Validation of a locally designed computed tomography dose phantom: comparative assessment against a standard acrylic phantom for dose accuracy and consistency in edo and delta states, nigeria

Abstract

This study compares CT dose measurements specifically CTDIvol and DLP between standard phantoms (SP) and locally constructed phantoms (CP) for head and body scans across four CT centres. Locally built phantoms, made from bent PMMA sheets and filled with water, were tested alongside standard phantoms using ionization chambers. Results show minor differences in dose estimates, with head CT showing slightly higher deviations (up to 7.18%) compared to body CT (up to 3.25%). Console-displayed values followed similar trends, with some larger variations noted, especially for head CT at one centre (up to 52.11% deviation). However, ANOVA analysis revealed no statistically significant differences between SP and CP dose values. All results were within the ±20% uncertainty range recommended by IAEA and ACR, suggesting that locally constructed phantoms are suitable alternatives for CT dose assessments in clinical practice.