St Vincent’s Private Hospital (SVPH) has acquired the EggNest™ Radiation Protection System, to protect interventional staff from dangerous ionizing radiation.
A spokesperson for the hospital said many interventional procedures in the cardiac catheterization laboratory used X-Ray fluoroscopy, which required a continuous x-ray beam to be directed at the patient’s heart. The image was then transmitted to a television monitor so the consultant could see the structures and function of the heart during the procedure. Although this imaging modality provided significant diagnostic and therapeutic benefits, during the procedure, radiation was deflected from the patient’s body and scattered to all areas of the lab. This scatter radiation from the X-Ray beam might pose a safety hazard to Cath lab personnel.
“The EggNest is a scatter radiation protection system that significantly reduces scatter radiation and provides protection for the entire medical team. By using the EggNest, scatter radiation at the knee, waist, and upper torso of Cath lab personnel is reduced by up to 97%. This protection system is fully integrated into the workflow of the modern Cath Lab and moves with the patient, reducing radiation exposure for Cath lab staff without compromising their workflow or patient access.”
Brian Fitzgerald, CEO of SVPH said, “The most important element of the care we provide to our patients is the quality of staff we employ, and we are committed to providing our staff with an excellent working environment. In addition to the lead apparel, our investment in Egg Medical’s EggNest System will minimize radiation exposure for staff working in our Cath labs and we are very pleased that its installation will give both protection and peace of mind to staff working in our hospital”.
The EggNest System was developed by Dr. Robert Wilson, founder of Egg Medical and a practicing Interventional Cardiologist at the University of Minnesota, where he has been on staff since 1986.
