Reduction of Occupational Exposure Using a Novel Tungsten-Containing Rubber Shield in Interventional Radiology

Abstract

This study investigates whether a novel tungsten-containing rubber shield could be used as substitute shielding material in interventional radiology to reduce the occupational exposure of operators to scattered radiation from a patient. The tungsten-containing rubber is a lead-free radiation-shielding material that contains as much as 90% tungsten powder by weight. Air kerma rates of scattered radiation from solid-plate phantoms, simulating a patient, were measured with a semiconductor dosimeter at the height of the operator’s eye (1,600 mm from the floor), chest (1,300 mm), waist (1,000 mm), and knee (600 mm) with and without tungsten-containing rubber shielding (1–5 mm thickness). The tungsten-containing rubber and a commercial shielding material (RADPAD) were affixed onto the phantom on the operator’s side, and reductions in air kerma rates were compared. Reduction rates for tungsten-containing rubber shielding with thicknesses of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 mm at each height level were as follows: 70.37 ± 0.40%, 72.17 ± 0.29%, 72.95 ± 0.31%, 72.58 ± 0.35%, and 73.63 ± 0.63% at eye level; 76.36 ± 0.19%, 77.13 ± 0.10%, 77.36 ± 0.14%, 77.62 ± 0.25%, and 77.66 ± 0.14% at chest level; 67.78 ± 0.31%, 68.12 ± 0.19%, 68.88 ± 0.28%, 68.97 ± 0.14%, and 68.85 ± 0.45% at waist level; and 0.14 ± 0.94%, 0.72 ± 0.56%, 1.08 ± 0.74%, 1.77 ± 0.80%, and 1.79 ± 1.82% at knee level, respectively. Reduction rates with RADPAD were 61.80 ± 0.67%, 60.33 ± 0.61%, 64.70 ± 0.25%, and 0.14 ± 0.66% at eye, chest, waist, and knee levels, respectively. The shielding ability of the 1 mm tungsten-containing rubber was superior to that of RADPAD. The tungsten-containing rubber could be employed to minimize an operator’s radiation exposure instead of the commercial shielding material in interventional radiology.

Estimating radiation exposure of the brain of a physician with a protective flap in interventional radiology: A phantom study

“…Lead‐free radiation‐shielding materials are used for medical workers and patients. Among them, we used TCR in this study 18,20‐27 . The elemental composition of the TCR (wt%) was H: 1.0%, C: 6.5%, O: 0.5%, W: 90.0%, and others: 2%.…”

“…Among them, we used TCR in this study. 18 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 The elemental composition of the TCR (wt%) was H: 1.0%, C: 6.5%, O: 0.5%, W: 90.0%, and others: 2%. The TCR was 0.5 mm thickness.…”

Dosimetric characteristics of a thin bolus made with real time variable shape tungsten rubber for photon radiotherapy

“…Even at body temperature, the hardness of STR is more resistant to pressure than that of the silicone rubber bolus and can maintain a constant thickness [9]. The STR also showed almost no elongation compared with the commercial silicone rubber bolus [9,[11][12][13]. Therefore, the thin STR is su ciently rigid and can maintain its shape at room and body temperatures for clinical use and adhere to the patient's contour (Fig.…”

“…We have developed tungsten-containing materials such as tungsten containing rubber [11][12][13] and tungsten functional paper [14][15][16][17][18][19], while those do not adhere well to the body surface. Real time variable shape rubber containing tungsten (STR; Hayakawa Rubber Co., Ltd. Hiroshima, Japan), which has a density of 7.3 g/cm 3 , can be manually formed to any shape by hand when warmed to approximately 60°C, and its shape maintains at body or room temperature [20][21][22][23].…”

Avaliação dos procedimentos de segurança e exposição ocupacional para procedimentos de radiologia intervencionista em embolização de artéria uterina

“…O princípio ALARA é um conceito reconhecido internacionalmente, e é aplicado em radiologia [ICRP 103, 2007]. Este princípio diz que a dose de radiação recebida pelos pacientes deve ser "tão baixa quanto razoavelmente exequível", originalmente em inglês Atualmente, além dos típicos equipamentos de proteção individual e coletiva feitos de chumbo, surgiram EPI e EPC de diferentes materiais que prometem a mesma eficácia e com a vantagem de serem mais leves e menos prejudiciais ao meio ambiente, como por exemplo os feitos de tungstênio, bismuto e outras combinações [KIM et al, 2016;KIJIMA et al, 2019;CHATTERSON et al, 2011].…”