Fundamental evaluation of a novel upright shield to protect medical personnel from scattered radiation during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography using a C-arm system.

Medical personnel performing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) are at a high risk of developing radiation-induced injuries, such as cataracts, due to scattered radiation, making the use of appropriate radiation protection equipment essential. We developed two types of upright shields attached to a C-arm system (under-couch tube position): one for the operator and the other for the anesthesiologist. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of these upright shields. We conducted a phantom study in typical ERCP settings and compared the scattered radiation doses between the C-arm system equipped with the upright shields and an over-couch tube system equipped with an ERCP-specific lead curtain. It was found that the upright shield for the operator reduced scattered radiation exposure by 90%, and the upright shield for the anesthesiologist reduced scattered radiation exposure by 86%. The upright shields for a C-arm system could be just as effective as the ERCP-specific curtain for an over-couch tube system. The use of the novel upright shields may eliminate the need for protective glasses and is expected to not only protect the eyes but also safeguard the thyroid and brain.