Physical Technologies Success stories Spin-off creates the first “tester” to assess radiation detectors
Spin-off creates the first “tester” to assess radiation detectors
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25 Nov 2013
A spin-off created by scientists at the CSIC's Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona (IMB-CNM); the Instituto de Física Corpuscular (CSIC-UV) in Valencia (Spain); and Liverpool University (UK), has created the first “tester” to assess radiation detectors. 
The core of facilities like the CERN and ALBA particle accelerators, or biomedical diagnosis systems using radiotracers, have something in common: radiation detectors. The radiation detectors are widely used in research and in biomedical fields but, until now, there was not any system to easily try and evaluate them.
This is what Alibava Systems has done. This company is a spin-off created by scientists at three research centers: the Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona (IMB-CNM) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC); the Instituto de Física Corpuscular (CSIC-UV) in Valencia (Spain); and Liverpool University (UK). As a matter of fact, its name is an acronym of the three cities in which the centers are located: A-Li-Ba-Va.
The scientists have created a compact “tester” system that enables the assessment of an ionizing radiation detector works and its lifespan.
The scientists have created a compact “tester” system that enables the assessment of an ionizing radiation detector works and its lifespan. “There was nothing similar commercially available, explains Manuel Lozano, research professor at the CSIC and co-founder of Alibava Systems. “Until now, if someone wanted to measure the radiation detectors, it was necessary to buy the components independently, to fix them and to invest tens of thousands of euros.
The system developed by the spin-off, which is placed in the Parc de Recerca de la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, is being applied at the moment in the elementary particle physics (accelerators). But it will possible to use it, in their different versions, to assess radiation detectors for biomedical diagnostic systems, or for space satellites. The spin-off has also developed a reading system together with a detector for Physics students.
Alibava systems website: http://www.alibavasystems.com/index.php
