Protective Efficacy of Different Ocular Radiation Protection Devices: A Phantom Study.

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiological Protection
• Interventional Radiology

Background:

• Occupational radiation exposure is a significant concern for healthcare professionals in interventional radiology.
• Protecting the eyes, particularly the lens, from scattered radiation is crucial to prevent long-term damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of various ocular radiation protection devices.
• To assess the impact of simulated examiner body height on radiation dose reduction.
• To analyze device performance during simulated thoracic interventions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an anthropomorphic chest phantom and a head phantom with dosimeters simulating an examiner.
• Simulated examiner heights ranged from 160 to 200 cm.
• Measured radiation doses with and without protection devices (garments, glasses, visors).

Main Results:

• Radiation protection devices reduced average dose by 57.7% to 83.4%.
• Increased examiner height sometimes improved dose reduction for eye lenses with specific glasses and visors.
• The right eye received less protection, especially at shorter distances from the scatter source.

Conclusions:

• All tested ocular protection devices significantly lowered radiation exposure.
• Device efficacy is influenced by examiner height and proximity to the radiation source.
• Particular attention is needed for right eye protection at closer distances.