NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — October 24, 2019 — THE PRINCESS VEST — Made for women, designed by women.
Unisex radiation protection garments have not only been the standard choice for female providers, they were the only choice. Women in radiology had to settle for either a flat garment that places pressure on the breasts, or a loose garment that can allow harmful radiation to penetrate the sides of the breasts.
Female leaders of Burlington Medical, a product designer who worked in the fashion industry for more than 40 years, and a Registered Nurse with years of experience in interventional radiology, decided that female providers needed a specialized solution. Their creation not only minimizes radiation exposure to the breasts and axilla, but is more ergonomically sound and reduces musculoskeletal strain.
Shaped For The Female Body
Princess Vests are designed exclusively for the female form. The innovative Princess Seam creates a convex shape that molds to the breasts. By eliminating the flat, angular designs of unisex vests, Princess Vests offer greater comfort and easier movement to female providers.
Providing Protection Women Need
Unisex apron designs can leave the sides of the breasts and axilla exposed to scatter radiation. The contoured shape of the Princess Vest more closely fits the breasts, lymph nodes, axilla, and front neck areas, providing better radiation protection to sensitive tissue and organs.
Relieving Musculoskeletal Strain
The close, contoured fit of the Princess Vest eliminates excess overlap, shaving the overall weight of the garment. An integrated elastic band amplifies the ergonomic design allowing a more comfortable fit.
“I joined ProtecX, Burlington Medical’s UK sister facility, after working in fashion, design and fit for 40 years,” said Denise Johnson, Production Manager of ProtecX and inventor of the Princess Vest.
“I started doing some hospital visits to customers and I noticed that a lot of ladies were wearing vests but putting their hands in the armhole pouch as if it were a pocket. When I asked them why they did this, they said, ‘Nothing ever fits around our breasts so we just put our hands in there instead, to fill the gap!’ ”
“So I started considering how we could construct a seam to allow us to shape the protective material over the contours of the breasts whilst still protecting the wearer from scatter radiation through the puncture marks in the seam line.”
“The solution is both the construction and shape of the convex seam, the Princess Seam, which hugs the breast tissue, giving the advantage of better fit and protection. This unique design allows the flat, protective core material to be fit much closer to the shape of the breasts and axillary area whilst giving greater comfort and protection. It also eliminates extra material from the closure systems of unisex vests, greatly reducing the overall weight.”
Posted October 25, 2019
Source: Burlington Medical
