08/01/2009

The European Research Project ORAMED aims at better protection of medical personnel from radiation to which they are exposed during the invasive radiology examinations and nuclear medicine. Via the project, which will last until and including 2011, organised measurements will be carried out in hospitals of various European countries while special techniques will also be used in simulation of the parameters and the measures of radio-protection.

In a previous European project, named CONRAD, measurements were taken which demonstrated the fact that in certain cases high rates of the doses of radiation which medical personnel receive can be observed. Additionally, the CONRAD project noted the deficiency of systematic measurements and simulation programmes in relation to the dose measurements of the medical personnel, especially concerning the doses of received by their limbs, as well as the lenses of the eye.

The ORAMED (Optimisation of Radiation protection for MEDical staff) project, which is co-funded by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Union, has as its first aim the collection of data in relation to the doses received by limbs of the personnel of invasive radiology, with special regard to the doses on the lens of the eye, in combination with the corresponding radiation protection measures. In addition it seeks to develop a methodology for the measurement of the dose on the lens of the eye and the planning of a standard dosage meter for the eye.

In addition, the project will study the behaviour of the commercial dosage meters of direct reading in real conditions, while, in the sector of nuclear medicine, the doses to various points of the hand will be appropriately mapped, giving special emphasis to the exposure from open therapeutic sources. The main aim in this case is for the actual rate of the doses on the limbs to be calculated, in order for the appropriate radiation protection measures to be taken.

Twelve European bodies are participating in the project, with different scientific and technical bases which are active in matters of radiation protection for the professionally exposed in medical fields in the last few years. The Greek participant is the Greek Atomic Energy Commission - the competent authority for matters of nuclear energy and technology, radiation protection of the population, workers and the environment from the ionised and technically produced non-ionised radiations, as well as for matters of combating nuclear/radiological actions.

The broadest aim of ORAMED is the formation of a programme for the distribution of the results and the proposals that will arise from the project to all the interested parties.

Source: ORAMED