An effective and less harmful apron developed as an alternative to the lead aprons presently used for protection from radiation during treatment by an Assistant Professor with Madurai Medical College has won him first prize in the best paper category at the Annual Conference of Association of Medical Physicists in India - Western Chapter (AMPICON-WC) that happened in the first week of May in Pune.
S. Senthil Kumar, Assistant Professor of Radiology Physics at MMC, said that the apron he invented using a combination of materials of different atomic numbers - Bismuth (Bi), Antimony (Sb) - along with Barium Sulphate (BaSO4) and a common polymer offered 25 % more protection and were 20 % lighter than the lead-based aprons.
Stating that lead has been used for long to shield patients and health care professionals from X-rays, Dr. Senthil Kumar, however, pointed out that the toxicity of lead posed a risk, particularly when the apron wore out or the lead inside it got damaged.
“On the other hand, Bismuth is not considered a human carcinogen. In relative terms, it is not toxic or did not pose threat to environment,” he said.
Elaborating on how he created the apron, he said that the Bi, Sb and BaSO4 were mixed with a highly elastic polymer and fabricated as thin sheets, which was subsequently turned into a composite bi-layered garment.
He added that the new garment had better longevity than lead aprons. “They can be used continuously for three years, after which it had to be tested for safety. In contrast, lead aprons need annual testing,” he said.
He said that the garment he developed will cost around ₹ 15,000 while the lead aprons costed roughly ₹ 80,000.
Congratulating him on the achievement, M.R. Vairamuthu Raju, Dean, GRH, said that the hospital will offer necessary support to Dr. Senthil Kumar in obtaining the patent he had applied with Atomic Energy Regulatory Board for the achievement.
