CAPRAC ® Manual- Revision P

CAPRAC

WIPE TEST MONITOR AND
WELL COUNTER

OWNER’S MANUAL

Capintec, Inc.
Sales and Marketing
and Customer Support

6 Arrow Road
Ramsey, NJ 07446
Phone (800) ASK-4CRC
Fax (201) 825-1336

Capintec, Inc.
Service Center
620 Alpha Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
Phone (800) 227-6832
Fax (412) 963-0610

Copyright© 1991 Capintec, Inc.

CAPRAC is a registered trademark of Capintec, Inc.
U.S. Patent - 4,649,276

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Manual Stock No. 9250-0051
Rev. P – March 2010



CAPINTEC, INC. CAPRAC®

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................1-1
INTRODUCTION TO THE CAPINTEC CAPRAC® ............................................................1-1
SODIUM-IODIDE (NaI) DRILLED-WELL CRYSTAL .........................................................1-1
ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGES OF THE CAPRAC®............................................................1-2
HOW THE CAPRAC WORKS ...........................................................................................1-2
Count Rate Measurement ..............................................................................................1-2
Calculating Disintegration Rates ....................................................................................1-2
Discriminates Energy Levels..........................................................................................1-2
SPECIFICATIONS .............................................................................................................1-3
Detector .........................................................................................................................1-3
Energy Discrimination ....................................................................................................1-3
Display Screen ...............................................................................................................1-3
Dimensions ....................................................................................................................1-4
Trigger Levels ................................................................................................................1-4
Power Requirements......................................................................................................1-4
Count Rate .....................................................................................................................1-4
Measurement Times ......................................................................................................1-4
Outputs ..........................................................................................................................1-4
SAFETY CLASSES ...........................................................................................................1-4
SERVICE ...........................................................................................................................1-5
Fuse Servicing ...............................................................................................................1-5

INSTALLATION AND SET-UP .............................................................................................2-1
RECEIVING CONDITION EXAMINATION ........................................................................2-1
UNPACKING .....................................................................................................................2-1
OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................................2-3
ON/OFF SWITCH ..............................................................................................................2-3
CAPRAC INSTALLATION .................................................................................................2-3
PRINTER INSTALLATION (Optional)................................................................................2-4
CAPRAC SETUP...............................................................................................................2-4
KEYBOARD .......................................................................................................................2-4
Layout ............................................................................................................................2-4
Key Usage .....................................................................................................................2-5
DISPLAY (num/graph) Key........................................................................................2-5
CF (nuclide) ...............................................................................................................2-5
BKG ...........................................................................................................................2-5
WIPE .........................................................................................................................2-5
UTIL...........................................................................................................................2-5
COUNT (start/stop)....................................................................................................2-5
 (next) .....................................................................................................................2-6
 (prev.) ....................................................................................................................2-6
 (change) ................................................................................................................2-6
ENTER (print) ............................................................................................................2-6
POWER-UP SEQUENCE..................................................................................................2-6
WARM-UP .........................................................................................................................2-6

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CAPINTEC, INC. CAPRAC®

TIME/DATE SET-UP ......................................................................................................... 2-7
DATE .............................................................................................................................2-7
TIME ..............................................................................................................................2-7

MAIN UTILITY MENU........................................................................................................ 2-8
PASSWORD SCREEN...................................................................................................... 2-9
STANDARD REFERENCE SOURCE ENTRY ................................................................ 2-10
DIAGNOSTICS................................................................................................................ 2-12
BACKGROUND ACTIVITY.............................................................................................. 2-14

Changing the Screen Format between Graph and Number Display ...........................2-15
Stop/Start Background Count ......................................................................................2-15
Exceeding Background Trigger Level..........................................................................2-17
AUTO CAL (CALIBRATION) ........................................................................................... 2-17
REPEAT BACKGROUND COUNT AFTER AUTO CAL.................................................. 2-19
CONVERSION FACTORS .............................................................................................. 2-19
Measure CF Value.......................................................................................................2-19
Repeat AUTO CAL and Background ...........................................................................2-26
TEST (of Calibration)....................................................................................................... 2-26

GENERAL OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS ..........................................................................3-1
DAILY REQUIREMENTS .................................................................................................. 3-1
WEEKLY REQUIREMENTS.............................................................................................. 3-1
POWER-UP/WARM-UP .................................................................................................... 3-1
BACKGROUND................................................................................................................. 3-1
Measure Background.....................................................................................................3-2
Exceeding Background Trigger Level............................................................................3-2
TEST (of Calibration)......................................................................................................... 3-3
AUTO CAL (CALIBRATION) ............................................................................................. 3-4
Repeat Background Count after Auto Cal .....................................................................3-4
GRAPH COUNT DISPLAY................................................................................................ 3-4
PRINTOUTS ...................................................................................................................... 3-5
DETECTING SPECIFIC RADIONUCLIDES IN A WIPE TEST ......................................... 3-5
FACTORS AFFECTING RADIATION MEASUREMENTS ................................................ 3-5
Geometry .......................................................................................................................3-5
CONVERSION FROM CPM TO DPM............................................................................... 3-6
COUNTING STATISTICS.................................................................................................. 3-6
NET VERSUS TOTAL COUNTS....................................................................................... 3-7
MAXIMUM COUNT RATE................................................................................................. 3-7

WIPE TEST MEASUREMENTS ...........................................................................................4-1
GENERAL ......................................................................................................................... 4-1
WIPE (WORK AREAS)...................................................................................................... 4-1
BAR GRAPH SHADING .................................................................................................... 4-5
NEGATIVE NUMBERS ..................................................................................................... 4-6
WIPE PRINTOUT .............................................................................................................. 4-7
SPECIFIC NUCLIDES....................................................................................................... 4-7
UNRESTRICTED AREAS ................................................................................................. 4-9
SEALED SOURCE .......................................................................................................... 4-11
GENERAL ....................................................................................................................... 4-12

TOC - 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS March 10

CAPINTEC, INC. CAPRAC®

TRIGGER LEVELS: SETTING COUNT LIMITS...................................................................5-1
GENERAL..........................................................................................................................5-1
COMMONLY USED TRIGGER LEVELS AND ACCEPTABLE RANGES .........................5-3
MINIMUM DETECTED ACTIVITY (MDA)..........................................................................5-4

CONVERSION FACTORS FOR NUCLIDES........................................................................6-1
GENERAL..........................................................................................................................6-1
ADDING CF VALUES........................................................................................................6-2
Measure CF Value .........................................................................................................6-2
Input CF Value .............................................................................................................6-10
Input CF of Generic Nuclide.........................................................................................6-10

NUCLIDES TO LOOK FOR IN WIPES.................................................................................7-1
GENERAL..........................................................................................................................7-1
NUCLIDE SELECTION......................................................................................................7-1
Wipe and Unrestricted....................................................................................................7-1
Sealed Source ...............................................................................................................7-4

USER-DEFINED NUCLIDES ................................................................................................8-1
GENERAL..........................................................................................................................8-1
ADDING A USER-DEFINED NUCLIDE.............................................................................8-1
ADDING CF FOR USER-DEFINED NUCLIDE..................................................................8-4
Measure CF ...................................................................................................................8-4
Input CF .........................................................................................................................8-9
REPLACING A USER-DEFINED NUCLIDE WHEN THE MEMORY IS FULL ................8-10

PERFORMANCE AND CALIBRATION................................................................................9-1
TEST OF CALIBRATION...................................................................................................9-1
Calibration Ratios...........................................................................................................9-6
AUTO CAL – CAPRAC SELF CALIBRATION...................................................................9-7
Gain Reference ............................................................................................................9-10
Repeat Background Count after Auto Cal....................................................................9-10
Auto Cal Limits .............................................................................................................9-11
Auto Calibration Errors.................................................................................................9-11

DIAGNOSTICS ...................................................................................................................10-1

ACCEPTANCE AND QUALITY ASSURANCE TESTS .....................................................11-1
GENERAL........................................................................................................................11-1
ACCEPTANCE TESTS....................................................................................................11-1
Diagnostic Test ............................................................................................................11-1
Background ..................................................................................................................11-1
Auto Cal .......................................................................................................................11-2
Test ..............................................................................................................................11-2
QUALITY ASSURANCE TESTS .....................................................................................11-2
Contamination Test ......................................................................................................11-2

March 10 TABLE OF CONTENTS TOC - 3

CAPINTEC, INC. CAPRAC®

THE PRINTER ....................................................................................................................12-1

ERROR AND WARNING MESSAGES ..............................................................................13-1
BACKGROUND TOO HIGH ............................................................................................ 13-1
COUNTING RATE TOO HIGH ........................................................................................ 13-2
INPUT ERROR................................................................................................................ 13-2
MEASURE BKG .............................................................................................................. 13-3
MUST PERFORM AUTO CAL ........................................................................................ 13-3
PLEASE WAIT ................................................................................................................ 13-4
NO ROOM TO ADD ........................................................................................................ 13-4

N.R.C. REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES FOR AREA SURVEY MONITORING (WIPE
TESTING) ...........................................................................................................................14-1

APPENDIX H: Model Procedure for Leak-Testing Sealed Sources ................................ 14-1
Model Procedure .........................................................................................................14-1

APPENDIX L: Model Procedure for Safely Opening Packages Containing Radioactive
Material............................................................................................................................ 14-2

Model Procedure .........................................................................................................14-3
APPENDIX N: Model Procedure for Area Surveys.......................................................... 14-4

Model Procedure .........................................................................................................14-4
Ambient Dose Rate Surveys ...................................................................................14-4
Removable Contamination Surveys ........................................................................14-4
Records ................................................................................................................... 14-5

SAMPLE WORKSHEETS AND REPORTS

INDEX

WARRANTY

TOC - 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS March 10

CAPINTEC, INC. CAPRAC®

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION TO THE CAPINTEC CAPRAC®

Thank you for purchasing Capintec’s CAPRAC®, an instrument designed to measure
radioactive contamination as well as serve as a general purpose well counter. The
CAPRAC’s easy-to-use advanced technology enables the user to comply with state and
federal radiation safety requirements that involve area wipe tests.

Every effort has been made to insure that the information in this owner’s manual is complete,
accurate, up-to-date and easy for the user to understand. Capintec, Inc. assumes no
responsibility for results or errors beyond its control. Please address any comments
pertaining to this manual to:

CAPINTEC, INC.
620 Alpha Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
Phone (412) 963-1988
Fax (412) 963-0610

SODIUM-IODIDE (NaI) DRILLED-WELL CRYSTAL

The CAPRAC’s NaI drilled-well crystal detector offers greater sensitivity and faster results
than wipe test monitors that use Geiger-Mueller (GM) tube technology.

Capabilities and Features NaI Drilled - GM-Tube
Well Crystal Detector
Counting time required to achieve sensitivity of 1 nCi 6 to 180 sec 300 to 6000 sec
(2220 dpm) required by regulators (0.1 to 3.0 min) (5 to 10 min)
Counting time recommended for low background levels
Offers energy discrimination, which helps users identify Yes No
radionuclide contaminants with gamma spectroscopy Yes No
Achieves sensitivity of 200 dpm, required for iodine
therapy Yes No
Handles high count rates (60,000 cps) before exceeding
30% dead time Yes No
Evaluates identity of radiopharmaceuticals and
brachytherapy sources, helps identify contaminants Yes No

August 07 INTRODUCTION 1-1

CAPINTEC, INC. CAPRAC®

ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGES OF THE CAPRAC®

• Does not require the user to purchase a pulse height analyzer for use.
• Automatically provides written documentation of calibration and measurement results.
• Self-calibration of the keV per channel ratio by the CAPRAC’s microprocessor-

controlled automatic internal energy calibration feature.
• Automatically calculates the conversion factor and converts readings in counts per

minute (cpm) to disintegrations per minute (dpm) as required by most state and
federal regulations.
• Stores conversion factors and gamma spectroscopy data for 68 radionuclides and
has space for 10 additional user-defined radionuclides in the CAPRAC memory.

HOW THE CAPRAC WORKS

The CAPRAC measures radioactivity in samples placed in its built-in drilled NaI crystal
detector. Capintec has optimized this device to provide wipe test results conducted as part of
an overall radiation safety program. The CAPRAC uses the NaI crystal as a scintillation
probe.

Count Rate Measurement
Radiation from a sample placed in the detector interacts with the NaI crystal and gives off
scintillations, or light. The light is converted to pulses of electrical current by a photomultiplier
tube that is proportional in amplitude to the energy of the radiation. The CAPRAC counts
each of these pulses and calculates either the number of counts per minute (cpm) when the
device is set to measure Curies, or the number of counts per second (cps) when the device
is set to measure Becquerels.

Calculating Disintegration Rates
Once a radioactive sample has been calibrated, the CAPRAC can calculate the number of
disintegrations (or nuclear transformations) that occur in a period of time and most often
recorded as disintegrations per minute or dpm. Most state and federal regulations require
that wipe test measurements be recorded in dpm.

Discriminates Energy Levels
The CAPRAC can discriminate between pulses of various amplitudes, or energy levels. The
CAPRAC divides the entire range of pulse amplitudes into six channels:

1-2 INTRODUCTION August 07

CAPINTEC, INC. CAPRAC®

Channel Energy Range in keV

1 15 to 100
2 100 to 200
3 200 to 400
4 400 to 660
5 660 to 800
6 > 800

As the CAPRAC counts a sample, it keeps track of how many pulses are detected within
each channel. Since each radionuclide emits radiation with a characteristic energy, the
CAPRAC can help to determine which isotope is present in a sample. For example,
Technetium-99m (Tc99m) has a gamma energy peak at 140 keV; therefore, a sample that
triggers a high count reading in CAPRAC channel 2 could indicate Tc99m contamination.
Similarly, Indium-111 (In111) has gamma energy peaks at 171 and 245 keV. A wipe sample
that shows high counts in CAPRAC’s channels 2 and 3 could indicate In111 contamination.

Note: The CAPRAC is not designed to provide conclusive identification of radionuclides
found in wipe-test samples; rather, it is designed to help identify contaminants by
narrowing down the possible isotopes contained in the wipe test sample.

Additionally, the CAPRAC can give a “generic” result for a wipe test sample by
grouping all six channels together as one open energy window. The generic count
indicates whether a sample exceeds trigger levels, but does not help to identify the
contaminant.

SPECIFICATIONS

Detector

Drilled-well crystal, NaI scintillator
Shielded by 1.3 cm (.5”) lead
3.8 cm (1.5”) x 4.4 cm (1.75”)
Well diameter: 1.7 cm (.67”)
Well depth: 3.8 cm (1.5”)

Energy Discrimination

6 channels
Channel 1 ...... 15 to 100 keV
Channel 2 ...... 100 to 200 keV
Channel 3 ...... 200 to 400 keV
Channel 4 ...... 400 to 660 keV
Channel 5 ...... 660 to 800 keV
Channel 6 ...... > 800 keV

Display Screen

Liquid crystal display, 64 rows by 128 columns
Direct reading in cpm, conversion to dpm with Conversion Factors

August 07 INTRODUCTION 1-3

CAPINTEC, INC. CAPRAC®

Dimensions
Width..............18.5 cm (7.25”)
Depth .............29.8 cm (11.75”)
Height.............26.7 cm (10.5”)
Weight............8.6 (19 lbs)

Trigger Levels
User-defined for work areas, unrestricted areas and patient rooms, sealed sources, and
Background

Power Requirements
Standard, 115V, 0.10A, (90-130V), 50/60 Hz
Option, 220V, 0.05A, (180-250V), 50/60 Hz

Count Rate
Maximum 60,000 cps

Measurement Times
User-defined, range from 6 sec to 30 min (1800 sec)
60 to 1800 sec for Background

Outputs
Serial RS-232 for Strip Printer (optional)

SAFETY CLASSES

The CAPRAC® has been independently tested and is manufactured in compliance with the
following standards:

European Union Norm EN 60601-1-2

Emissions:
EN 55011 EMISSIONS Class A

Immunity: Electrostatic Discharge
IEC 801-2 RF Susceptibility
IEC 801-3 EFT/Burst
IEC 801-4

Electrical Safety:
EN61010-1, 1993 Laboratory Equipment

ETL Listed:

1-4 INTRODUCTION August 07

CAPINTEC, INC. CAPRAC®

SERVICE

REFER ALL SERVICING TO A QUALIFIED SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE !

It is recommended that periodic calibration of the unit be performed by Capintec’s Authorized
Service Center to guarantee that the CAPRAC’s high reliability is maintained.

CAPINTEC, Inc.
620 Alpha Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
Phone (412) 963-1988, 1-800-227-6832
Fax (412) 963-0610

Fuse Servicing

CAUTION

For continued protection, replace only with
same type and rating of fuse(s)

Two fuses are located in the power entry module next to the power cord connector on the
back panel of the unit. These fuses are rated at T 100 mA (Slow Blow) 250VAC as specified
on the label located directly below the power entry module.

To change these fuses:
1. Turn off the CAPRAC® and unplug the power cord from the rear panel.

2. Insert the tip of a small flat bladed screwdriver into the notch of the power entry
module just to the left of the switch. Twist the screwdriver to open the fuse cover
door. (Refer to Figure 1-1 Fuse Replacement).

3. To remove the first of the two fuse carriers, insert the tip of the screwdriver behind the
arrow and pull it out. Repeat this process for the second fuse.

4. Remove the blown fuse(s) from the carrier and replace with T 100 mA (Slow Blow)
250V fuses.

5. Re-insert the fuse carriers with the arrows pointing up.

Figure 1-1 Fuse Replacement
6. Close the fuse cover door and snap it into place.
7. Replace the power cord and turn on the switch.

August 07 INTRODUCTION 1-5