Toshiba® Portable Gamma Camera Detects Radiation Hot Spots

Toshiba has developed the Portable Gamma Camera that easily detects radiation hotspots.

Japan had seen the worst nuclear meltdown at the Fukishima Daiichi nuclear power plant as an aftermath of earthquake and tsunami. This has led to the increased recorded radiation levels in many parts of Japan. In order to check the areas affected by radiation, Toshiba has developed a new Portable Gamma Camera that can easily detect radiation hot spots.

The Portable Gamma Camera measures 380 x 110 x 241 mm and weighs about 9.8 kg. It has a view angle of 60 degrees and can operate for three hours on battery.

The camera works by combining the gamma ray data measured by 128 semiconductor detection sensors equipped inside the device. An image taken by its camcorder shows the level of radiation on the screen in contrasting colors. Red color represents high levels of radiation, while yellow, green, and blue colors stand for low levels of radiation.

The technology used in this camera is highly effective in detecting radiation over wide areas. The color display screen makes the scanning much faster and easier to detect hot spots as compared to the other detection devices. The camera can also detect a hot spot with a relatively low dose rate of 0.1µ per hour.

The device will be field tested in collaboration with Fukushima City within December. Toshiba will begin its promotion to the central bureaucracy and local governments in Japan from early 2012.