Integrated management of PPE clothing for radiation protection

The garments required by the Contracting Station can be customized provided that the requirements for compliance with the current regulations are maintained and complied with.

Servizi Ospedalieri SpA proposes the identification of the Contracting Station and/or relevant Department and/or the PPE garment user’s qualification through embroidery on the logo holder label with Velcro applied on the front of aprons, bodices and skirts. The labels are applied on the pockets where foreseen and, when not foreseen, in places that do not cause the operator discomfort.

Solutions with logo holder labels with Velcro of different colors to identify various Departments/Services can be used and dosimeter pockets can be applied on the pocket of bodices and aprons. Servizi Ospedalieri SpA makes available its own personnel for measuring operator sizes and proposes its own garments in the men’s and women’s line.

All the PPE garments for radiation protection are provided with RFID tags, i.e. a microchip that allows their univocal identification and traceability. The RFID tag is linked to a barcode for the security of all the information relating to the garment. Tags and Barcode are inserted in the garments in places that do not cause the user discomfort.

To further support the traceability of the RX PPE, Servizi Ospedalieri SpA offers a patented software application developed to make the information directly available to the end-user. Through the use of common and user-friendly devices all the data relevant to the garment worn to protect the operator’s health is provided in a transparent way.

The garments can be cleaned in two ways:

• Manual sanitizing;
• Mechanical sanitizing.

The manual sanitizing process is done daily by users or by other appointed persons, using specific products and according to the PPE manufacturer’s directions. For the cleansing and manual disinfection processes, Servizi Ospedalieri SpA makes available its own products specifically designed for proper and effective sanitization.

Mechanical sanitizing is done using specific validated industrial processes and the detergents and sanitizing products ensure optimum treatment of the articles to be sanitized and disinfected through the use of automated programs.

When maintained and used properly according to the directions provided, the X-Versus garments produced by Servizi Ospedalieri SpA are certified for up to 10 sanitization cycles, guaranteeing unaltered protection characteristics.

Some X-Versus articles, such as radioprotective surgical gowns and patient drapes with and without hole, are supplied in specific packaging, in the sterile state and labeled as Class I sterile Medical Devices.

The radioprotective foil’s particular and unique resistance to high temperatures means that the above articles can be prepared and sterilized in a steam autoclave
at 134°C and supplied in the operating theater.

Unlike other garments available on the market and that have not been certified for industrial washing, the X-Versus product line does not require specific controls regarding the radioprotective foil since the checks were done with the certification validating functional radiation protection throughout its entire life-cycle. At every sanitizing treatment each garment undergoes a complete tactile and visual check to verify the functionality of the seams, edges and accessories such as buckles and Velcro, and the presence of any remaining stains from the sanitization process.

If requested by the customer, further checks can be carried out both on the garments belonging to the Facility and on the X-Versus garments and the operating procedure for such controls is established in accordance with the Facility’s Qualified Expert.

There are 2 types of checks:

1. X-ray screening of the radiopaque foil with recording of images in standard formats and supplied to the Medical Physics Service through the Web Based software. The images are cataloged with all the necessary information (gown ID, date of check, front, back, right, left) to identify the radioprotective garment and with the date of the check carried out, the checker’s name and check results.
2. Garment radiopaque foil attenuation permanence check. This activity involves subjecting each garment to screening with special equipment which checks that the garment has maintained (even after the sanitizing treatment) the Pb equivalence protection specified on the garment’s labeling.

The collection of soiled clothes and the return of clean garments is established with the Contracting Station and is scheduled according to the activity times of the individual departments.

Locker trolleys specifically designed to contain X-Versus garments and made of anodized aluminum with door closure and hanging rail, leave the premises of Servizi Ospedalieri SpA.

On reaching the linen service of the Contracting Station the trolley is taken by Servizi Ospedalieri SpA operators and delivered to the operating theater or to the various user departments, at the same time collecting garments that need reconditioning and sanitizing. The garments are hung in the locker trolleys on special steel hangers designed to support particularly heavy articles.

Servizi Ospedalieri SpA makes available a Web portal that, via User ID and Password, enabled users can access to obtain data and make queries on the radioprotective garments supplied to their facility. The system offers a number of links for downloading technical documentation in PDF format and reports in Excel format.

All enabled users receive adequate instructions and training to use the web interface provided and each user is issued an instruction manual for proper use of the portal.

Garments that reach the end of their life-cycle, those found to be unsuitable through the yearly checks and garments that are obviously damaged externally are disposed of by Servizi Ospedalieri SpA at no additional charge on the part of the Contracting Station.