AM-801 Portal Monitor Collapsible and portable

For Radiation Detection

This portal monitor features a full color VGA touch screen. Plastic scintillation detectors cover four quadrants of the human body. Gamma and higher energy beta is detectable. Alarm rate is adjustable, but this portal monitor will detect a Cs-137 source as low as one micro curie. The electronics are all digital, microprocessor controlled. This portal monitor fits into a hard case; the entire package weighs approximately 100 lbs. The case is easily moved via casters and handle. The portal monitor is assembled without tools in less than ten minutes. The portal monitor is user-friendly and requires minimal training. The user has the option of an AC or DC power source. A quick response time of 100 milliseconds allows 500 persons to be processed per hour. An optional vehicle monitor kit is available for this portal monitor.

AM-801 Portal Monitor Specifications

General: Radiation detection for personnel
Setup: No tools required, approximately ten minutes
Display: Full color VGA, Touch sensitive screen. Full color graphics indicate: Normal operation, Errors, and Alarms. All operating parameters: Detector CPS, High Voltage, Set points available on operator screen.
Sensitivity:  Meets FEMA sensitivity requirements of less than 1 uCi Cs-137 source during walk through
Processing Rate: Approximately 500 persons per hour
Detectors: Four Plastic Scintillation detectors, 36” L x 3” W x 1.5” D, placed in four quadrants of the body
Scintillators: W/PMT Detector,  162 cubic inches, each detector is 648 cubic inches
Operating modes and data entry: Walk/Drive-through or timed count. System Constantly measures background and automatically subtracts from each measurement.
Audible commands and alarms: System is pre-programmed with appropriate commands to coincide with operations (i.e. Wait, System not Ready, Ready, Too Fast, See Operator). Commands can be configured.
Person and/or Vehicle Sensor and Counter: Optical sensors automatically sense person or vehicle from entering counting area. Counter automatically counts number of persons or vehicles per day, shift, etc and saves count and time/date of vehicles exceeding alarm set points.
Range: 0-100,000 CPS
Printer/PC Output: RS-232, 9 PIN Connector
Relay Output: Optional dry contact can be configured to operate within alarm set points. Display graphics indicate alarm by changing color of parameter that is alarming.
Diagnostics: HV Out of Range, Battery Low, Detector out of Range, Incomplete Count, Background Fault
Range Adjustment: Auto-ranging system automatically and continuously measures background until vehicle sensor starts analyzer program.
Response Time: 100 milliseconds
Drift: LESS THAN 5%
High Voltage: 300 vdc — 1500 vdc ±1% Regulation
Environmental: -4°F (-20° C) 140°F (60° C),  5-95% RH
Dimensions: Inside portal: 72” High  X 36”Width, Outside Portal: 84” High X 42” Width
Power: 120 –250 VAC and backup of "D" size alkaline batteries, 8 hours nominal operation
Weight: Portal Monitor weighs 75 lbs
Construction: Aluminum and Stainless Steel
Vehicle Monitoring Kit: Includes all materials and shipping case necessary to separate detectors a maximum of ten feet.

AM-801 Radiation Portal Monitor.................$11,495 + shipping

Radiation Portal Monitor Notes

Radiation Portal Monitor are utilizied for both personel and vehicles. Radiation Portal Monitors are passive radiation detection devices used for the screening of vehicles or other cross-border vectors. Fear of terrorist attacks with radiological weapons spurred Radiation Portal Monitors deployment for cargo scanning since 9-11.

1 Detected radiation
2 Technology
2.1 PVT (gamma ray detection)
2.2 NaI(Tl) (gamma ray detection)
2.3 HPGe (gamma ray detection)
2.4 3He (thermal neutron detection)
3 Radiological threats
3.1 Radiological dispersal devices
3.2 Improvised nuclear devices
4 Alarms
5 Deployment
6 References
Detected radiation

RPMs are designed to detect ionizing radiation sufficiently penetrating to escape from a container. In most cases gamma radiation is detected, in some cases complemented by neutron detection when sensitivity for nuclear material is desired.
Technology

PVT (gamma ray detection)
First generation RPMs often rely on PVT scintillators for gamma counting. They provide very little information on energy of detected photons, and as a result, they were criticized for their inability to distinguish gammas originating from nuclear sources from gammas originating from a large variety of benign cargo types that naturally emit radioactivity, including bananas, cat litter, granite, porcelain, stoneware, etc.[1] Those Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials, called NORMs account for 99% of nuisance alarms.[2]
NaI(Tl) (gamma ray detection)
In attempt to reduce the high nuisance alarm rates of first generation RPMs, the Advanced Spectroscopic Portal (ASP) program was called into life. Some of the portal monitors evaluated for this purposes are based on NaI(Tl) scintillating crystals. These devices, having better energy resolution than PVT, were supposed to reduce nuisance alarm rates by distinguishing threats from benign sources on the basis of the detected gamma radiation spectra. ASPs based on NaI(Tl) had a cost several times that of first generation RPMs. To date, NaI(Tl) based ASPs have not been able to demonstrate significantly better performance than PVT based RPMs.[3]
HPGe (gamma ray detection)
In the scope of the ASP program, high purity germanium (HPGe) based portal monitors were evaluated. HPGe, having significantly better energy resolution than NaI(Tl), allows rather precise measurement of the isotopes contributing to gamma ray spectra. However, due to very high costs and major constraints such as cryo-cooling requirements, US government support for HPGe based portal monitors was dropped.
3He (thermal neutron detection)
RPMs geared for interception of nuclear threats usually incorporate a neutron detection technology. The vast majority of all neutron detectors deployed in RPMs to date relies on He-3 tubes surrounded by neutron moderators. Since the end of 2009, the global He-3 supply crisis [4] however has made this technology unavailable. The search for alternative technologies has not yielded satisfactory results.
[edit]Radiological threats

RPMs are deployed with the aim to intercept radiological threats as well as to deter malicious groups from deploying such threats.
[edit]Radiological dispersal devices
Radiological dispersal devices (RDDs) are weapons of mass disruption rather than weapons of mass destruction. "Dirty bombs" are examples of RDDs. As the name suggests, an RDD aims at dispersing radioactive material over an area, causing high cleanup costs, psychological, and economic damage. Nevertheless, direct human losses caused by RDDs are low and not attributed to the radiological aspect. RDDs are easily fabricated and components readily obtainable. RDDs can are comparatively easy to detect with RPMs due to their high level of radioactivity. RDDs emit gamma radiation as well as sometimes, depending on what isotopes are used, neutrons.
[edit]Improvised nuclear devices
Improvised nuclear devices (INDs) and nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction. They are difficult to acquire, manufacture, refurbish, and handle. While INDs can be constructed to emit only low amounts of radiation making them difficult to detect with RPMs, all INDs emit some amounts of gamma and neutron radiation.
[edit]Alarms

Gamma radiation as well as neutron radiation can cause RPMs to trigger an alarm procedure. Alarms caused by statistical fluctuations of detection rates are referred to as false alarms. Alarms caused by benign radioactive sources are referred to as nuisance alarms. Common causes of nuisance alarms include naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), technically enhanced NORM (TENORM), and medical isotopes.
[edit]Deployment

This article relates primarily to RPMs deployed for screening trucks at ports of entry. Increasingly efforts are being made to deploy similar measures to all cross border vectors including
Pedestrian radiation portal monitoring
Air freight radiation portal monitoring
Crane based radiation portal monitoring
Air luggage radiation portal monitoring
Postal package radiation portal monitoring
Railway radiation portal monitoring
RPMs are also deployed at civilian and military nuclear facilities to prevent theft of radiological materials. Steel mills often use RPMs to screen incoming scrap metal to avoid radioactive sources illegally disposed in this way. Garbage incineration plants often monitor incoming material to avoid contamination.