Isib received an Erasmus student from FH Aachen during 5 months.

Study project:Quantitative Determination of the Iodine Content in the Human Thyroïd with X-Ray

Fluorescence Analysis.

Shanna Eismar (1), Caroline Licour (2), Jonathan Baré (2), Ulrich W. Scherer (1)

(1) FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences(2) Laboratory of Radiation Physics, ISIB, Haute Ecole P.-H. Spaak, Bruxelles, Belgium

Context of the project:

Determination of the thyroid iodine content in the case of

- Pathology of the gland- Epidemiologic study to preserve health population

Conventional methods to mesure iodine:

- using a radionuclide in scintigraphic method → dose to the patient- determination of iodine in the urine → results depend on the diet and

physiological parameters

Proposal: Quantitative Determination of the Iodine Content in the Human Thyroïd with X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis.

Kα Kβ

Iodine (Z = 53) 28.61 keV 32.29 keV

Advantages-disadvantages:

Effective dose to the patient reduced by a factor 100

But:-X-Ray emission is a polychromatic spectrum-Background in the region of interest is depending on the source-thyroid-detector geometry -Attenuation of the photons caused by air, tissue overlying the gland, the thyroid itself.

Rh-tube (0.2mA, 45kV)

Thyroid dummy NaI salt in PET foil, 0.9M NaCl solution containing 400 mg/l of Iodine in a PET bottle 0.9M NaCl solution containing 400 mg/l of Iodine in a thyroid phantom

CdTe detector X-123CdTe (optimum energy range : 5 to 150keV, resolution 3.7 % at 14.4 keV)

Assembly of the experiment:

Results:

Effect of the source-sample-detector geometryEffect of the X-Ray tube tension

NaI salt in PET foil, 35kV

NaI salt in PET foil, 45 kV

Sensitivity very low :

0.9M NaCl solution (with 400 mg/l of Iodine) in a PET bottle

To be continued : « First » Project

Aim:

Developing a complete system (devices, signal processing, …) allowing to measure iodine directly in the thyroid

Grant from the Walloon region:

A researcher will be hired during 2 yearsOperating costs

Collaborations:

ISIB (Laboratory of Nuclear and Radiation Physics)ULB (University of Brussels)/ Erasme HospitalMEDEX : Company specialised in the development and the production of radiological devices.