The globalization of nuclear technologies has increased the chance of exposure to radioisotopes in both military and civilian settings. OBEI has developed a novel chitosan compound capable of binding to radioisotopes. Our preliminary results have demonstrated that chitosan binds to insoluble and soluble cobalt, a surrogate element for radioactive cobalt-60. We developed a protocol to accurately and consistently contaminate a controlled area of skin, decontaminate the area with various chitosan formulations, and quantify their effectiveness in contaminant removal. Using this protocol, a variety of chitosan formulations were tested under static conditions. To increase contaminant removal, agitation methods with various textiles and brushes were also investigated. We have developed a robust assay to measure the removal of insoluble cobalt. Initial results on a scalded porcine skin model indicate that in combination with agitation with a textile, we can achieve up to 96% insoluble isotope removal.
The OBEI-HMC-KU Global Clinic Team will continue the development of the assay system and, ultimately, a product that will deliver chitosan to optimize removal of radioisotope after contamination. The team will work on assay development and testing, as well as product development and testing. The team will also address the following questions:
Intel wishes to investigate code analyses and source-to-source transformation for C++ that enable further analysis by other tools. C++ has a complex syntax and semantics, making it very challenging to develop reliable transformations. The Intel-HMC-Technion Global Clinic Team will:
