UV radiation dose in real time with a cryogenic SiPM using Monte Carlo-Geant4 simulation

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Radiation Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Current liquid nitrogen sterilization lacks validated methods for UV radiation dose calculation.
• Quality control regulations require precise monitoring of sterilization processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a real-time method for calculating UV radiation dose in liquid nitrogen.
• To enable compliance with quality control regulations for LN2 sterilization.
• To validate the effectiveness of UV sterilization for eliminating microorganisms.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Geant4 simulation software for UV radiation transport modeling.
• Employed cryogenic Silicon PhotoMultipliers (SiPM) for in-situ radiation detection within liquid nitrogen.
• Identified the zone of minimum UV radiation within the LN2 container.

Main Results:

• Successfully simulated UV radiation dose distribution in liquid nitrogen.
• Estimated radiation dose using a cryogenic SiPM positioned in the minimum radiation zone.
• Demonstrated a method for real-time UV dose monitoring.

Conclusions:

• The developed simulation and detection method allows for accurate UV radiation dose calculation during LN2 sterilization.
• Real-time monitoring with cryogenic SiPMs in the minimum radiation zone can certify the absence of microorganisms.
• This approach addresses a critical gap in quality control for LN2-based sterilization processes.