A 225 kV cabinet irradiator you own outright: the NDT systems house we represent against Precision X-Ray X-RAD, Xstrahl CIX3 and Rad Source RS 2000.
Three Western vendors dominate biological irradiation, and each one is honest about being built for the life-science lab. A research establishment that also needs radiation-hardness testing, dosimeter calibration and materials work needs one cabinet that spans physics and biology, supplied and serviced by a single accountable team.
This is a working laboratory instrument, not a demonstrator. Our principal builds cabinet X-ray irradiators that install in a standard room without a bunker, certified against AERB safety guidelines with leakage below 0.1 mR/hr, and used for radiation-hardness testing of electronics, detector and dosimeter calibration, materials studies and biological research. The catalogue figures quoted here are the delivered specification.
Side by side
| Attribute | Represented by UnstratX-ray irradiator | Precision X-Ray (PXi)X-RAD 225XL biological irradiator1United States | XstrahlCIX3 cabinet X-ray irradiator2United Kingdom | Rad Source TechnologiesRS 2000 (RS 2000 Q2) biological irradiator3United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What the vendor positions the cabinet for123All three published pages frame the cabinet as a life-science instrument. Our catalogue frames the same hardware across physics and biology, which changes who inside a research establishment can share it. | Radiation-hardness testing, detector and dosimeter calibration, materials studies and biological research in one cabinet | Small-animal irradiation and targeted preclinical studies; described as a system for large cell cultures and small animal models | In vitro and in vivo biological research; positioned as a lower-cost, safer alternative to radioisotope irradiators | Small-animal, stem-cell and cancer research; positioned as a direct replacement for Cesium-137 gamma irradiators |
| Nominal energy123The RS 2000 kV rating is stated only in the downloadable brochure, which we did not treat as a verified source, so it is left as Not published. | Up to 225 kV | 225 kV (X-RAD 225 family; the 225XL is the extended-chamber model) | 320 kV (stated on the CIX3 product page) | Not published on the vendor product page |
| Maximum tube power123 | 4,500 W | Not published on the vendor product page | Not published on the vendor product page | Not published on the vendor product page |
| Dose output stated by the vendor123Rad Source states dose per tooling configuration rather than a single figure, so it reads higher unfiltered but lower with an animal in place. Comparing dose rate only works when the source distance and filtration are matched. | 12 Gy/min and above unfiltered, 6 Gy/min and above filtered, at 225 kV and 30 cm source-to-sample distance | Not published on the vendor product page | Not published on the vendor product page | Up to more than 17 Gy/min unfiltered and 5 to 10 Gy/min filtered for cells; about 1.2 Gy/min for small animals with RADPlus tooling |
| Focal spot123 | 1.2 mm / 5.5 mm to EN 12543 | Not published on the vendor product page | Not published on the vendor product page | Not published on the vendor product page |
| Sample handling123 | Programmable motorised shelf, adjustable collimator with coincident light field, interchangeable beam-conditioning filters | Motorised turntable and adjustable programmable specimen shelf, automated or fixed collimators, integrated filter recognition, full-screen real-time specimen viewing | Programmable and automatic dose delivery through the software interface; optional SmART-RAD dose-calculation software | Multi-level manually adjustable shelf with concentric field guides and configurable filters, including the Thoraeus filter or custom materials |
| Dosimetry123 | Optional internal dosimeter for exact dose measurement and control | Optional dose measurement and control, external dosimeter and daily automated dose QA listed as options | Optional SmART-RAD dose-calculation software; internal dosimeter not stated on the product page | Not published as an integrated dosimeter on the product page |
| Chamber and footprint123 | 600 x 420 x 430 mm stainless steel chamber with adjustable shelf; cabinet footprint not published | Chamber described as the largest internal X-ray chamber in the range; dimensions not stated on the product page | Chamber dimensions not published on the vendor product page | Equipment envelope 109.2 x 91.4 x 190.5 cm, weight about 1,247 kg; internal chamber dimensions not stated on the product page |
| Shielding and leakage123 | Steel-lead-steel cabinet, certified leakage below 0.1 mR/hr, installs in a standard laboratory without a bunker | Self-contained, no radioactive source; leakage figure not stated on the product page | Self-contained enclosure combining chamber and electronics; leakage figure not stated on the product page | Self-shielded, no radioactive source; stated to meet 21 CFR 1020.40 and to need no Nuclear Regulatory Commission licence; leakage figure not stated on the product page |
| Power and services123 | 220 VAC plus or minus 10%, 50/60 Hz, single phase | Not published on the vendor product page | Not published on the vendor product page | 104 to 120 V single phase, 50/60 Hz, 20 A; onboard cooling with no external water or drain connection required (an internal tank uses about 31 gallons of distilled water) |
| Energy range across the product family123 | Custom irradiator designs from 20 to 450 kV with chambers of any size | 160, 225 and 320 kV models in the X-RAD range (X-RAD 160, 225, 320) | CIX Series of self-contained cabinet irradiators; the CIX3 is the 320 kV model | Not published as an energy range on the product page |
| Origin and support consent123US and UK irradiators reach many countries with export conditions attached to the licence rather than the brochure. Radiation sources sit high on control lists. | Independent, non-aligned origin; supplied and supported by one accountable team | Not addressed on the vendor product page | Not addressed on the vendor product page | Not addressed on the vendor product page |
Competitor values are quoted from the vendor documents listed under Sources, as published on the date shown. Configurations vary, so treat every row as a starting point for the evaluation rather than a like-for-like test result.
What the table means
Three excellent biology cabinets, and a different requirement.
Precision X-Ray, Xstrahl and Rad Source have spent two decades refining X-ray irradiation for the life-science lab, and they say so plainly: small-animal work, cell cultures, cancer and immunology studies. Rad Source even sells against Cesium-137 replacement under the US federal programme that funds it. If the job is purely preclinical biology, any of the three is a safe choice with a long citation record. The requirement here is broader. A research establishment that qualifies electronics for radiation hardness, calibrates its own detectors and dosimeters, and runs materials and biology studies wants one cabinet that all of those groups can book, on the same control software and the same safety case.
Compare dose the way physicists compare it: at a stated distance and filtration.
Rad Source publishes the most numbers, and read casually they look higher: more than 17 Gy per minute unfiltered for cells. But that figure is at the cell shelf with no animal and no filter, while the small-animal number with RADPlus tooling is about 1.2 Gy per minute, matched deliberately to a gamma source. Our catalogue states 12 Gy per minute and above unfiltered and 6 Gy per minute and above filtered, both at 225 kV and 30 cm. Precision X-Ray and Xstrahl keep their dose figures in the brochure rather than the web page, so we have marked those Not published rather than guess. The lesson for a buyer is to insist on dose at a fixed source distance and a named filter before ranking anything.
The self-shielded cabinet is table stakes; the supply line is not.
Every vendor here has solved the same first problem: an electronic X-ray source with no radioactive material, self-shielded, installable without a vault. Rad Source states 21 CFR 1020.40 compliance and no NRC licence; we state AERB certification and leakage below 0.1 mR/hr. That parity is real and worth acknowledging. What differs is where the instrument, the spares and the calibration come from. A US or UK irradiator arrives with the vendor's national export conditions, and a radiation source is exactly the kind of item those conditions cover. Our answer is an independent, non-aligned origin with the cabinet, the software and the service from one team.
Questions buyers ask
What is a good alternative to Precision X-Ray X-RAD or Rad Source RS 2000 for a lab that needs both biology and radiation-hardness testing?
The X-RAD and RS 2000 families are built and marketed for biological irradiation, and they are strong at it. If you also need to qualify electronics for radiation hardness and calibrate detectors and dosimeters, look for a cabinet positioned across physics and biology from the start. Our principal supplies a 225 kV, 4,500 W self-shielded cabinet with 12 Gy per minute and above unfiltered at 30 cm, a programmable motorised shelf, an adjustable collimator with coincident light field and an optional internal dosimeter, so one instrument serves several groups.
How does the Xstrahl CIX3 compare with your cabinet irradiator?
The CIX3 is a 320 kV self-contained cabinet aimed at in vitro and in vivo research, with programmable software dose delivery and optional SmART-RAD dose calculation, so its published energy is higher than our 225 kV. Xstrahl keeps its dose rate, chamber and power figures in the brochure rather than the web page, so a like-for-like comparison needs those numbers at a matched source distance. Where we differ is scope and origin: our cabinet is specified for calibration and radiation-hardness work as well as biology, and it ships from an independent, non-aligned supplier.
Do I need a shielded room or bunker to install one of these irradiators?
No, and this is common to the whole category. All four cabinets use an electronic X-ray source with no radioactive material and are self-shielded for a standard laboratory. Ours is a steel-lead-steel cabinet certified against AERB guidelines with leakage below 0.1 mR/hr. Rad Source states compliance with 21 CFR 1020.40 and that no US Nuclear Regulatory Commission licence is required. Confirm the leakage figure and the national regulatory basis for your own jurisdiction before ordering.
Is this irradiator a fielded product or a research prototype?
Fielded. It is a delivered laboratory instrument, certified against AERB safety guidelines, used for radiation-hardness testing, detector and dosimeter calibration, materials studies and biological research. The figures quoted, 225 kV, 4,500 W and 12 Gy per minute and above unfiltered at 30 cm, are the catalogue specification, not a target.
Why does the country of origin matter for a cabinet irradiator?
Because an X-ray irradiation source sits high on export control lists, and the conditions travel with the licence, not the brochure. That affects who can service the tube, how fast a spare arrives and whether an upgrade needs re-approval. None of the three Western vendor pages addresses export consent, and they do not have to. An independent, non-aligned supplier keeps the instrument, the software and the support inside your own consent regime.
Can the same supplier build a higher or lower energy irradiator if my study needs it?
Yes. Beyond the 225 kV cabinet, our principal builds custom irradiator designs from 20 to 450 kV with chambers of any size. Precision X-Ray offers 160, 225 and 320 kV models across the X-RAD range and Xstrahl's CIX Series includes the 320 kV CIX3, so the category as a whole spans a wide energy band. State your dose, energy and chamber-size requirement and ask each vendor to quote against it rather than against a stock model.
Sources
- 1. Precision X-Ray (PXi), XRad225 | X-Ray Irradiation | Imaging (X-RAD 225XL product page)Retrieved: 2026-08-15 · HTML product page. Numeric dose, power and chamber figures are in the downloadable brochure, which was not treated as a verified source, so those rows read Not published.
- 2. Xstrahl, CIX3 Irradiator: Dose Delivery for In-Vivo & In-Vitro Research (product page)Retrieved: 2026-08-15 · HTML product page. States 320 kV self-contained cabinet and optional SmART-RAD software; dose, chamber and power figures are in the brochure PDF, not treated as a verified source.
- 3. Rad Source Technologies, RS 2000 Small Animal Irradiator (RS 2000 Q2 product page)Retrieved: 2026-08-15 · HTML product page. Dose rates, dimensions, weight and electrical figures are stated on the page; kV rating is in the brochure PDF, not treated as a verified source.