X-Ray Designed for Life Science: Rad Source Technologies
How important is safety when you’re engineering new products?
The safety of our employees, customers, and the end user of our products is the utmost importance at Rad Source. Our FDA -cleared RS 3400•Q uses our patented Quastar emitter technology and we use the same safety and manufacturing guidelines in all our products even if the products are not required to follow the same stringent FDA Guidelines.
What are some new innovations you are using in your products?
Rad Source has developed and patented the world’s best light-wave emitting technology designed specifically for life science applications and we are constantly working with our partners to provide access to this magnificent life-changing technology.
Any new innovations/technology you are working on that you can tell our readers about?
In addition to our new cannabis decontamination system (the RS 420•XL), we are also developing food safety and viral inactivation solutions. Rad Source is constantly finding new life-science applications for our patented Quastar technology.
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What are some steps your company has taken to improve its environmental responsibility?
Rad Source’s photonic (light) emitters are not single use but can be rebuilt, which in turn means we recycle the majority of the units as they age out, as many of the parts in our units are reusable.
Rad Source’s RS 420•Q
What are your top-3 selling products right now?
RS 3400•Q (FDA Approved for blood applications), RS 420•Q and RS 420•XL which are used in the cannabis industry.
Why should consumers or corporations choose your company over the competition?
Simply put, we are the only microbial decontamination system that can reduce the microbe load on a product to 99.9 percent non-detectable without effecting the cannabinoids, terpenes, moisture, or look and feel of the product.
Microbial contamination is a major problem within the industry, and no one is immune to its wrath. The questions is how to mitigate the risks they pose?
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Rad Sources’ mission is to provide “Peace-of-Mind Microbial Decontamination” which means that our customers will not need to worry about passing state-mandated microbial testing. Our superior and proven Quastar technology that is built into our 420 Series of cannabis decontamination systems is the best available and our customers have a 99.9 percent confidence rate that they will pass state-mandated microbial testing. Ask our customers, they agree, Rad Source provides the best cannabis decontamination system available.
What do your customers expect from Rad Source?
They expect three things:
1. Test Assured, Rest Assured: Quastar Photonic Decontamination technology provides a 99.9 percent confidence level in remediation of mold, powdery mildew, aspergillus, BTGN, Yeast, Salmonella, E. coli, Coliform, and other challenging microbes. Rad Source’s proprietary and patented technology penetrates the whole flower and inactivates the growth of the microbes by breaking their DNA which stops the microbes from reproducing.
2. Flower Integrity Maintained: Photonic decontamination is a room-temperature microbial inactivation process which results in nominal to zero effect on cannabinoids, terpenes, potency, and moisture. Science matters, technology matters. A technology that performs well in the food industry as an example, doesn’t necessarily mean it will work well on cannabis. We are also the only process that allows the product to be processed in a sealed bag or packaging that eliminates recontamination post processing.
3. Premium Decontamination, Earned Trust: Quastar is the cannabis industry’s premium onsite microbe inactivation technology platform and Rad Source has more than 24 years covering multiple markets and more than 700 medical and research institutions worldwide. We offer the best overall value in cannabis decontamination. We use the same patented technology used in our FDA-cleared instrumentation. We offer experience you can trust.
Rad Source’s RS 420•XL
Do you have any expansion plans?
Yes, we are growing very rapidly in many areas of life sciences such as food safety.
The cannabis industry is our fastest growing segment because our technology matches the industry’s need for effective microbial remediation.
What are you doing to retain staff?
At Rad Source, we recognize that our staff is why we have been so successful over the last 20+ years. We share stories of our customer’s successes and how their hard work is helping others while making the world safer. Our employees know we are making a difference. Our team’s commitment is to build the best world’s best technology and application-based solutions available in the markets we serve.
What challenges have you encountered in marketing your products? How have you overcome them?
Our biggest challenge is the misconception about our technology, whether from not fully understanding the science behind it or the misconceptions generated by the competition.
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Let’s start with Microbes.
According to the National Institute of Health, “Microbes are tiny living things that are found all around us and are too small to be seen by the naked eye. They live in water, soil, and in the air. The human body is home to millions of these microbes too, also called microorganisms. Some microbes make us sick; others are important for our health. The most common types are bacteria, viruses, and fungi. There are also microbes called protozoa. These are tiny living things that are responsible for diseases such as toxoplasmosis and malaria.”
How do the different decontamination technologies work?
Ozone (and other chemical-based decontamination) is a surface technology, meaning it only works on what it touches. If it can’t enter a “tight compacted flower” as an example, it can’t reach the microbes on the inside (imagine blowing smoke at a clinched fist, the tighter the clinch, the less penetration of the gas). Breaking open the flower for testing exposes the untreated inside of the flower and microbes that are still growing. In addition to not being able to penetrate to the center of the flower, ozone is an oxidizer that strips terpenes from the flower while changing the flowers color from green to brown.
Another technology is Radio Frequency (RF). This technology is similar to a microwave oven where it uses moisture to generate heat by oscillating water molecules. If moisture in the flower lot is uneven, it can result in hot spots when processing which will damage the flower and could start the decarboxylation process from THC to THCA.
Photonic Decontamination (PD) is a process that uses photons (light) to penetrate the whole flower and inactivate the microbe by breaking the DNA. With no ability to grow, the microbes are unable to repopulate with no further ability to contaminate the product. The only way for the microbes to repopulate the flower is through cross-contamination and re-introduction from another source. A process that does not happen with PD as the processing bags remain sealed during process and up to the point when the samples are pulled for testing.
Read also: Tips for Preventing Mold Growth in the Grow Room
How are you keeping pace in such a fast-moving industry?
We spend a lot of time actively participating in the industry — visiting growers, talking with growers and doing market research to keep up with the industry trends and most importantly the regulations and their impact on the industry. Our 420 Series of Cannabis Decontamination Systems are designed specifically for cannabis microbial decontamination applications.
Describe your company culture?
The best way to describe the company is a “team”. I have been in a lot of organizations over the years and Rad Source is growing rapidly with a great management team and an excellent vision for the future.
What are your thoughts on the future of this industry?
I think the future of the industry will be fascinating to watch. We expect to be full participants and leading the way for cannabis decontamination going forward. We have the best technology in the world, the scientific experience, and technology that works with 99.99 percent confidence and our customers are thrilled with the results! We will keep working to align ourselves with the needs of the industry so that they will continue to trust us as the only technology that produces the results they are looking to achieve.
Anything else you’d like to say about Rad Source?
Rad Source is fully committed to the cannabis market. We also know that the challenges of microbial infestation aren’t going away. We believe in the industry; we know our technology works better than anything else available and we will not stop in our efforts to support the industry with the world’s best cannabis decontamination equipment. Ours systems work, it’s that simple.
If I was a grower, investor, or cannabis company owner, I would look no further than Rad Source. Imagine passing all your test for microbials. With Rad Source, there truly is “Peace of Mind Cannabis Testing”.
