Do you need an x-ray room that's not just functional but meets all of the compliance requirements? You're in luck! This article will walk you through how to create a workable and compliant x-ray room for your practice.
X-ray room size requirements
When you're designing your x-ray room, make sure it's big enough to accommodate all of the equipment that will be used. Chiropractic facilities typically utilize a wall stand, tube stand, and lead-lined operator area. Chiropractic facilities are typically smaller than urgent care facilities, imaging centers and hospitals as they don’t require a table to be used.
However, if you do use a table you need to have enough space to accommodate the table and still be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. ADA compliance requires that the room can be accessed by people with a disability, and that you have enough space to permit patients in wheelchairs to navigate the treatment room. This means that access ways must be 36 inches wide at a minimum, so your chiropractic facility should be designed with an appropriate amount of space for this.
When setting up a chiropractic x-ray room, make sure you have at least one 11-foot wall. This is because you need 3 feet for the operator area and 8 feet for the wall stand and tube stand when taking an x-ray at 72 SID.
X-ray rooms should be spacious, especially if several people will be working in the room at one time. A large and well-lit room can provide better flexibility during an x-ray procedure. In addition, a larger area can allow the x-ray machine and control area to be on separate walls.
When you're looking for an urgent care x-ray room, you need a space that's large enough to accommodate a table. A 12 foot by 14 foot room would be a good sized room.
At Patient Image, we can provide you with an equipment room drawing that outlines the possible layouts and schematics. With our help, you can find the perfect layout for your urgent care x-ray room.
X-ray room electrical requirements
Once you’ve considered x-ray room size, you need to consider the electrical components. The generator you get will depend on the electrical components you need for incoming power. Electricity will come from the main breaker to a disconnect switch inside the x-ray room. This disconnect switch is typically placed close to the operator room in case of emergency to eliminate the power going into the x-ray generator.
The size of the generator will ultimately determine how much power it can produce. For example, a 30 kw generator can produce enough power for a small home or office, while a 60 kw generator can handle the demands of a larger facility with higher volume.
However, it is important to note that having more power also puts more demand on the electrical current. For traditional chiropractor rooms and urgent care facilities, it is best to have a dedicated 100-amp panel box in order to handle the demands of these generator systems.
The stored energy generator is a great option for those who don't have the right electrical levels for a traditional generator. It only requires a standard 110 outlet with 20 amps dedicated to the room, so there's no need to upgrade your panel. Plus, it's very affordable and easy to install.
Patient Image can help you with the electrical requirements for your generator -- contact us today.
X-ray room lead requirements
Let us take care of the heavy lifting so you don't have to! When we provide an equipment room drawing for your x-ray room, one of our goals is to minimize lead requirements. For example if your x-ray is shooting to an external brick wall it may not require lead. Similarly, if your x-ray is on a second story and shooting outside and there’s nothing outside within a certain radius to receive radiation we may point it in a certain direction to minimize lead requirements.
Once the equipment room drawing is complete, you'll fill out an intake form which says how many x-rays per day and what kind of shots they are e.g., cross table shots. This will be sent to a physicist who provides very detailed information about lead amounts needed for the x-ray room.
When installing lead lining for your x-ray room, the thickness will depend on both what material you are working with and whether it’s an exterior or interior wall. For example concrete walls outside vs drywall inside means that these two surfaces have very different needs when lead lining and means different thicknesses should be used.
The operator area itself also needs to be lead-lined. There are two options to lead-line an operator area;
- Create a wall and purchase a lead-lined window which will give you the amount of protection required by the physicist to put lead drywall or lead sheets onto the operator area.
- If you want something customized, at Patient Image we offer lead-lined manufactured walls and windows in different sizes, from 6 feet or higher up to 5 foot wide construction with minimal waste. This is a great solution for those who want something prefabricated but still affordable.
When we know much lead is required, we will get involved with your contractor and electrician to make sure they know where the lead shielding should be put in accordance with the physicist report.
Installing the x-ray room and equipment
When we build out your x-ray room, our team will deliver the equipment in multiple crates. Depending on what options you've selected will determine how long an install takes. It can range from 2 days for chiropractic facilities or 3 days for urgent care. We also provide advisory support and training once installed so that everything runs smoothly once it’s been set up by our team.
Conclusion
At Patient Image we can help specify the exact amount of lead needed by undertaking a thorough equipment room drawing that takes into consideration all factors including shooting direction, window placement and existing materials in a space. Once this information has been collected we’ll provide quotes on what needs to be shipped from our suppliers which includes prefabricated manufactured walls with windows as well as drywall for installation onto site once it arrives at your location.
Get in touch with our team for professional help and advice for building your x-ray room.
