Radiation Protection Eyewear

Introducing Safeloox, Deutsch Medical's new Safety Eyewear brand - protecting the vision of all healthcare professionals...

The eyes are the most sensitive area of the body to radiation and susceptible to damage by exposure during diagnostic imaging procedures and work around type of imaging equipment, risking the development of lens opacities and cataracts. Deutsch Medical's Lead Glasses protect the eyes of healthcare professionals who work in areas such as cardiac electrophysiology (EP) and catheterisation laboratories, radiology, orthopaedic surgeries, urologic procedures, pain management and furthermore, from harmful x-ray and scattered radiation.

Deutsch Medical offer a comprehensive range of stylish Lead Glasses designed to provide comfortable protection and to fit various face shapes. Choose between standard, prescription, low-fit or 'fit over prescription' lead glasses. Improve your vision by adding optional extras, such as anti-fog to minimise fog or anti-reflective coatings that reduces glare. Find a perfect fit for your unique features and choose from our categories below.

Lead Glasses provide radiation protection against x-ray radiation from scattered radiation in areas such as electro physiology, orthopaedic surgery, radiology, catheterisation laboratories, urologic procedures and veterinary surgery. According to The University of Toronto ionising radiation can arise from:

1. Primary emissions of x-ray producing machines used for medical and dental applications and analytical x-ray instruments that is used for diffraction and fluorescent studies.
2. Secondary emissions and scattering of x-rays from the sample, shielding material and screens.
3. Faulty high-voltage vacuum-tube rectifiers may emit x-rays.
4. Leakage of primary or scattered x-rays through gabs and cracks in shielding and from faulty shutter, beam traps or collimator couplings.¹

The Australian Radiation and Nuclear Protection Association (ARPANSA) have made a series of recommendations specifically related to Radiation protection of the eyes. They recommend lead glasses with 0.75mm lead (Pb) equivalence and the use of side shields. ²

"According to today's knowledge, early stages of radiation-induced cataracts can occur already from a radiation exposure level of 0.5 Gy."^3,4 "Regardless of whether the dose occurs acutely or over an extended period, the effect is cumulative, single doses accumulate."³ As a result, "the IRCP Commission now recommends an equivalent dose limit for the lens of the eye of 20 mSv in a year, averaged over 5 years, with no single year exceeding 50 mSv."⁵ This means for many radiation users that the radiation dose limit could be reached across their working life.

Workplaces and medical staff are encouraged to adopt changes in advance of regulatory change to avoid or minimise health risks of radiation induced eye lens injury to medical workers. If medical workers and workplaces are advised, taught of and execute the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) radiation protection principle designed to minimise radiation exposure (minimise time, double distance to source, use of shielding tools) it is still possible for medical staff (regularly exposed to radiation) to keep the annual radiation dose in the range of 0 to 5 mSv (against 20 mSv, that is the dose limit) in a busy medical facility

1. Radiation Safety for X-Ray Units, Available Online, August 2020
2. ARPANSA Fact Sheet, Improving Eye Safety in Image Guided Interventional Procedures (IGIP), Available online, March 2015
3. SSK: Radiation-induced cataracts, recommendation of the Radiation Protection Commission with scientific justification [conference]. - Bonn, May 14th, 2009. - 234th edition Session of the Radiation Protection Commission on May 14th, 2009. - P. 9, 18, 21
4. Radiological Protection Ordinance: Ordinance on protection against damage caused by ionising radiation [Ordinance]. - October 2011 - P. 31, 32, 34
5. (1) ICRP (2011), Statement on Tissue Reactions, Available online, September 2019