Advacam Explained

Advacam is a technology company based in the Czech Republic, producing radiation imaging pixel detectors and tracking cameras for various industries, including space dosimetry, material analysis, electron microscopy, and non-distractive testing. It is a spin-off of the Institute of Technical and Experimental Physics of Czech Technical University in Prague^[1] and the Medipix Collaboration based at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).^[2] The company was founded by Jan Sohar and Jan Jakůbek^[3] in 2013.^{[4] [5]}

Technology

Advacam grew from research conducted within the framework of scientific collaboration for high-energy physics initiated in the 1990s in the CERN. The technologies of Medipix and Timepix, which are single-photon counting chips, were initially developed for the ATLAS experiment within the Large Hadron Collider. Every pixel in these devices counts each photon that reaches the detector's surface, simultaneously measuring the energy of the detected radiation. This technology enables high-contrast spectral X-ray imaging capable of differentiating between materials.^[6]

Applications

Photon counting technology can be used in many fields, including commercial manufacturing and science. Advacam detectors are applied in:

• Material analysis – Advacam detectors can test the quality of electrons, polymers, alloys, or minerals.^[7]
• Non-destructive testing – The cameras can discover microscopic defects in welds and various materials, including lightweight materials such as composites.
• Radiation detection – When combined with drones or moving robots, the technology can locate a source of radiation.^[8]
• Space weather monitoring and forecasting – Advacam detectors are used on the ISS to detect incoming particles and map and monitor radiation on several space missions, including the NASA Artemis program.^[9]
• Biomedicine – Particle detection is used in cancer research and biomechanics.^{[10] [11]}
• Research and education.^[12]

Products

• MiniPIX
• AdvaPIX
• WidePIX

Customers or users are for example NASA, ESA, Boeing, Blue Origin,^[13] OneWeb^[14] or Anton Paar^[15]

Spin-off companies

• Radalytica offers robots for non-destructive testing.^[16]
• AdvaScope specializes in systems for electron microscopes.^[17]
• InsightArt brings solutions for art testing.^{[18] [19]}

Notes and References

1. Web site: Czech Space Alliance (czechspace.eu) . 2024-03-26 . www.czechspace.eu.
2. Web site: Advacam s.r.o. medipix.web.cern.ch . 2024-03-26 . medipix.web.cern.ch.
3. Web site: Jan Jakubek . 2024-03-26 . scholar.google.com.
4. Web site: EY Technologický podnikatel roku . 2024-03-26 . ey.com . cs.
5. Web site: ADVACAM Experts in Photon Counting - Imaging the Unseen . 2024-03-26 . Advacam.
6. Web site: ADVACAM Photon Counting Detector Technology Manufacturer . 2024-03-26 . Advacam.
7. Web site: Real-Time Mineral X-Ray Analysis for Efficient and Sustainable Mining . 2024-03-26.
8. Web site: Localization of sources of ionizing radiation using a group of small unmanned aircraft with Compton camera detectors (RaDron) . 2024-03-26.
9. Web site: Timepix for Aerospace Knowledge Transfer . 2024-03-26 . kt.cern.
10. Web site: Spectroscopic X-ray imaging now certified for medical use. 2024-03-26 . medipix.web.cern.ch.
11. Web site: 2024-03-25 . CERN detector could help to improve head tumour radiotherapy . 2024-03-26 . CERN.
12. Parcerisas . D . Ballabriga . R . Amorós . E . Argudo . A . Campbell . M . Casas . L . Christodoulou . P . Colomé . R . Corrons . D . Curcó . V . Enajas . M . Granja . C . Grauges . E . Gou . A . Lleó . E . 2022-01-19 . ADMIRA project: teaching particle physics at high school with Timepix detectors . Physics Education . 57 . 2 . 025018 . 10.1088/1361-6552/ac4143 . 2022PhyEd..57b5018P . 0031-9120. free .
13. Web site: Nová . Eliška . 2024-04-04 . Česká firma se umí podívat do kosmu, těla i obrazů a ukázat, co je skryté. Vyhlídly si ji NASA i Boeing . 2024-04-28 . CzechCrunch . cs.
14. Web site: OneWeb confirms successful deployment of 16 satellites including next-generation JoeySat . 2024-04-29 . OneWeb.
15. Web site: XRD Detection Units . 2024-04-29 . Anton-Paar.
16. Web site: Radalytica. Moravský letecký klastr . 2024-03-26 . www.czech-aerospace.cz.
17. Web site: AdvaScope: další zářez pro brněnskou elektronovou mikroskopii . 2024-03-26 . www.jic.cz.
18. Web site: CERN technology helps rediscover lost painting by Raphael. 2024-03-26 . medipix.web.cern.ch.
19. Web site: 2024-04-28 . Když to neuvidíme my, neuvidí to nikdo. O špičkové české detektory má zájem NASA i Boeing. 2024-04-28 . Týdeník Hrot. cs.