Patent ID: 8835887

Claim:
An assembly, comprising: a medical operating surface, having a length and a width, the length being greater than the width; a flexible polymer sheet, incorporating radiation-attenuating heavy metal powder; a frame connected to and supporting the polymer sheet in an extended position in two dimensions, extending across the width of the medical operating surface; a bracket connected to the frame for supporting the frame and the polymer sheet in a vertical orientation above the medical operating surface; a clamp being secured to the operating surface and secured to the bracket, for holding up the bracket in a position to support the frame and the polymer sheet in a vertical orientation extending across the medical operating surface; a fluoroscope for projecting focused high energy radiation at a patient supported on the medical operating surface, the focused high energy radiation being focused on a location at one end of the medical operating surface, intended to provide fluoroscopic guidance for a surgeon located at a position along the length of the medical operating surface distal from the focused location of the focused high energy radiation, the medical procedure involving the use of remotely controlled instruments by a surgeon; the clamp and bracket supporting the frame so as to extend across the medical operating surface in a direction substantially transverse to the long dimension of the medical operating surface at a position along the length of the operating medical surface to be located intermediate the location of the hands of the surgeon operating with the remotely controlled instruments and the location of the actual medical procedure; the polymer sheet extending vertically to a level such that the heavy metal powders serve to attenuate the high energy radiation directed to the operating location by the fluoroscope, so as to protect the hands of the medical operator manipulating the catheter at the distal location.