A Novel Lead Garment Structural System to Alleviate Orthopedic Stress for Surgeons

Abstract

Cardiovascular, orthopedic, and interventional radiology procedures using fluoroscopy require healthcare professionals to wear heavy lead garments for radiation protection, sometimes for up to 12 hours per day. Wearing lead garments for prolonged periods of time can lead to musculoskeletal injuries, discomfort, and fatigue. MobiLead is a mobile lead garment frame that was developed to reduce the weight supported by the user in an effort to mitigate these problems. The MobiLead system moves the lower garment load off the user’s body to a structural ground-supported frame and redistributes the upper load from the shoulders to the hips through a torso frame. The system is compact and maximizes the limited space available in operating rooms, while still giving the surgeon adequate mobility for various emergency procedures. Preliminary analysis of device effectiveness was conducted using electromyography and qualitative surgeon user feedback surveys. This paper will discuss the design, fabrication, and testing procedures for this mobile radiation protection system optimizing both support and mobility.