ORINS Syringe Shield (early 1950s) |
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This syringe shield was
used at the Oak Ridge Institute for Nuclear Studies (ORINS), now known as
the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), in the late
1940s and early 1950s. Its purpose was to protect the nurse or physician
from the gamma rays emitted by the radiopharmaceutical being injected into
the patient. The elongate
mirror on the side of the shield (to the left of the round plate) was used
to view the level of the solution in the syringe.
A small battery-powered light inside the shield provided the
necessary illumination. |
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The problem with the device was
that its large size and weight led to poor and occasionally dangerous
injections. Dr. Marshall
Brucer, the acerbic head of the ORINS Medical Division, described this
particular instrument as a “3-bladed advertisement for health physics
wrapped around a piece of junk”.
The photograph to the left shows the injection of a radiopharmaceutical into the arm of a patient. Note how awkward it is to handle the heavy and bulky shield. Weight: 5.6 pounds Kindly donated by Jim Berger |
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References
Marshall Brucer. Personal communication. Marshall Brucer. Radioisotope Hazards and Protection in a Hospital. Journal of the American Medical Association Vol. 147: 1745-1751; 1951. |
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