This cobalt-60 is manufactured into radiation sources by a few specialist manufacturers that serve the radiation processing (sterilisation) industry. At the 20 th International Meeting on Radiation Processing, held in November 2022, the increasing gap between global sterilisation capacity and demand was highlighted as a significant concern of the healthcare industry.Ĭobalt-60 is produced in a small number of reactors located in Argentina, Canada, China, India and Russia. In recent years, vaccine supply pressure concentrated the need for sterilisation and, in some cases, created a backlog. Some sectors, such as the biopharmaceutical industry that is switching to single-use systems, are experiencing growth at much higher double-digit growth rates, although they represent a small proportion of current sterilisation demand. At the typically reported growth rate of 6-8% per year, the demand for sterilisation will double over the next ten years. The demand for sterilisation and, therefore, cobalt-60 is growing at rates not previously seen, due to an increasing and ageing population, greater access to health care and the development of new devices that require sterilisation. Other important uses of cobalt-60 include the non-invasive treatment of cancers and brain tumours, polymer processing, food treatment and environmental applications. A patient in surgery or receiving wound care or simply having a blood sample taken, is highly likely to be treated using products that have been sterilised using cobalt-60 in a process known as ‘irradiation’ or ‘radiation processing’. These devices include items such as syringes, catheters, IV sets, surgical gloves and gauze used in a wide range of health care applications. The radioisotope cobalt-60 that is manufactured in some nuclear reactors is used to sterilise approximately 40% of single-use medical devices globally. There are a number of initiatives to increase cobalt-60 supply (Image: Nordion) It is possible to interrupt and resume treatment.The production of cobalt-60 is critical to healthcare and, with demand soaring, the challenge is to expand supply, writes Martin Comben from the International Irradiation Association. The console also displays scheduled treatment time, time completed and time remaining. Position of radiation source such as safe, transit or treatment is also displayed. There is on-screen status of AC power, battery, door, wedge, key and air supply. Patient details and treatment details are displayed on screen for close monitoring during treatment. All of its operations are computer controlled to facilitate easy operation, complete control over all operating parameters and improved radiation safety. It has lower penumbra for better beam quality. The machine can withdraw the source automatically during emergency. An internal battery supports this movement. In case of any emergency, the collimator gets closed automatically ensuring safety. The machine has superior features in terms of safety, controls and user interface compared to imported machines of similar capacity.įully closable collimator, for improved radiation safety, is a unique feature of the machine. Will close the Collimator jaws to Zero Field size in case of source movement irregularities

Machine health status of AC power, Battery, Door, Wedge, Key and Optically projected over the field under treatment (60-100 cm) Rotation: ± 90 degrees from its central axis

Its indexed Patient Positioning System enables quick, accurate and reproducible patient positioning. The unit also has a Couch on which the patient is positioned during treatment. The major components of the machine are Cobalt-60 Source, Source Head, Source Drawer, Collimator, Gantry, Base Housing, Controller and Control Console. In a teletherapy machine, the radiation source is kept outside the body and the beam is directed on the cancer site. About half of the cancers incidents can be treated with Cobalt-60 Teletherapy Machine. Teletherapy machines are used for treating localized solid tumors, such as cancers of the skin, tongue, larynx, brain, breast, or uterine cervix. Applications of Radiation in Rural Development.Desalination & Water Purification Technologies.Applications of Radiation in Food Irradiation.Applications of Radiation in Nuclear Agriculture.Applications of Radiation in Health Care.Radioactive Waste Management: Indian scenario.Environment Monitoring around Nuclear Reactors.Appellate Authority & Information Officers.Electronics Instrumentation & Computers.

Cobalt 60 photos