Devices to reduce radiation exposure
AssigneeEgg Medical, Inc.
InventorsRobert F. Wilson, John P. Gainor, Blair Allen, William J. Burmaster
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexible radiation shielding system for reducing scatter radiation that may arise during the performance of certain medical imaging procedures. A multi-articulated shielding system comprising two or more shielding elements hingedly coupled to each other to thereby enable a user to bend the shielding system into a desired shape to provide radiation shielding protection to workers. A flexible radiation shielding system may comprise a plurality of shielding elements that are, for example, translucent, transparent, clear, etc., to enable workers to view objects through the shielding elements.
Claims15
A system for reducing scatter radiation during x-ray imaging procedures, the system comprising:
- a belt portion having radiation-shielding properties and adapted for placement over and at least partially across an upward-facing surface of a patient positioned on an imaging procedure table, the belt portion having a length configured to extend at least partially across a width of the imaging procedure table, the belt portion having a generally horizontal dimension that is deformable to conform to the upward-facing surface of the patient, the belt portion having a vertical dimension that extends upwardly from the generally horizontal dimension of the belt portion and extends the length of the belt portion along an edge of the belt portion to form a vertically oriented abutting surface adjacent a horizontally oriented surface of the belt portion when the belt portion is placed across the portion of the patient;
- and
- a shield portion having radiation-shielding properties and configured to facilitate being selectively moved from a position above the patient into releasable engagement with the abutting surface of the belt portion, a lower portion of the shield portion forming a junction between the belt portion and the shield portion extending at least partially across the width of the imaging procedure table to form a barrier to scatter radiation at the junction, the shield portion comprising one or more panels configured to extend upward generally vertically from the patient when the shield portion is engaged with the belt portion, the shield portion comprising a table attachment extending therefrom, the table attachment configured to mate with a receiver formed in the imaging procedure table for releasably coupling the shield portion to the imaging procedure table.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.