At 4:45PM on November 21, 2012 the Radiation Safety Officer of the Southern
Ohio Medical Center (OH license number 02120 74 0002) located in Portsmouth, OH called the
Ohio Department of Health Bureau of Radiation Protection to make a telephone notification of a potential defect with a Nucletron microselectron
HDR unit (SN 10281) containing 7.02 Ci of
Iridium-192.
The following event telephone report was made in accordance with OAC 3701:1-38-23(b)(2) (equivalent to NRC 10 CFR Part 21.xx).
The nature of the defect was that prior to initiation of a patient treatment today, the computer console error code indicated a communication problem between the computer console and the HDR unit. The software indicated that the computer system needed to be rebooted which the licensee did. Upon restarting the computer it indicated a delivered treatment time of 24.6 seconds without the licensee initiating the treatment. The licensee did not see the radiation monitor light up, and entered and surveyed the room and patient with a handheld survey instrument. The licensee does not believe that the source left the shielded position.
The licensee was able to complete the treatment fraction as planned, which was fraction number ten of ten fractions of 390 seconds. This did not result in a medical event.
The Radiation Safety Officer notified their management and the manufacturer.
Ohio Event Report Number: 2012-033.