Radiation Monitoring Devices Inc., the research division of Dynasil Corp., has been granted additional US patent claims for its advances in a detector material capable of responding independently to both neutron and gamma radiation. The current technology for detecting neutrons in homeland security applications—neutron detectors based on gaseous helium-3—is impractical because of serious limitations on the availability of the gas. Dynasil’s detector technology will be made available to the government and commercial markets as quickly as possible. To do so, it has developed specialized production furnaces designed to make the crystals in large volumes. The initial furnaces have been deployed, and additional ones are expected to be placed into service over the next several months. Although the research division’s facilities in Massachusetts can produce the crystals and detectors in prototype quantities, a production facility for the technology has been installed at the company’s Hilger Crystals Div. in Margate, England. It is the first step in allowing the company to not only produce the particular type of crystal, but also a line of additional, neutron- and gamma ray-sensitive crystals currently in development in Watertown. The company expects that its Hilger facilities will be ready to supply production volume shipments of the radiation detectors during the quarter ending Sept. 30, 2011. Dynasil manufactures specialized instruments and products for a broad range of applications markets in the medical, industrial, and homeland security and defense sectors. For more information, visit: www.dynasilcorp.com