Radiation-shielding screen

Abstract

The present invention relates to a screen (1) made of radiation-protective material(s) for protecting an operator against ionizing radiation emissions such as X-rays or other types, which screen comprises a rear face (2) opposite which the operator is intended to position themselves, and a front face (3) opposite the rear face (2). According to the invention, this screen (1) includes means (17, 17a) for generating a luminous marking (18, 18a) on the floor, adapted to delimit an area (C) considered as a protection zone on the side of the rear face (2). Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Radiation-protective screen Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the general field of equipment for protection against ionizing radiation.

[0002] It relates more particularly to radio-protective screens which are used in medical or other settings to protect an operator against emissions of ionizing radiation, for example X-rays. State of the art

[0003] In the context of certain examinations or interventions, patients are subjected to ionizing radiation, such as X-rays, used for monitoring, diagnosis or treatment purposes.

[0004] This is particularly the case for interventions such as catheterization, pacemaker implantation, vascular, neurological or urological examinations, CRM (Cardiac Rhythm Management), CRT (Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy) or when implementing fluoroscopy techniques.

[0005] 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 visualization of the structures and functions of a patient's internal organs, such as the heartbeat or the flow of blood through blood vessels. This technique is used for both diagnosis and therapy; and it is present in interventional fields, including radiology, cardiology, neurology, electrophysiology, peripheral vascular radiology, interventional pediatrics, etc.

[0006] The rooms intended for these specialties are equipped with fluoroscopy devices (also called C-arms) which are generally in the form of a mobile technical box extending into a large arch, one end of which has an X-ray emitting device and the other end of which is equipped with a detector.

[0007] In equipped rooms, catheters and probes are introduced via an access route (generally 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).

[0008] These fluoroscopy devices occupy an important place around the examination table and their positioning is frequently changed depending on the area of ​​the patient's body to be inspected or treated.

[0009] It is understood that it is important to properly protect operators (doctors, surgeons, technicians, nurses or others) against the ionizing radiation emitted, (of the primary type, coming directly from the emitter, or of the secondary type: reflected by the equipment and coming from the patient himself), under penalty of exposing them to significant doses, accumulated over time, likely to cause various pathologies (necrosis of the upper limbs, brain tumors, cataracts, radiodermatitis etc.).

[0010] There are protective structures for this purpose consisting of clothing such as blouses, vests, aprons made of radio-protective material, thyroid protectors, glasses..., but which do not always cover the entire body and whose significant weight impairs the operator's comfort, limits his movement capabilities and leads to rapid fatigue.

[0011] There are still screens or partitions made up of panels or assemblies of panels in suitable radio-protective material(s), suspended from a suitable support or placed on the ground, either directly or via a rolling base.

[0012] 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.

[0013] Such screen structures generally properly protect the operator who is located just behind the radiation-protective wall(s).

[0014] However, the operator or other persons do not have any particular information concerning radiation protection when they are located at the rear of the screen and at some distance from the radiation-protective walls. Presentation of the invention

[0015] In order to remedy the aforementioned drawback of the prior 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,

[0016] which screen comprises a rear face of the screen opposite which said operator is intended to position himself and a front face of the screen opposite said rear face of the screen,

[0017] this screen being characterized by the fact that it includes 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 face of the screen.

[0018] Such a luminous marking generated on the ground makes it possible to inform the person or persons 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 properly protected.

[0019] Other non-limiting and advantageous features of the screen according to the invention, taken individually or in all technically possible combinations, are as follows:

[0020] - the screen includes side panels,

[0021] and the means for generating a luminous marking on the ground include means for generating a luminous line in the extension of at least one of said lateral sides of the screen;

[0022] - means for generating a luminous marking on the ground include a beam bright vertical plane;

[0023] - the means for generating a luminous marking on the ground include at least a laser device;

[0024] - the two lateral sides of the screen include means for generating a line luminous on the ground, so as to generate two luminous lines which delimit, between them, the said area considered as a protection zone on the rear side of the screen;

[0025] - the screen comprises fixed side panels which comprise a part at least of the said side sides of the screen, which fixed side panels extend in respective planes P and P',

[0026] 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', within 10° degrees of said plane(s) P, P';

[0027] - the fixed side planar panels extend in respective planes P and P' which are offset by 70 to 100°;

[0028] - the screen rests on the ground by means of a rolling base comprising casters fixed to caster supports, at least some of said caster supports, referred to as lateral caster supports, being provided near said lateral sides of the screen,

[0029] and the means for generating a luminous marking on the ground are fixed on said lateral supports of casters;

[0030] - the screen includes control means for controlling the activation and the deactivation of the means to generate a luminous marking on the ground, which control means are provided on the rear face of the screen;

[0031] - the screen includes at least one battery structure for power supply electrical means to generate a luminous marking on the ground, which battery structure is removably fixed to the rear face of the screen;

[0032] - the screen includes means for differentiating the luminous marking on the ground, depending on whether means for the emission of ionizing radiation of the X-ray type or others are activated or not.

[0033] Of course, the various features, variants, and embodiments of the invention can be combined in various ways, provided they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive. Detailed description of the invention

[0034] In addition, various other features of the invention become apparent from the attached description made with reference to the drawings which illustrate one, non-limiting, embodiment of the invention and where:

[0035] [Fig-1] is a perspective view of a possible embodiment of a screen made of radio-protective material according to the invention;

[0036] [Fig.2] is an enlarged view of part A of the screen made of radio-protective material illustrated in [Fig.1].

[0037] The radiation protection screen 1 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is adapted to provide protection for a particular operator 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.

[0038] To this end, the various constituent parts of this radiation-protective screen 1 are made of radiation-protective material(s) having a suitable lead equivalent of at least 0.2 mm, depending on the constituent parts concerned. For example, this lead equivalent is between 0.5 mm and 3 mm.

[0039] This screen 1 made of radio-protective material(s) may correspond to that described in document EP-3 555 892.

[0040] As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, this radiation-protective screen 1 is in the form of a mobile cabin, here with a general horizontal dihedral section, comprising a rear face of screen 2, opposite which an operator is intended to position himself (on the side of the acute angle of the dihedral, identified by location B on [Fig. 1]), and a front face of screen 3, opposite the rear face of screen 2.

[0041] The radio-protective screen 1 is delimited laterally by two lateral sides of screen 4 and 5.

[0042] The side of the screen 4 constitutes the free side edge of a fixed side panel 6 which extends in a plane P over the entire height of the screen 1; and the 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 side panel 7, which extends in a plane P', and the second part 52 constituting the free edge of an upper movable side panel 8.

[0043] The fixed side panel 6 is connected at a vertical or substantially vertical corner edge 9:

[0044] - with the lower fixed side panel 7, this in a fixed manner, and

[0045] - with the upper movable side panel 8, this in a pivoting manner.

[0046] The two fixed side planar panels 6 and 7 extend in respective planes P and P' which are offset by an angle between 70 and 100° (preferably of the order of 90°).

[0047] 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, leaded glass etc.

[0048] The assembly is mounted on a rolling base 10 for ground support which includes:

[0049] - front casters 11 fixed to front caster supports 12, and

[0050] - side casters 13, fixed on side caster supports 14 which are located near the lateral sides of screen 4 and 5.

[0051] The upper edge of the fixed side panel 6 and the upper edge of the movable side panel 8 each include a roof-forming extension, respectively 15 and 16, made of radio-protective material, which extend from the side of the rear face of the screen 2.

[0052] The roof extension 16 extends in a plane offset from the plane of the roof extension 15 so as not to hinder the pivoting of the upper mobile lateral plan panel 8.

[0053] According to the invention, the radio-protective screen 1 includes 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.

[0054] In the illustrated embodiment, the means in question for generating a light marking on the ground include means for generating a light line 18, 18a in the extension of at least one of the lateral sides of screen 4, 51, and preferably in the extension of both lateral sides of screen 4, 51.

[0055] The light lines 18, 18a extend from the lateral sides of screen 4, 51, or close to them (a few cm or tens of cm away), and this over a length of a few meters (for example 1 to 4 m).

[0056] For this purpose, laser devices 17, 17a are used here, adapted to generate a vertical plane light beam 19, 19a whose projection onto the ground forms a light line 18 and 18a on each side of the radio-protective screen 1.

[0057] For example, an XtrAlign HU LASER - 5HU52 green laser model, supplied by the German company LAP LASER, can be used.

[0058] To limit or even avoid any inconvenience to those around, the laser devices 17, 17a are provided on the screen 1, as close as possible to the ground.

[0059] In the illustrated embodiment, the laser devices 17, 17a are fixed to the side supports for casters 14 which are provided on or near the side sides of screen 4 and 51.

[0060] In one embodiment the means for generating a luminous marking on the ground can be fixed on other areas of the radio-protective screen 1, for example directly on the side sides of the screen 4, 5 or on the fixed side planar panels 6 and 7.

[0061] 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 side planar panels 6 and 7, this to within 10° degrees with respect to each of the planes P, P'.

[0062] 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 classic positioning of the screen 1 in relation to the radiation source located opposite the front face of the screen 3.

[0063] However, the light lines can also be oriented differently, in particular depending on the positioning of the screen relative to the source of ionizing radiation.

[0064] The means for generating the light marking on the ground (here the laser devices 17, 17a) are powered by electricity from one or more battery structures 20.

[0065] The battery structure(s) 20 are advantageously fixed in a removable manner on the rear face of the screen 2.

[0066] On the other hand, control means 21 (for example in the form of spring-loaded or touch-sensitive push-button on / off switches) allow the activation and deactivation of means 17, 17a to generate a light marking on the ground.

[0067] These control means 21 are provided on the rear face of the screen 2 to facilitate their activation and deactivation by the operator in position on location B.

[0068] It may also be possible to differentiate the light markings on the ground depending on whether the means for emitting ionizing radiation, such as X-rays, are activated or not. For example, the light markings on the ground may be green when the means for emitting ionizing radiation are not activated, and red when they are activated. Alternatively, the light markings on the ground may be designed to vibrate when the means for emitting ionizing radiation are activated.

[0069] Preferably, the delimited, displayed, or highlighted radiation protection zone C is defined between the two luminous lines 18, 18a generated in the extension of the two lateral sides of the screen 4 and 5.

[0070] It should be noted that, in certain specific cases, a single luminous line generated in the extension of only one of the two lateral sides of screen 4 or 5 may prove sufficient.

[0071] As a further alternative, means other than laser devices can be used to generate the light marking on the ground.

[0072] For example, means for generating the light marking on the ground may include a conventional light source associated with a mask comprising a vertical slit (for the realization of a vertical beam of light whose projection on the ground forms the desired line of light).

[0073] According to another embodiment, the means for generating the light marking on the ground may include a plurality of light sources whose projection onto the ground forms points or small illuminated areas that delimit at least the partial outline of the protection zone, or whose projection onto the ground forms one or more large illuminated areas that constitute(s) or determine(s) the protection zone.

[0074] It is also possible to provide for the presence of adjustment means to adjust the orientation of the beam(s) of light generating the light marking on the ground, to adapt the marking of the protected area according to the situations and needs.

[0075] Screen structures without a rolling base on the ground can also be equipped with the means described above to generate a light marking on the ground, suitable for delimiting an area considered as a protection zone on the side of their rear face.

[0076] The radiation-protective screen 1 according to the invention allows, in a simple way, to visualize a radiation protection zone for personnel, behind the screen, in order to ensure their effective protection and to limit any stress related 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).

3. 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).

5. 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).

6. Screen (1) made of radio-protective material(s) according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises fixed lateral plane panels (6, 7) which comprise at least part of said lateral screen sides (4, 51), which fixed lateral plane 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°.

8. 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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