Design and Operation Specifications of an Electron Microbeam System for Investigating Cellular Radiation Effect

Abstract

A new electron microbeam irradiation system is under development at the Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS). This system is to be utilized for observing the cellular response to low-dose radiation impact by irradiating individual cells in vitro in micron precision with a low current of electrons. Even though the basic scheme this system follows is similar to that of the charged-particle microbeam irradiation system, there are additional difficulties in terms of controlling the electron path and maintaining the low current of electron beam stable. In this paper, we describe the design specifications of our electron microbeam irradiation system. Special considerations were given to the vacuum window design. The operation parameters and the choices of parametric values are also provided along with simulation data.