NUREG/CR-7243

PIMAL: Phantom with 

Moving Arms and Legs 

Version 4.1.0 

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
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NUREG/CR-7243

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

PIMAL: Phantom with 

Moving Arms and Legs 

Version 4.1.0

Manuscript Completed: August 2016

Date Published: December 2017

Version 4.1.0 Prepared by: S. Dewji and M. Hiller 

Oak Ridge National Laboratory 

Oak Ridge, TN, USA 

PIMAL Development Team: 

S. A. Dewji, M. Hiller, M. Bellamy, H. Akkurt

1, D. Wiarda, 

G. Kora, and K. Eckerman2

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Oak Ridge, TN, USA

K. Griffin

Nuclear and Radiological Engineering Program Georgia 

Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA, USA

T. Oxenberg and R. Tadesse, NRC Project Managers

S. Sherbini, NRC Technical Monitor

NRC Job Code V6255 

1 Current: Electric Power Research Institute 

2 ORNL, retired

iii

ABSTRACT 

Computational phantoms with articulated arms and legs have been developed to enable radiation 

dose estimation for male and female receptors in different postures. Using a user-friendly 

graphical user interface (GUI), the PIMAL (Phantom wIth Moving Arms and Legs) software can be 

employed to adjust the posture of a phantom, generate a corresponding input file for the Monte 

Carlo N-Particle (MCNP®) radiation transport code, and perform the radiation transport 

simulations for the dose calculations in MCNP®. The MCNP® code can be run natively from the 

PIMAL interface or externally in the MCNP® command prompt via the generated MCNP® PIMAL 

input file. 

Before PIMAL 4.0, previous versions consisted of a single (hermaphrodite) phantom model. 

PIMAL 4.1.0 now includes a separate male and female stylized phantom with articulated limbs, in 

addition to housing the most recent International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) 

Publication 110 reference adult male and female voxel phantoms (no articulation). Both internal 

and external radionuclide sources can be simulated in PIMAL via a dropdown menu in the GUI. 

For external sources, the user can select the ICRP’s standard external exposure geometries (AP, 

PA, LLAT, RLAT, or ISO), in addition to a point source, from the menu options. 

PIMAL 4.1.0 contains an improved user interface. The design of the sliders to control the 

articulation of the limbs is connected with the textbox input, with the bounding conditions of limb 

articulation included. Source modes (i.e., photon, neutron) for Monte Carlo simulation have been 

pre-programmed with the source input (photon, neutron, x-ray, radionuclide) to simplify the 

definition of the radiation source.

This user manual describes the updates to PIMAL 4.1.0, in addition to aiding the user in installing 

PIMAL, exploring the geometry articulation and visualization capabilities, and radiation source 

definitions, in addition to providing sample tutorials for the PIMAL user for estimating organ doses.

v 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 1-1

1.1 Manual Outline......................................................................................................................... 1-2

1.2 User Requirements.................................................................................................................. 1-2

2 PIMAL VERSION 4.0 AND 4.1.0 FEATURES ............................................................................... 2-1

3 INSTALLATION .............................................................................................................................. 3-1

3.1 The PIMAL Installer................................................................................................................. 3-1

3.2 Configuration of PIMAL ......................................................................................................... 3-11

3.2.1 Setting the Working Directory ..................................................................................... 3-11

3.2.2 Setting the Path for MCNP® Executable.................................................................... 3-12

4 WORKSPACE ................................................................................................................................. 4-1

4.1 GUI Overview .......................................................................................................................... 4-1

4.2 Camera Controls...................................................................................................................... 4-2

4.3 Using the Sliders window ........................................................................................................ 4-2

4.4 Using the Text window ............................................................................................................ 4-4

4.5 Setting Phantom Transparencies............................................................................................ 4-5

4.6 Resetting the Phantom............................................................................................................4-5

4.7 Two-Dimensional View............................................................................................................ 4-6

4.8 Saving Current Configuration.................................................................................................. 4-6

4.9 Recalling Past Configurations ................................................................................................. 4-7

4.10 Exiting PIMAL ........................................................................................................................ 4-7

5 GENERATING MCNP® INPUTS ................................................................................................... 5-1

5.1 PIMAL Built-in Source Settings ............................................................................................... 5-1

5.2 Generating MCNP® Input ....................................................................................................... 5-2

5.3 Displaying Source Points......................................................................................................... 5-3

5.4 Saving Input............................................................................................................................. 5-4

5.5 Entering Custom Source Configurations................................................................................. 5-5

6 RUNNING MCNP® ......................................................................................................................... 6-1

6.1 Running MCNP® through PIMAL ........................................................................................... 6-1

6.2 Running MCNP® through the Command Prompt .................................................................. 6-3

6.3 Viewing Organ Dose................................................................................................................ 6-5

7 TUTORIALS .................................................................................................................................... 7-1

7.1 Female Extension Pose (AP Source) - Beginner User........................................................... 7-1

7.2 Male Voxel Phantom (AmBe Point Source) - Intermediate User............................................ 7-8

7.3 Water Submersion - Advanced User .................................................................................... 7-12

8 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................ 8-1

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......................................................................................................................ix 

LIST OF FIGURES.............................................................................................................................vii 

ABSTRACT..........................................................................................................................................iii 

APPENDIX A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PHANTOM INPUT FILES.................................A -1

ABBREVIATION AND ACRONYMS.................................................................................................xi 

vii

LIST OF FIGURES 

Figure 1 PIMAL Installer..............................................................................................................3-1

Figure 2 PIMAL Setup Wizard..................................................................................................... 3-1

Figure 3 Choose Install Location................................................................................................. 3-2

Figure 4 Choose Start Menu Folder ............................................................................................ 3-2

Figure 5 PIMAL Installation Process ........................................................................................... 3-3

Figure 6 Start JDK Installation..................................................................................................... 3-4

Figure 7 JDK Custom Installation Setup...................................................................................... 3-5

Figure 8 JDK Installer Extraction................................................................................................. 3-5

Figure 9 Select Destination Folder for JDK ................................................................................. 3-6

Figure 10 JDK Installation ........................................................................................................... 3-6

Figure 11 JDK Installation Complete........................................................................................... 3-7

Figure 12 Start Java 3DTM Installation......................................................................................... 3-8

Figure 13 Java 3DTM Installation Confirmation............................................................................ 3-8

Figure 14 Java 3DTM Installation Complete................................................................................. 3-9

Figure 15 PIMAL Installation Complete..................................................................................... 3-10

Figure 16 Close PIMAL Setup Wizard....................................................................................... 3-10

Figure 17 PIMAL After Installation............................................................................................. 3-11

Figure 18 Working Directory Window........................................................................................ 3-11

Figure 19 Second Working Directory Window........................................................................... 3-12

Figure 20 MCNP® Executable Window .................................................................................... 3-12

Figure 21 MCNP® Executable Path Selection .......................................................................... 3-13

Figure 22 Location of MCNP6® Executable.............................................................................. 3-13

Figure 24 Default PIMAL Stance - Sliders ................................................................................... 4-2

Figure 25 PIMAL with Left Shoulder Rotated 90 Degrees - Sliders............................................. 4-3

Figure 26 Default PIMAL Stance - Text....................................................................................... 4-4

Figure 27 PIMAL with Left Shoulder Rotated 90 Degrees - Text................................................. 4-4

Figure 28 Checking the Bones, Lungs, and Heart Transparency Boxes..................................... 4-5

Figure 29 Phantom and Reset Button ......................................................................................... 4-5

Figure 30 2D View Workspace.................................................................................................... 4-6

Figure 31 Opening PIMAL Input.................................................................................................. 4-7

Figure 32 Exiting PIMAL through Toolbar ................................................................................... 4-7

Figure 33 Depiction of Simulation Tab on Sidebar...................................................................... 5-1

Figure 34 Generate MCNP® Input Window ................................................................................ 5-3

Figure 35 Source Point Display of LLAT Geometry..................................................................... 5-4

Figure 36 Setting Transparent Organs and Save Input Location ................................................ 5-5

Figure 38 MCNP® Screen Output............................................................................................... 6-1

Figure 39 Tabulated Organ Doses .............................................................................................. 6-2

Figure 40 Fatal Error Warning..................................................................................................... 6-2

Figure 41 Command Prompt on Windows®................................................................................ 6-3

Figure 42 Changing Working Directory ....................................................................................... 6-3

Figure 43 Running the Input File ................................................................................................. 6-4

Figure 44 Pausing the Run.......................................................................................................... 6-4

Figure 45 Organ Dose Chart ....................................................................................................... 6-5

Figure 46 Output Selection Window............................................................................................ 6-5

Figure 47 Female Phantom in Extension Pose ........................................................................... 7-1

Figure 48 Open Mathematical Female Phantom......................................................................... 7-2

Figure 49 Phantom Parameters Window - Female Extension..................................................... 7-2

Figure 50 Phantom Sliders Tab - Female Extension................................................................... 7-2

Figure 37 Save Input Window .................................................................................................... 5-5

Figure 23 PIMAL Graphical User Interface.................................................................................. 4-1
viii

Figure 51 Phantom Simulation Tab - Female Extension ............................................................. 7-3

Figure 52 Set Source Display Number - Female Extension ........................................................ 7-3

Figure 53 MCNP® Input - Female Extension .............................................................................. 7-4

Figure 54 Female Extension Phantom with Source Point Display (Posterior View).................... 7-5

Figure 55 Female Extension MCNP® Run.................................................................................. 7-6

Figure 56 Female Extension Phantom Computed Organ Dose Values ...................................... 7-7

Figure 57 Male Voxel Phantom ................................................................................................... 7-8

Figure 58 Open ICRP's MALE Voxel Phantom Model ................................................................ 7-9

Figure 59 Phantom Simulation Tab - Male Voxel ........................................................................ 7-9

Figure 60 MCNP® Input - Male Voxel ....................................................................................... 7-10

Figure 61 Save MCNP® Input File - Male Voxel ....................................................................... 7-10

Figure 62 MCNP® Command Prompt - Male Voxel.................................................................. 7-11

Figure 63 PIMAL View Organ Dose - Male Voxel...................................................................... 7-11

Figure 64 Male Voxel Phantom MCNP® Output....................................................................... 7-12

Figure 65 Water Submersion with Male Mathematical Phantom............................................... 7-13

Figure 66 Open Mathematical Male Phantom........................................................................... 7-13

Figure 67 Phantom Simulation Tab - Water Submersion .......................................................... 7-14

Figure 68 MCNP® Input 1 - Water Submersion ........................................................................ 7-14

Figure 69 MCNP® Input 2 - Water Submersion ........................................................................ 7-15

Figure 70 MCNP® Input 3 - Water Submersion ........................................................................ 7-15

Figure 71 MCNP® Input 4 - Water Submersion ........................................................................ 7-16

Figure 72 MCNP® Input 5 - Water Submersion ........................................................................ 7-17

Figure 73 MCNP® Command Prompt - Water Submersion...................................................... 7-18

Figure 74 PIMAL View Organ Dose - Water Submersion.......................................................... 7-18

Figure 75 Water Submersion MCNP® Output .......................................................................... 7-19
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

The authors acknowledge Jim Terry and Kathryn Bales from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory 

and Lisa Reed from Georgia Institute of Technology for reviewing the draft version of the manual. 

ix 

xi

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 

AP antero-posterior

GUI graphical user interface

ICRP International Commission on Radiological Protection

JDK Java Development Kit

LLAT left lateral

MCNP® Monte Carlo N-Particle

NPS Number of Particles

NRC [United States] Nuclear Regulatory Commission

PA postero-anterior

PIMAL Phantom wIth Moving Arms and Legs

RLAT right lateral

SDEF source definition

1-1

1 INTRODUCTION 

Computational models of the human anthropomorphic phantom have undergone progressive 

evolution since their initial development in the 1970s [1]. Computational phantoms employed by 

the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) were largely based on a model published in 1974, 

which did not account for select organs (e.g., neck, esophagus) and tissues. These deficiencies 

were compounded by inaccurate organ placement within the body (e.g., thyroid). Most notably, all 

the computational phantoms were assumed to be in the vertical-upright position, which continues 

to be a trend in the development of current computational phantoms. To assess the radiation dose 

in non-standard positions (e.g., occupational exposure or public exposure in a radiologically 

significant event), the mathematical phantom has been revised to enable articulation of arms and 

legs. The revised phantom is called PIMAL: Phantom wIth Moving Arms and Legs [2], [3]. 

In the initial phase of development in 2007, the objectives for developing PIMAL were three-fold: 

(1) update the MIRD-5 mathematical phantom model that was being used by the NRC staff to

improve the assessment of dose for realistic exposure configurations; (2) perform benchmark

computations against International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP) Publication 74

values [4] and investigate the reasons behind any identified discrepancies; and (3) develop an

interface to assist the user (or analyst) in using the updated phantom model in dose assessment

activities.

The organs and compositions of anthropomorphic phantom models were updated, and the 

revised computational phantom model was adopted for radiation transport codes, notably the 

Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP®) code [5]. Computationally generated results were compared 

against values reported by the ICRP in Publication 74 [4], with identified discrepancies being 

resolved. Although the original PIMAL phantom was developed as an adult hermaphrodite model, 

with both male and female gender-specific organs, the latest revision of PIMAL separates the 

male and female option for calculating doses. Furthermore, extensive benchmarking, in addition to 

sensitivity computations, was performed to determine the sensitivity of the organ doses for certain 

parameters, including composition and cross sections used in the simulations [2]. Finally, a 

graphical user interface (GUI) has been developed to assist the analyst with input preparation and 

output manipulation [6]. The GUI can be used to visualize the positioning of the arms and legs as 

the desired posture is achieved to generate the input file, conduct radiation transport simulations, 

and extract the organ dose values from the MCNP® output file. A phantom model was included in 

the GUI, thus enabling visualization of the arms and legs as they are positioned using slider bars. 

Once the user decides on the posture, an MCNP® input file can be generated and the radiation 

transport simulations using MCNP® can be performed through the GUI. Furthermore, the 

computed organ dose values can be extracted (from the MCNP® output file), displayed, and 

exported as an ASCII file.
1-2

1.1 Manual Outline 

This user manual describes the updates to PIMAL 4.1.0, in addition to aiding the user in installing 

PIMAL, exploring the geometry articulation and visualization capabilities, and radiation source 

definitions, in addition to providing sample tutorials for the PIMAL user for estimating organ doses.

The organization of this manual is as follows: 

• Section 2 outlines the updates made to PIMAL version 4.0 and version 4.1.0

• Section 3 details the installation and setup procedures for PIMAL

• Section 4 walks through PIMAL functionality

• Section 5 details the generation of MCNP® input

• Section 6 demonstrates how to run MCNP® with PIMAL

• Section 7 outlines a few examples and tutorials:

o Female Extension Pose (AP Source) - Beginner User

o Male Voxel Phantom (AmBe Point Source) - Intermediate User

o Water Submersion - Advanced User

• Appendix A provides a detailed explanation of the PIMAL-generated MCNP® input decks

• Appendix B lists the range of motion limitations with the PIMAL appendages

• Appendix C provides references for locating the PIMAL benchmark work

1.2 User Requirements 

PIMAL 4.1.0 employs Java-3DTM and currently only compatible with Microsoft Windows® (7, 8, 

10) operating systems at this time.

Note that PIMAL 4.1.0 has been successfully installed and executed on Parallels Desktop® for 

Mac®. The developers do not endorse any single software product, but only provide feedback 

based on successful test cases.
2-1

2 PIMAL VERSION 4.0 AND 4.1.0 FEATURES 

PIMAL permits custom articulation of limbs. With both male and female phantom models included, 

PIMAL supports the ability to manipulate the phantom’s position using a simple GUI and generate 

files supporting execution using MCNP® transport code. 

A variety of updates have been implemented in PIMAL Version 4.0. The practical features of the 

software include:

• Java 3-dimensional (3D)TM interface for PIMAL display;

• Sliders and text options to move appendages;

• ICRP's reference voxel phantoms;

• 2D cross sectional view;

• Organ dose tabulation;

• Source point display; and,

• Saving/loading PIMAL configuration.

In PIMAL Version 4.1.0, the following changes were made:

• Updated the underlying JAVA 3DTM interface for an optimized user experience;

• Updated the voxel phantoms to the latest ICRP Publication 110 models [7] (male/female

adult, not articulated);

• Updated the Help page to access the PDF Manual;

• Updated the Simulation tab:

o Removed the MODE button; MODE is now automatically selected based on the

emission criteria of the selected nuclide; and,

o Set point source to be 1 m above ground in front of the phantom.

• Made Help file and output windows full screen by default; and,

• Facilitated the link of PIMAL to MCNP®, negating the set DATAPATH step.

3-1

3 INSTALLATION 

Instructions for installing PIMAL on a Microsoft Windows® system are provided below.

3.1 The PIMAL Installer 

The installation process for PIMAL is similar to that for installing other Windows® programs. 

Step 1. Locate the PIMAL installer file and double click the icon. 

Figure 1 PIMAL Installer

Step 2. The PIMAL Setup Wizard welcome screen appears. Select Next to continue.

Figure 2 PIMAL Setup Wizard
3-2

Step 3. Choose a specific destination folder by selecting Browse or keep the default location. 

Select Next to continue.

Figure 3 Choose Install Location 

Step 4. Choose a specific Start Menu Folder or keep the default entry and select Install to begin 

the installation.

Figure 4 Choose Start Menu Folder
3-3

The PIMAL installer begins setting up the PIMAL application on the machine. 

Figure 5 PIMAL Installation Process 

Note: If needed, the PIMAL installer will install or update Java components as necessary. This

may add to installation time, but is required to run the Java-based PIMAL application.
3-4

Step 5. After the PIMAL application itself is installed, two more programs must be installed 

alongside PIMAL. If those programs are already present on the computer, those steps are 

skipped automatically; otherwise, the installers for those programs will start. 

The first of those installers is the Java Development Kit (JDK). In the Java window, select Next to 

start the installation of the JDK. 

Figure 6 Start JDK Installation
3-5

Step 6. On the next screen, one can choose which components of the JDK should be installed. 

The requirements for PIMAL are pre-selected. Select Next to continue.

Figure 7 JDK Custom Installation 

Setup Step 7. The JDK installer is extracted. 

Figure 8 JDK Installer Extraction 
3-6

Step 8. Select the Destination folder of the JDK or keep the default one. Begin the installation 

by selecting Next. 

Figure 9 Select Destination Folder for JDK 

Step 9. The JDK installer installs the selected components. 

Figure 10 JDK Installation 
3-7

Step 10. After successful installation of the JDK, select Close to finish this step. 

Figure 11 JDK Installation Complete 
3-8

Step 11. PIMAL also requires Java 3DTM. If Java 3DTM is not already installed on the system, 

then the PIMAL installer will install it in this step.

Review the license agreement and click Accept to begin the installation of Java 3DTM. 

Figure 12 Start Java 3DTM Installation 

Step 12. The Java 3DTM installer looks for, and installs in, the same directory as the JDK. Begin

the installation into that directory by selecting Install. 

Figure 13 Java 3DTM Installation Confirmation 
3-9

Step 13. Once the Java 3DTM installer has completed, select Finish. 

Figure 14 Java 3DTM Installation Complete 
3-10

Step 14. This also completes the PIMAL installation. Click Next to proceed.

Figure 15 PIMAL Installation Complete 

Step 15. Close the installer by selecting Finish. 

Figure 16 Close PIMAL Setup Wizard 
3-11

3.2 Configuration of PIMAL 

Before using PIMAL for the first time, the user must input a few customization settings. After a 

successful installation, double click the PIMAL icon that was created on the Windows® Desktop. 

PIMAL starts with the basic screen, as shown in Figure 17. 

Figure 17. PIMAL After Installation

3.2.1 Setting the Working Directory 

The user must define an accessible local working directory to save PIMAL and MCNP® files.

To do so, navigate to the PIMAL toolbar and select Preferences > Set Working Directory. 

Figure 18 Working Directory Window 

Click Select. In the resulting popup window, navigate to the folder where the files are to be 

saved. It is recommended that this working directory be a location where the user has read/write 

permissions.
3-12

Figure 19 Second Working Directory Window 

Click on the designated destination folder and press Select. Then click Save on the previous 

window (see Figure 18). The working directory folder is now used as the default save folder for 

PIMAL configurations and MCNP® runtape files.

3.2.2 Setting the Path for MCNP® Executable 

The path to the MCNP® executable directory must be set in PIMAL so that MCNP® can be

called from within PIMAL.

Note: PIMAL assumes that MCNP® has already been installed on the computer system. If 

MCNP® has not yet been installed, please request the code through appropriate channels via 

the Radiation Safety Information Computational Center (https://rsicc.ornl.gov). MCNP® is not 

mandatory for using the PIMAL GUI (e.g., articulating limbs/positions), but radiation transport is 

not possible without the presence of the MCNP® software. 

First, specify the location of the MCNP® executable. On the PIMAL toolbar, select Preferences 

> Set Path for MCNP® Executable. The MCNP® executable pathway can be set by one of two

ways; (1) entered directly in the Executable line (see Figure 20), or (2) by selecting the version

of MCNP® using the Select button (see Figure 21).

Figure 20 MCNP® Executable Window 
3-13

Figure 21 MCNP® Executable Path Selection 

If the MCNP® installation was performed as described in the MCNP® manual, MCNP® is

installed within a folder named my_mcnp on disk drive C:. 

Figure 22 Location of MCNP6® Executable 

Navigate into the my_mcnp or the user-defined MCNP® folder and highlight the MCNP®

executable, (e.g., C:\my_mcnp\MCNP_CODE\bin\mcnp6.exe). Press Select.

4-1

4 WORKSPACE 

Once the installation process has been completed and the pathways have been set, PIMAL is 

ready for use. The GUI permits easy customization and display of the phantom. In the following 

sections, the GUI overview, as well as camera controls and other functionalities in PIMAL, will 

be discussed.

Warning: Breaking the physical limitations of the phantom has the likely effect of causing fatal 

errors in MCNP®. Please do not overlap one portion of the phantom with another (e.g., impale 

the head with the fist, make legs or arms intersect). Treat PIMAL with care.

4.1 GUI Overview 

A screenshot of the PIMAL GUI is given in Figure 23, with key features of the interface labeled. 

Figure 23 PIMAL Graphical User Interface 

1 - PIMAL Toolbar 5 - Java 3DTM Environment

6 - PIMAL Status Bar

7 - Phantom Parameters Sidebar

2 - 2D & 3D View Tabs

3 - Zoom In / Zoom Out / Coordinates

4 - Phantom Resolution Quality 8 - Minimize/ Maximize/ Close Button
4-2

4.2 Camera Controls 

Rotation and zooming of the PIMAL phantom is controlled entirely via computer mouse function 

via the following mouse click/drag mechanisms:

• Mouse left click and drag: Camera rotation

• Mouse right click and drag: Camera translation in that direction

• Mouse middle click and drag: Camera zoom forward and backward

• Mouse middle scroll: Camera zoom forward and backward

4.3 Using the Sliders window 

If the sliders pane is not open on the sidebar, click on the Sliders tab to open it. Clicking and 

dragging a slider for each labeled rotation moves the respective appendage. Experiment with 

each of the 16 sliders to become familiar with their operation. 

To start, each slider is positioned at zero. Some sliders can be moved only in the positive 

direction, while others can move in both positive and negative directions. Click Reset to reset all

sliders and the phantom posture

Figure 24 shows the default stance of the phantom, with all sliders at the zero position.

Figure 24 Default PIMAL Stance - Sliders 
4-3

Figure 25 shows the result of moving the left shoulder rotation slider to 90 degrees; note the 

changed stance. 

Note: The range of motion for the sliders is summarized in Appendix B.

Figure 25 PIMAL with Left Shoulder Rotated 90 Degrees - Sliders 
4-4

4.4 Using the Text window 

Figure 26 shows the default PIMAL stance with the text window open in the sidebar. To open 

the sidebar in text mode, click on the Text tab. Specific rotation of one or more appendages 

may be obtained by entering the desired value(s) in the text input boxes.

Figure 26 Default PIMAL Stance - Text 

Figure 27 shows a 90-degree rotation of the left shoulder. This rotation is obtained by entering 

“90” into the left shoulder rotation box.

Figure 27 PIMAL with Left Shoulder Rotated 90 Degrees - Text 
4-5

4.5 Setting Phantom Transparencies 

To open the transparency pane on the sidebar, select the Set Transparencies tab. When the 

box is checked for each tissue/organ, the tissue/organ becomes transparent in the Java 3DTM 

environment. Note that the bones, lungs, and heart are transparent in the right-hand image.

Figure 28 Checking the Bones, Lungs, and Heart Transparency Boxes 

Unchecking the box for each tissue/organ makes it opaque. These transparencies can be reset

to the default setting through the phantom reset button.

4.6 Resetting the Phantom 

The easiest way to reset the phantom to its initial position is to select the reset button located in 

the bottom right corner of the GUI. (see Figure 29) All appendage rotations are returned to zero, 

the transparencies of tissues and organs are returned to the default settings, and the camera is 

returned to the initial position.

Figure 29 Phantom and Reset Button 
4-6

4.7 Two-Dimensional View 

Another useful feature of PIMAL is the ability to create cross-sectional, two-dimensional (2D) 

views of the phantom. The dropdown menu seen at the top right corner of Figure 30 defines the 

different planes to be viewed. The text entry boxes control the range of what is drawn in a 

certain direction. The cut plane slider allows the user to move the cross-sectional view in the 

direction perpendicular to the view plane (e.g., in Figure 30, the 2D views are in the xz plane 

and the slider moves the camera in the y-direction). Finally, the resolution controls the detail of 

the drawing.

After all changes are made to the settings, the Redraw button must be selected to apply the 

changes. The Reset button will return the 2D view to its default settings.

Figure 30 2D View Workspace 

4.8 Saving Current Configuration 

See Generating MCNP® Inputs, Section 5.4.
4-7

4.9 Recalling Past Configurations 

After a PIMAL MCNP® input has been saved, the settings used in the input file can be 

reopened (e.g., source definition, appendage rotations). To do so, click on File > Open Input in 

the toolbar. (see Figure 31) In the generated popup window, navigate to the directory containing

the input file to be reopened and select Open. 

Figure 31 Opening PIMAL Input 

4.10 Exiting PIMAL 

To safely exit the PIMAL software, navigate to the toolbar and select File > Exit. (see Figure 31) 

Be aware that clicking Exit will quit PIMAL without saving the phantom configuration. If you wish to 

save your configuration, do so before exiting PIMAL.

Figure 32 Exiting PIMAL through Toolbar 

5-1

5 GENERATING MCNP® INPUTS 

Once the positioning of the phantom is complete, the next step of the process is to generate the 

MCNP® input file. This includes defining a source, allowing PIMAL to generate the file, 

displaying source points for source validation, and saving the input. Custom source creation is 

introduced in this section (it is discussed more thoroughly in the Tutorials, Section 7). The 

majority of this section will deal with the simulation tab on the phantom parameters sidebar (see 

Figure 33).

5.1 PIMAL Built-in Source Settings 

PIMAL contains numerous built-in sources for user convenience under the Simulations tab (see 

Figure 33).

Figure 33 Depiction of Simulation Tab on Sidebar 

Source energy options are the following: 

• Monoenergetic photon/neutron: Source energy defined in text box (MeV) for

radionuclides were taken from ICRP Publication 107 nuclear decay data [8]:

• I-131: Iodine-131 source spectrum

• Co-60: Cobalt-60 source spectrum

• Cs-134: Cesium-134 source spectrum

• X-ray (60-120) kVp: X-ray source spectrum from machines running at 60-120 kV peak

voltages

• AmBe/PuBe neutron source: AmBe/PuBe energy spectrum (utilizes the n,p reaction)
5-2

• Antero-posterior (AP): Particles enter the phantom through the front (anterior) surface

and exit through the back (posterior) surface.

• Postero-anterior (PA): Particles enter the phantom through the back (posterior) surface

and exit through the front (anterior) surface.

• Left/right lateral (LLAT/RLAT): Particles enter the phantom through the left/right lateral

surface.

• Point source: The point source of particles is defined by the position to be entered in the

text boxes.

• Isotropic: The source is defined on a spherical surface surrounding the phantom (surface

338 for the female phantom and surface 294 for the male phantom).

• Internal sources: Source defined within specified organs.

The last entry is for specifying the number of particles to run in the MCNP® simulation. This 

value can be edited in the next step or in a text editor by looking for the NPS (number of 

particles) line at the bottom of the MCNP® input file. The NPS required for each simulation 

depends on the source and receptor geometry. The required statistics for a Monte Carlo 

problem to converge is unique to each modeled source and receptor. Users are strongly 

recommended to consult the MCNP® manual [9]. 

5.2 Generating MCNP® Input 

To generate the MCNP® input file, select the Generate MCNP Input button shown at the bottom 

of Figure 33. Figure 34 shows an example MCNP® input window that resulted from selecting 

the Generate MCNP Input button. The contents of the MCNP® input file may be edited through 

the input window using the built-in text editor. Changes made to the input file will be saved and 

used from this point.

The Energy (MeV) dropdown menu is for the selection of a source energy or energy spectrum. 

The second dropdown menu gives options for the source geometry. These source geometry 

options are
5-3

Figure 34 Generate MCNP® Input Window 

5.3 Displaying Source Points 

Displaying the source points is a convenient way to visualize the geometry of the source in and 

around the phantom (see Figure 35). Selecting Display Source Points will initiate the process. 

MCNP® runs and determines the location of the source points. After MCNP® finishes, the Java 

3DTM environment refreshes and the source points are displayed.
5-4

Figure 35 Source Point Display of LLAT Geometry 

Adjustable settings for source display are as follows:

• Source Display Number: The number of source points may be set and changed

in Preferences > Set Source Display Number. Your computer hardware may limit the

number of points that can be displayed.

• Source Display Color: The color of the displayed source points may be set and changed

in Preferences > Set Source Color

• Organ Transparency: When checked, Set all organs transparent, seen in Figure 36,

results in all phantom transparencies being turned on for the source display. Transparent

organs are essential for viewing internal sources.

5.4 Saving Input 

To save an MCNP® input, navigate to the toolbar shown at the bottom of the input screen (see 

Figures 34 and 36). Select Save Input to open the save dialog.
5-5

Figure 36 Setting Transparent Organs and Save Input Location 

In this window, input the desired file name and select save to complete the process.

Figure 37 Save Input Window 

5.5 Entering Custom Source Configurations 

PIMAL contains a selection of predefined internal and external sources, but additional sources 

may be needed. In advanced cases, a source may be defined manually outside the PIMAL 

interface and run natively from the MCNP® command line. Note that external customization is 

recommended only for advanced MCNP® users.

The steps for entering a custom source are outlined below; these steps are detailed thoroughly

in the Water Submersion Tutorial (Section 7.3): 

(1) Save the MCNP® input file and open the new, custom source file in a text editor, or edit

within the Generate MCNP Input window using the built-in text editor.

(2) Make changes to the Materials card (addition of materials).

(3) Make changes to Cell/Surface cards with inclusion of materials.

(4) Edit the Source definition (SDEF).

(5) If you are editing within PIMAL, display the source points to aid in validation.

(6) Save the new source input file.

6-1

6 RUNNING MCNP® 

An MCNP® input file has been created through PIMAL based on user-provided settings. The 

next step is to run MCNP® using the new input file and extract dose tallies. In this section, the 

options for running a PIMAL-generated MCNP® input file and viewing the organ doses from the 

MCNP® output file are presented.

6.1 Running MCNP® through PIMAL 

MCNP® may be run through PIMAL without having to use the MCNP® command line. To start, 

generate the MCNP® input file as shown in Section 5.2.

From the popup menu, select Run MCNP (see Figure 34). 

While MCNP® runs in the background, the MCNP® output is shown in the MCNP Screen 

Output tab. (see Figure 38) Until MCNP® has fully completed its execution, the only way to 

abort the run is by closing the window, regenerating the MCNP® input, and selecting Run 

MCNP again. At that point, the option to display source points becomes available again.

Figure 38 MCNP® Screen Output 
6-2

The organ dose chart is created automatically when the MCNP® run is finished. See Section 

6.3, Viewing Organ Dose, for more details on this output table. The full “.o” output file can also 

be viewed in the third tab, MCNP Full Output. 

Figure 39 Tabulated Organ Doses 

Note: If fatal errors occur during the MCNP® run, the organ dose chart will not be generated,

and the reason will be shown in a dialogue box. Select OK to continue. (see Figure 40) 

Figure 40 Fatal Error Warning 

Fatal errors occur if run from the GUI natively if PIMAL is improperly positions (e.g. self-impaling 

position). If the user conducts modifications to the input files outside of the PIMAL GUI options 

independently, the user is responsible for identifying if the additional modifications create the 

fatal error.
6-3

6.2 Running MCNP® through the Command Prompt 

Another way to run the MCNP® inputs created by PIMAL is through the computer command 

prompt/terminal as shown in Figure 41. 

Figure 41 Command Prompt on Windows® 

First, change the working directory to the folder containing the input file. In Figure 42, the folder

is named PIMAL IOs.

Figure 42 Changing Working Directory 

PIMAL outputs were originally made to run in MCNP5®; MCNP5® is also included on the 

MCNP6®/MCNP6.1.1® installation disks. To ensure compatibility with all features, using

MCNP6® or MCNP6.1.1® is recommended for PIMAL 4.1.0. 
6-4

As seen in Figure 43, the formatting of the command is as follows: 

• MCNP6: start off the command stating which version to use

• i: tells MCNP® what the input file is named (math_female_soil_1.i)

• o: tells MCNP® what to name the output file (output.o)

• tasks 2: optional specification of the number of cores to use in multiprocessing

Figure 43 Running the Input File 

The run may be interrupted at any time by selecting Ctrl + C. An interrupted (paused) run is 

shown in Figure 44. The last line in Figure 44 shows the options that are available by entering 

the chosen character on the command line/terminal. The options are the following:

• s: check the status of the run (time used, number of particles tracked)

• m: plot the current tally result

• q: quit the execution and save the current results

• k: kill the execution with no results generated

•

Figure 44 Pausing the Run 
6-5

6.3 Viewing Organ Dose 

After the MCNP® input file runs, the MCNP® output is shown in tabular form. The tallied dose is 

parsed for convenience. To view the tallied dose, navigate to the PIMAL toolbar and 

select Output > View Organ Dose. 

Figure 45 Organ Dose Chart 

In the output selection window, navigate to the folder containing the output files and highlight the 

output file. Select Open. 

Figure 46 Output Selection Window 

The organ dose chart (see Figure 45) appears in a popup window. The tally computed by 

MCNP® is converted to Gy/(source particle) using the energy deposition tally (F6) for each cell 
6-6

and the known organ masses. Relative error for the dose is shown in the column to the right. If 

photonuclear effects are turned on (MODE n p), the neutron dose will be displayed, along with 

total dose from both particle types.

The columns may be resized. Place the cursor over the dividing lines until the mouse changes 

into a horizontal line. Click and drag in the desired directions to resize. 

The chart may also be exported as an ASCII .dat file, which may be opened in a text editor. To 

save the organ doses as an ASCII file, click on the Export to ASCII button (see Figure 45), and 

save the file.
7-1

7 TUTORIALS 

These tutorials cover the basics of using PIMAL to accomplish realistic modeling needs. The 

tutorials also cover editing the MCNP® files outside of PIMAL to go beyond the capabilities of 

PIMAL.

7.1 Female Extension Pose (AP Source) - Beginner User 

Figure 47 Female Phantom in Extension Pose 

The first tutorial describes a female phantom articulated in an extended reaching pose that is 

exposed to an AP source of cobalt-60. This first tutorial details the basic methodology for using 

PIMAL to calculate organ dose from a source defined within PIMAL.
7-2

Step 1. By default, PIMAL opens the Mathematical FEMALE Phantom; if the Mathematical 

FEMALE phantom is not selected, click on Phantom > Mathematical Phantoms > Mathematical 

FEMALE Phantom model in the toolbar.

Figure 48 Open Mathematical Female Phantom 

Step 2. In the phantom parameters section, select the Sliders tab.

Figure 49 Phantom Parameters Window - Female Extension 

Step 3. Appendage rotations set using sliders are shown. The phantom should appear as

shown at the beginning of the tutorial.

Figure 50 Phantom Sliders Tab - Female Extension 
7-3

Figure 51 Phantom Simulation Tab - Female Extension 

Step 4. Set the Energy (MeV) dropdown menu selection to Co-60. 

Step 5. Set the Source Geometry dropdown menu selection to Antero-Posterior (AP). 

Step 6. The last entry is for the Number of Particles (NPS) to be run by MCNP®. For this

tutorial, set the NPS to a small value: 1.0E5.

Step 7. Select Generate MCNP Input. 

Step 8. To verify the source geometry, display the source points of this setup. Ignore the 

MCNP® input popup menu and click on Preferences > Set Source Display Number in the 

toolbar. Enter in 6000 display points and select Save. 

Figure 52 Set Source Display Number - Female Extension 

Step 9. On the popup menu generated in step 8, deselect Set All Organs Transparent and

select the Display Source Points button.
7-4

Figure 53 MCNP® Input - Female Extension 

Step 10. The phantom should now be shown in the main window. Return to the Viewer for

MCNP window, select the MCNP Input, and select Run MCNP. 
7-5

Figure 54 Female Extension Phantom with Source Point Display (Posterior View)

Step 11. Be certain that MCNP® runs in another tab of the window. MCNP® requires a short 

amount of time to run the 1.0E5 particles. If fatal errors are encountered at this point, or during 

source point display, ensure that the input in the first tab was not altered.
7-6

Figure 55 Female Extension MCNP® Run 

Step 12. When the MCNP® is finished, the organ dose table appears. Data could be written and 

entered into another file or exported as an ASCII .dat file. Select the Close Window button to 

complete this tutorial.
7-7

Figure 56 Female Extension Phantom Computed Organ Dose Values 
7-8

7.2 Male Voxel Phantom (AmBe Point Source) - Intermediate User 

Figure 57 Male Voxel Phantom 

This tutorial covers the modeling of the male anatomy, represented by the built-in ICRP Voxel 

Phantom, exposed to an isotropic AmBe neutron point source. The Voxel Phantom is a closer 

representation of the human body than the Mathematical Model, but it is not possible to move 

the appendages. The MCNP® input file will run outside of PIMAL using MCNP6®, and the 

output file will be viewed within PIMAL.

Step 1. Click on Phantom > Voxel Phantoms > ICRP's MALE Voxel Phantom Model in the PIMAL 

toolbar.
7-9

Figure 58 Open ICRP's MALE Voxel Phantom Model 

Step 2. The Simulation tab should be open by default; if not, select it.

Figure 59 Phantom Simulation Tab - Male Voxel 

Step 3. In the Energy (MeV) dropdown menu, select AmBe Neutron Source. 

Step 4. In the third dropdown menu, select Point source. For this setup, the point source is set

to be 1 meter from the front of the body. Enter the positioning values as seen in Figure 59. 

Step 5. The last entry is for the Number of Particles to be run by MCNP®. For this tutorial, set

the NPS to a relatively small value: 1.0E5

Step 6. Select the Generate MCNP Input button.

Step 7. For this tutorial, the generated MCNP® input file is taken outside of PIMAL to run in the

MCNP® command prompt. Select the Save Input button.
7-10

Figure 60 MCNP® Input - Male Voxel 

Step 8. Name the file and save it in a convenient location, then select the Save button.

Figure 61 Save MCNP® Input File - Male Voxel 
7-11

Step 9. Open the MCNP® command prompt. Change the working directory to the directory to 

which the file was saved in the previous step. As seen in Section 6.2, “Running MCNP® through 

the Command Prompt,” be sure to use the correct syntax to run the input file. At 1.0E5 particles, 

the run should be quick once initialized. 

Note: Voxel Phantom input files must be run in MCNP6®/MCNP611® or MCNPX® and not in 

MCNP5®. 

Figure 62 MCNP® Command Prompt - Male Voxel 

Step 10. To view the results of the run, open the output file through PIMAL. In the PIMAL toolbar,

click on Output > View Organ Dose. Select the output file and select the Open button.

Figure 63 PIMAL View Organ Dose - Male Voxel 

Step 11. The absorbed doses for 28 organs are shown. The total dose is the sum of neutron dose 

and photon dose. The MCNP® output file can also be viewed through PIMAL; in the PIMAL 

toolbar click on Output > View MCNP Output. 
7-12

Figure 64 Male Voxel Phantom MCNP® Output 

Step 12. Select the Close button to conclude this tutorial.

7.3 Water Submersion - Advanced User 

A practical example would be to use PIMAL to determine the dose to human organs from a 

surrounding body of contaminated water. This tutorial covers complex issues encountered when 

PIMAL is applied to realistic situations - the introduction of new materials and source geometries 

to the model. In this case, a male mathematical phantom is placed into a large body of 

contaminated water, where the contaminant releases photons with energy 0.5 MeV.
7-13

Figure 65 Water Submersion with Male Mathematical Phantom 

Step 1. Click on Phantom > Mathematical Phantoms > Mathematical MALE Phantom model in the 

PIMAL toolbar.

Figure 66 Open Mathematical Male Phantom 
7-14

Step 2. Select the Simulation tab in the Phantom Parameters menu. Set the Number of Particles 

to 1.0E5 in this example. 

Figure 67 Phantom Simulation Tab - Water Submersion 

Step 3. No other settings on the Simulation menu are needed; the source definition changes will

be made outside of PIMAL. Select the Generate MCNP Input button.

Step 4. The MCNP® input will be edited in PIMAL. The first priority is to add a material card for

water. As shown, it is important to use material numbers 26 or greater.

Figure 68 MCNP® Input 1 - Water Submersion 
7-15

Step 5. Navigate to the location in the MCNP® input file as shown, and enter the material for

water (in this case, material M26) as shown.

Figure 69 MCNP® Input 2 - Water Submersion 

Step 6. A spherical vacuum around the phantom already exists in the input file generated by 

PIMAL (cell 135 for MALE). Go to the line for cell 133 and change from vacuum 0 to Water with a 

density of 1.00 g/cm3

: 26 -1.00. Note that cell 135 is defined as inside surface 294.

Figure 70 MCNP® Input 3 - Water Submersion 
7-16

Step 7. When an infinite body of water is defined for submersion testing, the spherical water 

volume has to be large enough to contain all source points that could affect dose calculations; at 

the same time, an arbitrarily large sphere of source points may include a majority of source points

that have no chance of reaching the phantom. 

For this tutorial, make the sphere at least 6 mean free paths away from the body at all points. The 

height of the body from the origin is approximately 100 cm (in positive z direction) and the mean 

free path of a 0.5 MeV photon in water is approximately 10 cm. Therefore, the radius of the 

sphere gets set to 160 cm. 

Navigate to surface 294, and change it to 160 cm.

Figure 71 MCNP® Input 4 - Water Submersion 
7-17

Step 8. Finally, the photon source has to be defined. In the source definition, a sphere slightly 

larger than cell 135 must be defined as source volume. Using the cell rejection technique, only 

source particles that start within cell 135 are accepted. 

Several changes have to be made in the SDEF section of the input file:

• ERG defines the source energy in MeV, e.g., 0.5 MeV.

• CEL defines which cell is used to sample, 135 here.

• Add an SI1 card that defines the radius of the source, here 161 cm: SI1 0 161.

• Add an SP1 card that defines radial distribution to equally sample the volume of the

sphere: SP1 -21 2.

Figure 72 MCNP® Input 5 - Water Submersion 

Step 9. Click on Display Source Points to verify the source.

Step 10. After editing, click on Save Input to save the input file.
7-18

Step 11. Open up the command prompt and go to the directory containing the input file. Start the 

MCNP® simulation. See Section 6.2, “Running MCNP® through the Command Prompt,” for 

details.

Figure 73 MCNP® Command Prompt - Water Submersion 

Step 12. Wait for the MCNP® run to complete. 

Step 13. To view the parsed results of the run, open the output file through PIMAL. In PIMAL,

click on Output > View Organ Dose from the toolbar. Select the output file and select Open. 

Figure 74 PIMAL View Organ Dose - Water Submersion 

Step 14. The data is now accessible in a user-friendly manner. The original output file itself can 

also be viewed through PIMAL in Output > View MCNP Output. 
7-19

Figure 75 Water Submersion MCNP® Output 

Step 15. Select Close to conclude this tutorial.

8-1

8 REFERENCES 

1. Xu, X.G., An exponential growth of computational phantom research in radiation

protection, imaging, and radiotherapy: a review of the fifty-year history. Physics in

medicine and biology, 2014. 59(18): p. R233.

2. Akkurt, H. and K.F. Eckerman, Development of PIMAL: Mathematical Phantom with

Moving Arms and Legs, ORNL/TM-2007/14. 2007, Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Oak

Ridge.

3. Akkurt, H., et al., PIMAL: Phantom with Moving Arms and Legs. Transactions of the

American Nuclear Society, 2007. 96: p. 396-397.

4. International Commission on Radiological Protection, Conversion Coefficients for use in

Radiological Protection against External Radiation. ICRP Publication 74. Annals of the

ICRP, 1996. 26(3-4): p. .

5. Pelowitz, D.B., MCNP6 User's Manual Version 1.0. 2013.

6. Akkurt, H., et al., A GUI for Computational Phantom with Moving Arms and Legs.

Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, 2007. 96: p. 640-641.

7. International Commission on Radiological Protection, ICRP Publication 110: Adult

Reference Computational Phantoms. Annals of the ICRP, 2009. 39.

8. International Commission on Radiological Protection, Nuclear Decay Data for Dosimetric

Calculations. ICRP Publication 107. Annals of the ICRP, 2009. 38(3): p. .

9. Pelowitz, D.B., A.J. Fallgren, and G.E. McMath, MCNP6 User’s Manual, Code Version

6.1.1 beta. 2014, Los Alamos National Laboratory: Los Alamos.

A-1

APPENDIX A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PHANTOM INPUT FILES 

This appendix contains a description of the cells and the surfaces that make up the cells for both 

the male and female phantom in PIMAL. A description of the material definitions and tally 

descriptions are also included.

Figure A-1 Male PIMAL View in the Visual Editor (VisEd) software {Schwarz, 2011 #30} 
A-2

Male Phantom in PIMAL 

Note that cell 135 is vacuum.

Figure A-2 Male Phantom Head and Neck Area 

Table A-1 Male Phantom Head and Neck Area Cell Descriptions 

Cell Organ/Tissue/Body Part Further descriptions (surfaces)

1 Skin of Head/Neck

2 Cranium

3 Teeth Region between two ellipsoid halves (21&22)

4 Mandible

5 Nasal Cavity

6 Brain Inside ellipsoid bisected by planes

7,8 Eyes Inside ellipsoids (31,32) *not depicted*

9 Total Sinuses *not depicted*

10-18 Residual/Mucosa Walls Gastrointestinal walls - pharynx, larynx, trachea

19 Thyroid

20,21 Nose Nose contents and nose wall

22 Oral Cavity Soft tissue behind mouth and teeth

23 Salivary Glands

24 Neck muscle
A-3

Figure A-3 Male Phantom Chest of Body 
A-4

Table A-2 Male Phantom Chest of Body Cell Descriptions 

Cell Organ/Tissue/Body Part Further descriptions (surfaces)

25,26,27 Vertebra Cervical *not depicted* and thoracic and lumbar

28 Ribs

29 Clavicles

30 Scapulae

31 Pelvis Bone

32-34 Main Bronchi Residual/mucosa wall and contents *not depicted*

35,36 Lungs Left and right lung

37 Thymus Inside ellipsoid (150)

38,39 Heart

40,41 Adrenals Ellipsoids (163,164) bisected by plane

42,43 Kidneys Ellipsoids (166,167) bisected by planes

44 Liver Ellipsoid (173) bisected by planes

45,46 Gall Bladder

47 Pancreas

48 Spleen Ellipsoid (187) *not depicted*

49-52 Esophagus *not depicted*

53-55 Stomach Ellipsoids (195,196,197)

56 Small Intestine

57-68 Left & Right Colon

69-71 Sigmoid Colon

72-74 Rectum
A-5

Figure A-4 Male Phantom Chest of Body - Side View 

Table A-3 Male Phantom Chest of Body - Side View Cell Descriptions 

Cell Organ/Tissue/Body Part Further descriptions (surfaces)

73,74 Rectum

75-77 Urinary Bladder

78 Prostate Sphere (227)

79,80 Testes Ellipsoids (231,232)

81 Male Genitalia

82,83 Male Breasts *not depicted*

84 Muscle in Trunk Defined outside all defined organs, inside body

85 Skin of Trunk Sphere (227)

86 Skin of Male Genitalia *not depicted*
A-6

Figure A-5 Male Phantom Arms 
A-7

Table A-4 Male Phantom Arm Cell Descriptions 

Cell Organ/Tissue/Body Part Further descriptions (surfaces)

87-90 Right Arm Bone

91-94 Right Arm Soft Tissue 93 - Very small soft tissue area *not depicted*

95-98 Right Arm Skin

99-102 Left Arm Bone

103-106 Left Arm Soft Tissue 105 - Very small soft tissue area *not depicted*

107-110 Left Arm Skin

Figure A-6 Male Phantom Legs and Surroundings 
A-8

Table A-5 Male Phantom Legs and Surroundings Cell Descriptions 

Cell Organ/Tissue/Body Part Further descriptions (surfaces)

111-114 Right Leg Bone

115-118 Right Leg Tissue 117 - Very small tissue area *not depicted*

119-122 Right Leg Skin

123-126 Left Leg Bone

127-130 Left Leg Tissue 129 - Very small tissue area *not depicted*

131-134 Left Leg Skin

135 Vacuum Around Phantom Sphere completely encompassing phantom

136 Particle Graveyard Outside of 135
A-9

Female phantom in PIMAL 

Note that cell 133 is vacuum.

Note that geometries are similar between the male and female phantoms, except for what is 

noted below. 

Figure A-7 Female Phantom Lower Chest 

Table A-6 Female Phantom Lower Chest Cell Descriptions 

Cell Organ/Tissue/Body Part Further descriptions (surfaces)

78 Left Ovary Inside an ellipsoid (272)

79 Right Ovary Inside an ellipsoid (273)

80 Uterus Inside an ellipsoid (274) bisected by plane (275)
A-10

Material Definitions

Figure A-8 Material Cards 

Materials are designated by the M# cards. New defined materials must have numbers >25, 

PIMAL itself uses materials 1-25.

Tally Descriptions

F6 tallies are utilized by PIMAL to find the dose to each of the organs:

• F116 tally collects the neutron dose contribution.

• F216 tally collects the photon dose contribution.

• F316 tally collects both the neutron and photon dose contribution.
B-1

APPENDIX B LIMITATIONS IN USING PIMAL 

Physical limitations on appendage rotations are as follows:

• Left/Right shoulder rotation: 0-180; 0-358

• Left/Right elbow rotation: 0-180; 0-358

• Left/Right hip rotation: −25-79; −39-79

• Left/Right knee rotation: −60-90; −90-90

C-1

APPENDIX C VALIDATION AND VERIFICATION 

Benchmark computations for PIMAL are fully documented in Section 3 of the following 

document: 

H. Akkurt and K. Eckerman. Development of PIMAL: Mathematical Phantom with Moving Arms

and Legs, ORNL/TM-2007/14, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (May 2007). Available at:

https://crpk.ornl.gov/documents/ORNL_TM-2007_14.pdf.

NUREG/CR-7243

S. Dewji, M. Hiller, M. Bellamy, H. Akkurft, D. Wiarda, G. Kora, K. Eckerman, K.

Griffin, T. Oxenberg, S. Sherbini

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6038

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Washington, D.C. 20555-0001

Computational phantoms with articulated arms and legs have been developed to enable radiation dose estimation for 

male and female receptors in different postures. Using a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI), the PIMAL 

(Phantom wIth Moving Arms and Legs) software can be employed to adjust the posture of a phantom, generate a 

corresponding input file for the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP®) radiation transport code, and perform radiation 

transport simulations for dose calculations in MCNP®. The MCNP® code can be run natively from the PIMAL interface 

or externally in the MCNP® command prompt via the generated MCNP® PIMAL input file. 

PIMAL 4.1.0 includes separate male and female stylized phantoms with articulated limbs and houses the International 

Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 110 reference adult male and female voxel phantoms (no 

articulation). Internal and external radionuclide sources can be simulated in PIMAL via a dropdown menu in the GUI, 

and users can select the ICRP’s standard external exposure geometries or a point source from the menu options. 

This user manual describes the updates to PIMAL 4.1.0, aids users in installing PIMAL, explores geometry articulation 

and visualization capabilities and radiation source definitions, and provides sample tutorials for PIMAL users for 

estimating organ doses.

December 2017

Technical

PIMAL: Phantom with moving arms and Legs 

Version 4.1.0


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