The dependence of the scattered radiation dose to personnel on technique factors in diagnostic radiology.

The measurement and prediction of scattered radiation dose to staff in diagnostic radiology is particularly important, owing to the increased use and complexity of interventional radiology. The air kerma-area product and scattered radiation dose in the vicinity of the patient couch, for both overcouch and undercouch X-ray tube geometries, were simultaneously monitored. The scattered radiation distribution at the couchside was deduced at a range of tube potentials for both overcouch and undercouch X-ray tube geometries. The variation of scattered radiation with field size on both geometries was investigated, as well as the variation with focus-table distance on an overcouch tube geometry. It was discovered that the scattered radiation dose at a point correlated with the air kerma-area product and the result may be used for radiation protection purposes. A method of predicting the scattered radiation dose at a given position is described.