Comparison between a silicon PIN diode and a CsI(Tl) coupled to a silicon PIN diode for dosimetric purpose in radiology

The use of amorphous Si-PIN diodes showed interesting applications in detector research. Due to their properties and cost effective value, these devices can be used as small dosimeters for fast and real time dose evaluation. The responses of two different detectors to the measurement of X-ray total air KERMA are compared and presented, with the goal to get a dosimetric parameter directly during the X-ray patients exposure. A bare Si-PIN diode and a Si-PIN diode+CsI(Tl) scintillator were tested and compared to radiologic dosimeters. Both detector outputs were calibrated using a secondary reference standard (CAPINTEC PM 30 dosimeter), in order to analyze and discuss the dose and the energy dependence of the detectors in the range of radiologic interest (tube voltage: 40–140 kVp and additional filtration: 0 mm Al to 4 mm Al). The bare Si-PIN diode shows a very coherent response independently from the X-ray beam quality and from the additional filtration. The Si-PIN+CsI(Tl) detector, on the other hand, shows a high spread of the calibration curves as a function of the tube high voltage and the additional filtration. The presented results could be used to calibrate an image detector in dose.