Consequences of european directive 2013/59 on lens dose monitoring of interventional neuroradiology workers

Abstract

The recent publication of the Euratom Directive 2013/59, adopting the reduction of eye lens dose limits from 150 mSv/y to 20 mSv/y, calls for the development of new tools and methodologies for evaluating the eye lens dose absorbed by the medical staff involved in interventional radiology practices. Moreover, the effectiveness of the protective devices, like leaded glasses, which can be employed for radiation protection purposes, must be tested under typical exposure scenarios. In this work, eye lens dose measurements were carried out on an anthropomorphic phantom simulating a physician bound to perform standard interventional neuroradiology angiographic procedures. The correlation between eye lens doses, in terms of Hp (0.07), and the equivalent dose (again in terms of Hp(0.07)) monthly measured with thermoluminescent dosemeters placed above the lead apron at the chest level was studied, in presence and in absence of different types of leaded glasses. The number of workers in a University Hospital for which adequate lens protection approach and dose evaluation method must be adopted was quantified.