Development of an AR application for radiation protection optimisation education of medical staff in x-ray fluoroscopy

Medical staff handling radiological equipment may be exposed to occupational radiation when assisting patients or performing fluoroscopy-guided procedures in radiological examinations. In this study, we developed a radiation protection education application using augmented reality (AR) to display the scattered radiation volume data during supine x-ray examinations, including x-ray fluoroscopy. This application allows real-time estimation of the scattered radiation distribution in the room and the radiation exposure of medical staff. The ratio of calculated values to measured values for scattered radiation distribution fell within the range of 0.8 to 1.2 at 18 evaluation points. The scattered radiation distribution was displayed using AR on an iPhone or iPad. Additionally, the application provided real-time displays of the doses to the eyes, neck, chest, abdomen, and fingers of recognised medical staff through body tracking. This application is easy to use regardless of location and serves as an effective tool for radiation protection education for medical staff.