DOSIMETRY SENSOR

THE RECENT ARRIVAL OF COMMERCIALKLY AVAILABLE AND CONSIDERABLY IMPROVED OPTICAL FIBERS FOR INGRARED CO2 LASER BEAMS HAS MADE POSSILE CONSTRUCTION OF ADDDDVANCED REMOTE THERMOLUMINESCENCE DOSIMETRY RTLD SENSORS FOR APPLICATIONS IN NUCLEAR REACTOR ENGINEERING AND MAINTENANCE, AND IN MEDICAL IN VIVO DOSIMETRU (BOTH IVASIVE AND NON-IVASIVE). THE CONTRUCTION AND TESTING OF A SELF-CONTAINED REMOTE DOSIMETRY APPARATUS IS PLANNED. THE DDDEVICE WILL BE A "SECOND GENERATION" VERSION OF THE ORIGINAL REMOTE MICRODOSIMETER THAT WAS THAT WAS DESIGNED AND TESTED IN 1982/83 TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF REMOTE LASER-HEATED THERMOLUMINESCENCE DOSIMETRY OF NUCLEAR RADIATION. IT WILL BE BASED ON H HEATING, WITH A CO2 LASER BEAM, A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF THERMOLUMINESCENT MATERIAL LOCATED IN THE TIP OF A FLEXIBLE CABLE OF LESS THAN 2MM DIAMETER WHICH IN TURN IS ATTACHED TO THE LASER. IN AN ALTERNATE CONFIGURATION, THE FLEXIBLE CABLE WILL END IN A NEEDLE FOR INVASIVE USE. IF DESIRED, THIS NEEDLE CAN BE MADE FROM A SPECIAL TISSUE-EQUIVALENT, GRAPHITE-REINFORCED AND POSSIBLY TEFLON-COATED EPOXY MATERIAL. RECENT ADVANCEMENTS IN DIGITAL ELECTRONIC TECHNIQUES FOR LASER STABILIZATION, LASER OUTPUT CONTROL, AND MICRO- PROCESSOR-AUTOMATED OPERATION OF THE LASER SYSTEM WILL BE EMPLOYED FOR REPRODUCIBLY LASER-HEATING THE THERMOLUMINESCENT SENSOR MATERIAL, A COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE THERMOLUMINESCENT PHOSPHOR. THE ADVANTAGE OF THE PLANNED REMOTE DOSIMETRY SENSOR IS ITS SMALL SIZE AND THE RESULTING MINIMAL INTERFERENCE WITH THE RADIATION FIELD.