摘要 |
A shielding device is provided for protecting healthy tissue during radiotherapy of malignant tissue. The shielding device is composed of nontoxic, high atomic weight metal particles that are dispersed in a thermoplastic matrix material that is substantially rigid at temperatures encountered during radiotherapy, yet becomes readily moldable at temperatures that are within a comfortable range for a patient so as to enable in situ molding of the device. Because the matrix material is a nonsetting thermoplastic, the shielding device can be continuously reshaped in order to achieve a better fit for a patient and the radiation beam used. In addition, the shielding device can be readily reshaped in order to ensure an adequate thickness for radiation shielding.
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