נגישות

מכון שלזינגר לחקר הרפואה על פי ההלכה

CT-phantoms containing human bones

[DISPLAY_ULTIMATE_SOCIAL_ICONS]

30 בדצמבר 2011

הרב המשיב: אחר

שאלה:

I am a physicist and started recently to work for Philips Medical in Haifa. We develop x-ray-computed-tomography. My field is patient safty and dose reduction. For experiements we use so called phantoms which are mostly made of plastic and water. However, some of them contain real human bones to be closer to reality. I don not work with these phantoms on a daily basis, but my work requires to use them once in a while.
 
What does Halacha say about the use of such phantoms? Is it allowed to use them for madical research? And if yes, how is it allowed?
 
Best regards and thanks in advance,

תשובה:

The Shulchan Aruch (Y.D. 349:1) prohibits benefiting from a cadaver, whether Jewish or gentile. However, there is extensive discussion in the later authorities regarding gentile cadavers, and many maintain the prohibition is only rabbinic or even permit it if the gentile gave full, informed consent before his death. Therefore, a number of prominent authorities permit use of gentile cadavers for the purpose of medical training or research in the stated conditions. (See Nishmat Avraham, ibid.)

Thus: If you do not know whether the phantom you are using contains bones, you can rely on the majority of phantoms that do not.
Even if you know that the phantom contains bones, you can still follow the likely majority that the bones are from a gentile cadaver (unless known otherwise), and rely on the authorities that permit medical usage.

Best Wishes
Meir Orlian

[print_link]

שאלות נוספות

איחור במחזור

שלום רב! שמי אתי בת 25 וחצי נשואה ויש לי תינוקת בת שנה וחודש יש לי איחור של המחזור בכמה ימים כבר ואני ובעלי השתמשנו

קרא עוד »