Custom ATOM® Phantoms to Represent
Astronauts on Historic Uncrewed Mission
MELBOURNE, Fla., Aug. 25,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sun Nuclear, a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Mirion Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: MIR) ("Mirion"),
today announced its ATOM® Phantom product line will play a
vital role in the first of a series of NASA missions aimed at
enabling human exploration to the Moon and Mars. The uncrewed
Artemis I mission, scheduled for launch on August 29th, will serve as the first
integrated test of NASA's deep space exploration systems, including
the Orion spacecraft. Two custom, anthropomorphic ATOM Phantoms
will ride as "passengers" aboard the Orion, to assist in measuring
potential radiation exposure to astronauts.
ATOM Phantoms are designed and produced by CIRS, now part of Sun
Nuclear, a global leader in Quality Management solutions for
Radiation Therapy and Diagnostic Imaging. The phantoms –
constructed of materials that mimic human tissue, bone, and organs
– are used globally by hospitals, cancer centers and research
institutions to provide a physical representation of patient
anatomy for measuring radiation dose in cancer treatment and
imaging procedures.
The full CIRS ATOM Phantom line consists of models representing
a newborn, 1-year-old, 5-year-old, 10-year-old, adult male, and
adult female. For the Artemis I mission, two female-bodied torso
models were selected, as there are an increasing number of female
astronauts – and women typically experience greater sensitivity to
space radiation. Furthermore, a stated goal of the Artemis program
is to send the first woman astronaut to walk on the surface of the
Moon.
Following a CIRS tradition when shipping ATOM Phantoms to
customers worldwide, the space-bound phantoms were given names –
Helga and Zohar. While both will be equipped with radiation
detectors, only Zohar will wear a radiation protection vest to
better understand the radiation levels that may be encountered in
space and how effective the vest is for mitigating solar particle
events (SPE) exposure.
While Sun Nuclear and CIRS
produce the ATOM Phantoms, the effort to prepare Helga and Zohar
for the mission has been an international effort. The German
Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR)
is conducting the Matroshka AstroRad Radiation Experiment (MARE) in
collaboration with the Israel Space Agency (ISA) and industry
partner StemRad, as well as Lockheed Martin and NASA. In addition,
universities and research institutions from nine countries have
participated in the experiment.
"Mirion Technologies has a long history of our products being
used in space, from dosimeters in the International Space Station
to various spectroscopy instruments in exploration robots and
satellites," says Thomas Logan, CEO
of Mirion Technologies. "With the historic Artemis I mission and
its inclusion of ATOM Phantoms, CIRS and Sun Nuclear continue the
longstanding engagement of Mirion to make space exploration safer,
and to support interplanetary scientific voyages."
References:
https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-i-press-kit/
https://www.dlr.de/content/en/articles/news/2018/4/20181115_helga-zohar-radiation-exposure.html
https://www.dlr.de/me/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-14114/
About Sun Nuclear
Sun Nuclear and CIRS are part of Mirion Medical, a group of
healthcare-focused brands within Mirion Technologies (NYSE:
MIR). We provide innovative solutions for Radiation Therapy
and Diagnostic Imaging centers. More than 5,000 cancer centers
worldwide rely on us for independent, integrated Quality
Management. With a focus on ongoing support, Sun Nuclear aims to
ease technology adoption, enhance workflows and improve outcomes –
so that healthcare providers can achieve real results for Patient
Safety. Visit us: sunnuclear.com and cirsinc.com. Follow us:
@sunnuclear.
Contacts
For investor
inquiries:
Jerry Estes
ir@mirion.com
For media inquiries:
Matthew
Maddox
mmaddox@mirion.com
Sun Nuclear, CIRS, and ATOM are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Mirion Technologies, Inc. and/or its affiliates in
the United States and/or other
countries.
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SOURCE Sun Nuclear Corporation