Authorised Indian Distributor
Saxsons Group
New Delhi, India · Since 1997
QA Reference SourcesNIST-Traceable Multi-Isotope Reference Standards
NIST-traceable QA reference sources sized for the standard reference-source workflow in a nuclear-medicine department — dose calibrator, well counter, PET system QC. Co-57, Co-60, Cs-137 and Ba-133 available individually or as a four-isotope reference set with full AERB import documentation.
Key Features
- NIST-traceable activity certificate supplied with every source — defensible at regulatory inspection
- Co-57, Co-60, Cs-137 and Ba-133 individually or as a four-isotope reference set
- Sized for the standard QA reference-source workflow — dose calibrator, well counter, PET system QC
- Sealed-source construction — long-term stable geometry, no liquid handling, no contamination path
- Spans 81 keV (Ba-133) to 1.332 MeV (Co-60) — full clinical photon-energy range covered
All Features
- NIST-traceable activity certificate supplied with every source — defensible at regulatory inspection
- Co-57, Co-60, Cs-137 and Ba-133 individually or as a four-isotope reference set
- Sized for the standard QA reference-source workflow — dose calibrator, well counter, PET system QC
- Sealed-source construction — long-term stable geometry, no liquid handling, no contamination path
- Spans 81 keV (Ba-133) to 1.332 MeV (Co-60) — full clinical photon-energy range covered
- Long-lived isotopes — multi-year service life from one source set
- AERB sealed-source import licensed; full registration documentation supplied
- End-of-life return handled by the Saxsons source return service
- Compatible with all dose calibrators using a standard reference-source geometry
- Suitable as the in-house NIST standard for inter-instrument cross-checking across multiple QA tools
Technical Specifications
| Isotopes available | Cobalt-57 (Co-57); Cobalt-60 (Co-60); Caesium-137 (Cs-137); Barium-133 (Ba-133) |
| Form | Individual sources or a four-isotope reference set |
| Half-lives | Co-57: 272 d · Co-60: 5.27 y · Cs-137: 30.1 y · Ba-133: 10.5 y |
| Energy coverage | Ba-133 81 keV → Co-60 1.173 / 1.332 MeV (full clinical span) |
| Calibration accuracy | ±5% (direct comparison to NIST standards) |
| Traceability | NIST (USA National Institute of Standards and Technology) |
| Documentation | Activity certificate, calibration date, NIST statement, AERB compliance paperwork |
| AERB classification | Sealed source — import licence and facility-registration documentation supplied |
| End-of-life | Source return service available — handled by Saxsons |
| Use across modalities | Dose calibrator constancy / accuracy · Well counter calibration · PET system reference checks |
Applications
The NIST-traceable reference behind every QA result in the nuclear-medicine department
Dose Calibrator QA Programme
Daily constancy, annual accuracy and linearity testing per AERB and AAPM. The four-isotope reference set covers the diagnostic and therapeutic energy span — one set serves an entire dose calibrator QA programme.
Well Counter Energy Calibration
Channel calibration of a sodium-iodide well counter using the four isotopes' distinct photon energies. Establishes the energy-channel mapping and counting efficiency curve required for quantitative well-counter assays.
PET System Reference Check
Co-57 and Cs-137 reference sources used for PET dose calibrator cross-checks and quantitative imaging QC where a long-lived reference of known activity is required.
Multi-Instrument Consistency
A single NIST-traceable reference set used across multiple QA instruments produces inter-instrument consistency — readings cross-check against a common standard rather than drifting independently.
NABH / JCI Accreditation Records
Accreditation standards expect documented QA against traceable references. The source certificate, in-house calibration log and decay records form the dossier accreditation inspectors look for.
New-Modality Acceptance Testing
When a new dose calibrator, well counter or PET system arrives, the existing reference-source set provides the immediate ground truth for acceptance testing against vendor specifications.
Why QA Reference Sources?
NIST traceability gives every QA reading an unbroken chain to the US national measurement standard. Defensible at AERB inspection, supports NABH accreditation, withstands regulatory challenge.
81 keV (Ba-133) through 1.332 MeV (Co-60) brackets every clinical photon energy used in nuclear medicine. One set, every isotope, no gaps in the QA energy coverage.
Long half-life isotopes and sealed-source construction deliver multi-year service from one set. No liquid handling, no contamination risk, no geometry drift — just repeatable reference measurements.
Catalogs & Resources
Manufacturer product page + Saxsons source return service. Contact Saxsons for set quotes, AERB licensing and replacement scheduling.
QA Reference Sources — manufacturer product page
Manufacturer page with isotope availability, certificate examples and the gated brochure form.
Source return service — Saxsons logistics page
Saxsons own-brand AERB-compliant source return and disposal service for end-of-life sealed sources.
QA Reference Sources
More for this product
Each card opens a focused post for a specific specialty — peer-reviewed evidence and clinical workflow, written for the persona you select.
FAQ
NIST-traceable QA reference sources — questions we hear from Indian nuclear-medicine teams
Which QC workflows depend on reference sources, why the four-isotope set covers the full energy curve, what NIST traceability documents at inspection, and how to buy the four-isotope set vs individual sources.
Q.What routine QC workflows in a nuclear-medicine department need a reference-source set?
Three: (1) dose calibrator daily constancy + quarterly linearity + annual accuracy per AAPM TG-181; (2) well counter energy calibration + efficiency verification for radionuclidic-purity checks; (3) PET scanner QC calibration per NEMA NU-2. All three read back against NIST-traceable reference sources of known activity. A department without a proper reference-source set is running quality control on trust — the QC records lack the traceable reference the AERB inspection expects.
Q.Why are Co-57, Co-60, Cs-137 and Ba-133 the workhorse four?
Together they cover the full clinical energy range: Co-57 (122 keV — Tc-99m proxy), Co-60 (1.17 / 1.33 MeV — high-energy), Cs-137 (662 keV — mid-to-high energy including PET 511 keV region), Ba-133 (multiple peaks 81 / 356 / 383 keV — multi-energy cross-check). The set defines the accuracy curve across the full spectrum the department actually measures.
Q.What does NIST traceability actually document?
A NIST-traceable source ships with a certificate that chains its activity value back to the US National Institute of Standards and Technology primary standard through documented measurement transfers. Every measurement made against that source is defensible at AERB inspection and at any external audit — the reference is anchored to the primary metrological standard, not to a manufacturer's in-house measurement.
Q.Can the reference sources be ordered individually or only as a set?
Both. Departments running a full multi-isotope QC programme typically pick the four-isotope set for the accuracy-curve coverage. Departments doing only a specific workflow (e.g. Tc-99m-only SPECT-only) can pick the individual isotope needed — Co-57 alone for the Tc-99m proxy, for example.
Q.How are the reference sources supplied and licensed in India?
Distributed across India by Saxsons Group as sealed radioactive sources under AERB sealed-source import licensing. Each source ships with the NIST-traceable activity certificate, calibration date, source-form documentation and end-of-life return-and-disposal support.
QA Reference Sources supplier in India — Saxsons Group
Saxsons Group has supplied nuclear medicine equipment to over 1,000 Indian hospitals since 1988. Every consignment of QA Reference Sources ships with cold-chain logistics, AERB import documentation, CDSCO registration references and a Certificate of Analysis delivered before dispatch — the paperwork your radiation-safety and procurement teams need, pre-assembled.
- Nationwide delivery footprint — every metro and tier-2 city in India, scheduled to your treatment / procedure calendar.
- AERB & CDSCO documentation — import licence, radiation-safety paperwork and RSO briefing pre-assembled for the audit file.
- 40+ years in Indian oncology — long-standing supply relationships with AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and hundreds of tertiary-care centres.
- Single point of accountability — one purchase order, one delivery contact, one after-sales team across the whole product family.
Also supplied by Saxsons Group across India
Anchor your nuclear-medicine QA programme on a NIST-traceable reference set
Contact Saxsons Group for QA reference source pricing, four-isotope set configuration, AERB sealed-source import licensing documentation and end-of-life return logistics across India.