Monitoring of Irradiation Dose in High Voltage Power Supplies for Blood Irradiation

In the field of modern medicine, blood irradiation is an important part of ensuring blood transfusion safety. The high voltage power supply for blood irradiation, as a key component of the irradiation system, outputs high energy rays to inactivate immunocompetent lymphocytes in blood products, preventing the occurrence of serious complications such as transfusion associated graft versus host disease (TA GVHD). Precise monitoring of the irradiation dose is crucial for ensuring the effectiveness and safety of blood irradiation.
The high voltage power supply for blood irradiation accelerates electrons or generates other high energy particle beams, which act on blood samples. The irradiation dose directly determines the degree of inactivation of lymphocytes. If the dose is too low, potential risks cannot be effectively eliminated; if the dose is too high, other beneficial components in the blood may be damaged, affecting blood quality. Therefore, accurately monitoring the irradiation dose has become the core task in the blood irradiation process.
Currently, commonly used methods for monitoring the irradiation dose include physical monitoring methods and chemical monitoring methods. The physical monitoring method is mainly based on the principle of the ionization chamber. As a detector, the ionization chamber uses the property that rays interact with gas to generate ionization charges. The irradiation dose is calculated by measuring the ionization current or the collected charge. This method has high accuracy and real time performance. It can continuously monitor the dose change during the irradiation process and provide immediate feedback to the operator, so that the parameters of the high voltage power supply can be adjusted in a timely manner. For example, during the operation of the blood irradiation equipment, the ionization chamber can transmit the dose data to the control system in real time. If the dose is found to deviate from the preset range, the system will automatically adjust the output voltage or current of the high voltage power supply to ensure that the irradiation dose is stable within a safe and effective range.
The chemical monitoring method uses the property that certain chemical substances undergo specific chemical reactions under the action of rays to monitor the irradiation dose. Common chemical dosimeters such as the ferrous sulfate dosimeter. After being irradiated by rays, ferrous ions are oxidized to ferric ions. By measuring the change in the color of the solution or the concentration of ferric ions and according to the pre established dose response curve, the irradiation dose can be determined. Although this method is relatively complex to operate and cannot be monitored in real time, it is often used to calibrate physical monitoring equipment and verify the irradiation dose afterwards due to its low cost and reliable results. In daily blood irradiation work, regular calibration with chemical dosimeters can ensure the accuracy of physical monitoring equipment and provide a double guarantee for the precise control of the irradiation dose.
In addition, with the continuous development of technology, digital monitoring systems are gradually applied in the field of blood irradiation. These systems integrate data from a variety of sensors, accurately calculate and analyze the irradiation dose through complex algorithms, and can achieve long term data storage and traceability. Operators can intuitively view information such as historical records and trend analysis of the irradiation dose through the computer interface, which is convenient for comprehensive management and quality control of the irradiation process.
In conclusion, the monitoring of the irradiation dose in high voltage power supplies for blood irradiation is a comprehensive task. Through the coordinated application of multiple monitoring methods, the accuracy of the blood irradiation dose can be effectively ensured, providing a solid guarantee for clinical blood transfusion safety. With the continuous progress of medical technology, the irradiation dose monitoring technology will also be continuously optimized to meet the increasingly strict blood safety standards.