Exposure Area Product Meters in Fluoro Equipment

["Vernig, Peter G." <Peter.Vernig@med.va.gov>]

I have been told that you can not buy a fluoroscopy unit in Europe without
an Exposure Area Product [EAP] or Dose Area Product [DAP] meter.  We got a
new Siemens fluoro for interventional procedures and it included an EAP
meter.

I would like to review a reference or references that give the rational for
the EAP or DAPs.  I would also like a reference to the regulation or
consensus standard that requires or recommends the use of them.

My supposition has been that they are intended to apply ALARA to the medical
diagnostic area.  And that the dose or exposure area product is intended to
be a risk number for cancer induction.  A dose or exposure meter would be
useful in estimating the risk of skin injury in longer interventional
procedures but the area product just gets in the way for that use.

Please initiate a new message to respond to me directly and privately, if
you wish.  Generally a R-eply or A-nswer will go to the whole Radsafe Group,
that is OK too, of course if that is your intent.

Regards

Peter G. Vernig
Radiation Safety Officer
VA Medical Center, Denver

1055 Clermont Street, Denver, CO 80220
ATTN:  RSO, Mail Stop 115
peter.vernig@med.va.gov
303-399-8020 ex 2447
FAX 303-393-5026

Any opinions expressed in this message are solely my own and do not
necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of the Denver VA Medical Center,
The Dept. of Veterans Affairs, or the U.S. Government.

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