iiA Newsletter
Your Global Voice for Radiation ProcessingJuly/ August 2011
IMRP Montreal, Connecting with our Future
It was inspiring to be part of IMRP Montreal and I would like to share a few of the conference highlights.The program covered a wide range of topics, new ideas, discoveries, and sharing in the results of on-going research, regulatory updates and business developments.
Our theme, "Where science and business connect."
Over three days we zeroed in on key areas: healthcare, materials, food, and what we have called 'evolving' applications.
Your feedback
Thought-provoking opening plenary
Healthcare Highlights
Food Irradiation Highlights
Evolving Applications Highlights
Advance Materials Highlights
Technology Highlights
Connecting with the next generation
Award winners
Dr. Olgun Güven, IMRP Laureate
Dr. John B. Kowalski, IMRP Laureate
Dr. Wang Chuanzhen, IMRP Laureate
Thank-you to our sponsors
Welcome Reception - Hockey Night in Canada
Gala Farewell Event - Celebrating Space Exploration
Upcoming Events
Contact us
Thought-provoking opening plenary
Science, you could say, is largely the practice of asking "why?"-with technology the follow-on of "how?"
Asking why was the spirit in which Peter Ottensmeyer got things going on Day One with his outside-the-box suggestion that nuclear waste isn't waste at all but rather a significant asset in the effort to meet the world's energy needs. His question: Why are we fixated on burying so-called 'spent' nuclear fuel underground-at a cost of twenty-four billion dollars-when we could instead convert it into 4,000 years' worth of electrical energy?
It was a thought-provoking and stimulating start to our proceedings, and an indication of the kinds of big-picture scientific and political issues that impact our industry.
We create products that literally change people's lives-not only in wealthy, industrialized countries but in emerging economies as well. On the one hand, we had Richard Rapoza talking about the role of irradiation in creating innovative products to fight heart disease and improve quality of life; on the other, Eric James giving the example of his work to combat malaria, which claims the lives of 800,000 African children a year.
(photo: Dr. Peter Ottensmeyer)
Healthcare Highlights
"We need to look at SAL in a practical, actual sense and not treat 10-6 as a sacred cow." - Trabue. D. Bryans, WuXi AppTec
Where healthcare is concerned, we examined opportunities and barriers. We heard a lot about the push toward the more precise application of radiation technologies: processing at lower doses and temperatures to protect the efficacy of pharmaceuticals, biologics and combination devices or achieve exactly the characteristics desired.
This is energizing some debate. Is the 10-6 sterility standard still relevant or-to paraphrase John Kowalski-as technology evolves does our thinking not also need to evolve when it comes to questions like "what does 'sterile' mean?" Trabue Bryans' presentation on making risk-based assessments to determine appropriate thresholds generated significant discussion at the Session roundtable that included European Notified Body and the U.S. FDA participants. Some strong opinions were aired. News that the AAMI definition of sterility in ST67 will be proposed as the basis of international standardization was both interesting and provocative.
How do we seize on the opportunities presented by combination devices, as Andy Lewis said, account for a growing market already valued at $50 billion a year. Combination devices are complex to develop and regulate. They demand collaboration between scientists, industry members and regulators-and the integration, as Jennifer Mateus pointed out, of regulatory considerations as early as possible in the product-development process.
Larry Fox highlighted the need to standardize production approaches so that supply chains can be integrated efficiently, with compatibility between manufacturing and sterilization. Steve Oelsner convinced us that we need to capitalize on the experience of related fields such as radiopharmaceuticals in learning how to treat these devices. We also need to take advantage of innovations in stabilizing and protecting biologics, which his financial models indicate might open the door to converting from aseptic processing to terminal radiation sterilization.
(photo: Dr. Eamonn Hoxey, Ms. Trabue Bryans)
Food Irradiation Highlights
"People buy food, not technology." - Ronald Eustace, Minnesota Beef Council
As in healthcare, dose selection is a big topic for food irradiators. Right now the USDA has a one-size-fits-all threshold of 400 grays. We heard some questions about whether this should be reexamined-different doses for different products-in the interest of balancing food quality, food safety, cost and energy consumption.
Where are the opportunities? The annual volumes of fruit alone that are treated by ionizing radiation are considerably lower than they could be. Our methodology is cost-competitive with chemical treatments, and much more effective.
If we acknowledge that washing fruit is not the complete answer when it comes to pathogen removal, as a global community we have to accept that some mechanism must be adopted to protect us and our families. It is positive to note that consumer acceptance of irradiated fruit is a non-issue; demand is growing. To position irradiation as that mechanism, we need to encourage further consumer acceptance of more types of foods.
The expansion of phytosanitary treatment requires collaboration among growers, processors, distributors and transporters. It requires harmonization of regulations, private-sector investment in commercial facilities, and building in regions where food irradiation technology can be implemented.
According to the statistics Ronald Eustace quoted, one in six Americans is struck with a food-borne illness each year. People are dying. His caution not to confuse activist statements with broad public opinion is a wise one. Most people are neutral on the topic of food irradiation. Education and the opportunity to try irradiated food will tip them in the positive direction.
Evolving Applications Highlights
"Our team wakes up each day with one goal: Developing a vaccine that will prevent the deaths of children in sub-Saharan Africa." - Eric R. James, Sanaria Inc.
Many of the evolving applications we heard about during IMRP have a large-scale societal benefit. For example, Eric James' fascinating account of how Sanaria is harvesting the salivary glands of irradiated, malarial mosquitoes to create a vaccine that shows strong potential to prevent the three million infections a year-infections that cause economic losses in the range of $12 billion for Africa and take the lives of 800,000 children a year. There were many interesting discussions of experiences of irradiating all sorts of insects-but I think that all our imaginations have been extended by the picture of manual mosquito dissection!
We heard about the ability of radiolysis to stabilize nanoparticles that could have a vast range of beneficial uses; and of eBeam radiation to help produce ethanol more cleanly and using lower energy than conventional methods, improving the fuel's overall environmental value proposition.
Tuesday afternoon's session on the use of radiation technologies to combat pollution was particularly interesting. Clearly, our industry has enormous potential to help rid water and industrial emissions of toxic contents and volatile compounds like nitrous oxide, sulfur oxide and the like-with applications ranging from municipal waste processing plants to cargo ships at sea. We will see at future IMRPs whether developments in science, technology, regulation and standards have turned this potential into viable business opportunities.
(photo: Dr. Eric James)
Advance Materials Highlights
"We need industry and researchers to be on the same page." - Daniel Yasenchak, E-BEAM Services Inc.
For the first time, iiA collaborated with the organizers of the Ionizing Radiation and Polymers (IRaP) symposium held at the University of Maryland 25-29 October 2010 and invited two outstanding scientific presentations of commercial interest in advanced materials to present their research and progress at IMRP Montreal. Walter Voit was recognized for the development of smart materials - shape memory polymers (SMPs). Dhitriti Khandal presented her work that proposes a novel and promising method of thermoplastic starch using aromatic compounds to counteract chain scission induced degradation.
In addition to exploring new applications, industry members and researchers are also seeking to create new and enhanced materials through irradiation. Thermal plastic starch, high-performance composites, nanocomposites, flexible electronics and even run-of-the-mill consumer plastics-all of these can be strengthened, improved, better manipulated through the use of ionizing radiation. Their uses run from food packaging to rockets, automotive components to microfiltering membranes and-appropriate to the welcome reception-hockey helmets.
As we heard on Wednesday from our presenters, collaboration is critical to the R&D that drives the creation of these novel materials. Collaboration between academia, and industry and end customers; effectively is the whole value chain. In Kieran Murray's medical device example this includes the device makers, scientists and radiation processors. His advocacy for mutual understanding is, I think, well heeded by this group.
(photo: Ms. Dhitriti Khandal, Mr. Paul Minbiole, Dr. Walter Voit)
Technology Highlights
"To ensure progress and growth, players must be prepared to make greater and more appropriate investments in R&D."- John Woolston, iiA
While we're seeing the development of advanced materials, we are not, apparently, seeing the level of R&D on the whole that we should be for our industry to be a truly active innovator. When technology companies like Apple and Dell are spending about 14 percent of their budgets on R&D and in our industry the figure tends to be in the single digits, we have some catching up to do.
The iiA has acknowledged its part in that, looking at the barriers to R&D and identifying the need for a global forum for industry to determine needs and priorities.
That said, we've heard from individuals here who are pushing the limits of our various technologies-whether at the Leoni Studer Hard facility Switzerland, which is the first to use x-rays on large pallets for high-volume sterilization, or through Dominque Cloetta's new x-ray emitter for low-dose as well as low-volume, high-dose applications.
We also need to draw on the experience of other areas in our sector and take advantage of well-proven tools that, elsewhere, help shave product development timelines and costs. I'm talking here about computer modelling and simulation which, as we heard during IMRP, can streamline and cut the cost of real-world testing-the Monte Carlo simulations being a case in point.
We heard on Thursday morning that shippers have become more willing to transport cobalt-60 even since the last IMRP. Yet the industry needs an action plan to gain further momentum on that front: to combine awareness-building, training, harmonization of regulations-which Cathie Deeley aptly called a "rats' nest" of rules at the international, national, local and port levels.
That conversation about transportation fits into a larger one on the cobalt-60 supply chain and ensuring future capacity, capitalizing on recycling and the availability of reactors to ensure sufficient, timely cobalt-60 supply-so that we can continue to innovate and deliver needed services where and when required.
Connecting with the next generation
New to IMRP, and in an effort to include the next generation this programme recognized the contribution of graduate students who conduct research and prepare papers. Three papers were selected for an oral strand presentation where the first author was a student. Congratulation to Heather McDonald, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA; Dhriti Khandal, Institut de Chimie Moléculaire de Reims, Riems, France and Kieran Murray Materials Research Institute, Athlone Institute of Technology, Co., Westmeath, Ireland.
Five graduate students were selected to speak to the entire conference on their research work and were available for further discussions at their posters during the Wednesday afternoon poster reception. Congratulations to Patricia Inamura (Brazil), Jae-Nam Park (Korea), Charlotte Rambo (USA), Guiliana Marchesani (Italy) and Dominic Dussault (Canada).
I believe that one of the highlights was seeing the discussions and interactions between our senior thinkers and leaders with our student contributors. When Charlotte Rambo gave her five-minute presentation in the Student Session on dose rate effects, she wasn't warned it would be followed by a 30-minute chat with Professor Tallentire.
(photo: Mr. John Masefield*, Prof. Alan Tallentire*, Ms Dhitri Khandal, Ms. Charlotte Rambo, Ms. Giulian Marchesani, Ms. Patricia Inamura, Mr. Jae-Nam Park, Mr. Dominic Dussalt, Mr. Kieran Murray, Mr. Rod Chu*, Dr Marshall Cleland*, regrets Heather McDonald)
* attendees of IMRP #1, Puerto Rico 1976
Award winners
Wednesday's poster session created a great atmosphere for interaction with the 183 poster presenters and 25 exhibitors. The volume in the room steadily went up as the bar stocks rapidly went down, a crafty enticement for all to stay against the lure of a glorious summer day.
The caliber of science represented at this IMRP was, as always, impressive-reflected in the award-winning posters of Charlotte Rambo, Joon Yong Sohn and Stéphane Beauchamp, and special mentions Jean-Louis Bol and Mark Smith.
We also recognized three industry leaders as laureates of IMRP, a celebration of career-long very significant contributions in the science, technology and business of radiation processing.
Dr. Olgun Güven, IMRP Laureate
A brilliant scientist, Dr Güven has been always at the forefront of progress in our community. He is author or co-author of more than 290 scientific articles. Worldwide he is considered by colleagues as a true giant in the field of radiation polymer chemists. His recent ideas on how to apply radiation to control radical polymerization is one of the hottest topics today.
Dr. Olgun Güven has been working in the field of radiation chemistry, and radiation processing for more than 40 years. As a professor at the Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey, he has been teaching polymer radiation chemistry and technology for about 30 years. Throughout his career he has made significant technical contributions, demonstrated leadership in advancing radiation technology and investing in the next generation.
In Turkey his home country, Dr Güven has been instrumental in introducing radiation technology. In 1994 the first Industrial Gamma Irradiation facility located in Ankara. In 1996, the second Industrial Gamma Irradiator which is owned by GammaPak, located in Istanbul. And in 2001, Dr Güven was the technical consultant for the first Industrial Electron Accelerator installed in Bursa.
Olgun Güven was Technical Officer in charge of promotion of radiation technology in the Member States of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 1996-2003. He served as an IAEA expert on many technical missions throughout the world.
Olgun continues to serve the community by being an associate editor of Radiation Physics and Chemistry; at the same time he is a very valued reviewer and chosen for the most difficult cases.
Many international symposia and meetings have been organized and chaired by Dr. Güven, most notably the 9th International Meeting on Radiation Processing (IMRP), September 1994, Istanbul, Turkey.
He has played a very active role in training and mentoring young people on radiation processing. He well-known for his generous attitude and kindness, which without doubt accounts for his effectiveness as a mentor and champion of radiation processing.
Everyone has and needs a mentor. "One of the most important times in my early career was 1982-1983 as Fulbright Research Associate at the University of Maryland" stated Dr. Olgun Güven, "where I benefited greatly from the expertise and wisdom of Dr. Joseph Silverman".
(photo: Dr. Byron Lambert, Dr Olgun Güven, Mr. John Masefield)
Dr. John B. Kowalski, IMRP Laureate
Over the past 30 years plus years, during his distinguished career John B. Kowalski, Ph.D. has made significant contributions to the advancement of the practice of radiation sterilization and to the development of radiation dose establishment methods for the healthcare industry.
John B. Kowalski received his Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts and performed three years of postdoctoral research at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute. He then joined Johnson & Johnson where for many years Dr Kowalski worked as chief scientist, responsible for research and development for radiation sterilization. He has received numerous awards.
At the start of his career, he was a member of the original "AAMI Dose-Setting Working Group". He authored the protocols and reports for the Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III AAMI intercompany studies and his laboratory assembled the biological indicator- and dosimeter-seeded mock products used in the Phase I and Phase II studies. These results of these studies help laid the foundation for the development of the dose setting methods as we know them today.
As a user of the original dose setting methods with complex and costly single-use disposable medical devices, he realized the need for a safe and reliable method for the substantiation of 25kGy as a minimum sterilization dose that consumed fewer product items. Using the strategy of dose-setting Method 1, he developed a new approach, now termed Method VDmax. Working with AAMI WG2 and FDA staff, he led the development of AAMI TIR27 which codified the VDmax approach to substantiation of 25 kGy as a sterilization dose. He partnered with Professor Alan Tallentire on peer-reviewed publications on the concept, computer evaluations, and field evaluations of the VDmax approach.
Realizing that the VDmax approach was not limited to the substantiation of 25 kGy, he led the development of a second TIR, #33, that covered the substantiation of sterilization doses ranging from 15 to 35 kGy. An additional set of publications covered putting the VDmax approach into practice and its application to doses above and below 25 kGy. Along with his efforts on the AAMI TIR documents, he has supported the incorporation of the VDmax approach into the ISO 11137-2 document and the ISO13004 Technical Specification.
His current efforts center on the use of the VDmax for sterility assurance levels as an "aseptic processing equivalent dose" to further expand the use of ionizing radiation for drug/device combination products with relatively low maximum dose requirements. He has provided to industry numerous customized VDmax look-up tables for products with unique characteristics with respect to bioburden and/or maximum dose.
One of the great minds in this industry, "JBK" has the unique ability to balance the science, both theoretical and practical, and he is able to distil complex concepts into simple terms, always asking at the end of the day "are we doing the right thing for the patient".
(photo, Mr. David Liu, Dr. John B. Kolwaski, Mr. John Masefield)
Dr. Wang Chuanzhen, IMRP Laureate
Dr. Wang Chuanzhen is a tireless advocate in advancing the business of radiation processing in China and throughout Asia. He is an active promoter of international cooperation.
He graduated in 1963 from Shandon University with his engineering degree. His exemplary career includes: Beijing Organic Chemistry Industrial Company (1963-1972); Director, Professor, Beijing Institute of Nuclear Engineering (BINE); where he was responsible for the supply of 20 gamma irradiators (1972-1999) and onwards Vice president at the Beijing Sanqiangheli Radiation Engineering Technology Company (SQHL) where he is responsible supply of 34 gamma irradiators, and upgrade of safety systems for gamma and electron beam.
He was a member of the organizing committee for IMRP Beijing 1989. He has been involved in seven IMRP meetings since then sharing his expertise will all.
Wang Chuanzhen is the founder and General Manager of the Chinese Isotopes and Radiation Association (CIRA) and vice Chairman of the Radiation Processing Specialty Committee. Professor Wang has published 40 articles and written four books.
(photo: Mr. Yves Henon, Dr. Wang Chuanzhen, Mr. John Masefield)
Thank-you to our sponsors
A heartfelt thanks our IMRP sponsors and exhibitors for their support that enabled the registration fees to be set at a reasonable level and allowed us to organize a world-class IMRP conference.
Aérial CRT, ASTM International, Beijing SQHL Rad. Eng. Tech. Co, Best Theratronics, E-BEAM Services, Inc, Etigam bv, Far West Technology, Inc, Gammarad Italy, Gamma-Service Recycling GmbH, GETINGE LINAC Technologies. GEX Corporation, Harwell Dosimeters, IBA Industrial, Ionisos, Johnson & Johnson, Konnexis Inc., Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), NAMSA, NHV Corporation, Nordion, RCA Regional Office, REVISS Service (UK) Ltd, Sterigenics International Inc., STERIS Isomedix Services, Steritech Pty, Synergy Health (Isotron), The Panel on Gamma and Electron Irradiation and Tongxing (Beijing) Nuclear Technology Col, Ltd.
Organized in cooperation with the IAEA, International Atomic Energy Agency
We especially appreciated the support of Steve West, CEO of Nordion, who provided substantial funding, encouraged Richard Wien to participate on the Programme Committee, and invited IMRP delegates to tour the Canadian Irradiation Center on Monday and his very welcoming remarks. Nordion's sponsorship helped fund the spectacular gala farewell event.
Welcome Reception - Hockey Night in Canada
The ice -breaker welcome reception was unlike any other, featuring the 6th hockey game of the Stanley Cup final between Boston and Vancouver. Everyone came together to mingle, relax, connect with industry leaders and researchers; policy makers and scientists; Canucks fans, Bruins supporters.
It's important that even in this age of videoconferences and social networks we take the time to travel and meet each other face to face to develop valuable relationships, and professional ties that translate into collaborations that serve the best interests of our industry. Some delegates even learned about why we care about hockey and ice skating in the summer.
Gala Farewell Event - Celebrating Space Exploration
The gala evening started at the Montreal Science Centre- IMAX Theatre, with a private viewing of Space Station 3D in appreciation to irradiation's contribution to space exploration.
Next door the cocktail reception was held on the terraces of The Belvedere Room which offered our guests panoramic views of old Montreal, Port and St. Lawrence River. Guests then moved indoor to enjoy an exclusive dinner catered in a spectacular glass-enclosed room to watch the sunset and enjoy the magical nightlights of the city.
So, yes, it was wonderful to be together again. On behalf of all the organizers, I'd like to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone for coming and for making this edition of the IMRP such a success. But what I'm most thankful for is the spirit of unity, collegiality and partnership we've experienced in Montreal.
Read on...
Upcoming Events
7th International Conference on Isotopes, World Trade Center, Moscow, RUSSIA, 4-8 September 2011
MEDTECH China, Intex Centre, Shanghai, CHINA 7-8 September 2011
NUTECH-2011, International Conference on Development and Applications of Nuclear Technologies, Krakow, Poland 11-14 September 2011
IAEA International Conference on Safe and Secure Transport of Radioactive Material: The Next Fifty Years of Transport - Creating a Safe, Secure & Sustainable Framework, Vienna, AUSTRIA 17-21 October 2011
CIRMS, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA 17-20 October 2011
ASTM 7th International Workshop on Dosimetry for Radiation Processing, Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, San Diego, CA, USA 24-28 June 2012
Read on...
Contact us
We encourage your feedback and input as we give voice to the radiation processing industry as a whole. Please send your comments, press releases, committee reports, articles and other items of interest to Ruth Brinston, iiA Manager at rbrinston@iiaglobal.org. If you have any comments or suggestions to help us shape the direction of the industry, building for a strong future please contact Yves, John or myself.
Ruth Brinston, iiA Manager
Yves Henon, iiA Asia Pacific Representative
John Woolston, iiA European Representative
Thanks and we would love to hear from you.
iiA Board of Directors
Chairman:
Mr. John Masefield, Senior Advisor, STERIS Isomedix, USA
Directors:
Mr. Neil Bennett, Commercial Director, REVISS Services (UK) Ltd, United Kingdom
Mr. Arnold Herer, Director Irradiation Systems, IBA Industrial, Belgium
Dr. Eamonn Hoxey, Vice President, Regulatory Compliance, Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices & Diagonstices, United Kingdom
Dr. Byron Lambert, Sr. Assoc. Fellow, Sterilization Science, Abbott Vascular, USA
Mr. Scott McIntosh, Vice President, Operations, Nordion Inc., Canada
Mr. Dave Meyer, CEO, Sterigenics International Inc., USA
Mr. Paul Wynne, CEO Asia and Africa, Synergy Health plc (Isotron), United Kingdom
Read on...
Your feedback
Ruth, "I think that this meeting was the best one. It was better organized and better attended than any of the previous meetings. I offer you and your supporting committee members my congratulations for a good job, well done." Marsh Cleland
"Please excuse me for my impatience. I could hardly wait to see the IMRP 2011 photos. Such an expert job, superb finish after the perfect planning, start and organization of IMRP 2011. I am glad that I organized the 9th IMRP in Istanbul in 1994. I would not want to be in the shoes of the organizers of next IMRP, after having such an unequalled meeting in Montreal." Best regards, Olgun Guven
Survey results:
Total number of responses: 130
96.9% overall satisfaction
95.4% with conference facilities
92.3% with registration process
88.5% with networking opportunities
84.1% with opening plenary
83.6% with oral presentations
81.3% with poster presentations
76.8% with food provided
71.4% with Nordion CIC tour
70.5% with workshops
Are you likely to:
Participate in IMRP#17 84.8%
Recommend IMRP#17 87.9%
Quick Links...
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IAEA Website
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email: rbrinston@iiaglobal.org
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