title: Efficacy of radiation safety glasses in interventional radiology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to evaluate the reduction of the eye lens dose when wearing protective eyewear in interventional radiology and to identify conditions that optimize the efficacy of radiation safety glasses.
  
  
  METHODS
  The dose reduction provided by different models of radiation safety glasses was measured on an anthropomorphic phantom head. The influence of the orientation of the phantom head on the dose reduction was studied in detail. The dose reduction in interventional radiological practice was assessed by dose measurements on radiologists wearing either leaded or no glasses or using a ceiling suspended screen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The different models of radiation safety glasses provided a dose reduction in the range of a factor of 7.9-10.0 for frontal exposure of the phantom. The dose reduction was strongly reduced when the head is turned to the side relative to the irradiated volume. The eye closest to the tube was better protected due to side shielding and eyewear curvature. In clinical practice, the mean dose reduction was a factor of 2.1. Using a ceiling suspended lead glass shield resulted in a mean dose reduction of a factor of 5.7.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The efficacy of radiation protection glasses depends on the orientation of the operator's head relative to the irradiated volume. Glasses can offer good protection to the eye under clinically relevant conditions. However, the performance in clinical practice in our study was lower than expected. This is likely related to nonoptimized room geometry and training of the staff as well as measurement methodology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, PO Box 5800, 6202 AZ, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bart D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: van Rooijen
authors.forename: Michiel W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: de Haan
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Carsten W K P
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Arnoldussen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Graaf
authors.forename: Wim H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: van Zwam
authors.forename: Walter H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Backes
authors.forename: Cécile R L P N
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Jeukens
mesh_terms: D005135:Eye Protective Devices; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*; D015642:Radiology, Interventional / Q000379:methods*