Face mould for administering radiotherapy

Full face mould applicator with plaster of paris mould insert, one of three, for administering radiotherapy using the 35 MeV betatron for cancer therapy, by Brown Boveri, Switzerland, from St. Luke's Hospital, Guildford, 1962-65.

Radiotherapy treatment for cancer needs to be targeted accurately as the treatment can damage surrounding healthy cells. Here, a plaster cast was prepared of the person’s face from which a Perspex (a type of acrylic plastic) mould was made. The Perspex mould would then be used to hold the patient’s head in a fixed position, allowing the treatment area to be accurately marked. This example was used at St Luke’s Hospital in Guilford, Surrey, England.

Some hospitals give their patients the opportunity to take their masks when they finished their treatment as a symbol of their recovery. It is shown with a similar example (1990-112/5.)