Swiss spin-off looks to develop radiation detector

Switzerland’s Venture 2006 Awards last week gave the coveted first prize for the “Business of Tomorrow” to Arktis Radiation Detectors, a start-up company which is a spin off from ETH-Zürich. The company has devised a new generation of detection equipment that could help prevent countries from closing down ports for fear of terrorism.

Arktis is now seeking investment and possible partnerships to take their technology to a commercial level.

“There is a lot of fear, particularly in the US but also in Europe and Japan, of terrorism through radioactive dispersal devices,” said Rico Chandra, a member of the company’s Arktis research team. “Our new technology improves on the current methods of screening containers for radioactive materials.”

Current technology has a number of shortcomings. One is that it is still possible to package radioactive material in such a way as to shield it from detection. Another problem is the number of false alarms, with 4 per cent of all containers screened setting off a false alarm. Although not as sinister as the possibility of failing to detect a radioactive dispersal device, such alarms cause huge problems and delays at ports as containers may have to be unloaded, unpacked and then reloaded.

Innocuous but mildly radioactive goods, such as porcelain, cat litter and even bananas, if packed in large enough quantities, can produce these false alarms.

“Commerce via sea could come to a halt if a terrorist attack by this method succeeded, especially in the US, where we could see ports shut down unless there is reliable screening,” said Chandra.

The company is keeping the details of the technology behind their new detector under wraps, but Chandra says that it has two major advantages. Firstly, it measures the spectrum as well as the amount of radioactivity. This means that it can detect what type of material is emitting radiation. Secondly, unlike current detectors, it is sensitive to neutron radiation emitted by nuclear devices. Most currently used devices detect only gamma radiation.

Arktis is in the process of developing a scaled-up version of its device to be used for commercial purposes. Sales could begin as early as the beginning of 2008.