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Radiation Monitoring

Accurate, Real-Time Monitoring of Radiation Threats:
A New State-of-the-Art Solution

Introduction
The detection of radioactive materials is of fundamental importance in order to identify radiation threats that are a danger to the public. True readiness for radiation threats requires closing the loop that connects technology, systems, and people. New solutions are emerging that enable remote monitoring of any type of sensor or detector. These new solutions have worldwide applications and allow systems to communicate with conventional radiation detectors and/or any type of industrial hygiene, gas, water or process detector/sensor, typically used in industry. The new ViewPoint complete radiation monitoring system from Thermo Fisher Scientific enables real-time radiation detection.

Real-Time Remote Monitoring
Radiation threats are becoming increasingly common in the Middle East, especially with regards to the safeguarding of public gatherings, as well as of centers of industry like oil refineries and gas plants. It is becoming increasingly evident that real safety relies on a comprehensive system for monitoring radiation and hazardous environmental conditions.

Traditionally, systems operate on low-end solutions unable to cope with large volumes of data. Newer real-time remote monitoring systems, such as the Thermo Scientific ViewPoint system, provide an integrated, real-time monitoring system, designed to provide early warning if a hazardous condition develops. There is a critical need for robust, open and scalable monitoring systems to deal with the challenges of today and in the future.

Radiation Detection Technology
The ViewPoint system uses a multi-tiered approach for communications between field sensors and base locations. A command center centrally processes and analyzes all instrument and detector information, providing the user with the capability to tie together all of the remote sensors and route the input. The system provides users with the ability to integrate detectors from Thermo Fisher as well as third-party vendors.

Where radiation threats must be instantly assessed and located to protect the major assets of critical sites in the Middle East, multiple sensors and instruments can be networked with the ViewPoint system to create unique detection capabilities for radiation and particulate monitoring, Users can employ radiation detection appliances, which can provide wide area radiological background trending of a specific site. A Thermo Scientific TPM 903B (Transportable Portal Monitor) can provide personnel screening at an event to detect any potentially threatening radioactive materials. Users can also detect levels of both artificial and natural gamma counts with a Mobile Portal Monitoring System (MPMS) combining the FHT671 gamma Natural Background Refection (NBR) and FHT641 neutron (Thermo Fisher Scientific) probes.

Handheld instruments exist which allow users to identify threats following any radiation detection. Portable spectroscopic devices (such as the Thermo Scientific Interceptor GiD, RadEye PRD and ADR air concentrator detector) can be used to locate the source and the isotope of the detected radioactive material.

Key Benefits
While many devices can effectively measure radiation in the environment, not all provide a robust platform which can centralize instruments, deliver real-time, two-way transmission capabilities and offer maximum flexibility in data management.

The ViewPoint system represents the future for radiation assessment. It has been used in global situations for asset and threat identification, including in hospitals and political gatherings. An example of a landmark use of the new technology saw a police task force utilize the ViewPoint complete radiation monitoring system to manage and monitor the radiation threats at a recent Political Party Conference. This application demonstrates the highly successful developments that are being made in deploying radiation detection equipment and presents new solutions for wider applications globally.

Implementation
The event required a flexible but dependable system that could provide precise radiological detection in real time at multiple sites throughout the venue. Equally important was that every detector be connected into a central hub where radiation warnings could be immediately assessed and located.

Detection appliances were used to equip a Thermo Scientific survey vehicle for a remote vehicle search site (RVSS) to screen vehicles entering the conference and provide wide area radiological background trending. The survey vehicle, outfitted with gamma and neutron probes, an ADR air concentrator detector, a GID spectroscopy personal radiation detector (SPRD) and a RadEye PRD, also drove predetermined routes twice daily monitoring radiation levels and comparing them with previous background radiation surveys.

Findings
The centralized communication network allowed the real time transmission of data to be sent to both the Police Headquarters and to the RVSS via the ViewPoint system. The system, operated with Windows NT/2000/XP, not only produced real time dose readings but also GPS data that enabled police officers and Thermo Fisher personnel to specify the exact location of a radiological event.

Following the installation of the TPM, power was supplied to ensure uninterrupted operation of the portal. Performance and calibration of all detectors was checked using a C-137 button source of <1uci. Reachback was achieved at both the RVSS and the Police HQ. A graph model registering the background count was used to help spot any activation of the TPM. With regards to the mobile surveys, there were some alarming events recorded which were proven non-hazardous.

Benefits Achieved
Overall, this pioneering implementation offered numerous benefits and can be considered as a leap forward in radiation monitoring. The Thermo Scientific ViewPoint system is very easy to use and provides sophisticated, real-time people and environment graphing/trending. As this is achieved in both normal and outage operations, the system is suitable for a wide range of applications including the nuclear power industry and industrial, civil defence and security applications.

Charlie Eggar, Superintendent of the police force and Commander Silver for the security at the Political Party Conference, explains: "This year, as a test and trial of the systems available, the force deployed a radiation detection system supplied by Thermo Fisher Scientific. The system was easy to use and provided a high degree of confidence. The Thermo Fisher Scientific team fitted in very well with the CBRN operation and had the expertise to keep the systems working reliably.”

Summary
Radiation threats in the Middle East can be monitored using the Thermo Scientific Viewpoint system. The ViewPoint system enables increased efficiency and optimization of operational management by integrating personnel, area, and process monitoring for radiation data into a single application. The Thermo Scientific detection system is useful for other applications where radiation threats must be instantly assessed and located to protect the major assets of critical sites: hospitals, nuclear power plants, industrial plants, governmental properties and other large facilities involving multiple access points or thousands of visitors and on-site personnel.

This trial has been a worthwhile project demonstrating the application of the system for real time personnel dosimetry and data management, area monitoring, integrated remote monitoring, instrument management, first responder environmental monitoring and site process monitoring, with the ability for worldwide applications.

Thermo Scientific is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is the world leader in serving science, enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. With annual revenues of $10 billion, we have more than 30,000 employees and serve over 350,000 customers within pharmaceutical and biotech companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions and government agencies, as well as environmental and industrial process control settings. Serving customers through two premier brands, Thermo Scientific and Fisher Scientific, we help solve analytical challenges from routine testing to complex research and discovery. Thermo Scientific offers customers a complete range of high-end analytical instruments as well as laboratory equipment, software, services, consumables and reagents to enable integrated laboratory workflow solutions. Fisher Scientific provides a complete portfolio of laboratory equipment, chemicals, supplies and services used in healthcare, scientific research, safety and education. Together, we offer the most convenient purchasing options to customers and continuously advance our technologies to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, enhance value for customers and fuel growth for shareholders and employees alike. Visit www.thermofisher.com.