Re: Shoe"machines"/fluro -Reply -Reply

[FRAMEP@ORAU.GOV]

Last Tuesday John Moulder wrote wrt shoe-fitting fluoroscopes:

>There is some general interest in this.  Enough that I would suggest
>you post some of the refs

Sorry, I've taken so long but I had some vacation time to use or
lose.
As I understand it, the shoe-fitting fluoroscope was invented ca 1924
by Clarence Karrer who had a surgical supply and x-ray equipment
business. He sold a few of the things but one of the professional
radiology groups (RSNA) insisted he stop because it "lowered the
dignity of the profession of radiology". Not willing to offend his
best customers, he complied. One of his employees then quit and
started making them himself.

I believe there were 5 manufacturers but the only one I know was
Adrian (out of Milwaukee).

They used a 50 kV tube at 1 to 8 milliamps. As a rule the beam was
filtered with 1 mm of aluminum. The distance from the anode to the
foot varied from 7.5 to 20 cm. Above the foot was the fluorescent
screen which employed leaded glass ( 2mm thick). The timer settings
varied from 5 to 45 seconds but 20 seconds was typical. 

Exposure rates varied quite a bit but some numbers I've seen were  7
- 14 rad to the feet (20 sec). The reported exposure rates for the
scattered radiation show the greatest variation: 200 - 700 mR/hr at
two feet from the front of the unit in one report and 30 - 170 mR 
per 20 seconds to the pelvis in another. As a kid, I spent more than
20 seconds at a time on these machines. My mother loved them, it kept
me busy while she was trying to select shoes for my brother.

Some references:

NCRP 95;  Public Health Report 1953 68 p57; JAMA (1949) 139 p 1004;
Am. Ind. Hygiene Quarterly (1948) 9 p 89; Br. Med J.  Dec 7, 1957 p
1344; New Eng J Med (1949) 241 p 333 and 335; Lancet (1956) 2 p 447:
National Safety News (Sept 1950) p 33;

Since radsafe is international in scope,  many subscribers are
probably mystified by my earlier reference to Al Bundy. My apologies.
Al is the lead character, a shoe-salesman, in a television series
called Married With Children. The show's title succinctly explain's
Al's chronic misery.

Regards

Paul Frame
Oak Ridge Associated Universities