A radiation protection screen

Abstract

A radiation protection screen 1 comprising a panel 10, wherein the panel comprises a radiation blocking layer that blocks radiation from passing through the panel, a power supply module 18 that is mounted at one side of the radiation blocking layer and a lighting device 12 mounted at an opposite side of the radiation blocking layer from the power supply module. The lighting device 12 is connected to the power supply module 18 by a power cable, and the power cable passes through the radiation blocking layer.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a radiation protection screen. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Radiation protection screens are commonly used to protect healthcare professionals from repeated exposure to radiation during X-Ray / CT scanning of patients. The patient scanning apparatus is typically located within a room and the healthcare professional controls the patient scanning apparatus, but steps behind a screen or booth within the room when the scan actually takes place. There is a desire to create a relaxing or calming environment for the patient during the scanning process, who may be nervous about what the procedure entails or what the results may be. The patient watching the healthcare professional leave the room or step behind a screen just before the scan takes place does not typically help put the patient at ease. Patients are also often asked to remove all their electronic devices prior to scanning to prevent interference or damage to the devices. It is therefore an aim of the invention to improve the environment of the scanning room to provide an improved patient experience. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, there is provided a radiation protection screen comprising a panel, wherein the panel comprises a radiation blocking layer that blocks radiation from passing through the panel, a power supply module that is mounted at one side of the radiation blocking layer and a lighting device mounted at an opposite side of the radiation blocking layer from the power supply module, wherein the lighting device is connected to the power supply by a power cable, and wherein the power cable passes through the radiation blocking layer. The radiation protection screen can therefore provide lighting within the room to create a calming environment, with the power supply module positioned behind the radiation blocking layer to shield it from any ionizing radiation emanating from the patient scanning apparatus. The lighting device is typically positioned at a front side of the radiation protection screen, so that it faces out into the room, and the power supply module is typically positioned at a rear side of the radiation protection screen, so that the power supply module and any accompanying mains power cable leading to it can be hidden from the view of the patient by the radiation protection screen. The radiation blocking layer may be a metallic lead layer, however other materials such as lead composites or other heavy metals may alternatively be used. The radiation blocking layer and the front side of the radiation protection screen / panel are typically aligned in parallel planes with one another. The panel may comprise a leaded window arranged above the lighting device, the lighting device extending parallel with a lower edge of the leaded window. The leaded window may allow the healthcare professional to view the patient, and vice-versa, during the scanning process. The radiation protection screen may comprise a base fixture for statically anchoring the radiation protection screen to a floor of a building. The base fixture may comprise a T-shaped track for anchoring the radiation protection screen to the floor, for example using screws. The T-shaped track may comprise a hat strip defining a hat of the T-shape and a stem strip defining a stem of the T-shape, the stem strip connected to the hat strip in the middle of the hat strip and perpendicular to the hat strip. The hat strip may be screwed to the floor and the stem strip may penetrate upwardly into the panel to support the panel. The radiation protection screen may comprise a side fixture for statically anchoring the radiation protection screen to a wall of a building. The side fixture may be another T-shaped track fitted to a height-wise edge of the panel, connecting the panel to a wall of the building. The base fixture and / or side fixture allow the radiation protection screen to be easily installed into the building. The radiation blocking layer may comprise an aperture via which the power cable passes between the power supply module and the lighting device. To avoid any leakage of radiation through the aperture, the panel may comprise a further radiation blocking layer overlapping the aperture. Thus, any radiation that passes through the aperture is blocked from passing through the panel by the further radiation blocking layer. The power cable may extend from the lighting device, then through the aperture, then bend to pass between the radiation blocking layer and the further radiation blocking layer, and then extend beyond the further radiation blocking layer to the lighting device. The bend is typically a bend of 90 degrees as the power cable passes out of the aperture having an axis that is 90 degrees to the panel, and then along the panel parallel to the panel, in between the radiation blocking layer and the further radiation blocking layer. The radiation blocking layer and the further radiation blocking layer preferably extend in parallel planes to one another, the further radiation blocking layer intercepting all straight paths passing through the aperture. The panel may comprise a front layer to which the lighting device is mounted and a rear layer to which the power supply module is mounted, wherein the radiation blocking layer is sandwiched between the front layer and the rear layer. The lighting device may be inset into the front layer and have a front face that is co-planar with a front face of the front layer, allowing multiple panels to be stacked upon one another prior to installation. The lighting device may for example comprise a diffuser strip and a plurality of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) aligned along the diffuser strip. The LEDs may be mounted on a strip of material at regular intervals, for example in a Chip-on-Board (COB) arrangement, and the strip of material may be aligned parallel with the diffuser strip with the LEDs facing toward the diffuser strip. The diffuser strip may overlap the further radiation blocking layer, and so during manufacture the further radiation blocking layer may be installed over the aperture from the front side of the panel and then the diffuser strip installed over the radiation blocking layer. Preferably, the diffuser strip extends for at least 75% of a full width of the panel to provide an evenly lit, elongate and visually pleasing source of illumination. The diffuser strip preferably extends horizontally, for example parallel to the base plate (when present), and perpendicular to a height dimension of the panel. The power supply module may comprises power conversion and switching circuitry connected to the power cable. For example, the power supply module may be powered by a mains power cable and the lighting device may be driven by the power supply module to provide a plurality of different lighting effects. Preferably, the power supply module comprises an interface for selecting which one of the lighting effects is to be displayed by the lighting device. The plurality of different lighting effects may for example include lighting up the diffuser strip in a variety of different colours or patterns, which may repeatedly cycle through a sequence over time to provide a calming and / or visually pleasing environment within the room having the patient scanning apparatus. The power supply module may be controlled by a remote control that wirelessly communicates with the interface of the power supply module and that is operable by a user to select which lighting effect(s) are to be displayed by the lighting device. The radiation protection screen may only comprise a single panel, however it preferably comprises more than one panel to hive off a space within the room that can house any electronic equipment the healthcare professional may need to use during the scanning process. Accordingly, the radiation protection screen may comprise a further panel connected to the panel and a power connector module at the connection between the further panel and the panel, the further panel comprising a radiation blocking layer that blocks radiation from passing through the panel and a lighting device connected to the power connector module by a further power cable. The lighting device of the further panel may be powered by the same power supply module as the lighting device of the panel, possibly via the power cable leading from the power supply module and via the further power cable. The power connector module may be mounted on a same side of the radiation blocking layer of the panel as the power supply module is mounted, and so may not be visible to the patient, and may be shielded from any radiation. The lighting device of the further panel may be mounted at an opposite side of the radiation blocking layer from the power connector, and so both the lighting devices may be at the front side of the radiation protection screen. Preferably, the lighting devices work together to create an overall lighting effect, for example they may be aligned at a same height relative to one another, and / or be driven to have a same colour as one another. Similar to the power cable, the further power cable may pass through an aperture in the radiation blocking layer of the further panel, and the further panel may comprise a further radiation blocking layer overlapping the radiation blocking layer of the further panel. Thus, radiation is blocked from passing though the further panel via the aperture. The further panel may be connected to the panel along height-wise edges of the further panel and the panel, and the edges may be connected to one another at an angle so the further panel and the panel are in different planes to one another. This helps create a space within the room that is bounded by the radiation protection screen. The radiation protection screen may comprise at least one additional one of the further panel connected to the further panel, and so it is possible to build differently sized radiation protection screens from the panel and the further panel(s). In the case where the radiation protection screen has panels connected in different planes to one another, the radiation protection screen may be freestanding, and so may not require T-shaped tracks or any alternate means to anchor it to the floor. Accordingly, the radiation protection screen may be to be moved around or repositioned if desired. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective diagram of a radiation protection screen comprising a single panel in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the radiation protection screen of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a schematic perspective diagram of a radiation protection screen comprising two panels in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; Fig. 4 shows a schematic rear view of the radiation protection screen of Fig. 3, in which an electrical connection between the two panels can be seen; and Fig. 5 shows a schematic view from above the electrical connection of Fig. 4. The figures are not to scale, and same or similar reference signs denote same or similar features. An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. The perspective diagram of Fig. 1 shows a radiation protection screen 1 comprising a panel 10 upon a floor 16 of a building. The radiation protection screen 1 may comprise a base fixture 50 (see Fig. 2) at a base of the panel 10 to secure the panel 10 to the floor, or the radiation protection screen 1 may comprise a side fixture along one of the height-wise edges of the panel in a case where the panel 10 was to be secured to a wall of the building. The panel 10 may be used to segregate off part of the room from the remainder of the room, providing an area that is shielded from radiation. The panel 10 comprises a front face 5 and a rear face 6, the front face 5 intended for facing towards part of the room holding a patient scanning apparatus (not shown in Figs.). The rear face 6 is intended for facing towards a part of the room where the healthcare professional can stand whilst a scanning process takes place, the healthcare professional being shielded from any radiation emanating from the patient scanning apparatus by the radiation protection screen 1. The panel 10 comprises a lighting device 12 at the front face of the panel 10, and the lighting device 12 may add calming illumination to the room to help improve the environment for the patient. Preferably the lighting device 12 is capable of emitting coloured light, in other words light that is not white light, to help provide a calming influence on the patient. The lighting device 12 may also be capable of emitting white light if desired. The lighting device 12 typically comprises Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights, however other types of light could alternatively be used. The lighting device 12 may be a strip that runs horizontally across the front face 5 of the panel, for example parallel to the base of the panel meeting the floor 16. Preferably the strip extends across substantially the full width of the panel 10. The lighting device 12 may also comprise a diffuser 30 that diffuses the light so that it has a more even intensity along the length of the lighting device 12. The lighting device 12 may take different shapes in alternative embodiments, and it would be possible to provide a plurality of the lighting devices on the front face 5 is desired. The lighting device 12 is connected to a power supply module 18 via a power cable 34a (shown in Fig. 2). The power supply module 18 may be powered by a mains power supply cable 19, or alternatively the power supply module 18 may incorporate a battery. The power supply module 18 is configured to power the lighting device 12 via the power cable 34a, and may comprise power conversion and switching circuitry, for example LED driver circuitry, to provide a plurality of different lighting effects at the lighting device 12 for user(s) to choose between. The power supply module 18 may provide an interface to choose between the lighting effects, for example one of more buttons / switches may be provided at the exterior of the power supply module. More preferably, the interface includes a wireless communication interface for receiving commands from a remote control 20, the commands instructing which lighting effect(s) should be selected by the power supply module. The remote control 20 may be held by a user of the radiation protection screen, who may press button(s) on the remote control 20 to choose which lighting effect(s) are to be used. The schematic diagram of Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XS1 marked on Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the panel 10 may comprise a front layer 5a to which the lighting device 12 is mounted and a rear layer 6a to which the power supply module 18 is mounted. The front and / or rear layers may be composite layers, for example the front layer 5a may comprise a wooden layer and a paint / laminate layer on the front of the wooden layer. A radiation blocking layer 25 may be sandwiched (positioned) between the front layer 5a and the rear layer 6a. The radiation blocking layer may extend over substantially the whole area of the front and rear layers, to block any significant radiation from penetrating through the radiation protection screen 1. The radiation blocking layer 25 may be a layer of metallic lead, however alternative radiation blocking materials may alternatively be used. The base of the panel 10 may be anchored to the floor 16 by a base fixture in the form of a T-shaped track 50. The T-shaped track 50 may extend substantially along a whole width of the panel, or may be split into separate portions arranged intermittently along the width of the panel. The T-shaped track may comprise a hat strip 52 defining a hat of the T-shape and a stem strip 51 defining a stem of the T-shape, the stem strip 51 connected to the hat strip 52 in the middle of the hat strip and perpendicular to the hat strip. The hat strip 52 may be fixed to the floor 16 with screws (not illustrated) for example, and the stem strip 51 may penetrate upwardly into the panel as shown to statically hold the panel in place upon the floor. During installation of the radiation protection screen, the hat strip 52 may be screwed to the floor and then the base of the panel 10 lowered onto the step strip 51. The power supply module 18 is connected to the lighting device 12 via the power cable 34a. The power cable 34a may extend from the power supply module 18, up a vertical trunking strip 27, across a horizontal trunking strip 33, up another vertical trunking strip 27a, and to the lighting device 12. The trunking strips 27, 33 and 27a may be embedded into the rear layer 6a to be flush with the surface of the rear layer 6a, as shown. The trunking strips 27, 33 and 27a are also visible in Fig. 4. The power cable 34a passes through the radiation blocking layer 25 to reach the lighting device 12, as is best seen in the magnified portion EX1 of Fig. 2. The radiation blocking layer 25 may have an aperture 26 passing through the radiation blocking layer, and the power cable 34a may pass through the aperture 26 from the rear side to the front side of the radiation blocking layer. The aperture 26 is typically circular, and sized to allow the power cable 34a to comfortably pass through it. Since the aperture may allow ionising radiation to pass through the radiation blocking layer 25, the panel 10 may comprise a further radiation blocking layer 28 that overlaps the aperture 26 and so blocks any radiation that passes through the aperture 26. The further radiation blocking layer 28 is preferably large enough so that any and all straight paths through the aperture 26 will be intercepted by the further radiation blocking layer 28. The radiation blocking layer and the further radiation blocking layer preferably extend over parallel planes to one another. The power cable 34a may extend through the aperture 26 towards the lighting device 12, and then may bend through about 90° to pass between the radiation blocking layer 25 and the further radiation blocking layer 28, as shown. The power cable 34a then extends beyond the further radiation blocking layer 28, until it reaches a Chip-On-Board (COB) LED strip 32. The front layer 5b comprises a cavity 5b for receiving the lighting device 12. The cavity 5b may also be used to insert the further radiation blocking layer 28 over the aperture 26 during manufacture of the panel 10, once the power cable 34a has been passed through the aperture 26. The diffuser 30 is received into the cavity 5b with a front face of the diffuser 30 being flush with the front face 5 of the of the panel and of the front layer 5a. The LED strip 32 runs along the length of the cavity 5b and has LEDs mounted to it at regular intervals, which are powered by the power cable 34a. Thus, the LED strip 32 may be aligned parallel with the diffuser strip 30, and the LEDs may face towards the diffuser strip 30. One or more walls of the cavity 5b may comprise reflective materials, for example white paint, to reflect the light from the LEDs towards the diffuser 30. Another embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to Figs. 3 to 5. The perspective diagram of Fig. 3 shows a radiation protection screen 100 that includes a panel 110 and a further panel 111. The panel 110 may be the same as the panel 10, except for that it may have a leaded window 110a at an upper portion of the panel. The further panel 111 may be similar to the panel 110, and may have a lighting device 112 the same as the lighting device 12 but shorter in length. The lighting device 12 may extend parallel with a lower edge of the leaded window 110a, and if the further panel 111 is present then it may have the lighting device 112 extending parallel with a lower edge of the leaded window 111a. Both the panel 110 and the further panel 111 may comprise a respective base fixture 50, supporting the panel 110 and the further panel 111 in a vertical position upon the floor 16. The further panel 111 may be connected to the panel 110 along height-wise edges of the further panel and the panel, for example by a connector strip 113. The connector strip 113 may connect the edges of the further panel and the panel at an angle to one another, i.e. so they are in different planes to one another. Fig. 3 illustrates the further panel 111 connected to the panel 110 at an angle of 135°. One or more of the panels may also comprise a side fixture 50a for anchoring the corresponding panel to a wall along a height-wise edge of the panel. The side fixture 50a may be the same as the base fixture 50, for example another T-shaped track, penetrating into the edge of the panel. The panels 110 and 111 together define a more enclosed space for the healthcare professional to move into during the patient scanning process, in comparison to the single panel embodiment of Fig. 1. Furthermore, both the panel 110 and the further panel 111 each have a leaded window 110a and 111 a at their upper portions so that the healthcare professional can still be seen by the patient during the scanning process, providing further reassurance to the patient and helping the healthcare professional supervise the scanning process. The lower portions 110b and 111b are formed from front and rear layers with a radiation blocking layer between them, similar to the front and rear layers 5a and 6s and the radiation blocking layer 25. Additional panels similar to the further panel 111 may be added to increase the size of the radiation protection screen, and / or to further enclose the space in which the healthcare professional can stand. The schematic diagram of Fig. 4 shows a rear elevational view of the panels 110 and 111, in which the electrical connection between the panels can be seen. The power cable 34a may be bundled within or connected to a trunk cable 34, and the trunk cable 34 may extend from the power supply module 18 and upwardly within the vertical trunking 27 to the horizontal trunking 33, at which point the power cable 34a may split off from the trunk cable 34 and continue upward along the vertical trunking 27a to the aperture 26 that leads to the lighting device 12. The trunk cable 34 may continue horizontally along the trunking 33 to a power connector module 140. Another power cable 34b may split off from the trunk cable to power another side of the lighting device 12, via another aperture similar to the aperture 26. Alternatively, the power cable 34b could be omitted and the power cable 34a relied upon as the sole source of power to the lighting device 12. The trunk cable The power connector module 140 may be mounted to the rear side of the panels 110 and 111, and comprise an electrical connector 145. The further panel 111 may have a further trunk cable 134 similar to the trunk cable 34, and the further trunk cable 134 may be connected to the trunk cable 34 by the electrical connector 145. A further power cable 134a splits off from the further trunk cable 134 and passes through an aperture 126 in the radiation blocking layer of the further panel, to reach the lighting device 112, in the same manner as the power cable 34a is routed to the lighting device 12. Another further power cable 134b may split off from the further trunk cable 134 to power an opposite end of the lighting device 112. The schematic diagram of Fig. 4 shows a view taken from above the power connector module 140, in which further details of the electrical connections can be seen. As shown, the power cable 34b passes from the electrical connector 145 through the other aperture in the radiation blocking layer 25 and to the LED strip 32. The other aperture is similar to the aperture 26, and a further radiation blocking layer 28a overlaps the other aperture similar to the radiation blocking layer 28. The panel 111 has a further radiation blocking layer 125 similar to the radiation blocking layer 25 of the panel 110, and the further radiation blocking layer 125 has an aperture similar to the aperture 26, the aperture in the further radiation blocking layer 125 being overlapped by a further radiation blocking layer 128 that is similar to the radiation blocking layer 28. The lighting device 112 comprises an LED lighting strip 132 the same as the LED lighting strip 32 of the lighting device 12 but shorter in length. The power cable 134a passes from the electrical connector 145 through the aperture in the further radiation blocking layer 125 and to the LED strip 132. The trunk cables 34 and 134 are not shown in Fig. 5 for the sake of clarity, but connect to the power cables 34b and 134a. Fig. 5 also shows how the power connector module 140 has a housing that is angled to match the angle of the connector strip 113, and so has front faces that align with the rear faces of the panel 110 and 111. The connector strip 113 may comprise radiation blocking layers to prevent radiation from penetrating through the connector strip. Many other variations of the described embodiments falling within the scope of the invention will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A radiation protection screen comprising a panel, wherein the panel comprises a radiation blocking layer that blocks radiation from passing through the panel, a power supply module that is mounted at one side of the radiation blocking layer and a lighting device mounted at an opposite side of the radiation blocking layer from the power supply module, wherein the lighting device is connected to the power supply by a power cable, and wherein the power cable passes through the radiation blocking layer.

2. The radiation protection screen of claim 1, wherein the radiation protection screen comprises a base fixture for statically anchoring the radiation protection screen to a floor of a building.

3. The radiation protection screen of claim 2, wherein the base fixture comprises a T-shaped track defined by a hat strip and a stem strip, the stem strip connected to the hat strip in the middle of the hat strip and perpendicular to the hat strip, wherein the stem strip penetrates upwardly into the panel from a base of the panel.

4. The radiation protection screen of any preceding claim, wherein the radiation protection screen comprises a side fixture for statically anchoring the radiation protection screen to a wall of a building.

5. The radiation protection screen of claim 4, wherein the side fixture comprises a T-shaped track defined by a hat strip and a stem strip, the stem strip connected to the hat strip in the middle of the hat strip and perpendicular to the hat strip, wherein the stem strip penetrates into a height-wise edge of the panel.

6. The radiation protection screen of any preceding claim, wherein the radiation blocking layer comprises an aperture, wherein the power cable passes through the radiation blocking layer via the aperture, and wherein the panel comprises a further radiation blocking layer overlapping the aperture.

7. The radiation protection screen of claim 6, wherein the power cable extends through the aperture, then bends to pass between the radiation blocking layer and the further radiation blocking layer, and then extends beyond the further radiation blocking layer.

8. The radiation protection screen of any preceding claim, wherein the radiation blocking layer and the further radiation blocking layer extend over parallel planes to one another.

9. The radiation protection screen of any preceding claim, wherein the panel comprises a front layer to which the lighting device is mounted and a rear layer to which the power supply module is mounted, wherein the radiation blocking layer is sandwiched between the front layer and the rear layer.

10. The radiation protection screen of claim 9, wherein the lighting device is inset into the front layer and has a front face that is co-planar with a front face of the front layer.

11. The radiation protection screen of claim 9 or 10, wherein the lighting device comprises a diffuser strip and a plurality of Light Emitting Diodes aligned along the diffuser strip.

12. The radiation protection screen of claim 11, wherein the diffuser strip overlaps the further radiation blocking layer.

13. The radiation protection screen of claim 11 or 12, wherein the diffuser strip extends for at least 75% of a full width of the panel.

14. The radiation protection screen of any preceding claim, wherein the power supply module comprises power conversion and switching circuitry connected to the power cable.

15. The radiation protection screen of any preceding claim, further comprising a mains power supply cable connected to the power supply module.

16. The radiation protection screen of any preceding claim, wherein the power supply module and the lighting device provide a plurality of lighting effects and wherein the power supply module comprises an interface for selecting which one of the lighting effects is to be displayed by the lighting device.

17. The radiation protection screen of claim 16, further comprising a remote control for wirelessly communicating with the interface of the power supply module, wherein the remote control is operable to select which one of the lighting effects is to be displayed by the lighting device.

18. The radiation protection screen of any preceding claim, comprising a further panel connected to the panel and a power connector module at the connection between the further panel and the panel, the further panel comprising a radiation blocking layer that blocks radiation from passing through the panel and a lighting device connected to the power connector module by a further power cable.

19. The radiation protection screen of claim 18, wherein the power connector module is mounted on a same side of the radiation blocking layer of the panel as the power supply module is mounted.

20. The radiation protection screen of claim 18 or 19, wherein the lighting device of the further panel is mounted at an opposite side of the radiation blocking layer from the power connector.

21. The radiation protection screen of claim 18, 19 or 20, wherein the further power cable connecting the power connector to the lighting device passes through an aperture in the radiation blocking layer of the further panel, and wherein the further panel comprises a further radiation blocking layer overlapping the radiation blocking layer of the further panel.

22. The radiation protection screen of any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein the further panel is connected to the panel along height-wise edges of the further panel and the panel.

23. The radiation protection screen of claim 22, wherein the edges are connected to angle the further panel and the panel in different planes to one another.

24. The radiation protection screen of claim 22 or 23, comprising at least one additional one of the further panel connected to the further panel.

25. The radiation protection screen of any preceding claim, wherein the panel comprises a leaded window arranged above the lighting device, the lighting device extending parallel with a lower edge of the leaded window.

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