The Determination of X-ray Photon Absorption Properties of Some Human Tissues and Organs Using Monte Carlo method

Abstract

The interaction of photons with human tissues and organs is a critical area of study for healthcare professionals and medical physicists. This study investigates the photon absorption properties of various tissues and organs, across a broad energy range, with a particular focus on the X-ray energy range emitted from the Computed Tomography (CT) devices. The mass attenuation coefficient (µ_m), linear attenuation coefficient (µ), total atomic cross-section (σ_t,a), total electronic cross-section (σ_t,e), effective atomic number (Z_eff), effective electron density (N_eff), half-value layer (HVL), tenth-value layer (TVL), and mean free path (MFP) were calculated through an improved user code developed for this study. The results were compared to data obtained from the XCOM database, and showed excellent agreement, validating the accuracy of the method. In addition, the variations in radiation dose depending on the depth in some tissues and organs are also shown in this study. This comprehensive study provides a unique dataset for these radiation interaction quantities, which has not been collectively presented in previous literature. Our findings are expected to significantly enhance the understanding of photon interactions with human tissues and organs, particularly within the context of medical imaging and therapeutic applications.