Amid the COVID-19 crisis, we remain vigilant.
The world continues to battle an unthinkable health crisis caused by a previously unknown virus, unpredictable in its behavior and unfamiliar to our body’s normal defense mechanisms. Hospitals are stretched beyond their limits and struggling with reduced staff, creating a scenario where the security of radiation sources are at higher risk. Criminals and adversaries are taking advantage of the crisis to perpetrate computer scams and cyber-attacks; radiation thieves could do the same. With police and public safety personnel getting disproportionately sick, could we successfully recover stolen radioactive material? If not, placement of radiation emitting devices or the unexpected detonation of a dirty bomb during this crisis could throw the world into greater chaos.
Fortunately, Image Insight has developed the patented GammaPix™ software that enables standard, unmodified smartphones, webcams, and CCTV security cameras to detect and measure ionizing radiation to help prevent such thefts. GammaPix software runs on unmodified smartphones and computers to analyze digital video from mobile devices, netcams, and CCTV security cameras to detect and measure radioactivity. The GammaPix Pro™ app runs automatically every 5 to 30 minutes to detect threats and keep people safe.
The GammaPix technology uses the inherent sensitivity digital cameras have to radioactivity—gamma rays, X-rays, and beta particles. Since the hardware is already capable of monitoring radiation levels, it only requires software to use your smartphone, webcam, or CCTV security cameras for this potentially life-saving application.
Not all potential crises occur with the same level of uncertainty and surprise. Unlike the origin of COVID-19, there is no ambiguity about the location of licensed radioactive sources; there can be no claims of surprise regarding harm caused by radiological materials out of regulatory control.
A nuclear security incident, regardless of cause, has the potential to harm many people, and the certainty of creating havoc. Past nuclear incidents have demonstrated the crisis of confidence that occurs when radiological measurements are scarce. Insufficient knowledge and inadequate data transparency invariably damages both public trust and the execution of recovery operations. Capacity to perform pervasive measurements with real-time sharing and enforced data transparency can fuel a superior emergency response, and heighten public trust and confidence. There is currently no adequate system in use to make the required measurements. GammaPix software provides this capability.
“GammaPix™ radiation protection, always by your side”
Some say that while we are in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, it is too soon to worry about other threats. Is it though? While we are distracted by this life-changing biohazard, do we really think other threats have gone away?
Knowledge is power, yet without adequate data, limited information is often a prescription for danger. You may know that excessive exposure to ionizing radiation can lead to acute radiation syndrome or death, so you could be worried that it is more dangerous to remain in a region devastated by an attack. You may even know that the exposure rate at street level is likely to be higher than in your basement. However, without current information quantifying the ionizing radiation exposure rate in your basement versus outside, you have little chance of making the best decision for your personal situation. Emergency broadcasts will convey vital information, but will necessarily be shaped for the largest number of people, and therefore may or may not apply optimally for your location and situation. What is needed is a simple, quick way to measure your exposure rate and compare it to how long you would need to stay sheltered there. GammaPix software satisfies this basic need for personal safety.
Those who have a clear requirement to monitor the ionizing radiation environment often have dedicated radiation detectors such as scintillation meters, Geiger-Muller meters, or other types of personal radiation monitors or dosimeters. However, most people do not own or have ready access to these instruments. Even those who have such detectors often choose not to carry them due to their size, replacement cost if they are lost or damaged, or just the relative inconvenience of having an extra piece of gear. The low-cost of GammaPix software and the constant presence of our smartphones mean personal radiation protection is always by your side.
As the world battles the current unknown, unthinkable threat, let us lay the groundwork now so that the next time there is a radiological threat, our collective “immune response” will be real-time, pervasive awareness, rapidly bringing the threat to bay. No one wants to get sick, whether from a virus or radiation. Soap, distancing, and eventually a vaccine can help prevent the former; GammaPix can help prevent the latter.
Learn more at https://imageinsightinc.com or contact us at info@imageinsightinc.com