Radioprotective screen

Abstract

The present invention relates to a screen (1) made of radioprotective material(s) for protecting an operator against emissions of ionising radiation such as X-rays or others, the screen comprising a rear face of the screen (2) facing which the operator is intended to be positioned, and a front face of the screen (3) opposite the rear face of the screen (2). According to the invention, this screen (1) comprises means (17, 17a) for generating a luminous marking (18, 18a) on the ground, suitable for delimiting a zone (C) considered to be a protective zone on the side of the rear face of the screen (2).

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Title of the invention: Radio-protective screen

[0003] Technical field of the invention

[0004] The present invention relates to the general field of equipment for protection against ionizing radiation.

[0005] It concerns more particularly radio-protective screens which are used in medical or other environments, to protect an operator against emissions of ionizing radiation, for example X-rays.

[0006] State of the art

[0007] As part of certain examinations or procedures, patients are exposed to ionizing radiation, such as X-rays, used for monitoring, diagnosis or treatment purposes.

[0008] This is particularly the case for interventions such as catheterization, pacemaker insertion, vascular, neurological or urological examinations, CRM (Cardiac Rhythm Management), CRT (Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy) or when implementing fluoroscopy techniques.

[0009] In particular, fluoroscopy is an imaging technique that uses X-rays to obtain real-time images of an object. In the medical field, its application allows the visualization of the structures and functions of a patient's internal organs, such as the heartbeat or the passage of blood through blood vessels. This technique is used for diagnosis as well as therapy; and it is present in interventional fields including radiology, cardiology, neurology, electrophysiology, peripheral vascular radiology, interventional pediatrics, etc.

[0010] The rooms intended for these specialties are equipped with fluoroscopy devices (also called C-arm) which generally take the form of a mobile technical box extending into a large arch, one end of which contains an X-ray emitting device and the other end of which is equipped with a detector.

[0011] In equipped rooms, catheters and probes are introduced through an access route (usually the femoral or radial artery) for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. The vascular network is visualized using X-rays, often coupled with an injection of contrast agent(s). These fluoroscopy devices occupy a significant space around the examination table and their position is frequently modified depending on the area of ​​the patient's body to be inspected or treated.

[0012] It is understood that it is important to properly protect operators (doctors, surgeons, technicians, nurses or others) against emitted ionizing radiation (primary type, coming directly from the transmitter, or secondary type: reflected by the equipment and coming from the patient himself), otherwise they risk being exposed to significant doses, cumulative over time, which are likely to cause various pathologies (necrosis of the upper limbs, brain tumors, cataracts, radiodermatitis, etc.).

[0013] For this purpose, there are protective structures consisting of clothing such as blouses, vests, aprons made of radio-protective material, thyroid shields, glasses, etc., but these do not always cover the entire body and their significant weight affects the operator's comfort, limits their ability to move and leads to rapid fatigue.

[0014] There are also screens or barriers made up of panels or assemblies of panels made of suitable radio-protective material(s), suspended from a suitable support or placed on the ground, either directly or by means of a rolling base.

[0015] Such radio-protective screen structures are described in documents US-2012 / 0049093, US-2006 / 0076522, FR-2 915 868, WO-2009 / 156660, US-3 308 297, or EP-3555892.

[0016] Such shielding structures generally adequately protect the operator who is located just behind the radiation-protective wall(s).

[0017] However, the operator or other persons do not have any specific information concerning radiation protection when they are located behind the screen and at some distance from the radiation-protective walls.

[0018] Presentation of the invention

[0019] In order to overcome the aforementioned drawback of the state of the art, the present invention proposes a screen made of radio-protective material to ensure the protection of an operator against emissions of ionizing radiation of the X-ray type or others, which screen comprises a rear screen face opposite which said operator is intended to position himself and a front screen face opposite said rear screen face, this screen being characterized by the fact that it comprises means for generating a luminous marking on the ground, adapted to delimit an area considered as a protection zone on the side of the rear screen face.

[0020] Such luminous marking generated on the ground makes it possible to inform the person(s) present about the area radio-protected by the screen, in particular so as to allow them to adapt their position in the space to be correctly protected.

[0021] Other non-limiting and advantageous characteristics of the screen according to the invention, taken individually or in all technically possible combinations, are the following:

[0022] - the screen comprises screen lateral sides, and the means for generating a luminous marking on the ground comprise means for generating a luminous line in the extension of at least one of said screen lateral sides;

[0023] - the means for generating a light marking on the ground comprise a vertical plane light beam;

[0024] - the means for generating a light marking on the ground comprise at least one laser device;

[0025] - the two lateral sides of the screen comprise the means for generating a light line on the ground, so as to generate two light lines which delimit, between them, said zone considered as a protection zone on the rear face side of the screen;

[0026] - the screen comprises fixed lateral plane panels which comprise at least part of said screen lateral sides, which fixed lateral plane panels extend in respective planes P and P', and the means for generating a light line on the ground are arranged to generate a light line in said planes P, P', or parallel to said planes P, P', to within 10° degrees relative to said plane(s) P, P';

[0027] - the fixed lateral flat panels extend in respective planes P and P' which are offset by 70 to 100°; - the screen rests on the ground by means of a rolling base comprising casters fixed on caster supports, at least some of said caster supports, called lateral caster supports, being arranged close to said lateral sides of the screen, and the means for generating a luminous marking on the ground are fixed on said lateral caster supports;

[0028] - the screen comprises control means for controlling the activation and deactivation of the means for generating a luminous marking on the ground, which control means are provided on the rear face of the screen;

[0029] - the screen comprises at least one battery structure for the electrical supply of the means for generating a luminous marking on the ground, which battery structure is removably fixed on the rear face of the screen;

[0030] - the screen includes means for differentiating the light marking on the ground, depending on whether means for emitting ionizing radiation such as X-rays or others are activated or not.

[0031] Of course, the various features, variants and embodiments of the invention may be combined with each other in various combinations to the extent that they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive.

[0032] Detailed description of the invention

[0033] In addition, various other characteristics of the invention emerge from the appended description given with reference to the drawings which illustrate a non-limiting form of embodiment of the invention and where:

[0034] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a possible embodiment of a screen made of radio-protective material in accordance with the invention;

[0035] Figure 2 is an enlarged view of part A of the radioprotective material screen shown in Figure 1.

[0036] The radiation protection screen 1 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is suitable for ensuring the protection of an operator in particular against ionizing radiation emitted by a source of ionizing radiation, for example X-rays emitted by a C-arm type fluoroscopy device, in a hospital operating room.

[0037] For this purpose, the various constituent parts of this radio-protective screen 1 are made of radio-protective material(s) having a suitable lead equivalence of at least 0.2 mm, depending on the constituent parts concerned. For example, this lead equivalence is between 0.5 mm and 3 mm.

[0038] This screen 1 made of radio-protective material(s) may correspond to that described in document EP-3 555 892.

[0039] As illustrated in figures 1 and 2, this radio-protective screen 1 is in the form of a mobile cabin, here with a general horizontal dihedral section, comprising a rear screen face 2, opposite which an operator is intended to position himself (on the side of the acute angle of the dihedral, identified by location B in figure 1), and a front screen face 3, opposite the rear screen face 2.

[0040] The radio-protective screen 1 is delimited laterally by two lateral screen sides 4 and 5.

[0041] The lateral side of the screen 4 constitutes the free lateral edge of a fixed lateral plane panel 6 which extends in a plane P over the entire height of the screen 1; and the lateral side of the screen 5 is divided into two parts 51 and 52, the first part 51 constituting the free edge of a lower fixed lateral plane panel 7, which extends in a plane P', and the second part 52 constituting the free edge of an upper movable lateral plane panel 8.

[0042] The fixed side plane panel 6 is connected, at the level of a vertical or substantially vertical corner edge 9:

[0043] - with the lower fixed side plane panel 7, this in a fixed manner, and

[0044] - with the upper movable side planar panel 8, this in a pivoting manner.

[0045] The two fixed side planar panels 6 and 7 extend in respective planes P and P' which are offset by an angle of between 70 and 100° (preferably of the order of 90°).

[0046] The various flat panels 6, 7 and 8 constituting the radio-protective screen 1 are made of radio-protective material(s) such as steel, lead, lead glass, etc.

[0047] The assembly is mounted on a rolling base 10 for ground support which includes:

[0048] - front casters 11 fixed on front caster supports 12, and

[0049] - lateral rollers 13, fixed on lateral roller supports 14 which are arranged near the lateral sides of screen 4 and 5. The upper edge of the fixed lateral flat panel 6 and the upper edge of the movable lateral flat panel 8 each comprise an extension forming a roof, respectively 15 and 16, made of radio-protective material, which extend towards the rear face of screen 2.

[0050] The roof-forming extension 16 extends in a plane offset from the plane of the roof-forming extension 15 so as not to hinder the pivoting of the upper movable lateral plane panel 8.

[0051] According to the invention, the radio-protective screen 1 comprises means 17, 17a for generating a luminous marking 18, 18a on the ground, adapted to delimit a zone C considered as a protection zone on the side of the rear face of the screen 2.

[0052] In the illustrated embodiment, the means in question for generating a luminous marking on the ground comprise means for generating a luminous line 18, 18a in the extension of at least one of the lateral sides of the screen 4, 51, and preferably in the extension of the two lateral sides of the screen 4, 51.

[0053] The light lines 18, 18a extend from the lateral sides of the screen 4, 51, or close to them (a few cm or tens of cm), and this over a length of several meters (for example 1 to 4 m).

[0054] For this purpose, laser devices 17, 17a are used here, adapted to generate a vertical plane light beam 19, 19a, the projection of which on the ground forms a light line 18 and 18a on each of the sides of the radio-protective screen 1.

[0055] For example, you can use the XtrAlign HU LASER - 5HU52 green laser model, supplied by the German company LAP LASER.

[0056] To limit or even avoid any inconvenience to surrounding people, the laser devices 17, 17a are arranged on the screen 1, as close to the ground as possible.

[0057] In the illustrated embodiment, the laser devices 17, 17a are fixed to the lateral roller supports 14 which are provided on or near the lateral sides of the screen 4 and 51.

[0058] In an alternative embodiment, the means for generating a light marking on the ground can be fixed to other areas of the radio-protective screen 1, for example directly on the lateral sides of the screen 4, 5 or on the fixed lateral flat panels 6 and 7. Preferably, the means 17, 17a for generating a light line 18, 18a on the ground are arranged to generate this light line in, or parallel to, at least one of the planes P, P' of the two fixed lateral flat panels 6 and 7, this to within 10° degrees relative to each of the planes P, P'.

[0059] The length of the light lines 18, 18a and the orientation of the light beams 19, 19a which generate them are adapted according to the desired safety characteristics, and according to the conventional positioning of the screen 1 relative to the radiation source located opposite the front face of the screen 3.

[0060] However, the light lines can also be oriented differently, in particular depending on the positioning of the screen in relation to the source of ionizing radiation.

[0061] The means for generating the light marking on the ground (here the laser devices 17, 17a) are supplied with electricity by one or more battery structures 20.

[0062] The battery structure(s) 20 are advantageously removably fixed to the rear face of the screen 2.

[0063] On the other hand, control means 21 (for example in the form of an on / off switch of the spring or tactile push button type) allow the activation and deactivation of the means 17, 17a to be controlled for generating a luminous marking on the ground.

[0064] These control means 21 are provided on the rear face of screen 2 to facilitate their activation and deactivation by the operator in position at location B.

[0065] It may also be provided to differentiate the luminous marking on the ground, depending on whether the means for emitting ionizing radiation of the X-ray type or others are activated or not. For example, the luminous marking on the ground may be green when the means for emitting ionizing radiation are not activated, and red when they are activated. Or the luminous marking on the ground may be provided to vibrate when the means for emitting ionizing radiation are activated.

[0066] Preferably, the delimited, displayed, or highlighted radiation protection zone C is defined between the two light lines 18, 18a generated in the extension of the two lateral sides of screen 4 and 5. It should be noted that, in certain particular cases, a single light line generated in the extension of only one of the two lateral sides of screen 4 or 5 may prove sufficient.

[0067] Alternatively, means other than laser devices may be used to generate the light marking on the ground.

[0068] For example, the means for generating the light marking on the ground may comprise a conventional light source associated with a mask comprising a vertical slit (for producing a vertical beam of light whose projection onto the ground forms the desired line of light).

[0069] Still according to an alternative embodiment, the means for generating the light marking on the ground may comprise a plurality of light sources whose projection on the ground forms points or small illuminated surfaces which delimit at least the partial outline of the protection zone, or whose projection on the ground forms one or more large illuminated surfaces which constitute(s) or which determine(s) the protection zone.

[0070] It is also possible to provide for the presence of adjustment means to adjust the orientation of the light beam(s) generating the luminous marking on the ground, to adapt the marking of the protected area according to situations and needs.

[0071] Screen structures without rolling bases on the ground can also be equipped with the means described above to generate luminous markings on the ground, suitable for delimiting an area considered to be a protection zone on the side of their rear face.

[0072] The radio-protective screen 1 according to the invention makes it possible, in a simple manner, to visualize a radio-protection zone for the personnel, behind the screen, with the aim of ensuring them effective protection and limiting any stress linked to doubt about their positioning.

Claims

Claims

1. Screen (1) made of radio-protective material(s) for ensuring the protection of an operator against emissions of ionizing radiation of the X-ray type or others, which screen (1) comprises a rear screen face (2) opposite which said operator is intended to position himself and a front screen face (3) opposite said rear screen face (2), characterized in that it comprises means (17, 17a) for generating a luminous marking (18, 18a) on the ground, adapted to delimit a zone (C) considered as a protection zone on the side of said rear screen face (2).

2. Screen (1) made of radio-protective material(s) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises screen lateral sides (4, 5), and in that said means (17, 17a) for generating a luminous marking (18, 18a) on the ground comprise means for generating a luminous line (18, 18a) in the extension of at least one of said screen lateral sides (4, 5). [Claim s] Screen (1) made of radio-protective material(s) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said means (17, 17a) for generating a light marking (18, 18a) on the ground comprise a vertical plane light beam (19, 19a).

4. Screen (1) made of radio-protective material(s) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said means (17, 17a) for generating a luminous marking (18, 18a) on the ground comprise at least one laser device (17, 17a). [Claim s] Screen (1) made of radio-protective material(s) according to any one of claims 3 or 4, taken under the dependence of claim 2, characterized in that the two lateral sides of the screen (4, 5) comprise said means (17, 17a) for generating a luminous marking (18, 18a) on the ground, so as to generate two luminous lines (18, 18a) which delimit between them said zone (C) considered as a protection zone on the side of said rear face of the screen (2). [Claim s] Screen (1) made of radio-protective material(s) according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises flat lateral panels (6, 7) fixed which comprise at least a part of said lateral screen sides (4, 51), which fixed lateral flat panels (6, 7) extend in respective planes (P and P'), and in that said means (17, 17a) for generating a luminous marking (18, 18a) on the ground are arranged to generate a luminous line (18, 18a) in said planes (P, P'), or parallel to said planes (P, P'), to within 10° degrees relative to said plane(s) (P, P').

7. Screen (1) made of radio-protective material(s) according to claim 6, characterized in that said fixed lateral flat panels (6, 7) extend in respective planes (P, P') offset by 70 to 100°. [Claim s] Screen (1) made of radio-protective material(s) according to any one of claims 3 to 7, taken under the dependence of claim 2, characterized in that it rests on the ground by means of a rolling base (10) comprising casters (11, 13) fixed on caster supports (12, 14), at least some of said caster supports (14), called lateral caster supports (14), being arranged close to said lateral sides of the screen (4, 5), and in that said means (17, 17a) for generating a luminous marking (18, 18a) on the ground are fixed on said lateral caster supports (14).

9. Screen (1) made of radio-protective material(s) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises control means (21) for controlling the activation and deactivation of said means (17, 17a) for generating a luminous marking (18, 18a) on the ground, which control means (21) are provided on said rear face of the screen (2).

10. Screen (1) made of radio-protective material(s) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises at least one battery structure (20) for the electrical supply of said means (17, 17a) for generating a luminous marking (18, 18a) on the ground, which battery structure (20) is removably fixed on said rear face of the screen (2).

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