Eye lenses and thyroids are among the organs most sensitive to radiation. Ionising radiation can make eye lenses more opaque and, at higher doses, even lead to radiation cataracts. In particular for children, CT examinations in the skull area pose an increased risk for the eye lenses and thyroid glands. During skull CT examinations, the protection of both of these organs is therefore highly recommendable.

SOMATEX^® developed a new radiation shield that has significantly less radiation exposure compared to former protectors, all the while maintaining the quality of the diagnostic image. The increased protection is made possible by the innovative combination of different metallic components. To protect the environment as well as human health, SOMATEX^® designed the new shield without any lead. The two new SOMATEX^® products – CT-Eye ProteX and CT-Gland ProteX – are setting standards for active radiation protection for patients.

It excels through the following advantages:

• Maximum protection for radiation-sensitive organs
• Few artefacts
• Reduction of radiation exposure by up to 45%
• Lead-free, facilitating waste disposal
• Skin-friendly fixation strip to maintain shield in place
• Delivered in practical dispenser

A study conducted by the TransMIT Centre for Applied Radiological Research of the University Clinic Gießen and Marburg examined CT shields of various compositions. SOMATEX® protectors were shown to reduce radiation exposure by 45% compared with conventional, lead-free bismuth shielding. This constitutes a 25% increase of the protective effect compared to the conventional bismuth shields, whereby the increased proportion of scattered photons behind the protector material is already taken into account.