Advacam
Czech technology company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Advacam is a technology company based in the Czech Republic, producing radiation imaging pixel detectors and particle 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]
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2013 |
| Founder | Jan Sohar, Jan Jakůbek |
| Headquarters | , Czech Republic |
| Website | https://www.advacam.com |
Technology
Advacam grew from research conducted within the framework of scientific collaboration for high-energy physics initiated in the 1990s in the CERN.[2] 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.[8]
- Radiation detection – When combined with drones or moving robots, the technology can locate a source of radiation.[9]
- 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.[10]
- Biomedicine – Particle detection is used in cancer research and biomechanics.[11][12]
- Research and education.[13]
Products
- MiniPIX
- AdvaPIX
- WidePIX
Customers or users are for example NASA, ESA, Boeing, Blue Origin,[14] OneWeb[15] or Anton Paar[16]