Monte Carlo simulation of small field electron beams for small animal irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Chung-Chi; Chen, Ai-Mei; Tung, Chuan-Jong; Chao, Tsi-Chian

2011-01-01

The volume effect of detectors in the dosimetry of small fields for photon beams has been well studied due to interests in radiosurgery and small beamlets used in IMRT treatments; but there is still an unexplored research field for small electron beams used in small animal irradiation. This study proposes to use the BEAM Monte Carlo (MC) simulation to assess characteristics of small electron beams (4, 6, 14, 30 mm in diameter) with the kinetic energies of 6 and 18 MeV. Three factors influencing beam characteristics were studied (1) AE and ECUT settings, (2) photon jaw settings and (3) simulation pixel sizes. Study results reveal that AE/ECUT settings at 0.7 MeV are adequate for linear accelerator treatment head simulation, while 0.521 MeV is more favorable to be used for the phantom study. It is also demonstrated that voxel size setting at 1/4 of the simulation field width in all directions is sufficient to achieve accurate results. As for the photon jaw setting, it has great impact on the absolute output of different field size setting (i.e. output factor) but with minimum effect on the relative lateral distribution.

Irradiation facilities for materials research: IFMIF and small scale installations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perlado, J. M.; Victoria, M.

2007-01-01

The research of advance materials in nuclear fields such as new fission reactors (Generation-IV), Accelerator Driven Systems for Transmutation of Radioactive Wastes and Nuclear Fusion, is becoming very much common in the types of low activation and radiation resistant Materials. Ferritic-Martensitic Steels (based in 9-12 Cr) with or without Oxide Dispersion Techniques (Ytria Nanoparticles), Composites materials are becoming the new generation to answer requirements of high temperature, high radiation resistance of structural materials. Special dedication is appearing in general research programmes to this area of Materials. The understanding of their final performance needs a wider knowledge of the mechanisms of radiation damage in these materials from the atomistic scale to the macroscopic responses. New extensive campaigns are being funded to irradiate from simple elements to model alloys and finally the complex materials themselves. That sequence and its state of art will be presented One clear technique for that understanding is the Multi scale Modelling which includes simulation techniques from quantum mechanics, molecular dynamics, defects diffusion, mesoscopic modelling and finally the macroscopic constitutive relations for macroscopic analysis. However, in each one of these steps is necessary a systematic and well established program of experiments that combines the irradiation and the very detailed analysis with techniques such as Transmission Electron Microscope, Positron Annihilation, SIMS, Atom Probe, Nanoindebntation. A key aspect that wants to be presented in this work is the state of art and discussion of Irradiation Facilities for Materials studies. Those facilities goes from ion implantation sources, small accelerator, Experimental Reactors such High Flux Reactor, sophisticated Triple Beams Sources as JANNUS in France to generate at the same time displacements-hydrogen-helium, and projected very large neutron installation such as IFMIF. The role to

Small animal radiotherapy research platforms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verhaegen, Frank; Granton, Patrick [Department of Radiation Oncology (MAASTRO), GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht 6201 BN (Netherlands); Tryggestad, Erik, E-mail: frank.verhaegen@maastro.nl [Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231 (United States)

2011-06-21

Advances in conformal radiation therapy and advancements in pre-clinical radiotherapy research have recently stimulated the development of precise micro-irradiators for small animals such as mice and rats. These devices are often kilovolt x-ray radiation sources combined with high-resolution CT imaging equipment for image guidance, as the latter allows precise and accurate beam positioning. This is similar to modern human radiotherapy practice. These devices are considered a major step forward compared to the current standard of animal experimentation in cancer radiobiology research. The availability of this novel equipment enables a wide variety of pre-clinical experiments on the synergy of radiation with other therapies, complex radiation schemes, sub-target boost studies, hypofractionated radiotherapy, contrast-enhanced radiotherapy and studies of relative biological effectiveness, to name just a few examples. In this review we discuss the required irradiation and imaging capabilities of small animal radiation research platforms. We describe the need for improved small animal radiotherapy research and highlight pioneering efforts, some of which led recently to commercially available prototypes. From this, it will be clear that much further development is still needed, on both the irradiation side and imaging side. We discuss at length the need for improved treatment planning tools for small animal platforms, and the current lack of a standard therein. Finally, we mention some recent experimental work using the early animal radiation research platforms, and the potential they offer for advancing radiobiology research. (topical review)

Small animal radiotherapy research platforms

Science.gov (United States)

Verhaegen, Frank; Granton, Patrick; Tryggestad, Erik

2011-06-01

Advances in conformal radiation therapy and advancements in pre-clinical radiotherapy research have recently stimulated the development of precise micro-irradiators for small animals such as mice and rats. These devices are often kilovolt x-ray radiation sources combined with high-resolution CT imaging equipment for image guidance, as the latter allows precise and accurate beam positioning. This is similar to modern human radiotherapy practice. These devices are considered a major step forward compared to the current standard of animal experimentation in cancer radiobiology research. The availability of this novel equipment enables a wide variety of pre-clinical experiments on the synergy of radiation with other therapies, complex radiation schemes, sub-target boost studies, hypofractionated radiotherapy, contrast-enhanced radiotherapy and studies of relative biological effectiveness, to name just a few examples. In this review we discuss the required irradiation and imaging capabilities of small animal radiation research platforms. We describe the need for improved small animal radiotherapy research and highlight pioneering efforts, some of which led recently to commercially available prototypes. From this, it will be clear that much further development is still needed, on both the irradiation side and imaging side. We discuss at length the need for improved treatment planning tools for small animal platforms, and the current lack of a standard therein. Finally, we mention some recent experimental work using the early animal radiation research platforms, and the potential they offer for advancing radiobiology research.

Small animal radiotherapy research platforms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verhaegen, Frank; Granton, Patrick; Tryggestad, Erik

2011-01-01

Advances in conformal radiation therapy and advancements in pre-clinical radiotherapy research have recently stimulated the development of precise micro-irradiators for small animals such as mice and rats. These devices are often kilovolt x-ray radiation sources combined with high-resolution CT imaging equipment for image guidance, as the latter allows precise and accurate beam positioning. This is similar to modern human radiotherapy practice. These devices are considered a major step forward compared to the current standard of animal experimentation in cancer radiobiology research. The availability of this novel equipment enables a wide variety of pre-clinical experiments on the synergy of radiation with other therapies, complex radiation schemes, sub-target boost studies, hypofractionated radiotherapy, contrast-enhanced radiotherapy and studies of relative biological effectiveness, to name just a few examples. In this review we discuss the required irradiation and imaging capabilities of small animal radiation research platforms. We describe the need for improved small animal radiotherapy research and highlight pioneering efforts, some of which led recently to commercially available prototypes. From this, it will be clear that much further development is still needed, on both the irradiation side and imaging side. We discuss at length the need for improved treatment planning tools for small animal platforms, and the current lack of a standard therein. Finally, we mention some recent experimental work using the early animal radiation research platforms, and the potential they offer for advancing radiobiology research. (topical review)

Dose evaluation of three-dimensional small animal phantom with film dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Su Chul; Park, Seung Woo

2017-01-01

The weight of small animal dosimetry has been continuously increased in pre-clinical studies using radiation in small animals. In this study, three-dimensional(3D) small animal phantom was fabricated using 3D printer which has been continuously used and studied in the various fields. The absorbed dose of 3D animal phantom was evaluated by film dosimetry. Previously, the response of film was obtained from the materials used for production of 3D small animal phantom and compared with the bolus used as the tissue equivalent material in the radiotherapy. When irradiated with gamma rays from 0.5 Gy to 6 Gy, it was confirmed that there was a small difference of less than 1% except 0.5 Gy dose. And when small animal phantom was irradiated with 5 Gy, the difference between the irradiated dose and calculated dose from film was within 2%. Based on this study, it would be possible to increase the reliability of dose in pre-clinical studies using irradiation in small animals by evaluating dose of 3D small animal phantom

Dose evaluation of three-dimensional small animal phantom with film dosimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Su Chul [Div. of Medical Radiation Equipment, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Seung Woo [Radilogcial and Medico-Oncological Sciences, University of Sciences and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2017-03-15

The weight of small animal dosimetry has been continuously increased in pre-clinical studies using radiation in small animals. In this study, three-dimensional(3D) small animal phantom was fabricated using 3D printer which has been continuously used and studied in the various fields. The absorbed dose of 3D animal phantom was evaluated by film dosimetry. Previously, the response of film was obtained from the materials used for production of 3D small animal phantom and compared with the bolus used as the tissue equivalent material in the radiotherapy. When irradiated with gamma rays from 0.5 Gy to 6 Gy, it was confirmed that there was a small difference of less than 1% except 0.5 Gy dose. And when small animal phantom was irradiated with 5 Gy, the difference between the irradiated dose and calculated dose from film was within 2%. Based on this study, it would be possible to increase the reliability of dose in pre-clinical studies using irradiation in small animals by evaluating dose of 3D small animal phantom.

A small animal image guided irradiation system study using 3D dosimeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qian, Xin; Wuu, Cheng-Shie; Admovics, John

2015-01-01

In a high resolution image-guided small animal irradiation platform, a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is integrated with an irradiation unit for precise targeting. Precise quality assurance is essential for both imaging and irradiation components. The conventional commissioning techniques with films face major challenges due to alignment uncertainty and labour intensive film preparation and scanning. In addition, due to the novel design of this platform the mouse stage rotation for CBCT imaging is perpendicular to the gantry rotation for irradiation. Because these two rotations are associated with different mechanical systems, discrepancy between rotation isocenters exists. In order to deliver x-ray precisely, it is essential to verify coincidence of the imaging and the irradiation isocenters. A 3D PRESAGE dosimeter can provide an excellent tool for checking dosimetry and verifying coincidence of irradiation and imaging coordinates in one system. Dosimetric measurements were performed to obtain beam profiles and percent depth dose (PDD). Isocentricity and coincidence of the mouse stage and gantry rotations were evaluated with starshots acquired using PRESAGE dosimeters. A single PRESAGE dosimeter can provide 3 -D information in both geometric and dosimetric uncertainty, which is crucial for translational studies

Startup of the Whiteshell irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnard, J.W.; Stanley, F.W.

1989-01-01

Recently, a 10-MeV, 1-kW electron linear accelerator was installed in a specially designed irradiation facility at the Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment. The facility was designed for radiation applications research in the development of new radiation processes up to the pilot scale level. The accelerator is of advanced design. Automatic startup via computer control makes it compatible with industrial processing. It has been operated successfully as a fully integrated electron irradiator for a number of applications including curing of plastics and composites, sterilization of medical disposables and animal feed irradiation. We report here on our experience during the first six months of operation. (orig.)

Startup of the whiteshell irradiation facility

Science.gov (United States)

Barnard, J. W.; Stanley, F. W.

1989-04-01

Recently, a 10-MeV, 1-kW electron linear accelerator was installed in a specially designed irradiation facility at the Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment. The facility was designed for radiation applications research in the development of new radiation processes up to the pilot scale level. The accelerator is of advanced design. Automatic startup via computer control makes it compatible with industrial processing. It has been operated successfully as a fully integrated electron irradiator for a number of applications including curing of plastics and composites, sterilization of medical disposables and animal feed irradiation. We report here on our experience during the first six months of operation.

Economic Feasibility Study for Using Irradiation Technology in Preservation of Animalism Foods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Gameel, E.A.

2011-01-01

The present study discus the economic feasibility for the preservation animalism foods by using irradiation technology. This study has included the technical data, regression foretelling for the throughput, determination of irradiators types and radiation sources activity. This study comprises the financial analysis for the establishment animalism foods irradiation facilities (types: tote box, pallet conveyor) and the national return

Irradiation Facilities at CERN

CERN Document Server

Gkotse, Blerina; Carbonez, Pierre; Danzeca, Salvatore; Fabich, Adrian; Garcia, Alia, Ruben; Glaser, Maurice; Gorine, Georgi; Jaekel, Martin, Richard; Mateu,Suau, Isidre; Pezzullo, Giuseppe; Pozzi, Fabio; Ravotti, Federico; Silari, Marco; Tali, Maris

2017-01-01

CERN provides unique irradiation facilities for applications in many scientific fields. This paper summarizes the facilities currently operating for proton, gamma, mixed-field and electron irradiations, including their main usage, characteristics and information about their operation. The new CERN irradiation facilities database is also presented. This includes not only CERN facilities but also irradiation facilities available worldwide.

Sci-Thur AM: YIS – 08: Automated Imaging Quality Assurance for Image-Guided Small Animal Irradiators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnstone, Chris; Bazalova-Carter, Magdalena [University of Victoria (Australia)

2016-08-15

Purpose: To develop quality assurance (QA) standards and tolerance levels for image quality of small animal irradiators. Methods: A fully automated in-house QA software for image analysis of a commercial microCT phantom was created. Quantitative analyses of CT linearity, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), uniformity and noise, geometric accuracy, modulation transfer function (MTF), and CT number evaluation was performed. Phantom microCT scans from seven institutions acquired with varying parameters (kVp, mA, time, voxel size, and frame rate) and five irradiator units (Xstrahl SARRP, PXI X-RAD 225Cx, PXI X-RAD SmART, GE explore CT/RT 140, and GE Explore CT 120) were analyzed. Multi-institutional data sets were compared using our in-house software to establish pass/fail criteria for each QA test. Results: CT linearity (R2>0.996) was excellent at all but Institution 2. Acceptable SNR (>35) and noise levels (<55HU) were obtained at four of the seven institutions, where failing scans were acquired with less than 120mAs. Acceptable MTF (>1.5 lp/mm for MTF=0.2) was obtained at all but Institution 6 due to the largest scan voxel size (0.35mm). The geometric accuracy passed (<1.5%) at five of the seven institutions. Conclusion: Our QA software can be used to rapidly perform quantitative imaging QA for small animal irradiators, accumulate results over time, and display possible changes in imaging functionality from its original performance and/or from the recommended tolerance levels. This tool will aid researchers in maintaining high image quality, enabling precise conformal dose delivery to small animals.

Sci-Thur AM: YIS – 08: Automated Imaging Quality Assurance for Image-Guided Small Animal Irradiators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnstone, Chris; Bazalova-Carter, Magdalena

2016-01-01

Purpose: To develop quality assurance (QA) standards and tolerance levels for image quality of small animal irradiators. Methods: A fully automated in-house QA software for image analysis of a commercial microCT phantom was created. Quantitative analyses of CT linearity, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), uniformity and noise, geometric accuracy, modulation transfer function (MTF), and CT number evaluation was performed. Phantom microCT scans from seven institutions acquired with varying parameters (kVp, mA, time, voxel size, and frame rate) and five irradiator units (Xstrahl SARRP, PXI X-RAD 225Cx, PXI X-RAD SmART, GE explore CT/RT 140, and GE Explore CT 120) were analyzed. Multi-institutional data sets were compared using our in-house software to establish pass/fail criteria for each QA test. Results: CT linearity (R2>0.996) was excellent at all but Institution 2. Acceptable SNR (>35) and noise levels (<55HU) were obtained at four of the seven institutions, where failing scans were acquired with less than 120mAs. Acceptable MTF (>1.5 lp/mm for MTF=0.2) was obtained at all but Institution 6 due to the largest scan voxel size (0.35mm). The geometric accuracy passed (<1.5%) at five of the seven institutions. Conclusion: Our QA software can be used to rapidly perform quantitative imaging QA for small animal irradiators, accumulate results over time, and display possible changes in imaging functionality from its original performance and/or from the recommended tolerance levels. This tool will aid researchers in maintaining high image quality, enabling precise conformal dose delivery to small animals.

Progress towards a new Canadian irradiation-research facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, A.G.; Lidstone, R.F.

1993-01-01

As reported at the second meeting of the International Group on Research Reactors, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) is evaluating its options for future irradiation facilities. During the past year significant progress has been made towards achieving consensus on the irradiation requirements for AECL's major research programs and interpreting those requirements in terms of desirable characteristics for experimental facilities in a research reactor. The next stage of the study involves identifying near-term and long-term options for irradiation-research facilities to meet the requirements. The near-term options include assessing the availability of the NRU reactor and the capabilities of existing research reactors. The long-term options include developing a new irradiation-research facility by adapting the technology base for the MAPLE-X10 reactor design. Because materials testing in support of CANDU power reactors dominates AECL's irradiation requirements, the new reactor concept is called the MAPLE Materials Testing Reactor (MAPLE-MTR). Parametric physics and engineering studies are in progress on alternative MAPLE-MTR configurations to assess the capabilities for the following types of test facilities: - fast-neutron sites, that accommodate materials-irradiation assemblies, - small-diameter vertical fuel test loops that accommodate multielement assemblies, - large-diameter vertical fuel test loops, each able to hold one or more CANDU fuel bundles, - horizontal test loops, each able to hold full-size CANDU fuel bundles or small-diameter multi-element assemblies, and - horizontal beam tubes

SU-E-T-296: Dosimetric Analysis of Small Animal Image-Guided Irradiator Using High Resolution Optical CT Imaging of 3D Dosimeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Na, Y; Qian, X; Wuu, C; Adamovics, J

2015-01-01

Purpose: To verify the dosimetric characteristics of a small animal image-guided irradiator using a high-resolution of optical CT imaging of 3D dosimeters. Methods: PRESAEGE 3D dosimeters were used to determine dosimetric characteristics of a small animal image-guided irradiator and compared with EBT2 films. Cylindrical PRESAGE dosimeters with 7cm height and 6cm diameter were placed along the central axis of the beam. The films were positioned between 6×6cm 2 cubed plastic water phantoms perpendicular to the beam direction with multiple depths. PRESAGE dosimeters and EBT2 films were then irradiated with the irradiator beams at 220kVp and 13mA. Each of irradiated PRESAGE dosimeters named PA1, PA2, PB1, and PB2, was independently scanned using a high-resolution single laser beam optical CT scanner. The transverse images were reconstructed with a 0.1mm high-resolution pixel. A commercial Epson Expression 10000XL flatbed scanner was used for readout of irradiated EBT2 films at a 0.4mm pixel resolution. PDD curves and beam profiles were measured for the irradiated PRESAGE dosimeters and EBT2 films. Results: The PDD agreements between the irradiated PRESAGE dosimeter PA1, PA2, PB1, PB2 and the EB2 films were 1.7, 2.3, 1.9, and 1.9% for the multiple depths at 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 and 50mm, respectively. The FWHM measurements for each PRESAEGE dosimeter and film agreed with 0.5, 1.1, 0.4, and 1.7%, respectively, at 30mm depth. Both PDD and FWHM measurements for the PRESAGE dosimeters and the films agreed overall within 2%. The 20%–80% penumbral widths of each PRESAGE dosimeter and the film at a given depth were respectively found to be 0.97, 0.91, 0.79, 0.88, and 0.37mm. Conclusion: Dosimetric characteristics of a small animal image-guided irradiator have been demonstrated with the measurements of PRESAGE dosimeter and EB2 film. With the high resolution and accuracy obtained from this 3D dosimetry system, precise targeting small animal irradiation can be achieved

Feasibility of small animal cranial irradiation with the microRT system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiehl, Erich L.; Stojadinovic, Strahinja; Malinowski, Kathleen T.; Limbrick, David; Jost, Sarah C.; Garbow, Joel R.; Rubin, Joshua B.; Deasy, Joseph O.; Khullar, Divya; Izaguirre, Enrique W.; Parikh, Parag J.; Low, Daniel A.; Hope, Andrew J.

2008-01-01

Purpose: To develop and validate methods for small-animal CNS radiotherapy using the microRT system. Materials and Methods: A custom head immobilizer was designed and built to integrate with a pre-existing microRT animal couch. The Delrin couch-immobilizer assembly, compatible with multiple imaging modalities (CT, microCT, microMR, microPET, microSPECT, optical), was first imaged via CT in order to verify the safety and reproducibility of the immobilization method. Once verified, the subject animals were CT-scanned while positioned within the couch-immobilizer assembly for treatment planning purposes. The resultant images were then imported into CERR, an in-house-developed research treatment planning system, and registered to the microRTP treatment planning space using rigid registration. The targeted brain was then contoured and conformal radiotherapy plans were constructed for two separate studies: (1) a whole-brain irradiation comprised of two lateral beams at the 90 degree sign and 270 degree sign microRT treatment positions and (2) a hemispheric (left-brain) irradiation comprised of a single A-P vertex beam at the 0 degree sign microRT treatment position. During treatment, subject animals (n=48) were positioned to the CERR-generated treatment coordinates using the three-axis microRT motor positioning system and were irradiated using a clinical Ir-192 high-dose-rate remote after-loading system. The radiation treatment course consisted of 5 Gy fractions, 3 days per week. 90% of the subjects received a total dose of 30 Gy and 10% received a dose of 60 Gy. Results: Image analysis verified the safety and reproducibility of the immobilizer. CT scans generated from repeated reloading and repositioning of the same subject animal in the couch-immobilizer assembly were fused to a baseline CT. The resultant analysis revealed a 0.09 mm average, center-of-mass translocation and negligible volumetric error in the contoured, murine brain. The experimental use of the head

Dosimetry in Thermal Neutron Irradiation Facility at BMRR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hu J.-P.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Radiation dosimetry for Neutron Capture Therapy (NCT has been performed since 1959 at Thermal Neutron Irradiation Facility (TNIF of the three-megawatt light-water cooled Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor (BMRR. In the early 1990s when more effective drug carriers were developed for NCT, in which the eye melanoma and brain tumors in rats were irradiated in situ, extensive clinical trials of small animals began using a focused thermal neutron beam. To improve the dosimetry at irradiation facility, a series of innovative designs and major modifications made to enhance the beam intensity and to ease the experimental sampling at BMRR were performed; including (1 in-core fuel addition to increase source strength and balance flux of neutrons towards two ports, (2 out of core moderator remodeling, done by replacing thicker D2O tanks at graphite-shutter interfacial areas, to expedite neutron thermalization, (3 beam shutter upgrade to reduce strayed neutrons and gamma dose, (4 beam collimator redesign to optimize the beam flux versus dose for animal treatment, (5 beam port shielding installation around the shutter opening area (lithium-6 enriched polyester-resin in boxes, attached with polyethylene plates to reduce prompt gamma and fast neutron doses, (6 sample holder repositioning to optimize angle versus distance for a single organ or whole body irradiation, and (7 holder wall buildup with neutron reflector materials to increase dose and dose rate from scattered thermal neutrons. During the facility upgrade, reactor dosimetry was conducted using thermoluminescent dosimeters TLD for gamma dose estimate, using ion chambers to confirm fast neutron and gamma dose rate, and by the activation of gold-foils with and without cadmium-covers, for fast and thermal neutron flux determination. Based on the combined effect from the size and depth of tumor cells and the location and geometry of dosimeters, the measured flux from cadmium-difference method was 4–7

Dosimetry in Thermal Neutron Irradiation Facility at BMRR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, J. P. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Holden, N. E. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Reciniello, R. N.

2014-05-23

Radiation dosimetry for Neutron Capture Therapy (NCT) has been performed since 1959 at Thermal Neutron Irradiation Facility (TNIF) of the three-megawatt light-water cooled Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor (BMRR). In the early 1990s when more effective drug carriers were developed for NCT, in which the eye melanoma and brain tumors in rats were irradiated in situ, extensive clinical trials of small animals began using a focused thermal neutron beam. To improve the dosimetry at irradiation facility, a series of innovative designs and major modifications made to enhance the beam intensity and to ease the experimental sampling at BMRR were performed; including (1) in-core fuel addition to increase source strength and balance flux of neutrons towards two ports, (2) out of core moderator remodeling, done by replacing thicker D₂O tanks at graphite-shutter interfacial areas, to expedite neutron thermalization, (3) beam shutter upgrade to reduce strayed neutrons and gamma dose, (4) beam collimator redesign to optimize the beam flux versus dose for animal treatment, (5) beam port shielding installation around the shutter opening area (lithium-6 enriched polyester-resin in boxes, attached with polyethylene plates) to reduce prompt gamma and fast neutron doses, (6) sample holder repositioning to optimize angle versus distance for a single organ or whole body irradiation, and (7) holder wall buildup with neutron reflector materials to increase dose and dose rate from scattered thermal neutrons. During the facility upgrade, reactor dosimetry was conducted using thermoluminescent dosimeters TLD for gamma dose estimate, using ion chambers to confirm fast neutron and gamma dose rate, and by the activation of gold-foils with and without cadmium-covers, for fast and thermal neutron flux determination. Based on the combined effect from the size and depth of tumor cells and the location and geometry of dosimeters, the measured flux from cadmium-difference method was 4 - 7

Evaluation of a cone beam computed tomography geometry for image guided small animal irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Yidong; Armour, Michael; Wang, Ken Kang-Hsin; Gandhi, Nishant; Wong, John; Iordachita, Iulian; Siewerdsen, Jeffrey

2015-01-01

The conventional imaging geometry for small animal cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is that a detector panel rotates around the head-to-tail axis of an imaged animal (‘tubular’ geometry). Another unusual but possible imaging geometry is that the detector panel rotates around the anterior-to-posterior axis of the animal (‘pancake’ geometry). The small animal radiation research platform developed at Johns Hopkins University employs the pancake geometry where a prone-positioned animal is rotated horizontally between an x-ray source and detector panel. This study is to assess the CBCT image quality in the pancake geometry and investigate potential methods for improvement. We compared CBCT images acquired in the pancake geometry with those acquired in the tubular geometry when the phantom/animal was placed upright simulating the conventional CBCT geometry. Results showed signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios in the pancake geometry were reduced in comparison to the tubular geometry at the same dose level. But the overall spatial resolution within the transverse plane of the imaged cylinder/animal was better in the pancake geometry. A modest exposure increase to two folds in the pancake geometry can improve image quality to a level close to the tubular geometry. Image quality can also be improved by inclining the animal, which reduces streak artifacts caused by bony structures. The major factor resulting in the inferior image quality in the pancake geometry is the elevated beam attenuation along the long axis of the phantom/animal and consequently increased scatter-to-primary ratio in that orientation. Not withstanding, the image quality in the pancake-geometry CBCT is adequate to support image guided animal positioning, while providing unique advantages of non-coplanar and multiple mice irradiation. This study also provides useful knowledge about the image quality in the two very different imaging geometries, i.e. pancake and tubular geometry

Evaluation of a cone beam computed tomography geometry for image guided small animal irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yidong; Armour, Michael; Wang, Ken Kang-Hsin; Gandhi, Nishant; Iordachita, Iulian; Siewerdsen, Jeffrey; Wong, John

2015-07-07

The conventional imaging geometry for small animal cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is that a detector panel rotates around the head-to-tail axis of an imaged animal ('tubular' geometry). Another unusual but possible imaging geometry is that the detector panel rotates around the anterior-to-posterior axis of the animal ('pancake' geometry). The small animal radiation research platform developed at Johns Hopkins University employs the pancake geometry where a prone-positioned animal is rotated horizontally between an x-ray source and detector panel. This study is to assess the CBCT image quality in the pancake geometry and investigate potential methods for improvement. We compared CBCT images acquired in the pancake geometry with those acquired in the tubular geometry when the phantom/animal was placed upright simulating the conventional CBCT geometry. Results showed signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios in the pancake geometry were reduced in comparison to the tubular geometry at the same dose level. But the overall spatial resolution within the transverse plane of the imaged cylinder/animal was better in the pancake geometry. A modest exposure increase to two folds in the pancake geometry can improve image quality to a level close to the tubular geometry. Image quality can also be improved by inclining the animal, which reduces streak artifacts caused by bony structures. The major factor resulting in the inferior image quality in the pancake geometry is the elevated beam attenuation along the long axis of the phantom/animal and consequently increased scatter-to-primary ratio in that orientation. Not withstanding, the image quality in the pancake-geometry CBCT is adequate to support image guided animal positioning, while providing unique advantages of non-coplanar and multiple mice irradiation. This study also provides useful knowledge about the image quality in the two very different imaging geometries, i.e. pancake and tubular geometry, respectively.

Pre-clinical research in small animals using radiotherapy technology. A bidirectional translational approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tillner, Falk; Buetof, Rebecca; Krause, Mechthild; Enghardt, Wolfgang; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden; Technische Univ. Dresden; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden

2014-01-01

For translational cancer research, pre-clinical in-vivo studies using small animals have become indispensable in bridging the gap between in-vitro cell experiments and clinical implementation. When setting up such small animal experiments, various biological, technical and methodical aspects have to be considered. In this work we present a comprehensive topical review based on relevant publications on irradiation techniques used for pre-clinical cancer research in mice and rats. Clinical radiotherapy treatment devices for the application of external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy as well as dedicated research irradiation devices are feasible for small animal irradiation depending on the animal model and the experimental goals. In this work, appropriate solutions for the technological transfer of human radiation oncology to small animal radiation research are summarised. Additionally, important information concerning the experimental design is provided such that reliable and clinically relevant results can be attained.

Pre-clinical research in small animals using radiotherapy technology. A bidirectional translational approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tillner, Falk; Buetof, Rebecca [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Thute, Prasad [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Krause, Mechthild [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Dresden (Germany); German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany); Enghardt, Wolfgang [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany). Inst. of Radiooncology

2014-07-01

For translational cancer research, pre-clinical in-vivo studies using small animals have become indispensable in bridging the gap between in-vitro cell experiments and clinical implementation. When setting up such small animal experiments, various biological, technical and methodical aspects have to be considered. In this work we present a comprehensive topical review based on relevant publications on irradiation techniques used for pre-clinical cancer research in mice and rats. Clinical radiotherapy treatment devices for the application of external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy as well as dedicated research irradiation devices are feasible for small animal irradiation depending on the animal model and the experimental goals. In this work, appropriate solutions for the technological transfer of human radiation oncology to small animal radiation research are summarised. Additionally, important information concerning the experimental design is provided such that reliable and clinically relevant results can be attained.

Neutron irradiation facility and its characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oyama, Yukio; Noda, Kenji

1995-01-01

A neutron irradiation facility utilizing spallation reactions with high energy protons is conceived as one of the facilities in 'Proton Engineering center (PEC)' proposed at JAERI. Characteristics of neutron irradiation field of the facility for material irradiation studies are described in terms of material damage parameters, influence of the pulse irradiation, irradiation environments other than neutronics features, etc., comparing with the other sorts of neutron irradiation facilities. Some perspectives for materials irradiation studies using PEC are presented. (author)

Irradiation facilities in JRR-3M

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohtomo, Akitoshi; Sigemoto, Masamitsu; Takahashi, Hidetake

1992-01-01

Irradiation facilities have been installed in the upgraded JRR-3 (JRR-3M) in Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI). There are hydraulic rabbit facilities (HR), pneumatic rabbit facilities (PN), neutron activation analysis facility (PN3), uniform irradiation facility (SI), rotating irradiation facility and capsule irradiation facilities to carry out the neutron irradiation in the JRR-3M. These facilities are operated using a process control computer system to centerize the process information. Some of the characteristics for the facilities were satisfactorily measured at the same time of reactor performance test in 1990. During reactor operation, some of the tests are continued to confirm the basic characteristics on facilities, for example, PN3 was confirmed to have enough performance for activation analysis. Measurement of neutron flux at all irradiation positions has been carried out for the equilibrium core. (author)

Pre-clinical research in small animals using radiotherapy technology--a bidirectional translational approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Tillner, Falk; Thute, Prasad; Bütof, Rebecca; Krause, Mechthild; Enghardt, Wolfgang

2014-12-01

For translational cancer research, pre-clinical in-vivo studies using small animals have become indispensable in bridging the gap between in-vitro cell experiments and clinical implementation. When setting up such small animal experiments, various biological, technical and methodical aspects have to be considered. In this work we present a comprehensive topical review based on relevant publications on irradiation techniques used for pre-clinical cancer research in mice and rats. Clinical radiotherapy treatment devices for the application of external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy as well as dedicated research irradiation devices are feasible for small animal irradiation depending on the animal model and the experimental goals. In this work, appropriate solutions for the technological transfer of human radiation oncology to small animal radiation research are summarised. Additionally, important information concerning the experimental design is provided such that reliable and clinically relevant results can be attained. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Design and dosimetry of small animal radiation facilities

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, Manuel R.

The aim of this work was to develop an irradiation system for radiobiology studies. We designed a novel image-guided micro-irradiator capable of partial-body zebrafish embryo irradiation. The radiation source is a 50 kV photon beam from a miniature x-ray source (Xoft Inc., CA). The source is inserted in a cylindrical brass collimator, 3 cm in diameter and 3 cm in length. The collimator has a 1 mm-diameter pinhole along the longitudinal axis, which provides a well-focused beam with a sharp penumbra. A photodiode is installed at one exit of the pinhole collimator to monitor the photon dose rate. The source with the collimator is attached under a movable table. A video camera, connected to the computer, is placed above the movable table to record position of the specimens in relation to the pinhole collimator. The captured images are analyzed, and the relative distances between the specimens and the pinhole are calculated. The coordinates are sent to the computer-controlled movable table to accurately position the specimens in the beam. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to characterize dosimetric properties of the system, to determine dosimetric sensitivity, and to help in the design. The image-guidance and high precision of the movable table enable very accurate specimen position. The beam monitoring system provides accurate, fast and easy dose determination. Portability and self-shielding make this system suitable for any radiobiology laboratory. This novel micro-irradiator is appropriate for partial irradiation of zebrafish embryos; however its potential use is much wider like irradiation of cell cultures or other small specimens.

Thermoacoustic Molecular Imaging of Small Animals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert A. Kruger

2003-04-01

Full Text Available We have designed, constructed, and tested a thermoacoustic computed tomography (TCT scanner for imaging optical absorption in small animals in three dimensions. The device utilizes pulsed laser irradiation (680–1064 nm and a unique, 128-element transducer array. We quantified the isotropic spatial resolution of this scanner to be 0.35 mm. We describe a dual-wavelength subtraction technique for isolating optical dyes with TCT. Phantom experiments demonstrate that we can detect 5 fmol of a near-infrared dye (indocyanine green, ICG in a 1-ML volume using dual-wavelength subtraction. Initial TCT imaging in phantoms and in two sacrificed mice suggests that three-dimensional, optical absorption patterns in small animals can be detected with an order of magnitude better spatial resolution and an order of magnitude better low-contrast detectability in small animals when compared to fluorescence imaging or diffusion optical tomography.

Automatically controlled facilities for irradiation of silicon crystals at the Rossendorf Research Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ross, R.

1988-01-01

This report describes the facilities for neutron transmutation doping of silicon in GDR. The irradiation of silicon single crystals began at Rossendorf in 1978 with simple equipment. Only a small amount of silicon could be irradiated in it. The fast increasing need of NTD-silicon made it necessary to design and construct new and better facilities. The new facilities are capable of irradiating silicon from 2'' to 3'' in diameter. The irradiation process takes place automatically with the assistance of a computer. Material produced has an axial homogeneity of ± 7%. Irradiation riggs, techniques, irradiation control and quality control are discussed. (author). 4 figs

Practical design of gamma irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugimoto, Sen-ichi

1976-01-01

In this report, it is intended to describe mainly the multi-purpose irradiation facilities which carry out the consigned irradiation for the sterilization of medical apparatuses, which is most of the demand of gamma irradiation in Japan. Gamma irradiation criterion is summed up to that ''Apply the specified dose properly and uniformly to product cases and be economic.'' Though the establishment of the design standard for irradiation facilities is not easy and is not solve simply, the factors to be considered in the design are as follows: (1) mechanism safety, (2) multipurpose irradiation structure, (3) irradiation criteria and practice, (4) efficiency of radiation source utilization and related problems, and (5) economical merit. Irradiation facilities are generally itemized as follows: irradiation equipments, radiation source-storing facility, package carrier, radiation source-driving equipments, facilities for safety and operational management and others. Examples and their characteristics are reported for the facilities of Japan Radio-isotope Irradiation Cooperative Association and Radie Industries Ltd. Expenses for construction, processing and radiation sources are shown on the basis of a few references, and the cost trially calculated under a certain presumptive condition is given. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

Prevalence and pattern of small animal orthopaedic conditions at ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Small animal orthopaedic case records of a 20-year period were surveyed to obtain the prevalence and pattern of orthopaedic conditions presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH), University of Ibadan, Nigeria, with the objective of providing data for planning on small animal healthcare facilities, policy ...

Improvement of irradiation facilities performance in JMTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanno, Masaru; Sakurai, Susumu; Honma, Kenzo; Sagawa, Hisashi; Nakazaki, Chousaburo

1999-01-01

Various kinds of irradiation facilities are installed in the JMTR for the purpose of irradiation tests on fuels and materials and of producing radioisotopes. The irradiation facilities have been improved so far at every opportunity of new irradiation requirements and of renewing them which reached the design lifetime. Of these irradiation facilities, improvements of the power ramping test facility (BOCA/OSF-1 facility) and the hydraulic rabbit No.2 (HR-2 facility) are described here. (author)

The Birmingham Irradiation Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dervan, P.; French, R.; Hodgson, P.; Marin-Reyes, H.; Wilson, J.

2013-01-01

At the end of 2012 the proton irradiation facility at the CERN PS will shut down for two years. With this in mind, we have been developing a new ATLAS scanning facility at the University of Birmingham Medical Physics cyclotron. With proton beams of energy approximately 30 MeV, fluences corresponding to those of the upgraded Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) can be reached conveniently. The facility can be used to irradiate silicon sensors, optical components and mechanical structures (e.g. carbon fibre sandwiches) for the LHC upgrade programme. Irradiations of silicon sensors can be carried out in a temperature controlled cold box that can be scanned through the beam. The facility is described in detail along with the first tests carried out with mini (1×1 cm 2 ) silicon sensors

The Birmingham Irradiation Facility

CERN Document Server

Dervan, P; Hodgson, P; Marin-Reyes, H; Wilson, J

2013-01-01

At the end of 2012 the proton irradiation facility at the CERN PS [1] will shut down for two years. With this in mind, we have been developing a new ATLAS scanning facility at the University of Birmingham Medical Physics cyclotron. With proton beams of energy approximately 30 MeV, fluences corresponding to those of the upgraded Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) can be reached conveniently. The facility can be used to irradiate silicon sensors, optical components and mechanical structures (e.g. carbon fibre sandwiches) for the LHC upgrade programme. Irradiations of silicon sensors can be carried out in a temperature controlled cold box that can be scanned through the beam. The facility is described in detail along with the first tests carried out with mini (1 x 1 cm^2 ) silicon sensors.

Modality comparison for small animal radiotherapy: A simulation study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bazalova, Magdalena, E-mail: bazalova@stanford.edu; Nelson, Geoff; Noll, John M.; Graves, Edward E. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States)

2014-01-15

Purpose: Small animal radiation therapy has advanced significantly in recent years. Whereas in the past dose was delivered using a single beam and a lead shield for sparing of healthy tissue, conformal doses can be now delivered using more complex dedicated small animal radiotherapy systems with image guidance. The goal of this paper is to investigate dose distributions for three small animal radiation treatment modalities. Methods: This paper presents a comparison of dose distributions generated by the three approaches—a single-field irradiator with a 200 kV beam and no image guidance, a small animal image-guided conformal system based on a modified microCT scanner with a 120 kV beam developed at Stanford University, and a dedicated conformal system, SARRP, using a 220 kV beam developed at Johns Hopkins University. The authors present a comparison of treatment plans for the three modalities using two cases: a mouse with a subcutaneous tumor and a mouse with a spontaneous lung tumor. A 5 Gy target dose was calculated using the EGSnrc Monte Carlo codes. Results: All treatment modalities generated similar dose distributions for the subcutaneous tumor case, with the highest mean dose to the ipsilateral lung and bones in the single-field plan (0.4 and 0.4 Gy) compared to the microCT (0.1 and 0.2 Gy) and SARRP (0.1 and 0.3 Gy) plans. The lung case demonstrated that due to the nine-beam arrangements in the conformal plans, the mean doses to the ipsilateral lung, spinal cord, and bones were significantly lower in the microCT plan (2.0, 0.4, and 1.9 Gy) and the SARRP plan (1.5, 0.5, and 1.8 Gy) than in single-field irradiator plan (4.5, 3.8, and 3.3 Gy). Similarly, the mean doses to the contralateral lung and the heart were lowest in the microCT plan (1.5 and 2.0 Gy), followed by the SARRP plan (1.7 and 2.2 Gy), and they were highest in the single-field plan (2.5 and 2.4 Gy). For both cases, dose uniformity was greatest in the single-field irradiator plan followed by

URAM-2 Cryogenic Irradiation Facility

CERN Document Server

Shabalin, E P; Kulikov, S A; Kulagin, E N; Melihov, V V; Belyakov, A A; Golovanov, L B; Borzunov, Yu T; Konstantinov, V I; Androsov, A V

2002-01-01

The URAM-2 irradiation facility has been built and mounted at the channel No. 3 of the IBR-2 reactor. It was constructed for study of radiolysis effects by fast neutron irradiation in some suitable for effective cold neutron production materials (namely: solid methane, methane hydrate, water ice, etc.). The facility cooling system is based on using liquid helium as a coolant material. The original charging block of the rig allows the samples to be loaded by condensing gas into irradiation cavity or by charging beads of ice prepared before. Preliminary tests for each facility block and assembling them at the working position were carried out. Use of the facility for study accumulation of chemical energy under irradiation at low temperature in materials mentioned above and its spontaneous release was started.

9 CFR 117.2 - Animal facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Animal facilities. 117.2 Section 117.2 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE VIRUSES... Animal facilities. Animal facilities shall comply with the requirements provided in part 108 of this...

Intense neutron irradiation facility for fusion reactor materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noda, Kenji; Oyama, Yukio; Kato, Yoshio; Sugimoto, Masayoshi [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

1997-03-01

Technical R and D of d-Li stripping type neutron irradiation facilities for development of fusion reactor materials was carried out in Fusion Materials Irradiation Test Facility (FMIT) project and Energy Selective Neutron Irradiation Test Facility (ESNIT) program. Conceptual design activity (CDA) of International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF), of which concept is an advanced version of FMIT and ESNIT concepts, are being performed. Progress of users` requirements and characteristics of irradiation fields in such neutron irradiation facilities, and outline of baseline conceptual design of IFMIF were described. (author)

Irradiation effect on animal feeds and feedstuffs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kume, Tamikazu

1983-10-01

Aiming to secure the safety of animal feeds and develop the new resources, the effect of γ-irradiation on disinfection and the changes in components were investigated. Salmonellae and coliforms contaminating in animal feeds and feedstuffs were eliminated by 0.5 -- 0.6 Mrad and 0.5 -- 0.8 Mrad, and osmophilic moulds were sterilized by 0.7 -- 0.75 Mrad. From these results, it is concluded that the dose for disinfection of animal feeds is 0.8 Mrad. The main components were hardly changed by irradiation up to 5 Mrad, and the component changes in irradiated samples could be suppressed during storage while the components in unirradiated samples were markedly changed with the growth of osmophilic moulds. Histamine and lysinoalanine, which may cause the feed poisoning, were never accumulated in feedstuffs by irradiation. The nutritional value of chick feeds was not changed by 1.0 Mrad irradiation. From these results, it is considered that no problem for wholesomeness of animal feeds occurs by irradiation. Therefore, the irradiation is effective for disinfection and keeping the nutritional value of animal feeds during storage. Irradiation promotes the recovery of proteins in the wastewater by coagulation of proteins and improves the property of coagulants due to the degradation of polysaccharides. These results indicate that irradiation is effective to develop the new resources for animal feeds. (author)

Two-faces stationary irradiation method and dosimetric considerations for radiation processing at the multipurpose gamma irradiation facility / IPEN-CNEN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, Paulo S.; Vasquez, Pablo A.S.

2015-01-01

Over the last ten years, the Multipurpose Gamma Irradiation Facility of the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute - IPEN/CNEN located inside the Sao Paulo University campus has been providing services on radiation processing, especially for sterilization of health care and disposable medical products as well as support to research studies on modification of physical, chemical and biological properties of several materials. Placed at the same campus operates an extremely important radiopharmaceutical production facility when almost all disposable supplies used to produce medical products as the technetium-99m are continuously sterilized by gamma radiation. Many university biomedical research laboratories specially those working with equipment for cell cultures and vaccine production also make use of the gamma sterilization. Animal feed and shavings used by certified bioteries are routinely disinfected. Alternative underwater irradiation methods were developed to meet the demand of gemstone color enhancement. Human tissues including bone, skin, amniotic membranes, tendons, and cartilage belonging to National Banks are usually irradiated too. Different kind of polymers, hydrogels, foods as well native fruits, have been irradiated in this facility. Cultural heritage objects as books, paintings and furniture are disinfected routinely by gamma radiation. The success of the implementation of radiation processing in this facility is due to research and development of irradiation and dosimetry methods suitable for each condition. In this work are presented some considerations about the distribution dose and the two-faces stationary irradiation method developed and validated for this facility. (author)

Two-faces stationary irradiation method and dosimetric considerations for radiation processing at the multipurpose gamma irradiation facility / IPEN-CNEN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, Paulo S.; Vasquez, Pablo A.S., E-mail: psantos@ipen.br, E-mail: pavsalva@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2015-07-01

Over the last ten years, the Multipurpose Gamma Irradiation Facility of the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute - IPEN/CNEN located inside the Sao Paulo University campus has been providing services on radiation processing, especially for sterilization of health care and disposable medical products as well as support to research studies on modification of physical, chemical and biological properties of several materials. Placed at the same campus operates an extremely important radiopharmaceutical production facility when almost all disposable supplies used to produce medical products as the technetium-99m are continuously sterilized by gamma radiation. Many university biomedical research laboratories specially those working with equipment for cell cultures and vaccine production also make use of the gamma sterilization. Animal feed and shavings used by certified bioteries are routinely disinfected. Alternative underwater irradiation methods were developed to meet the demand of gemstone color enhancement. Human tissues including bone, skin, amniotic membranes, tendons, and cartilage belonging to National Banks are usually irradiated too. Different kind of polymers, hydrogels, foods as well native fruits, have been irradiated in this facility. Cultural heritage objects as books, paintings and furniture are disinfected routinely by gamma radiation. The success of the implementation of radiation processing in this facility is due to research and development of irradiation and dosimetry methods suitable for each condition. In this work are presented some considerations about the distribution dose and the two-faces stationary irradiation method developed and validated for this facility. (author)

Dosimetry of an animal irradiation system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alves, Nelson M.; Funari, Ana P.; Miranda, Jurandir T.; Napolitano, Celia M.; Goncalves, Josemary A.C.; Bueno, Carmen C.; Mathor, Monica B., E-mail: nelsonnininho@gmail.com [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2015-07-01

Radiation therapy uses ionizing radiation for cancer treatment, but its effectiveness may be limited by the consequent appearance of radiodermatitis. This problem may present several degrees: the highest among them is radionecrosis. Therefore, a model of study for the animal irradiation system (AIS) was built, generating radionecrosis on rat backs. The AIS is comprised by: a) a shield between the {sup 60}Co irradiator metallic guide and the animal immobilizer (AI), with holes exposing the rat skin; b) a shield on the AI posterior part and (c) the AIS angle. The doses were measured with alanine pellets in seven positions (two external and five internal) and different heights, in axial planes along the AI, and irradiated with 85 Gy. The similarity in the geometry of the AIs made it possible to relate the doses of positions 1-7 with the same height among the AISs. The AISs equidistance to the source allowed simultaneous animal exposure. Minimizing the shielding and maximizing the angles among the AISs provided average doses almost identical in position 1. A small variation among the mean doses for each of the AISs enabled to replace them by the average doses of the three AISs at position 1. Shields allowed the attenuation of the uncertainties in the alanine pellet in the AI, reduction of the exposure time without compromising rat security and the rise of the dose in measurement positions 1 and 2. The maximization of the angles among the AISs reduced the shielding secondary radiation contribution. (author)

Dosimetry of an animal irradiation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alves, Nelson M.; Funari, Ana P.; Miranda, Jurandir T.; Napolitano, Celia M.; Goncalves, Josemary A.C.; Bueno, Carmen C.; Mathor, Monica B.

2015-01-01

Radiation therapy uses ionizing radiation for cancer treatment, but its effectiveness may be limited by the consequent appearance of radiodermatitis. This problem may present several degrees: the highest among them is radionecrosis. Therefore, a model of study for the animal irradiation system (AIS) was built, generating radionecrosis on rat backs. The AIS is comprised by: a) a shield between the 60 Co irradiator metallic guide and the animal immobilizer (AI), with holes exposing the rat skin; b) a shield on the AI posterior part and (c) the AIS angle. The doses were measured with alanine pellets in seven positions (two external and five internal) and different heights, in axial planes along the AI, and irradiated with 85 Gy. The similarity in the geometry of the AIs made it possible to relate the doses of positions 1-7 with the same height among the AISs. The AISs equidistance to the source allowed simultaneous animal exposure. Minimizing the shielding and maximizing the angles among the AISs provided average doses almost identical in position 1. A small variation among the mean doses for each of the AISs enabled to replace them by the average doses of the three AISs at position 1. Shields allowed the attenuation of the uncertainties in the alanine pellet in the AI, reduction of the exposure time without compromising rat security and the rise of the dose in measurement positions 1 and 2. The maximization of the angles among the AISs reduced the shielding secondary radiation contribution. (author)

Facts about food irradiation: Safety of irradiation facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

This fact sheet considers the safety of industrial irradiation facilities. Although there have been accidents, none of them has endangered public health or environmental safety, and the radiation processing industry is considered to have a very good safety record. Gamma irradiators do not produce radioactive waste, and the radiation sources at the facilities cannot explode nor in any other way release radioactivity into the environment. 3 refs

Final report of the HFIR [High Flux Isotope Reactor] irradiation facilities improvement project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montgomery, B.H.; Thoms, K.R.; West, C.D.

1987-09-01

The High-Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) has outstanding neutronics characteristics for materials irradiation, but some relatively minor aspects of its mechanical design severely limited its usefulness for that purpose. In particular, though the flux trap region in the center of the annular fuel elements has a very high neutron flux, it had no provision for instrumentation access to irradiation capsules. The irradiation positions in the beryllium reflector outside the fuel elements also have a high flux; however, although instrumented, they were too small and too few to replace the facilities of a materials testing reactor. To address these drawbacks, the HFIR Irradiation Facilities Improvement Project consisted of modifications to the reactor vessel cover, internal structures, and reflector. Two instrumented facilities were provided in the flux trap region, and the number of materials irradiation positions in the removable beryllium (RB) was increased from four to eight, each with almost twice the available experimental space of the previous ones. The instrumented target facilities were completed in August 1986, and the RB facilities were completed in June 1987

Irradiation of laboratory animal diets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adamiker, D.

1976-01-01

The increasing demand for well-defined, standardized laboratory animals fr use in experimental research has led to the development of many new methods aimed at keeping the animals free of pathogenic micro-organisms. In this respect the problem of contaminated feeds has become more and more widely recognized. Chemial treatments and heat-treatments, which are the methods most commonly used at present, do have many disadvantages and this has led to an increasing interest in the application of irradiation for sterilizing animal feeds. The author reviews in some detail the various feeding studies which have been performed to date to establish whether or not irradiated feeds are safe for consumption. Much attention is now being given to feed irradiation throughout the world; it is estimated, for example, that approximately 700 tons of feed are already being irradiated per year and that this amount is likely to increase steadily in the future. These activities and recent developments are also briefly reviewed. (author)

Advanced Small Animal Conformal Radiation Therapy Device.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Sunil; Narayanasamy, Ganesh; Przybyla, Beata; Webber, Jessica; Boerma, Marjan; Clarkson, Richard; Moros, Eduardo G; Corry, Peter M; Griffin, Robert J

2017-02-01

We have developed a small animal conformal radiation therapy device that provides a degree of geometrical/anatomical targeting comparable to what is achievable in a commercial animal irradiator. small animal conformal radiation therapy device is capable of producing precise and accurate conformal delivery of radiation to target as well as for imaging small animals. The small animal conformal radiation therapy device uses an X-ray tube, a robotic animal position system, and a digital imager. The system is in a steel enclosure with adequate lead shielding following National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements 49 guidelines and verified with Geiger-Mueller survey meter. The X-ray source is calibrated following AAPM TG-61 specifications and mounted at 101.6 cm from the floor, which is a primary barrier. The X-ray tube is mounted on a custom-made "gantry" and has a special collimating assembly system that allows field size between 0.5 mm and 20 cm at isocenter. Three-dimensional imaging can be performed to aid target localization using the same X-ray source at custom settings and an in-house reconstruction software. The small animal conformal radiation therapy device thus provides an excellent integrated system to promote translational research in radiation oncology in an academic laboratory. The purpose of this article is to review shielding and dosimetric measurement and highlight a few successful studies that have been performed to date with our system. In addition, an example of new data from an in vivo rat model of breast cancer is presented in which spatially fractionated radiation alone and in combination with thermal ablation was applied and the therapeutic benefit examined.

International Facility for Food Irradiation Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farkas, J.

1982-01-01

The International Facility for Food Irradiation Technology (IFFIT) was set up in November 1978 for a period of five years at the Pilot Plant for Food Irradiation, Wageningen, The Netherlands under an Agreement between the FAO, IAEA and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Government of the Netherlands. Under this Agreement, the irradiation facilities, office space and services of the Pilot Plant for Food Irradiation are put at IFFIT's disposal. Also the closely located Research Foundation, ITAL, provides certain facilities and laboratory services within the terms of the Agreement. The FAO and IAEA contribute US-Dollar 25,000. Annually for the duration of IFFIT. (orig.) [de

Electron beam irradiation facility for low to high dose irradiation applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petwal, V.C.; Wanmode, Yashwant; Verma, Vijay Pal; Bhisikar, Abhay; Dwivedi, Jishnu; Shrivastava, P.; Gupta, P.D.

2013-01-01

Electron beam based irradiation facilities are becoming more and more popular over the conventional irradiator facilities due to many inherent advantages such as tunability of beam energy, availability of radiation both in electron mode and X-ray mode, wide range of the dose rate, control of radiation from a ON-OFF switch and other safety related merits. A prototype experimental facility based on electron accelerator has been set-up at RRCAT to meet the low-dose, medium dose and high-dose requirements for radiation processing of food, agricultural and medical products. The facility can be operated in the energy range from 7-10 MeV at variable power level from 0.05-3 kW to meet the dose rate requirement of 100 Gy to kGy. The facility is also equipped with a Bremsstrahlung converter optimized for X-ray irradiation at 7.5 MV. Availability of dose delivery in wide range with precision control and measurement has made the facility an excellent tool for researchers interested in electron/X-ray beam irradiation. A precision dosimetry lab based on alanine EPR and radiochromic film dosimetry system have been established to characterize the radiation field and precise dose measurements. Electron beam scattering technique has been developed to achieve low dose requirement for EB irradiation of various seeds such as groundnut, wheat, soybeans, moong beans, black gram etc. for mutation related studies. This paper describes various features of the facility together with the dosimetric measurements carried out for qualification of the facility and recent irradiation experiments carried out using this facility. (author)

Pencilbeam irradiation technique for whole brain radiotherapy: technical and biological challenges in a small animal model.

Science.gov (United States)

Schültke, Elisabeth; Trippel, Michael; Bräuer-Krisch, Elke; Renier, Michel; Bartzsch, Stefan; Requardt, Herwig; Döbrössy, Máté D; Nikkhah, Guido

2013-01-01

We have conducted the first in-vivo experiments in pencilbeam irradiation, a new synchrotron radiation technique based on the principle of microbeam irradiation, a concept of spatially fractionated high-dose irradiation. In an animal model of adult C57 BL/6J mice we have determined technical and physiological limitations with the present technical setup of the technique. Fifty-eight animals were distributed in eleven experimental groups, ten groups receiving whole brain radiotherapy with arrays of 50 µm wide beams. We have tested peak doses ranging between 172 Gy and 2,298 Gy at 3 mm depth. Animals in five groups received whole brain radiotherapy with a center-to-center (ctc) distance of 200 µm and a peak-to-valley ratio (PVDR) of ∼ 100, in the other five groups the ctc was 400 µm (PVDR ∼ 400). Motor and memory abilities were assessed during a six months observation period following irradiation. The lower dose limit, determined by the technical equipment, was at 172 Gy. The LD50 was about 1,164 Gy for a ctc of 200 µm and higher than 2,298 Gy for a ctc of 400 µm. Age-dependent loss in motor and memory performance was seen in all groups. Better overall performance (close to that of healthy controls) was seen in the groups irradiated with a ctc of 400 µm.

Is food irradiation an alternative to chemical preservation?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horacek, P.

1987-01-01

The history is presented of food irradiation. The foods irradiated and the doses used are reported. The industrial use of food irradiation is restricted to a single industrial irradiation plant in Japan and several small facilities for irradiating herbs and feeds for special laboratory animal breeds. The limited application of the method is caused by high prices of radiation sources and adverse side effects (potato rotting, bad smell of meat, etc.). (M.D.). 1 fig., 1 tab

Development of a quality system for a contract irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siyakus, G.

2002-01-01

. Even, some conditions required by the primary producer may be impossible to apply because of the design parameters of the facility or economical reasons. The worst situation is, transforming the commodity to be processed into garbage, because of the any misapprehension among the customer and the organization running the facility, or any level of misleading among the internal communication chain of the organization. Therefore, every step of the process from delivery of the product by the principal manufacturer up to the release of the commodity after irradiation should be firmly defined, organized, documented, validated and certified. The purpose of the irradiation may be at variance from decontamination of a food commodity to the sterilization of a medical supply. To make things easier, the case study which will be presented in the scope of this paper is limited with the radiation sterilization of medical supplies at the Food Irradiation and Sterilization Department (FISD) of Ankara Nuclear Research Center of Agriculture and Animal Science (ANRCAAS). To meet the requirements stated by the contract, an appropriate quality management system should be implemented. Basic activities for implementing a quality management system should be: A policy for quality management, An appropriate work flow, Contract model to make certain the demand of the primary producer, Straightforward documentation of the management responsibilities, Suitable premises, equipment and materials, Well defined and documented procedures, processes to be applied on the product, Traceable batch, product and dosimetry records, Definitely the radiation, chemical and biological safety issues related to the personnel working in the quality control laboratories and irradiation facility are more essential issues than the above mentioned topics and should be included into the quality system

Reconstruction of Co-60 Irradiation Facility No.1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Yoshiteru; Takada, Isao; Kaneko, Hirohisa; Hirao, Toshio; Haneda, Noriyuki; Mitomo, Shouichi; Tachibana, Hiroyuki; Yoshida, Kenzou

1989-01-01

Cobalt Irradiation Facility No.1 was constructed in 1964 as the first large scale Co-60 irradiation facility equipped a deep water pool for source storage of Co-60 sources. Recently, the reconstruction of the facility was decided because the aging of various parts of the facility became remarkable and new research programs required upgradings of the facility. Important points of upgradings are as follows: A shielding capacity of the source storage and pool is increased to 55.5 PBq from 18.5 PBq. The opening in a floor of the irradiation room which is used for the source lifting in the room, is enlarged in order to utilize a large and high intensity source. Radiation resistance of the irradiation apparatus and installed equipments in the radiation room is increased for a high dose rate irradiation. Basic structure and shape of the facility building such as shielding, pool and building roof is not changed but electrical, mechanical equipments and systems are completely renewed. To increase a reliability, the irradiation apparatus and systems are also replaced with an improved and up-to-date one designed based on operation experiences of Co-60 facilities at TRCRE through many years. In addition, auxiliary equipments such as radiation monitors, manipulators, water treatment system and so on are replaced. This report presents the reconstruction of Co-60 Irradiation Facility No.1 stressing on the replacement and modification of the irradiation apparatus. (author)

Mechanical Design and Manufacturing Preparation of Loading Unloading Irradiation Facility in Reflector Irradiation Position

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasibuan, Djaruddin

2004-01-01

Base on planning to increase of the irradiation service quality in Multi purpose Reactor-GAS, the mechanical design and manufacturing of the (n,γ) irradiation facility has been done. The designed of (n,γ) irradiation facility is a new facility in Multi purpose Reactor-GAS. The design doing by design of stringer, guide bar and hanger. By the design installation, the continuous irradiation service of non fission reaction will be easy to be done without reactor shut down. The design of the facility needs 3 pieces Al pipe by 36 x 1.5 mm, a peace of Al round bar by 80 mm diameter and a piece of Al plate by 20 x 60 x 0.2 mm for the stringer and guide bar manufacturing. By the building of non fission irradiation facility in the reflector irradiation position, will make the irradiation service to be increased. (author)

Current status of irradiation facilities in JRR-3 and JRR-4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hori, Naohiko; Wada, Shigeru; Sasajima, Fumio; Kusunoki, Tsuyoshi

2006-01-01

The Department of Research Reactor has operated two research reactors, JRR-3 and JRR-4. These reactors were constructed in the Tokai Research Establishment. Many researchers and engineers use these joint-use facilities. JRR-3 is a light water moderated and cooled, pool type research reactor using low-enriched silicide fuel. JRR-3's maximum thermal power is 20MW. JRR-3 has nine vertical irradiation holes for RI production, nuclear fuels and materials irradiation at reactor core area. JRR-3 has many kinds of irradiation holes in a heavy water tank around the reactor core. These are two hydraulic rabbit irradiation facilities, two pneumatic rabbit irradiation facilities, one activation analysis irradiation facilities, one uniform irradiation facility, one rotating irradiation facility and one capsule irradiation facility. JRR-3 has nine horizontal experimental holes, that are used by many kinds of neutron beam experimental facilities using these holes. JRR-4 is a light water moderated and cooled, swimming pool type research reactor using low-enriched silicide fuel. JRR-4's maximum thermal power is 3.5MW. JRR-4 has five vertical irradiation tubes at reactor core area, three capsule irradiation facilities, one hydraulic rabbit irradiation facility, and one pneumatic rabbit irradiation facility. JRR-4 has a neutron beam hole, and it has used neutron beam experiments, irradiations for activation analysis and medical neutron irradiations. (author)

Ectopic intestinal glands after segmental small bowel irradiation in the cat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rubio, C.A.; Eriksson, B.; Johnsson, L.

1983-01-01

Following segmental irradiation of the small bowel, 5 of 64 cats demonstrated ectopic intestinal glands in the submucosal tissue. In addition, one of these 5 cats had foci of abnormal glands in the muscularis mucosae. In 2 of the 5 animals, cellular polymorphism, nucleolar irregularity and loss of cellular polarity were present in irradiation-induced ectopic intestinal glands. The review of the literature indicates that intestinal irradiation may induce intestinal adenocarcinomas with metastatic growth. The possibility that ectopic intestinal glands are precancerous lesions in the irradiated cat is discussed. (Auth.)

Hyperpolarized singlet NMR on a small animal imaging system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laustsen, Christoffer; Pileio, Giuseppe; Tayler, Michael C. D.

2012-01-01

Nuclear spin hyperpolarization makes a significant advance toward overcoming the sensitivity limitations of in vivo magnetic resonance imaging, particularly in the case of low-gamma nuclei. The sensitivity may be improved further by storing the hyperpolarization in slowly relaxing singlet...... populations of spin- 1/2 pairs. Here, we report hyperpolarized 13C spin order transferred into and retrieved from singlet spin order using a small animal magnetic resonance imaging scanner. For spins in sites with very similar chemical shifts, singlet spin order is sustained in high magnetic field without...... requiring strong radiofrequency irradiation. The demonstration of robust singlet-to-magnetization conversion, and vice versa, on a small animal scanner, is promising for future in vivo and clinical deployments....

Establishing a process of irradiating small animal brain using a CyberKnife and a microCT scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Haksoo; Welford, Scott; Fabien, Jeffrey; Zheng, Yiran; Yuan, Jake; Brindle, James; Yao, Min; Lo, Simon; Wessels, Barry; Machtay, Mitchell; Sohn, Jason W.; Sloan, Andrew

2014-01-01

Purpose: Establish and validate a process of accurately irradiating small animals using the CyberKnife G4 System (version 8.5) with treatment plans designed to irradiate a hemisphere of a mouse brain based on microCT scanner images. Methods: These experiments consisted of four parts: (1) building a mouse phantom for intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) quality assurance (QA), (2) proving usability of a microCT for treatment planning, (3) fabricating a small animal positioning system for use with the CyberKnife's image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) system, and (4)in vivo verification of targeting accuracy. A set of solid water mouse phantoms was designed and fabricated, with radiochromic films (RCF) positioned in selected planes to measure delivered doses. After down-sampling for treatment planning compatibility, a CT image set of a phantom was imported into the CyberKnife treatment planning system—MultiPlan (ver. 3.5.2). A 0.5 cm diameter sphere was contoured within the phantom to represent a hemispherical section of a mouse brain. A nude mouse was scanned in an alpha cradle using a microCT scanner (cone-beam, 157 × 149 pixels slices, 0.2 mm longitudinal slice thickness). Based on the results of our positional accuracy study, a planning treatment volume (PTV) was created. A stereotactic body mold of the mouse was “printed” using a 3D printer laying UV curable acrylic plastic. Printer instructions were based on exported contours of the mouse's skin. Positional reproducibility in the mold was checked by measuring ten CT scans. To verify accurate dose delivery in vivo, six mice were irradiated in the mold with a 4 mm target contour and a 2 mm PTV margin to 3 Gy and sacrificed within 20 min to avoid DNA repair. The brain was sliced and stained for analysis. Results: For the IMRT QA using a set of phantoms, the planned dose (6 Gy to the calculation point) was compared to the delivered dose measured via film and analyzed using Gamma analysis (3% and 3 mm). A

Establishing a process of irradiating small animal brain using a CyberKnife and a microCT scanner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Haksoo; Welford, Scott [Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 (United States); Fabien, Jeffrey; Zheng, Yiran; Yuan, Jake; Brindle, James; Yao, Min; Lo, Simon; Wessels, Barry; Machtay, Mitchell; Sohn, Jason W., E-mail: jason.sohn@case.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 and University Hospitals of Cleveland, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 (United States); Sloan, Andrew [Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 (United States)

2014-02-15

Purpose: Establish and validate a process of accurately irradiating small animals using the CyberKnife G4 System (version 8.5) with treatment plans designed to irradiate a hemisphere of a mouse brain based on microCT scanner images. Methods: These experiments consisted of four parts: (1) building a mouse phantom for intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) quality assurance (QA), (2) proving usability of a microCT for treatment planning, (3) fabricating a small animal positioning system for use with the CyberKnife's image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) system, and (4)in vivo verification of targeting accuracy. A set of solid water mouse phantoms was designed and fabricated, with radiochromic films (RCF) positioned in selected planes to measure delivered doses. After down-sampling for treatment planning compatibility, a CT image set of a phantom was imported into the CyberKnife treatment planning system—MultiPlan (ver. 3.5.2). A 0.5 cm diameter sphere was contoured within the phantom to represent a hemispherical section of a mouse brain. A nude mouse was scanned in an alpha cradle using a microCT scanner (cone-beam, 157 × 149 pixels slices, 0.2 mm longitudinal slice thickness). Based on the results of our positional accuracy study, a planning treatment volume (PTV) was created. A stereotactic body mold of the mouse was “printed” using a 3D printer laying UV curable acrylic plastic. Printer instructions were based on exported contours of the mouse's skin. Positional reproducibility in the mold was checked by measuring ten CT scans. To verify accurate dose delivery in vivo, six mice were irradiated in the mold with a 4 mm target contour and a 2 mm PTV margin to 3 Gy and sacrificed within 20 min to avoid DNA repair. The brain was sliced and stained for analysis. Results: For the IMRT QA using a set of phantoms, the planned dose (6 Gy to the calculation point) was compared to the delivered dose measured via film and analyzed using Gamma analysis (3% and 3 mm

New facility for post irradiation examination of neutron irradiated beryllium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishitsuka, Etsuo; Kawamura, Hiroshi

1995-01-01

Beryllium is expected as a neutron multiplier and plasma facing materials in the fusion reactor, and the neutron irradiation data on properties of beryllium up to 800 degrees C need for the engineering design. The acquisition of data on the tritium behavior, swelling, thermal and mechanical properties are first priority in ITER design. Facility for the post irradiation examination of neutron irradiated beryllium was constructed in the hot laboratory of Japan Materials Testing Reactor to get the engineering design data mentioned above. This facility consist of the four glove boxes, dry air supplier, tritium monitoring and removal system, storage box of neutron irradiated samples. Beryllium handling are restricted by the amount of tritium;7.4 GBq/day and 60 Co;7.4 MBq/day

Development of an irradiation system for a small size continuous run multipurpose gamma irradiator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calvo, W.A.P.; Rela, P.R.; Napolitano, C.M.; Kodama, Y.; Omi, N.M.; Costa, F.E. da; Andradee Silva, L.G. de

2009-01-01

The Radiation Technology Center from IPEN-CNEN/SP, Brazil, developed a revolutionary design and national technology, a small-sized continuous run and multipurpose industrial gamma irradiator, to be used as a demonstration facility for manufacturers and contract service companies, which need economical and logistical in-house irradiation system alternatives. Also, to be useful for supporting the local scientific community on development of products and process using gamma radiation, assisting the traditional and potential users on process validation, training and qualification of operators and radioprotection officers. The developed technology for this facility consists of a continuous tote box transport system, comprising a single concrete vault, where the automated transport system of products inside and outside of the irradiator utilizes a rotating door, integrated with the shielding, avoiding the traditional maze configuration. Covering 76 m 2 of floor area, the irradiator design is a product overlap sources and the maximum capacity of cobalt-60 wet sources is 37 PBq. The performed qualification program of this multipurpose irradiator was based on AAMI/ISO 11137 standard, which recommends the inclusion of the following elements: installation and process qualification. The initial load of the multipurpose irradiator was 3.4 PBq with 13 cobalt-60 sources model C-188, supplied by MDS Nordion - Canada. For irradiator dose optimization, the source distribution was done using the software Cadgamma developed by IPEN-CNEN/SP. The polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA) dosimeter system, certified by the International Dose Assurance Service (IDAS) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was used for irradiator dose mapping. The economic analysis, performance concerning with dose uniformity and cobalt-60 utilization efficiency were calculated and compared with other commercial gamma irradiators available on the market. (authors)

An estimate of radiation fields in a gamma irradiation facility using fuel elements from a swimming pool reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narain, Rajendra

2002-01-01

A simple gamma irradiation facility set up using a few irradiated or partially irradiated swimming pool elements can be assembled to provide a convenient facility for irradiation of small and medium sized samples for research. The paper presents results of radiation levels with an arrangement using four elements from a reactor core operating at a power of 20 MW. A maximum gamma field of higher than 1 KGy/h at locations adjacent to fuel elements with negligible neutron contamination can be achieved. (author)

Probabilistic safety assessment for food irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solanki, R.B.; Prasad, M.; Sonawane, A.U.; Gupta, S.K.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Different considerations are required in PSA for Non-Reactor Nuclear Facilities. ► We carried out PSA for food irradiation facility as a part of safety evaluation. ► The results indicate that the fatal exposure risk is below the ‘acceptable risk’. ► Adequate operator training and observing good safety culture would reduce the risk. - Abstract: Probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) is widely used for safety evaluation of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) worldwide. The approaches and methodologies are matured and general consensus exists on using these approaches in PSA applications. However, PSA applications for safety evaluation for non-reactor facilities are limited. Due to differences in the processes in nuclear reactor facilities and non-reactor facilities, the considerations are different in application of PSA to these facilities. The food irradiation facilities utilize gamma irradiation sources, X-ray machines and electron accelerators for the purpose of radiation processing of variety of food items. This is categorized as Non-Reactor Nuclear Facility. In this paper, the application of PSA to safety evaluation of food irradiation facility is presented considering the ‘fatality due to radiation overexposure’ as a risk measure. The results indicate that the frequency of the fatal exposure is below the numerical acceptance guidance for the risk to the individual. Further, it is found that the overall risk to the over exposure can be reduced by providing the adequate operator training and observing good safety culture.

Nutritional Value of Irradiated Animal Feed By-Products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Din Farag, M.D.H.

1998-01-01

Animal feed by-products, widely used in animal diets, are sources of disease organisms for animals and for human beings. Salmonella is the principal genus of concern.Radiation treatment (radicidation, radurization) is a promising method of decontamination of feed ingredients. Commercial samples of fish, meat, and blood meals were sealed by heat in polyethylene bags and irradiated at dose levels of 5.0, 10, 20 and 50 kGy. Their chemical analysis were carried out according to A. O. A.C [1] and the total protein efficiency (TPE) of the three animal feed by-products was determined according to Wood ham (2) by using one day old Dokki-4 chicks. Radiation induced an insignificant effect on the chemical constituent of meals. Also, the same trend was observed with TPE of both fish and meat meals. However, irradiation treatments improved TPE values of irradiated blood meal samples. From the results, it could be concluded that irradiation of animal feed by-products up to a dose level of 50 Gy has no adverse effects on the nutritional value of animal feed by-products

CERN IRRADIATION FACILITIES.

Science.gov (United States)

Pozzi, Fabio; Garcia Alia, Ruben; Brugger, Markus; Carbonez, Pierre; Danzeca, Salvatore; Gkotse, Blerina; Richard Jaekel, Martin; Ravotti, Federico; Silari, Marco; Tali, Maris

2017-09-28

CERN provides unique irradiation facilities for applications in dosimetry, metrology, intercomparison of radiation protection devices, benchmark of Monte Carlo codes and radiation damage studies to electronics. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A standard fission neutron irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahasrabudhe, S.G.; Chakraborty, P.P.; Iyer, M.R.; Kirthi, K.N.; Soman, S.D.

1979-01-01

A fission neutron irradiation facility (FISNIF) has been set up at the thermal column of the CIRUS reactor at BARC. The spectrum and the flux have been measured using threshold detectors. The paper describes the setting up of the facility, measurement and application. A concentric cylinder containing UO 2 powder sealed inside surrounds the irradiation point of a pneumatic sample transfer system located in the thermal column of the reactor. Samples are loaded in a standard aluminium capsule with cadmium lining and transported pneumatically. A sample transfer time of 1 s can be achieved in the facility. Typical applications of the facility for studying activation of iron and sodium in fission neutrons are also discussed. (Auth.)

The present situation of the irradiation application industry and irradiation facilities in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizusawa, K.; Baba, T.

2003-01-01

The irradiation application industry and irradiation facilities in Japan have been making slow but steady progress for the past 2-3 years. Beside conventional applications, new ones such as carbon fibers and membrane filters have come into the market. There are a lot of new applications about to emerge. PE tubing, already is in the European market, is being evaluated by end users in Japan. Cleaning of dioxin in exhaust gas was successfully tested at a pilot plant. Cross-linked PTFE and polyamide are waiting customers' evaluations as an engineering plastic. Surface cross-linking of artificial polycarbonate teeth has yielded remarkable experimental results. Cross-linking of polycaprolactone will be useful for biodegradable products. Being aware of the future growth of irradiation industry, contract service providers opened new facilities or increased their capability. Beside in-house facilities, there are now three Co-60 facilities and nine EB facilities available for contract irradiation in Japan

Treatment planning for a small animal using Monte Carlo simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chow, James C. L.; Leung, Michael K. K.

2007-01-01

The development of a small animal model for radiotherapy research requires a complete setup of customized imaging equipment, irradiators, and planning software that matches the sizes of the subjects. The purpose of this study is to develop and demonstrate the use of a flexible in-house research environment for treatment planning on small animals. The software package, called DOSCTP, provides a user-friendly platform for DICOM computed tomography-based Monte Carlo dose calculation using the EGSnrcMP-based DOSXYZnrc code. Validation of the treatment planning was performed by comparing the dose distributions for simple photon beam geometries calculated through the Pinnacle3 treatment planning system and measurements. A treatment plan for a mouse based on a CT image set by a 360-deg photon arc is demonstrated. It is shown that it is possible to create 3D conformal treatment plans for small animals with consideration of inhomogeneities using small photon beam field sizes in the diameter range of 0.5-5 cm, with conformal dose covering the target volume while sparing the surrounding critical tissue. It is also found that Monte Carlo simulation is suitable to carry out treatment planning dose calculation for small animal anatomy with voxel size about one order of magnitude smaller than that of the human

A simple irradiation facility for radiobiological experiments with low energy protons from a cyclotron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukherjee, B.

1982-01-01

An experimental facility for irradiation of small biological targets with low-energy protons has been developed. The depth-dose distribution in soft-tissue is calculated from the proton energy spectrum. (orig.)

Food irradiation: Gamma processing facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kunstadt, P. [MDS Nordion International, 447 March Road. Kanata, Ontario, K2K148 (Canada)

1997-12-31

The number of products being radiation processed is constantly increasing and today include such diverse items as medical disposable, fruits and vegetables, bulk spices, meats, sea foods and waste effluents. Not only do the products differ but also many products, even those within the same groupings, require different minimum and maximum radiation doses. These variations create many different requirements in the irradiator design. The design of Cobalt-60 radiation processing facilities is well established for a number of commercial applications. Installations in over 40 countries, with some in operation since the early 1960s, are testimony to the fact that irradiator design, manufacture, installation and operation is a well established technology. However, in order to design gamma irradiators for the preservation of foods one must recognize those parameters typical to the food irradiation process as well as those systems and methods already well established in the food industry. This paper discusses the basic design concepts for gamma food irradiators. They are most efficient when designed to handle a limited product density range at an established dose. Safety of Cobalt-60 transport, safe facility operation principles and the effect of various processing parameters on economics, will also be discussed. (Author)

Food irradiation: Gamma processing facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kunstadt, P [MDS Nordion International, 447 March Road. Kanata, Ontario, K2K148 (Canada)

1998-12-31

The number of products being radiation processed is constantly increasing and today include such diverse items as medical disposable, fruits and vegetables, bulk spices, meats, sea foods and waste effluents. Not only do the products differ but also many products, even those within the same groupings, require different minimum and maximum radiation doses. These variations create many different requirements in the irradiator design. The design of Cobalt-60 radiation processing facilities is well established for a number of commercial applications. Installations in over 40 countries, with some in operation since the early 1960s, are testimony to the fact that irradiator design, manufacture, installation and operation is a well established technology. However, in order to design gamma irradiators for the preservation of foods one must recognize those parameters typical to the food irradiation process as well as those systems and methods already well established in the food industry. This paper discusses the basic design concepts for gamma food irradiators. They are most efficient when designed to handle a limited product density range at an established dose. Safety of Cobalt-60 transport, safe facility operation principles and the effect of various processing parameters on economics, will also be discussed. (Author)

Food irradiation: Gamma processing facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunstadt, P.

1997-01-01

The number of products being radiation processed is constantly increasing and today include such diverse items as medical disposable, fruits and vegetables, bulk spices, meats, sea foods and waste effluents. Not only do the products differ but also many products, even those within the same groupings, require different minimum and maximum radiation doses. These variations create many different requirements in the irradiator design. The design of Cobalt-60 radiation processing facilities is well established for a number of commercial applications. Installations in over 40 countries, with some in operation since the early 1960s, are testimony to the fact that irradiator design, manufacture, installation and operation is a well established technology. However, in order to design gamma irradiators for the preservation of foods one must recognize those parameters typical to the food irradiation process as well as those systems and methods already well established in the food industry. This paper discusses the basic design concepts for gamma food irradiators. They are most efficient when designed to handle a limited product density range at an established dose. Safety of Cobalt-60 transport, safe facility operation principles and the effect of various processing parameters on economics, will also be discussed. (Author)

IFMIF [International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility], an accelerator-based neutron source for fusion components irradiation testing: Materials testing capabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mann, F.M.

1988-08-01

The International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) is proposed as an advanced accelerator-based neutron source for high-flux irradiation testing of large-sized fusion reactor components. The facility would require only small extensions to existing accelerator and target technology originally developed for the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test (FMIT) facility. At the extended facility, neutrons would be produced by a 0.1-A beam of 35-MeV deuterons incident upon a liquid lithium target. The volume available for high-flux (>10/sup 15/ n/cm/sup 2/-s) testing in IFMITF would be over a liter, a factor of about three larger than in the FMIT facility. This is because the effective beam current of 35-MeV deuterons on target can be increased by a factor of ten to 1A or more. Such an increase can be accomplished by funneling beams of deuterium ions from the radio-frequency quadruple into a linear accelerator and by taking advantage of recent developments in accelerator technology. Multiple beams and large total current allow great variety in available testing. For example, multiple simultaneous experiments, and great flexibility in tailoring spatial distributions of flux and spectra can be achieved. 5 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

Idaho National Engineering Laboratory irradiation facilities and their applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, V.P.; Herring, J.S.; Korenke, R.E.; Harker, Y.D.

1986-05-01

Although there is a growing need for neutron and gamma irradiation by governmental and industrial organizations in the United States and in other countries, the number of facilities providing such irradiations are limited. At the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, there are several unique irradiation facilities producing high neutron and gamma radiation environments. These facilities could be readily used for nuclear research, materials testing, radiation hardening studies on electronic components/circuitry and sensors, and production of neutron transmutation doped (NTD) silicon and special radioisotopes. In addition, a neutron radiography unit, suitable for examining irradiated materials and assemblies, is also available. This report provides a description of the irradiation facilities and the neutron radiography unit as well as examples of their unique applications

Development of an irradiation system for a small size continuous run multipurpose gamma irradiator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calvo, Wilson Aparecido Parejo

2005-01-01

The Radiation Technology Center from Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN/SP), Brazil, developed with a revolutionary design and national technology, a small size continuous run and multipurpose industrial gamma irradiator, to be used as a demonstration facility for manufacturers and contract service companies, which need economical and logistical in-house irradiation system alternatives. Also, to be useful for supporting the local scientific community on development of products and process using gamma radiation, assisting the traditional and potential users on process validation, training and qualification of operators and radioprotection officers. The developed technology for this facility consists of continuous tote box transport system, comprising a single concrete vault, where the automated transport system of products inside and outside of the irradiator utilizes a rotate door, integrated with the shielding, avoiding the traditional maze configuration. Covering 76 m 2 of floor area, the irradiator design is product overlap sources and the maximum capacity of cobalt-60 wet sources is 37 P Bq (1 MCi). The performed quantification program of this multipurpose irradiator was based on AAMI/ISO 11137 standard, which recommends the inclusion of the following elements: installation and process quantification. The initial load of the multipurpose irradiator was 3.4 P Bq (92.1 k Ci) with 13 cobalt-60 sources model C-188, supplied by MDS Nordion Ion Technologies - Canada. For irradiator dose optimization, the source distribution was done using the software Cadgamma developed by IPEN-CNEN/SP. The poly-methylmethacrylate (PMMA) dosimeters system, certified by the International Dose Assurance Service (IDAS) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was used for irradiator dose mapping. The economic analysis, performance concerning to dose uniformity and cobalt-60 utilization efficiency were calculated and compared with other commercial gamma

The construction of irradiated material examination facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ro, Seung Gy; Lee, Key Soon; Herr, Young Hoi

1990-03-01

A detail design of the examination process, the hot cell facility and the annexed facility of the irradiated material examination facility (IMEF) which will be utilized to examine and evaluate physical and mechanical properties of neutron-irradiated materials, has been performed. Also a start-up work of the underground structure construction has been launched out. The project management and tasks required for the license application were duly carried out. The resultant detail design data will be used for the next step. (author)

Design, Fabrication, and Initial Operation of a Reusable Irradiation Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heatherly, D.W.; Thoms, K.R.; Siman-Tov, I.I.; Hurst, M.T.

1999-01-01

A Heavy-Section Steel Irradiation (HSSI) Program project, funded by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, was initiated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to develop reusable materials irradiation facilities in which metallurgical specimens of reactor pressure vessel steels could be irradiated. As a consequence, two new, identical, reusable materials irradiation facilities have been designed, fabricated, installed, and are now operating at the Ford Nuclear Reactor at the University of Michigan. The facilities are referred to as the HSSI-IAR facilities with the individual facilities being designated as IAR-1 and IAR-2. This new and unique facility design requires no cutting or grinding operations to retrieve irradiated specimens, all capsule hardware is totally reusable, and materials transported from site to site are limited to specimens only. At the time of this letter report, the facilities have operated successfully for approximately 2500 effective full-power hours

21 CFR 58.43 - Animal care facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... testing facility shall have a sufficient number of animal rooms or areas, as needed, to assure proper: (1... (4) routine or specialized housing of animals. (b) A testing facility shall have a number of animal... shall exist for the collection and disposal of all animal waste and refuse or for safe sanitary storage...

Design of special facility for liquor irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao Shibin; Chen Zigen

1989-01-01

The design principle, physical scheme, technological process, construction and safety features of a special facility used for irradiating liquors is briefly described. 0.925 x 10 15 Bq cobalt source is used and the irradiation capacity for liquors approaches 10 t per day. The facility bears advantages of simple in construction, easy to operate, safe, reliable and efficient in source utilization

Performance of Shiva as a laser fusion irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Speck, D.R.; Bliss, E.S.; Glaze, J.A.; Johnson, B.C.; Manes, K.R.; Ozarski, R.G.; Rupert, P.R.; Simmons, W.W.; Swift, C.D.; Thompson, C.E.

1979-01-01

Shiva is a 20 beam Nd:Glass Laser and Target Irradiation Facility at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. The laser system and integrated target facility evolved during the last year from a large, untested, experimental laser system to a target irradiation facility which has provided significant laser driven inertial confinement fusion data. The operation of the facility is discussed

Industrial gamma irradiation facility with a wet storage source in Syrian Arab Republic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Othman, I.; Moussa, A.; Stepanov, D.G.; Ermakov, V.

1998-01-01

A gamma radiation facility was built in Damascus, Syria. The plant (ROBO) is a Co-60 wet storage, batch/continuous facility with nominal capacity of 1.85x10 16 Bq. The initial activity is 3.7x10 15 Bq. The ratio of maximum absorbed dose to the minimum one within irradiated materials is around 1.3+/-0.03. The irradiator consists of two sections to select required sources for irradiation. Two pools were constructed. The main pool will serve as biological shield for the main sources frame. The second pool will host a fixed circular frame to be used as calibration source or to irradiate small samples to low doses. The conveyor consists of a chain facility moving along trucks. A repair section is provided on the conveyor route in the load-unload area for carrying out inspection, repair, etc. The trucks are holed with a rectangular frames. Loading, unloading and rearrangement of the products is carried out automatically. This mechanism is carried out by seven pneumatic cylinders, lifting devices and roller conveyors. Many safety features were included: push-back platform, followed by pit used as a physical barrier. Interlocks are connected to the platform, pit cover and to ionization chambers. In case of power failure or any overriding of interlocks, the irradiator comes to emergency dropping. Ventilation system, fire system, emergency power and closed water purification system are indicated on control panel. The facility will be utilized for medical products sterilization, research and calibration

Radiation facilities and irradiation technology for food irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sunaga, Hiromi

2005-01-01

Progress made during these 30 years in the field of radiation treatment of food is reviewed by describing features of the process including elementary processes, quality control of the products and the dosimetric techniques widely employed. The Co-60 gamma-ray irradiation facilities to be used for radiation-sterilization of medical supplies and food preservation are presented. For electron beam irradiation, accelerators for processing with the energy from 0.3 to 10 MeV are generally employed. The electron-guns, the method of acceleration such as rectification, types of acceleration as Cockcroft-Walton, dynamitron, or linear acceleration and X-ray producing facility, with various countermeasures for safety management, are briefly explained. The concepts of dose and traceability are given. The dosimeters including reference dosimeter and routine ones with validation are explained. (S. Ohno)

An industrial 60Co gamma irradiation facility in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin Yongling; Zhou Ruiying; Wang Binglin

1990-01-01

The radiation processing has developed very fast in China since 1980. There are more than 100 of 60 Co radiation facilities having been set up. Majority of them was with relatively small capacity and was used mainly for the laboratory study. An industrial radiation facility has been established and put into operation in Beijing Radiation Application Center (BRAC) recently. The project was based on the research works of irradiation technology during the period of 1980-1985. The main pre-research work was radiation sterilization of medical products and food irradiation. This work has obtained an award from State Commission of Science and Technology. The Commission has arranged the construction of an industrial sterilization plant for medical products as a major import project. The project has also been supported by IAEA as project CPR/8/002. The project includes a plant of production of 100,000,000 needles per year, a plant of production of 50,000,000 syringes per year and an automatic irradiation plant. All three parts have been set up now. The maximum capacity of 60 Co sources is 3.7 x 10 16 Bq, the first-time-loaded source is 12.21 x 10 15 Bq. (author)

Neutron flux and gamma dose measurement in the BNCT irradiation facility at the TRIGA reactor of the University of Pavia

Science.gov (United States)

Bortolussi, S.; Protti, N.; Ferrari, M.; Postuma, I.; Fatemi, S.; Prata, M.; Ballarini, F.; Carante, M. P.; Farias, R.; González, S. J.; Marrale, M.; Gallo, S.; Bartolotta, A.; Iacoviello, G.; Nigg, D.; Altieri, S.

2018-01-01

University of Pavia is equipped with a TRIGA Mark II research nuclear reactor, operating at a maximum steady state power of 250 kW. It has been used for many years to support Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) research. An irradiation facility was constructed inside the thermal column of the reactor to produce a sufficient thermal neutron flux with low epithermal and fast neutron components, and low gamma dose. In this irradiation position, the liver of two patients affected by hepatic metastases from colon carcinoma were irradiated after borated drug administration. The facility is currently used for cell cultures and small animal irradiation. Measurements campaigns have been carried out, aimed at characterizing the neutron spectrum and the gamma dose component. The neutron spectrum has been measured by means of multifoil neutron activation spectrometry and a least squares unfolding algorithm; gamma dose was measured using alanine dosimeters. Results show that in a reference position the thermal neutron flux is (1.20 ± 0.03) ×1010 cm-2 s-1 when the reactor is working at the maximum power of 250 kW, with the epithermal and fast components, respectively, 2 and 3 orders of magnitude lower than the thermal component. The ratio of the gamma dose with respect to the thermal neutron fluence is 1.2 ×10-13 Gy/(n/cm2).

Standard irradiation facilities for use in TRIGA reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolbasov, B.N.; Luse, R.A.

1972-01-01

The standard neutron irradiation facility (SNIP) was developed under IAEA and FAO co-ordinated research program for the standardization of neutron irradiation facilities for radiobiological research, resulting in the possibility to use fast neutrons from pool-type reactors for radiobiological studies. The studies include irradiation of seeds for crop improvement, of Drosophila for genetic studies, and of microorganisms for developing industrially useful mutants, as well as fundamental studies in radiation biology. The facilities, located in the six pool-type reactors (in Austria, Bulgaria, India, Philippines, Thailand and Taiwan), have been calibrated and utilized to compare the response to fast neutrons of barley seeds (variety Himalaya CI 000620) which were selected as a standard biological monitor by which to estimate neutron fluxes in different reactors. These comparative irradiation studies showed excellent agreement and reproducibility

Prompt gamma-ray imaging for small animals

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Libai

Small animal imaging is recognized as a powerful discovery tool for small animal modeling of human diseases, which is providing an important clue to complete understanding of disease mechanisms and is helping researchers develop and test new treatments. The current small animal imaging techniques include positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission tomography (SPECT), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound (US). A new imaging modality called prompt gamma-ray imaging (PGI) has been identified and investigated primarily by Monte Carlo simulation. Currently it is suggested for use on small animals. This new technique could greatly enhance and extend the present capabilities of PET and SPECT imaging from ingested radioisotopes to the imaging of selected non-radioactive elements, such as Gd, Cd, Hg, and B, and has the great potential to be used in Neutron Cancer Therapy to monitor neutron distribution and neutron-capture agent distribution. This approach consists of irradiating small animals in the thermal neutron beam of a nuclear reactor to produce prompt gamma rays from the elements in the sample by the radiative capture (n, gamma) reaction. These prompt gamma rays are emitted in energies that are characteristic of each element and they are also produced in characteristic coincident chains. After measuring these prompt gamma rays by surrounding spectrometry array, the distribution of each element of interest in the sample is reconstructed from the mapping of each detected signature gamma ray by either electronic collimations or mechanical collimations. In addition, the transmitted neutrons from the beam can be simultaneously used for very sensitive anatomical imaging, which provides the registration for the elemental distributions obtained from PGI. The primary approach is to use Monte Carlo simulation methods either with the specific purpose code CEARCPG, developed at NC State University or with the general purpose

UTN's gamma irradiation facility: design and concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohamad Noor Mohamad Yunus

1986-01-01

UTN is building a multipurpose gamma irradiation facility which compromises of research and pilot scale irradiation cells in The Fifth Malaysia Plan. The paper high-lights the basic futures of the facility in terms of its design and selection including layout sketches. Plant performances and limitations are discussed. Plants safety is briefly highlighted in block diagrams. Lastly, a typical specification brief is tabled in appendix for reference purposes. (author)

User Support of Electron Irradiation Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, S. H.; Cha, H. K.; Lee, B. C.

2007-06-01

The KAERI (Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute) high-power electron beam irradiation facility, operating at the energies between 0.3 MeV and 10 MeV,has provided irradiation services to users in industries, universities, and institutes via 'Project of utilization and cooperation of users of a large research facility' since 2004. A great attraction of many researchers, almost 750 persons so far according to surveys, to e-beam irradiation technology as well as the growth of participants on Workshop on Electron Beam Applications from 121 to 176 indicate the increase of demands of irradiation service. Comparing to the cases of advanced nations in this area, such as America, Japan, China, and Russia, Korea is relatively much behind in radiation technology. It is mainly due to the lack of governmental supports and investments. Active support and investment on construction and operation of electron beam user facilities would be principal factors on developments of advanced technologies. In this project, we would like to satisfy users' requests by developing the effective managing and operating system for prompt services, processes, and QA and to ultimately assist users to create additional new results, by maximizing the utilization of all available resources and activating the developments of technologies of electron beam processing

IRASM - A multipurpose irradiation facility in Romania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ponta, C.C.; Moise, I.V.; Bratu, E.

1998-01-01

A multipurpose irradiation facility is under construction at IPNE, Bucharest, under the IAEA T.C. Project: ROM/8/011. It will be the first industrial facility in Romania. This paper presents the philosophy standing behind the design, the short and long term managing plans. Some dose calculations are added in the view of using the empty spaces in the irradiation room for cultural heritage conservation. An economic study is presented aiming to provide basic estimations for further management strategy. At the start the facility will be a state enterprise. The implications, advantages and disadvantages of this situation are discussed

FiBi - A French network of facilities for irradiation in biology: The organisation of the network and the research opportunities associated

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaillard-Lecanu, E.; Coffigny, H.; Poncy, J.L.; Authier, N.; Verrey, B.; Bailly, I.; Baldacchino, G.; Bordy, J.M.; Carriere, M.; Leplat, J.J.; Pin, S.; Pommeret, S.; Thuret, J.Y.; Renault, J.P.; Cortella, I.; Duval, D.; Khodja, H.; Testard, I.

2006-01-01

The Life Science Division of the Atomic Energy Commission has developed a national network of available irradiation facilities for biological studies. One aim is to optimise the irradiation of biological samples, through a compendium of existing facilities allowing for the preserving and the irradiation of these samples in good conditions, and for providing an appropriate and reliable dosimetry. Given the high cost of the facilities and their specialization (nature and precision of irradiation on a cell scale, dose and dose rate), closeness is no longer the only criteria of choice for biologists. Development is leaning towards the implementation of irradiation platforms gathering irradiation tools associated with specific methods belonging to biology: cell culture, molecular biology and even animal care houses. The aim is to be able to offer biologists the most appropriate experimental tools, and to modify them according to the changing needs of radiobiology. This work is currently in progress and the database is still not exhaustive and shall be implemented as and when new documents are drawn up and new facilities are opened. (author)

Evaluation of spatial sensitivity of a prompt gamma neutron activation analysis facility for the in vivo determination of nitrogen in small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasviki, K.; Ioannina University; Stamatelatos, I.E.; Kalef-Ezra, J.

2007-01-01

We investigated the spatial dependence of the sensitivity of nitrogen measurement with a prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) system for small animals and developed an analysis procedure that permits the reduction of systematic errors due to that dependence. The analysis procedure is based on neutron and photon transport calculations performed using the MCNP code in order to evaluate the sensitivity of the PGNAA facility. The system can be calibrated experimentally using a small number of phantoms of known size and composition. The calculation approach can then be used to predict responses for animal body sizes and shapes relatively to those experimentally determined and to include the effect of tissue inhomogeneities. Our calculations were verified by experimental measurements performed for a set of cylindrical inhomogeneous phantoms. The calculated to experimental ratios observed were within 6%. (author)

Radiation safety of gamma and electron irradiation facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

There are currently some 160 gamma irradiation facilities and over 600 electron beam facilities in operation throughout virtually all Member States of the IAEA. The most widespread uses of these facilities are for the sterilization of medical and pharmaceutical products, the preservation of foodstuffs, polymer synthesis and modification, and the eradication of insect infestation. The safety record of this industry has been very good. Nevertheless, there is a potential for accidents with serious consequences. Gamma and electron beam facilities produce very high dose rates during irradiation, so that a person accidentally present in the irradiation chamber can receive a lethal dose within minutes or seconds. Precautions against uncontrolled entry must therefore be taken. Furthermore, gamma irradiation facilities contain large amounts of radioactivity and if the mechanism for retracting the source is damaged, the source may remain exposed, inhibiting direct access to carry out remedial work. Contamination can result from corroded or damaged sources, and decontamination can be very expensive. These aspects clearly indicate the need to achieve a high degree of safety and reliability in the facilities. This can be accomplished by effective quality control together with careful design, manufacture, installation, operation and decommissioning. The guidance in this Safety Series publication is intended for competent authorities responsible for regulating the use of radiation sources as well as the manufacturers, suppliers, installers and users of gamma and electron beam facilities. 20 refs, 6 figs

Fusion Materials Irradiation Test Facility: a facility for fusion-materials qualification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trego, A.L.; Hagan, J.W.; Opperman, E.K.; Burke, R.J.

1983-01-01

The Fusion Materials Irradiation Test Facility will provide a unique testing environment for irradiation of structural and special purpose materials in support of fusion power systems. The neutron source will be produced by a deuteron-lithium stripping reaction to generate high energy neutrons to ensure damage similar to that of a deuterium-tritium neutron spectrum. The facility design is now ready for the start of construction and much of the supporting lithium system research has been completed. Major testing of key low energy end components of the accelerator is about to commence. The facility, its testing role, and the status and major aspects of its design and supporting system development are described

National Low-Temperature Neutron-Irradiation Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coltman, R.R. Jr.; Klabunde, C.E.; Young, F.W. Jr.

1983-08-01

The Materials Sciences Division of the United States Department of Energy will establish a National Low Temperature Neutron Irradiation Facility (NLTNIF) which will utilize the Bulk Shielding Reactor (BSR) located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The facility will provide high radiation intensities and special environmental and testing conditions for qualified experiments at no cost to users. This report describes the planned experimental capabilities of the new facility

The PIREX proton irradiation facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Victoria, M. [Association EURATOM, Villigen (Switzerland)

1995-10-01

The proton Irradiation Experiment (PIREX) is a materials irradiation facility installed in a beam line of the 590 MeV proton accelerator at the Paul Scherrer Institute. Its main purpose is the testing of candidate materials for fusion reactor components. Protons of this energy produce simultaneously displacement damage and spallation products, amongst them helium and can therefore simulate any possible synergistic effects of damage and helium, that would be produced by the fusion neutrons.

The PIREX proton irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Victoria, M.

1995-01-01

The proton Irradiation Experiment (PIREX) is a materials irradiation facility installed in a beam line of the 590 MeV proton accelerator at the Paul Scherrer Institute. Its main purpose is the testing of candidate materials for fusion reactor components. Protons of this energy produce simultaneously displacement damage and spallation products, amongst them helium and can therefore simulate any possible synergistic effects of damage and helium, that would be produced by the fusion neutrons

Post irradiation examinations cooperation and worldwide utilization of facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karlsson, Mikael

2009-01-01

Status of post irradiation examinations in Studsvik's facilities, cooperation and worldwide utilization of facilities, was described. Studsvik cooperate with irradiation facilities, as Halden, CEA and JAEA, as well as other hot cell facilities (examples, PSI, ITU and NFD) universities (example, the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden) in order to be able to provide everything asked for by the nuclear community. Worldwide cooperation for effective use of expensive and highly specialized facilities is important, and the necessity of cooperation will be more and more recognized in the future. (author)

New irradiation facilities at the Australian national medical cyclotron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parcell, S.K.; Arnott, D.W.; Conard, E.M.

1999-01-01

Two new irradiation facilities have been developed at the National Medical Cyclotron for radionuclide production. The first relocates PET irradiations from the cyclotron vault to a dedicated PET beam room, to improve accessibility and reduce radiation exposures associated with target maintenance. This new facility consists of a beam line to transport 16-30 MeV proton beams from the cyclotron to 1 of 8 PET targets mounted on a target rack. The target rack has increased the number of targets available for production and experimentation. The second is a completely independent solid target irradiation facility for SPECT. This facility consists of a beam line to transport 26-30 MeV proton beams from the cyclotron to a dedicated beam room containing one solid target station. A new pneumatic target transfer system was also developed to transport the solid target to and from the existing chemistry hot cells. The beam line and target components are operated under the control of a dedicated PLC with a PC based user interface. The development and some technical aspects of these new irradiation facilities are discussed here. (author)

Low temperature irradiation facility at Kyoto University Reactor (KUR)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atobe, Kozo; Okada, Moritami; Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Kodaka, Hisao; Miyata, Kiyomi.

1977-01-01

A new refrigeration system has been substituted to the low temperature irradiation facility at KUR instead of the previous one, since April in 1975. The model 1204 CTi He liquifier was designed to be modified for the refrigerator with the capacity of 30 watts at 10 K. The refrigeration capacity of 38 watts at 10 K was defined using a special cryostat and transfer-tubes, and the lowest temperature of about 18 K was measured using the irradiation loop without reactor operation. The reconstructed facility enables us to hold the many specimens simultaneously in the sample chamber of the irradiation loop at about 25 K during reactor operation of 5 MW. The irradiation dose has been reached about 6.6 x 10 16 n sub(f)/cm 2 and 6.1 x 10 17 n sub(th)/cm 2 with the normal reactor operation cycle of up to 77 hours. The stable operation condition of the machine and the special safety system for the refrigeration system enable us to maintain easily the facility with a constant operation condition for such a long time irradiation. Many kinds of low temperature neutron irradiation experiments are carried out using the facility, which techniques are partially reported. (auth.)

Study on increasing commercial benefits of 60Co irradiation facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Shuizi; Qi Huanjiang; Xei Tong

2004-01-01

Estimating commercial benefits of irradiation facilities adopts commercial benefits coefficient. The effect factors are the utilization rate of irradiation energy (E), the consistency of irradiation facilities (Ci), the utilization rate of time (T), the utilization rate of space, the minimum efficient adsorption dose (Dmin), the irradiation adsorption dose uriformity (U), the sale (S), the running cost (C) et. al, and E, Ci, S, C are main in all factors. (authors)

Installation of the water environment irradiation facility for the IASCC research under the BWR irradiation environment (1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okada, Yuji; Magome, Hirokatsu; Hanawa, Hiroshi; Ohmi, Masao; Kanno, Masaru; Iida, Kazuhiro; Ando, Hitoshi; Shibata, Mitsunobu; Yonekawa, Akihisa; Ueda, Haruyasu

2013-10-01

In Japan Atomic Energy Agency, in order to solve the problem in the long-term operation of a light water reactor, preparation which does the irradiation experiment of light-water reactor fuel and material is advanced. JMTR stopped after the 165th operation cycle in August 2006, and is advancing renewal of the irradiation facility towards re-operation. This material irradiation test facility and power ramping test facility for doing the neutron irradiation test of the fuel and material for light water reactors is scheduled to be manufactured and installed between the 2008 fiscal year and the 2012 fiscal year. This report summarizes manufacture and installation of the material irradiation test facility for IASCC research carried out from the 2008 fiscal year to the 2010 fiscal year. (author)

Technical Safety Requirements for the Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF)

CERN Document Server

Mahn, J A E M J G

2003-01-01

This document provides the Technical Safety Requirements (TSR) for the Sandia National Laboratories Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF). The TSR is a compilation of requirements that define the conditions, the safe boundaries, and the administrative controls necessary to ensure the safe operation of a nuclear facility and to reduce the potential risk to the public and facility workers from uncontrolled releases of radioactive or other hazardous materials. These requirements constitute an agreement between DOE and Sandia National Laboratories management regarding the safe operation of the Gamma Irradiation Facility.

Upgrading safety systems of industrial irradiation facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomes, R.S.; Gomes, J.D.R.L.; Costa, E.L.C.; Costa, M.L.L.; Thomé, Z.D.

2017-01-01

The first industrial irradiation facility in operation in Brazil was designed in the 70s. Nowadays, twelve commercial and research facilities are in operation and two already decommissioned. Minor modifications and upgrades, as sensors replacement, have been introduced in these facilities, in order to reduce the technological gap in the control and safety systems. The safety systems are designed in agreement with the codes and standards at the time. Since then, new standards, codes and recommendations, as well as lessons learned from accidents, have been issued by various international committees or regulatory bodies. The rapid advance of the industry makes the safety equipment used in the original construction become obsolete. The decreasing demand for these older products means that they are no longer produced, which can make it impossible or costly to obtain spare parts and the expansion of legacy systems to include new features. This work aims to evaluate existing safety systems at Brazilian irradiation facilities, mainly the oldest facilities, taking into account the recommended IAEA's design requirements. Irrespective of the fact that during its operational period no event with victims have been recorded in Brazilian facilities, and that the regulatory inspections do not present any serious deviations regarding the safety procedures, it is necessary an assessment of safety system with the purpose of bringing their systems to 'the state of the art', avoiding their rapid obsolescence. This study has also taken into account the knowledge, concepts and solutions developed to upgrading safety system in irradiation facilities throughout the world. (author)

Upgrading safety systems of industrial irradiation facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gomes, R.S.; Gomes, J.D.R.L.; Costa, E.L.C.; Costa, M.L.L., E-mail: rogeriog@cnen.gov.br, E-mail: jlopes@cnen.gov.br, E-mail: evaldo@cnen.gov.br, E-mail: mara@cnen.gov.br [Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Diretoria de Radioproteção e Segurança Nuclear; Thomé, Z.D., E-mail: zielithome@gmail.com [Instituto Militar de Engenharia (IME), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Seção de Engenharia Nuclear

2017-07-01

The first industrial irradiation facility in operation in Brazil was designed in the 70s. Nowadays, twelve commercial and research facilities are in operation and two already decommissioned. Minor modifications and upgrades, as sensors replacement, have been introduced in these facilities, in order to reduce the technological gap in the control and safety systems. The safety systems are designed in agreement with the codes and standards at the time. Since then, new standards, codes and recommendations, as well as lessons learned from accidents, have been issued by various international committees or regulatory bodies. The rapid advance of the industry makes the safety equipment used in the original construction become obsolete. The decreasing demand for these older products means that they are no longer produced, which can make it impossible or costly to obtain spare parts and the expansion of legacy systems to include new features. This work aims to evaluate existing safety systems at Brazilian irradiation facilities, mainly the oldest facilities, taking into account the recommended IAEA's design requirements. Irrespective of the fact that during its operational period no event with victims have been recorded in Brazilian facilities, and that the regulatory inspections do not present any serious deviations regarding the safety procedures, it is necessary an assessment of safety system with the purpose of bringing their systems to 'the state of the art', avoiding their rapid obsolescence. This study has also taken into account the knowledge, concepts and solutions developed to upgrading safety system in irradiation facilities throughout the world. (author)

Questionnaire survey and technical guideline of blood irradiation on medical facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Mitsuhiro; Hasegawa, Hironori; Okumura, Masahiko; Sonoda, Tatsuo; Osada, Koji.

1997-01-01

We know that transfusion-associated graft versus host disease (TA-GVHD) is a serious side effect associated with blood transfusion and the onset is independent on the immunological conditions of patients. We have only prophylactic treatment against TA-GVHD. The most reliable method is to irradiate the blood for transfusion. In Japanese medical facilities, however, the risk of TA-GVHD is poorly understood and actual conditions of the blood irradiation are unclear. We sent a questionnaire to randomly selected 426 medical facilities in Japan, which had the department of radiology, to investigate the actual conditions of blood irradiation for transfusion and the problems on the irradiation dose measurement of the external apparatus for blood irradiation. The questionnaire involved 19 questions about the blood irradiation for transfusion. The survey took place for one month (June 1-June 30, 1995). Replies were obtained from a total of 306 medical facilities (72%). The results showed that blood irradiation was done by several methods in the 75% of the medical facilities, and the external irradiation apparatus was used in 83%. Some problems were shown, including irradiation period, cost of the irradiation, the operating procedure of the apparatus, requested number of the irradiation, and the request after usual hours. There was no significant problem on the irradiation dose, irradiation method, etc. We also sent a questionnaire to 74 facilities of the Red Cross Blood Center, in which the frequency of blood irradiation have increased since May, 1976. The X-ray apparatus as the external irradiation apparatus has practical advantages; lower cost, compact and out of the legal control on the ionizing radiation, however, it has some problems on the uniformity of the absorption dose when a single X-ray tube-type apparatus is used. We discuss about the possible onset of TA-GVHD or other accidents by the incorrect irradiation of the blood preparations. (K.H.)

Skin allografts in lethally irradiated animals repopulated with syngeneic hemopoietic cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwadron, R.B.

1983-01-01

Total body irradiation and repopulation with syngeneic hemopoietic cells can be used to induce tolerance to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) mismatched heart and kidney grafts in rats and mice. However, this protocol does not work for MHC mismatched skin grafts in rats or mice. Furthermore, LEW rats that accept WF cardiac allografts after irradiation and repopulation reject subsequent WF skin grafts. Treatment of skin allograft donors with methotrexate prior to grafting onto irradiated and reconstituted mice resulted in doubling of the mean survival time. Analysis of which antigens provoked skin graft rejection by irradiation and reconstituted animals revealed the importance of I region antigens. Cardiac allograft acceptance by irradiated and reconstituted animals is mediated by suppressor cells found in the spleen. Adoptively tolerant LEW rats accepted WF skin grafts in 50% of grafted animals. Analysis of this phenomenon revealed that the adoptive transfer procedure itself was important in achieving skin allograft acceptance by these animals. In general, it seems that the lack of ability of irradiated and reconstituted animals to accept fully MHC disparate skin grafts results from the inability of these animals to suppress lymph node effector cells against I region antigen seen on highly immunogenic allogeneic Langerhans cells in the skin

Omega: A 24-beam UV irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richardson, M.C.; Beich, W.; Delettrez, J.

1985-01-01

The authors report on the characterization and performance of the 24-beam Omega laser facility under full third harmonic (351-nm) upconversion. This system provides for the first time a multibeam laser facility for the illumination of spherical targets with UV laser light in symmetric irradiation conditions with energies in the kilojoule range. This facility is capable of providing sufficient irradiation uniformity to test concepts of direct drive laser fusion with UV-driven ablation targets. The results of initial studies of ablatively driven DT-fueled glass microballoon targets will be described. The 24-beam Omega Nd:phosphate glass facility is capable of providing at 1054 nm output powers in excess of 10 TW in short ( 10 4 full system shots to date) irradiation facility with beam synchronism of approx. =3 psec, beam placement accuracy on target of 10 μm, and interbeam energy variance of approx. =2%. From measured target plane intensity distributions, overall illumination uniformity with tangentially focused beams is estimated to be approx. =5%. In 1984, a symmetric set of six beams was upconverted to 351-nm radiation using the polarization-mismatch scheme developed by Craxton. Monolithic cells of 20-cm clear aperture containing both frequency and doubler and tripler type II KDP crystals in index-matching propylene carbonate liquid were incorporated to output of six of the Omega beams with a full set of UV beam diagnostics

Late radiation effects in animals surviving lethal irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dimitrov, L.A.

1974-01-01

Animals (rats, mice, dogs) survived lethal irradiation by means of prophylactic-therapeutic treatments or previously irradiated, were studied for late radiation effects: life span, cachexia and fat growing of hypophysical type, tissue or organ hypoplasia manifested by disturbed hemopoiesis, suppressed function of adrenal gland, etc., suppressed immune reactivity of the irradiated organism, atypical biochemical changes in DNA and protein metabolism, epilation, chronic dermatitis, ulcerations, reduced reproductivity or full sterility, damage of kidneys leading to nephrosclerosis, dishormonal states, cataracts, diffuse sclerotic processes, various kinds of malignant and non-malignant tumors. In these cases hemopoiesis compensated for a definite time peripheral blood composition, but during the late period it showed features of incompleteness: shorter life survival of erythrocytes and thrombocytes manifested by a decreased binding of labelled methionine in these blood elements, anemia and relative thrombocytopenia sometimes with an increased number of polychromatic erythrocytes in peripheral blood and a decreased number of reticulocytes at the same time; lymphopenia and relative leucopenia with an increased number of hypersegmented neutrophils. Decreased reproductivity and atypical biochemical changes available in the first generation of the irradiated animals showed the probable role of mutagenic factors in the emergence of some late radiation effects. A significant part of late radiation sequences were due to neuro-endocrine desintegrations which lead to a disturbed supply of the vessels and afterwards to their sclerosis. Some of the described late radiation effects were also observed in biological controls as festures of ageing while in irradiated animals they were manifested in an earlier period. After application of optimal amounts radioprotectors (AET, cysteamine, serotonin) a more marked protective effect is demonstrated in the early reactions (time survival

External irradiation facilities open for biological studies - progress in july 2005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaillard-Lecanu, E.; Authier, N.; Verrey, B.; Bailly, I.; Bordy, J.M.; Coffigny, H.; Cortela, L.; Duval, D.; Leplat, J.J.; Poncy, J.L.; Testard, I.; Thuret, J.Y.

2005-01-01

The Life Science Division of the Atomic Energy Commission is making an inventory of the various radiation sources accessible for investigation on the biological effects of ionizing radiation. In this field, a wide range of studies is being carried out at the Life Science Division, attempting to characterize the kind of lesions with their early biological consequences (on the various cell compartments) and their late biological consequences (deterministic or stochastic effects), in relation to the radiation type and dose, especially at low doses. Several experimental models are available: plants, bacteria, eukaryotic cells from yeast up to mammalian cells and in vivo studies, mostly on rodents, in order to characterize the somatic late effects and the hereditary effects. Due to the significant cost of these facilities, also to their specific properties (nature of the radiation, dose and dose rate, possible accuracy of the irradiation at the molecular level), the closeness is no longer the only criteria for biologists to make a choice. The current evolution is to set up irradiation infrastructures combining ionizing radiation sources themselves and specific tools dedicated to biological studies: cell or molecular biology laboratories, animal facilities. The purpose, in this new frame, is to provide biologists with the most suitable facilities, and, if possible, to change these facilities according to requirements in radiobiology. In this report, the basics of interactions of ionizing radiation with biological tissues are briefly introduced, followed by a presentation of some of the facilities available for radiobiological studies especially at CEA. This panorama is not a comprehensive one, new data will be included as they advance, whether reporting existing facilities or if a new one is developed. (authors)

3D absorbed dose calculation with GATE Monte Carlo simulation for the image-guided radiation therapy dedicated to the small animal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noblet, Caroline

2014-01-01

Innovating irradiators dedicated to small animal allow to mimic clinical treatments in image-guided radiation therapy. Clinical practice is scaled down to the small animal by reducing beam dimensions (from cm to mm) and energy (from MeV to keV). Millimeter medium energy beams ( [fr

Irradiation facilities at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandberg, V.

1990-01-01

The irradiation facilities for testing SSC components and detector systems are described. Very high intensity proton, neutron, and pion fluxes are available with beam kinetic energies of up to 800 MeV. 4 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs

The proceedings of 1993-workshop on 'development and application of facilities for low temperature irradiation as well as controlled irradiation'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuramoto, Eiichi; Okada, Moritami

1993-03-01

This is the proceedings of 1992-workshop of the working group on 'Development and Application of Facilities for Low Temperature Irradiation as well as Controlled Irradiation' held at the Research Reactor Institute of Kyoto University on February 23 and 24, 1993. In this workshop until now, studies on irradiation effects in many materials irradiated at lower and higher temperatures have been reported. It has been clearly defined that a careful choice of irradiation conditions is most important. At the present time, a setting plan of exactly controlled irradiation facility, which is able to irradiate with higher temperatures, is in progress. On the other hand, a plan of vertical low temperature irradiation facility has not yet been performed for lack of funds. In last year, a middle scale plan of low temperature irradiation facility, which is possible to irradiate a fast-neutron dose above 10 17 n/cm 2 at about 5K, was proposed in this workshop. In this proceedings, the advanced facility is required to construct to the KUR as soon as possible by many of the workshop members. (author)

Irradiation facilities on the TRIGA-SSR thermal column

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roth, C; Aioanei, L; Preda, M; Gugiu, D [Institute for Nuclear Research, Pitesti (Romania); Garlea, I; Kelerman, C; Garlea, C [SENDRA ' Nuclear Technologies' ltd. Bucharest (Romania)

2004-07-01

The development of thermal and intermediate energy neutron irradiation facilities at the steady state core of the Romanian TRIGA Reactor is described. The reference thermal neutron irradiation facility consists of a dry spherical cavity placed into the graphite thermal column of the SSR core and the intermediate energy neutron irradiation facility is a {sigma}{sigma} system located into the thermal flux cavity. The implementation of the irradiation facilities into the under-water thermal column represented an important challenge from the standpoint of instrumentation solutions. The neutron flux and spectrum measurements were performed using foil activation techniques and fission rate measurements by sealed fission chambers, followed by spectrum unfolding procedure. The absolute fission reaction measurements, using calibrated fission chambers, allow the neutron flux density unit transfer from international reference neutron fields. The MCNP-4C code package was used for neutron spectrum computations in the thermal flux cavity and in the {sigma}{sigma} system. The neutron characterization program demonstrates the accuracy of the spectrum characteristics and neutron flux densities reported to the local monitoring system count rates. Some discrepancies, as compared to other similar facilities, were identified and discussed. These are caused by thermal column particularities: the presence of a water layer between the graphite cells (thermal neutron absorption) and smaller geometrical dimensions (neutron escape phenomena). Based on these results the metrological certification process, according to Romanian metrological laws requirements, is now in progress. (nevyjel)

A device for external γ-irradiation of experimental animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanitskaya, N.F.; Talakin, Yu.N.; Lekakh, V.A.

1992-01-01

A device was developed for external gamma-irradiation of experimental animals including a radiation source, a device for fixation of the total animal or a segment of its body in the focus of irradiation, and a shilding screen. To widen the sphere of this device application by making possible a simultaneous radiation exposure of a group of animals under various radiation schedules, the device involves two discs with a common axis. The lower disc is provided with an electric drive and containers with animals are placed on it, and the upper disc is for the shielding screen. The device is supplied with an operation block

Development of new irradiation facility for BWR safety research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okada, Yuji; Magome, Hirokatsu; Iida, Kazuhiro; Hanawa, Hiroshi; Ohmi, Masao

2013-01-01

In JAEA (Japan Atomic Energy Agency), about the irradiation embrittlement of the reactor pressure vessel and the stress corrosion cracking of reactor core composition apparatus concerning the long-term use of the light water reactor (BWR), in order to check the influence of the temperature, pressure, and water quality, etc on BWR condition. The water environmental control facility which performs irradiation assisted stress corrosion-cracking (IASCC) evaluation under BWR irradiation environment was fabricated in JMTR (Japan Materials Testing Reactor). This report is described the outline of manufacture of the water environmental control facility for doing an irradiation test using the saturation temperature capsule after JMTR re-operation. (author)

The BLAIRR Irradiation Facility Hybrid Spallation Target Optimization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simos N.; Hanson A.; Brown, D.; Elbakhshawn, M.

2016-04-11

BLAIRR STUDY STATUS OVERVIEW Beamline Complex Evaluation/Assessment and Adaptation to the Goals Facility Radiological Constraints ? Large scale analyses of conventional facility and integrated shield (concrete, soil)Target Optimization and Design: Beam-target interaction optimization Hadronic interaction and energy deposition limitations Single phase and Hybrid target concepts Irradiation Damage Thermo-mechanical considerations Spallation neutron fluence optimization for (a) fast neutron irradiation damage (b) moderator/reflector studies, (c) NTOF potential and optimization (d) mono-energetic neutron beam

Positive ion irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braby, L.A.

1985-01-01

Many questions about the mechanisms of the response of cells to ionizing radiation can best be investigated using monoenergetic heavy charged particle beams. Questions of the role of different types of damage in the LET effect, for example, are being answered by comparing repair kinetics for damage induced by electrons with that produced by helium ions. However, as the models become more sophicated, the differences between models can be detected only with more precise measurements, or by combining high- and low-LET irradiations in split-dose experiments. The design of the authors present cell irradiation beam line has limited the authors to irradiating cells in a partial vacuum. A new way to mount the dishes and bring the beam to the cells was required. Several means of irradiating cells in mylar-bottom dishes have been used at other laboratories. For example at the RARAF Facility, the dual ion experiments are done with the dish bottom serving as the beam exit window but the cells are in a partial vacuum to prevent breaking the window. These researchers have chosen instead to use the dish bottom as the beam window and to irradiate the entire dish in a single exposure. A special, very fast pumping system will be installed at the end of the beam line. This system will make it possible to irradiate cells within two minutes of installing them in the irradiation chamber. In this way, the interaction of electron and ion-induced damage in Chlamydomonas can be studied with time between doses as short as 5 minutes

IRRAD: The New 24GeV/c Proton Irradiation Facility at CERN

CERN Document Server

Gkotse, Blerina; Moll, Michael; Ravotti, Federico

2016-01-01

The proton and mixed-field irradiation facilities at the CERN PS East Area (known as IRRAD1 and IRRAD2), have been heavily exploited for irradiation of particle detectors, electronic components and materials since 1992. With the increasing demand of irradiation experiments, and in view of the High-Luminosity upgrade of the CERN Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC), these facilities suffered of a number of unpleasant restrictions such as the space availability, the maximum achievable particle flux and several access constraints. In the framework of the AIDA project, an upgrade of these facilities was carried out during the Long Shutdown 1 (LS1) of the CERN accelerator complex. The new combined East Area IRRADiation facility (EA-IRRAD) started the commissioning in October 2014. While the new proton facility (IRRAD) continue to be mainly devoted to the radiation hardness studies for the High Energy Physics community, the new mixed-field facility (CHARM) mainly hosts irradiation experiments for the validation of electr...

Defocusing beam line design for an irradiation facility at the TAEA SANAEM Proton Accelerator Facility

Science.gov (United States)

Gencer, A.; Demirköz, B.; Efthymiopoulos, I.; Yiğitoğlu, M.

2016-07-01

Electronic components must be tested to ensure reliable performance in high radiation environments such as Hi-Limu LHC and space. We propose a defocusing beam line to perform proton irradiation tests in Turkey. The Turkish Atomic Energy Authority SANAEM Proton Accelerator Facility was inaugurated in May 2012 for radioisotope production. The facility has also an R&D room for research purposes. The accelerator produces protons with 30 MeV kinetic energy and the beam current is variable between 10 μA and 1.2 mA. The beam kinetic energy is suitable for irradiation tests, however the beam current is high and therefore the flux must be lowered. We plan to build a defocusing beam line (DBL) in order to enlarge the beam size, reduce the flux to match the required specifications for the irradiation tests. Current design includes the beam transport and the final focusing magnets to blow up the beam. Scattering foils and a collimator is placed for the reduction of the beam flux. The DBL is designed to provide fluxes between 107 p /cm2 / s and 109 p /cm2 / s for performing irradiation tests in an area of 15.4 cm × 21.5 cm. The facility will be the first irradiation facility of its kind in Turkey.

Design of a radiation facility for very small specimens used in radiobiology studies

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, Manuel; Jeraj, Robert

2008-06-01

A design of a radiation facility for very small specimens used in radiobiology is presented. This micro-irradiator has been primarily designed to irradiate partial bodies in zebrafish embryos 3-4 mm in length. A miniature x-ray, 50 kV photon beam, is used as a radiation source. The source is inserted in a cylindrical brass collimator that has a pinhole of 1.0 mm in diameter along the central axis to produce a pencil photon beam. The collimator with the source is attached underneath a computer-controlled movable table which holds the specimens. Using a 45° tilted mirror, a digital camera, connected to the computer, takes pictures of the specimen and the pinhole collimator. From the image provided by the camera, the relative distance from the specimen to the pinhole axis is calculated and coordinates are sent to the movable table to properly position the samples in the beam path. Due to its monitoring system, characteristic of the radiation beam, accuracy and precision of specimen positioning, and automatic image-based specimen recognition, this radiation facility is a suitable tool to irradiate partial bodies in zebrafish embryos, cell cultures or any other small specimen used in radiobiology research.

Currently developing opportunities in food irradiation and modern irradiation facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wanke, R.

1997-01-01

I. Factor currently influencing advancing opportunities for food irradiation include: heightened incidence and awareness of food borne illnesses and causes. Concerns about ensuring food safety in international as well as domestic trade. Regulatory actions regarding commonly used fumigants/pesticides e.g. Me Br. II. Modern irradiator design: the SteriGenics M ini Cell . A new design for new opportunities. Faster installation of facility. Operationally and space efficient. Provides local o nsite control . Red meat: a currently developing opportunity. (Author)

Development of Optical Molecular Imaging System for the Acquisition of Bioluminescence Signals from Small Animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Byeong Il; Kim, Hyeon Sik; Jeong, Hye Jin; Lee, Hyung Jae; Moon, Seung Min; Kwon, Seung Young; Jeong, Shin Young; Bom, Hee Seung; Min, Jung Joon; Choi, Eun Seo

2009-01-01

Optical imaging is providing great advance and improvement in genetic and molecular imaging of animals and humans. Optical imaging system consists of optical imaging devices, which carry out major function for monitoring, tracing, and imaging in most of molecular in-vivo researches. In bio-luminescent imaging, small animals containing luciferase gene locally irradiate light, and emitted photons transmitted through skin of the small animals are imaged by using a high sensitive charged coupled device (CCD) camera. In this paper, we introduced optical imaging system for the image acquisition of bio-luminescent signals emitted from small animals. In the system, Nikon lens and four LED light sources were mounted at the inside of a dark box. A cooled CCD camera equipped with a control module was used. We tested the performance of the optical imaging system using effendorf tube and light emitting bacteria which injected intravenously into CT26 tumor bearing nude mouse. The performance of implemented optical imaging system for bio-luminescence imaging was demonstrated and the feasibility of the system in small animal imaging application was proved. We anticipate this system could be a useful tool for the molecular imaging of small animals adaptable for various experimental conditions in future

Facilities for studying radiation damage in nonmetals during irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levy, P.W.

1984-08-01

Two facilities have been developed for making optical absorption, luminescence and other measurements on a single sample before, during and after irradiation. One facility uses 60 Co gamma rays and the other 0.5 to 3 MeV electrons from an accelerator. Optical relays function as spectrophotometers, luminescenc detectors, etc. All radiation sensitive components are outside of walk-in irradiation chambers; all measurement control and data recording is computerized. Irradiations are made at controlled temperatures between 5K and 900 0 C. The materials studied include glasses, quartz, alkali halides (especially natural rock salt), organic crystals, etc. As determined from color center measurements the damage formation rate in all materials studied at 25 0 C or above is strongly temperature dependent. The defect concentration during irradiation is usually much greater than that measured after irradiation. The fraction of defects annealing after irradiation and the annealing rate usually increases as the irradiation temperature increases. The completed studies demonstrate that, in most cases, the extent of maximum damage and the damage formation and annealing kinetics can be determined only by making measurements during irradiation

Monte Carlo studies for irradiation process planning at the Portuguese gamma irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, C.; Salgado, J.; Botelho, M.L.M. Luisa; Ferreira, L.M.

2000-01-01

The paper describes a Monte Carlo study for planning the irradiation of test samples for microbiological validation of distinct products in the Portuguese Gamma Irradiation Facility. Three different irradiation geometries have been used. Simulated and experimental results are compared and good agreement is observed. It is shown that Monte Carlo simulation improves process understanding, predicts absorbed dose distributions and calculates dose uniformity in different products. Based on these results, irradiation planning of the product can be performed

The Advanced Test Reactor Irradiation Facilities and Capabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

S. Blaine Grover; Raymond V. Furstenau

2007-01-01

The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) is one of the world's premiere test reactors for performing long term, high flux, and/or large volume irradiation test programs. The ATR is a very versatile facility with a wide variety of experimental test capabilities for providing the environment needed in an irradiation experiment. These different capabilities include passive sealed capsule experiments, instrumented and/or temperature-controlled experiments, and pressurized water loop experiment facilities. The ATR has enhanced capabilities in experiment monitoring and control systems for instrumented and/or temperature controlled experiments. The control systems utilize feedback from thermocouples in the experiment to provide a custom blended flowing inert gas mixture to control the temperature in the experiments. Monitoring systems have also been utilized on the exhaust gas lines from the experiment to monitor different parameters, such as fission gases for fuel experiments, during irradiation. ATR's unique control system provides axial flux profiles in the experiments, unperturbed by axially positioned control components, throughout each reactor operating cycle and over the duration of test programs requiring many years of irradiation. The ATR irradiation positions vary in diameter from 1.6 cm (0.625 inches) to 12.7 cm (5.0 inches) over an active core length of 122 cm (48.0 inches). Thermal and fast neutron fluxes can be adjusted radially across the core depending on the needs of individual test programs. This paper will discuss the different irradiation capabilities available and the cost/benefit issues related to each capability. Examples of different experiments will also be discussed to demonstrate the use of the capabilities and facilities at ATR for performing irradiation experiments

Currently developing opportunities in food irradiation and modern irradiation facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wanke, R [Director Business Development. SteriGenics International Inc. 17901 East Warren Avenue No. 4, Detroit, Michigan 48224-1333 (United States)

1998-12-31

I. Factor currently influencing advancing opportunities for food irradiation include: heightened incidence and awareness of food borne illnesses and causes. Concerns about ensuring food safety in international as well as domestic trade. Regulatory actions regarding commonly used fumigants/pesticides e.g. Me Br. II. Modern irradiator design: the SteriGenics {sup M}ini Cell{sup .} A new design for new opportunities. Faster installation of facility. Operationally and space efficient. Provides local {sup o}nsite control{sup .} Red meat: a currently developing opportunity. (Author)

Currently developing opportunities in food irradiation and modern irradiation facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wanke, R. [Director Business Development. SteriGenics International Inc. 17901 East Warren Avenue No. 4, Detroit, Michigan 48224-1333 (United States)

1997-12-31

I. Factor currently influencing advancing opportunities for food irradiation include: heightened incidence and awareness of food borne illnesses and causes. Concerns about ensuring food safety in international as well as domestic trade. Regulatory actions regarding commonly used fumigants/pesticides e.g. Me Br. II. Modern irradiator design: the SteriGenics {sup M}ini Cell{sup .} A new design for new opportunities. Faster installation of facility. Operationally and space efficient. Provides local {sup o}nsite control{sup .} Red meat: a currently developing opportunity. (Author)

Low Current Irradiation Facility at KOMAC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Min, Yi-Sub; Park, Sung-Kyun; Park, Jeong-Min; Cho, Yong-Sub [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

Korea Multi-purpose Accelerator Complex (KOMAC) is branched off from Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI). The 100 MeV linear proton accelerator as well as the various types of the ion accelerator have been operated and developed in KOMAC. The operation of these accelerators included in the KOMAC site should be approved by Nuclear Safety and Security Committee (NSSC). To aims at the operation in 2017, a research facility to irradiate low current beam has been prepared. The radiation safety analysis was performed again to adopt with the change. As a result of these changes, an easy access into the facility will be got to. This paper introduces the activity in terms of the radiation safety for these accelerator operations. Radiation analysis was performed depending on the planned changes, and it was confirmed that there is no effect by the changes. This facility is expected to be made the best use at a field which could be irradiated with proton beam which has an energy up to 100 MeV and current up to 10 nA.

Fusion Materials Irradiation Test Facility: experimental capabilities and test matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Opperman, E.K.

1982-01-01

This report describes the experimental capabilities of the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test Facility (FMIT) and reference material specimen test matrices. The description of the experimental capabilities and the test matrices has been updated to match the current single test cell facility ad assessed experimenter needs. Sufficient detail has been provided so that the user can plan irradiation experiments and conceptual hardware. The types of experiments, irradiation environment and support services that will be available in FMIT are discussed

Innovations to increase throughput of the multipurpose irradiation facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cabalfin, Estelita G; Lanuza, Luvimina G; Maningas, Aurelio L; Solomon, Haydee M [Irradiation Services Unit, Nuclear Services and Training Division, Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, Quezon City (Philippines)

1998-07-01

With the installation and operation of the PNRI [Philippine Nuclear Research Institute] multipurpose irradiation facility, several local industries are now aware of, and in fact using gamma radiation for sterilization or decontamination of medical and pharmaceutical products, packaging materials and for food preservation. However, the multipurpose irradiation facility has limited capacity and capability, since this was designed as a pilot scale irradiator for research and development. To meet the increasing demand of gamma irradiation service, a new product handling system was locally designed, fabricated and installed. Performance, in terms of total loading and more importantly, radiation dose distribution of the new product handling system, was evaluated. An increase in product throughput was realized effectively with the new product handling system. (Author)

Innovations to increase throughput of the multipurpose irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cabalfin, Estelita G.; Lanuza, Luvimina G.; Maningas, Aurelio L.; Solomon, Haydee M.

1998-01-01

With the installation and operation of the PNRI [Philippine Nuclear Research Institute] multipurpose irradiation facility, several local industries are now aware of, and in fact using gamma radiation for sterilization or decontamination of medical and pharmaceutical products, packaging materials and for food preservation. However, the multipurpose irradiation facility has limited capacity and capability, since this was designed as a pilot scale irradiator for research and development. To meet the increasing demand of gamma irradiation service, a new product handling system was locally designed, fabricated and installed. Performance, in terms of total loading and more importantly, radiation dose distribution of the new product handling system, was evaluated. An increase in product throughput was realized effectively with the new product handling system. (Author)

Installation of the water environment irradiation facility for the IASCC research under the BWR/PWR irradiation environment (2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magome, Hirokatsu; Okada, Yuji; Hanawa, Hiroshi; Sakuta, Yoshiyuki; Kanno, Masaru; Iida, Kazuhiro; Ando, Hitoshi; Yonekawa, Akihisa; Ueda, Haruyasu; Shibata, Mitsunobu

2014-07-01

In Japan Atomic Energy Agency, in order to solve the problem in the long-term operation of a light water reactor, preparation which does the irradiation experiment of light-water reactor fuel and material was advanced. JMTR stopped after the 165th operation cycle in August 2006, and is advancing renewal of the irradiation facility towards re-operation. The material irradiation test facility was installed from 2008 fiscal year to 2012 fiscal year in JMTR. This report summarizes manufacture and installation of the material irradiation test facility for IASCC research carried out from 2012 to 2014 in the follow-up report reported before (JAEA-Technology 2013-019). (author)

Irradiation Facilities of the Takasaki Advanced Radiation Research Institute

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satoshi Kurashima

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The ion beam facility at the Takasaki Advanced Radiation Research Institute, the National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, consists of a cyclotron and three electrostatic accelerators, and they are dedicated to studies of materials science and bio-technology. The paper reviews this unique accelerator complex in detail from the viewpoint of its configuration, accelerator specification, typical accelerator, or irradiation technologies and ion beam applications. The institute has also irradiation facilities for electron beams and 60Co gamma-rays and has been leading research and development of radiation chemistry for industrial applications in Japan with the facilities since its establishment. The configuration and utilization of those facilities are outlined as well.

Use of the SPIRAL 2 facility for material irradiations with 14 MeV energy neutrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosnier, A.; Ridikas, D.; Ledoux, X.; Pellemoine, F.; Anne, R.; Huguet, Y.; Lipa, M.; Magaud, P.; Marbach, G.; Saint-Laurent, M.G.; Villari, A.C.C.

2005-01-01

The primary goal of an irradiation facility for fusion applications will be to generate a material irradiation database for the design, construction, licensing and safe operation of a fusion demonstration power station (e.g., DEMO). This will be achieved through testing and qualifying material performance under neutron irradiation that simulates service up to the full lifetime anticipated in the power plant. Preliminary investigations of 14 MeV neutron effects on different kinds of fusion material could be assessed by the SPIRAL 2 Project at GANIL (Caen, France), aiming at rare isotope beams production for nuclear physics research with first beams expected by 2009. In SPIRAL 2, a deuteron beam of 5 mA and 40 MeV interacts with a rotating carbon disk producing high-energy neutrons (in the range between 1 and 40 MeV) via C (d, xn) reactions. Then, the facility could be used for 3-4 months y -1 for material irradiation purposes. This would correspond to damage rates in the order of 1-2 dpa y -1 (in Fe) in a volume of ∼10 cm 3 . Therefore, the use of miniaturized specimens will be essential in order to effectively utilize the available irradiation volume in SPIRAL 2. Sample package irradiation temperature would be in the range of 250-1000 deg. C. The irradiation level of 1-2 dpa y -1 with 14 MeV neutrons (average energy) may be interesting for micro-structural and metallurgical investigations (e.g., mini-traction, small punch tests, etc.) and possibly for the understanding of specimen size/geometric effects of critical material properties. Due to the small test cell volume, sample in situ experiments are not foreseen. However, sample packages would be, if required, available each month after transfer in a special hot cell on-site

Late radiation effects in animals surviving lethal irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dimitrov, L A

1974-01-01

Animals (rats, mice, dogs) survived lethal irradiation by means of prophylactic-therapeutic treatments or previously irradiated, were studied for late radiation effects: life span, cachexia and fat growing of hypophysical type, tissue or organ hypoplasia manifested by disturbed hemopoiesis, suppressed function of adrenal gland, etc., suppressed immune reactivity of the irradiated organism, atypical biochemical changes in DNA and protein metabolism, epilation, chronic dermatitis, ulcerations, reduced reproductivity or full sterility, damage of kidneys leading to nephrosclerosis, dishormonal states, cataracts, diffuse sclerotic processes, various kinds of malignant and non-malignant tumors. In these cases hemopoiesis compensated for a definite time peripheral blood composition, but during the late period it showed features of incompleteness: shorter life survival of erythrocytes and thrombocytes manifested by a decreased binding of labelled methionine in these blood elements, anemia and relative thrombocytopenia sometimes with an increased number of polychromatic erythrocytes in peripheral blood and a decreased number of reticulocytes at the same time; lymphopenia and relative leucopenia with an increased number of hypersegmented neutrophils. Decreased reproductivity and atypical biochemical changes available in the first generation of the irradiated animals showed the probable role of mutagenic factors in the emergency of some late radiation effects. A significant part of late radiation sequences were due to neuro-endocrine disintegrations. Some of the described late radiation effects were also observed in biological controls as features of ageing. After application of radioprotectors (AET, cysteamine, serotonin) a more marked protective effect is demonstrated in the early reactions (time survival till 30th day, DNA and protein metabolism, immune reactions) of the lethally irradiated animals.

Neutronics analysis of International Fusion Material Irradiation Facility (IFMIF). Japanese contributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oyama, Yukio; Noda, Kenji; Kosako, Kazuaki.

1997-10-01

In fusion reactor development for demonstration reactor, i.e., DEMO, materials tolerable for D-T neutron irradiation are absolutely required for both mechanical and safety point of views. For this requirement, several kinds of low activation materials were proposed. However, experimental data by actual D-T fusion neutron irradiation have not existed so far because of lack of fusion neutron irradiation facility, except fundamental radiation damage studies at very low neutron fluence. Therefore such a facility has been strongly requested. According to agreement of need for such a facility among the international parties, a conceptual design activity (CDA) of International Fusion Material Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) has been carried out under the frame work of the IEA-Implementing Agreement. In the activity, a neutronics analysis on irradiation field optimization in the IFMIF test cell was performed in three parties, Japan, US and EU. As the Japanese contribution, the present paper describes a neutron source term as well as incident deuteron beam angle optimization of two beam geometry, beam shape (foot print) optimization, and dpa, gas production and heating estimation inside various material loading Module, including a sensitivity analysis of source term uncertainty to the estimated irradiation parameters. (author)

Animal-assisted interventions: A national survey of health and safety policies in hospitals, eldercare facilities, and therapy animal organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Linder, Deborah E; Siebens, Hannah C; Mueller, Megan K; Gibbs, Debra M; Freeman, Lisa M

2017-08-01

Animal-assisted intervention (AAI) programs are increasing in popularity, but it is unknown to what extent therapy animal organizations that provide AAI and the hospitals and eldercare facilities they work with implement effective animal health and safety policies to ensure safety of both animals and humans. Our study objective was to survey hospitals, eldercare facilities, and therapy animal organizations on their AAI policies and procedures. A survey of United States hospitals, eldercare facilities, and therapy animal organizations was administered to assess existing health and safety policies related to AAI programs. Forty-five eldercare facilities, 45 hospitals, and 27 therapy animal organizations were surveyed. Health and safety policies varied widely and potentially compromised human and animal safety. For example, 70% of therapy animal organizations potentially put patients at risk by allowing therapy animals eating raw meat diets to visit facilities. In general, hospitals had stricter requirements than eldercare facilities. This information suggests that there are gaps between the policies of facilities and therapy animal organizations compared with recent guidelines for animal visitation in hospitals. Facilities with AAI programs need to review their policies to address recent AAI guidelines to ensure the safety of animals and humans involved. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Flux and energy deposition distribution studies inside the irradiation room of the portuguese 60Co irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Portugal, Luis; Oliveira, Carlos

2008-01-01

Full text: In December 2003 the irradiator of the Portuguese 60 Co irradiation facility, UTR, was replenished. Eighteen new sources were loaded and the older ones (156) were rearranged. The result was an irradiator with about 10.2 P Bq of total activity. The active area of the irradiator has also increased. Now it uses twenty five of the thirty tubes of the source rack, nine more than in the previous geometry. This facility was designed mainly for sterilisation of medical devices. However it is also used for the irradiation of other products such as cork stoppers, plastics and a limited number of food and feed. The purpose of this work is to perform dosimetric studies inside the irradiation room of a 60 Co irradiation facility, particularly, the flux and energy deposition distributions. The MCNPX code was used for the simulation of the facility. The track average mesh tally capabilities of MCNPX were used to plot the photon flux and energy deposition distributions. This tool provides a fast way for flux and energy deposition mapping. The absorbed dose distribution near the walls of the irradiation room was also calculated. Instead of using meshtallys as before, the average absorbed dose inside boxes lined with the walls was determined and afterwards a plot of its distribution was made. The absorbed dose rates obtained ranged from 5 to 500 Gy.h -1 depending on material being irradiated in process and the location on the wall. These positions can be useful for fixed irradiation purposes. Both dosimetric studies were done considering two different materials being irradiated in the process: cork stoppers and water, materials with quite different densities (0.102 and 1 g.cm-3, respectively). These studies showed some important characteristics of the radiation fields inside the irradiation room, namely its spatial heterogeneity. Tunnelling and shadow effects were enhanced when the product boxes increases its density. Besides a deeper dosimetric understanding of the

Cobalt 60 commercial irradiation facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

West, G.

1985-01-01

The advantage of using cobalt 60 for ionizing treatment is that it has excellent penetration. Gamma plants are also very efficient, in as much as there is very little mechanical or electrical equipment in a gamma irradiation facility. The average efficiency of a gamma plant is usually around 95% of all available processing time

Construction plan of ion irradiation facility in JAERI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Ryuichi

1987-01-01

The Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment of Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) started the construction of an ion irradiation facility to apply ion beam to the research and development of radiation resistant materials for severe environment, the research on biotechnology and new functional materials. This project was planned as ion beam irradiation becomes an effective means for the research on fundamental physics and advanced technology, and the national guideline recently emphasizes the basic and pioneering field in research and development. This facility comprises an AVF cyclotron with an ECR ion source (maximum proton energy: 90 MeV), a 3 MV tandem accelerator, a 3 MV single end type Van de Graaf accelerator and a 400 kV ion implanter. In this report, the present status of planning the accelerators and the facility to be constructed, the outline of research plan, the features of the accelerators, and the beam characteristics are described. In this project, the research items are divided into the materials for space environment, the materials for nuclear fusion reactors, biotechnology, new functional materials, and ion beam technology. The ion beams required for the facility are microbeam, pulsed beam, multiple beam, neutron beam and an expanded irradiation field. (Kako, I.)

Fusion Materials Irradiation Test Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kemp, E.L.; Trego, A.L.

1979-01-01

A Fusion Materials Irradiation Test Facility is being designed to be constructed at Hanford, Washington, The system is designed to produce about 10 15 n/cm-s in a volume of approx. 10 cc and 10 14 n/cm-s in a volume of 500 cc. The lithium and target systems are being developed and designed by HEDL while the 35-MeV, 100-mA cw accelerator is being designed by LASL. The accelerator components will be fabricated by US industry. The total estimated cost of the FMIT is $105 million. The facility is scheduled to begin operation in September 1984

Tritium monitoring equipments for animal experiment facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Hiroo

1980-01-01

Animal experiment facilities using tritium are described with reference to laws and regulations concerning radiological safety. Usual breeding facilities and surrounding conditions at non-radioactive animal experiments are summarized on feasible and effective designs of tritium monitors. Characteristics and desirable arrangements of various kinds of tritium monitors such as ionization chambers, proportional counters and liquid scintillation detectors are discussed from the standpoint of monitoring for room, glove-box, stack, liquid waste and personnel. (J.P.N.)

Studies on colon cancer prone rats. Spontaneous small intestinal carcinomas and tumor induction of small intestine by x-irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maeura, Y [Osaka Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine

1979-12-01

Histological investigation was carried out for Wister-Furth (WF) rats, prone to cancers of the colon and small intestine. Gastric cancer was observed in about 1/4 of the rats with the cancers of the colon and the small intestine, indicating that these rats could be the model animals of the cancer family syndrome with multi-cancers in the gastrointestinal tracts. The small intestine of WF and SD (Sprague-Dowley) rats as exposed to 1000, 2 x 1000, 1500, and 2000 R of x-rays at a dose rate of 157 R/min. In each group the stomach, small intestine, cecum, and colon were histologically investigated, immediately and 15, 25, and 35 weeks after irradiation. The rates of cancer occurrence in 15, 25, and 35 weeks were 5/17, 9/19, and 9/14 for WF strain and 1/8, 2/7, and 2/8 for SD strain, respectively. The rate increased with the increment of the days after irradiation. It was suggested that the atypical epithelium of the gastrointestinal tracts induced the cancer in high rates when some trigger was added.

Proposal for an irradiation facility at the TAEK SANAEM Proton Accelerator Facility

Science.gov (United States)

Demirköz, B.; Gencer, A.; Kiziloren, D.; Apsimon, R.

2013-12-01

Turkish Atomic Energy Authority's (TAEK's) Proton Accelerator Facility in Ankara, Turkey, has been inaugurated in May 2012 and is under the process of being certified for commercial radio-isotope production. Three of the four arms of the 30 MeV cyclotron are being used for radio-isotope production, while the fourth is foreseen for research and development of novel ideas and methods. The cyclotron can vary the beam current between 12 μA and 1.2 mA, sufficient for irradiation tests for semiconductor materials, detectors and devices. We propose to build an irradiation facility in the R&D room of this complex, open for use to the international detector development community.

Fast-neutron dosimetry in the seed-irradiation facility, ASTRA reactor, Seibersdorf

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahnstroem, G.; Burtscher, A.; Casta, J.

1967-01-01

An important part of the co-ordinated programme on the neutron irradiation of seeds has been the construction of a fast-neutron irradiation facility for swimming-pool reactors. This facility was installed around 70 cm from the core in the ASTRA reactor swimming-pool at the end of December, 1966. Also, for this programme a pair of constant potential ionization chambers have been constructed at the Institute of Biochemistry, Stockholm University. These chambes are of the type described in the technical annex and are the same size as the seed-irradiation vials to be used in the seed-irradiation container (diam. =15 mm, length = 60 mm). Some preliminary dosimetry experiments were undertaken to test the irradiation facility and the ionization chambers, and to investigate the usefulness of the dosimetry instructions in the Technical Annex. The results of these experiments are discussed in this paper. 3 refs, 6 figs, 7 tabs

Definition of the dose(tempo)-distribution in the biological irradiation-facility of the RIVM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bader, F.J.M.

1990-02-01

The RIVM biological irradiation facility (BBF) for the irradiation of biological samples and small animals is a self shielded device and can be safely operated in an existing laboratory environment. There are two 137 Cs sources (15TBq) in a bilateral geometry to give maximum dose uniformity. The easily accessible irradiation chamber is housed in a rotating lead shielding. The dosimetry of BBF was performed by the Dosimetry Section of the RIVM. Experiments were made to determine the absorbed dose in plastic tubes filled with water and the dose distribution over the tube-holder. Separate experiments were made to determine the absorbed dose during the rotation of the irradiation chamber and to check the irradiation timer. For the experiments LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-100) extruded ribbons were used. The TLDs were calibrated in a collimated beam of 137 Cs gamma rays. The determination of the absorbed dose in water was based on a users biological irradiation set up. The TLDs were individually sealed in thin plastic foil and put in plastic tubes filled for 1/3 with water. The tubes were vertically placed in the tube-holder and placed in the centre of the irradiation chamber. The results show that the absorbed dose in water (determined on January 1, 1990) is equal to 0.97 Gy/timer-unit, with a total uncertainty of 7 percent (1σ). During the rotation of the irradiation chamber the absorbed dose (determined on January 1, 1990) is equal to 0.38 Gy, with a total uncertainty of 15 percent (1σ). The variation of the dose distribution was determined at 15 different measurement points distributed over the tube-holder. The dosis in the measurement point in the centre of the tube-holder was taken as reference value. The maximum observed deviation over the other 14 measurement points amounts to -16 percent of it. The BBF-timer was checked against a special timer. The results indicate that within a range from 2-11 'timer-units' no differences are present. (author). 6 refs.; 6 figs.; 3 fotos

Lessons learned from accidents in industrial irradiation facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

Use of ionizing radiation in medicine, industry and research for technical development continues to increase throughout the world. One application with a high growth rate is irradiation suing high energy gamma photons and electron beams. There are currently more than 160 gamma irradiation facilities and over 600 electron beam facilities in operation in almost all IAEA Member States. The most common uses of these facilities are to sterilize medical and pharmaceutical products, to preserve foodstuffs, to synthesize polymers and to eradicate insects. Although this industry has a good safety record, there is a potential for accidents with serious consequences to human health because of the high dose rates produced by these sources. Fatal accidents have occurred at installations in both developed and developing countries. Such accidents have prompted a review of several accidents, including five with fatalities, by a team of manufacturers, regulatory authorities and operating organizations. Having looked closely at the circumstances of each accident and the apparent deficiencies in design, safety and regulatory systems and personnel performance, the team made a number of recommendations on the ways in which the safety of irradiators can be improved. The findings of extensive research pertaining to the lessons that can be learned from irradiator accidents are presented. This publication is intended for manufacturers, regulatory authorities and operating organizations dealing with industrial irradiators. It was drafted by J.E. Glen, United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, United States of America, and P. Zuniga-Bello, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Technologia, Mexico

Monte Carlo simulations and dosimetric studies of an irradiation facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belchior, A. [Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear, Estrada nacional no. 10, Apartado 21, 2686-953 Sacavem (Portugal)], E-mail: anabelchior@itn.pt; Botelho, M.L; Vaz, P. [Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear, Estrada nacional no. 10, Apartado 21, 2686-953 Sacavem (Portugal)

2007-09-21

There is an increasing utilization of ionizing radiation for industrial applications. Additionally, the radiation technology offers a variety of advantages in areas, such as sterilization and food preservation. For these applications, dosimetric tests are of crucial importance in order to assess the dose distribution throughout the sample being irradiated. The use of Monte Carlo methods and computational tools in support of the assessment of the dose distributions in irradiation facilities can prove to be economically effective, representing savings in the utilization of dosemeters, among other benefits. One of the purposes of this study is the development of a Monte Carlo simulation, using a state-of-the-art computational tool-MCNPX-in order to determine the dose distribution inside an irradiation facility of Cobalt 60. This irradiation facility is currently in operation at the ITN campus and will feature an automation and robotics component, which will allow its remote utilization by an external user, under REEQ/996/BIO/2005 project. The detailed geometrical description of the irradiation facility has been implemented in MCNPX, which features an accurate and full simulation of the electron-photon processes involved. The validation of the simulation results obtained was performed by chemical dosimetry methods, namely a Fricke solution. The Fricke dosimeter is a standard dosimeter and is widely used in radiation processing for calibration purposes.

Gamma irradiation facility: Evaluation of operational modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adesanmi, C.A.; Ali, M.S.; Shonowo, O.A.; Akueche, E.C.; Sadare, O.O.; Mustapha, T.K.; Yusuf, U.; Inyanda, A.K.

2007-01-01

The multipurpose Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF) at the Nuclear Technology Centre (NTC), Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHETSCO), Abuja, Nigeria is designed as a semi-commercial plant with facilities for research and development (R and D). The design takes into account the different needs of the various research applications which require a wide dose range, a variety of techniques, different product sizes, shapes, mass, volume, densities and types. Programmable doses are used for food irradiation (0.04 - 10 kGy), biological seed mutation breeding and sterile insect technique (STI) (0.01- 5 kGy) sterilization of medical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products and packages (up to 25 kGy) and cross-linking of polymers (up to 100 kGy). The six different modes of operations (sample elevator, stationary, swiveling, 2-path inner lane and 2-path outer lane and 4-path line) were evaluated. The dose range, mass range and range of irradiation time practicable were established and advantages for radiation processing of food and industrial products were enumerated for the six modes of operations for the first time

WE-AB-207B-10: On Spinal Nerve Toxicity from Single-Session SAbR in Pigs and the Translation of Small Animal NTCP Models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hrycushko, B; Medin, P [UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: The incidence of peripheral neuropathy has risen with increased utilization of SAbR. There is no consensus regarding the dose-tolerance of the peripheral nervous system. In 2015, we commenced an investigation to test the hypotheses that single-session irradiation to the pig spinal nerves exhibit a similar dose-tolerance as that of the spinal cord and that a dose-length effect exists. This work evaluates the direct application of small animal NTCP models to both large animal spinal cord and preliminary peripheral nerve data. Methods: To date, 16 of 25 Yucatan minipigs have received single-session SAbR to a 1.5cm length and 4 of 25 have received irradiation to a 0.5cm length of left-sided C6-C8 spinal nerves. Toxicity related gait change has been observed in 13 animals (9 from the long length group and 4 from the short). This preliminary data is overlaid on several dose-response models which have been fit to rodent spinal cord tolerance experiments. Model parameters define a toxicity profile between a completely serial or parallel behaving organ. Adequacy of model application, including how length effects are handled, to published minipig spinal cord dose-response data and to preliminary peripheral nerve response data was evaluated through residual analysis. Results: No rodent-derived dose-response models were directly applicable to all pig data for the different lengths irradiated. Several models fit the long-length irradiated spinal cord data well, with the more serial-like models fitting best. Preliminary data on the short-length irradiation suggests no length effect exists, disproving our hypothesis. Conclusion: Direct application of small-animal NTCP models to pig data suggests dose-length effect predictions from small animal data may not translate clinically. However, the small animal models used have not considered dose heterogeneity and it is expected that including the low-to-mid dose levels in the penumbral region will improve this match. This work

WE-AB-207B-10: On Spinal Nerve Toxicity from Single-Session SAbR in Pigs and the Translation of Small Animal NTCP Models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hrycushko, B; Medin, P

2016-01-01

Purpose: The incidence of peripheral neuropathy has risen with increased utilization of SAbR. There is no consensus regarding the dose-tolerance of the peripheral nervous system. In 2015, we commenced an investigation to test the hypotheses that single-session irradiation to the pig spinal nerves exhibit a similar dose-tolerance as that of the spinal cord and that a dose-length effect exists. This work evaluates the direct application of small animal NTCP models to both large animal spinal cord and preliminary peripheral nerve data. Methods: To date, 16 of 25 Yucatan minipigs have received single-session SAbR to a 1.5cm length and 4 of 25 have received irradiation to a 0.5cm length of left-sided C6-C8 spinal nerves. Toxicity related gait change has been observed in 13 animals (9 from the long length group and 4 from the short). This preliminary data is overlaid on several dose-response models which have been fit to rodent spinal cord tolerance experiments. Model parameters define a toxicity profile between a completely serial or parallel behaving organ. Adequacy of model application, including how length effects are handled, to published minipig spinal cord dose-response data and to preliminary peripheral nerve response data was evaluated through residual analysis. Results: No rodent-derived dose-response models were directly applicable to all pig data for the different lengths irradiated. Several models fit the long-length irradiated spinal cord data well, with the more serial-like models fitting best. Preliminary data on the short-length irradiation suggests no length effect exists, disproving our hypothesis. Conclusion: Direct application of small-animal NTCP models to pig data suggests dose-length effect predictions from small animal data may not translate clinically. However, the small animal models used have not considered dose heterogeneity and it is expected that including the low-to-mid dose levels in the penumbral region will improve this match. This work

Irradiation facilities at the advanced neutron source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

West, C.D.

1992-01-01

The Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) is a facility, centered around a new 330MW(f) heavy-water cooled and reflected research reactor, proposed for construction at Oak Ridge. The main scientific justification for the new source is the United States' need for increased capabilities in neutron scattering and other neutron beam research, but the technical objectives of the project also cater for the need to replace the irradiation facilities at the aging High Flux Isotope Reactor and to provide other research capabilities to the scientific community. This document provides a description of the ANS facilities

γ irradiation facility at ENEA-Casaccia Centre (Rome)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baccaro, S.; Cecilia, A.; Pasquali, A.

2005-09-01

A description of Calliope γ irradiation plant of ENEA-Casaccia Centre (Rome) is presented in this paper. In particular the main characteristics of the irradiation facility necessary to define time and irradiation procedure are summarised. The plant is equipped with dosimetric services that evaluate absorbed doses in materials during irradiation. Dosimetric techniques used are Fricke, RedPerspex and alanine-ESR dosimetries. In the first case, absorbed dose is determined by chemical changes induced in a solution by irradiation and the second method uses the optical density increase induced in dosimeter by irradiation. The last method is based on the analysis of the free radical concentration induced in α-alanine amino-acid during irradiation. The paper provides also a simulation of the γ radiation field inside the irradiation cell realised by using FLUKA code, which includes a good description of the electromagnetic physics down to about 0.1 KeV [it

Dosimetry and operation of irradiation facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vidal, P.E.

1985-01-01

The industrial use of ionizing radiation has required, from the very first, the measurement of delivered and absorbed doses; hence the necessity of providing dosimetric systems. Laboratories, scientists, industries and potential equipment manufacturers have all collaborated in this new field of activity. Dosimetric intercomparisons have been made by each industry at their own facilities and in collaboration with specialists, national organizations and the IAEA. Dosimetry has become a way of ensuring that treatment by irradiation has been carried out in accordance with the rules. It has become in effect assurance of quality. Routine dosimetry should determine a maximum and minimum dose. Numerous factors play a part in dosimetry. Industry is currently in possession of routine dosimetric systems that are sufficiently accurate, fairly easy to handle and reasonable in cost, thereby satisfying all the requirements of industry and the need for control. Dosimetry is important in the process of marketing irradiated products. The operator of an industrial irradiation facility bases his dosimetry on comparison with reference systems. Research aimed at simplifying the practice of routine dosimetry should be continued. New physical and chemical techniques will be incorporated into systems already in use. The introduction of microcomputers into the operation of radiation facilities has increased the value of dosimetry and made the conditions of treatment more widespread. Stress should be placed on research in several areas apart from reference systems, for example: dosimetric systems at temperatures from +8 deg. C to -45 deg. C, over the dose range 100 krad to a little more than 1 Mrad, liquids and fluidized solids carried at high speed through ducts, thin-film liquids circulating at a high flow rate, and various other problems. (author)

Small-scale irradiated fuel electrorefining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benedict, R.W.; Krsul, J.R.; Mariani, R.D.; Park, K.; Teske, G.M.

1993-01-01

In support of the metallic fuel cycle development for the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR), a small scale electrorefiner was built and operated in the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF) at Argonne National Laboratory-West. The initial purpose of this apparatus was to test the single segment dissolution of irradiated metallic fuel via either direct dissolution in cadmium or anodic dissolution. These tests showed that 99.95% of the uranium and 99.99% of the plutonium was dissolved and separated from the fuel cladding material. The fate of various fission products was also measured. After the dissolution experiments, the apparatus was upgraded to stady fission product behavior during uranium electrotransport. Preliminary decontamination factors were estimated for different fission products under different processing conditions. Later modifications have added the following capabilities: Dissolution of multiple fuel segments simultaneously, electrotransport to a solid cathode or liquid cathode and actinide recovery with a chemical reduction crucible. These capabilities have been tested with unirradiated uranium-zirconium fuel and will support the Fuel Cycle Demonstration program

Performance studies under high irradiation and ageing properties of resistive bulk Micromegas chambers at the new CERN Gamma Irradiation Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sidiropoulou, O.; Gonzalez, B. Alvarez; Bianco, M.; Farina, E.M.; Iengo, P.; Longo, L.; Pfeiffer, D.; Wotschack, J.

2017-01-01

Resistive bulk Micromegas chambers, produced at CERN, have been installed at the new CERN Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF++) in order to study the effects of ageing and to evaluate the detector behaviour under high irradiation. The chambers have an active area of 10×10 cm 2 , strip pitch of 400 μm and an amplification gap of 128 μm. We present the detector performance as a function of the background rate of up to 20 MHz/cm 2 . - Highlights: • Small-size resistive bulk Micromegas detectors have been exposed to the new GIF++. • 9 months irradiation to γ up to 20 Mhz/cm 2 . 0.09 C/cm 2 collected integrated charge. • Νo degradation of the detector performance was observed. • Muon tracks successfully reconstructed up to 68 kHz/cm 2 gamma background. • Higher background rates will be studied in the coming months.

Minibeam radiotherapy with small animal irradiators; in vitro and in vivo feasibility studies

Science.gov (United States)

Bazyar, Soha; Inscoe, Christina R.; O'Brian, E. Timothy; Zhou, Otto; Lee, Yueh Z.

2017-12-01

Minibeam radiation therapy (MBRT) delivers an ultrahigh dose of x-ray (⩾100 Gy) in 200-1000 µm beams (peaks), separated by wider non-irradiated regions (valleys) usually as a single temporal fraction. Preclinical studies performed at synchrotron facilities revealed that MBRT is able to ablate tumors while maintaining normal tissue integrity. The main purpose of the present study was to develop an efficient and accessible method to perform MBRT using a conventional x-ray irradiator. We then tested this new method both in vitro and in vivo. Using commercially available lead ribbon and polyethylene sheets, we constructed a collimator that converted the cone beam of an industrial irradiator to 44 identical beams (collimator size  ≈  4  ×  10 cm). The dosimetry characteristics of the generated beams were evaluated using two different radiochromic films (beam FWHM  =  246  ±  32 µm center-to-center  =  926  ±  23 µm peak-to-valley dose ratio  =  24.35  ±  2.10 collimator relative output factor  =  0.84  ±  0.04). Clonogenic assays demonstrated the ability of our method to induce radiobiological cell death in two radioresistant murine tumor cell lines (TRP  =  glioblastoma B16-F10  =  melanoma). A radiobiological equivalent dose (RBE) was calculated by evaluating the acute skin response to graded doses of MBRT and conventional radiotherapy (CRT). Normal mouse skin demonstrated resistance to doses up to 150 Gy on peak. MBRT significantly extended the survival of mice with flank melanoma tumors compared to CRT when RBE were applied (overall p  film. In conclusion, the initial dosimetric, in vitro and in vivo evaluations confirmed the utility of this affordable and easy-to-replicate minibeam collimator for future preclinical studies.

Radiation Safety of Gamma, Electron and X Ray Irradiation Facilities. Specific Safety Guide (Spanish Edition)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

The objective of this Safety Guide is to provide recommendations on how to meet the requirements of the BSS with regard to irradiation facilities. This Safety Guide provides specific, practical recommendations on the safe design and operation of gamma, electron and X ray irradiators for use by operating organizations and the designers of these facilities, and by regulatory bodies. SCOPE. The facilities considered in this publication include five types of irradiator, whether operated on a commercial basis or for research and development purposes. This publication is concerned with radiation safety issues and not with the uses of irradiators, nor does it cover the irradiation of product or its quality management. The five types of irradiator are: - Panoramic dry source storage irradiators; - Underwater irradiators, in which both the source and the product being irradiated are under water; - Panoramic wet source storage irradiators; - Electron beam irradiation facilities, in which irradiation is performed in an area that is potentially accessible to personnel, but that is kept inaccessible during the irradiation process; - X ray irradiation facilities, in which irradiation is performed in an area that is potentially accessible to personnel, but that is kept inaccessible during the irradiation process. Consideration of non-radiation-related risks and of the benefits resulting from the operation of irradiators is outside the scope of this Safety Guide. The practices of radiotherapy and radiography are also outside the scope of this Safety Guide. Category I gamma irradiators (i.e. 'self-shielded' irradiators) are outside the scope of this Safety Guide

Design of the plutonium facility for animal experiments and its management experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koizumi, Akira; Fukuda, Satoshi

1998-01-01

Design and radiation control of authors' facility which was made as a nuclear fuel laboratory for animal experiments were described. Before construction, the animals thought to be used were rats, mice, beagle dogs and monkeys. 239 Pu and certain other radioisotopes were to be used. At present, 200 dogs and 1800 small animals can be maintained. The points for design were tolerability against quake, reduced-pressure management and permanent storage of waste containing Pu. The facility building composed from 2nd, 4th, and 6th laboratory floors and between them, from the so-called mechanical floors which are spaces for ducts. The latter floors are quite useful. The system for reduced pressure is of 3 patterns of rooms without hood, with ordinary hood and with air-curtain hood. For animal maintenance, there are 3 types of maintenance means: Glove box, hood and ordinary animal room. There are drainage equipment where Pu can be removed by precipitation and charcoal adsorption and incineration equipment which is necessary for reducing the waste volume. In the latter, HEPA filters are finally used for releasing the gas. There is no particular problem in the radiation control. For the personnel control, lung-monitoring is performed before and at the end of personnel registration. Environmental monitoring of Pu is optionally performed. Removal of Pu particles generated in the inhalation experiments could be attained by the use of ULPA and HEPA filters to the level less than 1/10 17 times the reference level. Keeping the technology level enough high for facility maintenance and management was considered to be important at present and in future. (K.H.)

Development of Irradiation Procedure for Gamma Irradiation Chamber Bio beam GM 8000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shuhaimi Shamsudin; Affrida Abu Hassan; Zaiton Ahmad; Abdul Rahim Harun; Ahmad Zainuri Mohd Dzomir

2015-01-01

Bio Beam GM 8000 gamma irradiation chamber obtained a conditional approval to operate on March 27, 2012, and later acquired a full approval on December 13, 2012. The objective for the procurement of this gamma chamber is to develop an acute irradiation facility for biological samples, including plants tissues, insects, pupae, microorganisms, as well as animal and human cells. To ensure a smooth and efficient operation, irradiation procedures were developed and improved over time. This paper discusses the operation and management of the Bio Beam GM 8000 facility, including irradiation procedures and sample preparation, application for services through online e-client system, consultancy, quality assurance and information dissemination to internal as well as external clients. In addition, this paper also discusses the potential, constraints and improvement measures taken to optimize the use of this facility in order to meet its objectives. (author)

How to improve the irradiation conditions for the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility

CERN Document Server

Daum, E

2000-01-01

The accelerator-based intense D-Li neutron source International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) provides very suitable irradiation conditions for fusion materials development with the attractive option of accelerated irradiations. Investigations show that a neutron moderator made of tungsten and placed in the IFMIF test cell can further improve the irradiation conditions. The moderator softens the IFMIF neutron spectrum by enhancing the fraction of low energy neutrons. For displacement damage, the ratio of point defects to cascades is more DEMO relevant and for tritium production in Li-based breeding ceramic materials it leads to a preferred production via the sup 6 Li(n,t) sup 4 He channel as it occurs in a DEMO breeding blanket.

DNA double strand breaks in the acute phase after synchrotron pencilbeam irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez-Palomo, C; Trippel, M; Schroll, C; Nikkhah, G; Schültke, E; Bräuer-Krisch, E; Requardt, H; Bartzsch, S

2013-01-01

Introduction. At the biomedical beamline of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), we have established a method to study pencilbeam irradiation in-vivoin small animal models. The pencilbeam irradiation technique is based on the principle of microbeam irradiation, a concept of spatially fractionated high-dose irradiation. Using γH2AX as marker, we followed the development of DNA double strand breaks over 48 hrs after whole brain irradiation with the pencilbeam technique. Method. Almost square pencilbeams with an individual size of 51 × 50 μm were produced with an MSC collimator using a step and shoot approach, while the animals were moved vertically through the beam. The center-to-center distance (ctc) was 400 μm, with a peak-to-valley dose ratio (PVDR) of about 400. Five groups of healthy adult mice received peak irradiation doses of either 330 Gy or 2,460 Gy and valley doses of 0.82 Gy and 6.15 Gy, respectively. Animals were sacrificed at 2, 12 and 48 hrs after irradiation. Results. DNA double strand breaks are observed in the path of the pencilbeam. The size of the damaged volume undergoes changes within the first 48 hours after irradiation. Conclusions. The extent of DNA damage caused by pencilbeam irradiation, as assessed by H2AX antibody staining, is dose- dependent

Development of post-irradiation test facility for domestic production of 99Mo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taguchi, Taketoshi; Yonekawa, Minoru; Kato, Yoshiaki; Kurosawa, Makoto; Nishikata, Kaori; Ishida, Takuya; Kawamata, Kazuo

2013-01-01

JMTR focus on the activation method. By carrying out the preliminary tests using irradiation facilities existing, and verification tests using the irradiation facility that has developed in the cutting-edge research and development strategic strengthening business, as irradiation tests towards the production of 99 Mo, we have been conducting research and development that can contribute to supply about 25% for 99 Mo demand in Japan and the stable supply of radiopharmaceutical. This report describes a summary of the status of the preliminary tests for the production of 99 Mo: Maintenance of test equipment in the facility in JMTR hot laboratory in preparation for research and development for the production of 99 Mo in JMTR and using MoO 3 pellet irradiated at Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute (KUR). (author)

Development of the flow control irradiation facility for JOYO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soroi, Masatoshi; Miyakawa, Shun-ichi

1998-05-01

This report describes the present situation and problems with the development of the flow control irradiation facility (FLORA). The purpose of FLORA is to run the cladding breach (RTCB) irradiation test under loss of flow conditions in the experimental fast reactor 'JOYO'. FLORA is a facility like FPTF (Fuel Performance Test Facility) plus BFTF (Breached Fuel Test Facility) in EBR-II, USA. The technical feature of FLORA is its annular linear induction pump (A-LIP), which was developed in response to a need identified through the experiences in the mechanical flow control of FPTF. We have already designed the basic system facility of FLORA for the JOYO MK-II core. However, to put FLORA to practical use in the future, we have to confirm the stability of the JOYO MK-III core condition, solve problems and improve the design. We are going to freeze and review the FLORA project, taking into consideration the fuel development situation and the research project of JOYO MK-III core. (J.P.N.)

NRI experimental facility for the testing of irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruscak, M.; Chvatal, P.; Zamboch, M.

1998-01-01

IASCC influencing reactor internals of both BWR and PWR reactors is a complex phenomenon covering influences of material structure, neutron fluence, neutron flux, chemistry of environment, gamma radiation and mechanical stress. To evaluate such degradation, tests should be performed under conditions similar to those in real structure. Nuclear Research Institute has built several experimental facilities in order to be able to test IASCC degradation of materials. Basically, reactor water loops, both PWR and BWR, could be used to model environmental conditions including gamma and neutron irradiation. Pre-irradiation can be done in irradiation channels under well controlled temperature conditions. During the experiment, in-pile conditions can be compared with those out of pile. It enables to clarify pure influence of irradiation. For testing of irradiated specimens, hot cell facility has been developed for slow strain rate tests. The paper will show all above mentioned facilities as well as some of the results observed with them. (author)

Construction of irradiated material examination facility-basic design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ro, Seung Gy; Kim, Eun Ka; Hong, Gye Won; Herr, Young Hoi; Hong, Kwon Pyo; Lee, Myeong Han; Baik, Sang Youl; Choo, Yong Sun; Baik, Seung Je

1989-02-01

The basic design of the hot cell facility which has the main purpose of doing mechanical and physical property tests of irradiated materials, the examination process, and the annexed facility has been made. Also basic and detall designs for the underground excavation work have been performed. The project management and tasks required for the license application have been carried out in due course. The facility is expected to be completed by the end of 1992, if the budgetary support is sufficient. (Author)

Studsvik thermal neutron facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pettersson, O.A.; Larsson, B.; Grusell, E.; Svensson, P.

1992-01-01

The Studsvik thermal neutron facility at the R2-0 reactor originally designed for neutron capture radiography has been modified to permit irradiation of living cells and animals. A hole was drilled in the concrete shielding to provide a cylindrical channel with diameter of 25.3 cm. A shielding water tank serves as an entry holder for cells and animals. The advantage of this modification is that cells and animals can be irradiated at a constant thermal neutron fluence rate of approximately 10 9 n cm -2 s -1 (at 100 kW) without stopping and restarting the reactor. Topographic analysis of boron done by neutron capture autoradiography (NCR) can be irradiated under the same conditions as previously

Small animal imaging. Basics and practical guide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiessling, Fabian [Aachen Univ. (RWTH) (Germany). Chair of Experimental Molecular Imaging; Pichler, Bernd J. (eds.) [Tuebingen Univ. (Germany). Lab. for Preclinical Imaging and Imaging Technology of the Werner Siemens-Foundation

2011-07-01

Small animal imaging has been recognized as an important tool in preclinical research. Nevertheless, the results of non-invasive imaging are often disappointing owing to choice of a suboptimal imaging modality and/or shortcomings in study design, experimental setup, and data evaluation. This textbook is a practical guide to the use of non-invasive imaging in preclinical research. Each of the available imaging modalities is discussed in detail, with the assistance of numerous informative illustrations. In addition, many useful hints are provided on the installation of a small animal unit, study planning, animal handling, and the cost-effective performance of small animal imaging. Cross-calibration methods, data postprocessing, and special imaging applications are also considered in depth. This is the first book to cover all the practical basics in small animal imaging, and it will prove an invaluable aid for researchers, students, and technicians. (orig.)

Small animal imaging. Basics and practical guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiessling, Fabian; Pichler, Bernd J.

2011-01-01

Small animal imaging has been recognized as an important tool in preclinical research. Nevertheless, the results of non-invasive imaging are often disappointing owing to choice of a suboptimal imaging modality and/or shortcomings in study design, experimental setup, and data evaluation. This textbook is a practical guide to the use of non-invasive imaging in preclinical research. Each of the available imaging modalities is discussed in detail, with the assistance of numerous informative illustrations. In addition, many useful hints are provided on the installation of a small animal unit, study planning, animal handling, and the cost-effective performance of small animal imaging. Cross-calibration methods, data postprocessing, and special imaging applications are also considered in depth. This is the first book to cover all the practical basics in small animal imaging, and it will prove an invaluable aid for researchers, students, and technicians. (orig.)

The operation of post-irradiation examination facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Eun Ka; Min, Duk Ki; Lee, Young Kil

1994-12-01

The operation of post-irradiation examination facility was performed as follow. HVAC and pool water treatment system were continuously operated, and radiation monitoring in PIE facility has been carried out to maintain the facility safely. Inspection of the fuel assembly (F02) transported from Kori Unit 1 was performed in pool, and fuel rods extracted from the fuel assembly (J44) of Kori Unit 2 NPP were examined in hot cell. A part of deteriorated pipe line of drinking water was exchanged for stainless steel pipe to prevent leaking accidents. Halon gas system was also installed in the exhausting blower room for fire fighting. And IAEA inspection camera for safeguard of nuclear materials was fixed at the wall in pool area. Radiation monitoring system were improved to display the area radioactive value at CRT monitor in health physics control room. And automatic check system for battery and emergency diesel generator was developed to measure the voltage and current of them. The performance test of oxide thickness measuring device installed in hot cell for irradiated fuel rod and improvement of the device were performed, and good measuring results using standard sample were obtained. The safeguard inspection of nuclear materials and operation inspection of the facility were carried out through the annual operation inspection, quarterly IAEA inspection and quality assurance auditing. 26 tabs., 43 figs., 14 refs. (Author) .new

An automated tensile machine for small specimens heavily neutron irradiated in FFTF/MOTA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohyama, Akira; Sato, Shinji; Hamada, Kenichi

1993-01-01

The objective of this work is to develop a fully automated tensile machine for post-irradiation examination (PIE) of Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF)/Materials Open Test Assembly (MOTA) irradiated miniature tension specimens. The anticipated merit of the automated tensile machine is to reduce damage to specimens during specimen handling for PIE and to reduce exposure to radioactive specimens. This machine is designed for testing at elevated temperatures, up to 873 K, in a vacuum or in an inert gas environment. Twelve specimen assemblies are placed in the vacuum chamber that can be tested successively in a fully automated manner. A unique automated tensile machine for the PIE of FFTF/MOTA irradiated specimens, the Monbusho Automated Tensile Machine (MATRON) consists of a test frame with controlling units and an automated specimen-loading apparatus. The qualification of the test frame has been completed, and the results have satisfied the machine specifications. The capabilities of producing creep and relaxation data have been demonstrated for Cu, Al, 316SS, and ferritic steels. The specimen holders for the three-point bending test and the small bulge test (small punch test; SP test) were also designed and produced

Activity of retinene palmitasynthetase and retinene palmitatehydrolase in the small intestine mucosa and membranes of its cells in white rats affected by A-avitaminosis and irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leutskij, K.M.; Sovtysik, D.D.

1977-01-01

A combined action of A-avitaminosis and ionizing radiation on the activity of retinenepalmitatesynthetase and retinenepalmitatehydrolase in the small intestine mucosa and cell membranes of white rats has been investigated. The activity of retinenepalmitatehydrolase has been shown to decrease in the irradiated animals deficient in vitamin A as compared to the control nonirradiated animals. The activity of retinenepalmitatesynthetase affected by a combination of A-avitaminosis and irradiation increases as compared to the control nonirradiated rats both in the small intestine mucosa and its cell membranes

Radioresistance of immunized animals in internal irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kal'nitskij, S.A.; Ponomareva, T.V.; Shubik, V.M.

1981-01-01

The influence of an immunization with bacterial vaccines and antimeasles-gamma-globulin on the radioresistance of raceless white mice was studied. In the vaccinated animals a higher survival rate and duration of life, a better general condition and a better curve of weight and stronger physical stamina were stated compared to the merely irradiated mice. The higher radioresistance is ascribed to the stimulation of cellular and humoral factors of the unspecific protection against infection, to the repair of the lymphoid tissue of the immunized animals and to the decrease in autosensibilization. (author)

FMIT - the fusion materials irradiation test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liska, D.J.

1980-01-01

A joint effort by the Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory (HEDL) and Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) has produced a preliminary design for a Fusion Materials Irradiation Test Facility (FMIT) that uses a high-power linear accelerator to fire a deuteron beam into a high-speed jet of molten lithium. The result is a continuous energy spectrum of neutrons with a 14-MeV average energy which can irradiate material samples to projected end-of-life levels in about 3 years, with a total accumulated fluence of 10 21 to 10 22 n/cm 2

High-resolution SPECT for small-animal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qi Yujin

2006-01-01

This article presents a brief overview of the development of high-resolution SPECT for small-animal imaging. A pinhole collimator has been used for high-resolution animal SPECT to provide better spatial resolution and detection efficiency in comparison with a parallel-hole collimator. The theory of imaging characteristics of the pinhole collimator is presented and the designs of the pinhole aperture are discussed. The detector technologies used for the development of small-animal SPECT and the recent advances are presented. The evolving trend of small-animal SPECT is toward a multi-pinhole and a multi-detector system to obtain a high resolution and also a high detection efficiency. (authors)

Fusion materials irradiation test facility: description and status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trego, A.L.; Parker, E.F.; Hagan, J.W.

1982-01-01

The Fusion Materials Irradiation Test (FMIT) Facility will generate a high-flux, high-energy neutron source that will provide a fusion-like radiation environment for fusion reactor materials development. The neutrons will be produced in a nuclear stripping reaction by impinging a 35 MeV beam of deuterons from an Alvarez-type linear accelerator on a flowing lithium target. The target will be located in a test cell which will provide an irradiation volume of over 750l within which 10 cm 3 will have an average neutron flux of greater than 1.4 x 10 15 n/cm 2 -s and 500 cm 3 an average flux of greater than 2.2 by 10 14 n/cm 2- s with an expected availability factor greater than 65%. The projected fluence within the 10 cm 3 high flux region of FMIT will effect damage upon the materials test specimens to 30 dpa (displacements per atom) for each 90 day irradiation period. This irradiation flux volume will be at least 500 times larger than that of any other facility with comparable neutron energy and will fully meet the fusion materials damage research objective of 100 dpa within three years for the first round of tests

Shiva target irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manes, K.R.; Ahlstrom, H.G.; Coleman, L.W.; Storm, E.K.; Glaze, J.A.; Hurley, C.A.; Rienecker, F.; O'Neal, W.C.

1977-01-01

The first laser/plasma studies performed with the Shiva laser system will be two sided irradiations extending the data obtained by other LLL lasers to higher powers. The twenty approximately 1 TW laser pulses will reach the target simultaneously from above and below in nested pentagonal clusters. The upper and lower clusters of ten beams each are radially polarized so that they strike the target in p-polarization and maximize absorption. This geometry introduces laser system isolation problems which will be briefly discussed. The layout and types of target diagnostics will be described and a brief status report on the facility given

Economics of gamma irradiation processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tani, Toshio

1980-01-01

The gamma-ray irradiation business started at the Takasaki Laboratory of Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. The irradiation facilities were constructed thereafter at various sites. The facilities must accept various types of irradiation, and must be constructed as multi-purpose facilities. The cost of irradiation consists of the cost of gamma sources, construction expense, personnel expense, management expense, and bank interest. Most of the expenses are considered to be fixed expense, and the amount of irradiation treatment decides the original costs of work. The relation between the irradiation dose and the construction expense shows the larger facility is more economical. The increase of amount of treatment reduces the original cost. The utilization efficiency becomes important when the amount of treatment and the source intensity exceed some values. The principal subjects of gamma-ray irradiation business are the sterilization of medical tools and foods for aseptic animals, the improvement of quality of plastic goods, and the irradiation of foods. Among them, the most important subject is the sterilization of medical tools. The cost of gamma irradiation per m 3 in still more expensive than that by ethylene oxide gas sterilization. However, the demand of gamma-ray irradiation is increasing. For the improvement of quality of plastic goods, electron irradiation is more favourable than the gamma irradiation. In near future, the economical balance of gamma irradiation can be achieved. (Kato, T.)

A user-friendly approach to cost accounting in laboratory animal facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, David G

2011-08-19

Cost accounting is an essential management activity for laboratory animal facility management. In this report, the author describes basic principles of cost accounting and outlines steps for carrying out cost accounting in laboratory animal facilities. Methods of post hoc cost accounting analysis for maximizing the efficiency of facility operations are also described.

Monte Carlo studies of the Portuguese gamma irradiation facility. The irradiator geometry and its influence on process parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, C.; Ferreira, L.; Salgado, J.

2001-01-01

The paper describes a Monte Carlo study of dose distributions, minimum dose and uniformity ratio for the Portuguese Gamma Irradiation Facility. These process parameters are calculated using the MCNP code for several irradiator geometries. The comparison of the simulated results with the experimental results carried out using Amber Perspex dosimeters in a routine process of the gamma facility for a given material composition and density reveals good agreement. The results already obtained allow to conclude that the dose uniformity is not very sensitive to the irradiator geometry for density value ρ = 0.1 and for a dynamic process. (orig.)

A new materials irradiation facility at the Kyoto university reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshiie, T.; Hayashi, Y.; Yanagita, S.; Xu, Q.; Satoh, Y.; Tsujimoto, H.; Kozuka, T.; Kamae, K.; Mishima, K.; Shiroya, S.; Kobayashi, K.; Utsuro, M.; Fujita, Y.

2003-01-01

A new materials irradiation facility with improved control capabilities has been installed at the Kyoto University Reactor (KUR). Several deficiencies of conventional fission neutron material irradiation systems have been corrected. The specimen temperature is controlled both by an electric heater and by the helium pressure in the irradiation tube without exposure to neutrons at temperatures different from the design test conditions. The neutron spectrum is varied by the irradiation position. Irradiation dose is changed by pulling the irradiation capsule up and down during irradiation. Several characteristics of the irradiation field were measured. The typical irradiation intensity is 9.4x10 12 n/cm 2 s (>0.1 MeV) and the irradiation temperature of specimens is controllable from 363 to 773 K with a precision of ±2 K

The effect of animal feed from irradiated palm oil sludge on antibody forming of mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suharni Sadi; Umar, Hasibuan; Jenny, M.; Adria, P.M.; Murni Indrawatmi

1998-01-01

In this experiment, 3 kinds of animal feed were, e.q. control (commercial product), non irradiated and irradiated palm oil sludge by using 6 0Co source with a 4 kGy dose. BALB-C mice of 3 months old were used, each group contains 5 animals. Before conducting the experiment the animals were injected with antibiotic to free them from Enterobacteriaceae. The animals were observed every 2 weeks by weighting them, blood were analyzed and after 10 weeks their antibody were analyzed. Animal feed were in the form of pellets and each animal was feed 5 g of pellets. The results were as follows, antibody formed by C (control), N (non irradiated sludge) and, R (irradiated sludge) were 37; 36.5; and 36.2 mg/nl, respectively. Apparently pellets which were made of palm oil sludge and commercial product produced not significantly different level of antibody. (author)

Seed irradiation facilities at TRIGA Mark II reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Najzer, M.

1972-01-01

Fast neutrons and gamma-rays with their high and low LET respectively are excellent complementary tools for investigation of the effect of different types of mutations. TRIGA Irradiation Facility and Thermal Column Irradiation Facility were designed and installed for the first time in the TRIGA tank and thermal column respectively. The basic idea of design was the use of depleted uranium as gamma-ray and thermal neutron shield and simultaneously as thermal to fast neutron converter. Low LET radiation, due to direct and thermal neutron capture gamma-rays, is strongly attenuated while fast neutron flux is increased. GIF is made of a cadmium tube inserted in a graphite block. It is located in the central thermal column channel. The basic idea is to convert thermal neutrons to gamma-rays by capture in the cadmium

Comparison Between In-Beam and Offline Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Proton and Carbon Ion Therapeutic Irradiation at Synchrotron- and Cyclotron-Based Facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parodi, Katia; Bortfeld, Thomas; Haberer, Thomas

2008-01-01

Purpose: The benefit of using dedicated in-beam positron emission tomography (PET) detectors in the treatment room instead of commercial tomographs nearby is an open question. This work quantitatively compares the measurable signal for in-beam and offline PET imaging, taking into account realistic acquisition strategies at different ion beam facilities. Both scenarios of pulsed and continuous irradiation from synchrotron and cyclotron accelerators are considered, because of their widespread use in most carbon ion and proton therapy centers. Methods and Materials: A mathematical framework is introduced to compare the time-dependent amount and spatial distribution of decays from irradiation-induced isotope production. The latter is calculated with Monte Carlo techniques for real proton treatments of head-and-neck and paraspinal tumors. Extrapolation to carbon ion irradiation is based on results of previous phantom experiments. Biologic clearance is modeled taking into account available data from previous animal and clinical studies. Results: Ratios between the amount of physical decays available for in-beam and offline detection range from 40% to 60% for cyclotron-based facilities, to 65% to 110% (carbon ions) and 94% to 166% (protons) at synchrotron-based facilities, and increase when including biologic clearance. Spatial distributions of decays during irradiation exhibit better correlation with the dose delivery and reduced influence of biologic processes. Conclusions: In-beam imaging can be advantageous for synchrotron-based facilities, provided that efficient PET systems enabling detection of isotope decays during beam extraction are implemented. For very short (<2 min) irradiation times at cyclotron-based facilities, a few minutes of acquisition time after the end of irradiation are needed for counting statistics, thus affecting patient throughput

A New High-intensity Proton Irradiation Facility at the CERN PS East Area

CERN Document Server

Gkotse, B; Lima, P; Matli, E; Moll, M; Ravotti, F

2014-01-01

and IRRAD2), were heavily and successfully used for irradiation of particle detectors, electronic components and materials since 1992. These facilities operated with particle bursts - protons with momentum of 24GeV/c - delivered from the PS accelerator in “spills” of about 400ms (slow extraction). With the increasing demand of irradiation experiments, these facilities suffered from a number of restrictions such as the space availability, the maximum achievable particle flux and several access constraints. In the framework of the AIDA project, an upgrade of these facilities has been realized during the CERN long shutdown (LS1). While the new proton facility (IRRAD) will continue to be mainly devoted to the radiation hardness studies for the High Energy Physics (HEP) experimental community, the new mixed-field facility (CHARM) will mainly host irradiation experiments for the validation of electronic systems used in a...

Dynamics of genetic processes in chronically irradiated populations of small mammals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryabokon', N.I.; Goncharova, R.I.; Smolich, I.I.; Kapitanova, N.P.; Nikitchenko, N.V.

2000-01-01

The distinctive features of dynamics of mutagenesis in mammalian populations under chronic low-intensive irradiation were first revealed. The main of them is gradual increase in mutability in somatic cells and embryonal lethality during series of irradiated generations of animals (bank vole - Clethrionomys glareolus). The data obtained strongly suggest that there are oppositely directed processes in natural populations after irradiation of more than 20 generations of animals: on the one hand, accumulation of mutations (genetic load of populations) and pre-mutation events which increase genome instability of germ and somatic cells in consecutive generations of animals, and on the other, formation of genetic radio adaptation through better functioning protection systems. In this period of micro evolution in chronically irradiated populations, the frequencies of genetic damages could be higher if the radiation adaptation doesn't form. (authors)

Image-guided small animal radiation research platform: calibration of treatment beam alignment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matinfar, Mohammad; Iordachita, Iulian; Kazanzides, Peter; Ford, Eric; Wong, John

2009-01-01

Small animal research allows detailed study of biological processes, disease progression and response to therapy with the potential to provide a natural bridge to the clinical environment. The small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) is a portable system for precision irradiation with beam sizes down to approximately 0.5 mm and optimally planned radiation with on-board cone-beam CT (CBCT) guidance. This paper focuses on the geometric calibration of the system for high-precision irradiation. A novel technique for the calibration of the treatment beam is presented, which employs an x-ray camera whose precise positioning need not be known. Using the camera system we acquired a digitally reconstructed 3D 'star shot' for gantry calibration and then developed a technique to align each beam to a common isocenter with the robotic animal positioning stages. The calibration incorporates localization by cone-beam CT guidance. Uncorrected offsets of the beams with respect to the calibration origin ranged from 0.4 mm to 5.2 mm. With corrections, these alignment errors can be reduced to the sub-millimeter range. The calibration technique was used to deliver a stereotactic-like arc treatment to a phantom constructed with EBT Gafchromic films. All beams were shown to intersect at a common isocenter with a measured beam (FWHM) of approximately 1.07 mm using the 0.5 mm collimated beam. The desired positioning accuracy of the SARRP is 0.25 mm and the results indicate an accuracy of 0.2 mm. To fully realize the radiation localization capabilities of the SARRP, precise geometric calibration is required, as with any such system. The x-ray camera-based technique presented here provides a straightforward and semi-automatic method for system calibration.

Process control and dosimetry in a multipurpose irradiation facility

Science.gov (United States)

Cabalfin, E. G.; Lanuza, L. G.; Solomon, H. M.

1999-08-01

Availability of the multipurpose irradiation facility at the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute has encouraged several local industries to use gamma radiation for sterilization or decontamination of various products. Prior to routine processing, dose distribution studies are undertaken for each product and product geometry. During routine irradiation, dosimeters are placed at the minimum and maximum dose positions of a process load.

TRIGA out of core gamma irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rant, J.; Pregl, G.

1988-01-01

A possibility to irradiate extended objects in a gamma field inside the shielding water tank and above the core of operating TRIGA Mark II Reactor has been investigated. The irradiation cask is shielded with Cd cover to filter out thermal neutrons. The dose rate of the gamma field strongly depends on the distance of the irradiation position above the core. At 25 cm above the core, the gamma dose rate is 2.2 Gy/s and epithermal neutron flux is ∼ 8.10 6 ncm -2 s -1 ∼ 3 as measured by TLD (CaF 2 : Mn) dosimeters and Au foils respectively. Tentative applications of the gamma irradiation facility are in the studies of radiation induced accelerated aging and within the Nuclear Power Plant Equipment Qualification Program (EQP). A complete characterization of the neutron spectrum and optimization of the 7 radiation field within the cask has still to be performed. (author)

Inactivation by gamma irradiation of animal viruses in simulated laboratory effluent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, F.C.; Ouwerkerk, T.; McKercher, P.

1982-01-01

Several animal viruses were treated with gamma radiation from a 60 Co source under conditions which might be found in effluent from an animal disease laboratory. Swine vesicular disease virus, vesicular stomatitis virus, and blue-tongue virus were irradiated in tissues from experimentally infected animals. Pseudorabies virus, fowl plague virus, swine vesicular disease virus, and vesicular stomatitis virus were irradiated in liquid animal feces. All were tested in animals and in vitro. The D 10 values, that is, the doses required to reduce infectivity by 1 log 10 , were not apparently different from those expected from predictions based on other data and theoretical considerations. The existence of the viruses in pieces of tissues or in liquid feces made no differences in the efficacy of the gamma radiation for inactivating them. Under the ''worst case'' conditions (most protective for virus) simulated in this study, no infectious agents would survive 4.0 Mrads

Monitoring of small laboratory animal experiments by a designated web-based database.

Science.gov (United States)

Frenzel, T; Grohmann, C; Schumacher, U; Krüll, A

2015-10-01

Multiple-parametric small animal experiments require, by their very nature, a sufficient number of animals which may need to be large to obtain statistically significant results.(1) For this reason database-related systems are required to collect the experimental data as well as to support the later (re-) analysis of the information gained during the experiments. In particular, the monitoring of animal welfare is simplified by the inclusion of warning signals (for instance, loss in body weight >20%). Digital patient charts have been developed for human patients but are usually not able to fulfill the specific needs of animal experimentation. To address this problem a unique web-based monitoring system using standard MySQL, PHP, and nginx has been created. PHP was used to create the HTML-based user interface and outputs in a variety of proprietary file formats, namely portable document format (PDF) or spreadsheet files. This article demonstrates its fundamental features and the easy and secure access it offers to the data from any place using a web browser. This information will help other researchers create their own individual databases in a similar way. The use of QR-codes plays an important role for stress-free use of the database. We demonstrate a way to easily identify all animals and samples and data collected during the experiments. Specific ways to record animal irradiations and chemotherapy applications are shown. This new analysis tool allows the effective and detailed analysis of huge amounts of data collected through small animal experiments. It supports proper statistical evaluation of the data and provides excellent retrievable data storage. © The Author(s) 2015.

Present status of ESNIT (energy selective neutron irradiation test facility) program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noda, K.; Ohno, H.; Sugimoto, M.; Kato, Y.; Matsuo, H.; Watanabe, K.; Kikuchi, T.; Sawai, T.; Usui, T.; Oyama, Y.; Kondo, T.

1994-01-01

The present status of technical studies of a high energy neutron irradiation facility, ESNIT (energy selective neutron irradiation test facility), is summarized. Technological survey and feasibility studies of ESNIT have continued since 1988. The results of technical studies of the accelerator, the target and the experimental systems in ESNIT program were reviewed by an International Advisory Committee in February 1993. Recommendations for future R and D on ESNIT program are also summarized in this paper. ((orig.))

Proceedings of the Seminar 'Irradiation Technologies and the IRASM Facility'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ponta, Corneliu Catalin; Moise, Ioan Valentin

1999-01-01

The seminar devoted to 'Irradiation Technologies and the IRASM Facility' aimed at debating the principal problems related to one of the most important project ever developed in Romania, at the Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, in collaboration with IAEA. IRASM (an acronym for Multiple Purpose Irradiation Facility) is using initially a 60 Co of 100 kCi irradiation source (to be replaced after an promotional stage by a 2 MCi Co source). It is designed to irradiate a materials volume of about 35,000 m 3 /year. Health, agriculture, food industry and materials industry are the most targeted customers. It will be used for sterilization of medical materials and pharmaceuticals products, peat and seed (and other agricultural products) decontamination and sterilization, experimental irradiation of food products, irradiation of composite plastics and other industrial products, etc. The seminar was a first meeting of Romanian specialists in radiation processing with potential users of these technologies as well as with decision making persons working with national governmental and regulation authorities. Twelve communications were presented as a basis for discussion. These were: 1. IRASM - a technical assistance IAEA project and the prospects for technological irradiation in Romania (Serban Dobrescu); 2. IRASM facility - goal, present stage, perspectives (Corneliu C. Ponta); 3. Nuclear safeguards and radioprotection at IRASM (Ioan Valentin Moise); 4. Nuclear safeguard policy for IRASM (Mariana Irimia, Gabriela Vladescu, Ion Cristian); 5. Technological dosimetry at IRASM (Rodica Macrin, Rodica Moraru, Nicolae Valcov); 6. Quality assurance in building and exploiting IRASM (Ioana Domsa); 7. Current status of irradiation technologies in IFIN-HH (Mitica Dragusin); 8. Chemical-pharmaceutical, cosmetic and medical product sterilization (Paul Adrian, Eleonora Gheorghiu); 9. The concept of sterilization and the sterilization testing (Ileana Petcu

Designing Animation Facilities for gCSP

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Steen, T.T.J.; Groothuis, M.A.; Broenink, Johannes F.

To improve feedback on how concurrent CSP-based programs run, the graphical CSP design tool has been extended with animation facilities. The state of processes, constructs, and channel ends are indicated with colours both in the gCSP diagrams and in the composition tree (hierarchical tree showing

A Small-Animal Irradiation Facility for Neutron Capture Therapy Research at the RA-3 Research Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Emiliano Pozzi; David W. Nigg; Marcelo Miller; Silvia I. Thorp; Amanda E. Schwint; Elisa M. Heber; Veronica A. Trivillin; Leandro Zarza; Guillermo Estryk

2007-11-01

The National Atomic Energy Commission of Argentina (CNEA) has constructed a thermal neutron source for use in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) applications at the RA-3 research reactor facility located in Buenos Aires. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and CNEA have jointly conducted some initial neutronic characterization measurements for one particular configuration of this source. The RA-3 reactor (Figure 1) is an open pool type reactor, with 20% enriched uranium plate-type fuel and light water coolant. A graphite thermal column is situated on one side of the reactor as shown. A tunnel penetrating the graphite structure enables the insertion of samples while the reactor is in normal operation. Samples up to 14 cm height and 15 cm width are accommodated.

Small Animal [18F]FDG PET Imaging for Tumor Model Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woo, Sang Keun; Kim, Kyeong Min; Cheon, Gi Jeong

2008-01-01

PET allows non-invasive, quantitative and repetitive imaging of biological function in living animals. Small animal PET imaging with [ 18 F]FDG has been successfully applied to investigation of metabolism, receptor, ligand interactions, gene expression, adoptive cell therapy and somatic gene therapy. Experimental condition of animal handling impacts on the biodistribution of [ 18 F]FDG in small animal study. The small animal PET and CT images were registered using the hardware fiducial markers and small animal contour point. Tumor imaging in small animal with small animal [ 18 F]FDG PET should be considered fasting, warming, and isoflurane anesthesia level. Registered imaging with small animal PET and CT image could be useful for the detection of tumor. Small animal experimental condition of animal handling and registration method will be of most importance for small lesion detection of metastases tumor model

SU-F-T-670: From the OR to the Radiobiology Lab: The Journey of a Small X-Ray Source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehmann, J [Calvary Mater, Newcastle, NSW (Australia); The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW (Australia); The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW (Australia); Barry, M; Jones, R; Fay, M [Calvary Mater, Newcastle, NSW (Australia)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Irradiation of small animal tumor models within laboratories is vital to radiobiological experiments. Often the animals are not able to be brought back into the lab after being taken out for irradiation. Cell biology laboratories benefit from irradiation capability available around the clock without regard to patient load in an associated radiotherapy clinic. Commercial systems are available, but bulky and expensive. Methods: An intraoperative kV irradiation system (IntraBeam™) designed to deliver spherical dose distributions to surgical cavities has been repurposed for the irradiation of cell plates and small laboratory animals. An applicator has been altered to allow for simple, open fields. Special collimators are being developed. BEAMnrc Monte Carlo simulations with the “NRC swept BEAM” source model have been performed to characterize the dose distributions, to develop optimal collimators and as basis for dose prescription. Measurements with radiochromic film and with an ionization chamber were performed to characterize the beam and to validate the simulations. Results: Using its highest setting (50 kV and 40 µA) the x-ray unit is capable of delivering dose rates over 1 Gy/min homogeneously to standard cell plates even without an optimized collimator. Smaller areas (tumors in animals) can be irradiated with significantly higher dose rates (> 20 Gy/min) depending on distance of the source to the tumor. The HVL was found to be 0.21 mm Al which means the shielding requirements for the device are easily achievable in the lab. Conclusion: A mobile irradiation facility is feasible. It will allow easier access to radiation for radiobiology experiments. The modified system is versatile in that for cell plates homogenous irradiations can be achieved through distance from the source, while for high dose rate small field irradiations the source can be brought in close proximity to the target.

Control of radiation in animal facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hightower, D.; Hood, D.M.; Neff, R.D.

1977-01-01

Use of radioactive materials in animals for research and clinical studies is on the increase. These studies may be undertaken with little or no disruption of normal facility operations if a few facts are considered. The primary factor of consideration is the radiopharmaceutical - its pharmacologic behavior and physical characteristics. The preferred radionuclide is one with the shortest half-life compatible with the variables to be measured. The fact that an animal is a source of radiation as well as a potential source of contamination must be kept in mind. Improper use of radiopharmaceuticals is inexcusable

Food irradiation in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Hitoshi

1995-01-01

The basic research on food irradiation in Japan was begun around 1955 by universities and national laboratories. In 1967, food irradiation was designated to the specific general research on atomic energy, and the national project on large scale was continued until 1983. As the result, the treatment of germination prevention for potatoes was approved by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 1972. The Co-60 gamma ray irradiation facility of Shihoro Agricultural Cooperative is famous as the facility that succeeded in the practical use of food irradiation for the first time in the world. But the practical use of food irradiation stagnates and the research activities were reduced in Japan due to the circumstances thereafter. The effect of radiation to foods and living things is explained. The features of the radiation treatment of foods are small temperature rise, large transmissivity, no residue, the small loss of nutrition and large quantity, continuous treatment. The safety of irradiated foods is explained. The subjects for hereafter are discussed. (K.I.)

AECL hot-cell facilities and post-irradiation examination services

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schankula, M.H.; Plaice, E.L.; Woodworth, L.G.

1998-04-01

This paper presents an overview of the post-irradiation examination (PIE) services available at AECL's hot-cell facilities (HCF). The HCFs are used primarily to provide PIE support for operating CANDU power reactors in Canada and abroad, and for the examination of experimental fuel bundles and core components irradiated in research reactors at the Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) and off-shore. A variety of examinations and analyses are performed ranging from non-destructive visual and dimensional inspections to detailed optical and scanning electron microscopic examinations. Several hot cells are dedicated to mechanical property testing of structural materials and to determine the fitness-for-service of reactor core components. Facility upgrades and the development of innovative examination techniques continue to improve AECL's PIE capabilities. (author)

AECL hot-cell facilities and post-irradiation examination services

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schankula, M.H.; Plaice, E.L.; Woodworth, L.G.

1995-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the post-irradiation examination (PIE) services available at AECL's hot-cell facilities (HCF). The HCFs are used primarily to provide PIE support for operating CANDU power reactors in Canada and abroad, and for the examination of experimental fuel bundles and core components irradiated in research reactors at the Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) and off-shore. A variety of examinations and analysis are performed ranging from non-destructive visual and dimensional inspections to detailed optical and scanning electron microscopic examinations. Several hot cells are dedicated to mechanical property testing of structural materials and to determine the fitness-for-service of reactor core components. Facility upgrades and the development of innovative examination techniques continue to improve AECL's PIE capabilities. (author)

Upgrade to the Birmingham Irradiation Facility

CERN Document Server

Dervan, P; Hodgson, P; Marin- Reyes; Parker, K; Wilson, J; Baca, M

2015-01-01

The Birmingham Irradiation Facility was developed in 2013 at the University of Birmingham using the Medical Physics MC40 cyclotron. It can achieve High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) fluences of 10^15 (1 MeV neutron equivalent (neq)) cm^-2 in 80 s with proton beam currents of 1 μA and so can evaluate effectively the performance and durability of detector technologies and new components to be used for the HL-LHC. Irradiations of silicon sensors and passive materials can be carried out in a temperature controlled cold box which moves continuously through the homogenous beamspot. This movement is provided by a pre-configured XY-axis Cartesian robot scanning system. In 2014 the cooling system and cold box were upgraded from a recirculating glycol chiller system to a liquid nitrogen evaporative system. The new cooling system achieves a stable temperature of 50 1C in 30 min and aims to maintain sub-0 1C temperatures on the sensors during irradiations. This paper reviews the design, development, commissioning and perform...

Collaborative Physical and Biological Dosimetry Studies for Neutron Capture Therapy at the RA-1 Research Reactor Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

David W. Nigg; Amanda E. Schwint; John K. Hartwell; Elisa M. Heber; Veronica Trivillin; Jorge Castillo; Luis Wentzeis; Patrick Sloan; Charles A. Wemple

2004-10-01

Initial physical dosimetry measurements have been completed using activation spectrometry and thermoluminiscent dosimeters to characterize the BNCT irradiation facility developed at the RA-1 research reactor operated by the Argentine National Atomic Energy Commission in Buenos Aires. Some biological scoping irradiations have also been completed using a small-animal (hamster) oral mucosa tumor model. Results indicate that the RA-1 neutron source produces useful dose rates but that some improvements in the initial configuration will be needed to optimize the spectrum for thermal-neutron BNCT research applications.

Collaborative Physical and Biological Dosimetry Studies for Neutron Capture Therapy at the RA-1 Research Reactor Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nigg, D.W.; Schwint, A.E.; Hartwell, J.K.; Heber, E.M.; Trivillin, V.; Castillo, J.; Wentzeis, L.; Sloan, P.; Wemple, C.A.

2004-10-04

Initial physical dosimetry measurements have been completed using activation spectrometry and thermoluminiscent dosimeters to characterize the BNCT irradiation facility developed at the RA-1 research reactor operated by the Argentine National Atomic Energy Commission in Buenos Aires. Some biological scoping irradiations have also been completed using a small-animal (hamster) oral mucosa tumor model. Results indicate that the RA-1 neutron source produces useful dose rates but that some improvements in the initial configuration will be needed to optimize the spectrum for thermal-neutron BNCT research applications.

Animals In Synchrotrons: Overcoming Challenges For High-Resolution, Live, Small-Animal Imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donnelley, Martin; Parsons, David; Morgan, Kaye; Siu, Karen

2010-01-01

Physiological studies in small animals can be complicated, but the complexity is increased dramatically when performing live-animal synchrotron X-ray imaging studies. Our group has extensive experience in high-resolution live-animal imaging at the Japanese SPring-8 synchrotron, primarily examining airways in two-dimensions. These experiments normally image an area of 1.8 mmx1.2 mm at a pixel resolution of 0.45 μm and are performed with live, intact, anaesthetized mice.There are unique challenges in this experimental setting. Importantly, experiments must be performed in an isolated imaging hutch not specifically designed for small-animal imaging. This requires equipment adapted to remotely monitor animals, maintain their anesthesia, and deliver test substances while collecting images. The horizontal synchrotron X-ray beam has a fixed location and orientation that limits experimental flexibility. The extremely high resolution makes locating anatomical regions-of-interest slow and can result in a high radiation dose, and at this level of magnification small animal movements produce motion-artifacts that can render acquired images unusable. Here we describe our experimental techniques and how we have overcome several challenges involved in performing live mouse synchrotron imaging.Experiments have tested different mouse strains, with hairless strains minimizing overlying skin and hair artifacts. Different anesthetics have also be trialed due to the limited choices available at SPring-8. Tracheal-intubation methods have been refined and controlled-ventilation is now possible using a specialized small-animal ventilator. With appropriate animal restraint and respiratory-gating, motion-artifacts have been minimized. The animal orientation (supine vs. head-high) also appears to affect animal physiology, and can alter image quality. Our techniques and image quality at SPring-8 have dramatically improved and in the near future we plan to translate this experience to the

Chemical Transfer (Single Small-Scale) Facility

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — Description/History: Chemistry laboratoryThe Chemical Transfer Facility (CTF)  is the only U.S. single small-scale  facility, a single repository for the Army’s...

Molecular Imaging with Small Animal PET/CT

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Binderup, T.; El-Ali, H.H.; Skovgaard, D.

2011-01-01

is also described. In addition, the non-invasive nature of molecular imaging and the targets of these promising new tracers are attractive for other research areas as well, although these fields are much less explored. We present an example of an interesting research field with the application of small......Small animal positron emission tomography (PET) and computer tomography (CT) is an emerging field in pre-clinical imaging. High quality, state-of-the-art instruments are required for full optimization of the translational value of the small animal studies with PET and CT. However...... in this field of small animal molecular imaging with special emphasis on the targets for tissue characterization in tumor biology such as hypoxia, proliferation and cancer specific over-expression of receptors. The added value of applying CT imaging for anatomical localization and tumor volume measurements...

Planning a 60Co irradiation facility for fruit preservation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, H.C.

1978-01-01

A conceptual design for a conveyor system is proposed for use in fruit irradiation. The seasonal nature of the fruit harvest requires that the 60 Co source inventory should be sufficient to meet the demand at peak season, but this would be excessive at the beginning and towards the end of the harvest. Because of the short crop period the possibility of other irradiation services should be exploited to ensure full utilization of the facility. For successful extension of fruit shelf-life rigid practices in pre-irradiation treatment are essential and careful packaging is indispensable to the operation of the irradiator. Based on the time required for construction and equipment supply, a period of 18 months should be assumed for completion of the project. (author)

Technical Note: System for evaluating local hypothermia as a radioprotector of the rectum in a small animal model.

Science.gov (United States)

Hrycushko, Brian A; Bing, Chenchen; Futch, Cecil; Wodzak, Michelle; Stojadinovic, Strahinja; Medin, Paul M; Chopra, Rajiv

2017-08-01

The protective effects of induced or even accidental hypothermia on the human body are widespread with several medical uses currently under active research. In vitro experiments using human cell lines have shown hypothermia provides a radioprotective effect that becomes more pronounced at large, single-fraction doses common to stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatments. This work describes the development of a system to evaluate local hypothermia for a radioprotective effect of the rat rectum during a large dose of radiation relevant to prostate SBRT. This includes the evaluation of a 3D-printed small animal rectal cooling device and the integration with a small animal irradiator. A 3-cm long, dual-lumen rectal temperature control apparatus (RTCA) was designed in SOLIDWORKS CAD for 3D printing. The RTCA was capable of recirculating flow in a device small enough for insertion into the rat rectum, with a metal support rod for strength as well as visibility during radiation treatment planning. The outer walls of the RTCA comprised of thin heat shrink plastic, achieving efficient heat transfer into adjacent tissues. Following leak-proof testing, fiber optic temperature probes were used to evaluate the temperature over time when placed adjacent to the cooling device within the rat rectum. MRI thermometry characterized the relative temperature distribution in concentric ROIs surrounding the probe. Integration with an image-guided small animal irradiator and associated treatment planning system included evaluation for imaging artifacts and effect of brass tubing on dose calculation. The rectal temperature adjacent to the cooling device decreased from body temperature to 15°C within 10-20 min from device insertion and was maintained at 15 ± 3°C during active cooling for the evaluated time of one hour. MR thermometry revealed a steep temperature gradient with increasing distance from the cooling device with the desired

Life span of animals under acute and chronic irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zapol'skaya, N.A.; Fedorova, A.V.; Borisova, V.V.

1978-01-01

The study has been designed to see to what extent a single and long-term external and internal irradiations shorten the life span of animals. LDsub(50/30) for certain radionuclides whose absorbed doses show different spatiotemporal distributions are considered. It has been found that as far as the average life span is concerned, 137 Cs and 90 Sr have approximately the same effect whether they enter the body on a single occasion or repeatedly. With chronic total-body external gamma-irradiation, the decrease in life span is 5 times smaller than than with single-occasion irradiation. The main reason for the observed differences are found to be differences in the rates with which the absorbed doses are formed

Calculation of displacement and helium production at the Clinton P. Anderson Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF) irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wechsler, M.S.; Davidson, D.R.; Greenwood, L.R.; Sommer, W.F.

1984-01-01

CT: Differential and total displacement and helium production rates are calculated for copper irradiated by spallation neutrons and 760 MeV protons at the Clinton P. Anderson Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF). The calculations are performed using the SPECTER and VNMTC computer codes, the latter being specially designed for spallation radiation damage calculations. For comparison, similar SPECTER calculations are also described for irradiation of copper in EBR-II and RTNS-II. The results indicate substantial contributions to the displacement and helium production rates due to neutrons in the high-energy tail (above 20 MeV) of the LAMPF spallation neutron spectrum. Still higher production rates are calculated for irradiations in the direct proton beam. These results will provide useful background information for research to be conducted at a new irradiation facility at LAMPF

Proceedings of 1991-workshops of the working group on 'Development and application of facilities for low temperature irradiation as well as controlled irradiation'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuramoto, Eiichi; Okada, Moritami

1992-09-01

This is the proceedings of 1991-workshops of the working group on 'Development and Application of Facilities for Low Temperature Irradiation as well as Controlled Irradiation' held at the Research Reactor Institute of Kyoto University on July 25, 1991 and on February 28, 1992. In the present proceedings, it is emphasized that the study of radiation damages in various materials must be performed under carefully controlled irradiation conditions (irradiation temperature, neutron spectrum and so forth) during reactor irradiations. Especially, it is pointed out that a middle scale reactor such as KUR is suitable for the precise control of neutron spectra. Several remarkable results, which are made through experiments using the Low Temperature Irradiation Facility in KUR (KUR-LTL), are reported. Also, possible advanced research programs are discussed including the worldwide topics on the radiation damages in metals, semi-conductors and also insulators. Further, the present status of KUR-LTL is reported and the advanced plan of the facility is proposed. (author)

In-cell facility for performing mechanical-property tests on irradiated cladding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yaggee, F.L.; Haglund, R.C.; Mattas, R.F.

1978-11-01

A new facility was developed for testing cladding sections of LWR fuel rods. This facility and the accompanying test procedures have improved the level of in-cell mechanical-testing capabilities, making them comparable to existing capabilities for unirradiated cladding. The new facility is currently being used to study the susceptibility of irradiated Zircaloy cladding from LWR fuel rods to iodine stress-corrosion cracking. Preliminary testing results indicate a systematic effect of temperature, stress and irradiation on the susceptibility of annealed and stress-relieved Zircaloy-2. Experimental data obtained to date are being used to develop a stress-corrosion cracking model for LWR fuel rod failure. SEM examination of the undisturbed fracture surface of specimens that failed by pinhole leakage provides useful information on crack propagation and morphology

Practical experiences with irradiation of laboratory animals' feed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adamiker, D.

1979-01-01

The increasing need for well-defined, standardized experimental animals for research has led to the development of many new methods of keeping the animals free from pathogenic microorganisms. In this connection the problem of contaminated food has taken on ever greater significance. The methods most commonly used today, namely chemical treatment and heat treatment of the fodder, have many disadvantages and interest in the use of radiation sterilization has accordingly increased. The author discusses the various aspects of this method in relation to SPF animals and reports on the three years' experience of the Research Institute for Experimental Animal Breeding (University of Vienna) in Himberg with the use of exclusively radiation-treated diets in the rearing of rats and mice. The ease of handling irradiated fodder, the reliability of the method from the microbiological point of view and the excellent breeding results already obtained make this process - despite its somewhat higher cost - the best possible method of pasteurizing the feed of experimental animals. (author)

Breathing new life into your production irradiator the case for reinvesting in your facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aube, Robert; Wynnyk, Mike

2002-01-01

This paper focuses on one of the important technology issues facing the gamma processing industry today: that of strategically planning for extending the useful life of a production irradiator. Production irradiator owners are typically faced with the difficult question of whether or not to significantly reinvest in their facilities after 15-20 years of service. At this point in time the irradiator has likely provided many years of safe, reliable service and has paid for itself many times over. As the equipment ages, it may become less reliable, due to wear and maintenance practices, and more costly to operate. The cost of refurbishing the equipment may be significant and the downtime required to complete the refurbishment is also likely to be a challenge. This makes it essential to present a clear and rational justification for reinvesting in the facility. There has been a growing trend in recent years for irradiator owners to refurbish or upgrade their facilities. This trend is driven by the need to keep the facilities operating efficiently and safely as well as by the desire to take advantage of advancements that have occurred in the technology over the years. These advancements can enhance equipment efficiency, improve operational effectiveness and maintain or exceed quality assurance requirements. This paper illustrates the value of reinvesting in irradiator facilities, and highlights the significant benefits derived

Spontaneous and x-irradiation induced carcinomas of small intestine in Wistar-Furth rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maeura, Y; Kosaki, G; Kitamura, H [Osaka Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine; Nagatomo, T

1980-04-01

Spontaneous carcinoma of the small intestine in Wistar-Furth (WF) rats and carcinoma of the small intestine induced by local x-ray irradiation to the abdomen of WF rats without carcinoma were observed, and x-ray sensitivity of the small intestine mucosa was reported. Out of 19 rats with spontaneous carcinoma of the small intestine, 18 also had carcinoma of the colon, and 4 also had gastric cancer. They already had spontaneous carcinoma of the small intestine within 2 weeks after their birth, and the ratio of female and male was 13 : 6. Histological type of this carcinoma in all 19 rats was highly differentiated adenocarcinoma, and small intestine epithelium around carcinoma presented atypical epithelium. As to mice without carcinoma, x-ray, 1,000 R, 1,500 R, and 2,000 R, was irradiated to the abdomen of Sprague-Dawley (SD) and WF rats. In the irradiation with 1,000 R, carcinogenesis was not found in rats of both strains. In the irradiation with 1,500 R, carcinogenesis was hardly found, but in the irradiation with 2,000 R, carcinoma of small intestine occurred in 5 of 17 rats 15 weeks after the irradiation, 9 of 19 rats 25 weeks after the irradiation, and 9 of 14 rats 35 weeks after the irradiation. Histological type of carcinoma in irradiated rats was highly differentiated adenocarcinoma. The incidence of carcinoma in irradiated rats was higher in WF rats than SD rats through the course after the irradiation, which suggested that x-ray sensitivity of WF rats was higher than that of SD rats. Therefore, carcinoma of the small intestine in irradiated mice seemed to be induced by x-ray.

Capsule safety analysis of PRTF irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suwarto

2013-01-01

Power Ramp Test Facility (PRTF) is an irradiation facility used for fuel testing of power reactor. PRTF has a capsule which is a test fuel rod container. During operation, pressurized water of 160 bars flows through in the capsule. Due to the high pressure it should be analyzed the impact of the capsule on reactor core safety. This analysis has purpose to calculate the ability of capsule pressure capacity. The analysis was carried out by calculating pressure capacity. From the calculating results it can be concluded that the capsule with pressure capacity of 438 bars will be safe to prevent the operation pressure of PRTF. (author)

Design, fabrication and installation of irradiation facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sim, Bong Shick; Kim, Y. S.; Lee, C. Y. and others

1999-03-01

The principal contents of this project are to design, fabricate and install the steady-state fuel test loop in HANARO for nuclear technology development. Procurement and fabrication of main equipment, licensing and technical review for fuel test loop have been performed during 2 years(1997, 1998) for this project. Following contents are described in the report. - Procurement and fabrication of the equipment, piping for OPS - IPS manufacture - License - Technical review and evaluation of the FTL facility. As besides, as these irradiation facilities will be installed in HANARO, review of safety concern, discussion with KINS for licensing and review ofHANARO interface have been performed respectively. (author)

Defocusing beam line design for an irradiation facility at the TAEA SANAEM Proton Accelerator Facility

CERN Document Server

Gencer, A.; Efthymiopoulos, I.; Yiğitoğlu, M.

2016-01-01

Electronic components must be tested to ensure reliable performance in high radiation environments such as Hi-Limu LHC and space. We propose a defocusing beam line to perform proton irradiation tests in Turkey. The Turkish Atomic Energy Authority SANAEM Proton Accelerator Facility was inaugurated in May 2012 for radioisotope production. The facility has also an R&D room for research purposes. The accelerator produces protons with 30 MeV kinetic energy and the beam current is variable between View the MathML source10μA and View the MathML source1.2mA. The beam kinetic energy is suitable for irradiation tests, however the beam current is high and therefore the flux must be lowered. We plan to build a defocusing beam line (DBL) in order to enlarge the beam size, reduce the flux to match the required specifications for the irradiation tests. Current design includes the beam transport and the final focusing magnets to blow up the beam. Scattering foils and a collimator is placed for the reduction of the beam ...

Development of the irradiation facilities for silicon neutron doping in France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breant, P.; Cherruau, F.; Genthon, J.P.

1980-08-01

Irradiation facilities for silicon irradiations in France may be classified in two categories: on the one hand the devices directly implemented in the light water of α swimming-pool reactor and on the other hand the devices implemented in a neutronic medium -heavy water here- providing a high value of the thermal to fast neutron flux ratio. The tools used in France for silicon neutron doping are recapitulated according to this classification in tables, with their main characteristics; in addition it is specified that all existing facilities are instrumented with ingot rotation, flux monitoring, automatic time integration and are associated with handling, storage, cleaning, decontamination and activity control equipment. Finally, concerning the irradiation capacities given in these tables, it is pointed out that they are realistic and present capacities, for presently running devices and according to the way they are used on an average; that is to say that they take into account the real average dimensions of the ingot supplied and not the maximum possible loading with the maximum diameters. Further extensions of capacity are possible if need be by the installation of supplementary standard irradiation modules in the pools. Particular attention will given to the new developments: -new irradiaton facilities with a high Oth/Or ratio being developed in the new research reactor ORPHEE: - developments in the OSIRIS H 2 O reactor. In particular and in connection with the facilities developped in OSIRIS, neutronic problems typical and swimming-pool reactors will be contemplated and the adopted solutions given

Comparative characteristic of transmembrane currents and caffeine-induced responses of intact and irradiated small intestine smooth muscle cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stepanov, Yu.V.; Gordienko, D.V.; Preobrazhenskaya, T.D.; Stepanova, L.I.; Vojtsitskij, V.M.

1994-01-01

A comparative investigation of transmembrane ion currents and caffeine-induced responses of single smooth muscle cells isolated from the circular layer of rat small intestine was curried out by the method of 'patch-clamp'. No reliable difference in potential-dependent and amplitude-kinetic characteristics of transmembrane ion currents in cells of intact and irradiated with dose of 3 Gy rats was revealed. In cells of irradiated animals external application of caffeine (4 mM) was not accompanied by strong quick-inactivated transient Ca 2+ -dependent potassium current as in control

The proposed irradiation facility and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singson, C.C.; Navarro, Q.O.

As early as 1972, the Philippine Atomic Energy Commission proposed the setting up of a radiation facility for the sterilization of medical products. A result of a market survey with the assistance of an IAEA expert was conducted to determine the market potential for such venture. With the Food Terminal, Inc. (FTI) a government agro-industrial fair which explored the economic benefits of project, encouraging results have been obtained with finances from FAO and IAEA. The proposed pilot plant will serve as a multi purpose facility for the sterilization of medical and laboratory products, irradiation of food and agricultural produce and manufacture of wood plastic compositions for the textile and furniture industries. With the benefits derived from the said project, it is hoped that its early installation be pushed through. (author)

Decommissioning of small medical, industrial and research facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

Most of the technical literature on decommissioning addresses the regulatory, organizational, technical and other aspects for large facilities such as nuclear power plants, reprocessing plants and relatively large prototype, research and test reactors. There are, however, a much larger number of licensed users of radioactive material in the fields of medicine, research and industry. Most of these nuclear facilities are smaller in size and complexity and may present a lower radiological risk during their decommissioning. Such facilities are located at research establishments, biological and medical laboratories, universities, medical centres, and industrial and manufacturing premises. They are often operated by users who have not been trained or are unfamiliar with the decommissioning, waste management and associated safety aspects of these types of facility at the end of their operating lives. Also, for many small users of radioactive material such as radiation sources, nuclear applications are a small part of the overall business or process and, although the operating safety requirements may be adhered to, concern or responsibility may not go much beyond this. There is concern that even the minimum requirements of decommissioning may be disregarded, resulting in avoidable delays, risks and safety implications (e.g. a loss of radioactive material and a loss of all records). Incidents have occurred in which persons have been injured or put at risk. It is recognized that the strategies and specific requirements for small facilities may be much less onerous than for large ones such as nuclear power plants or fuel processing facilities, but many of the same principles apply. There has been considerable attention given to nuclear facilities and many IAEA publications are complementary to this report. This report, however, attempts to give specific guidance for small facilities. 'Small' in this report does not necessarily mean small in size but generally modest in terms

Improvement of the High Fluence Irradiation Facility at the University of Tokyo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murakami, Kenta, E-mail: murakami@tokai.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Nuclear Professional School, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 2-22 Shirakata-Shirane, Tokai-mura, Ibaraki 319-1188 (Japan); Iwai, Takeo, E-mail: iwai@med.id.yamagata-u.ac.jp [Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University, 2-2-2 Iida-Nishi, Yamagata, Yamagata-shi 990-9585 (Japan); Abe, Hiroaki, E-mail: abe.hiroaki@n.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Nuclear Professional School, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 2-22 Shirakata-Shirane, Tokai-mura, Ibaraki 319-1188 (Japan); Sekimura, Naoto, E-mail: sekimura@n.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Department of Nuclear Engineering and Management, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo, 113-8656 (Japan)

2016-08-15

This paper reports the modification of the High Fluence Irradiation Facility at the University of Tokyo (HIT). The HIT facility was severely damaged during the 2011 earthquake, which occurred off the Pacific coast of Tohoku. A damaged 1.0 MV tandem Cockcroft-Walton accelerator was replaced with a 1.7 MV accelerator, which was formerly used in another campus of the university. A decision was made to maintain dual-beam irradiation capability by repairing the 3.75 MV single-ended Van de Graaff accelerator and reconstructing the related beamlines. A new beamline was connected with a 200 kV transmission electron microscope (TEM) to perform in-situ TEM observation under ion irradiation.

A discussion on establishment of GIP management system for food irradiation facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Jiang; Shi Hua; Li Ruisong; Li Shurong; Zhou Hongjie; Ha Yiming

2005-01-01

This article analyses the hazard factors and selects Critical Control Point (CCP) for food irradiation process (including staff, facilities and processing) using HACCP version. The principles and method of GIP system for food irradiation plant are also discussed. (authors)

Clinical aspects of toxoplasmosis in small animal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Luiz Baptista Galvão

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Toxoplasmosis, a zoonosis of worldwide distribution, has importance in human and veterinary medicine. Animals can be direct or indirect source of infection to man, and this intermediate host, the disease may be responsible for encephalitis and deaths due to congenital form as coinfection in neonates and patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The man and animals can acquire the disease by eating undercooked meat or cures, infected with tissue cysts, as well as food and water contaminated with oocysts. Iatrogenic, such as, blood transfusion and organ transplantation are other less frequent routes of transmission. The causative agent of this disease is Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan obligate intracellular coccidian. In small animals, the infection has been reported in several countries, promoting varied clinical manifestations and uncommon but severe and fatal, which is a challenge in the clinical diagnosis of small animals, especially when the nervous system involvement. Thus, constitute the purpose of this review address the participation of small animals in the spread of the disease, clinical aspects related to it, as well as discuss methods of diagnosis, therapeutic measures, prophylaxis and control of this disease.

Small Animal Models for Evaluating Filovirus Countermeasures.

Science.gov (United States)

Banadyga, Logan; Wong, Gary; Qiu, Xiangguo

2018-05-11

The development of novel therapeutics and vaccines to treat or prevent disease caused by filoviruses, such as Ebola and Marburg viruses, depends on the availability of animal models that faithfully recapitulate clinical hallmarks of disease as it is observed in humans. In particular, small animal models (such as mice and guinea pigs) are historically and frequently used for the primary evaluation of antiviral countermeasures, prior to testing in nonhuman primates, which represent the gold-standard filovirus animal model. In the past several years, however, the filovirus field has witnessed the continued refinement of the mouse and guinea pig models of disease, as well as the introduction of the hamster and ferret models. We now have small animal models for most human-pathogenic filoviruses, many of which are susceptible to wild type virus and demonstrate key features of disease, including robust virus replication, coagulopathy, and immune system dysfunction. Although none of these small animal model systems perfectly recapitulates Ebola virus disease or Marburg virus disease on its own, collectively they offer a nearly complete set of tools in which to carry out the preclinical development of novel antiviral drugs.

Food irradiation for developing countries in Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-12-01

The amount of post-harvest losses of food is considered to be highest on the African continent. As a result, increasing numbers of countries in Africa are suffering from problems of hunger and malnutrition, which range from chronic to acute. Food irradiation could play an important role in reducing the high rate of food losses especially in the case of food grain, root crops and dried food in this continent provided that proper infrastructure to employ this technique could be identified. Irradiation could contribute positively to the safety of food from microbiological and parasitic infection. A panel of experts participated at the round table discussion to assess the potential application of the technology in Africa. Some of the items for which technical feasibility has been established for food irradiation preservation include yams, onions, potatoes, maize, millet, sorghum, cowpeas and other pulses, cocoa beans, spices (pepper) and condiments, meat and poultry, fish and fishery products, animal feed, etc. In considered the local demand, a suitable choice of the type and size of the facility should be made. The design should allow up-grading in both size and automated operation to meet future expansion of the existing facility, but small commercial scale facilities, of low cost, should be considered to start with. Whatever type of equipment chosen, (whether Gamma or Electron Beam) safety, reliability, maintainability, and simplicity of operation should be of major consideration. It is recognized that for a project to be concluded on a reasonable schedule, technology transfer and training should be incorporated into the complete package. In addition back-up technical infrastructure in the country should be strengthened. The effective procedures demonstrated in a number of countries for performing consumer acceptance studies on irradiated foods, should be adopted in a slightly modified form adapted to the different target populations. Such studies should be

A Very High Spatial Resolution Detector for Small Animal PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanai Shah, M.S.

2007-01-01

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is an in vivo analog of autoradiography and has the potential to become a powerful new tool in imaging biological processes in small laboratory animals. PET imaging of small animals can provide unique information that can help in advancement of human disease models as well as drug development. Clinical PET scanners used for human imaging are bulky, expensive and do not have adequate spatial resolution for small animal studies. Hence, dedicated, low cost instruments are required for conducting small animal studies with higher spatial resolution than what is currently achieved with clinical as well as dedicated small animal PET scanners. The goal of the proposed project is to investigate a new all solid-state detector design for small animal PET imaging. Exceptionally high spatial resolution, good timing resolution, and excellent energy resolution are expected from the proposed detector design. The Phase I project was aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of producing high performance solid-state detectors that provide high sensitivity, spatial resolution, and timing characteristics. Energy resolution characteristics of the new detector were also investigated. The goal of the Phase II project is to advance the promising solid-state detector technology for small animal PET and determine its full potential. Detectors modules will be built and characterized and finally, a bench-top small animal PET system will be assembled and evaluated

Effect of x irradiation on the vascularization of experimental animal tumors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saeki, Y; Ogawa, F; Nishiguchi, H; Tanaka, N; Murakami, K [Kyoto Prefectural Univ. of Medicine (Japan)

1975-03-01

The authors studied the effect of ionizing radiation on blood vessels and tumor growth in two animal tumor systems: a third generation isoplants of a mammary cancer and a spontaneously arising squamous cell carcinoma. Single cell suspensions were transplanted into a C3H and a C3Hf mouse respectively. They were irradiated once with 2000 rad when the tumors reached about 8 mm in diameter. Microangiography was performed at a constant temperature and pressure, and a contrast medium containing lead-oxide and gelatin was flushed the vena cava for 10 min. at 120 mmHg. Tumor shrinkage was followed by continuous regrowth. The basic vasculature of the mammary carcinoma consisted of abundant large and fine blood vessels corkscrewed or stretched from the periphery of the tumor to its center in complex reticular networks. One day after irradiation there were small scattered avascular areas which, by the third day formed a large central necrosis. Supervascularization was also observed, indicating that some hypoxic tumor cells could be reoxygenized. In 5 days vascularization was similar to that of a nonirradiated tumor. Conversely, The squamous cell carcinoma showed peripheral and central vascularization with abundant vascular and avascular areas and extravasion in the large avascular area. Two days after irradiation the vessels were dilated. At 3 days peripheral fine vessels were damaged but the central vasculature remained intact. Unlike the mammary carcinoma, supervascularization was not the typical finding. At 5 days, vascularization was similar to that of a nonirradiated tumor.

Small animal PET: aspects of performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, Simone; Bauer, Andreas

2004-01-01

Dedicated small animal positron emission tomography (PET) systems are increasingly prevalent in industry (e.g. for preclinical drug development) and biological research. Such systems permit researchers to perform animal studies of a longitudinal design characterised by repeated measurements in single animals. With the advent of commercial systems, scanners have become readily available and increasingly popular. As a consequence, technical specifications are becoming more diverse, making scanner systems less broadly applicable. The investigator has, therefore, to make a decision regarding which type of scanner is most suitable for the intended experiments. This decision should be based on gantry characteristics and the physical performance. The first few steps have been taken towards standardisation of the assessment of performance characteristics of dedicated animal PET systems, though such assessment is not yet routinely implemented. In this review, we describe current methods of evaluation of physical performance parameters of small animal PET scanners. Effects of methodologically different approaches on the results are assessed. It is underscored that particular attention has to be paid to spatial resolution, sensitivity, scatter fraction and count rate performance. Differences in performance measurement methods are described with regard to commercially available systems, namely the Concorde MicroPET systems P4 and R4 and the quad-HIDAC. Lastly, consequences of differences in scanner performance parameters are rated with respect to applications of small animal PET. (orig.)

Health and Safety Management for Small-scale Methane Fermentation Facilities

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaoka, Masaru; Yuyama, Yoshito; Nakamura, Masato; Oritate, Fumiko

In this study, we considered health and safety management for small-scale methane fermentation facilities that treat 2-5 ton of biomass daily based on several years operation experience with an approximate capacity of 5 t·d-1. We also took account of existing knowledge, related laws and regulations. There are no qualifications or licenses required for management and operation of small-scale methane fermentation facilities, even though rural sewerage facilities with a relative similar function are required to obtain a legitimate license. Therefore, there are wide variations in health and safety consciousness of the operators of small-scale methane fermentation facilities. The industrial safety and health laws are not applied to the operation of small-scale methane fermentation facilities. However, in order to safely operate a small-scale methane fermentation facility, the occupational safety and health management system that the law recommends should be applied. The aims of this paper are to clarify the risk factors in small-scale methane fermentation facilities and encourage planning, design and operation of facilities based on health and safety management.

A high resolution small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) with x-ray tomographic guidance capabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, John; Armour, Elwood; Kazanzides, Peter; Iordachita, Iulian; Tryggestad, Erik; Deng, Hua; Matinfar, Mohammad; Kennedy, Christopher; Liu, Zejian; Chan, Timothy; Gray, Owen; Verhaegen, Frank; McNutt, Todd; Ford, Eric; DeWeese, Theodore L.

2008-01-01

Purpose To demonstrate the CT imaging, conformal irradiation and treatment planning capabilities of a small animal radiation research platform (SARRP). Methods The SARRP employs a dual-focal spot, constant voltage x-ray source mounted on a gantry with a source-to-isocenter distance of 35 cm. Gantry rotation is limited to 120° from vertical. Eighty to 100 kVp x-rays from the smaller 0.4 mm focal spot are used for imaging. Both 0.4 mm and 3.0 mm focal spots operate at 225 kVp for irradiation. Robotic translate/rotate stages are used to position the animal. Cone-beam (CB) CT imaging is achieved by rotating the horizontal animal between the stationary x-ray source and a flat-panel detector. Radiation beams range from 0.5 mm in diameter to (60 × 60) mm2. Dosimetry is measured with radio-chromic films. Monte Carlo dose calculations are employed for treatment planning. The combination of gantry and robotic stage motions facilitate conformal irradiation. Results The SARRP spans 3 ft × 4 ft × 6 ft (WxLxH). Depending on filtration, the isocenter dose outputs at 1 cm depth in water range from 22 to 375 cGy/min from the smallest to the largest radiation fields. The 20% to 80% dose fall-off spans 0.16 mm. CBCT with (0.6 × 0.6 × 0.6) mm3 voxel resolution is acquired with less than 1 cGy. Treatment planning is performed at sub-mm resolution. Conclusions The capability of the SARRP to deliver highly focal beams to multiple animal model systems provides new research opportunities that more realistically bridge laboratory research and clinical translation. PMID:18640502

Management and Level of Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus Illinger, 1815 as Display Animal in Indonesia Conservation Institution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulfa Hansyari Ar-Rasyid

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Education and breeding become main reasons for asian small-clawed otter placement as display animal in zoo. Proper management is needed to maintain asian small-clawed otter welfare. This research objectives were to examine and assess asian small-clawed otter welfare in three Indonesia zoos. The study was conducted from December 2016 to February 2017 in Bandung Zoo, Ragunan Zoo and Ocean Dream Samudra Ancol. The methods of this research were literature review, interview and field observation. Data were analyzed using the suitability of management and animal welfare assessment. The result showed that there were three main management activities conducted at the three study locations, i.e., nutrition, housing, and health management. Bandung Zoo achieved the lowest score of asian small-clawed otter welfare (45,24% compared to Ragunan Zoo (62,24% and Ocean Dream Samudra (65,90%. Asian small-clawed otter welfare in three institutions were relatively low to fair category, this was due to the unfilled quality of food and water i.e.,  the type, amount, feeding frequency, diet and preparing of food; the unavailability of suitable and favorable environmental conditions; the care facilities provided could not ensure the health of animal; the appearance of abnormal behavior that affected the growth and breeding of animal; and animal had no freedom to behave as in their natural habitat. Keywords: animal display, animal welfare, Asian small-clawed otter, zoo 

Small animal PET and its applications in biomedical research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu Feichan

2004-01-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medical imaging technique that permits the use of positron-labeled molecular imaging probes for non-invasive assays of biochemical processes. As the leading technology in nuclear medicine, PET has extended its applications from the clinical field to the study of small laboratory animals. In recent years, the development of new detector technology has dramatically improved the spatial resolution and image quality of small animal PET scanner, which is being used increasingly as a basic tool in modern biomedical research. In particular, small animal PET will play an important role in drug discovery and development, in the study of small animal models of human diseases, in characterizing gene expression and in many other ways. (authors)

ICP-AES analysis of trace elements in serum from animals fed with irradiated food

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Zongzhi; Zhou Hongdi

1986-01-01

A method of trace element analysis by ICP-AES in serum from animals fed with irradiated food is described. In order to demonstrate that irradiated food is suitable for human consumption, it is necessary to perform an experiment of animal feeding with these food before use for human. Trace element analysis in animal serum could provide an actual evidence for further human consumption study. 53 serum samples of the rats fed with irradiated food were obtained. After ashed and solved, ICP-AES analysis has been used for determining 20 trace elements in specimen solution. The detection limitation is in the range of 10 -2 -10 -3 ppm for different elements. The recovery of elements is from 70.08% to 98.28%. The relative standard deviation is found to be 0.71% to 11.52%

NRX and NRU reactor research facilities and irradiation and examination charges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1960-08-01

This report details the irradiation and examination charges on the NRX and NRU reactors at the Chalk River Nuclear Labs. It describes the NRX and NRU research facilities available to external users. It describes the various experimental holes and loops available for research. It also outlines the method used to calculate the facilities charges and the procedure for applying to use the facilities as well as the billing procedures.

Architecture optimization at IPEN animal facility in order to improve the welfare and the quality of the animals employed at radiopharmaceutical tests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lainetti, Elizabeth Brigagao de Faria; Nascimento, Nanci do [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN/SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)], e-mail: eblainet@ipen.br; Passos, Luiz Augusto Correa [Universidade Estadual de Campinas, SP (Brazil). Centro Multidisciplinar para a Investigacao Biologica (CEMIB/UNICAMP)

2009-07-01

The production and the issue of high quality laboratory animals are essentials for the accomplishment of vanguard scientific research, with reproducibility and universality. The quality of those animals depends, largely, of the available facilities for their production and lodging, to assure the demanded sanitary control and animals' well being, in agreement with the ethical principles that control the activity. The facilities also have to fill out other requirements, such as: the functionality of the environments to make possible the suitable and efficient handling of the animals, facilitating the execution of the routine activities; the respect to ergonomic principles to provide a safe environment and the operators' well being. The facilities design is of vital importance so that the mentioned requirements can be reached. The project of the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN) Animal House Facilities was accomplished in the year of 1964. However, by that time there were not the current recommendations with respect to the sanitary, genetic and environmental controls. The facility was planned with the objective of being a production unit and a local for keeping of defined animals from sanitary, genetic and environmental point of view. Nevertheless, the original unit drawing presents an unsuitable distribution of the area where animals are stockpiled and different activities are performed. The Animal House Facilities occupies an area of 840 m{sup 2}, with one pavement, where the production areas and the stock of original animal models of the own institution are distributed, as well as the maintenance of animals from other national or foreigner institutions. It supplies rats and mice for biological tests of radiopharmaceutical lots, produced in IPEN, before they be sent to hospitals and clinics spread out in Brazil, for use in Nuclear Medicine. It also supplies rats and mice for tests of odontologic materials, for tests with growth hormones and for

Architecture optimization at IPEN animal facility in order to improve the welfare and the quality of the animals employed at radiopharmaceutical tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lainetti, Elizabeth Brigagao de Faria; Nascimento, Nanci do; Passos, Luiz Augusto Correa

2009-01-01

The production and the issue of high quality laboratory animals are essentials for the accomplishment of vanguard scientific research, with reproducibility and universality. The quality of those animals depends, largely, of the available facilities for their production and lodging, to assure the demanded sanitary control and animals' well being, in agreement with the ethical principles that control the activity. The facilities also have to fill out other requirements, such as: the functionality of the environments to make possible the suitable and efficient handling of the animals, facilitating the execution of the routine activities; the respect to ergonomic principles to provide a safe environment and the operators' well being. The facilities design is of vital importance so that the mentioned requirements can be reached. The project of the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN) Animal House Facilities was accomplished in the year of 1964. However, by that time there were not the current recommendations with respect to the sanitary, genetic and environmental controls. The facility was planned with the objective of being a production unit and a local for keeping of defined animals from sanitary, genetic and environmental point of view. Nevertheless, the original unit drawing presents an unsuitable distribution of the area where animals are stockpiled and different activities are performed. The Animal House Facilities occupies an area of 840 m 2 , with one pavement, where the production areas and the stock of original animal models of the own institution are distributed, as well as the maintenance of animals from other national or foreigner institutions. It supplies rats and mice for biological tests of radiopharmaceutical lots, produced in IPEN, before they be sent to hospitals and clinics spread out in Brazil, for use in Nuclear Medicine. It also supplies rats and mice for tests of odontologic materials, for tests with growth hormones and for researches of

The pathways for absorbtion of stearin acid and leucine in the rat small intestine after gamma-irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nadtochij, V.V.; Brodskij, P.A.

1983-01-01

Males of rats were used to study the disorders of structural-functional mechanisms of lipid absorption in late periods after coarse-fractionated gamma irradiation of abdomen (35 Gr integral dose, 7 Gr x 5 every other day, Co 60 , 2.3 Gr/min dose rate) Lipid absorption and separation was studied according to intensity of 3 H-stearic acid inclusion into ultrastructures of epitheliocyte of small intestine villus of irradiated animals. The state of protein-synthesizing epitheliocyte system was evaluated by pulse mark (fragment incubation with 3 H-lencine in vitro). The correlation between the rate of mark passing into Golgi complex and its separation into intercellular space was revealed. Lipid passing with 3 H-stearic acid through Golgi complex, granular endoplasmic net and disorder of their separation into lacunar intercellular space decelerated in late periods after irradiation. It is shown that the transport of fatty acid, avoiding the stages of esterification and triglyceride synthesis in enduplasmic net, increases in small intestine epitheliocytes during radiation effect. Mechanisms. of some phenomena are explained presumably

Towards a Unified Environmental Monitoring, Control and Data Management System for Irradiation Facilities: the CERN IRRAD Use Case

CERN Document Server

Gkotse, Blerina; Jouvelot, Pierre; Matli, Emanuele; Pezzullo, Giuseppe; Ravotti, Federico

2017-01-01

The qualification of materials, electronic components and equipment for the CERN High Energy Physics experiments and beyond requires testing against possible radiation effects. These quite complex tests are performed by specialized teams working in irradiation facilities such as IRRAD, the Proton Irradiation Facility at CERN. Building upon the details of the overall irradiation control, monitoring, and logistical systems of IRRAD as a use case, we introduce the motivations for and general architecture of its new data management framework, currently under development at CERN. This infrastructure is intended to allow for the seamless and comprehensive handling of IRRAD irradiation experiments and to help manage all aspects of the facility. Its architecture, currently focused on the specific requirements of the IRRAD facility, is intended to be upgraded to a general framework that could be used in other irradiation facilities within the radiation effects community, as well as for other applications.

Description of the PIE facility for research reactors irradiated fuels in CNEA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bisca, A.; Coronel, R.; Homberger, V.; Quinteros, A.; Ratner, M.

2002-01-01

The PIE Facility (LAPEP), located at the Ezeiza Atomic Center (CAE), was designed to carry out destructive and non-destructive post-irradiation examinations (PIE) on research and power reactor spent fuels, reactor internals and other irradiated materials, and to perform studies related with: Station lifetime extension; Fuel performance; Development of new fuels; and Failures and determination of their causes. LAPEP is a relevant facility where research and development can be carried out. It is worth mentioning that in this facility the PIE corresponding to the Surveillance Program for the Atucha I Nuclear Power Plant (CNA-1) were successfully performed. Materials testing during the CNA-1 repair and the study of failures in fuel element plugs of the Embalse Nuclear Power Plant (CNE) were also performed. (author)

Advances in Small Animal Imaging Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loudos, George K.

2007-01-01

The rapid growth in genetics and molecular biology combined with the development of techniques for genetically engineering small animals has led to an increased interest in in vivo laboratory animal imaging during the past few years. For this purpose, new instrumentation, data acquisition strategies, and image processing and reconstruction techniques are being developed, researched and evaluated. The aim of this article is to give a short overview of the state of the art technologies for high resolution and high sensitivity molecular imaging techniques, primarily positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The basic needs of small animal imaging will be described. The evolution in instrumentation in the past two decades, as well as the commercially available systems will be overviewed. Finally, the new trends in detector technology and preliminary results from challenging applications will be presented. For more details a number of references are provided

Nuclear techniques in animal production and health and food irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cetinkaya, N.

2002-01-01

Nuclear techniques applied to animal production and health are concentrated in three main fields: Animal nutrition, reproduction and animal health. Isotopic markers, both radioactive (''1''4C, ''5 1 Cr, 32 P and 35 S) and stable ( 15 N), have been used in the development of feeding strategies by understanding the rumen fermentation process, and how protein and other nutrients are utilized to determine a balanced diet for meeting animal requirements for growth, pregnancy and lactation. The simple and easily applicable technology was developed for the preparation of a urea mineral multi nutrient block as a supplement and animal cake for the replacement of concentrate feed used by dairy cattle holders. The model was developed in Yerli Kara Cattle and its cross-breeds to estimate protein requirements of animals. Progesterone immunoassays (RIA/EIA) make it possible to control the reproductive performance of cattle, sheep and goats. A milk progesterone enzyme immunoassay kit known as Reprokon was developed at our Center. The kit has licensed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. As for animal diseases, especially parasitic infections, nuclear techniques have proved to be of great value, namely in the production of irradiated vaccines against helminitic diseases. The Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent assay (ELISA) diagnostic techniques were used on the diagnosis of babesiosis, a disease which cause great economic loss in livestock in Turkey. Food irradiation is the treatment of raw, semi-processed or processed food or food ingredients with ionizing radiation to achieve a reduction of losses due to insect infestation, germination of root crops, spoilage and deterioration of perishable produce, and/or the control of microorganisms and other organisms that cause food borne diseases

External irradiation facilities open for biological studies - progress in july 2005; Les installations d'irradiation externe accessibles aux etudes de biologie etat d'avancement juillet 2005

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaillard-Lecanu, E. [CEA Fontenay aux Roses (DSV/Carmin), 92 (France); Authier, N.; Verrey, B. [CEA Valduc, Dept. Recherche sur les Materiaux Nucleaires, 21 - Is-sur-Tille (France); Bailly, I. [CEA Bruyeres le Chatel, 91 (France). Dept. de Physique Theorique et Appliquee; Baldacchino, G.; Pin, S.; Pommeret, S.; Renault, J.Ph. [CEA Saclay, Dept. de Recherche sur Etat Condense, les Atomes et les Molecules, 91 - Gif sur Yvette (France); Bordy, J.M. [CEA Saclay, Dir. de la Recherche Technologique (DRT/DETECS/LNHB/LMD), 91 - Gif sur Yvette (France); Coffigny, H. [CEA Fontenay aux Roses, Dept. de Radiobiologie et de Radiopathologie, 92 (France); Cortela, L. [CEA Grenoble, ARC-Nucleart, 38 (France); Duval, D. [CEA Saclay, Schering - CIS bio International, 91 - Gif sur Yvette (France); Leplat, J.J. [CEA Saclay (DSV/DRR/LREG), 91 - Gif sur Yvette (France); Poncy, J.L. [CEA Fontenay aux Roses (DSV/DRR/SRCA), 92 (France); Testard, I. [CEA Caen (DSV/DRR/LRO-LARIA), 14 - Caen (France); Thuret, J.Y. [CEA Saclay (DSV/DBJC/SBGM), 91 - Gif sur Yvette (France)

2005-07-01

The Life Science Division of the Atomic Energy Commission is making an inventory of the various radiation sources accessible for investigation on the biological effects of ionizing radiation. In this field, a wide range of studies is being carried out at the Life Science Division, attempting to characterize the kind of lesions with their early biological consequences (on the various cell compartments) and their late biological consequences (deterministic or stochastic effects), in relation to the radiation type and dose, especially at low doses. Several experimental models are available: plants, bacteria, eukaryotic cells from yeast up to mammalian cells and in vivo studies, mostly on rodents, in order to characterize the somatic late effects and the hereditary effects. Due to the significant cost of these facilities, also to their specific properties (nature of the radiation, dose and dose rate, possible accuracy of the irradiation at the molecular level), the closeness is no longer the only criteria for biologists to make a choice. The current evolution is to set up irradiation infrastructures combining ionizing radiation sources themselves and specific tools dedicated to biological studies: cell or molecular biology laboratories, animal facilities. The purpose, in this new frame, is to provide biologists with the most suitable facilities, and, if possible, to change these facilities according to requirements in radiobiology. In this report, the basics of interactions of ionizing radiation with biological tissues are briefly introduced, followed by a presentation of some of the facilities available for radiobiological studies especially at CEA. This panorama is not a comprehensive one, new data will be included as they advance, whether reporting existing facilities or if a new one is developed. (authors)

Investigations on the development of an irradiated vaccine for animal schistosomiasis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussein, M.F.; Bushara, H.O.

1976-01-01

The results are summarized of preliminary experiments on the development of an irradiated larval vaccine for Schistosoma bovis, an important trematode of domestic ruminants in the Sudan. Initial studies on mice demonstrated the inhibitory effects of irradiation on the development of S. bovis, S. mansoni and S. mattheei, and also suggested that irradiated cercariae were highly immunogenic. In calves, it was shown that a single exposure to irradiated S. mansoni cercariae induced a strong partial resistance against S. bovis, even though no adult parasites of the former were produced. The experiment also showed that a stronger immunity occurred at 24 weeks than at 8 weeks post-immunization, indicating the long duration of the immunity produced by these short-lived cercariae. Another experiment, involving sheep, was made using irradiated S. bovis cercariae as the immunizing agents. Marked reduction in worm and especially in tissue egg counts were also reported following challenge infections 37 weeks later with normal S. bovis cercariae. Because of the fragility of the cercariae and difficulties in their administration and storage, trials are being carried out using another larval stage, the schistosomule, as an immunizing agent. In these trials various methods for the transformation of cercariae into schistosomules were evaluated, and the immunogenicity of irradiated schistosomules administered intra-muscularly into animals is now being investigated. At the same time, attempts are in progress to maintain the schistosomules by cryopreservation techniques for a period long enough to ensure an adequate shelf-life before conducting a field test on naturally infected animals in the Sudan. (author)

Sterilization by irradiation of feed for axenic or heteroxenic laboratory animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saint-Lebe, L.

1979-01-01

Sterilization by irradiation of animal feeds is promising. The objective of experiments presented is to determine if integrated dose (44 kGy) has an influence on breeding performances and on animal behavior. Results show that not only nothing abnormal is constated but performances are better than those obtained with an autoclave in an important breeding center in conditions perfectly analyzed [fr

Final safety analysis report for the irradiated fuels storage facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bingham, G.E.; Evans, T.K.

1976-01-01

A fuel storage facility has been constructed at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant to provide safe storage for spent fuel from two commercial HTGR's, Fort St. Vrain and Peach Bottom, and from the Rover nuclear rocket program. The new facility was built as an addition to the existing fuel storage basin building to make maximum use of existing facilities and equipment. The completed facility provides dry storage for one core of Peach Bottom fuel (804 elements), 1 1 / 2 cores of Fort St. Vrain fuel (2200 elements), and the irradiated fuel from the 20 reactors in the Rover program. The facility is designed to permit future expansion at a minimum cost should additional storage space for graphite-type fuels be required. A thorough study of the potential hazards associated with the Irradiated Fuels Storage Facility has been completed, indicating that the facility is capable of withstanding all credible combinations of internal accidents and pertinent natural forces, including design basis natural phenomena of a 10,000 year flood, a 175-mph tornado, or an earthquake having a bedrock acceleration of 0.33 g and an amplification factor of 1.3, without a loss of integrity or a significant release of radioactive materials. The design basis accident (DBA) postulated for the facility is a complete loss of cooling air, even though the occurrence of this situation is extremely remote, considering the availability of backup and spare fans and emergency power. The occurrence of the DBA presents neither a radiation nor an activity release hazard. A loss of coolant has no effect upon the fuel or the facility other than resulting in a gradual and constant temperature increase of the stored fuel. The temperature increase is gradual enough that ample time (28 hours minimum) is available for corrective action before an arbitrarily imposed maximum fuel centerline temperature of 1100 0 F is reached

Renovating animal facilities to withstand disasters.

Science.gov (United States)

Cartwright, Jim; Contratto, Jim; Gould, Nathan; Freeman, William

2013-10-01

In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, new attention has been drawn to planning for and mitigating the effects of disasters on laboratory animal facilities. A number of design approaches and solutions can be easily incorporated into a new vivarium, enhancing its ability to withstand and recover from a disaster. Renovating a vivarium poses special challenges, however. Existing conditions in the project area may dictate which approaches or solutions are feasible, and retrofitting is often more complex and expensive than incorporating the same features into new construction. The authors explain how project design teams can evaluate the types of disasters that a renovated facility will need to address and develop a design strategy that responds to these disasters in the most effective way.

Biosecurity for animal facilities and associated laboratories.

Science.gov (United States)

Richmond, Jonathan Y; Nesby-O'Dell, Shanna

2003-01-01

Although working with human pathogens and zoonotic agents has always carried a certain degree of danger, current events have resulted in an increased focus on the subject, including new regulations. The authors discuss a number of risk assessment and management activities that animal research facilities should use to evaluate strengthen their current programs.

Development of an irradiation system for a small size continuous run multipurpose gamma irradiator; Desenvolvimento do sistema de irradiacao em um irradiador multiproposito de cobalto-60 tipo compacto

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Calvo, Wilson Aparecido Parejo

2005-07-01

The Radiation Technology Center from Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN/SP), Brazil, developed with a revolutionary design and national technology, a small size continuous run and multipurpose industrial gamma irradiator, to be used as a demonstration facility for manufacturers and contract service companies, which need economical and logistical in-house irradiation system alternatives. Also, to be useful for supporting the local scientific community on development of products and process using gamma radiation, assisting the traditional and potential users on process validation, training and qualification of operators and radioprotection officers. The developed technology for this facility consists of continuous tote box transport system, comprising a single concrete vault, where the automated transport system of products inside and outside of the irradiator utilizes a rotate door, integrated with the shielding, avoiding the traditional maze configuration. Covering 76 m{sup 2} of floor area, the irradiator design is product overlap sources and the maximum capacity of cobalt-60 wet sources is 37 P Bq (1 MCi). The performed quantification program of this multipurpose irradiator was based on AAMI/ISO 11137 standard, which recommends the inclusion of the following elements: installation and process quantification. The initial load of the multipurpose irradiator was 3.4 P Bq (92.1 k Ci) with 13 cobalt-60 sources model C-188, supplied by MDS Nordion Ion Technologies - Canada. For irradiator dose optimization, the source distribution was done using the software Cadgamma developed by IPEN-CNEN/SP. The poly-methylmethacrylate (PMMA) dosimeters system, certified by the International Dose Assurance Service (IDAS) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was used for irradiator dose mapping. The economic analysis, performance concerning to dose uniformity and cobalt-60 utilization efficiency were calculated and compared with other commercial

Neutron-irradiation facilities at the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source-I for fusion magnet materials studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, B.S.; Blewitt, T.H.

1982-01-01

The decommissioning of reactor-based neutron sources in the USA has led to the development of a new generation of neutron sources that employ high-energy accelerators. Among the accelerator-based neutron sources presently in operation, the highest-flux source is the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source (IPNS), a user facility at Argonne National Laboratory. Neutrons in this source are produced by the interaction of 400 to 500 MeV protons with either of two 238 U target systems. In the Radiation Effects Facility (REF), the 238 U target is surrounded by Pb for neutron generatjion and reflection. The REF has three separate irradiation thimbles. Two thimbles provide irradiation temperatures between that of liquid He and several hundred degrees centigrade. The third thimble operates at ambient temperature. The large irradiation volume, the neutron spectrum and flux, the ability to transfer samples without warm up, and the dedication of the facilities during the irradiation make this ideally suited for radiation damage studies on components for superconducting fusion magnets. Possible experiments for fusion magnet materials are discussed on cyclic irradiation and annealing of stabilizers in a high magnetic field, mechanical tests on organic insulation irradiated at 4 K, and superconductors measured in high fields after irradiation

Characterization of the fast neutron irradiation facility of the Portuguese Research Reactor after core conversion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marques, J.G.; Sousa, M.; Santos, J.P.; Fernandes, A.C.

2011-01-01

The fast neutron irradiation facility of the Portuguese Research Reactor was characterized after the reduction in uranium enrichment and rearrangement of the core configuration. In this work we report on the determination of the hardness parameter and the 1 MeV equivalent neutron flux along the facility, in the new irradiation conditions, following ASTM E722 standard.

Facilities for small-molecule crystallography at synchrotron sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnett, Sarah A; Nowell, Harriott; Warren, Mark R; Wilcox, Andrian; Allan, David R

2016-01-01

Although macromolecular crystallography is a widely supported technique at synchrotron radiation facilities throughout the world, there are, in comparison, only very few beamlines dedicated to small-molecule crystallography. This limited provision is despite the increasing demand for beamtime from the chemical crystallography community and the ever greater overlap between systems that can be classed as either small macromolecules or large small molecules. In this article, a very brief overview of beamlines that support small-molecule single-crystal diffraction techniques will be given along with a more detailed description of beamline I19, a dedicated facility for small-molecule crystallography at Diamond Light Source.

A spallation-based irradiation test facility for fusion and future fission materials

CERN Document Server

Samec, K; Kadi, Y; Luis, R; Romanets, Y; Behzad, M; Aleksan, R; Bousson, S

2014-01-01

The EU’s FP7 TIARA program for developing accelerator-based facilities has recently demonstrated the unique capabilities of a compact and powerful spallation source for irradiating advanced nuclear materials. The spectrum and intensity of the neutron flux produced in the proposed facility fulfils the requirements of the DEMO fusion reactor for ITER, ADS reactors and also Gen III / IV reactors. Test conditions can be modulated, covering temperature from 400 to 550°C, liquid metal corrosion, cyclical or static stress up to 500 MPa and neutron/proton irradiation damage of up to 25 DPA per annum. The entire “TMIF” facility fits inside a cube 2 metres on a side, and is dimensioned for an accelerator beam power of 100 kW, thus reducing costs and offering great versatility and flexibility.

Electrical characterization of FBK small-pitch 3D sensors after γ-ray, neutron and proton irradiations

Science.gov (United States)

Dalla Betta, G.-F.; Boscardin, M.; Hoeferkamp, M.; Mendicino, R.; Seidel, S.; Sultan, D. M. S.

2017-11-01

In view of applications in the tracking detectors at the High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC), we have developed a new generation of 3D pixel sensors featuring small-pitch (50 × 50 or 25 × 100 μ m2) and thin active layer (~ 100 μ m). Owing to the very short inter-electrode distance (~ 30 μ m), charge trapping effects can be strongly mitigated, making these sensors extremely radiation hard. However, the downscaled sensor structure also lends itself to high electric fields as the bias voltage is increased, motivating investigation of leakage current increase in order to prevent premature electrical breakdown due to impact ionization. In order to assess the characteristics of heavily irradiated samples, using 3D diodes as test devices, we have carried out a dedicated campaign that included several irradiations (γ -rays, neutrons, and protons) at different facilities. In this paper, we report on the electrical characterization of a subset of the irradiated samples, also in comparison to their pre-irradiation properties. Results demonstrate that hadron irradiated devices can be safely operated at a voltage high enough to allow for full depletion (hence high efficiency) also at the maximum fluence foreseen at the HL-LHC.

A 14 MeV neutron irradiation facility with an automated fast cyclic pneumatic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montgomery, M.T.; Yoho, M.D.; Biegalski, S.R.; Landsberger, S.; Welch, L.

2016-01-01

This work details the design criteria, construction, controls, and optimization of the 14 MeV neutron irradiation facility at the University of Texas, built with the motivation of performing neutron activation analysis on samples with short half-lives. The facility couples a D-T neutron generator with a pneumatic transfer system capable of transit of approximately one second between source and detector, while the cyclic automated nature allows for many irradiation/count trials with any number of samples, translating to significantly improved counting statistics. (author)

An overview of the PIREX Proton Irradiation facility and its research program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Victoria, M.; Gavillet, D. [Association EURATOM, Villigen (Switzerland)

1995-10-01

The main design characteristics of PIREX (Proton Irradiation Experiment) are described. The facility is installed in the 590 MeV proton beam of the PSI accelerator system. Its main task is the irradiation and testing of fusion reactor candidate materials. Protons of this energy produce simultaneously in the target material displacement damage and impurities, amongst them helium. They can therefore simulate possible synergistic effects between helium and damage that would result from irradiations with the fusion neutrons. The research program being developed includes studies on both materials of technological interest, such as martensitic stainless steels and Mo - based alloys and basic radiation damage research on pure metals. The facility is also being used for actinide transmutation studies, in the so called ATHENA experiment. The main directions of the research program are described and examples of present results are given.

Stimulation of seeds by low dose irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawson, Helen

1976-05-01

The first section of the bibliography lists materials on the stimulation of seeds by low dose irradiation, with particular reference to stimulation of germination and yield. The second section contains a small number of selected references on seed irradiation facilities. (author)

Dose mapping of the multi-purpose gamma irradiation facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cabalfin, E G; Lanuza, L G; Villamater, D T [Irradiation Services, Nuclear Services and Training Division, Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, Quezon City (Philippines)

1989-12-01

In radiation processing, reliable dosimetry constitutes a very important part of process control and quality assurance. Radiation dosimetry is the only acceptable method to guarantee that the irradiated product has undergone the correct radiation treatment. In preparation therefore, for the routine operation of the newly installed multi-purpose gamma irradiation facility at the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), dose mapping distribution studies were undertaken. Results of dose distribution in air as well as in dummy product are presented. The effects of product bulk density, product geometry and product to source distance on minimum absorbed dose and uniformity ratio have been determined. (Author).

Dose mapping of the multi-purpose gamma irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cabalfin, E.G.; Lanuza, L.G.; Villamater, D.T.

1989-01-01

In radiation processing, reliable dosimetry constitutes a very important part of process control and quality assurance. Radiation dosimetry is the only acceptable method to guarantee that the irradiated product has undergone the correct radiation treatment. In preparation therefore, for the routine operation of the newly installed multi-purpose gamma irradiation facility at the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), dose mapping distribution studies were undertaken. Results of dose distribution in air as well as in dummy product are presented. The effects of product bulk density, product geometry and product to source distance on minimum absorbed dose and uniformity ratio have been determined. (Author)

An automatic device for sample insertion and extraction to/from reactor irradiation facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alloni, L.; Venturelli, A.; Meloni, S.

1990-01-01

At the previous European Triga Users Conference in Vienna,a paper was given describing a new handling tool for irradiated samples at the L.E.N.A plant. This tool was the first part of an automatic device for the management of samples to be irradiated in the TRIGA MARK ii reactor and successively extracted and stored. So far sample insertion and extraction to/from irradiation facilities available on reactor top (central thimble,rotatory specimen rack and channel f),has been carried out manually by reactor and health-physics operators using the ''traditional'' fishing pole provided by General Atomic, thus exposing reactor personnel to ''unjustified'' radiation doses. The present paper describes the design and the operation of a new device, a ''robot''type machine,which, remotely operated, takes care of sample insertion into the different irradiation facilities,sample extraction after irradiation and connection to the storage pits already described. The extraction of irradiated sample does not require the presence of reactor personnel on the reactor top and,therefore,radiation doses are strongly reduced. All work from design to construction has been carried out by the personnel of the electronic group of the L.E.N.A plant. (orig.)

Intrinsic respiratory gating in small-animal CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartling, Soenke H.; Dinkel, Julien; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Stiller, Wolfram; Semmler, Wolfhard; Grasruck, Michael; Madisch, Ijad; Gupta, Rajiv; Kiessling, Fabian

2008-01-01

Gating in small-animal CT imaging can compensate artefacts caused by physiological motion during scanning. However, all published gating approaches for small animals rely on additional hardware to derive the gating signals. In contrast, in this study a novel method of intrinsic respiratory gating of rodents was developed and tested for mice (n=5), rats (n=5) and rabbits (n=2) in a flat-panel cone-beam CT system. In a consensus read image quality was compared with that of non-gated and retrospective extrinsically gated scans performed using a pneumatic cushion. In comparison to non-gated images, image quality improved significantly using intrinsic and extrinsic gating. Delineation of diaphragm and lung structure improved in all animals. Image quality of intrinsically gated CT was judged to be equivalent to extrinsically gated ones. Additionally 4D datasets were calculated using both gating methods. Values for expiratory, inspiratory and tidal lung volumes determined with the two gating methods were comparable and correlated well with values known from the literature. We could show that intrinsic respiratory gating in rodents makes additional gating hardware and preparatory efforts superfluous. This method improves image quality and allows derivation of functional data. Therefore it bears the potential to find wide applications in small-animal CT imaging. (orig.)

An irradiation facility with a horizontal beam for radiobiological studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czub, J.; Adamus, T.; Banas, D.

2006-01-01

A facility with a horizontal beam for radiobiological experiments with heavy ions has been designed and constructed at the Heavy Ion Laboratory in Warsaw University. The facility is optimal to investigate the radiobiological effects of charged heavy particles on a cellular or molecular level as the plateau of the Bragg curve as well as in the Bragg peak. The passive beam spread out by a thin scattering foil provides a homogeneous irradiation field over an area of at least 1 x 1 cm 2 . For in vitro irradiation of biological samples the passive beam spreading combined with the x - y mechanical scanning of the irradiated sample was found to be an optimum solution. Using x - y step motor, the homogenous beam of ions with the energy loss range in the cells varied from 1 MeV/μm to 200 keV/μm is able to cover a 6 cm in diameter Petri dish that holds the biological samples. Moreover on-line fluence monitoring based on single-particle counting is performed to determine the dose absorbed by cells. Data acquisition system for dosimetry and ion monitoring based on a personal computer is described. (author)

Irradiation and experimental facilities at Dhruva

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chakrabarty, Kunal; Mondal, Samir

2006-01-01

Research reactors are utilized to produce radioisotopes and offer irradiation facilities for testing various nuclear materials such as fuel and structural materials. Apart from providing large volume of neutron source for carrying out a variety of experiments, the research reactor forms the basic training ground for grooming up scientists and engineers for the various aspects of nuclear programme. Dhruva one of the high flux research reactors offers a maximum neutron flux level of 1.8 x 10 14 n/cm 2 /sec. It uses natural metallic uranium fuel with aluminium cladding and heavy water as coolant, moderator and reflector

X-ray microbeam stand-alone facility for cultured cells irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bożek, Sebastian, E-mail: sebastian.bozek@yahoo.com [Jagiellonian University Medical College, Department of Pharmaceutical Biophysics, Krakow (Poland); Bielecki, Jakub; Wiecheć, Anna; Lekki, Janusz; Stachura, Zbigniew; Pogoda, Katarzyna; Lipiec, Ewelina; Tkocz, Konrad; Kwiatek, Wojciech M. [Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, PL-31342 Krakow (Poland)

2017-03-01

Highlights: • An X-ray microbeam line for irradiation of living cultured cells was constructed. • A step by step explanation of working principles with engineering details, procedures and calculations is presented. • A model of beam and cell interaction is presented. • A method of uniform irradiation of living cells with an exact dose per a cell is presented. • Results of preliminary experiments are presented. - Abstract: The article describes an X-ray microbeam standalone facility dedicated for irradiation of living cultured cells. The article can serve as an advice for such facilities construction, as it begins from engineering details, through mathematical modeling and experimental procedures, ending up with preliminary experimental results and conclusions. The presented system consists of an open type X-ray tube with microfocusing down to about 2 μm, an X-ray focusing system with optical elements arranged in the nested Kirckpatrick-Baez (or Montel) geometry, a sample stand and an optical microscope with a scientific digital CCD camera. For the beam visualisation an X-ray sensitive CCD camera and a spectral detector are used, as well as a scintillator screen combined with the microscope. A method of precise one by one irradiation of previously chosen cells is presented, as well as a fast method of uniform irradiation of a chosen sample area. Mathematical models of beam and cell with calculations of kerma and dose are presented. The experiments on dose-effect relationship, kinetics of DNA double strand breaks repair, as well as micronuclei observation were performed on PC-3 (Prostate Cancer) cultured cells. The cells were seeded and irradiated on Mylar foil, which covered a hole drilled in the Petri dish. DNA lesions were visualised with γ-H2AX marker combined with Alexa Fluor 488 fluorescent dye.

Conceptual design of a conveyor system for the Philippine multipurpose cobalt-60 gamma irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borras, A.M.

1992-01-01

The Multipurpose Cobalt-60 Gamma Irradiation Facility at the PNRI presently utilizes the batch irradiation method using turntables to rotate the product boxes. The target materials or products are being carried manually or with the use of pushcart through the personnel maze. This paper presents a conceptual design for the best suitable product-handling or conveyor system for the Philippine Multipurpose Cobalt-60 Gamma Irradiation Facility. The main irradiation conveyor line shall be a 55 cm x 200 cm slat-type conveyor made of SUS 304 material that could be operated in a semi-batch continuous flow and/or shuffle-dwell method with a tact-time range of 10 min to 7 h. The products can be irradiated in a single direction, two-pass, two-sided method. (auth.). 11 refs.; 4 figs.; 2 tabs

Effect of chromic γ-irradiation with small doses on candidiasis development in white rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berchev, K.; Krushkov, Iv.

1976-01-01

Rats continuously exposed to 2 rads/day during eight months (cumulative dose of 400 rads) and nonirradiated rats were infected with a candida cells administered intravenously. All the irradiated animals died ten days after infection while only ten per cent of the control animals died for the same period of time. A morphological study has revealed candidiasis in the irradiated rats; changes, mainly in the kidneys, and formation of candidiasis granulomas have been detected in the control animals

Evaluation of the analgesic activity and safety of ketorolac in whole body fractionated gamma irradiated animals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Aly

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This study was performed to evaluate the analgesic activity and the toxicity of ketorolac in normal and fractionated (1.5 Gy/day/4 days γ-irradiated animals. Determination of brain serotonin content and serum prostaglandin level were also undertaken. The analgesic activity was tested using formalin test, at three dose levels (15, 30 and 60 mg/kg after 1 and 7 days post radiation exposure. LD50 determinations and assessment of liver and kidney function tests were performed. Our results indicated marked analgesic effects on the early and late phases of nociception. Double treatment with ketorolac and irradiation increased brain serotonin content. The acute LD50 of ketorolac was decreased in irradiated animals as compared to the LD50 of normal animals. Double treatment with ketorolac and irradiation induced an elevation of gastric mucin content, urea and BUN levels on the 1st day post irradiation, whereas, albumin level was lowered and globulin level was elevated after 7 days post irradiation. Depending on this study the dose of ketorolac used for treating cancer patients addressed to radiotherapy should be reduced, however, this requires further clinical confirmation.

Effect of whole body irradiation on different tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casati, V.; Nardino, A.; Tomassi, I.; Becciolini, A.; Rizzi, M.; Martelli, T.

1979-01-01

The uptake and elimination of 14 C leucine were analysed in controls and in rats irradiated 2 h before injection with 8 Gy whole-body irradiation. Plasma, small intestine, kidney and skin were assayed after homogenization for TCA soluble and insoluble activity curves. In highly differentiated tissues with poor proliferative activity and low protein turnover, the uptake and elimination of the tracer did not appear to be affected by irradiation. In the small intestine differences between control and irradiated animals seemed significant. (Auth.)

A spallation-based irradiation test facility for fusion and future fission materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samec, K.; Fusco, Y.; Kadi, Y.; Luis, R.; Romanets, Y.; Behzad, M.; Aleksan, R.; Bousson, S.

2014-01-01

The EU's FP7 TIARA program for developing accelerator-based facilities has recently demonstrated the unique capabilities of a compact and powerful spallation source for irradiating advanced nuclear materials. The spectrum and intensity of the neutron flux produced in the proposed facility fulfils the requirements of the proposed DEMO fusion reactor, ADS reactors and also Gen III / IV reactors. Test conditions can be modulated, covering temperature from 400 to 550 deg. C, liquid metal corrosion, cyclical or static stress up to 500 MPa and neutron/proton irradiation damage of up to 25 DPA per annum over a volume occupying one litre. The entire 'TMIF' facility fits inside a cube 2 metres on a side, and is dimensioned for an accelerator beam power of 100 kW, thus reducing costs and offering great versatility and flexibility. (authors)

The development for small scale soft X-ray spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Kexu; Jiang Shaoen; Yi Rongqing; Cui Yanli

2004-12-01

For the development of small-scale soft X-ray spectrometer, first, some small-scale soft X-ray detection elements are developed, it is included GaAs irradiated with neutron, GaAs irradiated with proton, multi-layer mirror, plane mirror and small scale X-ray diode et al. Soft X-ray spectrometers built of multi-layer mirror-GaAs (with neutron irradiation), and plane mirror-small-scale XRD, and plane mirror-GaAs (with proton irradiation) are prepared. These spectrometers are examined in Shen Guang-II laser facility, and some external estimation are given. (authors)

High resolution propagation-based imaging system for in vivo dynamic computed tomography of lungs in small animals

Science.gov (United States)

Preissner, M.; Murrie, R. P.; Pinar, I.; Werdiger, F.; Carnibella, R. P.; Zosky, G. R.; Fouras, A.; Dubsky, S.

2018-04-01

We have developed an x-ray imaging system for in vivo four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) of small animals for pre-clinical lung investigations. Our customized laboratory facility is capable of high resolution in vivo imaging at high frame rates. Characterization using phantoms demonstrate a spatial resolution of slightly below 50 μm at imaging rates of 30 Hz, and the ability to quantify material density differences of at least 3%. We benchmark our system against existing small animal pre-clinical CT scanners using a quality factor that combines spatial resolution, image noise, dose and scan time. In vivo 4DCT images obtained on our system demonstrate resolution of important features such as blood vessels and small airways, of which the smallest discernible were measured as 55–60 μm in cross section. Quantitative analysis of the images demonstrate regional differences in ventilation between injured and healthy lungs.

New facilities in Japan materials testing reactor for irradiation test of fusion reactor components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawamura, H.; Sagawa, H.; Ishitsuka, E.; Sakamoto, N.; Niiho, T.

1996-01-01

The testing and evaluation of fusion reactor components, i.e. blanket, plasma facing components (divertor, etc.) and vacuum vessel with neutron irradiation is required for the design of fusion reactor components. Therefore, four new test facilities were developed in the Japan Materials Testing Reactor: an in-pile functional testing facility, a neutron multiplication test facility, an electron beam facility, and a re-weldability facility. The paper describes these facilities

Influence of radioprotectors on total body weight evolution and on oxygen consumption in lethal dose irradiated animals. (Preliminary study)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fatome, M.; Martine, G.; Bargy, E.; Andrieu, L.

Comparison of total body weight evolution and oxygen consumption in lethal dose irradiated animals, protected by various well known radioprotective substances, isolated or in mixture, with evolution and consumption of non protected animals irradiated at the same dose and with these of check animals [fr

Collimator optimization for small animal radiation therapy at a micro-CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Felix, Manuela C. [Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Medical Radiation Physics/Radiation Protection; Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Glatting, Gerhard [Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Medical Radiation Physics/Radiation Protection; Giordano, Frank A.; Wenz, Frederik; Fleckenstein, Jens [Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Brockmann, Marc A. [Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Dept. of Neuroradiology; University Medical Center Mainz (Germany). Dept. of Neuroradiology

2017-05-01

In radiation therapy of small animals treatment depths range from a few millimetres to several centimetres. In order to spare surrounding organs at risk steep dose gradients are necessary. To minimize the treatment time, and therefore the strain to the animals, a high dose rate is required. A description how these parameters can be optimized through an appropriate choice of collimators with different source surface distances (SSD) as well as different materials and geometries is presented. An industrial micro-CT unit (Y.Fox, YXLON GmbH, Hamburg, Germany) was converted into a precision irradiator for small animals. Different collimators of either stainless steel (Fe) with cylindrical bores (SSD = 42 mm) or tungsten (W) with conical bores (SSD = 14 mm) were evaluated. The dosimetry of very small radiation fields presents a challenge and was performed with GafChromic EBT3 films (Ashland, Vayne, KY, USA) in a water phantom. The films were calibrated with an ionization chamber in the uncollimated field. Treatments were performed via a rotation of the objects with a fixed radiation source. As expected, the shorter SSD of the W-collimators resulted in a (4.5 ± 1.6)-fold increase of the dose rates compared to the corresponding Fe-collimators. The ratios of the dose rates at 1 mm and 10 mm depth in the water phantom was (2.6 ± 0.2) for the Fe- and (4.5 ± 0.1) for the W-collimators. For rotational treatments in a cylindrical plastic phantom maximum dose rates of up to 1.2 Gy/min for Fe- and 5.1 Gy/min for W-collimators were measured. Choosing the smallest possible SSD leads to a high dose rate and a high surface dose, which is of advantage for the treatment of superficial target volumes. For larger SSD the dose rate is lower and the depth dose curve is shallower. This leads to a reduction of the surface dose and is best suited for treatments of deeper seated target volumes. Divergent collimator bores have, due to the reduced scatter within the collimators, a steeper

Frequency domain fluorescence diffuse tomography of small animals

Science.gov (United States)

Orlova, Anna G.; Turchin, Ilya V.; Kamensky, Vladislav A.; Plehanov, Vladimir I.; Balalaeva, Irina V.; Sergeeva, Ekaterina A.; Shirmanova, Marina V.; Kleshnin, Michail S.

2007-05-01

Fluorescent compounds for selective cancer cell marking are used for development of novel medical diagnostic methods, investigation of the influence of external factors on tumor growth, regress and metastasis. Only special tools for turbid media imaging, such as optical diffusion tomography permit noninvasive monitoring of fluorescent-labeled tumor alterations deep in animal tissue. In this work, the results of preliminary experiments utilizing frequency-domain fluorescent diffusion tomography (FD FDT) experimental setup in small animal are presented. Low-frequency modulated light (1 kHz) from Nd:YAG laser with second harmonic generation at the wavelength of 532 nm was used in the setup. The transilluminative planar configuration was used in the setup. A series of model experiments has been conducted and show good agreement between theoretical and experimental fluorescence intensity. Models of deep tumors were created by two methods: (1) glass capsules containing fluorophore solution were inserted into esophagus of small animals to simulate marked tumors; (2) a suspension of transfected HEΚ293-Turbo-RFP cells was subcutaneously injected to small animal. The conducted experiments have shown that FD FDT allows one to detect the presence of labeled tumor cells in small animals, to determine the volume of an experimental tumor, to perform 3D tumor reconstruction, as well as to conduct monitoring investigations. The obtained results demonstrate the potential capability of the FD FDT method for noninvasive whole-body imaging in cancer studies, diagnostics and therapy.

Establishment study of the in vivo imaging analysis with small animal imaging modalities for bio-durg development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Beomsu; Park, Sanghyeon; Choi, Dae Seong; Park, Jeonghoon; Jung, Uhee; Lee, Yun Jong

2012-01-01

In this study, we established the image modalities (micro-PET, SPECT/CT) using the experimental animal (mouse) for the development of imaging assessment method for the bio-durg and extramural collaboration proposal. We examined the micro-SPECT/CT, PET imaging study using the Siemens Inveon micro-multimodality system (SPECT/CT) and imaging study using the Siemens Inveon micro-multimodality system (SPECT/CT) and micro-PET with 99m Tc tricarbonyl bifunctional chelators and 18 F-clotrimazole derivative. SPECT imaging studies were performed with 99m Tc tricarbonyl BFCs. PET imaging study was performed with 18 F-clotrimazole derivatives. We performed the PET image study of 18 F-clotrimazole derivatives using U87MG tumor bearing mice. Also we tested the intramural and extramural collaboration using small animal imaging modalities and prepared the draft of extramural R and D operation manual for small animal imaging modalities and the experimental animal imaging facility. These research results can be utilized as a basic image study protocols and data for the image assessment of drugs including biological drug

[Animal experiment study of anastomosis healing after partial resection of the pre-irradiated thoracic esophagus].

Science.gov (United States)

Engel, C; Nilles-Schendera, A; Frommhold, H

2000-01-01

Multimodal therapeutic concepts in cases of neoplasms of the intestinal tract entail the risk of undesirable complications with respect to healing of wounds and anastomoses. The separate steps of a combined treatment consisting radiation therapy and partial resection of the thoracic esophagus were performed in animal experiments to study the effect of radiation therapy on the healing of anastomoses. Adult non-purebred dogs were irradiated in a defined thoracic field with a Betatron (42 MeV) and subsequently underwent esophagectomy. After resection of a 2 cm segment of the esophagus end-to-end anastomosis was performed. Different methods of irradiation and postoperative observation times resulted in a total of 8 groups of 3 animals each. Fractionated irradiation was definitely better tolerated than irradiation with a high single doses. The temporary delay of the anastomotic healing was documented histologically. Only one case of anastomotic leakage occurred, and impaired wound healing was observed in only one animal. The mode of irradiation must be regarded as important for the clinical course. Fractionated preoperative irradiation in the area of the thoracic esophagus does not lead to any relevant disturbance of wound and anastomotic healing with meticulous surgical technique and adequate intensive postoperative care. The basic feasibility of surgical therapy combined with preoperative radiotherapy in tumors of the upper digestive tract was confirmed by our experimental work.

Body composition changes following the supplementation of different food additives to irradiated animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fahmy, M.O.

1980-01-01

This study was conducted to examine the hypothesis that deposition of fat and / or protein in animal's body before irradiation or using radio - protector material such as soyabean oil may reduce the hazard effects of radiation on life span, body weight and body compartments. Therefore, 286 mice ( 144 males and 142 females) after chemical maturity were used in this study. The animals were divided to 4 major groups. The first group was fed on chow diet, the second group was fed on radioprotector diet ( basel diet), the third group was fed on high energy diet and the forth group fed on high protein diet, for 7 weeks before the exposure to gamma-rays. At the exposure day each nutritional group was divided to 3 exposure treatments ( non-irradiated, 800 and 1200 rads). The previous hypothesis was studied for 42 days after irradiation

Development of the IFJ single ion hit facility for cells irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veselov, O.; Polak, W.; Ugenskiene, R.; Hajduk, R.; Lebed, K.; Lekki, J.; Horwacik, T.; Dutkiewicz, E.M.; Maranda, S.; Pieprzyca, T.; Sarnecki, C.; Stachura, Z.; Szklarz, Z.; Styczen, J.

2005-12-01

In recent years a single ion hit facility (SIHF) has been constructed at the IFJ ion microprobe. The setup is used for the precise irradiations of living cells by a controlled number of ions. The facility allows investigations in various aspects of biomedical research, such as adaptive response, bystander effect, inverse dose-rate effect, low-dose hypersensitivity, etc. Those investigations have two very important requirements: (i) cells must be examined in their natural state and environment, i.e. without previously being killed, and preferentially, neither fixed nor stained, and (ii) a possibility of automatic irradiation of large number of cells with a computer recognition of their positions must be provided. This work presents some of the crucial features of the off-line and on-line optical systems, including self-developed software responsible for the automatic cell recognition. We also show several tests carried out to determine the efficiency of the whole setup and some segments. In conclusion, the results of our first irradiation measurements performed with living cells are demonstrated. (author)

Calculation of displacement and helium production at the LAMPF irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davidson, D.R.; Greenwood, L.R.; Sommer, W.F.; Wechsler, M.S.

1984-01-01

Differential and total displacement and helium production rates are calculated for copper irradiated by spallation neutrons and 760 MeV protons at LAMPF. The calculations are performed using the SPECTER and VNMTC computer codes, the latter being specially designed for spallation radiation damage calculations. For comparison, similar SPECTER calculations are also described for irradiation of copper in EBR-II and RTNS-II. The results indicate substantial contributions to the displacement and helium production rates due to neutrons in the high-energy tail (above 40 MeV) of the LAMPF spallation neutron spectrum. Still higher production rates are calculated for irradiations in the direct proton beam. These results will provide useful background information for research to be conducted at a new irradiation facility at LAMPF

Use of EBR-II as a principal fast breeder reactor irradiation test facility in the U.S

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staker, R.G.; Seim, O.S.; Beck, W.N.; Golden, G.H.; Walters, L.C.

1975-01-01

The EBR-II as originally designed and operated by the Argonne National Laboratory was successful in demonstrating the operation of a sodium-cooled fast breeder power plant with a closed fuel reprocessing cycle. Subsequent operation has been as an experimental facility where thousands of irradiation tests have been performed. Conversion to this application entailed the design and fabrication of special irradiation subassemblies for in-core irradiations, additions to existing facilities for out-of-core irradiations, and additions to existing facilities for out-of-core experiments. Experimental subassemblies now constitute about one third of the core, and changes in the core configuration occur about monthly, requiring neutronic and thermal-hydraulics analyses and monitoring of the reactor dynamic behavior. The surveillance programs provided a wealth of information on irradiation induced swelling and creep, in-reactor fracture behavior, and the compatibility of materials with liquid sodium. (U.S.)

National Low-Temperature Neutron Irradiation Facility (NLTNIF). The status of development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coltman, R.R. Jr.; Kerchner, H.R.; Klabunde, C.E.; Young, F.W. Jr.

1985-12-01

In May 1983, the Department of Energy authorized the establishment of a National Low-Temperature Neutron Irradiation Facility (NLTNIF) at ORNL's Bulk Shielding Reactor (BSR). The NLTNIF, which will be available for qualified experiments at no cost to users, will provide a combination of high radiation intensities and special environmental and testing conditions that have not been previously available in the US. Since the DOE authorization, work has proceeded on the design and construction of the new facility without interruption. This report describes the present status of the development of the NLTNIF and the anticipated schedule for completion and performance testing. There is a table of the major specifications and capabilities and a schematic layout of the irradiation cryostate for design and dimensioning of test and experiment assemblies

Building Design Guidelines for Interior Architecture Concerned with Animal Researches Facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ElDib, A.A. E.

2014-01-01

This paper discusses the most important design guidelines elements and characteristics for animal facilities, in order to achieve and maintain highest efficiency can be, with respect to the pivot role of Interior Architecture as one of the accurate specializations for completing the Architectural Sciences, for designer/s concerned with those types of facilities, (specially those using radioactive materials). These building types known as vivariums, are specially designed, accommodating and having sophisticated controlled environments for the care and maintenance of experimental animals, and are related to, but distinct from other research laboratories premises

A GIF++ Gamma Irradiation Facility at the SPS H4 Beam Line

CERN Document Server

Capéans-Garrido, M; Linssen, L; Moll, M; Rembser, C

2009-01-01

The current document describes a proposal to implement a new gamma irradiation facility, combined with a high-energy particle beam in the SPS H4 beam line in hall EHN1. This new GIF++ facility is motivated by strong needs from the LHC and sLHC detector and accelerator communities for the tests of LHC components and systems.

Small Punch Test Techniques for Irradiated Materials in Hot Cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Do Sik; Ahn, S. B.; Oh, W. H.; Yoo, B. O.; Choo, Y. S.

2006-06-01

Detailed procedures of the small punch test including the apparatus, the definition of small punch-related parameters, and the interpretation of results were presented. The testing machine should have a capability of the compressive loading and unloading at a given deflection level. The small punch specimen holder consists of an upper and lower die and clamping screws. The clamped specimen is deformed by using ball or spherical head punch. Two type of specimens with a circular and a square shape were used. The irradiated small punch specimen is made from the undamaged portion of the broken CVN bars or prepared by the irradiation of the specimen fabricated from the fresh materials. The heating and cooling devices should have the capability of the temperature control within ±2 .deg. C for the target value during the test. Based on the load-deflection data obtained from the small punch test. the empirical correlation between the small punch related parameters and a tensile properties such as 0.2% yield strength and ultimate tensile strength, fracture toughness, ductile-brittle transition temperature and creep properties determined from the standard test method is established and used to evaluate the mechanical properties of an irradiated materials. In addition, from the quantitative fractographic assessment of small punch test specimens, the relationship between the small punch energy and the quantity of ductile crack growth is obtained. Analytical formulations demonstrated good agreement with experimental load-deflection curves

Design and selection criteria of a commercial irradiation facility for spices and dry products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aggarwal, K.S.

1990-01-01

Apart from cost considerations, various factors which should be taken into consideration in design of a commercial irradiation facility for spices and dry products and the factors which a user should consider for selecting a food irradiator are discussed in brief. (author)

Design, fabrication and installation of irradiation facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Yong Sung; Lee, C. Y.; Kim, J. Y.; Chi, D. Y.; Kim, S. H.; Ahn, S. H.; Kim, S. J.; Kim, J. K.; Yang, S. H.; Yang, S. Y.; Kim, H. R.; Kim, H.; Lee, K. H.; Lee, B. C.; Park, C.; Lee, C. T.; Cho, S. W.; Kwak, K. K.; Suk, H. C.

1997-07-01

The principle contents of this project are to design, fabricate and install the steady-state fuel test loop and non-instrumented capsule in HANARO for nuclear technology development. This project will be completed in 1999, the basic and detail design, safety analysis, and procurement of main equipment for fuel test loop have been performed and also the piping in gallery and the support for IPS piping in reactor pool have been installed in 1994. In the area of non-instrumented capsule for material irradiation test, the fabrication of capsule has been completed. Procurement, fabrication and installation of the fuel test loop will be implemented continuously till 1999. As besides, as these irradiation facilities will be installed in HANARO, review of safety concern, discussion with KINS for licensing and safety analysis report has been submitted to KINS to get a license and review of HANARO interface have been performed respectively. (author). 39 refs., 28 tabs., 21 figs

Design, fabrication and installation of irradiation facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Yong Sung; Lee, C. Y.; Kim, J. Y.; Chi, D. Y.; Kim, S. H.; Ahn, S. H.; Kim, S. J.; Kim, J. K.; Yang, S. H.; Yang, S. Y.; Kim, H. R.; Kim, H.; Lee, K. H.; Lee, B. C.; Park, C.; Lee, C. T.; Cho, S. W.; Kwak, K. K.; Suk, H. C. [and others

1997-07-01

The principle contents of this project are to design, fabricate and install the steady-state fuel test loop and non-instrumented capsule in HANARO for nuclear technology development. This project will be completed in 1999, the basic and detail design, safety analysis, and procurement of main equipment for fuel test loop have been performed and also the piping in gallery and the support for IPS piping in reactor pool have been installed in 1994. In the area of non-instrumented capsule for material irradiation test, the fabrication of capsule has been completed. Procurement, fabrication and installation of the fuel test loop will be implemented continuously till 1999. As besides, as these irradiation facilities will be installed in HANARO, review of safety concern, discussion with KINS for licensing and safety analysis report has been submitted to KINS to get a license and review of HANARO interface have been performed respectively. (author). 39 refs., 28 tabs., 21 figs.

Status and possible prospects of an international fusion materials irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cozzani, F.

1999-01-01

Structural materials for future DT fusion power reactors will have to operate under intense neutron fields with energies up to 14 MeV and fluences in the order of 2 MW/m 2 per year. As environmental acceptability, safety considerations and economic viability will be ultimately the keys to the widespread introduction of fusion power, the development of radiation-resistant and low activation materials would contribute significantly to fusion development. For this purpose, testing of materials under irradiation conditions close to those expected in a fusion power station would require the availability, in an appropriate time framework, of an intense, high-energy neutron source. Recent advances in linear accelerator technology, in small specimens testing technology, and in the comprehension of damage phenomena, lead to the conclusion that an accelerator-based D-Li neutron source, with beam energy variability, would provide the most realistic option for a fusion materials testing facility. Under the auspices of the IEA, an international effort (EU, Japan, US, RF) to carry out the conceptual design activities (CDA) of an international fusion materials irradiation facility (IFMIF), based on the D-Li concept, have been carried out successfully. A final conceptual design report was produced at the end of 1996. A phase of conceptual design evaluation (CDE), presently underway, is extending and further refining some of the conceptual design details of IFMIF. The results indicate that an IFMIF-class installation would be technically feasible and could meet its mission objectives. However, a suitable phase of Engineering Validation, to carry out some complementary R and D and prototyping, would still be needed to resolve a few key technical uncertainties before the possibility to proceed toward detailed design and construction could be explored. (orig.)

Operation of post-irradiation examination facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, E. G.; Jeon, Y. B.; Ku, D. S.

1996-12-01

In 1996, the post-irradiation examination(PIE) of nuclear fuels was performed as follows. It has been searched for the caution of defection of defected fuel rods of Youngkwang-4 reactor through NDT and metallographic examination that had been required by KEPCO. And in-pool inspection of Kori-1 spent fuel assembly(FO2) was carried out. HVAC system and pool water treatment system have been operated to maintain the facility safely, and electric power supply system was checked and maintained for the normal and steady supply electric power to the facility. Image processing software was developed for measurement of defection of spent fuel rods. Besides, a radiation shielding glove box was fabricated and a hot cell compressor for volume reduction of radioactive materials was fabricated and installed in hot cell. Safeguards of nuclear materials were implemented in strict accordance with the relevant Korean rules and regulations as well as the international non-proliferation regime. Also the IAEA inspection was carried out on the quarterly basis. (author). 31 tabs., 71 figs., 4 refs.

Trends in animal use at US research facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodman, Justin; Chandna, Alka; Roe, Katherine

2015-07-01

Minimising the use of animals in experiments is universally recognised by scientists, governments and advocates as an ethical cornerstone of research. Yet, despite growing public opposition to animal experimentation, mounting evidence that animal studies often do not translate to humans, and the development of new research technologies, a number of countries have reported increased animal use in recent years. In the USA--one of the world's largest users of animals in experiments--a lack of published data on the species most commonly used in laboratories (eg, mice, rats and fish) has prevented such assessments. The current study aimed to fill this gap by analysing the use of all vertebrate animals by the top institutional recipients of National Institutes of Health research funds over a 15-year period. These data show a statistically significant 72.7% increase in the use of animals at these US facilities during this time period-driven primarily by increases in the use of mice. Our results highlight a need for greater efforts to reduce animal use. We discuss technical, institutional, sociological and psychological explanations for this trend. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Two-stage implant placement technique for the management of irradiated jaws: An animal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Aboushelib, Moustafa N; Arnaout, Mohamed A; Elsafi, Mohamed H; Kassem, Youssef M

2017-10-01

Radiotherapy results in diminished bone remodeling capacity and an elevated risk of osteoradionecrosis, which can negatively influence the survival rate of dental implants. Patients receiving radiotherapy are advised not to receive dental implants during or soon after completing their radiotherapy. The purpose of this animal study was to investigate a 2-stage implant placement technique designed to diminish applied trauma on irradiated bone. Two groups of white New Zealand rabbits received radiotherapy in ascending doses (2, 4, 8 Gy), while a nonirradiated group served as control. Three weeks after completion of the last radiotherapy session, one of the irradiated groups and the control group received titanium dental implants bilaterally in the femur head. For the second irradiated group, an osteotomy was performed, and the surgical wound was left to heal for 2 weeks before implant placement. All animals were sacrificed 4 weeks after implant placement, and histomorphometric analysis was used to study bone-implant contact (n=14, α=.05). Statistical analysis revealed significantly higher (F=159, P<.001) bone-implant contact in the 2-stage (40.2 ±1.9) implant placement technique than in the immediately placed implants (21.2 ±2.3) in irradiated bone. Both of the groups had a significantly lower bone-to-implant contact ratio than the non-irradiated control (64.2 ±3.8). Within the limitations of this animal study, the 2-stage implant placement technique could be used to reduce trauma in irradiated bone and to improve wound healing around dental implants. Copyright © 2017 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimum operation of a small power production facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Capehart, B.L.; Mahoney, J.F.; Sivazlian, B.D.

1983-09-01

To help reduce the U.S.A.'s dependence on imported oil for electrical power generation, the 1978 National Energy Act established regulations to promote construction and operation of cogeneration and small power production facilities. Many of these facilities are presently under construction, with a great number planned. This paper examines the operation of a small power production facility with on-site generation and storage, on-site use, and connection to an electric utility grid system for the purpose of both selling excess power and buying power. It is assumed that the buying and selling price of electricity varies frequently during the day and that the relevant price and demand data may be accurately projected into the near future. With this system description, a mathematical model is formulated and solved by linear programming to obtain a series of periodic buy and sell decisions so as to maximize the profit from operating the small power production facility. Results are presented to illustrate the methodology for determining potential profits.

Reconstruction of exposures to the public from a cobalt-60 irradiator facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, T.E.; Scherpelz, R.I.

1992-01-01

A study was performed for the US Department of Energy (DOE) to assess the radiation exposure received by the public from the operation of a cobalt-60 irradiator facility. Located south of Davis, California, at the former Laboratory for Energy-Related Health Research, the facility was an indoor-outdoor gamma irradiator operated for the DOE by the University of California, Davis. From 1970 to 1985, outdoor radiation exposure experiments conducted at the facility resulted in environmental radiation doses of 80 to 120 mSv per year along the facility's perimeter fence. Comprehensive environmental monitoring was not performed in the adjacent, uncontrolled areas and personnel who occupied these areas were not routinely monitored for radiation exposure. Because of incomplete environmental monitoring data, computer modeling was required to reconstruct the environmental dose rates present when the facility was in operation. Personnel occupancy times for the adjacent areas were determined from population statistics, historical records, and personal interviews. The potential dose equivalents calculated for the individuals who lived or worked in neighboring areas ranged from 0.02 to 3.6 mSv per year. These exposures, some of which exceed the current DOE standard of 1 mSv/y, were less than the DOE regulatory limit of 5 mSv/y for exposure to the public that was in effect when the facility was in operation

Ion-Neutron Irradiated BOR60 Sample Preparation and Characterization: Nuclear Science User Facility 2017 Milestone Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Linton, Kory D. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Parish, Chad M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Smith, Quinlan B. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2017-09-01

This document outlines the results obtained by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in collaboration with the University of Michigan-led Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research project, “Feasibility of combined ion-neutron irradiation for accessing high dose levels.” In this reporting period, neutron irradiated were prepared and shipped to the University of Michigan for subsequent ion irradiation. The specimens were returned to ORNL’s Low Activation Materials Development and Analysis facility, prepared via focused ion beam for examination using scanning/transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM), and then examined using S/TEM to measure the as-irradiated microstructure. This report briefly summarizes the S/TEM results obtained at ORNL’s Low Activation Materials Development and Analysis facility.

Transfer of test samples and wastes between post-irradiation test facilities (FMF, AGF, MMF)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishida, Yasukazu; Suzuki, Kazuhisa; Ebihara, Hikoe; Matsushima, Yasuyoshi; Kashiwabara, Hidechiyo

1975-02-01

Wide review is given on the problems associated with the transfer of test samples and wastes between post-irradiation test facilities, FMF (Fuel Monitoring Facility), AGF (Alpha Gamma Facility), and MMF (Material Monitoring Facility) at the Oarai Engineering Center, PNC. The test facilities are connected with the JOYO plant, an experimental fast reactor being constructed at Oarai. As introductory remarks, some special features of transferring irradiated materials are described. In the second part, problems on the management of nuclear materials and radio isotopes are described item by item. In the third part, the specific materials that are envisaged to be transported between JOYO and the test facilities are listed together with their geometrical shapes, dimensions, etc. In the fourth part, various routes and methods of transportation are explained with many block charts and figures. Brief explanation with lists and drawings is also given to transportation casks and vessels. Finally, some future problems are discussed, such as the prevention of diffusive contamination, ease of decontamination, and the identification of test samples. (Aoki, K.)

Remote-handling demonstration tests for the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test (FMIT) Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, E.J.; Hussey, M.W.; Kelly, V.P.; Yount, J.A.

1982-01-01

The mission of the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test (FMIT) Facility is to create a fusion-like environment for fusion materials development. Crucial to the success of FMIT is the development and testing of remote handling systems required to handle materials specimens and maintenance of the facility. The use of full scale mock-ups for demonstration tests provides the means for proving these systems

The changes in drug binding activity of GABA receptor and animal neural-behavior after gamma irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Hui; Zhen Rong; Zhao Naikun; Xue Hong; Wang Zihui

2004-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of irradiation on gamma-aminobutyric-acid receptor (GABA-R) as well as behavioral changes after brain 60 Co γ-irradiation. Methods: The mice were irradiated with gamma rays (20 Gy; 10 Gy and 5 Gy) . The drug binding activity of GABA receptor in brain receptor was measured by fluorescence anisotropy (FA) and equilibrium dissociation constants. The behavioral changes were observed by the locomotor activity test, elevated plus-maze test and hole-board test at 1, 10, 24 and 48 hr after irradiation. Results: 1. The drug binding activity of the GABA receptor was decreased and the equilibrium dissociation constant (K d ) was significantly increased compared with the negative control group 2 hr after irradiation, and a spike value appeared at 24 hr. It showed that the irradiation might damage or decrease the binding activity and the bio-activity of GABA receptor. 2. The animal experiment confirmed that the irradiated animal model showed neural-behavioral changes of anxiety or depression. 3. The decreased binding activity of GABA receptor and changes in behavior of irradiated animal were dependent on radiation intensity. 4. The changes of behavior was similar to the blocked GABA receptor group. It suggests the relationship of radiation and GABA receptor. Conclusion: These results suggest that GABA receptor may be involved in radiation injury. The functional changes of GABA receptor may be an induction factor of behavioral disorder. The article also discussed the effect of anxiety and results obtained from the point of view of GABA receptor system involvement in the changes observed after irradiation. (authors)

Activities of the Animal Production and Health Laboratory (Animal Production and Health Newsletter, No. 63, January 2016)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

This article provides information on: • Animal Genetics: Genetic variation on the control of resistance to internal parasites in small ruminants for improving animal productivity; Support to MSs for implementation of Global Plan of Action on animal genetic resources (AnGR); • Animal Health: Application of irradiation technology to develop a potential trypanosome vaccine; African swine fever; Study of pox diseases in Ethiopian camels; • Fellows/interns/consultants; • Field suppprt missions

MCNP Variance Reduction technique application for the Development Of the Citrusdal Irradiation Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makgae, R.

2008-01-01

A private company, Citrus Research International (CIR) is intending to construct an insect irradiation facility for the irradiation of insect for pest management in south western region of South Africa. The facility will employ a Co-60 cylindrical source in the chamber. An adequate thickness for the concrete shielding walls and the ability of the labyrinth leading to the irradiation chamber, to attenuate radiation to dose rates that are acceptably low, were determined. Two methods of MCNP variance reduction techniques were applied to accommodate the two pathways of deep penetration to evaluate the radiological impact outside the 150 cm concrete walls and steaming of gamma photons through the labyrinth. The point-kernel based MicroShield software was used in the deep penetration calculations for the walls around the source room to test its accuracy and the results obtained are in good agreement with about 15-20% difference. The dose rate mapping due to radiation Streaming along the labyrinth to the facility entrance is also to be validated with the Attila code, which is a deterministic code that solves the Discrete Ordinates approximation. This file provides a template for writing papers for the conference. (authors)

MCNP Variance Reduction technique application for the Development Of the Citrusdal Irradiation Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Makgae, R. [Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR), P.O. Box 9396, Centurion (South Africa)

2008-07-01

A private company, Citrus Research International (CIR) is intending to construct an insect irradiation facility for the irradiation of insect for pest management in south western region of South Africa. The facility will employ a Co-60 cylindrical source in the chamber. An adequate thickness for the concrete shielding walls and the ability of the labyrinth leading to the irradiation chamber, to attenuate radiation to dose rates that are acceptably low, were determined. Two methods of MCNP variance reduction techniques were applied to accommodate the two pathways of deep penetration to evaluate the radiological impact outside the 150 cm concrete walls and steaming of gamma photons through the labyrinth. The point-kernel based MicroShield software was used in the deep penetration calculations for the walls around the source room to test its accuracy and the results obtained are in good agreement with about 15-20% difference. The dose rate mapping due to radiation Streaming along the labyrinth to the facility entrance is also to be validated with the Attila code, which is a deterministic code that solves the Discrete Ordinates approximation. This file provides a template for writing papers for the conference. (authors)

HiRadMat: A high‐energy, pulsed beam, material irradiation facility

CERN Multimedia

Charitonidis, Nikolaos

2016-01-01

HiRadMat is a facility constructed in 2011, designed to provide high-intensity pulsed beams to an irradiation area where different material samples or accelerator components can be tested. The facility, located at the CERN SPS accelerator complex, uses a 440 GeV proton beam with a pulse length up to 7.2 μs and a maximum intensity up to 1E13 protons / pulse. The facility, a unique place for performing state-of-the art beam-to-material experiments, operates under transnational access and welcomes and financially supports, under certain conditions, experimental teams to perform their experiments.

Design of an irradiation facility with thermal, epithermal and fast neutron beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pfister, G.; Bernnat, W.; Seidel, R.; Schatz, A.K.; Wagner, F.M.; Waschkowski, W.; Schraube, H.

1992-01-01

The main features of a neutron irradiation facility to be installed at the planned research reactor FRM-II are presented. In addition to the operational possibilities of the existing facility at the reactor FRM-I, the new facility will produce quasi-monoenergetic neutron fields and a neutron beam in the keV region whose spectrum can be modified by application of suitable filters and scatterers. For this beam, which is well suited for boron capture therapy, calculated boron reaction rates inside a phantom and an experimental verification of the calculations at the existing facility are presented. (orig.) [de

Pagure {sup 60}Co panoramic irradiation facility; Pagure irradiateur panoramique au {sup 60}Co

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Puig, J R; Laizier, J; Lorin, M; Laroche, R [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1967-07-01

After a description of the various parts of 'PAGURE', a 10 KCi panoramic irradiation facility, and of the operations data, a critic scrutiny is given. From the experience of five years operations, working of the facility can be thought of very satisfying. From the point of view of standardization of irradiation facilities, PAGURE can be taken, in its range, as a standard design. (authors) [French] Apres avoir decrit les differents elements constitutifs de 1'irradiateur panoramique de 10 KCi 'PAGURE' et precise les donnees d'exploitation, on en fait l'examen critique. A la lumiere de cinq annees d'utilisation, le fonctionnement de 1'irradiateur apparait extremement satisfaisant. Dans une perspective de standardisation des appareils, on peut, dans sa gamme, le considerer comme une realisation type. (auteurs)

Anthropomorphic Phantoms for Confirmation of Linear Accelerator-Based Small Animal Irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Perks, Julian R; Lucero, Steven; Monjazeb, Arta M; Li, Jian Jian

2015-03-01

Three dimensional (3D) scanning and printing technology is utilized to create phantom models of mice in order to assess the accuracy of ionizing radiation dosing from a clinical, human-based linear accelerator. Phantoms are designed to simulate a range of research questions, including irradiation of lung tumors and primary subcutaneous or orthotopic tumors for immunotherapy experimentation. The phantoms are used to measure the accuracy of dose delivery and then refine it to within 1% of the prescribed dose.

Source rack reload of the Tunisian gamma irradiation facility using Monte Carlo method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gharbi, Foued; Kadri, Omrane

2005-01-01

This work presents a Monte Carlo study of the cylindrical source rack geometry of the tunisian gamma irradiation facility, using Ge ant code of CERN. The study investigates the question of the reload of the source rack. studied configurations consist on housing four new pencils, two in the upper and two in the lower cylinder of the source rack. global dose rate uniformity inside a ''dummy's' product for the case of routine and non routine irradiation and as function of the product bulk density was calculated for eight hypothetical configurations. the same calculation was also performed for both of the original and the ideal, but not practical configuration. It was shown that hypothetical cases produced dose uniformity variations, according to product density, that were statistically no different than the original and the ideal configurations and that reload procedure can not improve the irradiation quality inside the tunisian facility

Semiautomated analysis of small-animal PET data.

Science.gov (United States)

Kesner, Adam L; Dahlbom, Magnus; Huang, Sung-Cheng; Hsueh, Wei-Ann; Pio, Betty S; Czernin, Johannes; Kreissl, Michael; Wu, Hsiao-Ming; Silverman, Daniel H S

2006-07-01

The objective of the work reported here was to develop and test automated methods to calculate biodistribution of PET tracers using small-animal PET images. After developing software that uses visually distinguishable organs and other landmarks on a scan to semiautomatically coregister a digital mouse phantom with a small-animal PET scan, we elastically transformed the phantom to conform to those landmarks in 9 simulated scans and in 18 actual PET scans acquired of 9 mice. Tracer concentrations were automatically calculated in 22 regions of interest (ROIs) reflecting the whole body and 21 individual organs. To assess the accuracy of this approach, we compared the software-measured activities in the ROIs of simulated PET scans with the known activities, and we compared the software-measured activities in the ROIs of real PET scans both with manually established ROI activities in original scan data and with actual radioactivity content in immediately harvested tissues of imaged animals. PET/atlas coregistrations were successfully generated with minimal end-user input, allowing rapid quantification of 22 separate tissue ROIs. The simulated scan analysis found the method to be robust with respect to the overall size and shape of individual animal scans, with average activity values for all organs tested falling within the range of 98% +/- 3% of the organ activity measured in the unstretched phantom scan. Standardized uptake values (SUVs) measured from actual PET scans using this semiautomated method correlated reasonably well with radioactivity content measured in harvested organs (median r = 0.94) and compared favorably with conventional SUV correlations with harvested organ data (median r = 0.825). A semiautomated analytic approach involving coregistration of scan-derived images with atlas-type images can be used in small-animal whole-body radiotracer studies to estimate radioactivity concentrations in organs. This approach is rapid and less labor intensive than are

State-of-the-art of small animal imaging with high-resolution SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikolaus, S.; Wirrwar, A.; Antke, C.; Kley, K.; Mueller, H.W.

2005-01-01

During the recent years, in vivo imaging of small animals using SPECT has become of growing relevance. Along with the development of dedicated high-resolution small animal SPECT cameras, an increasing number of conventional clinical scanners has been equipped with single or multipinhole collimators. This paper reviews the small animal tomographs, which are operating at present and compares their performance characteristics. Furthermore, we describe the in vivo imaging studies, which have been performed so far with the individual scanners and survey current approaches to optimize molecular imaging with small animal SPECT. (orig.)

Influence of x-ray irradiation on the proliferative ability of the germinal layer cells of Echinococcus multilocularis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohnishi, Kenji

1986-01-01

Influence of X-ray irradiation on the proliferative ability of the germinal layer cells of larval Echinococcus multilocularis was studied by using small sterile hydatids containing vesicles composed of a non-cellular laminated layer and a cellular germinal layer. The small sterile hydatids were irradiated by X-ray at dose levels of 5,000, 15,000, 25,000, 35,000, 45,000 or 55,000 R and implanted into the peritoneal cavity of Chinese hamsters. Fully developed hydatids were recognized in all cases irradiated at up to 35,000 R, when assessed 113 days after implantation. At 45,000 R, 2 out of 6 animals showed small, fully developed hydatids. No such hydatid was found in the other 4 animals nor in any of the animals implanted with hydatids irradiated at 55,000 R. No structural differences were observed between fully developed hydatids originating from the irradiated and non-irradiated small hydatids. These results indicate that the tolerance limit of the germinal layer cells is between 45,000 R and 55,000 R. (author)

Irradiation setup at the U-120M cyclotron facility

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Křížek, Filip; Ferencei, Jozef; Matlocha, Tomáš; Pospíšil, Jan; Príbeli, Peter; Raskina, Valentina; Isakov, Artem; Štursa, Jan; Vaňát, Tomáš; Vysoká, K.

2018-01-01

Roč. 894, č. 6 (2018), s. 87-95 ISSN 0168-9002 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LM2015056; GA MŠk LM2015058 Institutional support: RVO:61389005 Keywords : particle irradiation facility * radiation hardness * dosimetry * single event effect * single event upset * single event transient Subject RIV: BG - Nuclear, Atomic and Molecular Physics , Colliders OBOR OECD: Nuclear physics Impact factor: 1.362, year: 2016

Implementing an environmental management system in a irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Doherty, James

1998-01-01

Environmental management is at different stages in the countries where there are commercial irradiation facilities. There are therefore differing perspectives on the role of an Environmental Management System, ranging from compliance with the Regulatory framework to a desire to be proactive. An effective Environmental Management System (EMS) facilitates compliance, while also providing the framework for assessment and improvement of a company's environmental impact and overall performance

Magnetic resonance imaging for precise radiotherapy of small laboratory animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frenzel, Thorsten [Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany). Bereich Strahlentherapie; Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany). Inst. fuer Anatomie und Experimentelle Morphologie; Kaul, Michael Gerhard; Ernst, Thomas Michael; Salamon, Johannes [Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany). Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie; Jaeckel, Maria [Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany). Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Strahlentherapie und Radioonkologie; Schumacher, Udo [Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany). Inst. fuer Anatomie und Experimentelle Morphologie; Kruell, Andreas [Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany). Bereich Strahlentherapie

2017-05-01

Radiotherapy of small laboratory animals (SLA) is often not as precisely applied as in humans. Here we describe the use of a dedicated SLA magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner for precise tumor volumetry, radiotherapy treatment planning, and diagnostic imaging in order to make the experiments more accurate. Different human cancer cells were injected at the lower trunk of pfp/rag2 and SCID mice to allow for local tumor growth. Data from cross sectional MRI scans were transferred to a clinical treatment planning system (TPS) for humans. Manual palpation of the tumor size was compared with calculated tumor size of the TPS and with tumor weight at necropsy. As a feasibility study MRI based treatment plans were calculated for a clinical 6 MV linear accelerator using a micro multileaf collimator (μMLC). In addition, diagnostic MRI scans were used to investigate animals which did clinical poorly during the study. MRI is superior in precise tumor volume definition whereas manual palpation underestimates their size. Cross sectional MRI allow for treatment planning so that conformal irradiation of mice with a clinical linear accelerator using a μMLC is in principle feasible. Several internal pathologies were detected during the experiment using the dedicated scanner. MRI is a key technology for precise radiotherapy of SLA. The scanning protocols provided are suited for tumor volumetry, treatment planning, and diagnostic imaging.

East Area Irradiation Test Facility: Preliminary FLUKA calculations

CERN Document Server

Lebbos, E; Calviani, M; Gatignon, L; Glaser, M; Moll, M; CERN. Geneva. ATS Department

2011-01-01

In the framework of the Radiation to Electronics (R2E) mitigation project, the testing of electronic equipment in a radiation field similar to the one occurring in the LHC tunnel and shielded areas to study its sensitivity to single even upsets (SEU) is one of the main topics. Adequate irradiation test facilities are therefore required, and one installation is under consideration in the framework of the PS East area renovation activity. FLUKA Monte Carlo calculations were performed in order to estimate the radiation field which could be obtained in a mixed field facility using the slowly extracted 24 GeV/c proton beam from the PS. The prompt ambient dose equivalent as well as the equivalent residual dose rate after operation was also studied and results of simulations are presented in this report.

Operation of post-irradiation examination facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Eun Ka; Park, Kwang Joon; Jeon, Yong Bum [and others; Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1995-02-01

In 1995, the post-irradiation examination (PIE) of nuclear fuels was performed as follows. The relation between burnup and top nozzle spring force of fuel assembly was obtained by measuring the holddown spring force on the Kori-1 reactor fuel assemblies. The resonance ultrasonic test for inspection of defect and moisture in fuel rod was carried out on fuel rods of C15 and J14 assemblies, and the change of fuel rod condition by storing in pool has been analyzed on the intentionally defected fuel rods (ID-C and ID-L) as well as intact fuel rod (1-2) by NDT in ht cell. The oxide layer thickness on cladding surface of J44-L12 fuel rod was measured by NDT method and metallography to reveal the oxidation as a function of temperature in the fuel rod, and the burnup of J44 fuel assembly was measured by chemical analysis. HVAC system and pool water treatment system of the PIE facility were continuously operated for air filtration and water purification. The monitoring of radiation and pool water in PIE facility has been carried out to maintain the facility safety, and electric power supply system was checked and maintained to supply the electric power to the facility normally. The developed measurement techniques of oxide layer thickness on fuel rod cladding and holddown spring force of top nozzle in fuel assembly were applied to examine the nuclear fuels. Besides, a radiation shielding glove box was designed and a hot cell compressor for volume reduction of radioactive materials was fabricated. 19 tabs., 38 figs., 7 refs. (Author) .new.

High-energy, twelve-channel laser facility (DEFIN) for spherical irradiation of thermonuclear targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basov, N.G.; Danilov, A.E.; Krokhin, O.N.; Kruglov, B.V.; Mikhailov, Yu.A.; Sklizkov, G.V.; Fedotov, S.I.; Fedorov, A.N.

This paper describes a high-energy, twelve-channel laser facility (DELFIN) intended for high-temperature heating of thermonuclear targets with spherical symmetry. The facility includes a neodymium-glass laser with the ultimate radiation energy of 10 kJ, a pulse length of approximately 10 -10 to 10 -9 s, beam divergence of 5 x 10 -4 radians, a vacuum chamber in which laser radiation interacts with the plasma, and a system of diagnostic instrumentation for the observation of laser beam and plasma parameters. Described are the optical scheme and construction details of the laser facility. Presented is an analysis of focusing schemes for target irradiation and described is the focusing scheme of the DELFIN facility, which is capable of attaining a high degree of spherical symmetry in irradiating targets with maximum beam intensity at the target surface of approximately 10 15 W/cm 2 . This paper examines the most important problems connected with the physical investigations of thermonuclear laser plasma and the basic diagnostic problems involved in their solution

IFMIF - International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility Conceptual Design Activity/Interim Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rennich, M.J.

1995-12-01

Environmental acceptability, safety, and economic viability win ultimately be the keys to the widespread introduction of fusion power. This will entail the development of radiation- resistant and low- activation materials. These low-activation materials must also survive exposure to damage from neutrons having an energy spectrum peaked near 14 MeV with annual radiation doses in the range of 20 displacements per atom (dpa). Testing of candidate materials, therefore, requires a high-flux source of high energy neutrons. The problem is that there is currently no high-flux source of neutrons in the energy range above a few MeV. The goal, is therefore, to provide an irradiation facility for use by fusion material scientists in the search for low-activation and damage-resistant materials. An accellerator-based neutron source has been established through a number of international studies and workshops' as an essential step for materials development and testing. The mission of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) is to provide an accelerator-based, deuterium-lithium (D-Li) neutron source to produce high energy neutrons at sufficient intensity and irradiation volume to test samples of candidate materials up to about a full lifetime of anticipated use in fusion energy reactors. would also provide calibration and validation of data from fission reactor and other accelerator-based irradiation tests. It would generate material- specific activation and radiological properties data, and support the analysis of materials for use in safety, maintenance, recycling, decommissioning, and waste disposal systems

Fuels and materials research under the high neutron fluence using a fast reactor Joyo and post-irradiation examination facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soga, Tomonori; Ito, Chikara; Aoyama, Takafumi; Suzuki, Soju

2009-01-01

The experimental fast reactor Joyo at Oarai Research and Development Center (ORDC) of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) is Japan's sodium-cooled fast reactor (FR). In 2003, this reactor's upgrade to the 140MWt MK-III core was completed to increase the irradiation testing capability. The MK-III core provides the fast neutron flux of 4.0x10 15 n/cm 2 s as an irradiation test bed for improving the fuels and material of FR in Japan. Three post-irradiation examination (PIE) facilities named FMF, MMF and AGF related to Joyo are in ORDC. Irradiated subassemblies and core components are carried into the FMF (Fuel Monitoring Facility) and conducted nondestructive examinations. Each subassembly is disassembled to conduct some destructive examinations and to prepare the fuel and material samples for further detailed examinations. Fuel samples are sent to the AGF (Alpha-Gamma Facility), and material samples are sent to the MMF (Materials Monitoring Facility). These overall and elaborate data provided by PIE contribute to investigate the irradiation effect and behavior of fuels and materials. This facility complex is indispensable to promote the R and D of FR in Japan. And, the function and technology of irradiation test and PIE enable to contribute to the R and D of innovative fission or fusion reactor material which will be required to use under the high neutron exposure. (author)

Molecular imaging of small animals with dedicated PET tomographs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chatziioannou, A.F.

2002-01-01

Biological discovery has moved at an accelerated pace in recent years, with a considerable focus on the transition from in vitro to in vivo models. As a result, there has been a significant increase in the need to adapt clinical imaging methods, as well as for novel imaging technologies for biological research. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a clinical imaging modality that permits the use of positron-labeled molecular imaging probes for non-invasive assays of biochemical processes. The imaging procedure can be repeatedly performed before and after interventions, thereby allowing each animal to be used as its own control. Positron-labeled compounds that target a range of molecular targets have been and continue to be synthesized, with examples of biological processes ranging from receptors and synthesis of transmitters in cell communication, to metabolic processes and gene expression. In animal research, PET has been used extensively in the past for studies of non-human primates and other larger animals. New detector technology has improved spatial resolution, and has made possible PET scanning for the study of the most important modern molecular biology model, the laboratory mouse. This paper presents the challenges facing PET technology as applied to small animal imaging, provides a historical overview of the development of small animal PET systems, and discusses the current state of the art in small animal PET technology. (orig.)

Prospects of establishing food irradiation facilities in Kenya

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mustapha, A.O.; Patel, J.P.; Rathore, I.V.S.; Hashim, N.O.; Kinyua, A.M.

2001-01-01

Full text: A national project of food irradiation in the country is being proposed. At present there are no facilities for food irradiation (and food irradiation research) in Kenya. This report is therefore largely comparative between the traditional and the conventional food preservation methods on the one hand and the irradiation technique on the other. The report is also based on information from other countries where food irradiation is practiced (Kawabata, 1981) or is being also contemplated (Diop et al, 1997), as well as on the relevant report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on this topic (IAEA, 1993). The paper presents the statement of the research problem, i.e., in Kenya large quantities of food and other farm produces go to waste annually as a result of the inadequacies of the preservation techniques currently in use. These (other) preservation techniques, although often less controversial than the irradiation techniques, have also been found to be more expensive to run when compared to irradiation techniques. Such techniques, presently employed in Kenya, include the traditional methods (e.g. sun drying, smoke and fire drying, etc.) and modern techniques such as freezing or refrigeration, lyophilization, etc., as well as application of chemicals like insecticides and fumigants. The latter combines the disadvantages of high costs with environmental pollution and associated health risks. In this preliminary research, aimed at studying the prospects of a national food irradiation project, the following food items that are selected for their importance to the economy of the country, include potatoes, rice, maize, coffee, tea, various fruits, fish and meat. The paper also explores the economic feasibility as well as the human and technological requirements of establishing a commercial food irradiation plant, with aim of assessing the applicability of food irradiation as alternative or a complimentary approach for preservation technique in

Performance studies under high irradiation of resistive bulk-micromegas chambers at the CERN Gamma Irradiation Facility

CERN Document Server

Sidiropoulou, Ourania; Bortfeldt, J; Farina, E; Iengo, P; Longo, L; Sidiropoulou, O; Wotschack, J

2017-01-01

Radiation studies on several resistive bulk-Micromegas chambers produced at CERN will be viewed in this document. Two resistive bulk-Micromegas chambers have been installed at the CERN Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF++) exposed to an intense gamma irradiation with the aim of evaluating the detector behaviour under high irradiation and carrying out a long-term age- ing study. The chambers under study have an active area of 10 x 10 cm 2 , a strip pitch of 400 m m , an ampli- fication gap of 128 m m , and a drift gap of 5 mm. The results on the detector performance as a function of the photon flux up to 44 MHz/cm 2 will be shown as well as the ageing properties as function of the integrated charge and the current intensity and its stability with time. In addition, the results of the efficiency measurements before, during, and after the irradiation will also be presented as a function of the amplification voltage at which the chambers are operated.

Theoretical considerations on maximum running speeds for large and small animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuentes, Mauricio A

2016-02-07

Mechanical equations for fast running speeds are presented and analyzed. One of the equations and its associated model predict that animals tend to experience larger mechanical stresses in their limbs (muscles, tendons and bones) as a result of larger stride lengths, suggesting a structural restriction entailing the existence of an absolute maximum possible stride length. The consequence for big animals is that an increasingly larger body mass implies decreasing maximal speeds, given that the stride frequency generally decreases for increasingly larger animals. Another restriction, acting on small animals, is discussed only in preliminary terms, but it seems safe to assume from previous studies that for a given range of body masses of small animals, those which are bigger are faster. The difference between speed scaling trends for large and small animals implies the existence of a range of intermediate body masses corresponding to the fastest animals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measures to minimize small intestine injury in the irradiated pelvis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, N.; Iba, G.; Smith, W.R.

1975-01-01

Small intestine injury causes long-term suffering and high mortality. Five of 187 of our patients had developed serious small intestine injury. Four patients had corrective surgery. Three patients died. All were women. Subsequently, all patients who received definitive pelvic irradiation had small intestine roentgenograms to determine its location and mobility. Female patients, thin patients, and elderly patients had larger amounts of small intestine in the whole pelvis, a deeper cul de sac, and a greater incidence of relatively immobile small intestine. Patients with relatively immobile small intestine in the treatment field may be predisposed to injury. There was no relationship of the incidence of relatively immobile small intestine to prior pelvic surgery. We used the findings from the small intestine roentgenograms to modify individually the radiotherapy regimen so as to minimize the risk for small intestine injury. Patients were placed in the prone position to displace the small intestine out of the treatment fields used for booster dose irradiation. The treatment field was modified to exclude the small intestine. The total tumor dose delivered was determined by expectations for cure vs complications. To date, none of the patients in this study group has developed small intestine injury. Cadaver studies showed the feasibility of elective shortening of the pelvic cul de sac. The small intestine can be displaced away from the bladder, prostate, or cervix. (U.S.)

Dosimetry and irradiation methods for the ANSTO gamma technology research irradiator (GATRI)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Izard, M.E.

1988-07-01

The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation's gamma technology research irradiator (GATRI) at Lucas Heights, New South Wales, has been modified for use as a research and small-scale commercial irradiation facility to be available to government agencies and private industry for the technical and economic evaluation of irradiation processing. The new source rack was designed around existing mechanical components to optimise the limited space available within the irradiation cell. Irradiation parameters investigated during commissioning included the effect of source-to-target distance on relative dose rates within targets of the same density; effect of density on dose-rate distribution within targets irradiated at the same distance from the source; and the contribution of transit dose to low absorbed doses as the source is raised and lowered. The efficiency of the irradiator was determined for various target densities and overdose ratios

Effects of Gamma Irradiation and Pasteurization on the Nutritive Composition of Commercially Available Animal Diets

Science.gov (United States)

Caulfield, Catherine D; Cassidy, Joseph P; Kelly, John P

2008-01-01

Gamma radiation is used to sterilize diets for specific pathogen-free (SPF) animals. Because a gamma-irradiated diet was linked to leukoencephalomyelopathy in SPF cats, we investigated the effects of ‘typical’ (28.9–34.3 kGy) and ‘high-end’ (38.4–48.7 kGy) doses of gamma irradiation and of pasteurization (at 107 °C for 15 min) on the amounts of fat; protein; carbohydrate (and taurine in cat diet); vitamins A, E, B1, B2, B6, and B12; and peroxide in commercially available dry cat, dog, and rodent diets. The only treatment-related changes occurred with vitamin A and peroxide. The typical and high-end doses of gamma irradiation reduced the vitamin A level of the cat diet to 42% and 30% of the untreated value, respectively—levels below recommended allowances for growth and reproduction. Only the higher irradiation dose reduced vitamin A in the rodent diet, and neither dose altered the canine diet. Pasteurization reduced the vitamin A content of the cat diet to 50% of its original level, which was within the recommended level for this species. Irradiation increased the peroxide content of all 3 animal diets: by approximately 11-fold with the typical dose and by 14- to 25-fold with the high-end dose. Therefore gamma irradiation can have profound, selective effects on the vitamin A and peroxide contents of dry diets, and caution is advised when feeding such diets long-term and exclusively to SPF animals, particularly cats. Furthermore, pasteurization (with its fewer deleterious effects) may represent an alternative method of decontaminating diets for rodents, dogs, and cats. PMID:19049256

Hemopoiesis recovery of irradiated rats conjugated with normo- and poly- cythemic animal by aortic anastomoses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baba, Yuji

1980-01-01

The experiment was designed to observe the possible relation between myelopoietic and erythropoietic activities of circulating nucleated cells. Wistar rats were lethally irradiated with 60 Co, 1000 r once. Two days after irradiation the bone marrow cells had faded completely. At this stage animals were conjugated with normocythemic or polycythemic rats by aortic anastomoses. After conjugation the aplastic bone marrow of the irradiated animal rapidly regained its hemopoietic activity in cases having normocythemic and polycythemic partners. Active erythropoiesis and myelopoiesis were found 96 h after parabiosis in those having normocythemic partners. In animals having polycythemic partners, however, erythropoiesis was successfully suppressed. An increase in lymphoid cell numbers was found in place of decreased erythroid cells, but there was no change in the myeloid cell proliferation rate. No hemopoietic precursor cells or immature cells were found in circulating blood all through the experimental period before and after parabiosis. The data suggest that circulating nucleated cells have marked erythropoietic activity. Erythropoietic cells may be somehow related to lymphoid cells independent of myelopoietic activity. (author)

Commercial gamma-ray irradiation plant in Japan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tomita, K; Sugimoto, S [Radia Industry Co. Ltd., Gunma (Japan)

1977-01-01

In 1973, a commercial gamma-ray irradiation plant was constructed in Takasaki, about 100 km north of Tokyo. The plant has been used for both production of irradiated commercial products and irradiation services. The irradiation services are being made available for sterilization of both medical appliances such as disposable medical syringes, catheters, surgical sutures, and sterilization of feed stuffs for animals. Treatment of plastic materials and colouring of both crystals and glass wares are also undertaken. This facility can accommodate 600 kCi of /sup 60/Co and has a monthly treating capacity of 12,000 packages ( a standard carton of 340 mm x 400 mm x 500 mm) at an irradiation dose of 1 Mrad/hr. A receiving port for packages is on the second floor and the outlet of the irradiated packages on the first floor, with three lines of connecting loop conveyors between them, and the irradiation compartment in the center section. The space arrangement of the facility is well designed and gravity can be utilized for the transportation of the packages. Polymer impregnated coral is put on the market for ornamental building material on an order contract basis.

Healing of the suture line in the irradiated small intestine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Da Costa, S.A.

1989-01-01

With the help of data from literature the author goes more deeply into the aetiology, treatment and possible prevention of lesions of the small intestine related to preceding irradiation. In a clinical retrospective study at twenty patients who, after irradiation of the abdominal and pelvic areas, have been submitted to abdominal surgery, the relation is studied between predistion factors for gastrointestinal complications after irradiation, the surgeries applied in case of small-intestine problems and postoperative complications. The third part of the thesis covers an experimental part in which the healing process of suture line in the terminal ileum has been studied after resection and reanastomosis in previously irradiated bowel of the rat. It was investigated whether differences occurred in the healing process of suture line after various periods - 4, 10 and 40 weeks, after irradiation. Also comparison took place with a control group which underwent a similar procedure with the exception of the radiation treatment, which was simulated in this group. In a second experiment it was investigated if the healing process of suture line depends on the type of anastomosis. An end-to-end anastomosis was chosen versus side-to-side anastomosis. Also in this experiment an irradiated group was compared with a control group. Furthermore a method was developed for performing micro-angiographies of the rat intestine in order to demonstrate obliteration of blood vessels in irradiated intestine and to assess neovascularization in the intestinal wall at the suture line. (author). 84 refs.; 18 figs.; 27 tabs

S-phase cell distribution in the small intestine irradiated at different times of the day. 2. Recovery phase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Becciolini, A; Balzi, M; Cremonini, D; Fabbrica, D [Florence Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Radiologia

1983-01-01

Modifications occurring during recovery in the small intestine of animals exposed to the same radiation dose given at different times of the day were evaluated. S-phase cell distribution along the crypts and invertase activity were evaluated to ascertain the functional capacity of epithelial cells. In animals killed between 5 and 6 days after exposure, S-phase cell distribution and functional conditions tended towards normality although recovery was not complete. Labelled cells occurred also at villus junctions, demonstrating limitation in size of the differentiating compartment. This was confirmed by reduced activity of the brush border enzymes. Animals irradiated at the end of the dark period recovered more quickly and efficiently. In this group, labelled cell distribution was almost the same as in the controls starting from 120 h, and invertase activity was also closer to the controls than in any other group.

Use of irradiation to assure the hygienic quality of animal origin foods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luna Carbajal, P. C.

1991-01-01

Irradiation process for food preservation is a physical method comparable to heat or refrigeration and consist on the exposure of products packed or in bulk to gamma rays comming from Cobalt-60 or Cesium-137 or accelerated electrons and X rays produced by electric machines known as accelerators. Foods are exposed to this form of energy during a pre-stablished period in facilities named irradiators. At industrial level, the irradiation process requires a well stablished control to reach a good quality in the product. This quality control is carry out by means of dosimetry, a system which assures that the energy amount received by food is correct. Benefits derived of irradiation process in meat products as chicken, beef and pork as well as implications in matter of health and economics are presented in this work. Different aspects of irradiation process as a control to assure the hygienic quality, costs, different option of irradiators at industrial level, its advantages upon other processes, and its benefits at social level, are presented in this work. With respect to wholesomeness of irradiated food, main studies to strenghten that an irradiated food is safe, non toxic, do not imply microbian risks. it has the better nutritional quality, it has no radioactive remains and it is not a radioactivity inductor, in a word is an inocuous food, are presented in this study (Author)

Present status of radiation application on irradiation service

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Hiroshi

2006-01-01

Presently, it is in operation 6 gamma-ray facilities and 5 electron beam (EB) facilities for an irradiation service. New gamma-ray facility is under construction, and will be worked in August this year. These facilities are generally employed for crosslinking and decomposition of polymers, graft polymerization, improvement of semiconductor properties, sterilization of medical devices, laboratory-animals feed, packing materials and biotechnological devices. As for being feature one of EB facilities is employed only for improvement of polymers and semiconductors. Approximately 91% of gamma-ray sterilization of medical devices is processed in house, and 5 facilities are working in 4 firms. Other two firms have 4 EB facilities for sterilization. Therefore, the degree of dependence of irradiation service is low in the sterilization of medical devices. About 50% of medical devices are still sterilized by ethylene oxide gas (EOG). However, a part of laws has been amended successively from 5 years ago, and the regulation of EOG handling became harsh. Therefore, EOG sterilization will be gradually displaced in radiation sterilization. On the other hand, demand for sterilization of the packing materials has increased significantly, and various kinds of packing materials in food industry are sterilized by both gamma-rays and EB. Currently, novel PMMA dosimeter was developed and named Radix W. The dosimeter allows measurement of doses from 1 kGy to 150 kGy without influence of dose rates and irradiation temperature. The activities of irradiation service probably will continue to increase over future. (author)

78 FR 27303 - Irradiation in the Production, Processing, and Handling of Animal Feed and Pet Food; Electron...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-10

...-0178] Irradiation in the Production, Processing, and Handling of Animal Feed and Pet Food; Electron... electron beam and x-ray sources for irradiation of poultry feed and poultry feed ingredients. This action... CFR part 579) to provide for the safe use of electron beam and x-ray sources for irradiation of...

Dose rate determinations in the Portuguese Gamma Irradiation Facility: Monte Carlo simulations and measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, C.; Salgado, J.; Ferro de Carvalho, A.

2000-01-01

A simulation study of the Portuguese Gamma Irradiation Facility, UTR, has been carried out using the MCNP code. The work focused on the optimisation of the dose distribution inside the irradiation cell, dose calculations inside irradiated samples and dose calculations in critical points for protection purposes. Calculations were carried out at points inside and outside the irradiation cell, where different behaviour was expected (distance from the source, radiation absorption and scattering in irradiator structure and walls). The contributions from source, irradiator structure, sample material, carriers, walls, ceiling and floor to the photon spectra and air kerma at those points are reported and discussed. Air kerma measurements were also carried out using an ionisation chamber. Good agreement was found between experimental and calculated air kermas. (author)

Neutron irradiation facilities for fission and fusion reactor materials studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rowcliffe, A.F.

1985-01-01

The successful development of energy-conversion machines based upon nuclear fission or fusion reactors is critically dependent upon the behavior of the engineering materials used to construct the full containment and primary heat extraction systems. The development of radiation damage-resistant materials requires irradiation testing facilities which reproduce, as closely as possible, the thermal and neutronic environment expected in a power-producing reactor. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) reference core design for the Center for Neutron Research (CNR) reactor provides for instrumented facilities in regions of both hard and mixed neutron spectra, with substantially higher fluxes than are currently available. The benefits of these new facilities to the development of radiation damage resistant materials are discussed in terms of the major US fission and fusion reactor programs

Evaluate of environment quality for γ irradiation facilities using fuzzy comprehensive judgment method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ha Yiming

2002-01-01

The environment quality of Jining Irradiation Centre new γ radiation facility was evaluated by fuzzy comprehensive judgment method. The result showed that the place of γ radiation facility was well and the measures of radiate shelter and environment protect were effective. The environment quality of its area was not obvious change and the result of environment evaluation was first-rate

Gamma irradiation for sewage treatment at US army facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van den Berg, A.J.; Hollis, H.D.; Musselman, H.D.; Woodbridge, D.D.

1975-01-01

The US Army Corps of Engineers has been sponsoring research for many years on the use of gamma irradiation for disinfection and sterilization of sewage plant effluents. Initial research was directed to laboratory experiments using sterile solutions to determine the effects of gamma irradiation on E. coli, M-pyogenes and M-smegmatis organisms, and on the chemical constituents of sewage such as phenols, surfactants and pesticides. The results of the initial research warranted further study using municipal sewage secondary effluent as test samples. Current research is directed towards investigating the effects of radiation on the constituents of sewage sludge and on the cyst stage of the amoebic protozoa. Consideration has been given by the Corps to the management of waste-waters by disposal on land. Legal and medical reasons dictate that the plant effluents be sterilized before being used as fertilizers and soil conditioners. Gamma radiation from isotopic sources appears to be the best source of sterilizing energy for Army waste-water disposal. The Corps of Engineers is considering the construction of an experimental gamma irradiation pilot facility to validate laboratory experimental work and to establish design criteria for operating plants. The data obtained will provide a basis for performing detailed cost effectiveness studies on gamma irradiation as a method to treat secondary plant effluent. In addition, optimization work will be conducted to determine where in the sewage treatment cycle the use of gamma irradiation will produce the best results in meeting current and anticipated standards. (author)

Advances in endoscopic surgery for small animal reproduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Katic, N; Dupré, G

2016-09-01

Although endoscopic surgery entered its "golden era" in the mid-1980s, it is still advancing at a tremendous pace. Novel surgical techniques and devices are continuously developed and applied, and new indications (and/or contraindications) for the use of endoscopic surgery are routinely reported in the literature and subjected to systematic assessments. Although endoscopic surgery (laparoscopy in particular) has already become established as the gold standard in human medicine, it has yet to be proven as a viable alternative to open surgery in the field of veterinary medicine. The advantages of minimally invasive surgery include better intra-operative visualization, reduced postoperative pain, reduced scar formation and increased postoperative mobility. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that the application of this will continue to expand. Small animal reproduction, a field within the broad discipline of veterinary medicine, has already recognized and begun to reap the benefits of endoscopic surgery. Herein, we retrospectively review the most recent successful novel applications of endoscopic surgery in the small animal reproduction system to provide small animal reproductive surgeons with important knowledge to help improve their own veterinarian medical practice. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Gamma exposure rate estimation in irradiation facilities of nuclear research reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daoud, Adrian

2009-01-01

There are experimental situations in the nuclear field, in which dose estimations due to energy-dependent radiation fields are required. Nuclear research reactors provide such fields under normal operation or due to radioactive disintegration of fission products and structural materials activation. In such situations, it is necessary to know the exposure rate of gamma radiation the different materials under experimentation are subject to. Detectors of delayed reading are usually used for this purpose. Direct evaluation methods using portable monitors are not always possible, because in some facilities the entrance with such devices is often impracticable and also unsafe. Besides, these devices only provide information of the place where the measurement was performed, but not of temporal and spatial fluctuations the radiation fields could have. In this work a direct evaluation method was developed for the 'in-situ' gamma exposure rate for the irradiation facilities of the RA-1 reactor. This method is also applicable in any similar installation, and may be complemented by delayed evaluations without problem. On the other hand, it is well known that the residual effect of radiation modifies some properties of the organic materials used in reactors, such as density, colour, viscosity, oxidation level, among others. In such cases, a correct dosimetric evaluation enables in service estimation of material duration with preserved properties. This evaluation is for instance useful when applied to lubricating oils for the primary circuit pumps in nuclear power plants, thus minimizing waste generation. In this work the necessary elements required to estimate in-situ time and space integrated dose are also established for a gamma irradiated sample in an irradiation channel of a nuclear facility with zero neutron flux. (author)

Reference equilibrium core with central flux irradiation facility for Pakistan research reactor-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Israr, M.; Shami, Qamar-ud-din; Pervez, S.

1997-11-01

In order to assess various core parameters a reference equilibrium core with Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel for Pakistan Research Reactor (PARR-1) was assembled. Due to increased volume of reference core, the average neutron flux reduced as compared to the first higher power operation. To get a higher neutron flux an irradiation facility was created in centre of the reference equilibrium core where the advantage of the neutron flux peaking was taken. Various low power experiments were performed in order to evaluate control rods worth and neutron flux mapping inside the core. The neutron flux inside the central irradiation facility almost doubled. With this arrangement reactor operation time was cut down from 72 hours to 48 hours for the production of the required specific radioactivity. (author)

Considerations on safeguards approach for small centrifuge enrichment facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vicens, Hugo E.; Marzo, Marco A.; Nunes, Vitorio E.

2004-01-01

The safeguards' objectives for enrichment facilities encompass the detection of the diversion of declared nuclear material and of facility misuse. The safeguard's approach presently applied for commercial centrifuge enrichment facilities is based on the Hexa partite Project and seems not to be directly applicable to cases of small plants. Since ABACC started its operation one of the main problems faced was the application of safeguards to small centrifuge enrichment plants for testing centrifuges in cascade mode or for small LEU production. These plants consist of a few fully independent cascades, does not operate in a routine basis and panels prevent visual access to the centrifuges and their surroundings for preserving sensitive information. For such plants misuse scenarios seems to dominate, particularly those associated with feeding the plant with undeclared LEU. This paper presents a concise analysis of misuse strategies in small centrifuge facility and alternative safeguard's approach, describing the main control elements to be applied. The particularities arising from the existence of panels or boxes covering the centrifuges are specifically addressed. Two alternatives approaches based on the application of a transitory perimeter control to increase the effectiveness of unannounced inspection and on the application of permanent perimeter control are presented. (author)

NEW IRRADIATION RESEARCH FACILITIES AT THE ARMY NATICK LABORATORIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cooper, R. D.; Brynjolfsson, A.

1963-03-15

New facilities built by the U. S. Army for research on the preservation of food by ionizing radiation consist of a food processing and packaging facility and a radiation sources laboratory with two powerful low-energy radiation sources. One is a 1.3 million-curie Co/sup 60/ source consisting of 98 tubes each containing four doubly encapsulated Co/sup 60/ slugs. The second source is an electron linear accelerator with energy variable between 2 and 32 Mev. Research with the Co/sup 60/ source is concentrated on investigation of macroscopic and microscopic dose distribution in different materials irradiated with Co/sup 60/ gamma rays. Research with the linear accelerator is concentrated on dosimetry and photonuclear reactions. (A.G.W.)

Influence of different irradiation facilities on the response of radioprotection devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heeren de Oliveira, A.

1984-05-01

An EIC 1 extrapolation chamber, flushed with a methan based tissue equivalent gas is presented. This measuring device serves as a reference instrument to calibrate in tissue absorbed dose beta beams from different irradiation facilities; point radioactive sources, sources used with beam flattening filters, large area sources simulated by moving a point source. The source to detector distance has to be greater than 3 cm, requiring a transfer dosemeter for smaller distances. Influence of these different irradiation geometries has been studied on several radioprotection instruments (babyline, individual dosemeter, ionisation chamber), using three radionucleides: 147 Pm, 204 Tl, 90 Sr + 90 Y [fr

Small Multi-Purpose Research Facility (SMiRF)

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Small Multi-Purpose Research Facility (SMiRF) evaluates the performance of the thermal protection systems required to provide long-term storage (up to 10 years)...

Effect of repeated small-dose γ-ray irradiation on atopic dermatitis in NC/Nga mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, Su-Ping; Muto, Yasuko; Tago, Fumitoshi; Simura, Noriko; Kojima, Shuji

2006-01-01

We previously showed that several small-dose 0.5 Gy whole-body γ-ray irradiation inhibits tumor growth in mice via elevation of the interferon (IFN)-γ/interleukin 4 (IL-4) ratio concomitantly with a decrease in the percentage of B cells. Here, we examined whether repeated small-dose (0.5 Gy, 10 times) γ-ray irradiation influences atopic dermatitis in an NC/Nga mouse model. It was found that repeated γ-ray irradiation increased total IgE in comparison with the disease-control group. Levels of IL-4 and IL-5 were increased versus the disease-control group, while IFN-γ was slightly decreased, resulting in a further decrease of the IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio compared with the disease-control group. These results indicate that repeated small-dose γ-ray irradiation may exacerbate atopic dermatitis. This may be because the irradiation induces not helper T lymphocyte 1 (Th1), but Th2 polarization in this atopic mouse model, i.e., the effects of small-dose irradiation may be different in conditions involving immune hypersensitivity and impaired immunity. (author)

Effect of ceruloplasmin on some cellular and humoral immunity indices in irradiated animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berdyins'kikh, N.K.; Savtsova, Z.D.; Yindik, V.M.

1993-01-01

The ceruloplasmin (CD) in animals being permanently under combined external and internal low-intensity ionizing irradiation is shown to increase the level of cellular immunity reactions, including antiviral ones, and of natural resistance reactions, to decrease probability of derangement of biosynthetic processes during the development of immune response, and to increase resistance of animals to influenza infection. The influence of C P on humoral antiviral immunity was not observed

Modifications of small intestine lysosomal enzymes after irradiation at different times of the day

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Becciolini, A; Giache, V; Lanini, A; Cremonini, D; Drighi, E [Florence Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Radiologia

1982-01-01

The modification of lysosomal enzyme activities in animals irradiated with the same sublethal dose at 4 different times of the day is reported. The results confirmed the absence of circadian fluctuations in all the lysosomal enzymes and in protein content. A difference in behaviour between acid ..beta..-galactosidase and ..beta..-glucuronidase on the one hand and between acid phosphatase and cathepsin D on the other was evident in irradiated animals. The results showed that acid ..beta..-galactosidase and ..beta..-glucuronidase increase from the early intervals after irradiation and reach the highest activity between 36 and 48 h. At these intervals autolysis phenomena, heavy cellular alterations and numerous phlogosis cells are present in the epithelium. Only ..beta..-glucuronidase and acid ..beta..-galactosidase indicate the level of radiation injury.

Antimicrobial stewardship in small animal veterinary practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guardabassi, Luca; Prescott, John F

2015-01-01

Despite the increasing recognition of the critical role for antimicrobial stewardship in preventing the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria, examples of effective antimicrobial stewardship programs are rare in small animal veterinary practice. This article highlights the basic requirements...

Whole-body γ-irradiation effects on catecholamine concentration in animal tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makashev, Zh.K.; Uteshev, T.A.; Abylaev, Zh. A.; Zhurnist, A.G.

2003-01-01

On the whole-body gamma-radiation activity in the exchanges of catecholamines (adrenalin and non-adrenalin) and their predecessors (dopamine and DOPA) in the rats tissue organism, indicate the infringement of irradiated animals in different links of biological synthesis the bio-gen amines in different phases of the radiation: DOPA→dopamine, dopamine→adrenalin, adrenalin→non-adrenalin. (author)

Small molecule alteration of RNA sequence in cells and animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Guan, Lirui; Luo, Yiling; Ja, William W; Disney, Matthew D

2017-10-18

RNA regulation and maintenance are critical for proper cell function. Small molecules that specifically alter RNA sequence would be exceptionally useful as probes of RNA structure and function or as potential therapeutics. Here, we demonstrate a photochemical approach for altering the trinucleotide expanded repeat causative of myotonic muscular dystrophy type 1 (DM1), r(CUG) exp . The small molecule, 2H-4-Ru, binds to r(CUG) exp and converts guanosine residues to 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine upon photochemical irradiation. We demonstrate targeted modification upon irradiation in cell culture and in Drosophila larvae provided a diet containing 2H-4-Ru. Our results highlight a general chemical biology approach for altering RNA sequence in vivo by using small molecules and photochemistry. Furthermore, these studies show that addition of 8-oxo-G lesions into RNA 3' untranslated regions does not affect its steady state levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simulation for evaluation of the multi-ion-irradiation Laboratory of TechnoFusion facility and its relevance for fusion applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jimenez-Rey, D.; Mota, F.; Vila, R.; Ibarra, A.; Ortiz, Christophe J.; Martinez-Albertos, J.L.; Roman, R.; Gonzalez, M.; Garcia-Cortes, I.; Perlado, J.M.

2011-01-01

Thermonuclear fusion requires the development of several research facilities, in addition to ITER, needed to advance the technologies for future fusion reactors. TechnoFusion will focus in some of the priority areas identified by international fusion programmes. Specifically, the TechnoFusion Area of Irradiation of Materials aims at surrogating experimentally the effects of neutron irradiation on materials using a combination of ion beams. This paper justifies this approach using computer simulations to validate the multi-ion-irradiation Laboratory. The planned irradiation facility will investigate the effects of high energetic radiations on reactor-relevant materials. In a second stage, it will also be used to analyze the performance of such materials and evaluate newly designed materials. The multi-ion-irradiation Laboratory, both triple irradiation and high-energy proton irradiation, can provide valid experimental techniques to reproduce the effect of neutron damage in fusion environment.

On the surveillance for animal diseases in small herds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Greiner, Matthias; Dekker, Aldo

2005-01-01

Small herds may present a problem in surveillance for infectious animal diseases because typical levels of a within-herd design prevalence are not directly applicable. We suggest a definition of small herds as those smaller than 2/(within-herd design prevalence) on the basis that such herds would...... be expected to have less than two (i.e. only one) infected animals. Consequently, the probability of detecting small herds cannot be improved by choosing a larger sample size within the herd. We derive necessary sample sizes of herds and the probability ("confidence") of detecting disease within a stratum...... conservative (lower) estimates of the confidence for a given sample size and should therefore be preferred....

Dismantling of Irradiation Facility Selfshielded of Investigation Model MPX- γ-25M

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soguero, D.; Rapado, M.; Prieto, E.; Desdin, L.; Guerra, M.; Castillo, J.

2011-01-01

In this paper is described the dismantling a category I selfshielded gamma irradiation facility model MPX - γ - 25M. The following specific objectives were established: a) identify aspects of the insurance contract, human and technical resources b) assess the radiological situation of the process and c) analyze potential radiological extraordinary events in each step of the process, ensuring appropriate responses, based on an evaluation of process safety. The assessment of radiological events can serve as a reference for addressing the process of dismantling other similar irradiators. (Author)

Calculation of damage function of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} in irradiation facilities for fusion reactor applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mota, F., E-mail: fernando.mota@ciemat.es [Laboratorio Nacional de Fusión por Confinamiento Magnético – CIEMAT, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Ortiz, C.J., E-mail: christophe.ortiz@ciemat.es [Laboratorio Nacional de Fusión por Confinamiento Magnético – CIEMAT, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Vila, R., E-mail: rafael.vila@ciemat.es [Laboratorio Nacional de Fusión por Confinamiento Magnético – CIEMAT, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Casal, N., E-mail: natalia.casal@ciemat.es [Laboratorio Nacional de Fusión por Confinamiento Magnético – CIEMAT, 28040 Madrid (Spain); García, A., E-mail: angela.garcia@ciemat.es [Laboratorio Nacional de Fusión por Confinamiento Magnético – CIEMAT, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Ibarra, A., E-mail: Angel.ibarra@ciemat.es [Laboratorio Nacional de Fusión por Confinamiento Magnético – CIEMAT, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

2013-11-15

A rigorous material testing program is essential for the development of the nuclear fusion world program. In particular, it is very important to predict the generation of the displacement damage in materials, because the irradiation intensity expected in fusion conditions is such that the performance of materials and components under these extreme conditions is unknown. To study the damage produced by neutrons in materials of interest for fusion, a specific computational methodology was developed. Neutron fluxes expected in different irradiation facilities (International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility [IFMIF] and DEMO-HCLL) and in different irradiation spots were obtained with particles transport codes (McDeLicious, MCNP). The energy differential cross sections of primary knock-on atoms were calculated using the NJOY code. Resulting data were input into the Monte Carlo code MARLOWE to calculate the corresponding displacements (i.e., interstitials (I) and vacancies (V)). However, the number of Frenkel pairs created during irradiation strongly depends on the recombination radius between interstitials and vacancies. This parameter corresponds to the minimum distance below which instantaneous recombination occurs. Mainly, the influence of such parameter on the damage function in Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} was assessed in this report. The displacements per atom values calculated as a function of the recombination radius considered are compared to experimental data to determine the most appropriate capture radius. In addition, the damage function and damage dose generated at different experimental irradiation facilities are compared with those expected in DEMO. The conclusion is that both IFMIF and TechnoFusión (future triple beam ion accelerator to emulate fusion neutron irradiation effects in materials) facilities are suited to perform relevant irradiation experiments for the design of DEMO.

Assessment of the gas dynamic trap mirror facility as intense neutron source for fusion material test irradiations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, U.; Moeslang, A.; Ivanov, A.A.

2000-01-01

The gas dynamic trap (GDT) mirror machine has been proposed by the Budker Institute of nuclear physics, Novosibirsk, as a volumetric neutron source for fusion material test irradiations. On the basis of the GDT plasma confinement concept, 14 MeV neutrons are generated at high production rates in the two end sections of the axially symmetrical central mirror cell, serving as suitable irradiation test regions. In this paper, we present an assessment of the GDT as intense neutron source for fusion material test irradiations. This includes comparisons to irradiation conditions in fusion reactor systems (ITER, Demo) and the International Fusion Material Irradiation Facility (IFMIF), as well as a conceptual design for a helium-cooled tubular test assembly elaborated for the largest of the two test zones taking proper account of neutronics, thermal-hydraulic and mechanical aspects. This tubular test assembly incorporates ten rigs of about 200 cm length used for inserting instrumented test capsules with miniaturized specimens taking advantage of the 'small specimen test technology'. The proposed design allows individual temperatures in each of the rigs, and active heating systems inside the capsules ensures specimen temperature stability even during beam-off periods. The major concern is about the maximum achievable dpa accumulation of less than 15 dpa per full power year on the basis of the present design parameters of the GDT neutron source. A design upgrading is proposed to allow for higher neutron wall loadings in the material test regions

Facility for gamma irradiations of cultured cells at low dose rates: design, physical characteristics and functioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esposito, Giuseppe; Anello, Pasquale; Pecchia, Ilaria; Tabocchini, Maria Antonella; Campa, Alessandro

2016-01-01

We describe a low dose/dose rate gamma irradiation facility (called LIBIS) for in vitro biological systems, for the exposure, inside a CO_2 cell culture incubator, of cells at a dose rate ranging from few μGy/h to some tens of mGy/h. Three different "1"3"7Cs sources are used, depending on the desired dose rate. The sample is irradiated with a gamma ray beam with a dose rate uniformity of at least 92% and a percentage of primary 662 keV photons greater than 80%. LIBIS complies with high safety standards. - Highlights: • A gamma irradiation facility for chronic exposures of cells was set up at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità. • The dose rate uniformity and the percentage of primary 662 keV photons on the sample are greater than 92% and 80%, respectively. • The GEANT4 code was used to design the facility. • Good agreement between simulation and experimental dose rate measurements has been obtained. • The facility will allow to safely investigate different issues about low dose rate effects on cultured cells.

Small animal MRI: clinical MRI as an interface to basic biomedical research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinkernelle, J.G.; Stelter, L.; Hamm, B.; Teichgraeber, U.

2008-01-01

The demand for highly resolved small animal MRI for the purpose of biomedical research has increased constantly. Dedicated small animal MRI scanners working at ultra high field strengths from 4.7 to 7.0 T and even above are MRI at its best. However, using high resolution RF coils in clinical scanners up to 3.0 T, small animal MRI can achieve highly resolved images showing excellent tissue contrast. In fact, in abundant experimental studies, clinical MRI is used for small animal imaging. Mostly clinical RF coils in the single-loop design are applied. In addition, custom-built RF coils and even gradient inserts are used in a clinical scanner. For the reduction of moving artifacts, special MRI-compatible animal ECG und respiration devices are available. In conclusion, clinical devices offer broad availability, are less expense in combination with good imaging performance and provide a translational nature of imaging results. (orig.)

Microdosimetric measurements in the thermal neutron irradiation facility of LENA reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colautti, P.; Moro, D.; Chiriotti, S.; Conte, V.; Evangelista, L.; Altieri, S.; Bortolussi, S.; Protti, N.; Postuma, I.

2014-01-01

A twin TEPC with electric-field guard tubes has been constructed to be used to characterize the BNCT field of the irradiation facility of LENA reactor. One of the two mini TEPC was doped with 50 ppm of 10 B in order to simulate the BNC events occurring in BNCT. By properly processing the two microdosimetric spectra, the gamma, neutron and BNC spectral components can be derived with good precision (∼6%). However, direct measurements of 10 B in some doped plastic samples, which were used for constructing the cathode walls, point out the scarce accuracy of the nominal 10 B concentration value. The influence of the Boral ® door, which closes the irradiation channel, has been measured. The gamma dose increases significantly (+51%) when the Boral ® door is closed. The crypt-cell-regeneration weighting function has been used to measure the quality, namely the RBE µ value, of the radiation field in different conditions. The measured RBE µ values are only partially consistent with the RBE values of other BNCT facilities. - Highlights: • A counter with two mini TEPCs, both equipped with electrical-field guard tubes, has been constructed. • The microdosimetric spectrum of the LENA-reactor irradiation vane has been studied. • The radiation-field quality (RBE) assessment confirms that the D n /D tot ratio is not an accurate parameter to characterize the BNCT radiation field

Monte Carlo simulations in small animal PET imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Branco, Susana [Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciencias, Instituto de Biofisica e Engenharia Biomedica, Lisbon (Portugal)], E-mail: susana.silva@fc.ul.pt; Jan, Sebastien [Service Hospitalier Frederic Joliot, CEA/DSV/DRM, Orsay (France); Almeida, Pedro [Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciencias, Instituto de Biofisica e Engenharia Biomedica, Lisbon (Portugal)

2007-10-01

This work is based on the use of an implemented Positron Emission Tomography (PET) simulation system dedicated for small animal PET imaging. Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission (GATE), a Monte Carlo simulation platform based on the Geant4 libraries, is well suited for modeling the microPET FOCUS system and to implement realistic phantoms, such as the MOBY phantom, and data maps from real examinations. The use of a microPET FOCUS simulation model with GATE has been validated for spatial resolution, counting rates performances, imaging contrast recovery and quantitative analysis. Results from realistic studies of the mouse body using {sup -}F and [{sup 18}F]FDG imaging protocols are presented. These simulations include the injection of realistic doses into the animal and realistic time framing. The results have shown that it is possible to simulate small animal PET acquisitions under realistic conditions, and are expected to be useful to improve the quantitative analysis in PET mouse body studies.

A commercial gamma-ray irradiation plant in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomita, K.; Sugimoto, S.

1977-01-01

In 1973, a commercial gamma-ray irradiation plant was constructed in Takasaki, about 100 km north of Tokyo. The plant has been used for both production of irradiated commercial products and irradiation services. The irradiation services are being made available for sterilization of both medical appliances such as disposable medical syringes, catheters, surgical sutures, and sterilization of feed stuffs for animals. Treatment of plastic materials and colouring of both crystals and glass wares are also undertaken. This facility can accommodate 600 kCi of 60 Co and has a monthly treating capacity of 12,000 packages ( a standard carton of 340 mm x 400 mm x 500 mm) at an irradiation dose of 1 Mrad/hr. A receiving port for packages is on the second floor and the outlet of the irradiated packages on the first floor, with three lines of connecting loop conveyors between them, and the irradiation compartment in the center section. The space arrangement of the facility is well designed and gravity can be utilized for the transportation of the packages. Polymer impregnated coral is put on the market for ornamental building material on an order contract basis. (author)

Features of aseptic granulomatous imflammation in rats subjected to the chronic action of gamma irradiation in small doses