ABSTRACT
This paper presents a short history of the development of medical internal dosimetry. It reviews the evolution of the equations and discusses the development of various mathematical models used to improve radiation absorbed dose estimates. The contributions of Leonidas Marinelli, Edith Quimby, William Mayneord, Robert Loevinger, Walter Snyder, and others are emphasized.
Subject(s)
Radiation Monitoring/history , Radiotherapy Dosage , Radiotherapy/history , History, 20th Century , Humans , Radioisotopes/therapeutic useSubject(s)
Occupational Diseases/history , Radium/adverse effects , Female , History, 19th Century , History, 20th Century , Humans , Labor Unions/history , Male , New Jersey , Occupational Diseases/etiology , Occupational Diseases/prevention & control , Public Opinion , Radium/history , United States , United States Public Health Service/historyABSTRACT
The radiation dose to the lungs from 133Xe in lung air is directly proportional to the time integral of 133Xe concentration; i.e., the cumulated concentration in the lungs. Using kinetic models developed to fit clinical observations, we have studied the effect of retention on cumulated concentration in lung air. The models studied were (1) equal exponential washin and washout rate constants, (2) unequal exponential washin and washout rate constants, and (3) single-compartment washin and two-compartment washout. Our results show that the radiation dose varies greatly with the model chosen. A simplified method for calculating the average dose to the lungs from activity in lung air is presented. Although we have applied this method only to studies where xenon is rebreathed at constant volume and then washed out, the technique can be adapted to other protocols.
