About IMI

Our Mission

To provide our customers with innovative high quality radiation detection instruments and systems at affordable prices.  We strive to provide the best customer support and warranties in the industry, along with accurate information and outstanding services to exceed our customers needs and expectations.

Our Vision and Values

Beyond our primary mission, our Founders and Shareholders have had a long term vision and commitment to providing instruments, systems and technical support for safe communities, safe cities and a healthy planet.

In all of our operations we strive to use best practices to protect people and the environment.  We have pioneered numerous processes to eliminate use of toxic materials in manufacturing.  We have recycled and practiced LEAN manufacturing principles since before it was cool to be green – for literally decades.

Our instruments are all ROHS compliant (no lead and other toxic materials), and all of our high volume hand held instrument PCB assemblies are produced in ISO9000 and ISO14000 certified facilities.  Final assembly and testing of all of our instruments occur at our state-of-the-art Sonoma County facility.  We keep a close eye on key suppliers to make sure they have policies in place to take care of their workers and protect the environment.

Our employees are important to us.  We have a wellness plan that was developed by all members of our team here, and we work to continuously improve it.

Our community is important to us and we have a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) program that contributes to worthy projects in our local community, and communities far away.

Our Location

IMI is located in beautiful Sonoma County, home of magnificent ancient Redwood Trees, breath-taking coastlines – and legendary wineries.  We also have a strong local high tech community here.  Local companies include Agilent Technologies, OʻReilly Media, and Maker Shed.

Historically, this area has always bred creativity and innovation.  Our home town, Sebastopol, is the site of the Luther Burbank Experimental Farm, where Mr. Burbank (known as a “plant wizard”) hybridized the black rose, spineless cactus and hundreds of other new fruits, vegetables and flowers.  Charles Libby of Sebastopol invented Carbon-14 dating.  Other famous Sebastopol residents include Charle Shultz (Peanuts), Johnny Otis (Rhythm and Blues pioneer) and Kate Wolf (Singer/Songwriter).

Our offices are approximately one hour north of San Francisco, and about 1/2 hour east of Bodega Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

We are actively designing and manufacturing high quality radiation detectors at our Sebastopol Headquarters.  Give us a call if you are in the area and would like a tour.  707 823-0336

Our History

IMI was incorporated as International Medcom Inc. in Palo Alto California in 1986, after several years of planning and product development work.  Like the Hewlett Packard Instrument pision (now Agilent), we moved from Silicon Valley to Sonoma County.  Our founding team included Physicist Joe Jaffe, formerly the Founder and Director of Instrument Research and Development at Smith Kine Instruments.  Joe led the team that developed early generations of ultrasonic imaging instruments that replaced x-rays as diagnostic tools for obstetrics and gynecology.  Co-Founder Dan Sythe (now CEO of IMI) joined Joe in developing and producing Doppler Fetal Pulse Detectors in the late seventies.  They also developed some innovative radiation detection instruments with a bright team that included Steve Weiss (IMIʻs founding and current Chief Electronic Design Engineer).  Radiation Detectors designed by the original team in 1979 are still popular today and have a reputation for long life and reliability.  Some new and bright software and hardware engineers have joined our team over the years, and we are embracing the advantages of promising new technologies to better serve our customers.

We at IMI are very happy that we have become an enduring presence in the field of radiation safety, contributed to the safety, knowledge and well being of large communities of people, and that our team has been able to make significant contributions to advancing the state-of-the-art in the radiation safety arena.

Here are a few of the many instruments and projects that we are proud of:

  • First Generation of pocketable hand-held radiation detectors, 1979
  • First Generation power efficient Geiger Counters (9 months on 9 Volt battery) 1979
  • Support to Three Mile Island Community beginning 1979
  • Support to communities affected by Chernobyl beginning 1986
  • First Generation  digital radiation detectors (Radalert) 1988
  • First Wave software to support PC based radiation data collection. 1989
  • First Generation community radiation monitoring programs 1989
  • First development of low cost outdoor deployable probes sensitivity to Xe-133 and other radioactive noble gases. 1990
  • 10 Year Pilot Model Radiation Monitoring System for City of Harrisburg and local nonprofit around Three Mile Island starting 1990
  • 23 Year continuous real time radiation monitoring system for Commonwealth of Massachusetts, PEMA, by non profit independent C-10 Foundation.  1991
  • First real-time data (in GIS format) on the fledgling World Wide Web (for TMI monitoring project) 1993
  • First SNM border security detectors in former USSR under Nunn-Lugar Mutual Threat Reduction Regime. Circa 1995
  • First radiation detectors in public safety vehicles, NYC post 9/11
  • Instruments, training and support for thousands of First Responders post 9/11
  • Instrumentation and training for security programs to prevent smuggling and transportation of nuclear materials post 9/11
  • Support of numerous Native American communities affected by uranium mining and nuclear testing
  • Support of Hawaiian and Polynesian communities with concerns about nuclear testing and DU
  • Support of numerous community and nonprofit organizations concerned with nuclear safety
  • Support of Safecast and other nonprofits engaged in mapping radiation levels in Fukushima Prefecture and beyond
  • Contribution of technology and support to nonprofit Safecast in the successful collection and mapping of over 20 million data points worldwide, in what is being called the “largest citizen science project ever”
  • Support to NRDC and other nonprofit organizations for nuclear safety and nuclear arms control verification projects.
  • Support of numerous learning programs that incorporate our instruments and ideas in classrooms from 3rd grade through University level and beyond
  • Continuous live radiation sensors deployed in NYC and other communities
  • Continuous live radiation sensors deployed in Fukushima
  • First miniature surface contamination instrument with advanced features and ability to utilize social media to communicate data.
  • Next generation smart probes.
  • Kits that support learning.
  • Kits that support mapping radiation data.
  • Support of Safe City programs and Smart City programs
  • Opportunities to present our instruments and ideas to perse groups including concerned citizens, town hall meetings, fire fighters, police, EMTs and paramedics, emergency room personnel, DOE, NNSA, DHS, ODND, CEMP, NRDC, Safecast, Congressional and World Leaders.

Mostly we feel good about the trust we have received from tens of thousands of people who use our instruments and invite us to help them with their projects.  We work hard to earn that trust and we donʻt take it for granted.