Apr 4 2016
Zecotek Photonics Inc., a developer of leading-edge photonics technologies for industrial, healthcare and scientific markets, is pleased to announce that it has received preliminary orders for its patented Lutetium Fine Silicate (LFS) scintillation crystals from major OEMs developing radiation monitoring and detection devices.
The LFS crystals will be tested in devices used in homeland security and border protection and safety, specifically border security, land crossings, airports, harbours and strategic government buildings.
"Our LFS scintillation crystals are once again being considered as an important component in the radiation detection market due to their superior attributes," said Dr. A.F. Zerrouk, Chairman, President, and CEO of Zecotek Photonics Inc. "LFS crystals are ideal at detecting small amounts of radiation due to their unique combination of characteristics: high energy resolution, low background noise, high light yield and short decay time. We are working with our strategic partners to capture this meaningful opportunity, and expect the requirement for LFS crystals to grow substantially."
World events such as the Fukushima disaster, growing security threats worldwide, increased security budgets of port authorities, the aviation industry, sporting events, and the growing threat of nuclear terrorism have contributed to the significant growth of the overall radiation safety market. Experts have published that the market for instruments specifically designed to measure radiation is estimated to grow to US$3.5 billion by 2022.
A scintillation detection system consists of scintillation crystals, photo detectors, an electric signal and processing electronics. The systems can be made quite large and are widely used in radiation detection, assay of radioactive materials and physics research because they can be made inexpensively with good quantum efficiency. Furthermore, the device can measure both the intensity and the energy of incident radiation. The scintillation crystals generate photons (light) in response to incident radiation. A sensitive photo detector converts the light to an electrical signal.
Zecotek's LFS scintillation crystals are ideal for the application of radiation detection because they have higher spectroscopic resolution and a decay constant that is 10 times faster and more accurate than competing crystals. Zecotek is working closely with OEMs to develop detection devices for various application and with its strategic partnerships it is ready to handle any sudden increase in crystals production.