Re: Shoe"machines"/fluro -Reply

["Ron L. Kathren" <rkathren@beta.tricity.wsu.edu>]

Although I cut my teeth on shoe fitting fluoroscopes on my first real 
job, it was so long ago that I might have trouble remembering things.  
However, I do recall that the tubes in most models that we checked were 
typically unshielded, and located just about at the gonadal region of the 
unsuspecting user.  In those days, there was great concern over genetic 
consequences of exposure.  I recall measuring exposure rates of several R 
to even tens of R per hour at the location of the user; operator 
locations as I recall were somewhat lower.  However, an exposure of 10's 
to hundreds of mR to a user was not improbable.

In any case, because of the shoe fitting fluoroscope problem, we in Los 
Angeles put together a comprehensive set of regulations which forbade the 
use of shoe fitting fluoroscopes, as I recall, by anyone not a licensed 
practioner of the healing arts.  

We have on display here on campus as museum quality shoe fitting 
fluoroscope kindly donated by Clayton Lagerquist.

If I can help further, please let me know.

Ron Kathren

On Tue, 24 Jan 1995, John Moulder wrote:

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> > William Tuttle asked: 
> >  
> > >Does any body  out there know of some references regarding the 
> > >shoe "fitting machines"/fluro of the 50s? Were any epidemilogical 
> > >studies done on shoe store personnel?? 
> 
> We discussed this back in October, and I sent Bill a summary
> 
> > Yes, there is a ton of literature out there on this subject. Too much 
> > to cite here. As you might expect, its old. Give me your snail 
> > mail address ...
> 
> There is some general interest in this.  Enough that I would suggest you post 
> some of the refs
> 
> > Maybe Al Bundy will find one in the basement of his shoe store one day 
> > and we'll learn the real truth about these machines. 
> 
> I've heard that a certain retired radiation physicist from U Wisc actually 
> still has one (are you on the net John??)
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> John Moulder (jmoulder@its.mcw.edu)
> Radiation Biology Group
> Medical College of Wisconsin
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