Device and arrangement for sensing and displaying radiation

• US 7,786,449 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unfors Raysafe AB (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Tomas Unfors
• Inventors: Unfors, Tomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta; David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOOSALIS, FANI POLYZOS
• Application Number:
  US12/160,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20090078882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 250/394, 250/388, 250/361.R, 250/370.07, 250/474.1
• US Class Current: 250/394
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/026 Semiconductor dose-rate meters

Abstract

An arrangement for detecting and initiating indication of doses of radiation includes radiation dose receiving elements and function handling elements for storing and displaying received radiations/radiation doses. The arrangement is operable by one or several power sources, and includes one or several portable meters exhibiting miniature external dimensions and having internal power sources. The respective meter is provided with radiation receiving elements and function handling elements. Each meter includes one or several preferably continuously connected first components, requiring low power, and temporarily connectable second components, requiring increased or increasing power in relation to the low power. One or several third components, handling the temporary connection and disconnection of the second component or components, is/are included. The first components are activated at low radiation intensities and the second components are connected when high radiation intensities are occurring. The third components connect and disconnect the second components at the different intensities.

Claims

1. An arrangement for detecting and initiating indication of doses of radiation (16), comprising:

means for receiving radiation dose (13a, 17;

13b, 18;

13c, 19); and

means for function handling (20) for storing and displaying received radiations/radiation doses,

said means for function handling being operable by one or several power sources (11), including one or several portable meters (1) exhibiting miniature external dimensions and having a power source assigned thereto, and wherein the respective meter is provided with a means for receiving radiation dose and a means for function handling of its own,

wherein said meter includes one or several first components (22, 23, 24), requiring low power and being activated when receiving low radiation intensities, one or several temporarily connectable second components (29, 30, 31, 32), requiring increased or increasing electrical power in relation to the low electrical power and including a current/voltage amplifier (29) being activated when receiving increased or higher radiation intensities, and one or several third components (33), handling a temporary connection and disconnection of the second component or components when the increased or higher radiation intensities are starting and ending, respectively.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said means for function handling (20) include first and second means for function handling, wherein the respective meter includes the first means for function handling, and the second means for function handling (50) is located outside the meter (1) and constitute or are included in an actuatable control unit.

3. The arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the means for function handling (20) and the first means for function handling of the meter, respectively, include a microcomputer (34), including and/or being connected to means for memory (39, 40), and means for indicating means for indicating light (6, 7, 8) and/or means for emitting sound (40).

4. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the respective meter (1) is provided with a power receiving circuit (43) for inductive reception of power arriving from outside the second means for function handling (44, 50).

5. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein one or several meters includes/include two or several sensors (62, 63) compensating for different types of radiation energies.

6. A meter (1, 57, 58) for detecting and initiating indication of doses of radiation (16), comprising:

means for receiving radiation dose; and

means for function handling (20) for storing and displaying received radiations/radiation doses,

said means for function handling being operable by one or several power sources (11), and exhibiting miniature external dimensions,

wherein said means for function handling (20) include one or several continuously connected first components (21), requiring low electrical power and being activated when receiving low radiation intensities, one or several temporarily connectable second components (28), requiring increased or increasing electrical power in relation to the low electrical power, including a current/voltage amplifier (29), and being activated when receiving increased or higher radiation intensities, and one or several third components (33), controlling the temporary connection and disconnection of the second component or components when the increased or higher radiation intensities are starting and ending, respectively.

7. The meter according to claim 6, wherein the means for function handling (20) includes/include sensor arrangements (13a, 17;

13b, 18;

13 c, 19), means for sampling and means for memory, and means for indicating radiation (6, 7, 8, 48) are substantially insensitive to temperature variation.

8. The meter according to claim 7, wherein the means for radiation indication includes a piezoelectric element (48), wherein said means for radiation indication includes a buzzer, which inversely functions as a push button by generating a an electric signal, being perceivable as a key stroke, when the push button is subjected to a mechanical impact.

9. The meter according to claim 7, wherein the means for radiation indication are light emitting elements including a green light emitting diode (6) flashing a number of times, or once per time period, or once per minute, when radiation intensity and/or accumulated dose is acceptable or absent, and/or an orange/yellow light emitting diode (7) giving single, double or triple flash during the time period, if a dose intensity exceeds a predetermined level (one, two, three) and/or a red light emitting diode (8) giving single, double or triple flash during the time period, if an accumulated dose exceeds the predetermined level (one, two, three).

10. The meter according to claim 6, wherein the first components (21) include a first pulse amplifier (22), a comparator and a pulse counter (24) being connected in series.

11. The meter according to claim 10, wherein the pulse counter (24) is connected to the digital in/out unit (36), and that a microcomputer unit (34) is activatable in predetermined intervals by said pulse counter (24) in dependence of pulses (26, 27), being emitted therefrom and representing numbers generated by the counter (24), and that the microcomputer unit (34) is handling said temporary connection of the second component or components (28) via a signal pulse (37).

12. The meter according to claim 6, wherein the second components (28) include a voltage/frequency converter (31) and a second pulse counter (32) being connectable in series, and a voltage/voltage converter (30) being connected in parallel to said voltage/frequency converter and second pulse counter.

13. The meter according to claim 6, wherein the third component or components is/are handling the temporary connection and disconnection by detecting the reception, by the first component or components, of the reception of radiation, by the means for radiation dose receiving.

14. The meter according to claim 13, wherein the first component or components detects/detect pulses caused by the low received radiation intensity and, in dependence of the pulses, generates/generate numbers at a predetermined interval or predetermined intervals.

15. The meter according to claim 14, wherein t the third component or components detects/detect said number/numbers and, when exceeding or falling below this or these, connects/connect or disconnects/disconnect the second component or components.

16. The meter according to claim 15, wherein the third component or components connects/connect or disconnects/disconnect the increasing or higher electrical power immediately/rapidly, or within 0.001-10 seconds.

17. An arrangement for detecting and initiating indication of doses of radiation (16), comprising:

at least one sensor configured for receiving radiation dose (13a, 17;

13b, 18;

13c, 19); and

a function handler (20) configured for storing and displaying received radiations/radiation doses,

said function handler (20) being operable by at least one power source (11), including at least one portable meter (1) exhibiting miniature external dimensions and having a power source assigned thereto, and wherein the respective meter is provided with a sensor configured for receiving radiation dose and a function handler of its own,

wherein said meter includes one or several first components (22, 23, 24), requiring low power and being activated when receiving low radiation intensities, one or several temporarily connectable second components (29, 30, 31, 32), requiring increased or increasing electrical power in relation to the low electrical power and including a current/voltage amplifier (29) being activated when receiving increased or higher radiation intensities, and one or several third components (33), handling a temporary connection and disconnection of the second component or components when the increased or higher radiation intensities are starting and ending, respectively.

18. The arrangement according to claim 17, wherein said function handler (20) includes first and second function handlers, wherein the respective meter includes the first function handler, and the second function handler is located outside the meter (1) and constitute or are included in an actuatable control unit.

19. The arrangement according to claim 18, wherein the function handler (20) and the first function handler the meter, respectively, include a microcomputer (34), including and/or being connected to a memory (39, 40), and an indicator, a light indicator (6, 7, 8) and/or a sound emitter (40).

20. The arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the respective meter (1) is provided with a power receiving circuit (43) for inductive reception of power arriving from outside the second function handler (44, 50).