Usefulness of a lead-acrylic shield for reducing lens dose of assistant in x-ray CT examination

Hajime Ito; Kosuke Matsubara; Ikuo Kobayashi; Takayuki Sakai; Tomonori Isobe; Noriyuki Yanagawa; Shigehiro Ochi

doi:10.1088/1361-6498/ac7919

Usefulness of a lead-acrylic shield for reducing lens dose of assistant in x-ray CT examination

J Radiol Prot. 2022 Jun 24;42(2). doi: 10.1088/1361-6498/ac7919.

Authors

Hajime Ito^{1

2}, Kosuke Matsubara³, Ikuo Kobayashi⁴, Takayuki Sakai¹, Tomonori Isobe⁵, Noriyuki Yanagawa⁶, Shigehiro Ochi¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, Eastern Chiba Medical Center, 3-6-2 Okayamadai, Togane, Chiba 283-8686, Japan.
² Department of Quantum Medical Technology, Division of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0942, Japan.
³ Department of Quantum Medical Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0942, Japan.
⁴ Research Institute of Nuclear Engineering, University of Fukui, 1-3-33 Kanawa, Tsuruga, Fukui 914-0055, Japan.
⁵ Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.
⁶ Department of Radiological Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Tsukuba International University, 6-20-1 Manabe, Tsuchiura, Ibaraki 300-0051, Japan.

PMID: 35705067
DOI: 10.1088/1361-6498/ac7919

Abstract

In computed tomography (CT) examinations, the usefulness of protective glasses for reducing lens exposure to assistants has been reported. The present study aimed to compare the dose reduction effect for assistants with lead-acrylic shields and protective glasses (0.07 mm Pb, 0.5 mm Pb) during CT examination. The air dose distribution in a CT examination room with and without a lead-acrylic shield was compared. It was found that the amount of scattered radiation was significantly reduced by installing a lead-acrylic shield at the CT gantry aperture. Moreover, the reduction rate of air kerma at the assistant's lens was higher using the lead acrylic shield than with the protective glasses-95.7% during head holding and 76.1% during assisted ventilation.

Keywords: computed tomography; dosimetry; lead-acrylic shield; lens exposure; occupational exposure; radiation protection.

MeSH terms

Lead
Lens, Crystalline*
Phantoms, Imaging
Radiation Dosage
Radiation Protection* / methods
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
X-Rays

Substances

Lead