Portable Device IDs radiation at/below background levels.
May 15, 2008 -
Since QCC allows subtraction of background in real-time (1 second down to 100 ms), SAM 940 systems are appropriately specified for short acquisitions down to 1 second or less. For RIIDs, 2 x 2 in. NaI detector lets user ID presence of Cs137 at less than 1 µrem/hr/sec. Also available, 3 x 3 in. NaI detector is capable of identifying Cs137 at 500 nrem/hr/sec. Stabilization is performed with K40, which will not interfere with detection or cause anomalies that produce false positives.
(Archive News Story - Products mentioned in this Archive News Story may or may not be available from the manufacturer.)
Original Press release
Berkeley Nucleonics Corp.
2955 Kerner Blvd.
San Rafael, CA, 94901
USA
SAM 940 Searching and Identifying Radiation at or Below Background Radiation Levels
Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation (BNC) has recently updated the SAM 940 to effectively detect and identify radiation 10 -20 times less than background radiation. Since the QCC allows subtraction of the background in real time (1 second down to 100 ms) the SAM 940 systems are more appropriately specified for short acquisitions down to 1 second or less. For the RIIDs a 2x2 inch NaI detector will allow the user to ID the presence of Cs137 at < 1 urem/hr/sec. The 3x3 inch NaI detector is capable of identifying Cs137 at 500nrem/hr/sec. This does not imply that an acquisition of 30 seconds or more is not necessary.
Stabilization is performed with K40. Unlike Cs137, K40 is NORM and needs no special documentation or DOT approval. It also does not interfere with the detection of Cs137 or cause anomalies that can produce false positives. The background subtraction of K40 is clean and unambiguous.
The end result of QCC allows radionuclides to be found at dose rates far below background levels (500 nrem/hr down to 100 nrem/hr in real time depending on the size of the detector). Since the inverse square law and background radiation can be detrimental in many applications BNC has been able to obtain excellent results with this technique.
To address the complexity and benefits of using the SAM Handheld Isotope Identifier instruments, our team of health physicists and first responder trainers offer a variety of support services.
From classroom exercises to onsite field testing, Berkeley Nucleonics has built an enhanced support architecture to give you application-specific solutions. BNC offers onsite and regional training programs, custom application development, and a robust reachback program that supports a range of radiation detection.
http://www.berkeleynucleonics.com/pro...
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