Publications and Research

Document Type

Working Paper

Publication Date

2024

Abstract

In breast x-ray imaging scattered radiation adds 50% of harmful radiation dose from anisotropic Compton scattering mechanism. We have been working with double layered inorganic salt materials that can induce Compton scattering to the incident mammographic x ray beams (in 20-30 kVp range) with adequate isotropy (angular control). Typically metal nitrates and alkali halide salt layers are shown here to cause low energy radiation interference zones with high and low photon intensities and local flux heterogeneity in terms of flux covariance. Spatial variation of low energy photon flux creates concentrated and sparse radiation zones that may be used to induce cancer cell death at focal cancer lesions sparing radiation damage to adjacent healthy tissues. Suitable geometric arrangement of such double layer filter materials are promising masks for tailored radiation treatment of superficial cancers, particularly in radiation sensitive tissues like breast.

Comments

This is a work in progress and involves modification of low energy x-ray beams from routinely available mammography systems. In addition to the built in filters that remove low energy (sub-keV) x-rays from mammography beams we developed a set of inorganic salt systems as energy dispersion filters based on Compton scattering and optical method to create constructive and destructive interference. This creates focal, concentrated single digit keV and sub-keV x-rays capable of penetrating soft tissues (tested on fruits) and potentially break DNA strands in breast or superficial body cancers. Such manipulation and focused application of ultra-low energy radiation should eliminate further scatter generation and hence adjacent organ damage or radiation harm for pregnant patients.

The CRSP scholars and S.K. received research stipend from CUNY for this research. Collaborators contributed through emerging scholars program while S.R. undertook a research externship under mentor SS.

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