A Study on the Cleaning Efficacy of a Novel Intelligent Medical Lead Garment Washing Machine for Lead Garments in the Interventional Room

Objective To evaluate the cleaning and disinfection efficacy of a new intelligent medical lead garment washing machine on surgical lead garments.Methods A total of 20 surgical lead garments from the Radiology Department of the Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, were selected for cleaning and disinfection. They were randomly divided into the washing machine group (n=10) and the manual washing group (n=10). The washing machine group underwent cleaning and disinfection using the new intelligent medical lead garment washing machine according to the standard procedure, while the manual washing group received routine manual wiping as per departmental protocol. The total bacterial colony counts on the lead garments after cleaning were measured in both groups, and a t-test was used to compare the differences in cleaning efficacy. Additionally, the qualified rates for safety performance after cleaning were determined for both groups. For the washing machine group, the attenuation rates at various protective sites (thyroid, sternal manubrium, umbilicus, gonads) were examined after 0, 30, 60, and 90 cleaning cycles. Statistical analyses, including multi-factor ANOVA, LSD post-hoc tests, and Pearson correlation analysis, were performed.Results The average reduction rates of surface bacteria for the two groups were 98.1% and 97.0%, respectively. The bacterial reduction rate in the experimental group (washing machine group) was significantly higher than that in the control group (manual washing group) (t=8.247, P<0.001), with the difference being statistically significant. The qualified rates for safety performance were 90% and 70% for the two groups, respectively. In the safety performance study of the washing machine group, group (F=3.615, P=0.042), number of cleaning cycles (F=103.435, P<0.001), and measurement site (F=81.685, P<0.001) all had significant main effects on the dose attenuation rate, with no significant interactive effects. A weak positive correlation was observed between the number of cleaning cycles and the attenuation rate (r=0.132, P=0.372). Post-hoc tests revealed significant differences in attenuation rates between 30 cleaning cycles and other cycles (except for comparisons between 60 and 90 cycles) (all P<0.001).Conclusion The cleaning and disinfection efficacy of this new intelligent medical lead garment washing machine is significantly superior to manual cleaning. Moreover, even after more than 30 cleaning cycles, the lead garments maintain stable radiation protection performance, demonstrating its value for clinical application and promotion.