Method of detecting and transmitting radiation detection information to a network

• US 7,491,948 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wisnieff, Robert L., Rodbell, Kenneth P., Gordon, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta; David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Green; Yara B
• Application Number:
  US11/342,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20080308747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 438/56
• US Class Current: 250/472.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/04 Chemical dosimeters G01T1/06, G01T1/08 take precedence

Abstract

A method of detecting and transmitting radiation detection information to a network. The method including: communicating with one or more personal radiation detection devices, each device including, a host memory, an event memory, a microprocessor, a global positioning unit and a transceiver or a transmitter; a radiation shield around the host memory and the event memory; a radiation detection memory, the radiation detection memory, responsive to alpha radiation and including two or more SRAM arrays including cross-coupled invertors coupled to wordlines through different value capacitors; a conversion device including a material able to convert neutron and/or gamma radiation into alpha radiation; and an event detection circuit configured to detect and to store data relative to detection of the alpha radiation events by the radiation detection memory; storing the data in the event memory; and retrieving, in a reading device of the network, the data stored in the event memory.

Claims

1. 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 invertors 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 layer device proximate to said radiation detection layer memory, said conversion layer 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.

2. The method of claim 1, 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.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said retrieving said data stored in said event memory includes physically placing said personal radiation detection device into said reading device.

4. The method of claim 1, 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.

5. The method of claim 1, 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.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said two or more SRAM arrays are formed in a silicon chip and said conversion layer resides in a layer of said silicon chip.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said radiation detection memory is contained in a wire bonded integrated circuit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said radiation detection memory is contained in a flip-chip bonded integrated circuit.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said conversion device comprises a first plate proximate to a bottom surface of said radiation detection memory and a second plate proximate to a top surface of said radiation detection memory.