Estimation of the effective doses for digital linear tomography of the chest

Linear tomography performed on the X-ray units with modern digital detectors allows obtaining necessary diagnostic information for certain applications while maintaining relatively low patient doses. However, the methods of the estimation of the effective dose from that imaging modality are seldom presented in modern literature. The aim of the current study was to estimate the effective doses for the digital linear tomography of the chest. The study was performed on a modern digital X-ray unit with indirect flat-panel detector (CsI+ amorph. Si) using an anthropomorphic chest phantom. A model for the estimation of the effective doses was developed using the PCXMC 2.0 software. Based on the results of the study conversion coefficients from dose-area product to effective dose were established. The results of the study allowed establishing relations between the parameters of linear tomography and patient doses, with the subsequent development of the low-dose protocols of the imaging of the chest. These protocols were proposed for the clinical trial for the follow-up evaluation of the tuberculosis treatment.