PEDIATRIC XRF BONE LEAD WITH AN X-RAY GENERATOR

X-RAY FLUORESCENCE IS AN ESTABLISHED TECHNOLOGY FOR MEASURING THE BODY BURDEN OF LEAD VIA THE BONE LEAD CONCENTRATION. STATE-OF-THE- ART MEASUREMENTS HAVE AN UNCERTAINTY OF APPROXIMATELY 5 MICROGRAMS LEAD PER GRAM BONE MINERAL AND TAKE 30 MINUTES. TO DO MASS SCREENING OF THE HIGH RISK PEDIATRIC POPULATION, WHICH IS THE STATED DESIRE OF THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL, THE SENSITIVITY AND SPEED OF THE XRF DEVICES MUST BE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. THIS RESEARCH HAS THE GOAL OF PRODUCING A MACHINE WITH AN UNCERTAINTY OF 1 MICROGRAM/GRAM AND A DATA ACQUISITION TIME OF NO MORE THAN 5 MINUTES. PHASE I WILL DEMONSTRATE A NOVEL METHOD OF REDUCING THE COMPTON SCATTER PHOTON BACKGROUND, WHICH IS THE MAIN IMPEDIMENT TO LOWERING THE SENSITIVITY. IT WILL THEN DEMONSTRATE THE USE OF THIS APPROACH WITH AN X-RAY GENERATOR REPLACING THE USUAL RADIOISOTOPE X-RAY SOURCE. SINCE THE PHOTON FLUX FROM A GENERATOR IS MUCH LARGER THAN FROM AN ISOTOPE, THIS WILL PROVE THE FEASIBILITY OF ULTIMATELY BUILDING A FASTER, MORE SENSITIVE DEVICE IN PHASE II.