Radiation Protection For C arm
The damage to the human body caused by X-Rays emitted by the arm is mainly ionizing radiation. X-Rays have three effects when enter the human body: 1. Passing through the human body 2. Absorbed by the human body 3. Scattering (X-Rays excite new rays).
The radiation received by the patient comes directly from the C arm tube. And doctors and nurses receive radiation from scattered rays. There are six effects:
1. The X-ray penetration
2. The X-ray fluorescence
3. The ionisation of X-Rays
4. The heat effect
5. The chemical effects
6. The biological effects
Due to the penetrating properties of radiation. Therefore, rays can enter the human body and ionize the cells in the body. Ions from ionization can attack complex organic molecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids and enzymes, which are the main components of living cells and tissues, Once they are destroyed, it can cause normal chemical processes in the body to be disrupted, and in severe cases can cause cell death. The above description can be further analyzed, the more active the tissue or organ of human cell division, the more vulnerable it is. For example, various glands of children and adults, such as gonads, thyroid, bone marrow and etc. In addition, the chemical effects of X-Rays on the eye can cause damage to the lens. Therefore, it can be seen that the characteristics of different parts of the human body are different and the sensitivity to X-Rays is also different. Generally speaking, when there are no patients or objects are placed in the beam, it can be considered that the radiation emitted by the tube hits the inside of the intensifier and is absorbed. The staffs absorb very little of the rays. But once the patient is exposed, the radiation situation in the operating room is completely different.
After the rays enter the human body, 1% pass through the body and enter the intensifier, the remaining 80%-90% of the rays are absorbed by the patient, and 10%-20% of the rays are scattered by the body.
Most of the radiation damage to the doctors, nurses and technicians in the operating room comes from scattered rays, and most of the scattered rays are directed towards the direction of the rays, that is, the direction of the X-Ray tube. Take advantage of this to avoid ray damage.
How to reduce scattered rays from the C arm during surgery：
1 The X-Ray tubes are routinely placed under the bed in the orthostatic position
2 In lateral position, the tube faces the side with no one, everyone stands on the side of the booster or detector
3 Keep the patient as close as possible to the intensifier or detector
4 The irradiated area is aligned with the center of the detector or intensifier
