Staff dose awareness indication

• US 8,581,214 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2008
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Hoornaert, Bart Pierre Antoine Jozef
• Primary Examiner(s): Bryant, Casey
• Application Number:
  US12/599,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20100310048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,023 Days
• Field of Search: 250/482.1, 250/484.5
• US Class Current: 250/482.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/02 Dosimeters G01T1/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 7/00 Details of radiation-measuring instruments

Abstract

According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention a dose awareness indication device is provided in which an individual dose is determined on the basis of raw dose measuring data, dose sensor and information data from an examination apparatus, wherein the information data from the examination apparatus relates to the type of examination. Thus, an individualized determination of dose data may be provided, depending on the actual examination process.

Claims

1. A dose awareness indication device for determining an individual dose data of a plurality of staff members during a diagnostic or interventional x-ray examination or clinical task of an object of interest with an examination apparatus, the device comprising:

a plurality of personal dose sensors for providing raw dose measuring data, wherein the plurality of personal dose sensors are activated within a predetermined range from the examination apparatus, wherein the plurality of personal dose sensors operate in real-time, and wherein the plurality of staff members each have a role in the examination;

a determination processor for determining the individual dose data in real time on the basis of the raw dose measuring data received from the plurality of personal dose sensors and information data received from the examination apparatus;

wherein the information data from the examination apparatus identifies the kind of examination and at least one examination parameter selected from the use of wedges and collimators, gantry settings including angulation, rotation SID, and table positioning, the fluoro taste including low dose, high dose, low frame speed, and high frame speed, beam quality including kV and added filter, and examination start and end;

wherein the determination processor is configured to set a threshold value on the basis of the kind of examination, the at least one examination parameter, and the roles of the individual staff members; and

wherein the threshold value is set differently for individuals of the plurality of staff members.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the determination processor is further configured for performing a normalization of the individual dose data on the basis of predetermined exposure values for the clinical task.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the examination is cardio fluoro, cardio cine, vascular fluoro, pediatric fluoro, EP fluoro, cardiac exposure, vascular DSA exposure, a rotational scan, a left ventricle study, a valve study, or a coronary study.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display for visualizing the individual dose data including accumulated dose data, actual staff dose data compared to predetermined or expected values for the clinical task, or compared to other staff persons present in the same clinical task, wherein the display is configured to display cumulative dose, last value, and average value for selected individuals of the staff or the entire staff, and wherein the display has a dose indication region, a screen for viewing an object to be examined, a control section, a fluoro eye icon, and a marker showing a predetermined threshold for the clinical task.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver for receiving the raw dose measuring data from one or more personal dose sensors via a wireless communication link.

6. The device of claim 1,

wherein the determination processor sets a measurement frequency of the dose sensor on the basis of the kind of examination, or wherein the measurement frequency is set on the basis of the accumulated dose and run duration, and the measurement frequency ranges from a plurality of measurements per second to one per minute.

7. The device of claim 1,

further configured for triggering an alarm if the individual dose data exceeds the threshold value.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of personal dose sensors are worn by each of the individual staff either above a lead apron, below a lead apron, or both above and below a lead apron.

9. A method for making a plurality of staff members aware of an X-ray dose during a diagnostic or interventional X-ray examination or clinical task of an object of interest with an examination apparatus, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of personal dose sensors operating in real time and worn by the a plurality of staff members for providing raw individual staff dose data, wherein the plurality of staff members each have a role in the examination;

activating the plurality of personal dose sensors within a predetermined distance from the examination apparatus;

operating a determination processor for receiving the raw individual staff dose data from the plurality of personal dose sensors and determining the individual staff dose data in real time on the basis of the raw individual staff dose data and information data received from the examination apparatus;

wherein the information data from the examination apparatus identifies the kind of examination and at least one parameter selected from the use of wedges and collimators, gantry settings including angulation, rotation SID, and table positioning, the fluoro taste including low dose, high dose, low frame speed, and high frame speed, beam quality including kV and added filter, and examination start and end;

normalizing the individual staff dose data with the determination processor on the basis of predetermined values for the clinical task;

displaying a visualization of the individual staff dose data including accumulated dose data and actual staff dose data compared to predetermined or expected values for the clinical task, or compared to other staff persons present in the same clinical task;

operating the determination processor to set a threshold value on the basis of the kind of examination, the at least one examination parameter, and the roles of the individual staff members, and

setting the threshold value differently for individuals of the plurality of staff members.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising operating the determination processor to set a measurement frequency of the dose sensor on the basis of the kind of examination, or wherein the measurement frequency is set on the basis of the accumulated dose and run duration, and the measurement frequency ranges from a plurality of measurements per second to one per minute.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising triggering an alarm if the individual staff dose data exceeds the threshold value.

12. A computer program product comprising code instructions stored in a non-transitory tangible computer readable medium, wherein the instructions carry out the method:

operating in real time a plurality of personal dose sensors worn by a plurality of staff members for providing raw individual staff dose data, wherein the plurality of staff members each have a role in the examination;

activating the plurality of personal dose sensors within a predetermined distance from the examination apparatus;

operating a determination processor for receiving the raw individual staff dose data from the plurality of personal dose sensors and determining the individual staff dose data in real time on the basis of the raw individual staff dose data, information data received from the examination apparatus, and the roles of the individual staff members;

wherein the information data from the examination apparatus identifies the kind of examination and at least one parameter selected from the use of wedges and collimators, gantry settings including angulation, rotation SID, and table positioning, the fluoro taste including low dose, high dose, low frame speed, and high frame speed, beam quality including kV and added filter, and examination start and end;

normalizing the individual staff dose data with the determination processor on the basis of predetermined values for the clinical task;

displaying a visualization of the individual staff dose data including accumulated dose data and actual staff dose data compared to predetermined or expected values for the clinical task, or compared to other staff persons present in the same clinical task.