A Mail Audit Independent Peer Review System for Dosimetry Verification of a Small Animal Irradiator

• DOI: 10.1667/rr15220.1
• Publication Date: 2020-02-18T16:32:13Z
• Authors: Mary P. Gronberg; Ramesh C. Tailor; Susan A. Smith; Stephen F. Kry; David S. Followill; Strahinja Stojadi...; Joshua S. Niedzie...; Patricia E. Lindsay; Sunil Krishnan; Francisco Aguirre; Tara N. Fujimoto; Cullen M. Taniguchi; Rebecca M. Howell
• Keywords: Phantoms, Imaging; Peer Review; X-Rays; Radiobiology; Radiation Dosage; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Calibration; Animals; Postal Service; Radiometry

Dedicated precision orthovoltage small animal irradiators have become widely available in the past decade and are commonly used for radiation biology research. However, there is a lack of dosimetric standardization among these irradiators, which affects reproducibility radiation-based studies. The purpose this study was to develop mail-based, independent peer review system verify dose delivery institutions using X-RAD 225Cx (Precision X-Ray, North Branford, CT). A robust, user-friendly mouse phantom constructed from high-impact polystyrene designed with dimensions similar those typical laboratory mouse. accommodates three thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) measure dose. commissioned irradiator anterior-posterior posterior-anterior beams 225 kVp then mailed test feasibility audit service. energy correction factor TLDs derived validate delivered particular irradiation system. This indicated that were able deliver within ±10% target developed mail verification dosimetry can be expanded characterize other commercially thereby enhancing studies employing irradiators.