Applying the Pillow can Reduce Radiation Dose in Computed Tomography of the Brain

Abstract

Background and Objective: Radiation dose from Computed Tomography (CT) is usually a direct variation with scan length. To reduce the scan length, our research team has applied the pillow which is used the head phantom to flex head and present orbito metus baseline perpendicular head support. This technique can decrease the scan length and reduce the radiation dose from the examination.

Methods : Inventing the pillow for supporting the head is made of small pieces of foam inserting in a plastic rubber bag, and it can be adjusted for supporting the skull. The skull of phantom is used to experiment and collect the data from 128 Multi-slice CT scan. The study is to compare the scanning length and the radiation dose length (DLP: Dose Length Product) and milligray x centimeter. (mGy x cm) is used as the measurement in radiation dose unit. The experiment is to compare the regular scanning and the scanning using the head supporting pillow, which has been invented by the authors. The two CT brain scanning processes were used in the same factors and exposure technique. Then the data was analyzed and compared to the overall image quality and the radiation dose.

Result: The head supporting pillow can reform for many dimensions of the skull and there is no radiographic effect. In routine brain CT scan, it has shown the mean of scanning length for scouting image, which is equal 25 cm. The mean of radiation dose length product is 2.2 mGy x cm and the mean of scanning length for axial scan is 18.9 cm.  The mean of radiation dose length product is 584.8 mGy x cm. The total of radiation dose length product for scanning is 587.0 mGy x cm. When using the head supporting pillow which is fully flexible for head and neck while scanning, the study has shown the scanning length for scanning plan is 18.3 cm. The mean of radiation dose length product is 1.63 mGy x cm. The scanning length for axial scan is 14.5 cm.  The mean radiation dose length product is 467.3 mGy x cm. The total radiation dose length product from scanning is 468.9 mGy x cm. Using the pillow can help in decreasing the scanning length and reducing 20.12 % of radiation dose in CT scanning.

Conclusion : The head supporting pillow is made from small pieces of foam. The material has no radiographic image. Using the pillow in the routine CT head scan can help decreasing the scanning length, and it also help reducing the radiation risk for the patient. This study can be applied in the routine brain CT scan.

Keywords : Computed Tomography of the brain, Radiation dose, Dose length product : DLP