Evaluation of radiation dose reduction effect of a foldable attached lead curtain in portable X-ray examinations in the neonatal intensive care unit: A Monte Carlo simulation study

Mobile X-ray examinations in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are essential for the critically ill neonates. However, scattered radiation generated during imaging can lead to unnecessary radiation exposure for adjacent neonates and healthcare workers. Conventional mobile shielding devices are often challenging to implement effectively in NICU environments due to limited space and workflow constraints. Consequently, this study developed a foldable lead curtain that can be attached to a mobile X-ray unit and evaluated experimental measurements and Monte Carlo simulations. The lead curtain features a foldable acrylic panel structure that contains 0.15 mmPb shielding material and is designed for attachment to a mobile X-ray unit. Shielding efficiency experiments showed that the lead curtain reduced scattered radiation by 91.1% at a distance of 50 cm when positioned directly in the scatter path. At distances of 100 cm and 150 cm, the shielded readings fell below the detection limit of the ionization chamber dosimeter. Notably, significant dose reductions were observed even under the relatively low shielding condition of 0.15 mmPb. These findings suggest that the proposed attachable foldable lead curtain may serve as a practical auxiliary radiation protection device for reducing scattered radiation exposure to adjacent neonates, which often face substantial spatial limitations.