Like so many other discoveries, x-rays were an accident. But Wilhelm Roentgen’s serendipitous find would revolutionize diagnostics, cancer treatment, and even heavy industry in the century ahead. The rise of radioisotopes coincided with a better understanding of the dangers of ionizing radiation, bringing a demand for shielding to protect radiographers and patients alike. And one of the oldest tools in the profession — lead — remains one of the best. Why is lead and radiation shielding so important, and why is lead a good radiation shield in Detroit medical practices? Great Lakes Imaging has answers.

How X-Rays Work

The initial discovery of x-rays was an accidental side effect of experiments on cathode ray tubes similar to those found for many years in televisions and computer monitors. These tubes give off low levels of radiation that could, in turn, be combined with a capture medium to provide images as that radiation penetrates soft tissue.

X-rays became more powerful when radioisotopes like technetium, cobalt, and radium, with their higher energy and greater penetrative ability, came into common use. Although these isotopes would broaden the uses and accuracy of x-rays, they’re just as capable of harming as helping, as many early researchers found out the hard way after suffering injuries or succumbing to cancer and other illnesses.

Harmful Side Effects of Radiation Exposure

Ionizing radiation of the type used for x-rays has a wide variety of adverse health effects, some of which can take place at the level of an individual’s DNA. These effects can be seen after a single high-dose event, or may build up over time with repeated low-level exposure. Among them are:

• Skin burns
• Acute radiation exposure
• Cardiovascular disease
• Cancer
• Risk of infertility and birth defects
• Developmental delays and cell damage for younger patients

As the EPA points out, our bodies can repair some of this damage in the event of limited exposure (e.g., the dose delivered by a diagnostic x-ray), but the higher or more frequent the dose, the more difficult that becomes. That’s why shielding is extremely important for x-ray technicians and patients alike.

How Does Lead Shielding Work Against Radiation?

Another EPA resource points to three important factors for x-ray safety.

• Distance: If you’re a fair distance from a flame, you won’t feel its heat the same as you would if you were in close proximity. Ionizing radiation also has a limited “range” relative to its source, but of course a diagnostician can’t rely on distance while taking x-rays.
• Time: This is the easiest variable to control with regard to exposure; experience, accuracy, and proper technique so that you’re getting the right diagnostic image on the first try means fewer retakes and lower exposure for patients and technicians alike.
• Shielding: Concrete, earthen barriers, water, or a thin layer of metal can stop alpha and beta particles, and if the barrier is sufficient these same materials can inhibit or stop gamma radiation and x-rays as well. That’s fine if you’re building a bomb shelter in your basement, but it’s hardly practical for a clinical setting.

Lead makes an excellent shield because of its high density. That allows a relatively small amount of lead to stop errant x-rays and other types of radiation dead in its tracks. It’s also far more practical, since it can be fashioned into a lead apron, or the types of lead shielding we install in doctors’ offices (including shielding for portable x-ray equipment and for stationary enclosures) is much more effective than the alternatives. Among our solutions:

• Lead glass utilized for viewing
• Stationary or mobile barriers to stand behind
• Lead curtains for temporary partitions
• Lead walls for permanent x-ray rooms

Of course, an effective lead radiation shielding design goes deeper than simply protecting against background radiation. It needs to integrate into your practice, helping your staff and patients without hindering workflow. That’s why our lead shielding installations are just one facet of a comprehensive approach to system design that delivers the medical imaging equipment you need, but also the means to use it safely and effectively. For shielding that exceeds standards and expectations alike, get in touch with Great Lakes Imaging.

Great Lakes Imaging serves the needs of a diverse range of medical practices when it’s time for medical equipment supplies near Detroit. More than 25 years’ experience has taught us that our clients’ practices are as diverse and unique as the patients they serve, calling for a high degree of customization that serves your needs and theirs alike. We are dedicated to helping you figure out what you need, then giving you the tools and services to achieve it.

Medical Imaging Solutions

Technicians’ lives would no doubt be easier if one imaging machine could cover every need. But you, and we, know that isn’t the case. That’s why we offer custom digital imaging systems that provide high resolution and plenty of control over what you see. From digital combinations to C-Arm devices, we partner with you to design and medical equipment installations tailored to your practice and your needs.

• Medical imaging equipment
• Chiropractic imaging equipment
• Podiatry imaging equipment
• Veterinary imaging equipment
• Mobile imaging equipment
• Ultrasound imaging equipment

Chiropractic Tables and Equipment

Today’s chiropractic care combines high-touch with high-tech. The chiropractic table remains the backbone of your practice, but we know many chiropractors’ treatment modalities are broader and more creative. That’s why we offer a wide range of both new and used chiropractic tables and equipment, ensuring you can find the best fit for your practice.

As with our imaging solutions, we go the extra mile for chiropractors as well. You can reupholster a chiropractic table to refresh it and give it a new lease on life, or even add custom embroidery that brings a personal touch to your practice. That attention to detail — ours and yours alike — helps to ensure patient loyalty.

The Advantage to Custom Equipment and Medical Supplies

Custom medical equipment and medical supplies are the backbone of any new practice or medical office renovation. Among the advantages you’ll realize:

• Improved accuracy and image quality means less need for retakes
• Mobile solutions enable you to do more in smaller or constrained spaces
• Custom shielding keeps technicians and staff safe
• Layouts customized to your space ensure smooth workflow
• Improved workflow, in turn, creates efficiency that improves patient experience and outcomes

Ongoing Support from Great Lakes Imaging

More than sales and installation, Great Lakes Imaging is home to an experienced group of technicians who support your custom medical equipment when you need it. Our familiarity with different product lines lets us fix the problem quickly and correctly.

We offer repairs for custom medical equipment solutions and tables. Equally important, we provide preventative maintenance services that stave off future problems.

Remote access allows our IT specialists to log in and troubleshoot problems  without visiting your office. We can solve almost any issue without taking up space and valuable time with on-site visits.

Running a medical practice, regardless of your specialty, should never feel like trying to do more with less. It’s about finding the right equipment and supplies to leverage all you’ve learned from a lifetime of care. To find out more about what our custom medical equipment solutions can bring to your office, contact Great Lakes Imaging and one of our knowledgeable sales representatives will be in touch for a consultation.

The anterior cruciate ligament is 1 of 4 ligaments in your knee. When it’s over-stretched, or if it tears, the resultant injury can be excruciatingly painful. Although women are statistically more likely to suffer an ACL injury, they can happen to anyone at practically any time; as more kids take up organized sports, and as seniors stay active well into their golden years, ACL tears are becoming common across a wide range of demographics requiring further customization of ACL tear treatment.

Step One: The Diagnosis

ACL tear diagnosis should, of course, be done as soon as possible after the injury occurs. While a Lachman test is considered the gold standard for diagnosis, a follow-up via MRI is often common, or may be requested by the patient’s insurance company as a confirmation. Diagnostic criteria are consistent regardless of the patient’s age, gender, or medical history. However, once we move from diagnosis to treatment, we begin to see some changes emerge.

Step Two: Approaches to Treatment

Until fairly recently, the approach to treating an ACL tear was based on the patient’s age. The emerging treatment model still accounts for age, but shifts focus to the patient’s activity levels and desired outcomes. Even though the steps taken are similar in their broad strokes, patient history and needs will often dictate shifts in emphasis when choosing treatments and carrying out long-term care. 

The reason for an individualized approach is simple. The needs of a teenager who’d like to get back to her soccer team as soon as possible will be different than those of a woman with kids, which will in turn be different from those of a senior citizen concerned with getting groceries to her second-floor walkup. And each of them will have different needs and expectations than a man in his early sixties who’d like to get back to his morning walks around the neighborhood, but who won’t be competing in the high jump any time soon.

So what treatments are available?

More conservative approaches, like a knee brace, physical therapy, or occupational therapy will be fine for individuals who are only concerned with basic day-to-day activities like walking, cleaning, and laundry, and are tolerated reasonably well by many individuals. Surgical procedures are called for when activity levels and concomitant strain placed on the knee are higher. An autograft, which replaces the ACL with tendons from the hamstring or patella, helps in this regard. However, if those methods don’t bring relief — or if a prior ACL surgery has failed — an allograft may be called for instead.

A Thought in Closing

The ACL tear treatment modalities outlined above don’t always break down as cleanly as we’ve listed them. Indeed, it’s far more common to progress through the steps, or for different treatment modalities to support and reinforce one another. For instance, a brace can aid in a comfortable recovery, and PT and OT are common post-surgery to help patients regain mobility, strength, and function, especially when a patient has delayed in seeking treatment. So a careful approach is called for, combining patient consultation, appropriate treatment, and of course, the right orthopedic equipment from Great Lakes Imaging.

Radiology fulfills a number of functions in veterinary practice. Beyond the obvious uses of diagnostic imaging equipment, it’s useful to remember that X-rays are an important profit center in many practices. That is, of course, contingent on getting it right; radiographic faults, as the industry resource Vet Times reminds us, can be a source of frustration, misdiagnoses, and lost profits. With that in mind, Great Lakes Imaging has some simple tips to help you get it right.

Ensure Proper Positioning

Modern medical imaging equipment provides better resolution than ever before, allowing vets to identify and treat common (and uncommon) medical problems and improve outcomes. But your diagnostic tools rely on their operator and the diagnostician, so ensure that you’re positioning the patient properly for the region in question and making enough images for a proper diagnosis to be possible. With patience, it’s possible to get it right the first time and cut down on the number of retakes that are necessary.

Use Proper Restraints

It’s hard enough to get a proper exposure on a cooperative human subject. It’s harder still for technicians working with animals who are in unfamiliar surroundings, and who are being handled by someone who—no matter how professional, caring, and gentle—is unfamiliar to them. Using manual restraint or sandbags can be helpful in this regard. However, if you’re dealing with an animal that’s anxious or agitated, a mild sedative can be an even bigger help. It’s not enough to get the animal into position, after all; keeping them in position long enough for a series of proper exposures will lead to less anxiety for all involved (including you).

Reduce Exposure

Nobody wants to be their own nightlight. A single x-ray isn’t harmful for the patient or the person administering it. But technicians typically take hundreds per year, so anything that decreases exposure—from proper protection to not taking unnecessary X-rays—should be embraced.

Ensure Proper Protection

Speaking of proper protection, your approach should be twofold. On the one hand, proper medical radiation shielding in its many forms (stationary and mobile barriers, lead walls, lead glass, and lead curtains) is an absolute necessity. So too, however, is personal protective equipment, including lead aprons and gloves, glasses, and other gear that protects your staff. That said, there’s also no substitute for care or common sense; these protective measures are designed to minimize exposure to excess background radiation, not from exposure to a direct beam.

Proper Maintenance Matters

PPE is not the only means at your disposal to limit exposure to radiation. Proper maintenance of durable medical equipment like your shielding and X-ray machine are also vital. Something as simple—and too often, overlooked—as proper collimation limits accidental exposure. It has follow-on effects, too, since a properly collimated machine provides more accurate dosing and higher image quality. Ensure that your equipment is maintained on schedule and checked constantly for any signs of trouble.

Running a veterinary practice is as challenging as it is rewarding. For help meeting the challenges to maximize the rewards, get in touch with Great Lakes Imaging. We’re more than an inventory of veterinary equipment for sale—we offer advice and solutions that help from day to day.