Description
The Mirion FoodScreen Radiological Food Screening System is a complete, transportable food analyzer for quickly determining whether raw or processed food has become contaminated from a radiological event. A sample is placed into the shield, a count is initiated and a final report is generated. The report lists activity or minimum detectible activity concentrations found in the sample for the key nuclides of interest for food products: Iodine-131, Cesium-134 and Cesium-137. Based on nuclidespecific limits pre-determined by the system manager, the report will also state whether the sample is "Clean" or "Above Limit". Above limit samples may need to be investigated further in a higher resolution detector system such as the Mirion FoodSpec™ Radiological Food Analysis System.
The FoodScreen system includes a 2 x 2 in. NaI(Tl) detector (optionally temperature stabilized), 7F7 Mobile FoodScreen Shield, a NORM* KCl calibration check source, Osprey® Universal Digital MCA Tube Base, industry-standard Genie spectroscopy algorithms and the Genie-FoodPro application software to streamline and simplify counting operations.
Systems are provided pre-calibrated for a variety of sample types including: water, seawater, dairy products, vegetation, grains, meat, eggs, fish, baby food, etc. Of course, the samples may be raw materials directly from the field or processed foods from a factory, export/import dock, warehouse or retail store. A wide range of sample containers is supported to accommodate both raw and canned foods.
Two different models are available: FoodScreen and FoodScreen-Plus systems. The only difference between the two models is the detector. The FoodScreen system includes a standard 2 x 2 in. NaI(Tl) detector, while the FoodScreen-Plus system incorporates a patented** NAIS-2x2™ LED temperature-stabilized 2 x 2 in. NaI(Tl) detector. Sodium Iodide detectors tend to drift with changes in temperature, causing their spectra to broaden and making the detected nuclides more difficult to identify and quantify. Therefore, the FoodScreen-Plus system is optimized for use in non-air-conditioned rooms as well as field applications.
* NORM - Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material
** US Patent 7,005,646 B1 and 7,049,598 B1