W5170124C0160

Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) Phase II

Wide Range Gamma Monitor-Nuclear Survivable

The Geiger-M ller Tube (GMT) has many favorable attributes which have led to its use in a wide variety of radiation detection devices over the course of almost a century, including low cost of manufacturing, simple electronics interface and immunity to initial nuclear effects. However, GMTs are fragile and few vendors currently produce GMTs. Solid state alternatives such as scintillator- or semiconductor-based detectors cannot cover the same wide range of dose rates that GMTs can. To help fill this technology gap, Spectral Labs has been developing an alternative detector solution which is entirely solid-state, leveraging modern solid-state photodetectors and crystalline scintillator material. The concept relies on detecting light from the scintillator crystal to quantify the radiation field using multiple optical sensors to cover a wide range of light output, and thus a wide range of gamma dose rates. The Phase I program focused developing a version capable of surviving on the nuclear battlefield, the Wide Range Gamma Monitor - Nuclear Survivable (WRGM-NS). Both nuclear survivability and dosimetry performance of WRGM-NS prototypes were successfully demonstrated in Phase I. Spectral Labs will further optimize and finalize the design, with focus on transitioning the technology to lower cost and enhance manufacturability in Phase II.

The goal of phase II is to continue the R&D efforts initiated in Phase I. Funding is based on the results achieved in Phase I and the scientific and technical merit and commercial potential of the project proposed in Phase II.

A234-006

A234-006-0445

23.4

Chad Mckee