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BULLETIN REGARDING GAMMAMED HDR UNITS
- To: osp-announcements@nrc.gov
- Subject: BULLETIN REGARDING GAMMAMED HDR UNITS
- From: James Myers <JHM@nrc.gov>
- Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 11:44:47 -0400
- Cc: BGU@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, CHM@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, DMS4@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, FCC@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, FCS@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, GDS@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, GXD@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, JHM@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, JWH1@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, KJK@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, KPH@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, KXS@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, LAB@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, LJR2@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, NDB2@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, PHL@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, PML@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, RLB@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, ROV@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, SCD@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, SNS@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, SWM@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, TJO@nrcsmtp.nrc.gov, radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
** High Priority **
Subscribers,
Theratronics International Limited has issued a "User Bulletin" to GammaMed customers as a result of four recent incidents involving source cable separation. The bulletin has been sent to GammaMed 12i and 12it high dose rate afterloader users and to the radiation control programs in the Agreement States. The bulletin describing Theratronics recommendations to users and actions being taken to remedy the situation is now posted at the OSP web site's "What's New" area.
NRC is contacting NRC licensees and has requested states contact their licensees to gather information to the following questions.
1) Has the licensee received the MDS Nordion Bulletin GMUB 99-01?
2) Does the licensee plan to continue using the affected units?
3) If the answer is yes to question 2, what additional safety precautions does the licensee intend to take, if any?
4) Has MDS Nordion, or their distributor/contractor contacted the licensee and arranged for a date to exchange the wire/source assembly? If so, when will this occur?
NRC is not ordering its licensees to stop use of the units. The NRC position is that the possiblity of a source wire failure should be balanced against the medical need for treatment.
The Agreement State of Massachusetts is working closely with the source manufacturer, CIS-US, to identify the cause of the source wire failure.
If you have any questions please contact Richard Blanton at RLB@NRC.GOV or Jim Myers at JHM@NRC.GOV .
!
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