Sensors & Electronics
Awards & Recognition
FLC Awards
The Fiber Optic Neutron and Gamma Ray sensor is a unique radiation sensor comprised of lightweight, flexible glass fibers that provides
portable, real-time measurements of neutrons and gamma rays.
1999 - Fiber-Optic Neutron and Gamma Ray Sensor
Developers: Mary Bliss, Ron Brodzinski, Ned Wogman, Debra Barnett, Dick Craig
This creative and innovative team created, recognized the potential of, and then successfully commercialized a new kind of radiation sensor that uses glass fibers to detect the presence of radionuclides. Early in its development stages, they saw the potential of the Fiber Optic Neutron and Gamma Ray sensor as a nuclear weapons deterrent, for environmental cleanup, and as a valuable tool in nuclear medicine. The team faced substantial obstacles to commercialization-from resistance by commercial vendors who were reluctant to embrace such an innovative technology-to a foreign licensee and cumbersome processes of patenting and licensing. They overcame these obstacles in record time and obtained a license agreement with Tennelec/Nucleus, Inc., (formerly Oxford Instruments), one of the world's largest manufacturers of detection technology, within 1 year of obtaining a patent.
The innovative use of glass fibers is a breakthrough in the field of radiation detectors (most neutron sensors use inflexible helium-filled tubes). Glass fibers are much more flexible than conventional sensor technologies; for example, the fibers can be wrapped around a drum to assay its contents or installed in an asphalt road to detect the transport of nuclear materials. In medicine, the sensor can be used with boron neutron capture therapy, a promising method for treating cancer patients. The sensor can monitor real-time dose to provide the exact dose prescribed and prevent overexposure to radiation. One of the biggest potential applications for the new sensor is monitoring plutonium in spent fuel rods-the PNNL/Tennelec team demonstrated their technology to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is evaluating technologies for this application worldwide. Tennelec has estimated that they will sell 1 million meters of fibers this year.
Excerpted from PNNL FLC webpage.
Selected Links to Related Information:
- Related Examples (Same Project)
- Related Websites
- Radionuclide Aerosol Sampler/Analyzer (RASA) - 1998 R&D 100 Award Winner
