ITT Corporation (NYSE: ITT) announced today that several Japanese organizations are using ITT’s GammaCam imaging system to capture and analyze radiation levels at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which was damaged after a 9.0 earthquake and devastating tsunami hit the northeastern region of the country on March 11. The Japan Ground Self Defense Force, Japan Atomic Energy Agency and Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) are utilizing ITT’s portable imaging system to spot radioactive materials and acquire real-time images of gamma ray emissions at the plant and surrounding areas.
“By revealing the images of harmful sources that are invisible to the naked eye, ITT’s GammaCam is helping Japanese officials protect public health,” said Rich Sorelle, vice president and general manager of ITT’s integrated electronic warfare systems business. “We will continue to provide our portable technology and trained engineers to support the Japanese government’s remediation plan.”
With a remote control operation feature, ITT’s GammaCam enables system operators to conduct assessments from a significant distance away from affected zones and avoid toxic exposure levels. TEPCO is deploying the GammaCam to the nuclear power plant’s damaged reactors and helping workers safely identify impacted areas.
The imaging system has proven to be valuable in highly radioactive environments and has been used in the power industry and U.S. government facilities to locate gamma radiation sources. It has a sensor head and a portable computer that conducts data analysis, data storage and a broad array of imaging functions. The GammaCam units are produced by the ITT Electronic Systems business in Amityville, New York.