AMETEK INTRODUCES THE ORTEC® DETECTIVE-EX— THE WORLD'S MOST ADVANCED PORTABLE RADIATION IDENTIFIER

Hand-held Device Offers Superb Sensitivity and Selectivity; Identifies and Alerts without Expert Intervention

OAK RIDGE, TN-The ORTEC® business unit of AMETEK Advanced Measurement Technology has introduced the latest addition to ORTEC Detective family of nuclide identifiers—the Detective-EX.
Recent experience has shown that 90% of the innocent alarms at airports are due to medical isotopes in the bodies of travelers, while in cargo freight the major problem is natural radiation sources.

The ORTEC Detective-EX and its earlier version, the ORTEC Detective, can resolve such situations without expert intervention, allowing unimpeded flow of passengers and commercial traffic, while intercepting illicit trafficking of nuclear material.

The hand-held Detective and Detective-EX offer superb sensitivity and selectivity by incorporating a high-purity germanium (HPGe), ultrahigh-resolution gamma ray detector that allows positive identification of gamma-emitting radioactive materials without expert intervention.
Low-resolution detectors may possibly miss nuclear material, such as plutonium, while intermediate-resolution detectors are impractical because of their inadequate size and efficiency. Room-temperature detectors, such as Nal- and CZT-type detectors, are unable to provide the rapid, reliable and clear results of a high-resolution (HPGe) device, such as the Detective and Detective-EX.

The ORTEC Detective-EX adds neutron detection ability to the functionality of the Detective. Both instruments represent technological breakthroughs by reducing the size, weight and power needs of a ultrahigh-resolution detector as well as eliminating the need for liquid cryogenic cooling for the HPGe detector itself. For the first time, this radiation detector technology is available in a lightweight, battery-powered device that can be either permanently mounted or fully portable.
These high-performance systems were designed for use at border crossings, cargo ship docks, and transportation terminals to detect and differentiate between potentially dangerous radioactive materials and otherwise harmless radiation sources. Both devices feature a miniaturized refrigeration system produced by Hymatic Engineering Ltd. that eliminates the need for liquid nitrogen cooling of the internal HPGe detector.

The use of HPGe gamma-ray detector means that a very high degree of certainty as to the constituents of a radioactive source, or even a mixture of sources, can be determined quickly. The addition of 3He neutron detectors in the Detective-EX means that the associated spontaneous emission of neutrons by "fissile� nuclear materials (uranium and plutonium) can be detected even when heavy metal shielding is used to suppress the gamma rays.
The Detective-EX has a large, easy-to-read LCD display. Additional features include an internal computer with a full-function touch screen that allows for remote data transmission, real-time search and isotope identification, and removable data storage.

The Detective-EX is always ready to go straight from its docking station. It draws power from a variety of sources and, once cooled to operating temperatures, requires little power to sustain it. Its internal batteries have an operation life of more than three hours. An optional battery belt can be used to extend that operating life without limit. An automobile adaptor is supplied to provide charging while in transit.

The Detective-EX is supplied pre-calibrated from the factory. Its advanced electronics and detector are extremely stable. An automatic calibration check ensures that the results are always dependable.
ORTEC has more than 40 years of experience in the design and manufacture of highly sensitive radiation detectors that are used by government and industrial laboratories, nuclear facilities and medical research and in nuclear safeguards.

ORTEC is a business unit of AMETEK Advanced Measurement Technology, which also includes Princeton Applied Research, a leader in high-precision electrochemical analysis instrumentation, and Signal Recovery Products used to measure low-level or contaminated electrical signals.