Comprehensive X-ray Scanning Services for Lead Garments
We save your team unnecessary radiation exposure & time
We Ensure Safety & Compliance for Lead Garments
Undetected damage can compromise the safety of X-ray garments, leading to unwanted radiation.
Annual X-ray scans are best practice to keep your staff safe.
Scanning aprons yearly is time and resource-consuming. RCS removes the headache with our full-service platform.
Why X-ray Scanning Garments is Essential
K. Lambert and T. McKeon performed a study to establish stringent rejection criteria for lead aprons. Their findings suggest aprons should be replaced when:
Defects exceed 15 mm² when over critical organs (thyroid and gonads).
Defects exceed 670 mm² when along the seams, in overlapped areas, or on the back.
Defects exceed 11 mm² for thyroid shields.
You are unlikely to feel an 11 mm² hole in the garment's attenuation when only using visual or palpation tests. An X-ray examination is necessary to ensure the safety of your staff and patients.
Why We X-ray Scan Annually
We have too much evidence of dangerous attenuation damage and fast damage growth after X-ray scanning hundreds of thousands of X-ray garments year after year. Different states have varying regulations on how often lead aprons should be X-ray scanned, but at RCS, the best practice is to scan aprons yearly. It's the right decision to protect staff and patients from radiation.
Our Process
RCS’s proprietary RADCOMPLY™ software tracks when your garments are due for an annual X-ray scan.
Each garment due for an X-ray is scanned and noted for any damage outside of our recommended rejection criteria based on the K. Lambert and T. McKeon study.
RADCOMPLY™ houses scanned images and keeps them on file from year to year. Images are available via your smartphone by scanning the QR code on the tags we assign to the garments.
We build a master report for you, with details and images of each garment, from each department.
We leave it up to your team to determine whether to keep garments identified with damage in service.
A study found that small defects can progress rapidly, with an average increase in tears of over 270% in 10 months.
Case Study
Cost of In-House Garment Management
$171,538 or $338/piece
A new RCS customer was previously performing in-house integrity scanning, cleaning, and documentation for 508 lead pieces across nine departments. The year prior, 87 pieces were discarded due to the integrity of the lead or damages to fabric and attachments.
Time Spent
The staff estimated each X-ray garment took approximately 6 minutes to scan, wipe down, and document. Aprons with defects or heavy soil took over 20 minutes. The total annual scanning and documentation process took over 111 hours to complete for the 508 pieces, averaging over 13 minutes per piece.
Labor Cost
Techs worked in teams of two to complete the work, one minimum wage new tech and one tenured tech. For the 111 hours of work, the labor cost totaled $6,799.
Downtime Revenue Lost
The hospital shut down an examination room for the entire scanning period of 14 business days. The room averaged 11 exams daily, totaling $164,738 of lost revenue over the duration of the annual screening.
Study on Lead Apron Criteria for Rejection
K. Lambert and T. McKeon performed a study to establish stringent rejection criteria for lead aprons. Their findings suggest aprons should be replaced when:
Defects exceed 15 mm² when over critical organs (thyroid and gonads).
Defects exceed 670 mm² when along the seams, in overlapped areas, or on the back.
Defects exceed 11 mm² for thyroid shields.
Study on Practical Rejection Model for Lead Aprons
The study aimed to propose a practical model for evaluating defects in lead aprons based on ALARA principles.
The study found:
Aprons with defects exceeding 0.22 mSv, varying by the type of apron and location of tear, should be replaced (see Table 2.)
Semiannual inspection should be performed for aprons with marginal defects.
Small defects can progress rapidly, with an average increase in tears of over 270% in 10 months.
Proper handling and storage are crucial for maintaining the balance between economy and safety.
What Makes RCS Different
RCS has been leading the industry in X-ray garment compliance for over a decade.
Our processes go beyond wipes & sprays to ensure your garments are safe for patients and staff.
The Joint Commission and other regulators recognize RCS as a best practice solution.