EVOLUTION OF A HAND-HELD DEVICE FOR HOMELAND SECURITY PURPOSES

ABSTRACT

Over the course of the last two and a half years, Canberra has designed and launched a Hand-Held Radioisotope Identification Device (HHRIID) called InSpector 1000 for use in many fields. The primary requirements (usability, reliability, portability) were taken into account with the intent of addressing the specific needs of field health physics applications. In an effort to address the growing need of Homeland Security type applications for specialized instrumentation, Canberra has already made several improvements to the original design and a further effort to “ruggedize” the instrument for harsh environments is underway. This paper describes Canberra’s development activities of the “Ruggedized” InSpector 1000 to date and the results obtained with the prototypes so far.

INTRODUCTION

Many of the current handheld radionuclide identification devices were originally designed to meet the 1989 version of ANSI standard N42.17A¹. It was expedient to use them in Homeland Security applications because they were available. Canberra’s InSpector 1000 was originally designed to meet the same standard as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommendation for HHRIID. In 2003, ANSI published a new standard, ANSI N42.34² specifying the performance requirements for radionuclide identifying devices used in Homeland Security. The release of this standard has led to the commencement of new initiatives to modify existing radionuclide identification devices to comply with its specifications.

In addition to the specific performance requirements defined in this new standard, the new generation of HHRIIDs for Homeland Security applications must be generally capable of operating in harsh weather conditions, against wind and temperature, and against rough handling. These harsh environments include: screening cargo and pedestrian traffic at sea, air and rail terminals across the world; monitoring access to key government and economic infrastructure nodes; surveying suspected “hot spots” of terrorist activity even in the most hostile areas; and responding to emergencies and managing the consequences of radiological events. Emergency response situations may include exposure to disaster conditions, including intense heat, radiation, pressure, and possible hostilities.

The new ANSI standard provides guidance as well as an incentive to create and adapt existing devices for use in Homeland Security applications. In response, Canberra Industries started several developments to enhance the Inspector 1000’s performance. Before embarking on a new ruggedized enclosure design, two new probes have been defined; a stabilized gamma probe and a neutron probe, both backward compatible with the existing instrument. This paper describes our progress in ruggedizing the InSpector 1000 towards further application in the Homeland Security arena.