Biomaterial Database

A history of radiation shielding of x-ray therapy rooms. 1995

P H McGinley, and M S Miner

Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.

In this report the history of shielding for radiation treatment rooms is traced from the time of the discovery of x-rays to the present. During the early part of the twentieth century the hazards from ionizing radiation were recognized and the use of lead and other materials became commonplace for shielding against x-rays. Techniques for the calculation of the shield thickness needed for x-ray protection were developed in the 1920's and shielding materials were characterized in terms of the half value layer or simple exponential factors. At the same time, better knowledge of the interaction between radiation and matter was acquired. With the development of high energy medical accelerators after 1940, new and more complex shielding problems had to be addressed. Recently, shielding requirements have become more stringent as standards for exposure of personnel and the general public have been reduced. The art of shielding of radiation treatment facilities is still being developed and the need for a revision of the reports on shielding of medical accelerators from the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements is emphasized in this article.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009683	Nuclear Medicine	A specialty field of radiology concerned with diagnostic, therapeutic, and investigative use of radioactive compounds.	Atomic Medicine,Nuclear Radiology,Medicine, Atomic,Medicine, Nuclear,Radiology, Nuclear
D010315	Particle Accelerators	Devices which accelerate electrically charged atomic or subatomic particles, such as electrons, protons or ions, to high velocities so they have high kinetic energy.	Betatrons,Linear Accelerators,Accelerator, Linear,Accelerator, Particle,Accelerators, Linear,Accelerators, Particle,Betatron,Linear Accelerator,Particle Accelerator
D011835	Radiation Protection	Methods and practices adopted to protect against RADIATION.	Protection, Radiation
D011878	Radiotherapy	The use of IONIZING RADIATION to treat malignant NEOPLASMS and some benign conditions.	Radiotherapy, Targeted,Targeted Radiotherapy,Radiation Therapy,Radiation Therapy, Targeted,Radiation Treatment,Targeted Radiation Therapy,Radiation Therapies,Radiation Therapies, Targeted,Radiation Treatments,Radiotherapies,Radiotherapies, Targeted,Targeted Radiation Therapies,Targeted Radiotherapies,Therapies, Radiation,Therapies, Targeted Radiation,Therapy, Radiation,Therapy, Targeted Radiation,Treatment, Radiation
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014965	X-Rays	Penetrating electromagnetic radiation emitted when the inner orbital electrons of an atom are excited and release radiant energy. X-ray wavelengths range from 1 pm to 10 nm. Hard X-rays are the higher energy, shorter wavelength X-rays. Soft x-rays or Grenz rays are less energetic and longer in wavelength. The short wavelength end of the X-ray spectrum overlaps the GAMMA RAYS wavelength range. The distinction between gamma rays and X-rays is based on their radiation source.	Grenz Ray,Grenz Rays,Roentgen Ray,Roentgen Rays,X Ray,X-Ray,Xray,Radiation, X,X-Radiation,Xrays,Ray, Grenz,Ray, Roentgen,Ray, X,Rays, Grenz,Rays, Roentgen,Rays, X,X Radiation,X Rays,X-Radiations
D049672	History, 19th Century	Time period from 1801 through 1900 of the common era.	19th Century History,19th Cent. History (Medicine),19th Cent. History of Medicine,19th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 19th Century,History of Medicine, 19th Cent.,History, Nineteenth Century,Medical History, 19th Cent.,Medicine, 19th Cent.,19th Cent. Histories (Medicine),19th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 19th (Medicine),Cent. History, 19th (Medicine),Century Histories, 19th,Century Histories, Nineteenth,Century History, 19th,Century History, Nineteenth,Histories, 19th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 19th Century,Histories, Nineteenth Century,History, 19th Cent. (Medicine),Nineteenth Century Histories,Nineteenth Century History
D049673	History, 20th Century	Time period from 1901 through 2000 of the common era.	20th Century History,20th Cent. History (Medicine),20th Cent. History of Medicine,20th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 20th Century,History of Medicine, 20th Cent.,History, Twentieth Century,Medical History, 20th Cent.,Medicine, 20th Cent.,20th Cent. Histories (Medicine),20th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 20th (Medicine),Cent. History, 20th (Medicine),Century Histories, 20th,Century Histories, Twentieth,Century History, 20th,Century History, Twentieth,Histories, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 20th Century,Histories, Twentieth Century,History, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Twentieth Century Histories,Twentieth Century History