Icohup introduces augmented radiation dosimetry
09/09
A breakthrough radiation protection technology for a totally new user experience
For workers exposed to X-ray and gamma radiation and who are required to enter designated areas where radiation protection is required, individual “passive” dosimeters have been the standard for many years. These conventional individual dosimeters, worn by each worker, must be sent to a lab so that the measurement data recorded can be read and analyzed – a process that takes up to four months. This kind of passive dosimetry does not meet current risk management and worker protection requirements and is generally considered to be obsolete.
For workers who must enter controlled areas, “operational” dosimeters can also be used. These dosimeters can be read directly, but they do present some security vulnerabilities, especially in medical settings. This is because the wearer must connect to a reader terminal to activate the dosimeter; the reader terminals are generally located in corridors near waiting rooms where they can potentially be accessed by anyone.
We designed our real-time connected dosimeter solution to solve these problems. Our technology represents a considerable breakthrough on the radiation dosimetry market. In addition to offering unique measurement capabilities, our communicating dosimeters transmit measurement data directly to a web-based platform and/or to a mobile app. Measurement data and dashboards can be accessed at any time from any computer or mobile device. Our fixed dosimeters are connected and transmit data continuously. Our operational dosimeters transmit data without the need for reader terminals, ensuring unprecedented levels of IT security.
Our dosimeters connect to our platform (available in SaaS mode or hosted on your machines), forming a very complete risk management tool. All data collected is transmitted, geolocated, time-stamped, and logged for full traceability. Measurements can be displayed on a map or floor plan to give you a clear, accurate picture of your environment. Alerts are generated automatically, and data can be exported in spreadsheet format in just a few clicks.
This is a new generation of dosimeter with the connectivity you would expect from any electronic device today. Our products communicate via WiFi, Ethernet, and 4G. Whether you are in charge of risk management or are a worker exposed to radiation, our products offer an experience that is totally unlike conventional radioprotection solutions.
Advanced features and greater precision
Our radioactivity sensors offer a level of performance that is unique on the radiation dosimetry market. They measure dose rate and perform a spectrometric analysis simultaneously.
Our RiumBox fixed dosimeter is 50 times more sensitive than conventional passive dosimeters, for instance. It also generates visible and audible status indicators and alerts:
- Blue light: dosimeter connected, and remote supervision and data recording are guaranteed. This light will flash if the connection is lost (the data are still recorded and logged, however).
- Green light: measurements are within the normal dose/dose rate range (below threshold 1); thresholds (1 and 2) can be configured for each dosimeter using a special utility that runs on Windows.
- Red light: measurements are above threshold 1 (such as when an X-ray is taken).
- Audible alert: measurements are above threshold 2; thresholds (1 and 2) can be configured for each dosimeter using a special utility that runs on Windows.
More affordable than conventional dosimetry solutions
How is this possible? Mainly because you don’t need to purchase nearly as many individual dosimeters as with conventional solutions. Take the following example of a medical radiology practice we equipped with our solution. For a five-treatment-room practice, we were able to replace seventeen passive dosimeters (personal quarterly, ambient monthly in the treatment rooms, ambient in the areas adjacent to the treatment rooms) with just eight RiumBox fixed dosimeters for a solution that meets the most recent regulatory requirements.
In addition to saving on the equipment, you will also save on operating expenditures. You will no longer need to spend time and money receiving, setting up, packaging, and sending off passive dosimeters for analysis. These additional savings make our fixed dosimeter solution one of the most affordable on the market.
Our operational dosimeters are also much more affordably priced than other operational dosimeters.
Would you like to know more about how our products work? Or how much it would cost to equip your facility? Request a quotation online today!
At Icohup, we take protecting your workers and their environment from ionizing radiation seriously. Bringing you the most effective radioprotection solutions available on the market is our mission. Our augmented dosimetry system brings you greater connectivity and sensitivity at an affordable price. For you, this means practicality, performance, savings, and, above all, protection you can trust.