[Development of Dose Calculation Application for Computed Tomography Dose Management When Facility Protocols Differ from Diagnostic Reference Level (DRL)].

Abstract

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to develop an application that computes dose values resembling diagnostic reference level (DRL) conditions when disparity prevents direct dose comparisons between the national diagnostic reference levels in Japan 2020 (Japan DRLs_2020) and facility-specific computed tomography (CT) protocols.

Methods: We developed an application using the R programming language and RStudio software that computes dose values and median values based on Japan DRLs_2020 imaging conditions following extraction of necessary information for dose calculations from the Radiation Dose Structured Report (RDSR) and Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) tags. To ensure a user-friendly experience, we used the Shiny package to develop a graphical user interface that enables the application to operate seamlessly in web browsers.

Results: The developed application successfully facilitated the calculation of dose and median values that aligned with the Japan DRLs_2020 for protocols whose imaging range and acquisition timing differed from those of the Japan DRLs_2020.

Conclusion: By calculating dose values that align with DRL conditions, our application contributes to the implementation and optimization of dose management in CT for facilities that use diverse imaging protocols.