A mould room is a specialised area within a healthcare setting, often in a radiotherapy department, dedicated to creating custom immobilisation devices for patients.
Understanding the Mould Room
Based on the provided reference, the mould room is where masks are produced for people to wear while they are having radiotherapy to certain areas of the body.
These masks serve a critical purpose:
- Keeping the person still: Movement during radiotherapy can affect the accuracy of treatment delivery.
- Ensuring correct positioning: The mask helps the patient remain in the exact, prescribed position throughout the session.
This process of keeping the patient still and in the correct position is technically known as immobilisation. Effective immobilisation ensures that the radiation is delivered precisely to the target area, minimising exposure to surrounding healthy tissues.
Why are Moulds (Masks) Necessary in Radiotherapy?
Radiotherapy uses high-energy beams to destroy cancer cells. To be effective and safe, the radiation must be directed very accurately to the tumour site. Even small movements by the patient can cause the beam to miss the target or irradiate unintended areas.
Moulded masks, often made from thermoplastic materials, are custom-fitted to the patient's head, neck, or other relevant body part. When heated, the material becomes pliable and can be moulded directly onto the patient. As it cools, it hardens into a rigid, form-fitting shell.
Key functions of the mask:
- Reproducibility: Ensures the patient is in the identical position for every treatment session.
- Accuracy: Facilitates precise targeting of the radiation beam.
- Patient Comfort (during treatment): While it holds the patient still, the custom fit is designed to be as comfortable as possible for the duration of the treatment.
In essence, the mould room is integral to planning and safely delivering radiotherapy treatments that require a high degree of precision and patient immobilisation.
