IMPROVED METHOD FOR GAMMA IRRADIATION OF DONOR TISSUE

ABSTRACT Recently there has been a major concern about the sterility of donor tissue. Gamma irradiation has proven to be an effective way of processing tissue for sterility [4] . It has been proven that tissue, irradiated in the frozen state, sustains much less degradation than samples processed at higher temperatures. An easy and common way of maintaining tissue in the frozen state during shipment and irradiation involves packaging the tissue with dry ice. All dosimetry systems commonly used in the irradiation industry are temperature sensitive. Therefore, samples packaged with dry ice must take these dosimeter temperature effects into consideration. STERIS Isomedix Services has evolved a method to provide a standardised process, which ensures a high degree of accuracy for absorbed dose determination of low temperature radiation processing, and specifically to support the irradiation of donor tissue.