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