These facilities require similar shielding to general x-ray rooms. However, the equipment’s control console is sometimes in a separate control room with an additional doorset for staff access. A large lead glass window within the common wall is used in place of the x-ray screen to ensure good visual contact with the patient.
Angiography Rooms
TopThese facilities are generally used for investigating and repairing veins and arteries.
The patient is injected with an x-ray dye which enables the equipment to produce images. These are projected live onto monitors inside the room at the same time that the procedure is being performed.
Catheterization Laboratory (Cath Labs)
TopMinimally invasive procedures using a catheter are carried out with live images of the procedure shown on a monitor.
This is mainly used for cardiac diagnostic or interventional therapies.
Computer Tomography (CT Scanners)
TopCT scans are far more detailed than ordinary x-rays. The information from the multi-dimensional computer images can be reconstructed to produce image slices at many different angles.
They can be used to produce virtual images that show what a surgeon would see during an operation.
Next: High Energy Diagnostic and Treatment Rooms
