Scribd
Upload
24 views9 pages

3C- Radiation Detection _ Measurements_220603_165852

The document provides an overview of radiation detection and measurement techniques, focusing on various types of gas-filled detectors and dosimeters, including film badges, thermoluminescent dosimeters, and direct reading dosimeters. It discusses the operation and applications of survey meters, including GM counters and well counters, as well as the principles of conducting radiological surveys. Additionally, it explains the differences between counts per minute (CPM) and decays per minute (DPM) in the context of radiation measurement.

Uploaded by

msghurab
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
24 views9 pages

3C- Radiation Detection _ Measurements_220603_165852

The document provides an overview of radiation detection and measurement techniques, focusing on various types of gas-filled detectors and dosimeters, including film badges, thermoluminescent dosimeters, and direct reading dosimeters. It discusses the operation and applications of survey meters, including GM counters and well counters, as well as the principles of conducting radiological surveys. Additionally, it explains the differences between counts per minute (CPM) and decays per minute (DPM) in the context of radiation measurement.

Uploaded by

msghurab
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 9

Radiation Detection &

Measurements

Hassan Al-Ghamdi, M.Sc, ABMP


Health Physics Consultant
Health, Safety & Environmental Department
Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare

Gas-Filled Detectors
A volume of gas is contained between two electrodes
having a voltage difference (and thus an electric field)
between them.

Electrical charge liberated by ionizing radiation is collected


by positive (anode) and negative (cathode) electrodes.

Radiation Detectors

1
Mechanism of radiation measurement

Radiological instrumentation

• Personal Dosimeters
• Survey Meters – Contamination
• GM
• Alpha Scintillation
• Survey Meters – Dose Rate Meters
• GM
• Ion chamber

2
Personal Dosimeters

Film Badge

Film badges, film badge


dosimeters, are small portable
devices for monitoring cumulative
radiation dose due to ionizing
radiation.
Principle of operation is similar as
for X-ray pictures.
The badge consists of two parts:
Photographic film, and a holder.
The film is contained inside a badge.

Thermoluminescent Dosimeters (TLDs)

A thermoluminescent dosimeter, or TLD, is a type of radiation


dosimeter, consisting of a piece of a thermoluminescent crystalline
material inside a radiolucent package.

3
Direct Reading Dosimeters

Direct reading (active) dosimeters are lightweight, compact


instruments that provide an immediate indication of the dose or
dose rate. Wide variations exist in their cost and design but, in
general, such devices have an unsatisfactory energy response
which may be either heightened or poor at low photon energies.

Typical Electronic Pocket Dosimeters

Survey Meters

ion chambers
• Portable ion chambers are used
as survey instruments for
radiation monitoring purposes.
• Good for x and Gamma Rays
• Measures exposure Rontgen
• Can be used at high dose rates
• No audio

4
GM Muller Detector

• GM counter produces a very large signal

• Very fast response

• High Sensitivity.

• Thick window, block low energies

Well Counter
It is a shielded single crystal of NaI(Tl) with
a hole (well) in one end of the crystal for the
insertion of the sample.

• NaI(Tl) well counters are used almost


exclusively to count x-ray or γ-ray-emitting
radionuclides.

• Well counters are used primarily for assay


of radioactivity in blood and urine sample
and also are used for wipe tests in radiation
safety monitoring.

Thyroid Probe
It is a crystal scintillation detector for
measuring the radioactivity in a
patient’s thyroid gland.

• A typical probe system employs a


NaI(Tl) crystal coupled to a single
PMT, and is surrounded by a
cylindrical collimator to restrict counts
to the area of interest.

5
Survey Meter - Contamination
• Instrument Description
• Pancake Probe/Geiger-Mueller
• OFF
• Battery Check
• Scale
• Multiplier
• Audio
• Fast/Slow
• Reset
• Alpha, Beta, and Gamma
• Survey: Patient, Personnel, Area
• Units - counts per minute (cpm)

Preparing to Survey

• Start radiological survey


sheet
– Look for damage to instrument
(esp. probe)
– Calibration date
– Battery check
– Response check
– Instrument ID
– Name
– Record background radiation
level away from patient.
– What is contaminated?
– 2-3 times background

How to Survey

• Make sure you turn on the instrument


• Start with the Most Sensitive Scale (adjust as needed)
• Always know what multiplier you are using
• Digital instruments auto-range
• Survey on “Fast” setting
• ½ inch from the surface
• 2-3 inches per second
• Careful not to contaminate your detector. Beta/gamma - cover
probe
• Triage survey
• Get out of the way
• Quantitate, switch to “Slow”

6
CPM Vs, DPM

• CPM= Counts per minute

• DPM=decays per minutes

• There may be4 or more decays befor one particle happens


to go into the detector
• Radiation goes in all directions

7
CPM Vs, DPM

• Some hand instruments register about one COUNT per


DECAYS

• -1 CPM=10 DPM (called efficiency)

• Efficiency =CPM/ dpm

Dose Rate Meter

Geiger Mueller Detector

Very durable
Good energy response

Not good for high dose


rate

Start dose rate meter on the


highest scale.

Examples for Estimating Dose

Gamma radiation fields assuming 1 R=1 rad

Exposure Time (minutes)


Dose Rate 5 10 60
500 R/hr 41.7 rad 83.3 rad 500 rad
20 mR/hr 1.67 mrad 3.33 mrad 20 mrad
1 R/hr 0.083 rad 0.167 rad 1 rad
100 R/hr 8.3 rad 16.7 rad 100 rad

8
Summary

You might also like