RTT 410 Clinical Radiation Physics I
Lead Faculty: Ms. Mellonie Fisher Brown
Course Description
Focus in on the characteristics and interactions of electromagnetic and particulate radiation. X-ray production, equipment, measurement and quality of radiation produced and radiation safety.
Learning Outcomes
- Differentiate between electromagnetic and particulate radiation.
- Describe the process of ionization.
- Calculate radioactivity, decay constant, activity and half-live, average life and attenuation requirements for commonly used isotopes used in Radiation Therapy.
- Differentiate between artificially produced and naturally occurring therapeutic nuclides.
- Identify the radioactive series and decay schemes for commonly used radiation therapy nuclides.
- Describe the methods of artificial production of radionuclides.
- Describe x-ray production for linear accelerators.
- Differentiate between x-ray production from radiographic units and accelerators.
- Compare the factors that influence x-ray production and output.
- Describe the characteristics of the x-ray beam produced in the various equipment energy ranges used in therapy.
- Discuss the function of all major components of a linear accelerator.
- Discuss x-ray production in alternative therapy units (tomotherapy, rapid arc etc).
- State the gamma energies for all of the commonly used radioactive sources used in therapy.
- Explain the major influencing factors of proton beam attenuation.
- Describe the parameters of narrow beam geometry used in the measurement of attenuation.
- Calculate Half-Value Layer (HVL).
- Explain charged particle interactions with matter, describing dose deposition, energy loss and shielding requirements.
- Demonstrate use of the appropriate type of radiation detector for given clinical applications.
- Calculate correction factors for chamber calibration.
- Discuss protocols used for external beam calibration.
- Calculate direction of scatter given the energy of the incident photon.
- State the principles of radiation protection.
- State the occupational and public recommended dose limits.
