March 10, 2010 - To help clinicians communicate about radiation dose exposure during radiological procedures, a new dose-saving solution for use in interventional radiology procedures is now available.
The IT solution, DoseAware, allows for immediate feedback on radiation exposure to all of the people in the fluoroscopic suite. Team members can minimize their respective X-ray dose during a procedure. DoseAware consists of wireless radiation badges, worn by all of the members of the team, and quantitatively displaying the scattered X-ray dose being absorbed by every member of the team.
The base station hangs adjacent to the imaging monitors and displays the amount of dose being exposed to on the screen. This allows for feedback by the operator to reduce X-ray dose, like using a shield, stepping back a few feet, or lowering the detector. They are all quantitatively demonstrated to the operators in the room during the procedure and serve as positive reinforcement.
The fact that the operators can immediately review the effect of their actions, is said to complete the feedback loop and helps to develop a healthy way of working. In the longer term, DoseAware will allow for a more comprehensive evaluation utilizing the time stamped recorded X-ray dose information.
For more information: www.medical.philips.com