Real-Time Patient Radiation Dose Monitoring System Used in a Large University Hospital

Abstract

Radiation dose monitoring in medical imaging examination areas is mandatory for the reduction of patient radiation exposure. Recently, dose monitoring techniques that use digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) dose structured reports (SR) have been introduced. The present paper discusses the setup of a radiation dose monitoring system based on DICOM data from university hospitals in Korea. This system utilizes the radiation dose data-archiving method of standard DICOM dose SR combined with a DICOM modality performed procedure step (MPPS). The analysis of dose data based on a method utilizing DICOM tag information is proposed herein. This method supports the display of dose data from non-dosimeter-attached X-ray equipment. This system tracks data from 62 pieces of equipment to analyze digital radiographic, mammographic, mobile radiographic, CT, PET-CT, angiographic, and fluorographic modalities.