User-specific applications

Our developments in software and hardware for specific measurements on nuclear spectrometry or unusual counter applications were initiated by our customers. We have solid know-how in nuclear measurements and experience in applications of nuclear methods, so we do understand your needs and we can convert your ideas into the best functional hardware system.
Some of our customer-specific developments are:

• Systems providing automatic supervision of facilities, tanks or tubings for certain radionuclides. The systems provide continuous measurement; spectra are analyzed in pre-defined time intervals and the content of the nuclide under investigation is determined. Simultaneous supervision of several nuclides is possible.
  The most important application of such systems is in the supervision of waste decay systems in radiological and nuclear medicine clinics.
• The segmented gamma-ray scanner (SGS) is a facility to quantify the contents of a closed barrel which rotates in front of a HPGe detector. The detector registers the spectrum of activities in the barrel as well as radiation from a Se-75 sample which radiates through the whole barrel. The Se-data serve for the determination of the absorber thickness in the barrel. The facility was used to determine the content of Uranium as well as Plutonium isotopes in the sealed barrels.
• The whole-body counter software (GKZ) serves for operation of a whole body counter consisting of four big NaI(Tl) detectors and one HPGe detector. After simultaneous measurement with all five detectors the scintillator spectra are normalized to each other and spectra are added to yield a single spectrum for analysis. The HPGe spectrum serves for the identification of low-intensity nuclides.
• Using a special version of the ALPS software for high-precision analysis of alpha-particle spectra one can separate isotopes Pu-239 and Pu-240 which were measured simultaneously in one high-resolution spectrum.
• Algorithms in the ALPS software for high-precision analysis of alpha particle spectra are developed so that the physical occurences in interactions of alphas with matter are considered. This leads to a quite complicated peak-shape description. The advantage of a more complicated fit function lies in the possibility to analyze and fit spectra that were measured from thick samples. The physics-oriented description allows analysis of spectra from samples that were produced without chemical element separation and production of massless samples (Alpha-spectrometry without chemistry!).
• Technical developments in multi-channel analyzers, detectors and computers have opened up the very interesting field of portable gamma-ray spectrometry where one can measure with a resolution of 20 keV (FWHM at 662 keV) for over 5 hours in the field and analyse the spectra.
• In a proprietary development the release of radioactivity from rods in a reactor core is measured during revision works without removal of the rods from the core. The system serves to detect broken casings, finds the location and quantifies the damage.
• Latest commercial units allow time-of-flight measurement with multi-stop capability having time resolution of 100 ps.
• Small collimating semiconductor detectors are used to determine the absolute activity and the homogeneity of activity distribution of P-32 on cardiac stents. These quality control measurements are required to enable application of stents in patient’s heart.
• In collaboration with our developer of electronic units a counter-system was developed for very fast measurement of material thickness over several orders of magnitude and under tough environmental conditions.
• In collaboration with our developer of electronic units an amplifier was developed for counting and spectrometry of neutrons from fissionable material. Signals are to be transfered over large distances.
• We offer training and education for all topics of nuclear spectrometry, nuclear measurements, nuclear electronics, dosimetry and data analysis; courses can be held in our office or in customer’s premises.

When ever you wish to have consultation on measurement and interpretation of nuclear data: call, FAX or write. We are your competent partner.