RADIATION DETECTION SCHEMES, APPARATUS AND METHODS OF TRANSMITTING RADIATION DETECTION INFORMATION TO A NETWORK

• US 20080308747A1
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wisnieff, Robert L., Rodbell, Kenneth P., Gordon, Michael S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,491,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/472.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/04 Chemical dosimeters G01T1/06, G01T1/08 take precedence

Abstract

Personal radiation detection devices, methods of obtaining radiation exposure data, and networks of personal radiation devices. The detection devices may include passive devices and active devices. The passive detection devices may have the same form factor as credit cards or be included in common types of credit card form factor sized cards. The active devices may be incorporated into common and widely distributed host devices.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

25-26. -26. (canceled)

29-44. -44. (canceled)

45. A method, comprising:

communicating with one or more personal radiation detection devices, each personal radiation detection device of said one or more personal radiation detection devices comprising;

a host device including, a host memory, an event memory, a microprocessor, a global positioning unit and a transceiver or a transmitter;

a radiation shield around said host memory and said event memory;

a radiation detection memory, said radiation detection memory responsive to alpha radiation, said radiation detection memory comprised of two or more SRAM arrays, each SRAM of said two or more SRAM arrays array comprising cross-coupled inverters coupled to bitlines through pass-gate field effect transistors, gates of said pass-gate field effect transistors coupled to wordlines through capacitors, capacitors of different SRAM arrays of said two or more SRAM arrays having capacitors of different capacitance;

a conversion device proximate to said radiation detection memory, said conversion device comprising a material able to convert neutron, gamma or neutron and gamma radiation into alpha radiation; and

an event detection circuit within said host device, said event detection circuit configured to detect and to store data relative to detection of said alpha radiation events by said radiation detection memory in said event memory, said data including a soft error fail rate of each SRAM array of said radiation detection memory and a location of said personal radiation detection device when said alpha radiation was detected;

storing said data in said event memory;

retrieving, in a reading device, said data stored in said event memory;

determining, in said reading device, a radiation dose said host device has been exposed to based on data stored in said event memory; and

displaying (i) on a display unit of said reading device, said radiation dose and a location of said personal radiation detection device when said alpha radiation event was detected, (ii) on a computer screen of a computer linked to said reading device or (iii) on said display unit of said reading device and on said computer screen of said computer.

23. The method of claim 45, further including:

determining a medical treatment based on a protocol based on exposure of a human body to said radiation dose displayed on said reading device.

24. The method of claim 45, wherein said retrieving said data stored in said event memory includes physically placing said personal radiation detection device into said reading device.

27. The method of claim 45, wherein said host device is a cell phone and further including:

storing, in said event memory, an identification of a cell tower in communication with said host device when said radiation detection device detects a radiation exposure event.

28. The method of claim 45, further including:

periodically turning on said radiation detection memory, said microprocessor, said event memory, said host memory and said event detection circuit, sampling radiation levels, storing data relative to said sampling in said event memory and then turning off said radiation detection memory, said microprocessor, said event detection circuit, said host memory and said event memory.