Individual electronic dosimetry installation

• US 5,235,318 A
• Filed: 11/14/1991
• Issued: 08/10/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Merlin Gerin
• Original Assignee: Gerin Merlin
• Inventors: Schulcz, Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Application Number:
  US07/791,397
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 340/505, 340/573, 340/539, 340/825.31, 340/825.32, 340/531, 340/572, 250/388, 250/336.1
• US Class Current: 340/505
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/02 Dosimeters G01T1/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/026 Semiconductor dose-rate meters
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

The installation is designed for automatic surveillance of the radiation dose absorbed by an individual carrying a dosimeter during his stay in a specific zone. Each access point to this zone comprises a reader able to transmit a radioelectric wave carrying a proximity signal and possibly other data to the dosimeter. This signal is received by the dosimeter, and the latter retransmits a wave carrying measuring and identification data, and so on, to the reader.

Claims

1. An individual electronic dosimetry system designed for surveillance of the radiation does absorbed by an individual carrying an electronic dosimeter while located in a specified zone to be monitored, said system comprising:

at least one individual portable dosimeter including a first sub-assembly for measuring the amount of radiation received by the portable dosimeter and generating corresponding measuring data and for generating identification data specific to the dosimeter, and a second sub-assembly for performing data transmissions and/or exchanges of the measuring and identification data between the first sub-assembly and at least one electronic reading device placed at an access point to the zone to be monitored;

wherein the electronic reading device includes means for processing the measuring and identification data which is transmitted to it by the dosimeter, and means for transmitting to the dosimeter a proximity signal that triggers the second sub-assembly to transmit the measuring and identification data to the electronic reading device by carrier wave.

2. The individual dosimeter system according to claim 1, wherein the second sub-assembly comprises a receiver for demodulating data transmitting by the electronic reading device to enable an almost instantaneous exchange of data and/or instruction between the electronic reading device and the first sub-assembly.

3. The individual dosimeter system according to claim 1, wherein an additional reading device is provided at each access point to a particular room within the zone to be monitored.

4. The individual dosimeter system according to claim 1, wherein the reading device is connected by a computer link to a central device located outside of the zone to be monitored.

5. The individual dosimeter system according to claim 1, wherein the carrier waves used by the electronic reading device are radioelectric waves.

6. An individual electronic dosimetry system for surveying a radiation dose absorbed by a person carrying a portable individual dosimeter while in a specific zone to be monitored, said system comprising:

a portable dosimeter comprising a measuring and identification sub-assembly, including a radiation detector connected to a microprocessor, for counting pulses corresponding to a received radiation dose;

a radioelectric transmission sub-assembly, including a receiver and a transmitter, for performing data transmissions between the measuring and identification sub-assembly and at least one electronic reading device located at an access point to the zone to be monitored;

a first antenna coupled to the receiver of the radioelectric transmission sub-assembly; and

a second antenna coupled to the transmitter of the radioelectric transmission sub-assembly;

wherein the electronic reading device includes a transmitter/receiver sub-assembly coupled to a third antenna that transmits information to the first antenna and receives information from the second antenna through the third antenna;

wherein the dosimeter includes a first electrical link, coupled to the receiver and the microprocessor, for sending a control signal transmitted by the electronic reading device and received by the receiver to the microprocessor; and

a second electrical link, coupled to the microprocessor and the transmitter, for sending measuring and identification data contained in the microprocessor to the transmitter when the microprocessor receives the control signal.

7. An individual electronic dosimetry system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the receiver of the radioelectric transmission sub-assembly includes a demodulator.

8. An individual electronic dosimetry system as claimed in claim 6, wherein a frequency divider device is inserted between the receiver and the transmitter of the radioelectric transmission sub-assembly.

9. An individual electronic dosimetry system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said electronic reading device is connected by a bus to a central processing circuit located outside of the zone to be monitored.