What is a sealed radiation source?
Visible light is a form of radiation. An example of a sealed radiation source in everyday use is a domestic light bulb. REVISS sealed radiation sources are similar in principle to a light bulb. They are specifically designed for the purpose of sterilizing products such as medical goods. Gamma radiation shines through a sealed envelope (steel tube) in the same way that visible light shines through the glass bulb. They are designed to withstand fire, dropping, and bending. The envelope is a double-skinned steel tube, which ensures that the contents (cobalt-60) remain confined throughout the useful source lifetime. The radiation (gamma) is invisible to the human eye, highly penetrating and must be prevented from “shining” through the environment when it is not in use by shielding it under water, or behind concrete, or lead. Unlike a domestic light bulb these sources need no external power and cannot be switched-off, but slowly reduce in radiant power with time. A new source has a typical
