Dr. Jarrod Frizzell from The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati presented compelling real-world data at the 2025 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics® (TCT) Conference. The findings reveal that the EggNest Complete Radiation Protection System, developed by Egg Medical, Inc. in Roseville, Minnesota, significantly decreases radiation exposure for all members of the interventional team, including physicians, nurses, and technologists. This advancement marks a notable improvement over traditional shielding methods.
During X-ray-guided cardiovascular procedures, scatter radiation is a recognized occupational hazard for personnel working in catheterization labs. It contributes to elevated risks of serious health issues such as cancer, cataracts, and cardiovascular disease. While conventional lead aprons provide some level of protection, they have also been associated with a high incidence of orthopedic injuries among medical staff.
The studies highlighted by Dr. Frizzell indicated that the average scatter radiation dose for operators using the EggNest Complete System during coronary and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures was only 0.16 mRem per case. For context, the annual occupational exposure limit in the United States is set at 5,000 mRem, which implies that an operator would need to conduct over 31,000 cases to approach that limit. Given that most interventionalists perform between 300 to 500 cases each year, this innovative technology allows for extensive procedural experience while minimizing radiation exposure, often eliminating the need for heavy lead aprons.
Team-wide protection was also confirmed, with nurses and technologists registering average radiation exposures of just 0.03 mRem per case. This finding underscores the EggNest System”s effectiveness in safeguarding all personnel in the operating room. “Having a radiation protection system that consistently protects my entire team as well as or better than the heavy lead we wore in the past means we”re taking care of patients and ourselves,” stated Dr. Frizzell, reflecting on the system”s impact.
Dr. Robert Riley, Chief Scientific Advisor for Egg Medical and an interventional cardiologist at Overlake Medical Center in Seattle, commented on the significance of these real-world results. “These findings reinforce previous studies indicating that the EggNest Complete System is the only solution that has been proven to significantly reduce radiation exposure for every team member. By allowing staff to perform procedures with ultralight or no lead aprons, we can also considerably lessen the orthopedic injuries linked with traditional protection methods.”
Dr. Frizzell and his colleagues are set to continue their research on the EggNest System, focusing on its applications in structural heart and electrophysiology procedures. This ongoing evaluation aims to further expand the evidence supporting its use across a wide array of X-ray-guided interventions.
For more information about Egg Medical and its innovative radiation protection technologies, please visit eggmedical.com.
