Purpose: The purpose of this work was to compare and analyse two clinically measurable beam quality specifiers, the half value layer (HVL) and the ratio of the doses at depths 2 cm and 5 cm (D2/D5) for a range of kilovoltage modalities, and to determine whether a practical, alternative and/or better correlation exists. Methods and materials: Four x-ray units were used: two Philips RT 250 units, a Pantak HF 420 operated up to 250 kV, and a D3300 Gulmay Medical unit operated up to 300 kV. As not all these units were equipped with an internal monitor chamber, a system was used where either the first measurement was repeated at the end of each series or an external monitor chamber was employed in order to ensure output constancy. A range of HVL’s were measured on each of the energies investigated on this work, which were used clinically. A calibrated 0.6 cc ionization chamber was used in a 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm water phantom to measure the absorbed dose to water at depths 2 cm and 5 cm in order to investigate D2/D5 as the alternative quality index. Results: The effectiveness of using a monitor chamber in the determination of HVL has been shown to be significant in this work where HVLs differed by up to 3%. Errors incurred from using HVL have been identified. This work verified that the ratio of doses at depths 2 cm and 5 cm in water could be applied as a kilovoltage beam quality specifier in the clinical environment at low and medium energies with a well defined FSD and field size. Conclusions: The use of D2/D5 as a tool to verify the beam quality index would simplify quality control in the clinical environment. Further work would have to be done to investigate other energies. Lower energies may require the use of shallower depths in order to improve accuracy and ensure a more clinically relevant setup.

Evaluating data in capillary zone electrophoresis usually involves many steps that require using several different programmes. Apart from evaluating the electrophoreogram itself, it is usual to process the obtained data in some other way. For example, a suitable model is fit to the data in order to obtain physical and chemical parameters of the separation (e.g. stability constant in case of complexation). It is also important to know the accuracy of the evaluation (the calculation error). In this work, new parts of the Eval programme, originally developed for electrophoreogram evaluation, were implemented. The programme now automatically estimates the Haarhoff-van der Linde function (solution of continuity equation in capillary) parameters for analyte peak. Complexing agents are often used to improve the separation in the capillary zone electrophoresis. Complexation in the capillary can be described by its physical and chemical parameters. A new part was added to the Eval programme that allows the user to fit a rectangular hyperbole function to the obtained data. Thus, the regression parameters of this dependence can be gained. The programme can also draw profile diagrams for these parameters, from which the confidence intervals can be read. An option that allows two dependencies to be fitted at...

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi a avaliação do envelhecimento de um tubo de raios X com anodo de tungstênio utilizado para aplicações de radiodiagnóstico, por meio de aplicação de cargas de acordo com distribuições de cargas de trabalho da realidade brasileira e avaliações periódicas de grandezas associadas à qualidade de radiação produzida. Para o propósito deste trabalho, um sistema clínico com retificação monofásica de onda completa foi utilizado. Para avaliação em longo prazo das características do tubo de raios X relacionadas à carga de trabalho foi necessária a medição de parâmetros que pudessem representar de forma quantitativa o envelhecimento do tubo de raios X, estando estes relacionados principalmente ao desgaste do anodo. Esta medição indireta do envelhecimento do tubo levou a escolha de quatro parâmetros, alguns deles normalmente empregados na prática de controle de qualidade de equipamentos de radiologia diagnóstica: primeira e segunda camada semi-redutora (CSR), dimensões dos pontos focais, medida não invasiva do Potencial de Pico Prático e espectrometria de raios X. Estes parâmetros foram medidos inicialmente e após cada aplicação de carga pertinente. Para garantir a confiabilidade dos resultados, condições de reprodutibilidade foram estabelecidas para cada parâmetro de avaliação. As incertezas envolvidas em todos os processos de medição foram calculadas para avaliação da real contribuição dos efeitos do envelhecimento do tubo de raios X nos parâmetros não invasivos. Dentre os parâmetros avaliados, os que mostraram maior sensibilidade aos efeitos da aplicação de carga em longo prazo foram as energias médias obtidas por meio de espectrometria de raios X e as camadas semi-redutoras. Um modelo relacionado a estes parâmetros foi aplicado e estimativas da taxa de envelhecimento do tubo de raios X para diferentes tensões de aceleração e correntes anódicas foram obtidas. / The objective of the present work was the evaluation of an x ray tube aging with an anode made of tungsten, used in radio diagnostic. Workloads were applied, in accordance with Brazilian workload distribution, and periodic measurements of quantities related to the radiation quality of the beam were performed. For the purpose of this work, a single phase, full bridge clinical system was employed. For the long term x ray tube characteristics evaluation related to the applied workload, it was necessary to measure parameters that could quantitatively represent the tube aging, with special attention to the anode roughening. For the indirect measurement of tube aging, four parameters were chosen, some of them normally applied in x ray diagnostic quality control: first and second half value layers (HVL), focal spot dimensions, non invasive measurement of Practical Peak Voltage (PPV) and x ray spectroscopy. These parameters were measured before any workload and after each workload intervals. To assure confidence of the results reproducibility conditions were stated to each evaluated parameter. The uncertainties involved in all measurement processes were calculated to evaluate the real contributions of x ray tube aging effects on non invasive parameters. Within all evaluated parameters, the most sensitive to long term workload were the mean energy obtained from spectroscopy and half value layers. A model related to these parameters was applied and estimates of x ray tube aging rate for different acceleration voltages and anodic currents were calculated.

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi a avaliação do envelhecimento de um tubo de raios X com anodo de tungstênio utilizado para aplicações de radiodiagnóstico, por meio de aplicação de cargas de acordo com distribuições de cargas de trabalho da realidade brasileira e avaliações periódicas de grandezas associadas à qualidade de radiação produzida. Para o propósito deste trabalho, um sistema clínico com retificação monofásica de onda completa foi utilizado. Para avaliação em longo prazo das características do tubo de raios X relacionadas à carga de trabalho foi necessária a medição de parâmetros que pudessem representar de forma quantitativa o envelhecimento do tubo de raios X, estando estes relacionados principalmente ao desgaste do anodo. Esta medição indireta do envelhecimento do tubo levou a escolha de quatro parâmetros, alguns deles normalmente empregados na prática de controle de qualidade de equipamentos de radiologia diagnóstica: primeira e segunda camada semi-redutora (CSR), dimensões dos pontos focais, medida não invasiva do Potencial de Pico Prático e espectrometria de raios X. Estes parâmetros foram medidos inicialmente e após cada aplicação de carga pertinente. Para garantir a confiabilidade dos resultados, condições de reprodutibilidade foram estabelecidas para cada parâmetro de avaliação. As incertezas envolvidas em todos os processos de medição foram calculadas para avaliação da real contribuição dos efeitos do envelhecimento do tubo de raios X nos parâmetros não invasivos. Dentre os parâmetros avaliados, os que mostraram maior sensibilidade aos efeitos da aplicação de carga em longo prazo foram as energias médias obtidas por meio de espectrometria de raios X e as camadas semi-redutoras. Um modelo relacionado a estes parâmetros foi aplicado e estimativas da taxa de envelhecimento do tubo de raios X para diferentes tensões de aceleração e correntes anódicas foram obtidas. / The objective of the present work was the evaluation of an x ray tube aging with an anode made of tungsten, used in radio diagnostic. Workloads were applied, in accordance with Brazilian workload distribution, and periodic measurements of quantities related to the radiation quality of the beam were performed. For the purpose of this work, a single phase, full bridge clinical system was employed. For the long term x ray tube characteristics evaluation related to the applied workload, it was necessary to measure parameters that could quantitatively represent the tube aging, with special attention to the anode roughening. For the indirect measurement of tube aging, four parameters were chosen, some of them normally applied in x ray diagnostic quality control: first and second half value layers (HVL), focal spot dimensions, non invasive measurement of Practical Peak Voltage (PPV) and x ray spectroscopy. These parameters were measured before any workload and after each workload intervals. To assure confidence of the results reproducibility conditions were stated to each evaluated parameter. The uncertainties involved in all measurement processes were calculated to evaluate the real contributions of x ray tube aging effects on non invasive parameters. Within all evaluated parameters, the most sensitive to long term workload were the mean energy obtained from spectroscopy and half value layers. A model related to these parameters was applied and estimates of x ray tube aging rate for different acceleration voltages and anodic currents were calculated.