who specialize in radiation protection. However, it will also be of interest to architects, hospital administrators and related professionals concerned with the planning of new facilities that use x rays for medical imaging.

Radiation Protection in Diagnostic X-Ray Imaging covers the recent developments that have been introduced to address the increasing dose to the patient, and new assessment tools for use in dose optimization studies. Based on material from ASRT, ARRT and CAMRT, as well as Current Concepts of Radiation Protection. Content is mapped to the ARRT Radiation Protection Examination Specifications and ASRT Radiation Protection Objectives. In addition to topics prescribed by the ARRT for the certification examination, this book includes topics for advanced study. Some electronic and eBook versions do not include access to Navigate 2 Advantage resources.

This completely updated second edition of Radiation Exposure and Image Quality in X-ray Diagnostic Radiology provides the reader with detailed guidance on the optimization of radiological imaging. The basic physical principles of diagnostic radiology are first presented in detail, and their application to clinical problems is then carefully explored. The final section is a supplement containing tables of data and graphical depictions of X-ray spectra, interaction coefficients, characteristics of X-ray beams, and other aspects relevant to patient dose calculations. In addition, a complementary CD-ROM contains a user-friendly Excel file database covering these aspects that can be used in the reader’s own programs. This book will be an invaluable aid to medical physicists when performing calculations relating to patient dose and image quality, and will also prove useful for diagnostic radiologists and engineers.

Passenger screening at commercial airports in the United States has gone through significant changes since the events of September 11, 2001. In response to increased concern over terrorist attacks on aircrafts, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has deployed security systems of advanced imaging technology (AIT) to screen passengers at airports. To date (December 2014), TSA has deployed AITs in U.S. airports of two different technologies that use different types of radiation to detect threats: millimeter wave and X-ray backscatter AIT systems. X-ray backscatter AITs were deployed in U.S. airports in 2008 and subsequently removed from all airports by June 2013 due to privacy concerns. TSA is looking to deploy a second-generation X-ray backscatter AIT equipped with privacy software to eliminate production of an image of the person being screened in order to alleviate these concerns. This report reviews previous studies as well as current processes used by the Department of Homeland Security and equipment manufacturers to estimate radiation exposures resulting from backscatter X-ray advanced imaging technology system use in screening air travelers. Airport Passenger Screening Using Backscatter X-Ray Machines examines whether exposures comply with applicable health and safety standards for public and occupational exposures to ionizing radiation and whether system design, operating procedures, and maintenance procedures are appropriate to prevent over exposures of travelers and operators to ionizing radiation. This study aims to address concerns about exposure to radiation from X-ray backscatter AITs raised by Congress, individuals within the scientific community, and others.

"The purpose of this Report is to enhance radiation safety in dentistry and to reinforce published, well-known dose-reduction methods that are not yet being widely applied in the day-to-day practice of dentistry. The technological advances since NCRP Report No. 145 require changing attitudes and practices of dentists because opportunities are now available for decreasing radiation doses while maintaining or improving diagnostic efficacy. This Report updates the information in NCRP Report No.145, adds new content on digital imaging, handheld x-ray devices, and CBCT, and makes recommendations for reducing patient radiation doses while maintaining or improving image quality, all in the context of the ALARA principle"--