The purpose of our study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of using smartphones for measuring ionizing radiation and to combine the findings with radiation exposure from medical imaging procedures for recording individual annual/lifetime radiation dose and provide improved radiation protection. We developed an application for smartphones which can use the properties of the video camera chip in such smartphones together with highly sufficient statistical evaluation of the signals to detect ionizing radiation. We could show that this application can be used in a large range of dose rates from natural backgrounds to high dose rate pulsed radiation like in fluoroscopic radiation or CT investigations. We could also show that these kinds of systems might help to provide better radiation protection by advising medical staff to use radiation protection material in best dose saving ways.

Date Published: 6 March 2013
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 8668, Medical Imaging 2013: Physics of Medical Imaging, 866804 (6 March 2013); doi: 10.1117/12.2008013

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8668:
Medical Imaging 2013: Physics of Medical Imaging
Robert M. Nishikawa; Bruce R. Whiting; Christoph Hoeschen, Editor(s)