SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR WIRELESS, MOTION AND POSITION-SENSING, INTEGRATING RADIATION SENSOR FOR OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DOSIMETRY

• US 20130325357A1
• Filed: 06/03/2013
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Landauer, Inc. (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Landauer, Inc. (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: VALENTINO, DANIEL J., WALEROW, P. ALEXANDER, SALASKY, MARK R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,803,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/02 Dosimeters G01T1/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 7/00 Details of radiation-measuring instruments

Abstract

Described is a radiation dose calculation algorithm based upon the output of a radiation dosimeter including multiple sensor devices (including one or more passive integrating radiation sensors and optionally, a MEMS accelerometers, a wireless transmitters a GPS, a thermistor, or other chemical, biological or EMF sensors). The algorithm is used to convert the sensor output into dose values used to assess the exposure of personnel to ionizing radiation. Sensor output patterns are matched to stored empirically generated sensor outputs thru weighting and optimization calculation processes to determine personnel doses. Algorithm outputs can include personal dose equivalents, radiation types, radiation energy and radiation source identification. Dose calculations can be optimized for specific applications, and matched to different sets of measured data without changing the underlining software calculation programs.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a storage medium for storing computer-readable code; and

a processor for executing the computer-readable code, the computer-readable code when executed, causing the processor to perform operations comprising;

(a) reading sensor output data from a computer storage medium and transforming the data to dose information;

(b) checking for error conditions in the inputted data;

(c) calculating radiation dose values for each source in a response matrix;

(d) calculating total radiation reportable dose values;

(e) estimating a likely source of radiation dose values;

(f) calculating final net radiation dose values; and

(g) outputting the final net radiation dose values and status codes to external storage media for use in occupational and environmental dosimetry.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the final net radiation dose values are outputted to a computer storage device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the error conditions are outputted to a computer storage device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein step (e) includes assessing radiation quality of the radiation dose values.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the radiation dose values are outputted to a computer storage device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein step (c) includes calculating an expected source dose with a data-fitting procedure.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the inputs are the converted values, sensor outputs and stored source response matrix values.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein step (c) includes calculating a response matrix weighting factor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the response matrix weighting factor is calculated using a goodness-of-fit statistic.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein step (c) includes calculating a response matrix weighting factor.

11. The system of claim 10, including calculating a dose contribution from the product of the response matrix weighting factor, expected source dose, and dose conversion factor for prescribed personal dose equivalent values.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the prescribed personal dose equivalent values are for Hp(10 mm), Hp(0.07 mm), and Hp(3 mm).

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the data includes dosimeter readout data, background dose data, and response matrix data.

14. The system of claim 13, including calculating net radiation dose values by subtracting reportable doses and background doses.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the net radiation dose values are outputted to a computer storage device.

16. A machine readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause one or more electronic devices to perform a set of operations comprising the following steps:

(a) reading sensor output data from a computer storage medium and transforming the data to dose information;

(b) checking for error conditions in the inputted data;

(c) calculating radiation dose values for each source in a response matrix;

(d) calculating total radiation reportable dose values;

(e) estimating a likely source of radiation dose values; and

(f) outputting the final net radiation dose values and status codes to external storage media for use in occupational and environmental dosimetry.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the final net radiation dose values are outputted to a computer storage device.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein the error conditions are outputted to a computer storage device.

19. The medium of claim 16, wherein step (e) includes assessing radiation quality of the radiation dose values.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the radiation dose values are outputted to a computer storage device.

21. The medium of claim 16, wherein step (c) includes calculating an expected source dose with a data-fitting procedure.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein the inputs are the converted values, sensor outputs and stored source response matrix values.

23. The medium of claim 16, wherein step (c) includes calculating a response matrix weighting factor.

24. The medium of claim 23, wherein the response matrix weighting factor is calculated using a goodness-of-fit statistic.

25. The medium of claim 16, wherein step (c) includes calculating a response matrix weighting factor.

26. The medium of claim 25, including calculating a dose contribution from the product of the response matrix weighting factor, expected source dose, and dose conversion factor for prescribed personal dose equivalent values.

27. The medium of claim 26, wherein the prescribed personal dose equivalent values are for Hp(10 mm), Hp(0.07 mm), and Hp(3 mm).

28. The medium of claim 16, wherein the data includes dosimeter readout data, background dose data, and response matrix data.

29. The medium of claim 28, including calculating net radiation dose values by subtracting reportable doses and background doses.

30. The medium of claim 29, wherein the net radiation dose values are outputted to a computer storage device.

44. The method of claim 28, including calculating net radiation dose values by subtracting reportable doses and background doses.

45. The method stem of claim 44, wherein the net radiation dose values are outputted to a computer storage device.

31. A method of generating numerically optimized radiation dose values comprising:

(a) reading sensor output data from a computer storage medium and transforming the data to dose information;

(b) checking for error conditions in the inputted data;

(c) calculating radiation dose values for each source in a response matrix;

(d) calculating total radiation reportable dose values;

(e) estimating a likely source of radiation dose values;

(f) outputting the final net radiation dose values and status codes to external storage media for use in occupational and environmental dosimetry.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the final net radiation dose values are outputted to a computer storage device.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the error conditions are outputted to a computer storage device.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein step (e) includes assessing radiation quality of the radiation dose values.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the radiation dose values are outputted to a computer storage device.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein step (c) includes calculating an expected source dose with a data-fitting procedure.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the inputs are the converted values, sensor outputs and stored source response matrix values.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein step (c) includes calculating a response matrix weighting factor.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the response matrix weighting factor is calculated using a goodness-of-fit statistic.

40. The method of claim 31, wherein step (c) includes calculating a response matrix weighting factor.

41. The method of claim 40, including calculating a dose contribution from the product of the response matrix weighting factor, expected source dose, and dose conversion factor for prescribed personal dose equivalent values.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the prescribed personal dose equivalent values are for Hp(10 mm), Hp(0.07 mm), and Hp(3 mm).

43. The method of claim 31, wherein the data includes dosimeter readout data, background dose data, and response matrix data.