| With any treatment in a hospital that requires | | | | or nurses involved in the process operate the |
| concentrated doses of radiation, it is important | | | | machinery from outside of the room, limiting their |
| that both the patient and the workers are | | | | exposure. However, remaining in the room behind |
| protected from extra doses, and from radiation | | | | a windowed radiation barrier allows for greater |
| spilling to an area it was not intended to reach. | | | | patient security, as being left alone can often |
| The most familiar example of a common | | | | induce stress in an already stressful situation. |
| treatment using radiation is the use of the x-ray | | | | Radiation barriers are also constructed primarily of |
| machine. Many of the pioneers of x-ray | | | | lead, in combination with plastic to provide a |
| technology eventually succumbed to cancers | | | | window through which the patient can see the |
| which were created through exposure to | | | | professional and vice versa. The patient is thus |
| radiation; this in itself is indicative of the potential | | | | afforded some relief from the feeling of total |
| dangers of long term, repeated exposure to this | | | | isolation. |
| type of technology. Eventually, it was discovered | | | | In recent years, researchers have created fabrics |
| that high density lead proved an effective barrier | | | | specifically designed to have the same shielding |
| against both x-rays and gamma rays, and this | | | | characteristics as lead, without the weight. |
| element now constitutes the main component of | | | | Because it is made of fabric, these shields are |
| most radiation barriers and x-ray shielding. | | | | much more flexible and lighter than the lead |
| Shielding is used in any procedure involving the use | | | | aprons that are used for patient x-rays in most |
| of concentrated rays, from imaging to radiation | | | | hospitals. While this new development offers |
| therapy. In all hospital x-rays, patients and those in | | | | greater comfort to the wearer, both patient and |
| the room with them (such as the parents of small | | | | technician, it is significantly more expensive than |
| children) must wear an apron during the imaging | | | | the traditional product, and is not yet widely used. |
| process. In radiation therapy, the pinpointing of the | | | | Considering, though, that the new product lasts |
| rays means that radiation shielding is placed on | | | | longer, can be recycled, and is safer to handle |
| other parts of the body in order to ensure no | | | | than lead-based products, one can expect to hear |
| damage to organs and skin not under treatment. | | | | more about this exciting development in future. |
| For the most part, x-ray technicians and doctors | | | | |