Personal radiation detector and method of operation of same

• US 20070295904A1
• Filed: 06/22/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polimaster Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Estate Of Aliaksandr A. Antanouski
• Inventors: Antanouski, Aliaksandr Alexeevich
• Granted Patent: US 7,465,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/336.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/02 Dosimeters G01T1/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/167 Measuring radioactive content of objects, e.g. contamination whole body counters G01T1/163
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 7/005 calibration techniques stabilization of spectrometer G01T1/40

Abstract

A multipurpose, small-sized, ergonomic device determines and measures ionizing radiation and stores the obtained data for subsequent processing. An ionizing radiation detector is used as a sensing unit and is connected with a microcontroller by a converter. The device contains a nonvolatile memory for data arrangement and command set and an interface for connection with a computer. Measurements are carried out constantly, records are made periodically by the user setting. In the case of a value current or accumulated established criterion level excess, the device gives an alert signal and stores current value, not waiting for periodic write time. At connection with a computer, these data are automatically transferred to the computer and processed for identification and saving.

Claims

1. A personal radiation detector comprising at least one ionizing radiation sensor for delivering analog impulses representative of a detected radiation in an environment;

a converter connected to said detector for converting said impulses to digital signals;

a microcontroller connected to said converter to receive said digital signals therefrom;

a nonvolatile memory connected to said microcontroller for data arrangement and command set,

an alarm device connected to said microcontroller for emitting a warning signal in response to the detected radiation exceeding a preset level;

a power supply connected to said microcontroller for energizing said microcontroller. and

an interface for connecting said microcontroller with a computer.

2. A personal radiation detector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ionizing radiation sensor is one of a gas-discharge analogical sensor, a GM counter, a semiconductor sensor, and a scintillation sensor.

3. A personal radiation detector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said interface is one of a USB port and a PCMCA interface.

4. A personal radiation detector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said nonvolatile memory is split into a first memory for storing computer files and second protected memory.

5. A personal radiation detector as set forth in claim 4 wherein said nonvolatile memory has a stored command for accessing said second protected memory.

6. A personal radiation detector as set forth in claim 4 wherein said second protected memory is characterized in being accessible from a computer conected to said interface.

7. A personal radiation detector as set forth in claim 4 wherein said second protected memory is organized in the form of automatically measured values array and supplied with sample time marks.

8. A personal radiation detector as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a module with a GPS receiver, and wherein said second protected nonvolatile memory is organized in the form of automatically measured values array and supplied with sample time and location checks read out from said GPS receiver.

9. A personal radiation detector as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a module for the registration of the measured radiation energy distribution and said second protected nonvolatile memory is organized in the form automatically measured values array.

10. A personal radiation detector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said nonvolatile memory has a command set stored therein for automatically transmitting automatically measured values array and time and location checks to a computer memory upon connection to the computer.

11. A personal radiation detector as set forth in claim 10 wherein said command set contains commands of user identification.

12. A personal radiation detector as set forth in claim 10 wherein said command set is automatically updated in response to communication with a computer.

13. A method of operation of a personal radiation detector comprising the steps of constantly detecting an environment contamination level;

constantly calculating an ionizing radiation level of said detected contamination level;

issuing a warning in response to said ionizing radiation level exceeding a preset level;

periodically recording records of said calculated ionizing radiation levels at predetermined periodic recording times;

issuing an alert signal and storing the current value in response to one of a current value and an accumulated value of said ionizing radiation level exceeding an established criterion level without waiting for a periodic recording time; and

automatically transferring said stored data to a computer for processing of said data for identification and saving.

14. A method as set forth in claim 13 further comprising the step of storing a measured irradiation energy spectrum.

15. A method as set forth in claim 13 wherein said alert signal is in the form of at least one of light, sound and vibration.

16. A method as set forth in claim 13 further comprising the steps of identifying a user in response to connection of the personal radiation detector to a computer, updating a data base in a memory of the computer from a nonvolatile memory in the personal radiation detector and updating command sets in the nonvolatile memory of the personal radiation detector in response to connection of the personal radiation detector to a computer.