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