Test of Active Personal Dosemeters for Interventional Radiology in realistic radiation fields

In Interventional radiology, the medical staff stands close to the patient during his exposure to X-rays. Consequently, they can be exposed to relatively high doses due to radiation scattered by the patient and the medical equipment. Contrary to the passive dosemeters which assess the doses a posteriori, APDs are able to warn the medical staff when doses and/or dose rates exceed pre-defined radiation protection limits. At IR workplaces, APDs must be able to measure low-energy photons (10-120 keV) and pulsed radiations with relatively high instantaneous dose rates. Six ADP models, considered as suitable for application in IR were selected to carry out a new comparison in 2007. This paper describes the irradiation assemblies both for realistic and classic calibration facilities. The reference values of the personal dose equivalent, Hp(10), were determined through measurements and simulations to calculate the response of the APDs. The results shed light on the ability of APDs to measure correctly the doses, when used in the specific low-energy spectra and dose rates of pulsed X-rays encountered in interventional radiology.