SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1953
STP39255S

Fluoroscopy and Radiography with Iridium 192

Source

Interest in the use of iridium 192 for radiography and fluoroscopy has been growing steadily during the past year on this continent and in Europe (1, 2, 3, 4). The gamma ray spectrum of iridium 192, with energies between 200 and 600 kv, makes it a more useful source for the radiography of thin sections of steel than either radium or cobalt 60. The most intense components are at about 305 and 467 kv, and the relatively low energies of the gamma rays simplify the protection problems and make possible the safe and convenient use of multicurie sources. In addition, the high absorption of thermal neutrons by iridium facilitates the rapid preparation of sources of high specific activity, high total activity, and small physical size. With such small, intense sources, radiographs can be made very rapidly, and a fiuoroscopic screen can be illuminated adequately through considerable thicknesses of material, since short source-to-film and source-to-screen distances can be used without sacrificing definition. The relatively short half-life of iridium 192, 74.4 days (5), while a disadvantage, can be overcome by arranging for replacement of the source at 70- to 90-day intervals, with re-irradiation of the source, if feasible, after a suitable decay period.

Author Information

Garrett, C
Radiology Laboratory, Division of Physics, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ont., Can
Morrison, A
Arthur D. Little, Inc., Cambridge, Mass.
Rick, G
Radiology Laboratory, Division of Physics, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ont., Can
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Details
Developed by Committee: E07
Pages: 9–20
DOI: 10.1520/STP39255S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-5636-4
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-5635-7