As one more feather in its cap, Mangalore University has introduced ‘blood irradiator or low dose irradiator’ in its Centre for Application of Radioisotopes and Radiation Technology (CARRT).
G. Ganesh, Chief Executive, Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT) will commission it on Saturday.
According to H.M. Somashekarappa, in-charge, CARRT, the equipment costing Rs. 50 lakh has been sponsored by the Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences (BRNS).
He said the equipment would be used for research purpose in biological sciences.
In addition, the university would offer its services to medical colleges, blood banks and hospitals by charging nominal fee.
Transfusion risk
Mr. Somashekarappa said that according to doctors, blood transfusion involved the risk of inviting Transfusion Associated Graft-Versus-Host Disease (TA-GVHD).
It is a rare but almost universally accepted fatal complication of transfusion. Blood irradiated using the blood irradiator avoided this risk.
“Presently, the only method accepted to prevent TA-GVHD is the irradiation of blood and its components by ionizing radiation before transfusion. Ionising radiation eliminates the functional and proliferative capacities of T-lymphocytes (blood cell) leaving other blood components functional and viable,” he said.
Doctors say that blood transfusion complications arise when infusing blood to a newborn, cancer patients, during organ transplantation and while transfusing the blood of members of the same family. The current practice is to use only irradiated blood and its components for such patients.
Workshop today
He said in view of the importance of blood irradiation and to highlight the need for blood irradiation for safe transfusion, a workshop would be conducted in the university on Saturday. Experts from BRIT and other institutes would be the resource persons.
A.K. Kohli, former Chief Executive, BRIT and president, National Association for Applications of Radioisotopes and Radiation in Industry, will inaugurate the workshop.
K. Byrappa, Vice-Chancellor of Mangalore University will preside over the inaugural function.
The equipment is sponsored by Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences
The irradiator, costing Rs. 50 lakh, will be used for research in biological sciences
