AgriLife Research advances medical device sterilization breakthrough
Partnership with the US Department of Energy promotes eBeam use as a safer public health alternative.
The National Center for Electron Beam Research at Texas A&M University and the National Nuclear Security Administration will promote eBeam in the sterilization of medical devices.
Texas A&M University is a recognized leader in healthcare innovations that result in a better, safer world for all. Toward that end, the university’s National Center for Electron Beam Research and the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) are working together to promote the use of electron beam, or eBeam, in the sterilization of medical devices.
The eBeam center, part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, has played a leading role in advancing eBeam technology as an alternative to high-activity radioactive sources such as cobalt-60. The NNSA Office of Radiological Security (ORS) is working with Texas A&M to accelerate eBeam adoption across the medical device sterilization sector to better protect the health and safety of the American people.
Medical device sterilization is foundational to public health … NNSA’s partnership with Texas A&M to advance eBeam technology for this purpose advances U.S. industry, prevents infection and ensures the safety of our communities.
“The benefit of eBeam in these scenarios is that it can sterilize medical devices faster than traditional gamma irradiation while bypassing the risks of managing those materials,” said Dr. Suresh Pillai, director of the eBeam center.
With ORS support, AgriLife Research and the eBeam center are conducting feasibility studies and providing domestic and international partners with outreach and educational materials to promote the adoption and use of eBeam technology worldwide.
“Medical device sterilization is foundational to public health,” said Christine Bent, assistant deputy administrator for global material security at the U.S. Department of Energy. “NNSA’s partnership with Texas A&M to advance eBeam technology for this purpose advances U.S. industry, prevents infection and ensures the safety of our communities.”
The eBeam center and ORS are also working together in support of Team Nablo, a collaboration among 20 international organizations and 11 medical device manufacturers. The mission is to bridge the information gap for stakeholders considering a switch from traditional radioisotopic sterilization methods to alternative technologies.
“This partnership unites ORS’s outreach with the eBeam center’s research excellence, promoting transformative solutions that safeguard medicine and public health,” Pillai said. “We are proud to bolster ORS’s critical mission to strengthen national security.”
This collaboration is another example of how Texas A&M, with its collective might and expertise, stands ready to lead others in being a powerful force for good.
