Setup reproducibility is crucial in the delivery of dose in radiotherapy as it determines the accuracy and treatment success of the procedure. Previous studies reported supine as an alternative to prone; however, the comparison was not straightforward as several factors… More

Setup reproducibility is crucial in the delivery of dose in radiotherapy as it determines the accuracy and treatment success of the procedure. Previous studies reported supine as an alternative to prone; however, the comparison was not straightforward as several factors were overlooked. This retrospective study attempted to determine the setup reproducibility as measured by displacement of bony landmarks in the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes of supine position relative to the standard prone position. Sixteen rectal cancer patients were positioned in supine (N=6) and prone (N=10) as per radiation oncologists and medical physicists in 2018. On each daily fraction, the displacement of the bony landmark in the three axes was calculated by the medical physicists and radiation therapists, and a total of 61 measurements were recorded. Results revealed that both supine and prone positions demonstrated an unacceptable reproducibility value. The setup reproducibility did not significantly differ in both positions. Based on the results of the study, the supine position, as reported by previous studies to exhibit superior setup reproducibility than prone position, is still unacceptable in radiotherapy of rectal cancer patients. Less

Ultrasound is aided with acoustic gel to provide an accurate medical diagnosis; however, this product is costly and, thus, may hinder the diagnostic value of the procedure. This research is focused on the evaluation of radiographic image quality parameters of… More

Ultrasound is aided with acoustic gel to provide an accurate medical diagnosis; however, this product is costly and, thus, may hinder the diagnostic value of the procedure. This research is focused on the evaluation of radiographic image quality parameters of sonograms scanned using Saluyot leaves and commercial acoustic gels. Twelve participants were purposively chosen and subjected to an Ultrasound scan using the acoustic gels. Recorded sonograms were evaluated using the standard radiographic image quality parameters. Results revealed that sonograms obtained using Saluyot leaves were more acceptable, more visible, more detailed, and less distorted compared to commercial acoustic gel. Statistical analysis showed that there is no significant difference in the level of acceptability and distortion of the sonograms obtained using the Saluyot leaves and commercial acoustic gels. However, there is a significant difference in the visibility and amount of recorded detail of the sonograms using the two gels. Less

With the advancement in diagnostic imaging, providing shielding against X-rays has become a significant concern. While Lead has been extensively used as the shielding material, it is costly and toxic to humans and the surrounding environment. This study aims to… More

With the advancement in diagnostic imaging, providing shielding against X-rays has become a significant concern. While Lead has been extensively used as the shielding material, it is costly and toxic to humans and the surrounding environment. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of eggshells as alternative shielding material against diagnostic X-rays. To this end, the eggshells were collected, ground, sieved and mixed with cement and water with an increasing amount. Radiographic analysis was utilized to measure the performance of the shields. The results showed that increasing the number of eggshells increased its shielding performance; however, more shielding is required at higher X-ray energies. Nevertheless, the performance of the standard Lead shield and the shield with the highest number of eggshells yielded a comparable result. The eggshells can be used as alternative shielding material against diagnostic X-rays. Less