Abstract: An infrared radiation source for gas detection, with a thin layer infrared radiator that is arranged in the interior chamber of a protective housing that includes a support surface for the thin layer infrared radiator and an exit window for the infrared radiation arranged at a distance opposite the support surface. The thin layer infrared radiator includes a platinum layer and at least one structurally defined de-gassing canal with an entry opening and an exit opening that leads from the interior chamber of the protective housing to the outside. For non-critical applications, the de-gassing canal is not sealed. For critical applications, it may be sealed by a sealing membrane that is water impermeable, water vapor permeable and open for gas diffusion, with the sealing membrane preferably being semi-permeable.