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X-Radiography with Beta-Emitting Isotopes

X-Radiography with Beta-Emitting Isotopes X-Radiography with Beta-Emitting Isotopes 1 J. G. Kereiakes , Ph.D. and A. T. Krebs , Ph.D. Radiobiology Department Army Medical Research Laboratory Fort Knox, Ky. Radiobiology Department Army Medical Research Laboratory Fort Knox, Ky. Excerpt The idea of using isotopes in clinical radiography has been strongly advocated in recent years. As early as 1948 Spangenberg (1) published a radiograph of teeth, taken with cesium; Mayneord (2) demonstrated in 1950 the effectual use of thulium 170; and Dennis and DeLuca (3) reported the successful application of cerium 144 and thulium 170 in diagnostic radiology. The Argonne group (4) developed a portable isotopic x-ray source and Carpenter and his co-workers (5) recently described a complete portable isotopic x-ray unit, including isotope source and self-contained cassette, for field and emergency use. In all cases so far reported, isotopes have been used which by themselves, and/or in connection with their decay products, emit beta, X-, and gamma radiation. Pure beta emitters have not as yet been studied systematically for their applicability in diagnostic radiography. With beta emitters the x-radiation is produced by the interaction of the beta rays with other material and is predominantly in the form of characteristic x-radiation and/or bremsstrahlung . The present work was stimulated by that of Leboeuf and Stark (6) on the excitation of characteristic x-rays and the production of bremsstrahlung (internal as well as external) in proper target materials by beta radiation from strontium 90 and prometheum 147. Strontium gO-yttrium gO complex was the source for radiographically applicable x-radiation. Experimental The strontium-yttrium (Sr 90 - Y 90 ) source available for the present studies was a Tracerlab RA-25 strontium medical applicator. It consists of the source with an active diameter of 5 mm. (overall diameter 12.7 mm.) mounted on the end of a 6 3/4inch shaft. A circular plastic shield (4 in. in diameter, 3/8 in. thick) protects against irradiation during handling of the applicator. The source contains Sr 90 in equilibrium with Y 90 in such an amount that the surface dosage rate is 330 ± 10 per cent roentgen-equivalent betas per second, as measured with a Tracerlab extrapolation ionization chamber. The radiation emitted by the source consists of the 0.537-MEV beta rays resulting from the disintegration of Sr 90 into Y 90 and the 2.18 MEV beta rays produced in the decay of Y 90 into stable zirconium. The average beta energies for Sr90 are 0.22 MEV and for Y 90 are 0.7 MEV. The half life of the former is about twenty years, of the latter about sixty-two hours. The source has a metallic protective cover (2 mils of stainless steel, 10 mils of aluminum) equivalent to about 100 mg./ em. 2 filtration and is double hermetically sealed. The covering reduces the number of beta particles resulting from the decay of Sr 90 and the decay of Y 90 to 3 per cent and 60 per cent of the original value, respectively. Lucite, 1.2 em. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Radiology Radiological Society of North America, Inc.

X-Radiography with Beta-Emitting Isotopes

Kereiakes, J. G.; Krebs, A. T.
Radiology , Volume 67 (3): 419 – Sep 1, 1956
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Publisher
Radiological Society of North America, Inc.
Copyright
Copyright © 1956 by Radiological Society of North America
ISSN
1527-1315
eISSN
0033-8419
DOI
10.1148/67.3.419
pmid
13359727
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

X-Radiography with Beta-Emitting Isotopes 1 J. G. Kereiakes , Ph.D. and A. T. Krebs , Ph.D. Radiobiology Department Army Medical Research Laboratory Fort Knox, Ky. Radiobiology Department Army Medical Research Laboratory Fort Knox, Ky. Excerpt The idea of using isotopes in clinical radiography has been strongly advocated in recent years. As early as 1948 Spangenberg (1) published a radiograph of teeth, taken with cesium; Mayneord (2) demonstrated in 1950 the effectual use of thulium 170; and Dennis and DeLuca (3) reported the successful application of cerium 144 and thulium 170 in diagnostic radiology. The Argonne group (4) developed a portable isotopic x-ray source and Carpenter and his co-workers (5) recently described a complete portable isotopic x-ray unit, including isotope source and self-contained cassette, for field and emergency use. In all cases so far reported, isotopes have been used which by themselves, and/or in connection with their decay products, emit beta, X-, and gamma radiation. Pure beta emitters have not as yet been studied systematically for their applicability in diagnostic radiography. With beta emitters the x-radiation is produced by the interaction of the beta rays with other material and is predominantly in the form of characteristic x-radiation and/or bremsstrahlung . The present work was stimulated by that of Leboeuf and Stark (6) on the excitation of characteristic x-rays and the production of bremsstrahlung (internal as well as external) in proper target materials by beta radiation from strontium 90 and prometheum 147. Strontium gO-yttrium gO complex was the source for radiographically applicable x-radiation. Experimental The strontium-yttrium (Sr 90 - Y 90 ) source available for the present studies was a Tracerlab RA-25 strontium medical applicator. It consists of the source with an active diameter of 5 mm. (overall diameter 12.7 mm.) mounted on the end of a 6 3/4inch shaft. A circular plastic shield (4 in. in diameter, 3/8 in. thick) protects against irradiation during handling of the applicator. The source contains Sr 90 in equilibrium with Y 90 in such an amount that the surface dosage rate is 330 ± 10 per cent roentgen-equivalent betas per second, as measured with a Tracerlab extrapolation ionization chamber. The radiation emitted by the source consists of the 0.537-MEV beta rays resulting from the disintegration of Sr 90 into Y 90 and the 2.18 MEV beta rays produced in the decay of Y 90 into stable zirconium. The average beta energies for Sr90 are 0.22 MEV and for Y 90 are 0.7 MEV. The half life of the former is about twenty years, of the latter about sixty-two hours. The source has a metallic protective cover (2 mils of stainless steel, 10 mils of aluminum) equivalent to about 100 mg./ em. 2 filtration and is double hermetically sealed. The covering reduces the number of beta particles resulting from the decay of Sr 90 and the decay of Y 90 to 3 per cent and 60 per cent of the original value, respectively. Lucite, 1.2 em.

Journal

Radiology – Radiological Society of North America, Inc.

Published: Sep 1, 1956

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