RADIATION RATE METER DISPLAYING REMAINING TIME PARAMETERS

• US 20080258064A1
• Filed: 04/23/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stephen Anthony Cima
• Original Assignee: Stephen Anthony Cima
• Inventors: Cima, Stephen Anthony
• Application Number:
  US11/738,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20080258064A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/336.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/026 Semiconductor dose-rate meters

Abstract

A dosimeter includes a radiation detector and a display. The radiation detector outputs a signal indicative of an instantaneous radiation level. The dosimeter determines and displays a percent of limit (POL) value and/or a time to limit (TTL) value. The POL value indicates a ratio of an accumulated exposure to an exposure threshold. The TTL value indicates an amount of time estimated until the accumulated exposure exceeds the exposure threshold. The display may includes information indicative of both the POL parameter and the TTL parameter. The display may also display the instantaneous radiation level and/or a graphical representation of the instantaneous exposure level. The graphical representation might include a set of LED'"'"'s arranged in a line wherein the number of activated LED'"'"'s indicates the instantaneous exposure level. The display might also indicate a scale associated with the set of LED'"'"'s. The dosimeter might include a switch to select one of multiple operational modes where the POL parameter and the TTL parameter are determined in part by the operational mode.

Claims

1. A dosimeter, comprising:

a display;

a processing resource;

a storage resource accessible to the processing resource;

a radiation detector operable to produce a signal indicative of an instantaneous radiation level in proximity to the dosimeter;

a module accessible to the processing resource and operable to determine an accumulated exposure from the instantaneous radiation signal;

a module to generate and display information based on the accumulated exposure;

wherein the displayed information includes information indicative of a parameter selected from the set of parameters consisting of a percentage of limit (POL) parameter and a time to limit (TTL) parameter;

wherein the POL parameter is indicative of a ratio of an accumulated exposure dose to an exposure threshold; and

wherein the TTL parameter is indicative of an amount of time estimated until the accumulated exposure exceeds the exposure threshold.

2. The dosimeter of claim 1, wherein the display includes information indicative of the POL parameter and the TTL parameter.

3. The dosimeter of claim 1, wherein the display further includes information indicative of the instantaneous radiation level.

4. The dosimeter of claim 3, wherein the display further includes information a graphical representation of the instantaneous exposure level.

5. The dosimeter of claim 4, wherein the graphical representation comprises a set of LED'"'"'s arranged substantially in a line, wherein a number of activated LED'"'"'s are indicative of the instantaneous exposure level.

6. The dosimeter of claim 5, wherein the display further includes an indication of a scale of the graphical representation.

7. The dosimeter of claim 1, further comprising a switch operable to select an operational mode of the dosimeter, wherein the POL parameter and the TTL parameter are determined in part by the operational mode.

8. A dosimeter including a radiation detector and a display, wherein the radiation detector is operable to output a signal indicative of an instantaneous radiation level and wherein the dosimeter is operable to determine and display a parameter selected from the parameters consisting of a percent of limit (POL) value and a time to limit (TTL) value, wherein the POL parameter is indicative of a ratio of an accumulated exposure to an exposure threshold and wherein the TTL parameter is indicative of an amount of time estimated until the accumulated exposure exceeds the exposure threshold

9. The dosimeter of claim 8, wherein the display includes information indicative of the POL parameter and the TTL parameter.

10. The dosimeter of claim 8, wherein the display further includes information indicative of the instantaneous radiation level.

11. The dosimeter of claim 10, wherein the display further includes information a graphical representation of the instantaneous exposure level.

12. The dosimeter of claim 11, wherein the graphical representation comprises a set of LED'"'"'s arranged substantially in a line, wherein a number of activated LED'"'"'s are indicative of the instantaneous exposure level.

13. The dosimeter of claim 12, wherein the display further includes an indication of a scale of the graphical representation.

14. The dosimeter of claim 8, further comprising a switch operable to select an operational mode of the dosimeter, wherein the POL parameter and the TTL parameter are determined in part by the operational mode.

15. A service enabling a user to monitor radiation exposure, comprising:

providing a dosimeter, wherein the dosimeter includes;

a radiation detector operable to produce an output indicative of an instantaneous radiation level proximal to the radiation detector;

a processing module configured to receive the radiation detector output and operable to determine a percent of limit (POL) value and a time to limit (TTL) value;

wherein the POL value is indicative of an accumulated radiation exposure to an exposure threshold; and

wherein the TTL value is indicative of an amount time estimated until the accumulated radiation exposure exceeds the exposure threshold.

16. The service of claim 15, wherein the display further includes information indicative of the instantaneous radiation level.

17. The service of claim 16, wherein the display further includes information a graphical representation of the instantaneous exposure level.

18. The service of claim 17, wherein the graphical representation comprises a set of LED'"'"'s arranged substantially in a line, wherein a number of activated LED'"'"'s are indicative of the instantaneous exposure level.

19. The service of claim 18, wherein the display further includes an indication of a scale of the graphical representation.

20. The service of claim 15, further comprising a switch operable to select an operational mode of the dosimeter, wherein the POL parameter and the TTL parameter are determined in part by the operational mode.