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Ilytra Medical: Leveraging X-Ray Reflection in Enhancing Radiation Shielding Effectiveness
- Program: Biomedical Engineering
- Course: EN.580.X12 BME Design Team
- Year: 2025
Project Description:
Radiation is critical to modern medicine and frequently used for procedures such as diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine, and radiotherapy. It is used extensively in procedures involving X-rays, CT scans and fluoroscopy by radiologists, interventionalists, nuclear medicine doctors and more. Long-term radiation exposure can pose adverse health risks to medical workers including increasing risk of cancer, reproductive health concerns, and genetic damage. Radiation protection is necessary for medical workers who are routinely exposed to considerable radiation levels, but current widely used lead aprons introduce significant orthopedic strain onto the body. While alternative protection devices have been produced, they have not faced widespread adoption as they are incompatible with other healthcare worker needs, including cost-effectiveness, durability levels, and easy integration into the clinical workflow. We propose a novel lightweight material capable of providing adequate radiation protection, reducing orthopedic strain, and addressing the clinical needs of healthcare professionals.
Project Photo:
Ilytra Medical: We are developing a novel material that provides radiation protection at significantly lower weight, thereby reducing long-term orthopedic strain upon medical professionals.