Validation of PIMAL 3.0-Phantom with Moving Arms and Legs.

When it comes to determining radiation protection measurements, complex geometries often require the use of computational modeling to solve the problems; the human body is no exception. However, both old and new phantom models have almost always been rigidly created in the vertical upright position. Oak Ridge National Laboratory solved this issue in 2007 by developing a piece of software named 'Phantom with Moving Arms and Legs (PIMAL)',  which creates a flexible phantom model for computer simulations. Though the initial hermaphrodite phantom is validated, new gender-specific models need validation against generally accepted values. Thus, the purpose of this study was to compare the dose coefficients from PIMAL against known values in Federal Guidance Report 12 for water submersion. Of 21 organ-tissue doses, all but 2 matched to within 15% for photon energies above 1 MeV. For plots with notable discrepancies at multiple energies, including bone surface and effective dose, explanations are given to justify differences.