Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A radiation protection device comprising:a radiation attenuation component comprising a radiation attenuating material configured to provide varying radiation attenuation levels at different points across the radiation attenuating component,wherein the radiation attenuation component configured to be placed adjacent to and externally covering a body part that includes active bone marrow so as to reduce a radiation dose absorbed by the bone marrow in that body part,wherein the radiation attenuation component has a body part side and the sheets of radiation attenuating material are layered in increasing at least one of thickness and density orthogonal to the body part side to an external side, andwherein the varying radiation attenuation levels across the radiation attenuating component are substantially inversely related to radiation attenuation levels of tissue present between a given point of the radiation attenuating component and the active bone marrow. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the body part that includes active bone marrow includes a bone selected from the group of bones consisting of: skull, sternum, ribs, vertebrae, humerus, pelvis and femur. 3. The device of claim 1, further comprising friction minimizing material provided between the layers. 4. The device of claim 3, wherein the friction minimizing material is selected from the group of materials consisting of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon), polyamide-imide (PAI), Nylon 6-6, Nylon 4-6, graphite, graphite powder, acetal homopolymer or carbon fiber, and a lubricant. 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the layers are interconnected so as to allow relative movement between the layers when subjected to bending. 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the radiation attenuating component is supported by a support structure. 7. The device of claim 6, wherein the support structure comprises a resilient material. 8. The device of claim 6, wherein the support structure is configured to prevent buckling of the radiation attenuation component when the radiation attenuation component is subjected to bending. 9. The device of claim 1, wherein the radiation attenuating component comprises one or more materials selected from the group of materials consisting of barium compounds, barium sulfate, barium chloride, tungsten compounds, tungsten carbide, tungsten oxide, tungsten, bismuth compounds, bismuth, lead, tantalum compounds, titanium, titanium compounds, diatrizoate meglumine, acetrizoate sodium, boron, boric acid, boron oxide, boron salts, other boron compounds, beryllium, beryllium compounds, bunamiodyl sodium, diatrizoate sodium, ethiodized oil, gold, lobenzamic acid, locarmic acid, locetamic acid, Iodipamide, Iodixanol, Iodized oil, Iodoalphionic acid, o-Iodohippurate sodium, Iodophthalein sodium, Iodopyracet, loglycamic acid, Iohexol, lomeglamic acid, Iopamidol, lopanoic acid, Iopentol, Iophendylate, lophenoxic acid, water, Iopromide, lopronic acid, lopydol, lopydone, lothalamic acid, Iotrolan, Ioversol, loxaglic acid, Ioxilan, Ipodate, meglumine acetrizoate, meglumine ditrizoate methiodal sodium, metrizamide, metrizoic acid, phenobutiodil, phentetiothalein sodium, platinum, propryliodone, silver, sodium Iodomethamate, sozoiodolic acid, thorium oxide, trypanoate sodium, uranium and depleted uranium. 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the radiation attenuating component is incorporated in a wearable item selected from the groups of items consisting of a helmet, a bifurcated garment and a belt. 11. The device of claim 1, further comprising a sealable opening for intraosseous injection of a substance into an underlying bone within the body part. 12. A method for protecting bone marrow of a subject from radiation, the method comprising:placing a radiation protection device that includes a radiation attenuation component comprising a radiation attenuating material providing varying radiation attenuation levels at different points across the radiation attenuating component, adjacent to and externally covering a body part that includes active bone marrow so as to reduce a radiation dose absorbed by the bone marrow in that body part,forming the radiation protection device to comprise a body part side and layering the sheets of radiation attenuating material in at least one of increasing thickness and density orthogonal to the body part side, andvarying radiation attenuation levels across the radiation attenuating component by substantially inversely relating to radiation attenuation levels of tissue present between a given point of the radiation attenuating component and the active bone marrow. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising administering a substance to the subject for enhancing hematopoietic reconstitution or inducing proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells or progenitors. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the substance is selected from the group of substances consisting of G-CSF, PEGylated G-CSF, GM-CSF, M-CSF (CSF-1), AMD3100, Filgrastim (Neupogen), Pegfilgrastim, Stem cell factor (c-kit ligand or Steel Factor), Interleukin 11, Interleukin 3, Interleukin 7, Interleukin 6, Interleukin 12, Interleukin 1, Interleukin 2, Interleukin 4, Interleukin 8, Interleukin 9 Interleukin 15, Erythropoietin (EPO), Epoetin alfa (Epogen), Darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp), Omontys (peginesatide), SDF-1, friend of GATA-1 (FOG-1), PTH and active PTH fragments or PTH/PTHrP receptor agonists, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), Angiotensin-(1-7), Leridistimor, Flt3-ligand, thrombopoietin, Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), TGF β, MPL receptor agonists, Promegapoietin-1 α (PMP-1 α), hyaluronic acid and K-7/D-6. 15. The method of claim 12, further comprising administering a substance to the subject for inhibiting apoptosis of hematopoietic stem cells or progenitors. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the substance is selected from the group of substances consisting of G-CSF, PEGylated G-CSF, GM-CSF, M-CSF (CSF-1), AMD3100, Filgrastim (Neupogen), Pegfilgrastim, Stem cell factor (c-kit ligand or Steel Factor), Interleukin 11, Interleukin 3, Interleukin 7, Interleukin 6, Interleukin 12, Interleukin 1, Interleukin 2, Interleukin 4, Interleukin 8, Interleukin 9 Interleukin 15, Erythropoietin (EPO), Epoetin alfa (Epogen), Darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp), Omontys (peginesatide), SDF-1, friend of GATA-1 (FOG-1), PTH and active PTH fragments or PTH/PTHrP receptor agonists, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), Angiotensin-(1-7), Leridistimor, Flt3-ligand, thrombopoietin, Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), TGF β, MPL receptor agonists, Promegapoietin-1 α (PMP-1 α), hyaluronic acid and K-7/D-6, δ Tocotrienol (DT3), Angiotensin-(1-7), Inducers of nuclear factor-Kappa B, Flagellin, vitamin C, WR-2721 and WR-1065, CBLB502. 17. The method of claim 12, further comprising administering a substance to the subject to prevent hematopoietic stem cells or progenitors within the active bone marrow from leaving the protected active bone marrow and circulating. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the substance is selected form the group of substances consisting of SDF-1 (CXCL12) or an analog, fusion protein, variant, functional derivative or fragment thereof having the activity of SDF-1 and/or an agent capable of inducing expression of said chemokine SDF-1, PDGF, Somatostatin, c-kit, Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), anti MMP-9 (anti matrix metalloproteinase-9) antibody, neutrophil elastase (NE) inhibitor, Migrastatin or its analogues including but not limited to core macroketone and core macrolactam, TGF-β, IL-8 inhibitors, anti Gro βγ antibody, anti Gr1 antibody, anti LFA-1 antibody, anti Mac-1 (CD11b) antibody, cathapsin G inhibitors, anti SDF-1 blocking antibody, soluble CXCR4, soluble CCR2, MCP-1 (CCL2) and MCP-3 (CCL7) inhibitors, G-CSF inhibitors, GM-CSF inhibitors, soluble VLA-4, anti MMP-2 antibody CB2 agonists including but not limited to AM1241. 19. The method of claim 12, further comprising administering a substance to the subject to attract hematopoietic stem cells or progenitors into the protected active bone marrow. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the substance is selected from the group of substances consisting of SDF-1 (CXCL12) or an analog, fusion protein, variant, functional derivative or fragment thereof having the activity of SDF-1 and/or an agent capable of inducing expression of said chemokine SDF-1, agonists or partial agonists of CXCR4 and/or CXCR7, CCR2 ligands including but not limited to MCP-1 (CCL2) and MCP-3 (CCL7), CB2 agonists including but not limited to AM1241, PDGF, Somatostatin, c-kit, Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). 21. The method of claim 12, further comprising administering a substance to the subject before, during or after the exposure to ionizing radiation. 22. The device of claim 1, wherein a thickness or density of the radiation attenuating material at each point x,y,z, on the radiation attenuating component is varied so as to provide a required attenuation level AR that is determined by the formula AR (x, y, z)=AD/AT, AD is a radiation attenuation level needed to reduce the radiation dose absorbed in the active bone marrow contained within the body part that is covered by the point x,y,z, on the radiation attenuating component to a desired level, and AT is the tissue radiation attenuation level between the point x,y,z and the active bone marrow contained within the body part that is covered by the point x,y,z, on the radiation attenuating component. 23. The device of claim 1, wherein the radiation attenuating material comprises a gamma radiation attenuating component. 24. The device of claim 1, wherein the radiation attenuation component maintains the viability of at least 20% of the cells in 300 cm3 of active marrow. 25. The device of claim 1, wherein at least two of the sheets of radiation attenuating material vary in density. 26. The device of claim 1, wherein the sheets of radiation attenuating material are layered on top of each other in the orthogonal direction. 27. The method of claim 12, wherein a thickness or density of the radiation attenuating material at each point x,y,z, on the radiation attenuating component is varied so as to provide a required attenuation level AR that is determined by the formula AR (x, y, z)=AD/AT where AD is a radiation attenuation level needed to reduce the radiation dose absorbed in the active bone marrow contained within the body part that is covered by the point x,y,z, on the radiation attenuating component to a desired level, and AT is the tissue radiation attenuation level between the point x,y,z and the active bone marrow contained within the body part that is covered by the point x,y,z, on the radiation attenuating component. 28. The method of claim 12, wherein the radiation attenuating material comprises a gamma radiation attenuating component. 29. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of maintaining the viability of at least 20% of the cells in 300 cm3 of active marrow. 30. The method of claim 12, wherein the forming step further comprising the step of varying the density of at least two of the sheets of radiation attenuating material. 31. The method of claim 12, wherein the forming step further comprises the step of layering the sheets of radiation attenuating material on top of each other in the orthogonal direction. 32. A radiation protection belt providing protection of active bone marrow from external ionizing radiation, comprising:a gamma radiation attenuating component configured to be placed adjacent to and externally cover at least one of the waist and the pelvis of a user so as to reduce a radiation dose absorbed in the active bone marrow in the pelvis, comprising radiation attenuating material of at least one of varying thickness and density to provide varying radiation levels across the gamma radiation attenuating component, such that the varying radiation attenuation level at each point on the radiation attenuating component is inversely related to radiation attenuation levels of tissue present between the point of the radiation attenuating component and the active bone marrow in the pelvis. 33. The belt of claim 32, wherein the gamma radiation attenuating component comprises layers of radiation attenuating material. 34. The belt of claim 32, wherein a portion of the active bone marrow being protected is in the iliac crest of the pelvis. 35. The device of claim 1, wherein the radiation attenuating component comprises sheets of radiation attenuating material configured in layers. 36. The method of claim 12, wherein the radiation attenuating component comprises sheets of radiation attenuating material configured in layers.