Operator safety during the acquisition of intraoral images with a handheld and portable X-ray device.

Operator safety during the acquisition of intraoral images with a handheld and portable X-ray device.

Dentomaxillofac Radiol. 2018 Jan 10;:20160410

Authors: Rottke D, Gohlke L, Schrödel R, Hassfeld S, Schulze D

Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The present study aims at investigating different radiation protection issues and dose values while acquiring intraoral images with a handheld X-ray device.
METHODS: An Aribex NOMAD Pro 2TM, a RANDO® male head phantom, a consistency testing body (CTB), a PTW NOMEX® Multimeter, and a PTW Farmer® Ionization Chamber Type 30010 were used to investigate: (1) dose area products (DAP); (2) the expansion of the control area (CA); (3) the scattering pattern; and (4) the potential risk for operators of the X-ray device.
RESULTS: DAPs at different exposure times were linearly distributed with a high correlation factor (>0.9). At 4,000 simulated exposures, the greatest extent of the CA was 42 cm (mean = 16.7 cm, SD = 10.8 cm). The highest occurrence of scattering radiation resulted between the RANDO® phantom and the X-ray device. No scattered radiation was measured at the dorsal part of the phantom or behind a virtual vertical plane through the focal spot of the X-ray device in front of the operator.
CONCLUSIONS: Through this study we were able to demonstrate that the application of a handheld and portable X-ray device for intraoral imaging does not increase the risk for operators if the device is controlled according to the manufacturer's specifications. We also showed that the CA was significantly smaller than the ones specified by German guidelines and DIN standards.

PMID: 29319336 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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