Development of a Novel Irradiator for the Study of the Radiation Effect at Low Dose Rate on Cell Cultures

Abstract

In the present work the development of an inhouse irradiator for irradiation at low dose rate (below to 1 cGy/min) is described. The knowledge about the biological effects of irradiation at low dose rate is limited. Otherwise the irradiation with beta particles will be also of interest as it’s happens in systemic radiotherapy; the biological effects of low dose could be also studied. The cell irradiator consists in an acrylic rectangular box with a tubular capillary array where a radiactive solution will be dispensed inside. The radionuclides used as source could be Y90 or P32. The MCNPX code was used for the calculation of the spatial doses rate profiles in the target (a slice of 3mm in depth of water). The absorbed dose rates for 1MBq of activity are 1.403mGy/h and 3.029mGy/h for P32 and Y90 respectively. The physical features of the irradiation field are appropriated with an useful area or useful irradiation field of about a 80% of total area occupied by the source.