2. Need to reduce your exposure to radiation?
EVERY TIME THE PATIENT GETS EXPOSED, SO DO YOU!
As the number of interventional procedures has increased considerably, interventionalists are more
exposed to radiation than ever before. The majority of the radiation dose is caused by scattered
radiation, a type of radiation that occurs when the X-ray beam interacts with an object in its path and
changes direction.
Scattered radiation can be minimized by calibrating the X-ray machine on a regular basis and by using
the right exposure technique, but it cannot be totally eliminated. If you are working with interventional
X-ray procedures, you might be continuously exposed to scattered radiation while carrying out your
daily work.
X-rays are undetectable by human senses and even small radiation doses accumulated over time
may have adverse effects. Studies prove that there is a correlation between ionizing radiation and
an increased risk of brain tumors and cataracts in interventional staff.1
Even if you are below your
occupational dose limit, it is beneficial to decrease exposure even further to reduce risks. Use a real-
time radiation monitoring system to continuously help you minimize your dose!
YOUR WORK BEHAVIOR INFLUENCES YOUR DOSE
Even with the correct use of radiation protection devices your dose will still be affected by your
behavior. Where you choose stand in the room has an impact on the amount of scattered radiation
you are exposed to. The longer you stay in the room and the closer you are to the X-ray machine,
the higher your dose will be. Two people with the same amount of radiation protection can still have
different dose if they practice different behaviors!
Scattered radiation is not linear to the size of your patient,2
making every procedure and patient
unique. Therefore, practice and intuition are not enough to effectively reduce exposure to scattered
radiation. Continuous real-time dose monitoring is needed for all people working with and near X-ray
radiation in order to reduce exposure to unnecessary radiation in the long run.
1 Roguin, Goldstein & Bar 2012, Brain tumours among interventional cardiologists: a cause for alarm?, in: EuroIntervention 7(9), pp. 1081-1086; Vano et
al. 2010, Radiation cataract risk in interventional cardiology personnel, in: Radiation research 174(4), pp. 490-495
2 E. Vano, L. Gonzalez, J. M. Fernandez, C. Prieto and E. Guibelalde, Influence of patient thickness and operation modes on occupational and patient
radiation doses in interventional cardiology, in: Radiation Protection Dosimetry (2006), Vol. 118, No. 3, pp. 325 – 330
OUT OF THE TOTAL RADIATION
• About 65% hits the patient
• Up to 35% turns into scattered
radiation
• Only about 1% turns into image
information
3. RaySafe i2 real-time personal dosimetry system
MONITOR YOUR DOSE IN REAL-TIME
RaySafe i2 is a personal dosimetry system that visualizes your X-ray dose in real-time to help you
reduce your dose. The dosimeter measures scattered radiation and this is shown on the real-time
display as a green, yellow or red bar depending on the
severity of the dose you are currently exposed to. The
accumulated dose is displayed next to the bars and the
real-time display can show up to eight users in range at
the same time.
The RaySafe i2 system can be easily installed in any
interventional X-ray lab.
ANALYZE DOSE DATA IN-HOUSE
Time-stamped dose data can be read-out in-house
and analyzed further with the help of Dose Viewer or
Dose Manager software. The software is also used for
administrating the dosimeters and creating reports.
HOW TO USE THE RAYSAFE i2 DOSIMETER
The RaySafe i2 dosimeter measures personal dose equivalent Hp
(10) and should be worn outside
your lead apron. All parts of your body can be exposed to scattered radiation, including those that are
not shielded by radiation protection devices. By wearing the dosimeter on the outside of your lead
apron, it will reflect the actual conditions of scattered radiation present in the X-ray room and best
show you how your behavior affects your exposure to that radiation.
Dosimeter
Real-time display
Dose Viewer software
Dose Manager software
RaySafe i2 dosimeter in cradle
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
4. COMPLEMENTING LEGAL DOSE
RaySafe i2 is a great complement to legal dosimetry. Legal dosimetry is not designed for dose
reduction and if an overexposure occurred it would only be known in hindsight. However, when using
your legal dosimeter together with a real-time radiation monitoring system like RaySafe i2, you can
continuously observe your dose and take immediate action to reduce it. In this way, RaySafe i2 also
helps you stay below your occupational dose limit.
In the ”10 Pearls: Radiation protection of staff in fluoroscopy”, IAEA promotes the use of a real-time
dosimetry system in addition to wearing a legal dosimeter.1
CLINICAL STUDY RESULTS
Several case studies confirm reduction in staff doses
using Unfors RaySafe’s real-time dosimetry technology.
For example, a 50% reduction of staff dose was noted
at the University of Rochester in the U.S. after one year
of real-time dose monitoring.2
A list of studies can be provided upon request.
1 IAEA, 10 Pearls: Radiation Protection of Staff in Fluoroscopy, https://rpop.iaea.org/RPOP/RPoP/Content/Documents/Whitepapers/poster-staff-ra
diation-protection.pdf, 2014-02-13
2 Frederic J. MIS, PH.D., CHP, RSO, 2013: RaySafe i2 case study real-time dose monitoring, University of Rochester Medical Center
Reduce your dose with RaySafe i2
A SAFER WORKPLACE
With its instant feedback, RaySafe i2 constantly reinforces correct behavior in varying situations
and encourages correct use of radiation protection devices. RaySafe i2 enables you to monitor and
control your dose in real-time, providing a tool to help minimize exposure to unnecessary radiation
and to avoid overexposure. By practicing correct behavior and good habits around radiation sources,
you can protect your colleagues and patients from unnecessary radiation as well as reduce your own
dose.
www.raysafe.com
++ =Real-time Dose
Monitoring
Continous
behaviour
modification
Control
Long-Term
Dose
Reduction
Dose reduction at University of Rochester,
collective equivalent dose in rem
2011 2012
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
