Radiation Physics and Chemistry 63 (2002) 567–569

Brevion: the new small-scale industrial gamma irradiator

Dan McKinney, Robert Perrins, Wayne Gibson, Daniel Levesque*

MDS Nordion, 447 March Road, Kanata, Ont., Canada K2K 1X8

Abstract

The economical processing of low-volume products has been a challenge to the gamma industry since inception,

influencing customers to send their products to contractors or choose alternative technologies. With the introduction of

the Brevion irradiator (patent pending), economical gamma processing of low annual volume product lines is now

possible. This innovative design is specifically targeted at plants processing product volumes of up to 20,000 m3/yr.

Brevion provides good cobalt efficiency and good dose uniformity, thus processing these volumes efficiently and

economically. The Brevion facility has the distinct advantage of a low capital cost, compared to medium-sized

automatic tote plants, while maintaining similar performance. Lead-time for the construction phase is also considerably

shorter, resulting in significantly lower start-up costs. Companies with low-volume product lines can now achieve the

control provided by in-house processing, and eliminate transportation time and costs associated with shipping products

off-site. r 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Batch irradiator; Gamma; Design

1. Introduction

The Brevion ‘‘cartridge’’ irradiator (Fig. 1) is a unique

concept, designed for the low-volume irradiation mar-

ket. It is an extremely versatile and efficient batch

irradiator for irradiating medical and other products.

The Brevion offers processors a low capital cost

alternative to ethylene oxide sterilisation equipment,

by making gamma radiation of low-volume product

lines affordable for in-house processing.

The Brevion is designed to meet the needs of multi-

national medical device manufacturers with small-

volume production in off-shore markets, as well as

contract irradiation service providers in developing

countries facing a small but growing market. This

irradiator has a capacity of 1 million curies (37 PBq)60Co, allowing the ability for significant growth.

1.1. Facility benefits

The Brevion will provide the performance of a typical

medium-scale automatic tote facility but for a much

lower total facility cost. Benefits of a Brevion facility

include:

1. Low capital cost;

2. Short project lead time;

3. Economical processing of small volumes;

4. Flexibility for processing different densities (small

product hold-up, fast product changeover, batch

processing);

5. Minimum direct labour to operate facilityF1

operator per shift; and,

6. Easy and quick dismantling for re-location.

1.2. Brevion performance

The Brevion has the following performance features:

1. Rack capacity: 1 MCi (37 PBq) cobalt

2. Product density range: up to 0.4 g/cm3 (maximum

tote load 88 kg);

3. High product throughput;

4. Competitive processing speed (Fig. 2);

5. Low dose uniformity ratio (DUR);

6. Small shield footprint: 12m� 8m; and,

7. Short installation time: o4weeks on-site

*Corresponding author. Fax: +1-613-592-6815.

E-mail address: dlevesque@mds.nordion.com (D. Lev-

esque).

0969-806X/02/$ - see front matter r 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

PII: S 0 9 6 9 - 8 0 6 X ( 0 1 ) 0 0 5 5 4 - 0

To achieve cost-effective processing with small vo-

lumes, the Brevion utilises a ‘‘batch’’ processing technol-

ogy. Typically, ‘‘batch’’ irradiators can provide good

dose uniformity (low DUR), but they may not provide

adequate throughput or economical processing, due to

the downtime required for batch change-out.

To overcome this challenge, the Brevion utilises a

double cartridge system. To further simplify design and

increase reliability, the interchangeable cartridges are

simple modular structures, which do not contain any

drive mechanisms.

The pre-loaded tote cartridge is exchanged in less than

5min. To achieve this, the shielded door slides out with

the source pass mechanism in-tow, the un-irradiated

cartridge is then exchanged with the irradiated cartridge.

After the exchange, the source pass moves back into the

chamber with the door closing behind.

To provide optimum tote packing efficiency, two tote

sizes are available; the size best suited for the product

cartons to be processed in the facility is chosen.

To maximise cobalt efficiency, the totes are stacked

two-high creating product-overlapping source geometry.

This minimises the gap between the upper and lower

level product, by eliminating the space required for a

second level roller conveyor. The stacked totes are

circulated once around the single level source pass and

vertically interchanged, then circulated a second time

around the source pass. The vertical interchange of

product is performed inside the cell, thereby reducing

total batch cycle time.

While one cartridge of product is being irradiated, a

single operator can easily unload the second one at the

load/unload station. The load/unload station consists of

a stacker/de-stacker and a ten-tote tilt station, which

separates the loading and unloading activities. The

operator indexes each cartridge row until all the totes

are unloaded and re-loaded with unprocessed product.

Once the whole cartridge is re-loaded, it is moved back

to the interchange position until the current batch is

completed.

Performing both irradiation and cartridge reloading

processes together, translates into very fast cycle times

and allows for the processing of a significant number of

batches per year (Fig. 2).

2. Design features

A reliable PLC with redundant safety interlock

features will monitor the whole cycling process. The

computer control process will be fully validated.

The source pass mechanism will require less main-

tenance than a traditional two-level tote plant since

there are fewer moving components, and only one level

of drives. Maintenance can be performed on the second

cartridge, while outside the shield, without shutting the

irradiator down.

The Brevion facility occupies a very small land area

(less than 31m� 18 m). The shield is only 12 m long-

� 8m wide, as there is no maze.

A Brevion facility, including shield, can be built in a

few short months. The modular irradiator design

provides for shipment of a small number of fully

assembled components. This approach allows the main

assemblies to be effectively shop-tested and optimised

prior to shipment. On-site installation time is reduced to

a few weeks, attributable to the factory-assembly and

pre-testing of modular components.

In today’s economy, the need for creative solutions to

maintain global competitiveness is paramount. Brevion

is designed for the eventuality that the facility may

require relocation after several years, to be better

Fig. 1. Pictorial representation of the Brevion irradiator.

Fig. 2. Total batch processing time.

D. McKinney et al. / Radiation Physics and Chemistry 63 (2002) 567–569568

situated in relation to the end market, regional distribu-

tion centres, or transportation routes.

Relocation of the Brevion is a cost-effective option,

given that the modular equipment is designed for easy

disassembly. The cost of rebuilding a shield on a new site

is relatively low due to its simple rectangular layout and

small footprint.

3. Conclusions

The Brevion irradiator is a full production gamma

irradiator, with small-scale size and a low capital cost,

that provides cost-effective processing for low-volume

product lines. This facility is designed for rapid

installation and commissioning, by greatly shortening

the lead-time between order and start-up. Brevion can be

easily relocated, should the reason for the original

location and/or its processing requirements change over

the life of the facility.

Further reading

Fraser, F., 1993. Radiat. Phys. Chem. 42, 429–434.

Kunstadt, P., Steeves, C., Beaulieu, D., 1993. Radiat. Phys.

Chem. 42, 259–268.

McKinney, D., Perrins, R., 2000. Radiat. Phys. Chem. 57,

569–571.

D. McKinney et al. / Radiation Physics and Chemistry 63 (2002) 567–569 569