It is interesting: without radiation, there would not be life on earth. With too much, like water or salt, the balance of life and death is precariously close. Four years after Fukushima1 was hit with a huge earthquake and resulting tsunami that caused a nuclear meltdown at the local power plant, the public is still unable to return to normalcy. Personal radiation detectors like X-Z LAB’s RadPavise | Personal Radiation Detector (PRD) are able to help first responders and safety officers in situations in Japan. Not only are they able to detect the presence of radiation like traditional analog detectors do, but they also
Read More
Seven Trends in Medical Radiation Detection
Market research company NanoMarkets identified seven emerging trends in medical radiation detection. According to NanoMarkets, two-thirds of the market for radiation detection equipment is comprised of the medical and healthcare sector. Although this sector has a lower growth rate than others in the market, its sheer size makes it the market’s main revenue generator. NanoMarkets projects that growth within the sector will be primarily for X-ray and neutron systems, as the use of gamma ray imaging systems is on the decline in radiography. Below is a summary of the seven trends: Smaller, portable devices Devices aim for universality, or mobility
Read More
YSO and SiPM Radiation Detection Advantages
YSO and SiPM Radiation Detection Advantages 1. Introduction 1.1 An Introduction to the Scintillation Detector A gamma ray interacting with a scintillator produces a pulse of light, which is converted to an electric pulse by a photon sensor. Scintillation detectors are one of the oldest and most widely used means of radiation detection and measurement. 1.2 Comparison with Other Radiation Detectors High detection efficiency for different types of radiation Capability to measure energy spectra Very good timing High counting rate capabilities Great variety in size and constitution 2. Definition A scintillator is a material which produces visible light when ionizing radiation interacts with it, a process known as fluorescence.
Read More
SiPM versus PMT
Why does X-Z LAB use SiPM instead of PMT in our radiation detectors? Similar to a photomultiplier tube (PMT), a silicon photomultiplier chip (SiPM) provides high-gain and a fast response when detecting radiation. In other words, you can see more clearly and at a higher resolution—and the results come back much quicker. Unlike PMT, SiPM is far more compact and it uses a much lower voltage in the instrument. SiPM is more rugged and can operate in strong magnetic fields and environmental extremes, such as extreme humidity, heat, and cold. By using SiPM in X-Z LAB products, the radiation detectors themselves are much
Read More
Difference Between Survey Meters, Geiger Counters and Dosimeters
Meters and dosimeters have separate roles in indicating the presence of hazardous radiation levels and are critical life-saving tools in nuclear emergencies. Survey Meters The following instruments measure exposure rate or the intensity of radiation at a location at some point in time: survey meters, field survey meters, rate meters, radiac meters, radiation detection meters, low-range meters, high-range meters, airborne meters, fallout meters, remote monitors, Geiger counters, and even dose rate meters. Like the speedometer of a car shows miles/hr, they all show measurements relative to time, such as R/hr or mR/hr. If you enter a radioactive area and your
Read More