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Lead glass, from stock, sized right

Windows for viewing the radiography area are made of lead glass. There are no domestic manufacturers, so the material is imported from Europe or Asia in standard sizes. A-fabco is a distributor for Schott North America, and we keep the popular sizes moving.

Because it is imported in stock sizes, the smart move is to size your windows to take advantage of them. When cutting is involved, you pay for the larger piece. We tell you that up front, then we help you avoid it.

• Cost. Lead glass is usually less expensive than lead acrylic.
• Availability. More readily available, from more suppliers, than lead acrylic.
• Workability. Lead glass cuts like regular glass. Lead acrylic can be sawn, machined, and polished.
• Shielding. Windows are generally required to carry the same shielding equivalency as the wall they sit in.

Sizing your X-ray view window

Lead glass lets the operator see the patient or the part without being exposed. In most cases the attenuation of the glass must at least equal the wall it sits in. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission also recommends the window sit at least 18″ from the end of the operator control wall, so nobody is tempted to lean around the barrier to talk to the patient.

How high?

Every human eye sits 5″ to 6″ below the top of the head. An upper edge of 6′8″ above the floor accommodates people up to 6′6″ tall.

How low?

• Standing rooms. A bottom edge of 54″ accommodates people 5′0″ tall, so an 18″-high window covers everyone from 5′0″ to 6′6″. Chest rooms, radiographic, tomographic, and R/F rooms are standing rooms.
• Seated or standing. With equipment at desk height (30″), a lower edge of 36″ works for nearly everyone. If consoles sit at counter height (40″), raise the bottom edge so wiring is not visible from the exam room. CT, angiography, remote R/F, cardiac cath, and special procedures fall here.

How wide?

No wider than the operator and observers need to comfortably see the patient and the equipment associated with the exam. Width varies with the room type and the lateral area you need to visualize.

Glass characteristics and stock sizes

Our glass is an extra-dense flint glass with more than 65% lead oxide and more than 70% heavy metallic oxide content. It carries high light transmission despite its high refractive index, which is why it reads clear instead of tinted.

Standard stock sizes

Size frames 1/4″ larger than the glass to ensure fit. If cutting is required, pricing is based on the larger stock piece. Custom sizes on request.

Lead equivalencies

Stock sizes are held in 1.6 mm (1/16″) and 2.1 mm (3/32″) lead equivalency. Other equivalencies are ordered, with a possible 6 to 8 week delivery. Panes can be stacked to reach a special thickness.

Cleaning and care

The surface is susceptible to scratches and to acids and alkalis, so keep it away from acid gases and from humidity combined with big temperature swings. Clean with a dry or hydrous emulsion of cerium oxide on a felt pad, or plain water and a soft cloth. Avoid cleaners with acid or alkaline solvents such as ammonia. Ethanol 200 is recommended.

Leaded window frames, welded here

We always suggest ordering the frames from the company that supplies the glass. It eliminates the division of responsibility that shows up when glass and frame sizes are not compatible, and it spares your glazier from nibbling an edge to make it fit. Our lead-lined view window frames and borrow lites are welded from 16-gauge steel as standard (14 or 12 gauge on special order), with a standard throat of 4-7/8″ and removable glass stop sets included in the price. Lead thickness meets the physicist’s requirement.

Wider throats, single-rabbet, and other special frame requirements can be met with additional lead time.