Modular Radiation Shielding System and Related Methods

Abstract

Provided herein is a portable cubicle useful for environmental shielding of patients undergoing radiation treatment for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, for example, 18 F-FDG uptake prior to Positron Emission Tomography (PET scanning).

1 . A portable cubicle comprising one or more walls comprising radiation shielding, configured to house a patient, wherein the radiation shielding is of sufficient thickness to reduce, at a point outside the cubicle, exposure from the cubicle from a source of  18 F γ radiation emitted within the cubicle by at least about 60%. 
   
   
       2 . The cubicle of  claim 1 , wherein the radiation shielding is of sufficient thickness to reduce exposure from the cubicle from a source of  18 F γ radiation emitted within the cubicle by at least about 75%. 
   
   
       3 . The cubicle of  claim 1 , wherein the radiation shielding is of sufficient thickness to reduce exposure from the cubicle from a source of  18 F γ radiation emitted within the cubicle by at least about 90%. 
   
   
       4 . The cubicle of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the walls comprise a radiation shielding layer between a plurality of outer layers. 
   
   
       5 . The cubicle of  claim 4 , wherein one or more of the outer layers comprises a non-porous surface facing away from the radiation shielding. 
   
   
       6 . The cubicle of  claim 4 , wherein one or more of the walls further comprise an additional layer of material between the outer layers. 
   
   
       7 . The cubicle of  claim 6 , wherein the additional layer is a material selected from one or more of wood, wood boards, plywood, medium or high density particle board, fiber board, wafer board, oriented strand board, a metal or metal alloy, steel, stainless steel, aluminum, foamed aluminum, a wood composite material, fiberglass, a polymeric compound, a polymeric honeycomb, or combinations thereof. 
   
   
       8 . The cubicle of  claim 1 , wherein the radiation shielding comprises one or more of: lead, tungsten, steel and/or alloys and/or combinations thereof. 
   
   
       9 . The cubicle of  claim 1 , wherein the radiation shielding comprises lead. 
   
   
       10 . The cubicle of  claim 1 , wherein the radiation shielding comprises lead sheet of between from about 0.25″ to about 0.5″ in thickness. 
   
   
       11 . The cubicle of  claim 1 , comprising an opening in one or more walls configured such that a patient within the cubicle can extend an arm outside the cubicle. 
   
   
       12 . The cubicle of  claim 11 , further comprising an arm-rest attached to an outer wall of the cubicle adjacent to the opening. 
   
   
       13 . The cubicle of  claim 12 , wherein the arm rest comprises radiation shielding. 
   
   
       14 . The cubicle of  claim 1 , comprising one or more sub-assemblies into which the cubicle can be disassembled and from which the cubicle can be re-assembled. 
   
   
       15 . The cubicle of  claim 14 , wherein the cubicle comprises three side panels attached to each-other by fasteners. 
   
   
       16 . The cubicle of  claim 15 , further comprising a top panel comprising the radiation shielding. 
   
   
       17 . The cubicle of  claim 15 , wherein the side panels are the same size. 
   
   
       18 . The cubicle of  claim 17 , wherein the side panels each comprise two sub-panels. 
   
   
       19 . The cubicle of  claim 18 , wherein, other than joinery, the sub-panels of each of the side panels have identical dimensions. 
   
   
       20 . The cubicle of  claim 1 , having dimensions of from about 55″ to about 72″ in height, from about 36″ to about 78″ in width and from about 36″ to about 78″ in depth. 
   
   
       21 . An environmental shielding method comprising employing the cubicle of  claim 1  as a radiation shield to reduce at a point outside the cubicle exposure from the cubicle from a source of  18 F γ radiation emitted within the cubicle by at least about 60%, including any integer and non-integer increment within that range. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the radiation source is a patient. 
   
   
       23 . A kit for producing the cubicle of  claim 1 , comprising three side panels and fasteners for assembling the side panels into a cubicle, wherein each of the side panels comprise radiation shielding of sufficient thickness to reduce at a point outside the cubicle exposure from the cubicle from a source of  18 F γ radiation emitted within the cubicle by at least about 60%. 
   
   
       24 . The kit of  claim 23 , further comprising a top panel comprising the radiation shielding.