FAQ's - Small Animal Research Irradiation
Rad Source produces custom irradiation solutions using our scalable technology.
The RS 2000 is designed to allow irradiation of mice in a filtered cage. We understand husbandry is an important part of the process so protecting the mice from the environment, especially with multiple users, is important.
The RS 2000 is delivered by crate and then rolled (its mounted on casters) into your facility. The unit simply requires a dedicated 220 VAC, single phase, 40 amp circuit. Its cooling system is completely self-contained. Installation, calibration, dose mapping, and training is completed in less than one day.
The RS 2000 consists of a power supply, radiation tube, control module, chassis, and heat exchanger. Rad Source offers 1, 2, and 3 year extended warranty programs.
No, unlike a nuclear isotope, the RS 2000 is an electronic device that is either on or off. When it is off, there is no radiation being emitted.
The radiation plane is in a cone shaped irradiation field and can be set at various levels from 12.39 cm (4.88”) to 35.50cm (13.98”).
When delivery, licensing, related hazardous material shipping, and set-up costs of a radioisotope system are considered, the RS 2000 costs much less than a typical gamma unit.
No, the RS 2000 is completely self-shielded, needs no additional precautions, and is key operated for user security. Background scatter is lower than Federal and State guidelines.
No, the RS 2000 is mounted on wheels and weighs less than 1500 lbs.
No, the RS 2000 is licensed as a cabinet X-ray system and complies with CFR 21.1020.40.
The dose rate of a gamma irradiator is not variable for irradiation buts decreases over time. The RS 2000 allows the user to vary dose rate electronically or by varying distance but remains constant unless changed by the user.
Each RS 2000 is calibrated at the factory for maximum uniformity and has 95%, or better uniformity, for an area of 7” x 11” (typical rearing cage) at 1 Gy per minute.
Both use photons as an irradiation source, creating ionizing radiation. The energy of both is energy per unit volume with 1 Gy from Gamma equal to 1 Gy from X-ray.
Yes, X-rays from the RS 2000 produce equivalent dose in cells and small animals. The energy of the photons is lower, therefore the X-rays must be filtered correctly to shape the beam producing equivalent uniformity.
Our RS 2000 was designed and validated for the Biological Research market’s typical applications: small animals, cell, and tissue work. The RS 2000 has been successfully used for over 10 years by acclaimed research laboratories around the globe. The beam profile (proprietary tube and filtering) of the RS 2000 is “Substantially equivalent to Cesium”.
CDRH stands for the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH). Performance Standards for Ionizing Radiation Emitting Products can be found at CDRH 21CFR1020.40
Both use photons as an irradiation source, creating ionizing radiation. The energy of both is energy per unit volume with 1 Gy from Gamma equal to 1 Gy from x-ray.
Yes, x-rays from the RS 2000 produce equivalent dose in cells and small animals. The energy of the photons is lower however, and the x-ray must have correct filtration shaping beam to produce equivalent uniformity.
