A study on the real-time radiation dosimetry measurement system based on optically stimulated luminescence

The optically stimulated luminescent (OSL) radiation dosimeter technically surveys a wide dynamic measurement range and a high sensitivity. Optical fiber dosimeters provide capability for remote monitoring of the radiation in the locations which are difficult-to-access and hazardous. In addition, optical fiber dosimeters are immune to electrical and radio-frequency interference. In this paper, a novel remote optical fiber radiation dosimeter is described. The optical fiber dosimeter takes advantage of the charge trapping materials CaS:Ce, Sm that exhibit OSL. The measuring range of the dosimeter is from 0.1 to 100 Gy.     

The study on optically stimulated luminescence dosimeter based on the SrS：Eu,Sm and CaS：Eu,Sm

With the increasing use of nuclear energy, there is a need for a wider range of efficient dosimeters for radiation detection and assessment. There has been a tremendous growth in the development of radiation detectors and devices in the past few decades. In recent years, the development of new materials for radiation dosimetry has progressed significantly. Alkaline earth sulfides （AES） have been known for a long time as excellent and versatile phosphor materials. In the present investigation, a number of phosphor samples such as mono-, binary and ternary sulfides of alkaline earths （II^a-VI^b） have been prepared and their TL properties have been studied with respect to exposure （x-ray） response and fading. In this paper, some results on SrS：Eu, Sm and CaS：Eu, Sm phosphors are presented. A type of novel OSL dosimeter is described. The dosimeter takes advantage of the characteristics of charge trapping materials SrS：Eu, Sm and CaS：Eu, Sm that exhibit optically stimulated luminescence （OSL）. The measuring range of the dosimeter is from 0.01 to 1000 Gy. The OSL dosimeters provide capability for remote monitoring radiation locations which are difficult to access and hazardous. This equipment is relatively simple, small in size and has low power consumption. The device is suitable for space radiation dose exploration. In addition, it also can be used in IC and other radiation occasions and has good prospects.     

TL and OSL dosimetric properties of Opal gemstone for gamma radiation dosimetry

In this work, the response of the natural material Opal was studied in relation to its thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), after exposure to the gamma radiation of a ⁶⁰Co source. The structure of the powdered Opal was verified using the X-ray diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques. The material, in its stone form, was turned into powder and mixed to Teflon (also in powder) in three different concentrations, and then pellets were manufactured. The aim of this work was to evaluate the response of these pellets in high-doses of gamma radiation beams, and to observe their possible application as dosimeters, using the TL and OSL techniques. The dosimetric properties of the samples were analyzed by means of different tests, as: TL emission curves and OSL signal decay curves, reproducibility of TL and OSL response, minimum detectable dose, TL and OSL dose–response curves (5 Gy–10 kGy), and fading. The results obtained in this work, for the TL and OSL phenomena, demonstrated that the pellets of Opal + Teflon present an adequate performance e possibility of use as dosimeters in beams of high-dose gamma radiation.     

面向个人剂量计校准的小尺度伽玛参考辐射模拟研究

针对伽玛射线个人剂量计基于标准伽玛参考辐射进行校准时检定效率低、校准工作复杂和需要远程送检的关键技术问题,建构了1 Ci 137Cs放射源小尺度参考辐射场物理模型,采用蒙特卡罗方法,研究了小尺度参考辐射场内的剂量分布、装置结构和待检剂量计变化导致散射射线对剂量场的影响,获得了待检剂量计形状、数量、类型和装置结构产生的散射伽玛射线对小尺度参考辐射量值定度的影响结果。研究结果表明,1 Ci 137Cs可以为小尺度参考辐射辐射场检验点提供1.5 mSv/h的伽玛遂行剂量率,辐照个人剂量计载台直径30 cm束斑上的剂量率相对标准偏差约为0.48%。当载台厚度为20 mm时,散射射线对小尺度参考辐射检验点处剂量率值的影响率为3.27%,高于剂量计尺寸（1.62%）和剂量计数量（0.56%）的影响。     

Investigations of OSL properties of LiMgPO4:Tb,B based dosimeters

Lithium magnesium phosphate LiMgPO₄ (LMP) doped with Tb and B is one of new materials intended for use in optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimetry. LMP doped with Tb and B luminophors were synthetized at IFJ PAN in Krakow. The investigations were carried out on self-developed dosimeters consisting of a slide with four LMP detectors and a light tight cover. LMP detectors were investigated in regard to their OSL properties using OSL reader named HELIOS adopted to the readouts of dosimetric cards. New LMP detectors showed high sensitivity to the ionizing radiation, good repeatability of OSL signal and good dose response, 25% of fading in the first two weeks after irradiation. Also, the pronounced dependence of OSL response on the energy of the measured radiation requires to apply the compensation filters.     

Photon dosimetry methods outside the target volume in radiation therapy: Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), thermoluminescence (TL) and radiophotoluminescence (RPL) dosimetry

Dosimetry methods outside the target volume are still not well established in radiotherapy. Luminescence detectors due to their small dimensions, very good sensitivity, well known dose and energy response are considered as an interesting approach in verification of doses outside the treated region. The physical processes of thermoluminescence (TL), radiophotoluminescence (RPL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) are very similar and can be described in terms of the energy band model of electron-hole production following irradiation.This work is a review of the main dosimetric characteristics of luminescence detectors which were used in experiments performed by EURADOS Working Group 9 for in-phantom measurements of secondary radiation (scattered and leakage photons). TL LiF:Mg,Ti detectors type MTS-7 (IFJ PAN, Poland), types TLD-100 and TLD-700 (Harshaw), OSL Al₂O₃:C detectors type nanoDot™ (Landauer Inc.) and RPL rod glass elements type GD-352M (Asahi Techno Glass Coorporation) are described. The main characteristics are discussed, together with the readout and calibration procedures which lead to a determination of absorbed dose to water.All dosimeter types used show very good uniformity, batch reproducibility and homogeneity. For improved accuracy, individual sensitivity correction factors should be applied for TL and OSL dosimeters while for RPL dosimeters there is no need for individual sensitivity corrections.The dose response of all dosimeters is linear for a wide range of doses.The energy response of GD-352M type dosimeters (with Sn filter) used for out-of-field measurements is flat for medium and low energy X-rays.The energy dependence for TLDs is low across the range of photon energies used and the energy correction was neglected. A significant over response of Al₂O₃:C OSLDs irradiated in kilovoltage photon beams was taken into account. The energy correction factor f_en was calculated by using the 2006 PENELOPE Monte Carlo code.With suitable calibration, all dosimeter types are appropriate for out-of-field dose measurements as well as for the in-phantom measurements of radiotherapy MV X-rays beams.     

Si-PIN photodiode readout for a scintillating optical fiber dosimeter

For more than a decade plastic optical fiber based dosimeters have been developed for medical applications. PMT's have been widely used as the readout photodetector but for a number of applications, Si-PIN photodiodes are a good alternative. They are robust, present good stability over time and have enough sensitivity so that an electrometer can be used as a measuring device. This work describes the tests made with the S9195 Si-PIN photodiode from Hamamatsu used as the readout photodetector for a scintillating optical fiber dosimeter using a BCF-60 polystyrene optical fiber.     

Intrinsic superlinear dose dependence of thermoluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence at high excitation dose rates

Superlinear dose dependence of thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) has been reported for many materials. The theoretical explanation has been ascribed to competition of either traps or recombination centers, during the excitation stage or during the read-out phase. There has been an account in the literature on superlinearity of OSL associated with merely one trapping state and one kind of recombination center. This had to do with the process taking place during the read-out stage, namely the optical stimulation. In the present work, we report on a model of one trapping state and one kind of recombination center which results in a superlinear filling of the center. Thus, one can expect a superlinear dose dependence of the area under the resulting TL glow peak as well as the OSL signal. We follow this situation by writing the simultaneous nonlinear rate equations for the one-trap-one-recombination-center (OTOR) model and study the expected results by numerical simulation consisting of solving the equations with sets of the trapping parameters. We also present analytical results based on simplifying assumptions, and compare the analytical and numerical results. The effect is significant at relatively high dose rates. The main implication is that when one tries to evaluate by TL dosimetry a dose applied at a high rate, calibration of the TL dosimeter using much smaller dose rates may result in inaccurate results.     

Measurements of entrance surface dose using a fiber-optic dosimeter in diagnostic radiology

In this study, a fiber-optic dosimeter (FOD) was developed to measure entrance surface dose (ESD) in diagnostic radiology. We measured the scintillating lights in order to obtain ESDs, which changed with the various exposure parameters of a digital radiography (DR) system, such as tube potential, current-time product, focus-surface distance (FSD), and field size, using the fabricated FOD system. From the experimental results, the output light signals of the FOD were similar to the ESDs of the conventional semiconductor dosimeter. In conclusion, we characterized the measured ESDs as functions of exposure parameters by using two different types of dosimeters and demonstrated that the proposed FOD using a plastic scintillating fiber and a plastic optical fiber (POF) makes it possible to measure ESDs in the energy range of diagnostic radiology. From the results of this study, it is anticipated that the FOD will be a useful dosimeter in low-energy photon applications including diagnostic radiology.     

LiMgPO_4:Tm,Tb的热释光和光释光陷阱参数

采用高温固相法合成了LiMgPO_4:Tm,Tb粉末样品,测定了热释光陷阱参数激发能E和频率因子s.用脉冲退火和多次退火方法研究了其光释光陷阱参数E和s,并与用多速法得到的热释光的结果进行了比较.对不同β射线剂量照射的样品发光曲线的研究表明,300°C高温峰属于一级动力学发光峰.通过对热释光和光释光陷阱的相关性研究表明,经200°C预热的热释光信号(对应于300°C高温峰)和光释光信号很有可能来自于同一深度的陷阱.     

Organic–inorganic detectors with Al2O3:C microcrystallites

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) is a known phenomenon with several applications in various fields of radiation dosimetry. This phenomenon may be used for estimating dose of absorbed radiation as well as the age of archeological and geological samples. For some applications (e.g. in medicine) it would be develop detectors in the form of high-area flexible foils. This could be achieved by incorporating small grains of typical inorganic crystalline OSL phosphors into organic (polymer) matrix. In the present study we prepared samples containing Al₂O₃:C microcrystalline grains in polymeric matrices. Polymer matrices change the OSL readout and significantly influence the total OSL response. We observed that the dose responses of investigated hybrid materials are linear in the studied range and depend on the types of the matrix and radiation.     

Investigation of a fibre-coupled beryllium oxide (BeO) ceramic luminescence dosimetry system

The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential use of a beryllium oxide (BeO) ceramic as a radioluminescence (RL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) probe material for fibre-coupled luminescence dosimetry. A portable dosimetry system, named RL/OSL BeO FOD was developed, consisting of a 1 mm diameter, 1 mm long BeO ceramic cylinder coupled to a silica/silica optical fibre. The reader measures the RL signal and also uses a 450 nm laser diode to stimulate the BeO ceramic. A second background optical fibre is used to remove the stem effect. The RL/OSL BeO FOD was characterised in a solid water phantom, using a 6 MV x-ray beam. The RL was found to be reproducible and have a linear response to doses ranging from 30 cGy–15 Gy and dose rates from 100 cGy/min – 600 cGy/min. The OSL response was linear to doses of 10 Gy, becoming supralinear at higher doses. Measured percentage depth curves using the RL/OSL BeO FOD agreed with those measured using an IC15 ion chamber to within 5%, beyond the build up region. It was also found that the RL from BeO ceramic is unaffected by the delivered dose to the probe and hence, it remains constant for a given dose-rate. The insensitivity of the RL to accumulated dose makes BeO ceramic potentially capable of accurate dose-rate measurements without any corrections for the accumulated dose. This study demonstrates the feasibility of BeO ceramic as a versatile fibre-coupled luminescence dosimeter probe.     

Insect wings as retrospective/accidental/forensic dosimeters: An optically stimulated luminescence investigation

Estimation of the radiation released during nuclear accidents or radiological terrorist events is imperative for the prediction of health effects following such an exposure. In addition, in several cases there is a need to identify the prior presence of radioactive materials at buildings or sites (nuclear forensics). To this direction, several materials have been the research object of numerous studies the last decade in an attempt to identify potentially new retrospective/accidental/forensic dosimeters.However, the studies targeting biological materials are limited and their majority is mainly focused on the luminescence behavior of human biological material. Consequently, the use of such materials in retrospective dosimetry presumes the exposure of humans in the radiation field. The present work constitutes the first attempt to seek non-human biological materials, which can be found in nature in abundance or in/on other living organisms. To this end, the present work investigates the basic optically stimulated luminescence behavior of insect wings, which exhibit several advantages compared to other materials. Insects are ubiquitous, have a short life expectancy and exhibit a low decomposition rate after their death.Findings of the present study are encouraging towards the potential use of insects' wings at retrospective/accidental/forensic dosimetry, since they exhibit linear OSL response over a wide dose range and imperceptible loss of signal several days after their irradiation when they are kept in dark. On the other hand, the calculated lower detection limit is not low enough to allow their use as emergency dosimeters when individuals are exposed to non-lethal doses. In addition, wings exhibit strong optical fading when they are exposed to daylight and thus special care should be taken during the sampling procedure in order to use the wings as accidental/forensic dosimeters, by seeking (dead) insects in dark places, such as behind furniture, equipment or in air-shafts.Finally, a new single aliquot measurement protocol is also successfully tested on the wings for the dose estimation, while further work is in progress to validate it on other (heat-sensitive) materials as well.     

An investigation into the sensitivity of various albedo neutron dosimeters aimed at correcting the readings

The results of an experimental determination of the sensitivity of three types of individual neutron albedo dosimeters in neutron reference fields on the basis of radionuclide sources and at the top concrete shielding of the U-70 accelerator are presented. The results show that the ratios between the responses of the albedo dosimeters designed earlier at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (the albedo dosimeter (AD) and the multicomponent dosimeter (MD)) and the currently used DVGN-01 dosimeter are constant within 25% in a wide range of neutron energy. This fact makes it possible to use the results of measuring the AD and MD responses obtained earlier in neutron fields of nuclear-physical installations at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) for the correction of DVGN-01 dosimeter measurement results to apply it to personal radiation monitoring (PRM) at these installations. The correction factors for DVGN-01 measurement results are found and recommended to be used in PRM for most JINR installations.     

Gafchromic® film dosimetry for low energy X radiation

Recent developments have produced low energy X ray systems capable of providing a radiation dose to adequate volumes suitable for sterile inset programmes. To support the adoption of these new systems, the performance of the Gafchromic^® HD-810 dosimetry system previously used for gamma irradiation needed to be better understood at the lower photon energies. For low energy photons, the optical density of the irradiated Gafchromic HD-810 film dosimeters significantly depends on the material surrounding them. For example, if paper, Mylar^® or PVC is used to house the dosimeter during irradiation, the optical density can vary by as much as a factor of three or more for the same dose. This paper is an attempt to elucidate the performance of the Gafchromic HD-810 film dosimeters for such low energy X radiation (∼150 keV). Our data show that this behaviour can be explained by the fact that these materials have significantly different photon mass attenuation coefficient. This conclusion was reinforced with mathematical simulation using Monte Carlo modelling. We also show that with the different structure of another Gafchromic film dosimeter (MD-V2-55) this effect is virtually non-existent. An understanding of the behaviour of thin film dosimeters like Gafchromic HD-810 under radiation is crucial for reliable dosimetry. We hope that this work can also provide guidance in the use of other thin film dosimeters at similar low photon energies.     

Spectroscopy of the gamma and X ray leakage radiation from the built-in sources of a Risø TL/OSL reader

In this work we evaluate the intensity and the spectral shape of the leakage radiation from the built-in beta and alpha sources of a Risø TL/OSL reader. LiF (TLD-100), fluorite-based pellets and Al₂O₃:C detectors were used in order to determine the dose rate delivered to the dosimeters when the sources are closed. The leakage spectra under both alpha and beta sources were registered with a CdTe semiconductor detector. The spectrum measured under the beta source shows the X-ray beam generated by the interaction of the beta particles with the lead used to shield the source. Besides, the 59.4 keV gamma ray from ²⁴¹Am was registered under the alpha source. Dose rates from 50 to 100 μGy/h were obtained for the dosimeter positions in the turntable under the beta and the alpha sources with the luminescent dosimeters.     

热释光和光释光发光谱的测量

介绍了自行研制的计算机化热释光和光释光三维光谱测量装置的系统结构及其工作原理.在计算机的控制下,通过精密加热器或激发光源以热激发或光激发的方式使样品发光.从样品发出的光经过光路和光栅分光系统后,形成光谱,被高灵敏度的CCD采集,再将光谱图像模拟信号变为可以直接用计算机进行数据处理的数据信号.波长范围200~800nm,波长分辨率优于2nm,人机界面友好,操作方便.利用热释光和光释光三维光谱测量装置测量了SrSO₄:Eu(0.1%,摩尔分数)和CaSO₄:Eu(0.1%,摩尔分数)的光释光发光谱和热释光发光谱,得到SrSO₄:Eu的光释光发光波长与热释光发光波长均为375nm,而CaSO₄:Eu的光释光发光波长与热释光发光波长均为385nm,说明热释光和光释光具有相同的发光中心,均来自于Eu²⁺的能级跃迁.同时在CaSO₄:Eu的热释光发光谱中还观察到了Eu³⁺的发光.与二维发光曲线相比较,通过对三维热释光和光释光发光谱的研究,可以得到更丰富的信息,这有助于对热释光和光释光发光机制进行更深入的研究.     

UV radiation dosimeter with double spectral conversion

The possibility of double spectral conversion of UV radiation from the spectral range of 240–280 nm to the visible spectral region using luminescent glasses and fibers with antimony ions and molecular silver clusters is shown. Planar and fiber prototypes of UV radiation dosimeters are tested. It is shown that the sensitivities of dosimeter of the first and second types are 1400 and 360 mV/W/m², respectively.     

Radiotherapy out-of-field dosimetry: Experimental and computational results for photons in a water tank

The first objective of this work was to check and select a set of four kinds of passive photon, dosimeters (two thermo-luminescence dosimeter (TLD) types, one radiophotoluminescence (RPL) dosimeter and one optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimeter) together with a common measurement protocol. Dosimeters were calibrated in a reference clinical linear acccelerator beam in a water tank at a reference facility at the Laboratoire National Henri Becquerel (CEA LIST/LNE LNHB, Saclay. Radiation qualities of 6, 12 and 20 MV were used with standard calibration conditions described in IAEA TRS 398 and non-standard conditions. Profile and depth dose ion chamber measurements were also made to provide reference values. Measurements were made in a water tank into which pipes could be inserted which held dosimeters in pre-determined and reproducible positions. The water tank was built to enable investigation of doses up to 60 cm from the beam axis. A first set of experiments was carried out with the beam passing through the tank. From this first experiment, penumbra and out-of-field dose profiles including water and collimator scatter and leakage were found over three orders of magnitude. Two further sets of experiments using the same experimental arrangement with the beam outside the tank, to avoid water scatter, were designed to measure collimator scatter and leakage by closing the jaws of the collimator. Depending on the energy, typical leakage and collimator scatter represents 10–40% and 30–50% of the total out-of-field doses respectively. It was concluded that all dosimeters can be used for out-of-field photon dosimetry. All show good uniformity, good reproducibility, and can be used down to low doses expected at distances remote from the subsequent radiotherapy target volume.     

State of art: Optically stimulated luminescence dosimetry – Frontiers of future research

Since the commercial adoption of the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) technique in dosimetry, almost 20 years ago, we have seen major advances in the deployment of OSL dosimeters in different areas, including personal, medical, and space dosimetry. The objective of this paper is to provide a critical overlook at the OSL technique from three different points of view: strengths, challenges and opportunities. We discuss factors that made the OSL technique successful: its simplicity, accuracy, wide dynamic range of measured dose, ease for automation, re-read capability, ability to perform imaging, and the availability of diverse instruments and materials. We look into problems that were overcome and others that remain in several areas of new applications into which OSL has expanded in the past 10 years, such as medical, space, neutron and accident dosimetry. Finally, we discuss unexplored possibilities, new driving forces, and open questions. We hope the broad overview presented here will encourage more discussion and stimulate the research that will advance our fundamental understanding of the OSL process.