The radiation safety program, which is managed by Environmental Health and Safety, facilitates the safe use of radioactive material and radiation producing devices to protect its users, patients and the public.
This page is intended to provide guidance for radiation policies and procedures specific to Dell Medical School, UT Health Austin and other human use departments on campus. UT Health Austin currently offers imaging procedures including CT, PET/CT, radiography, fluoroscopy, mammography, MRI and ultrasound.
For more information about other radiation safety topics (dosimetry, radioactive waste, training, etc.) please go to the main Radiation Safety page.
For assistance with any of the information below, contact the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) at kristi.powell@austin.utexas.edu or (512) 495-5742
Radioactive Materials:
*Clinical research that involves imaging procedures using radioactive materials that are not considered standard of care must be approved by the radiation safety committee (RSC). Ideally, you should submit to the RSC prior to submitting to the IRB in case any changes are needed. The IRB proposal must include estimated dose to the research subject and proposed consent language for the radiation risk.
*Prior to using radioactive materials for other types of research, you must complete an application to become an authorized user. License commitments are available for reference.
X-Ray:
*Clinical research that involves imaging procedures using x-rays that are not considered standard of care must be approved by the radiation safety committee (RSC). Ideally, you should submit to the RSC prior to submitting to the IRB in case any changes are needed. The IRB proposal must include estimated dose to the research subject and proposed consent language for the radiation risk.
*Purchasing new equipment: All x-ray machine purchases must be approved by radiation safety. Radiation safety will need to evaluate the proposed use location for lead shielding requirements and to conduct a public dose assessment. X-Ray machines must be added to our inventory and an equipment performance evaluation (EPE) must be completed by a licensed medical physicist prior to first use. EPE’s must also be performed annually thereafter. A quality control program must be established and maintained according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. A lead apron inventory must be maintained and each apron must be tested upon receipt and annually thereafter for defects.
*Multirad 350 Irradiator training: Prior to using the Multirad 350 irradiator, users must complete OH 306 through UT Learn. New users must also complete machine training with the RSO. Machine training takes about a half hour and you will be given a user name and password at the time of training. Upon completion of training, users will be able to self-schedule time on the unit through FBS.