Claims
- 1. A method of determining a radiation dose parameter via OSL, comprising the steps of:
(a) selecting a sample; (b) determining a luminescence correction factor for said sample; (c) irradiating said sample; (d) simultaneously with said irradiation, illuminating said sample for a period of time with light containing at least one predetermined light frequency; (e) measuring a luminescence signal from said sample; (f) correcting a value representative of said luminescence signal using at least said luminescence correction factor, thereby producing a corrected signal value; and, (g) estimating said radiation parameter from said corrected signal value.
- 2. A method of determining a radiation dose parameter via OSL according to claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises the step:
(e1) measuring a luminescence signal from said sample during said period of time said sample is illuminated.
- 3. A method of determining a radiation dose parameter according to claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises the step of:
(b1) irradiating said sample; (b2) simultaneously with said irradiation, illuminating said sample for a first period of time with light containing at least one predetermined frequency, (b3) measuring at least one luminescence signal from said sample, thereby obtaining at least one pre-bleaching luminescence value, (b4) bleaching said sample, (b5) continuing to irradiate said sample, (b6) simultaneously with said continued irradiation, illuminating said sample with said light for a second period of time, (b7) measuring a plurality of time-separated luminescence emissions from said sample, thereby obtaining a plurality of post-bleaching luminescence values, (b8) using at least one initial luminescence value and said plurality of post-bleaching luminescence values to determine a luminescence correction factor.
- 4. A method of determining a radiation dose parameter according to claim 1, wherein said sample is a dosimeter.
- 5. A method of determining a radiation dose parameter according to claim 4, wherein said sample is selected from a group consisting of a single crystal Al2O3 dosimeter and a dosimeter comprised of alkali halides containing Eu2+ ions.
- 6. A method of determining a radiation parameter via OSL according to claim 1, wherein said light containing at least one predetermined light frequency therein is sourced from a Nd:YAG laser.
- 7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said radiation dose parameter is selected from a group consisting of a radiation cumulative dose, a radiation dose rate, an instantaneous radiation dose rate, an amount of radiation energy deposited in said sample, and a rate of energy deposition in said sample.
- 8. A method according to claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises the step of:
(d1) simultaneously with said irradiation, illuminating said sample for a first period of time with light containing at least a predetermined range of light frequencies.
- 9. A method of determining a radiation dose parameter via OSL, comprising the steps of:
(a) selecting a sample; (b) determining a luminescence correction factor for said sample; (c) irradiating said sample; (d) simultaneously with said irradiation, illuminating said sample for a first period of time with light containing at least one predetermined light frequency; (e) measuring a first luminescence signal from said sample; (f) simultaneously with said irradiation, illuminating said sample for a second period of time with said light containing said at least one predetermined light frequency; (g) measuring a second luminescence signal from said sample; (h) estimating said radiation dose parameter using at least said luminescence correction factor, said first luminescence signal and said second luminescence signal.
- 10. A method of determining a radiation dose parameter via OSL according to claim 9, wherein said radiation dose parameter is selected from a group consisting of a radiation cumulative dose, a radiation dose rate, an instantaneous radiation dose rate, an amount of radiation energy deposited in said sample, and a rate of energy deposition in said sample.
- 11. A method of determining a radiation dose parameter via OSL according to claim 9, wherein said sample is a dosimeter.
- 12. A method of determining a radiation dose parameter via OSL according to claim 11, wherein said dosimeter is selected from a group consisting of a single crystal Al2O3 dosimeter and a dosimeter comprised of alkali halides containing Eu2+ ions.
- 13. A method of determining a radiation parameter via OSL according to claim 9, wherein said light containing at least one predetermined light frequency therein is sourced from a Nd:YAG laser.
- 14. A method of determining a radiation dose parameter via OSL according to claim 9, wherein step (e) comprises the step of:
(e1) measuring a luminescence signal from said sample during said first period of time while said sample is illuminated, and, step (g) comprises the step of: (g1) measuring a luminescence signal from said sample during said second period of time while said sample is illuminated.
- 15. A method of determining a radiation dose parameter via OSL according to claim 9, wherein step (b) comprises the step of:
(b1) determining a luminescence correction factor for said sample, wherein a functional form of said luminescence correction factor includes at least two constant coefficients and wherein said functional form of said luminescence correction factor is selected from a group consisting of a linear equation, a polynomial equation, an exponential equation, and, a trigonometric equation.
- 16. A method of determining a radiation dose parameter via OSL according to claim 9, wherein step (b) comprises the step of:
(b1) determining a luminescence correction factor for said sample, wherein said luminescence correction factor is suitable for estimating a future OSL signal from a currently measured OSL signal assuming that said sample is not further irradiated after said current OSL signal is obtained.
- 17. A method of determining a radiation dose parameter via OSL according to claim 9, wherein step (g) comprises the step of:
(g1) using at least said first measured illumination signal and said luminescence correction factor to determine a predicted value of said second measured luminescence signal, (g2) determining a difference between a said predicted value and said second measured luminescence signal, and, (g2) estimating said radiation dose parameter using at least said difference.
- 18. A method according to claim 9, wherein said light containing at least a one predetermined light frequency comprises light containing at least a predetermined range of light frequencies.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/473,662, which application was filed with the Patent and Trademark Office on May 23, 2003, which application is hereby incorporated by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60473662 |
May 2003 |
US |