CCC-0594 CALKUX.

1. NAME OR DESIGNATION OF PROGRAM:  CALKUX

3. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM OR FUNCTION

CALKUX performs a variety of functions related to the transmission of medical diagnostic x-ray beams through common shielding materials, including Pb, concrete, steel, gypsum wallboard, and plate glass.

4. METHODS

Given the broad beam transmission through a barrier, CALKUX will determine what thickness of material caused that transmission. Conversely, for a given barrier thickness, CALKUX will present the transmission and hardened HVL that result from penetration through this barrier.
CALKUX manipulates fits of the broad beam exposure transmission to the equation of Archer, et al. This same equation can be inverted to solve for barrier thickness x and the next HVL predicted for a beam that has penetrated a known barrier thickness. The fitting parameters are those published for constant potential 70, 100, 120, and 140 kVcp radiographic beams, 120 and 140 kVcp CT beams, and 50 kVp W and 30 and 35 kVp Mo mammography beams.

5. RESTRICTIONS ON THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROBLEM

Applications are restricted to only those x-ray beams mentioned above.

6. TYPICAL RUNNING TIME

KUX is interactive and takes a few seconds on a PC with a math coprocessor.

10. REFERENCES

Background information:
- B. R. Archer, J. I. Thornby, and S. C. Bushong:
"Diagnostic X-ray Shielding Design Based on an Empirical Model of Photon Attenuation," Health Physics 44, 507-517 (1983).

- Douglas J.Simpkin;
"Shielding Requirements for Mammography",
Health Physics 53(3): 267-279 (September 1987)
- Douglas J.Simpkin;
"Shielding Requirements for Constant-Potential Diagnostic X-Ray
Beams Determined by a Monte Carlo Calculation,"
Health Physics 56(2):151-164 (February 1989)
- Douglas J.Simpkin;
"Transmission of Scatter Radiation from Computed Tomography
(CT) Scanners Determined by a Monte Carlo Calculation,"
Health Physics 58(3): 363-367 (March 1990)
- Douglas J.Simpkin;
"Sample Session of Interactive Execution," 1989

11. HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

CALKUX runs on IBM PC and compatibles and could be recompiled on any machine with a FORTRAN-77 compiler. The executable code does not require a math co-processor.

13. SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

The code was written in FORTRAN 77 and was tested under DOS 3.3 (IBM PC). An executable file, produced by the MSFORT Version 4.01 compiler, is included.

15. NAME AND ESTABLISHMENT OF AUTHORS

Contributed by :Radiation Safety Information Computational Center
                Oak Ridge National Laboratory
                Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U. S. A.
                
Developed by :  Douglas J.Simpkin
                Department of Radiology
                St.Luke's Medical Center
                Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A.

README readme file
LINKCAL.BAT command file to compile and link CALKUX
CALKUX.FOR Fortrann 77 source for CALKUX
CALKUX.EXE Executable CALKUX program
KUX.DOC notes and disclaimer