RADIATION DETECTION SCHEMES, APPARATUS AND METHODS OF TRANSMITTING RADIATION DETECTION INFORMATION TO A NETWORK
Personal radiation detection devices, methods of obtaining radiation exposure data, and networks of personal radiation devices. The detection devices may include passive devices and active devices. The passive detection devices may have the same form factor as credit cards or be included in common types of credit card form factor sized cards.
This application is a Division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/342,429 filed on Jan. 30, 2006.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to the field of radiation detection; more specifically, it relates to radiation detection schemes and apparatus and methods of transmitting radiation detection information to a network.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn the event of a nuclear event such as a conventional or “dirty” nuclear weapon occurring in a metropolitan, suburban or rural area, there are two problems that would arise immediately for healthcare providers and first responders. The first problem would be determining the extent of radiation exposure for persons brought to hospitals or being treated by first responders. In the case where there are a large numbers of potential victims and limited healthcare resources, triage becomes essential, but there is currently no way to perform radiation exposure triage absent physical symptoms, and wherein those physical symptoms can be unreliable. The second problem is determining both the geographic extent and exposure level distribution of the radiation event as well as determining an estimate of the number of potential victims in the area affected.
Therefore, there is a need for radiation detection schemes and apparatus and methods of transmitting radiation detection information to networks that address healthcare triage and an estimate of the radiation level and potential victim geographical distributions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA first aspect of the present invention is a personal radiation detection device, comprising: a body having a frontside and a opposing backside; a window in the body, the opening open to the frontside and the backside of the body; and a radiation detection layer positioned in the window, the radiation detection layer comprising a material that will undergo a change in optical density, color, color intensity, electrical capacitance, electrical conductance or tensile strength upon exposure to ionizing radiation.
A second aspect of the present invention is a method of performing triage based on an exposure level to nuclear radiation, comprising: obtaining one or more personal radiation detection devices, each personal radiation detection device comprising: a body having a frontside and a opposing backside; a window in the body, the window open to the frontside and the backside of the body; and a radiation detection layer positioned in the window, the radiation detection layer comprising a material that will undergo a change in optical density, color, color intensity, electrical capacitance, electrical conductance or tensile strength upon exposure to ionizing radiation; and determining a radiation dose recorded by the radiation detection layer in each device based on a change in optical density, color, color intensity, electrical capacitance, electrical conductance or tensile strength of the radiation detection layer.
A third aspect of the present invention is a network for collecting radiation exposure information, comprising: a multiplicity of personal radiation detection devices according the first aspect; one or more reading devices adapted to determine a radiation exposure dose recorded by the radiation detection layer, the radiation dose recorded as the change in optical density, color, color intensity, electrical capacitance, electrical conductance or tensile strength upon exposure to ionizing radiation; and one or more network computers connected to the one or more of the one or more reading devices and connected to each other, the network computers having software to compile and statistically manipulate recorded radiation exposure dose data received from the one or more reading devices or manually obtained and entered into one or more of the one or more network computers from one or more of the multiplicity of personal detection devices
The features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
A passive radiation detection device is a device that requires little or no power in order to detect and store a radiation exposure event. An active radiation detection device is a device that requires power in order to either detect a radiation exposure event, record data relating to a radiation exposure event or both detect the radiation exposure event and record data relating to the radiation exposure event. A radiation exposure event is a release of alpha (Helium nuclei), beta, gamma or neutron or other radioactive species (such as radioactive isotopes like 131I). The term radiation includes fluxes of alpha particles, beta particles, X-rays, gamma rays and neutrons, also commonly referred to as ionizing radiation, as well as fluxes of radioactive isotope particles that generate alpha particles, beta particles, X-rays and gamma rays. The term ionizing radiation means radiation (as described supra) of sufficient energy to cause ionization of the medium through which it passes.
It is commonly noted that an exposure of about 2.5 grays (250 rads) will cause death in 50% of the population within 60 days. In one example, the various radiation detection devices according to embodiments of the present invention advantageously are capable of detecting radiation dosages of up to 500 rads or 5 grays in increments of between 10 or less rads for total dosages below about 100 rads and increments of 25 rads or less for total dosages of above about 100 rads.
In one example body 105 has about the same dimensions (form factor) as commonly used credit cards. Common credit cards have a length dimension D1 of between about 82 mm (2.88 inches) and about 89 mm (about 3.25 inches), a width dimension D2 of between about 53 mm (2.1 inches) and about 67 mm (about 2.63 inches) and a thickness dimension D3 of between about 0.254 mm (0.10 inches) and about 1.02 mm (about 0.040 inches). In one example, the radiation detection device is a specially issued hospital or medical identification card. In another example, radiation detection device 100 is an actual credit card or driver's license fitted with opening 110 and radiation detection layer 115 and optional set of reference regions 117. Radiation detection layer comprises a material that undergoes a change in physical property upon exposure to radiation types described supra that requires no further processing (i.e. developing or other chemical, electrical or magnetic treatment) to be detectable by a reading device (described infra). In one example, the optical density (amount of light transmitted through radiation detection layer 115) changes. Examples of other physical properties of radiation detection layer 115 that may change upon exposure to the radiation types described supra, include color, color intensity (vividness of hue), electrical conductance, capacitance and tensile strength or stiffness (resistance to bending).
In one example, radiation detection device 100 is about the size of a typical customer identification tag commonly issued by grocery stores and other businesses and intended to be attached to a key chain. In this example, radiation detection device 100 may include a small through hole 125.
In one example, radiation detection device is a military identification tag fitted with opening 110 and radiation detection layer 115 and optional set of reference regions 117.
Radiation detection device 100 may include an optional magnetic stripe 130 and/or an optional bar code 135 encoding various identification and/or logistic information. In
In one example, the information collected, particularly the radiation dose data would be used for triage purposes in order to determine the medical treatment required as well as to determine if treatment is required by the particular treatment protocol in effect.
It should be understood, while reading devices 145 and computers 155 are advantageously located in a hospital or other emergency facilities, reading devices 145 alone or with computers 155 may be located in emergency response vehicles.
One of ordinary skill in the art would be able to construct reading devices capable of measuring the electrical resistance, electrical conductance or tensile strength of radiation detection layer 115.
Alternatively, the use of a reading device could be dispensed with and event detection layer 115B “read” with the unaided eye by holding radiation detection device 110 (see
In
Returning to
U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,222 teaches methods for making passive detectors using conductive polymers and radiation sensitive materials and is hereby incorporated by reference. Radiation detector layers 115A and 115B may include conductive polymers which have variable electrical conductivity and/or absorption spectrum by doping with dopants described infra. The polymers include, for example, polyacetylene, polythiophene, polypyrrole, polyfuran, polyselenophene, poly-para-phenylene, poly-para-phenylenesulfide, polyaniline, poly-para-phenylenevinylene, poly-para-phenyleneoxide and polyheptadiyne. Radiation detector layers 115A and 115B may include materials which decompose and/or dissociate by exposure to radiation including electron beams, gamma-, alpha-, beta- and X-rays and neutron beams, and generate the substance composing the dopant of the above-described conductive polymers. These radiation sensitive materials include, for example, metal halides such as silver chloride, silver bromide, ferric fluoride, cupric fluoride, lead(II) iodide, bismith(III) iodide, cuprous iodide, silver iodide, cadmium iodide and diaryliodonium, triarylsulfonium and aryldiazonium salts having anions such as fluoride ion, chloride ion, bromide ion, iodide ion, perchlorate ion, tetrafluoroborate ion, hexafluorophosphate(V) ion, hexafluoroarsenate(V) ion and hexafluoroantimonate(V) ion. Radiation detector layers 115A and 115B may be solid matter consisting of the conductive polymers and the radiation sensitive materials. The solid matter is prepared by the following processes: In the first process, radiation sensitive materials are dispersed into or combined with the conductive polymers. In the second process, a layer of the solid conductive polymers is lapped with the layer of radiation sensitive materials or the layer containing the same. The actual procedures of these processes include immersion of the conductive polymers into the solution containing the radiation sensitive materials, compounding of the radiation sensitive materials in the molding step of the conductive polymers, co-polymerization of the conductive polymers with pendant radiation sensitive materials, and preparation of laminated structure by alternatively piling up conductive polymer films having proper thickness with other films obtained by impregnating the radiation sensitive materials into, for example, a polymer matrix.
First memory array 210 is adapted to be sensitive to alpha particles generating soft errors as explained infra. Second memory array 215 is adapted to store data relating to soft error events occurring in first memory array 210 and thus may be fitted with radiation blocking shields 260 to prevent the data from being altered by the present or subsequent radiation exposure events. Radiation exposure event detection/control circuit 230 detects soft errors in first memory array 210 and stores the number of soft errors per unit of time plus a total number of soft errors detected over a predetermined length of time. The number of soft fails is proportional to the radiation received. Generally soft errors are corrected by normal memory refresh cycles.
First memory array 210 may be fabricated so as to have a particular sensitivity to a radiation event. For example adding capacitances to critical paths, increasing the operating voltage, increasing the feature size, may be used to decrease a memory arrays soft error rate (SER). In one example, memory array 210 is comprised of six-transistor (6T) cells used in complementary metal-oxide-silicon (CMOS) static random access memory (SRAM) as illustrated in
In one example, host device 205 is a cell phone. In other examples, host device 205 is a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal music or video device, an iPOD™ device or other MP3 player, a personal compact disk (CD) player, a personal computer (PC) such as a laptop computer, a hand-help global positioning system (GPS) unit, or a desktop computer, or any device with a memory array and a microprocessor.
There are several modes of operation of host device 205 besides its normal function depending upon the type of host device. In the example, host device 205 is a cell phone, radiation exposure event data can be transmitted by placing a phone call to an emergency telephone number immediately (turning the phone on if it is off) or upon the phone being turned on. Alternatively, the data can be downloaded wirelessly or through I/O device 235 to a reading device in close proximity as illustrated in
If host device 205 is a PDA, laptop, or a PC, the radiation exposure event data can be transmitted immediately (wirelessly or wired) via the Internet (turning the PDA, laptop, or PC on if it is off) or upon the PC being turned on.
If host device 205 is equipped with GPS device 240, then the radiation exposure event data transmitted may include a precise location as well as radiation dosage and a date/time stamp.
If host device 205 is a cell phone, then the radiation exposure event data transmitted may include a general location based on the location of the nearest cell tower in communication with the cell phone as well as radiation dosage and a date/time stamp. The modern-generation of cellular phones all have GPS built into them to assist in locating the user in the event of a 911 (emergency call). More precise location information is available for cell phones if the interrogating system can take advantage of it.
Alpha-particle generating plate 255 needs to be sufficiently thin compared to the range of the alpha particles so that the alpha particles emerge with enough energy to make it to the silicon layer of the memory device or cell. This places a physical limitation on how far away this plate can be relative to first memory array 210 since the alpha particle lose energy in air. For this reason, it is advantageous to use wire-bonded integrated circuits.
Alternatively the backside of the silicon chip in which first memory array 210 is fabricated (or just the region of the backside of the silicon chip under the first memory array) may be doped, with the alpha-generating layer. In this embodiment, flip chip technology may be employed.
The sensitivity of individual cells 295 to an alpha particle strike can be controlled by changing the capacitance of the capacitor (the lower the capacitance the more sensitive the cell, the higher the capacitance, the less sensitive the cell). In one example, in the pre-radiation exposure event (or pre soft error state) all cells in DRAM array 290 are storing a logical 1. In one example, in the pre-radiation exposure event (or pre soft error state) all cells in DRAM array 290 are storing a logical 0.
The sensitivity of individual cells 305 to an alpha particle strike can be controlled by changing the capacitance of capacitor C1 and C2 if present (the lower the capacitance the more sensitive the cell, the higher the capacitance, the less sensitive the cell). Alternatively, sensitivity of individual cells 305 to an alpha particle strike can be controlled by changing the gate areas of NFET N3 or PFET P2. In one example, in the pre-radiation exposure event (or pre soft error state) all cells in SRAM array 300 are storing a logical 1. In one example, in the pre-radiation exposure event (or pre soft error state) all cells in DRAM array 300 are storing a logical 0.
In operation, the data of an SRAM cell is stored at one output of the inverter and the other output of the inverter is the inverse or complement of the cell value. The isolation NFETS protect the value stored in the cell during pre-charging of the bitlines. The size of the isolation transistor is selected to optimize the circuit operation. A wordline (WL) control signal allows the cell to be accessed for reading or writing when needed and turns off access to the cell otherwise.
To write new data into an SRAM cell, external tri-state drivers are activated to drive the BL and BLN when the wordline transistors are enabled. Since the external drivers are much larger than the small transistors used in the 6T SRAM cell, they easily override the previous state of the cross-coupled inverters. A short-circuit condition arises (for a fraction of the WL select period) when changing the information.
To read information, the wordline is activated while the external bitline drivers are switched off. Therefore, the inverters inside the SRAM cell drive the bitlines, whose value can be read-out by external logic.
The bitlines are precharged with wordline low (or off). Pre-charging enables the charging of both bitlines before a write or read operation. Once the proper bitline value is selected/written, the other bitline is discharged.
6T SRAM cells are sensitive to mismatches in threshold voltages (VTs) between adjacent transistors and devices within the SRAM cell. A dopant implant is used to set the activation threshold of the MOS transistors. The total number of dopant atoms is a function of the area under the gate of a MOS transistor. At small gate areas, the number of dopant atoms becomes a statistically significant variable, and can cause large random mismatches in activation threshold voltages for neighboring devices.
Therefore, it is possible to design SRAM cells of having more or less SER sensitivity to a radiation event by:
(1) scaling the area under the gate (NFET N3 or PFET P2 of
(2) scaling the voltage of the SRAM cell (higher voltage yields more cell stability);
(3) the addition of external capacitors (as described supra) and or resistors to the individual transistors or by putting these in parallel with, e.g., the BL or WL;
(4) using an SOI substrate (which greatly reduces the FET body volume); and
(5) using a triple well device or a device using a metal gate.
Additionally, 6T SRAM arrays of various SER sensitivities could be made in adjacent regions of an integrated circuit chip, thereby fabricating a detector with sensitivities to different radiation environments.
Alternatively, an SER based radiation detector can be made using a standard (unmodified) SRAM cell with no hardware modifications. Only software code would be required to access the upset rate of a standard SRAM cell commercially available and readily found in PDA and cell phones.
The sensitivity of individual NFETs 315 to an alpha particle strike can be controlled by device area, dopant profile distribution and dopant concentration as well as other device parameters. In one example, in the pre-radiation exposure event (or pre soft error state) all NFETs 315 in FLASH memory array 310 are storing a logical 1. In one example, in the pre-radiation exposure event (or pre soft error state) all NFETS 315 in FLASH memory array 315 are storing a logical 0.
In
Micro-Geiger counter 325 may be fabricated using conventional semiconductor techniques. An exemplary method of fabricating micro-Geiger counter 325 comprises:
(1) forming a trench in a silicon chip, forming a thin conformal layer of silicon nitride on all exposed silicon surfaces;
(2) filling the trench with oxide and polishing the oxide so it is coplanar with the silicon chip;
(3) forming wires 335 and bus bars 340 and 345, the bus bars not over the oxide fill, the wires over the oxide fill;
(4) removing the oxide fill, but not the silicon nitride;
(5) repeating steps (1) and (2) on another substrate to form a lid; and
(6) joining the lid to the silicon chip with an airtight sealant in a chamber filled with the appropriate counter gas, listed here, but not limited to: Ar, He, 3He, Xe, BF3 and an appropriate quenching gas.
An exemplary form of micro-Geiger counter 325 has following dimensions:
(1) the width of wire, 335 between about 1 micron and 5 microns;
(2) the distance between buss bars 340 and 345 between about 3 microns and about 25 microns;
(3) the length/width ratio of wires 335 between about 3:1 and 5:1.
(4) the depth of cavity 330 between about 100 microns and about 500 microns; and
(5) adjacent wire 335 spacing of between about 500 microns and about 1000 microns. After processing the micro-Geiger counter, in a process flow as described supra, wires 335 will be nearly circular in cross section.
Whether the radiation detector is a memory array sensitive to soft error failures or a micro-Geiger counter, power can be saved by (1) periodically turning on the radiation detector to sample radiation levels, (2) powering only the radiation detector and turning on the host device when radiation is detected or (3) periodically switching the host device and the radiation detector from a power saving mode to a powered mode to sample radiation levels.
Thus, the various embodiments of the present invention provide radiation detection schemes and apparatus and methods of transmitting radiation detection information to networks that address healthcare triage and an estimate of the radiation level and potential victim geographical distributions.
The description of the embodiments of the present invention is given above for the understanding of the present invention. It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein, but is capable of various modifications, rearrangements and substitutions as will now become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that the following claims cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A personal radiation detection device, comprising:
- a body having a frontside and an opposing backside;
- a window in said body, said window open to said frontside and said backside of said body; and
- a radiation detection layer positioned in said window, said radiation detection layer comprising a material that will undergo a change in optical density, color, color intensity, electrical capacitance, electrical conductance or tensile strength upon exposure to ionizing radiation.
2. The device of claim 1, said body further including equal length opposing top and bottom edges and equal length opposing left and right side edges, no width, length or thickness dimension of said body being greater that a corresponding width, length or thickness dimension of a common credit card.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein said radiation detection layer comprises regions having sensitivities to different doses of a same type or types of ionizing radiation.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein said ionizing radiation comprises alpha radiation, beta radiation, gamma radiation, neutron radiation or combinations thereof.
5. The device of claim 1, further including:
- a set of reference regions of varying optical density, color or color intensity corresponding to different levels of exposure of said radiation detection layer to corresponding doses of said ionizing radiation, said set of reference regions located within said window, said set of reference regions insensitive to said ionizing radiation.
6. A method of performing triage based on an exposure level to nuclear radiation, comprising:
- obtaining one or more personal radiation detection devices, each personal radiation detection device comprising: a body having a frontside and an opposing backside; a window in said body, said window open to said frontside and said backside of said body; and a radiation detection layer positioned in said window, said radiation detection layer comprising a material that will undergo a change in optical density, color, color intensity, electrical capacitance, electrical conductance or tensile strength upon exposure to ionizing radiation; and
- determining a radiation dose recorded by said radiation detection layer in each device based on a change in optical density, color, color intensity, electrical capacitance, electrical conductance or tensile strength of said radiation detection layer.
7. The device of claim 6, said body further including equal length opposing top and bottom edges and equal length opposing left and right side edges, no width, length or thickness dimension of said body being greater that a corresponding width, length or thickness dimension of a common credit card.
8. The method of claim 6, further including:
- determining a medical treatment based on a protocol based on exposure of a human body to said radiation dose recorded by said radiation detection layer.
9. The method of claim 6, wherein said determining a radiation dose recorded by said radiation detection layer includes placing said personal radiation detection device into a reading device.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein said reading device determines said change in optical density, color, color intensity, electrical capacitance, electrical conductance or tensile strength of said radiation detection layer.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein said reading device determines changes in optical density, color, color intensity of said radiation detection layer by passing a light beam through said radiation detection layer.
12. The method of claim 6,
- wherein said window in said personal radiation detection device includes a set of reference regions of varying optical density, color or color intensity corresponding to different levels of exposure of said radiation detection layer to corresponding doses of said ionizing radiation, said set of reference regions located within said window, said set of reference regions insensitive to said ionizing radiation; and
- further including, comparing an optical density, color or color intensity said set of reference regions to a corresponding an optical density, color or color intensity of said radiation detection layer in order to determine said radiation dose recorded by said radiation sensitive layer.
13. The method of claim 6,
- wherein said window in said personal radiation detection device includes a set of reference regions of varying optical density, color or color intensity corresponding to different levels of exposure of said radiation detection layer to corresponding doses of said ionizing radiation, said set of reference regions located within said window, said set of reference regions insensitive to said ionizing radiation; and
- further including, a reading device comparing an optical density, color or color intensity said set of reference regions to a corresponding an optical density, color or color intensity of said radiation detection layer in order to determine said radiation dose recorded by said radiation sensitive layer.
14. The method of claim 6, wherein said ionizing radiation comprises alpha radiation, beta radiation, gamma radiation, neutron radiation or combinations thereof.
15. A network for collecting radiation exposure information, comprising:
- a multiplicity of personal radiation detection devices according to claim 1;
- one or more reading devices adapted to determine a radiation exposure dose recorded by said radiation detection layer, said radiation dose recorded as said change in optical density, color, color intensity, electrical capacitance, electrical conductance or tensile strength upon exposure to said ionizing radiation; and
- one or more network computers connected to said one or more of said one or more reading devices and connected to each other, said network computers having software to compile and statistically manipulate recorded radiation exposure dose data received from said one or more reading devices and entered into one or more of said one or more network computers from one or more of said multiplicity of personal detection devices.
16. The network of claim 15, wherein bodies of each personal radiation device of said multiplicity of personal radiation detection devices further include equal length opposing top and bottom edges and equal length opposing left and right side edges, no width, length or thickness dimension of said body being greater that a corresponding width, length or thickness dimension of a common credit card.
17. The network of claim 1, wherein said radiation detection layer of each personal radiation device of said multiplicity of personal radiation detection devices comprises regions having sensitivities to different doses of a same type or types of ionizing radiation.
18. The network of claim 15, wherein said ionizing radiation comprises alpha radiation, beta radiation, gamma radiation, neutron radiation or combinations thereof.
19. The network of claim 13, wherein each personal radiation device of said multiplicity of personal radiation detection devices further includes a set of reference regions of varying optical density, color or color intensity corresponding to different levels of exposure of said radiation detection layer to corresponding doses of said ionizing radiation, said set of reference regions located within said window, said set of reference regions insensitive to said ionizing radiation.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 2, 2008
Publication Date: Apr 30, 2009
Inventors: Michael S. Gordon (Yorktown Heights, NY), Kenneth P. Rodbell (Sandy Hook, CT), Robert L. Wisnieff (Ridgefield, CT)
Application Number: 12/326,198
International Classification: G01T 1/00 (20060101);