Ecotest - Model RKG-14 VIRTUOSO -Multipurpose Environment Activity Radiometer

VIRTUOSO is a compact-size device for a comprehensive radiological examination of the environment, food, soil, construction materials, mineral raw materials, housing, etc.

Thanks to the use of brand-new technology, you can now control cesium radioisotopes and naturally occurring radioactive materials not only in specialized laboratories but at home without the help of professional radiologists.

VIRTUOSO performs measurement by simply putting it to the object, or even by holding the instrument in your hands in a certain place that you want to check for contamination. Thus, the item and its packaging remain undamaged.

• Detects ¹³⁷Cs, ¹³⁴Cs and measures the specific and volume activities of ⁴⁰K, ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th
  
• Works with Android smartphones and tablets via Bluetooth
  
• Does not require special containers for samples

• Detection of ¹³⁷Cs and ¹³⁴Cs cesium radioisotopes (hereinafter -radiocesium) in food and objects of the environment;
• Evaluation of the detected radiocesium content in the quantities of specific, volume and surface activity;
• Control of the level of background radiation in the environment, including assessment of radiocesium radiation level as the value of ambient dose equivalent rate purely from radiocesium as the part of natural background;
• Measurement of specific and volume activities of naturally occurring radioactive materials ⁴⁰K, ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th (hereinafter NORM) in the objects of the environment.
• Track recording with measuring points referenced to geographical coordinates.

• Portable, practical
  
• Quickly checks radiation purity of soil, construction materials, mineral raw materials, wood, housing, vehicles, and such food as baby food, water, milk, meat, fish, eggs, fresh vegetables, fruit, grain, cereals, dried foods, dried herbs (tea)
  
• Requires no special training of the user, operates in the interactive mode
  
• Does not require sampling – measurement is done by putting the device to the tested object (material, product, soil, etc.), or by holding it over the studied surfaces
  
• Requires no special preparation of the food sample (the product remains inside its packaging)
  
• Requires no special protection
  
• Ingress protection rating IP54

• information about the status of the detector, dosimetric and spectrometric data which is transferred via Bluetooth from Virtuoso detecting unit to a smartphone or a tablet (Android-based);
• display of gamma radiation dose rate and amplitude gamma spectrum in graphical view;
• detection of cesium isotopes in food, soil and wood, evaluation of their specific/volume and surface activities, evaluation of dose rate from cesium;
• detection of naturally occurring radioactive materials (K, Ra, Th), evaluation of their specific/volume activities;
• possibility to check the measurement quality of the device using standard metrological samples in Marinelli vessels;
• both beginners (simplified display of measurement progress in the “Found-Not found” mode) and experts (display of activity spectrum and trends) can operate the device;
• reports about measurement, their transfer to PC via Bluetooth, email, etc.;
• automatic adjustment of the detector’s spectrometric parameters at each measurement, device calibration in a separate mode;
• making and receiving calls, sending and receiving messages, starting and using other applications, etc., without interrupting the process of measurement and loss of data.

Virtuoso application can be installed on the Android smartphone or tablet which features the following:

1. Bluetooth module on the Android device;
2. Android OS version 2.2 or newer;
3. supported screen resolution – 320×480, 480×800, 720×1280, 1024×600, 1280*800, 1920*1080;
4. touchscreen interface.

• A new technology of scintillation detector has been applied using a semiconductor photomultiplier, which provided for:
• High temperature stability
• No microphone effect.
• 2.5 times bigger volume and sensitivity of the detector, which provided for:
• Significantly reduced measurement time
• High repeatability of measurement results.
• New functional capabilities:
• Determination of activity of naturally occurring radioactive materials
• Evaluation of the dose rate component of cesium radionuclides in the background radiation.
• Improved processing algorithms of gamma amplitude spectra.
• Built-in lithium-ion battery of standard size AA which, in contrast to the previously applied NiMH battery, allows recharging at any time.

Advantages of the new method of radiation monitoring compared to the traditional one

Traditional methods and devices of monitoring of environmental contamination by radiocesium require expensive equipment, troublesome and time-consuming operations, such as:

• Samples should be taken from the studied material of 0.5 l or 1,0 l, which is not always possible (destroys the integrity of the tested object);
• Sample material should be crushed to be placed in an inconveniently-shaped vessel of 0.5 or 1,0 l (inconvenient, messy and sometimes just impossible);
• Selected samples should be brought to the laboratory, where the spectrometer-radiometer operated by a specially trained operator is located;
• A vessel with sample should be placed in a lead shielding for measurement;
• Before placing the vessel with sample for measurement, it is necessary to measure the background radiation level without it (long measurement time required – from tens of minutes to several hours);
• Measurement of the very sample placed in a lead shielding is also rather time-consuming (from tens of minutes and longer);
• Despite all these troubles, you are not safe from blunders in case the sample have been taken from a wrong place (when contamination is uneven).

Creating a new concept of radiation control, we have simplified the process of measurement with no loss of measurement quality, but on the contrary, we have improved and expanded measurement capabilities of the device.

VIRTUOSO performs the same task on activity measurement  with the following advantages:

• Everything is measured without sampling, i.e. by simply putting the device to the tested object (material, product, soil, etc.) or by holding it over the studied surfaces;
• The studied object does not require advance preparation, no need to waste and destroy materials or packaging;
• The study is done immediately on-site, no need to take samples to laboratories;
• A professional radiologist and an inexperienced user can both be a measurement operator;
• No need in any bulky lead shielding in the process of measurement;
• No need to waste time measuring background at all, this task is solved in a fundamentally different way;
• Measurement time has been minimized, the approximate result becomes available in 5 seconds, and then measurement continues to obtain more accurate values;
• Not a small material sample taken from a random place is being examined, but quite a large area at once, which increases the monitoring quality and reduces the risk of overlooking local contamination.

• multipurpose environment activity radiometer
• leather case
• charger
• transport case
• passport
• operating manual
• package
• additional waterproof case (at extra cost)
• android smartphone or tablet (at extra cost)

Virtuoso application is available for free download (android)