Establishment of a Training Dosimetry Laboratory in Cairo University

1. Establishment of a Training Dosimetry Laboratory in Cairo University Dr. Hassan Fathy for NSPA

2. What is Dosimetry? • Dosimetry tracks and monitors external radiation exposures. • Dosimetry ensures that we are following the principle of ALARA, keeping exposures as low as reasonably achievable. • Radioactive material users should be trained to obtain the permits and premises for working with ionizing radiation and using radiation equipment. • According to the international standards all radioactive material users and others such as patients, students and researchers should use radiation dosimeters to monitor their doses of radiation when work with radiation.

3. Why is it Important? • The accurate measurement of radiation dose (dosimetry) is important in various applications such as radiation oncology, diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine and radiation protection. • The primary beneficiaries of these activities are hospitals, hospital patients undergoing medical procedures involving radiation, and radiation workers and the general public that benefit by improved dosimetry practices.

4. Dosimetry & Safety! • It is important to remember that dosimetry only measures external radiation exposure and offers no protection from radiation. • Though such equipment is important to monitor the adequate radiation protection techniques and ensures safety in laboratories for radiation workers and the general public as well as patients in hospitals.

5. International Regulations • The International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources stresses the importance of accurate dosimetry in radiology. • In addition, ionizing radiation used in laboratories in both undergraduate and graduate educational laboratories could represent conditions for radiation accedients. • Diagnostic nuclear medicine also is a growing field in which a patient can be given an incorrect activity of a radionuclide unless proper calibration procedures are followed.

6. Egyptian Regulations • After the establishment of a new regulatory board for radiation safety in Egypt, a different perspective in the management of radiation protection and safety in universities is enforced by the law. • According to articles 25, 26 and 27 in the new regulatory law, personal permits as well as laboratories permits are required to obtain, manage and use ionizing radiation isotopes and/or equipment in either therapeutic, diagnostic, education or research. • The personal permits should be renewed according to international standards every three years. • This training requires a training facility equipped with dosimeters as well as radiation monitoring, radiation protection tools and radiation detectors that could be used in various fields of research.

7. Proposed Lab in CU • The laboratory will serve for training and will be certainly used for quality assurance of laboratory work in the fields of radiation protection in nuclear physics, biophysics, nuclear medicine and engineering. • Radiation protection and health physics are two important fields that should be adopted and encouraged in Cairo University which was at a time the leading university in research, laboratories and education in the region. • Such a laboratory for education, training and research will certainly add a huge impact on the quality of protection provided to the general public and the safety of radiation workers.

8. Potential End-Users • Radiation Safety Officers. • Nuclear Physicists (undergraduates, graduates and professors) • Particle Physicists. • Radiology Workers. • Radiation Oncology Workers. • Medical Physicists. • Health Physicists.

9. Goals • Serve as a central training dosimetry laboratory for various radiation biology and nuclear physicists training on campus for students, workers and researchers. • Promote the exchange of experience between Cairo University laboratories and centers, and to provide support to each other where necessary. • Provide technical support for dosimetry in Cairo University. • Support the quality assurance programs in medical physics and in the applications of ionizing radiation. • Enhance technical cooperation between national and international Dosimetry laboratories.

10. Plan • Classification of the Basic Necessary Instruments • Establish a Training Dosimetry Laboratory in Cairo University. • Obtain the Necessary Radiological Permits. • Choose the Staff and the Professional Experts. • Train the Trainers by Experts! • Purchase the Chosen Equipment. • Start the Activities of the Laboratory.

11. Equipment • Analog and Digital Dosimeters. • Film, TLD (Body + Ring) & OSL Badges. • Radiation Protection Educational and Demonstration Tools. • Calibration Radioactive Sources. • Dosimetry Computer Software. • Radiation Detectors and Area Alarms. • Contamination Monitors. • Survey Meters

12. Thank You from NSPA