Thermoluminescence measurements and dosimetry with temperature control of the thermoluminescent element

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

0001The present invention relates generally to dosimeter systems for monitoring radiation from such radiation sources as ultraviolet, X-ray radiation, gamma radiation, beta radiation, and neutrons, and more particularly to thermoluminescence measurements and dosimetry.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

0002Radiation dosimeters, which measure the dose of incident radiation to which people, animals, plants or inanimate objects are exposed, are known. Dosimeters have been used in prior art for personal and environmental monitoring, for medical research and for radiation therapy. Of particular interest are small dosimeters, which are worn as personal badges and which need to be reliable and accurate, especially for measurements of low radiation doses. Some of these dosimeters are based on disposable photographic films. Others are non - disposable, such as those based on optically stimulated luminescence. Thermoluminescent dosimeters are among the most important non - disposable personal dosimeters, and may be used for example for <i>in vivo</i> and environmental dosimetry.

0003Thermoluminescence (TL) is a physical phenomenon exhibited in materials which are irradiated with energetic radiation and subsequently stimulated, using heat, to produce luminescent emission. When thermoluminescent materials are exposed to a flux of electromagnetic radiation such as gamma rays, X-rays or UV rays, to charged particles such as beta rays, to uncharged particles such as neutrons, or to other forms of radiation, electrons within the material are excited from low energy levels to relatively stable traps at higher energy levels. The electrons may stay at these higher energy levels for a long period of time. If the material is heated, the added energy releases the trapped electrons, causing them to fall back to the lower energy levels. This fall is accompanied by the emission of a luminescent emission, i.e. thermoluminescence.

0004When a the moluminescent element is heated from some low temperature T₀ to some high temperature (e.g. 400°C) the intensity of the luminescence increases at first (when more electrons in the traps are released) and then decreases (when the number of trapped electrons decreases). This gives rise to a peak in the luminescence, which appears at a certain temperature. If there are several types of traps, several peaks are observed at different temperatures. The graph of the luminescence intensity as a function of temperature is called a "glow curve". The heights of the peaks (or the integrated area under the glow curve) are found to depend on the radiation exposure dose. In a simple case, the dependence may be linear, which allows the dose to be obtained from a measurement of the glow curve, after a proper calibration. This is the principle of thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD).

0005One application of TLD is to monitor radiation exposures of personnel such as medical personnel exposed to X- rays. Each person is required to carry a dosimeter called a "TLD badge." The badge may comprise more than one TLD element. The badge is assumed to receive the same dose as the carrying person. Periodically, the badges are processed to obtain an exposure record for each person being monitored.

0006If glow curve measurements are carried out on TLD elements, reliable results are obtained only when each of these elements is heated in a controllable and reproducible fashion (i.e. using the same initial and final temperatures and the same variation of temperature with time). The most desirable way is to heat the elements linearly, so that for each element the temperature follows the formula T_el = T₀ + αt, where T₀ is the initial temperature, T_el is the temperature of the sample at time t, and α is the heating rate. It is advantageous to heat the samples as fast as possible, since in this case the glow peaks are sharp and easy to measure, and more samples can be measured in a given time period.

0007Different materials have been used for TL dosimetry (and for making TLD elements). These include Na₂SO₄ MgSO₄, Y₂O₃, Al₂O₃, CaF₂, SrF₂ and BaF₂, doped materials, such as CaSO₄:Tm, CaF₂:Mn, Al₂O₃:C, LiF:Cu, Mg, Pr, as well as many other materials. The TLD elements are normally made from single crystals, from pressed powders, from thin layers deposited on substrates, from small particles embedded in glass or in polymers, etc. In some cases the elements are exposed (uncased) during the TL measurement. In other cases each element is placed within a tiny plastic bag, which is part of the personal badge, so that the heating and the luminescence measurements can be carried out without removing the element from the plastic bag. The TLD elements may have different geometrical shapes, e.g. plates, discs, rods, pellets, fibers, etc. Several methods have been used in the past for heating the TLD elements: <ol id="ol0001" compact="compact"><li>(a) Contact Heating ― the element is heated by a tiny heater placed in close contact and whose temperature is controlled. The heating in this case is highly non-uniform and relatively slow. Also, the results are non- reproducible, because the temperature of the element depends on the contact between the element and the heater.</li><li>(b) Hot Gas Heating - the element is heated by a stream of hot gas, whose temperature its controlled. This method provides more uniform and faster heating, but the whole system is much more complicated and expensive.</li><li>(c) Heating by Incandescent Lamps - in this case the heating depends on the absorption of radiation emitted from an incandescent source in the element or in the substrate on which the element is placed. The reproducibility of this method is insufficient, and (especially with substrate heating) the heating rate is also insufficient.</li><li>(d) Laser Heating - in some cases the laser radiation may be directly absorbed by the TLD element. In other cases, the laser radiation is absorbed in a matrix (e.g. glass or polymer) embedding small particles of the TL material. The laser heats the matrix, which in turn heats the particles. In most cases the laser power is monitored and it is assumed that a given power generates a predetermined temperature increase. The main problem with this method is that the laser power changes with time and its distribution is non-uniform. This may lead to distorted glow cures and to inaccurate results.</li><li>(e) Rapid Heating by Light - in this case an energetic pulse from a laser (or from an incandescent light source) rapidly heats the TL element. The intensity of the emitted luminescence is very high and easy to measure. The main disadvantage of this method is in the very limited control of the heating process, which leads to non- reproducible glow curves.</li><li>(f) RF Heating: TLD elements are bonded to graphite plates and heated by induction, using a radio frequency (RF) generator. As in (e), the heating control is difficult and the resulting glow curves may be non-reproducible.</li></ol>

0008Exemplary methods and systems may be found in a number of prior art publications, for example in <patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="US3531641A"><text>US patents 3,531,641</text></patcit>, <patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="US3729630A"><text>3,729,630</text></patcit>, <patcit id="pcit0003" dnum="US3975637A"><text>3,975,637</text></patcit>, <patcit id="pcit0004" dnum="US4204119A"><text>4,204,119</text></patcit>, <patcit id="pcit0005" dnum="US4638163A"><text>4,638,163</text></patcit>, <patcit id="pcit0006" dnum="US4835388A"><text>4,835,388</text></patcit>, <patcit id="pcit0007" dnum="US4839518A"><text>4,839,518</text></patcit>, <patcit id="pcit0008" dnum="US5041734A"><text>5,041,734</text></patcit>, <patcit id="pcit0009" dnum="US5081363A"><text>5,081,363</text></patcit>, <patcit id="pcit0010" dnum="US5606163A"><text>5,606,163</text></patcit>, <patcit id="pcit0011" dnum="US6005231A"><text>6,005,231</text></patcit> and <patcit id="pcit0012" dnum="US6414324B"><text>6,414,324</text></patcit>. None of these methods and systems measures the temperature of the TLD element in real time to enable accurate control of the TLD heating rate. For example, <patcit id="pcit0013" dnum="US6005231A"><text>US Patent No. 6,005,231</text></patcit> discloses a method and apparatus for measuring radiation doses based upon thermoluminescence. A heat energy sensor is provided for the heat source for detecting the heat energy output from the heat source toward the element. The temperature of the element is calculated on the basis of the detected heat energy. The calculated temperature is used to determine if remedial action is necessary. For instance, the calculated temperature may be compared with a predetermined optimum heating temperature. If the calculated temperature deviates from the predetermined optimum heating temperature, responsive action is taken. A temperature increase rate may also be calculated. The calculated increase rate would be compared with a predetermined heating rate. The heating device would increase its heat energy output if the calculated increase rate is lower than the predetermined heating rate and decrease the heat energy if the calculated increase rate is higher than the predetermined heating rate. In summary, the inventors do not measure directly the temperature of the TLD element, and in fact state that it is almost impossible to measure the temperature of the TLD element during heating.

0009All mentioned prior art methods assume that the temperature T_el of the TLD element itself should increase reproducibly during the heating phase. Theoretically, the most convenient heating scheme is that in which the temperature increases linearly with time. However, T_el is not directly controlled in any of these methods. In some cases, a thermocouple may be placed in contact with the TLD element to provide a T_el measurement. However, since the physical contact between thermocouple and TLD element may vary between elements and may change in time for the same element, such temperature measurements are inaccurate. This remains a common problem in all TLD systems. Consequently, even if the heating source behaves reproducibly, the real heating rate of the TLD elements may not be reproducible.

0010The temperature T_el of the TLD element can be determined by measuring the thermal infrared radiation emitted from its surface. The intensity I of the radiation emitted from a surface area A is given by the expression I=AεσT⁴, where ε is the emissivity of the element and σ is the Stephan - Boltzmann constant. The spectral distribution of thermal radiation is derived from Planck's black body theory. The dependence of the wavelength λ_max at which a black body emits at maximum intensity on its temperature is known as Wien's displacement law: λ_max T = 2898 µmK. Therefore, most of the thermal radiation of a body near room temperature (T≈300°K) is in the middle infrared (mid-IR) in the spectral range 3-30 µm. This radiation can be easily measured by infrared detectors, which may exemplarily be thermal detectors, such as pyroelectric, thermoresistive and MEMS devices, many of whom operate at room temperature, or photonic (i.e. quantum) detectors such as HgCdTe, many of whom are cooled by liquid nitrogen or thermoelectrically. This method of infrared radiometry therefore serves for infrared thermometry.

0011The mid-IR radiation emitted from the surface of the TLD element can be collected and focused on the infrared detector using standard optical elements, such as mirrors or lenses. The emitted mid - IR radiation can also be carried through infrared transmitting optical fibers, only a few of which are transparent in the mid-IR range. Optical fibers made of silver halides are among the best candidates for that purpose. They are highly transparent in the mid-infrared, in the spectral range 3 30 m, with losses of about 0.2dB/m at 10.6 m.

0012IR temperature measurements based on detection of IR radiation emitted by a heated body are known, see e.g. Remote IR sensing of temperature, including through the use of fibers that conduct the IR radiation to a detector, is also known, see e.g. <nplcit id="ncit0001" npl-type="s"><text>S. Sade, O. Eyal, V. Scharf and A. Katzir, "Fiberoptic Infrared Radiometer for Accurate Temperature Measurements," Applied Optics, Vol. 41, no. 10, pp. 1908-1914 (2002)</text></nplcit>. However, the use of such measurements for determining the temperature of a TLD element in real-time, and the use of this data (temperature readings) in close loop control of the heating of the element is unknown.

0013In conclusion, all prior art methods are disadvantageous in that the temperature of the TLD elements is not well monitored and controlled and the heating of such elements is generally not well controlled. Consequently, glow curves suffer from irreproducibility and so do dosimetry results. There is therefore a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have a TLD measurement system and method in which the temperature and heating rate of each TLD element is known and controllable in real-time.

0014<patcit id="pcit0014" dnum="US3790784A"><text>US-A-3 790 784</text></patcit> discloses a method and apparatus for treating thermoluminescent dosimeters to enable read-out of the dosimeters and to permit their prompt reuse by eliminating the conventional annealing cycle. The dosimeter is initially preheated to a first temperature and is maintained at that temperature for a predetermined time. The dosimeter is then heated to a second read-out temperature and is maintained at the read-out temperature for a selected time interval. The dosimeter is then immediately heated further to an annealing temperature which is maintained for a selected interval, followed by cooling of the dosimeter whereby the dosimeter can again be promptly reused for accurately determining radiation dosage without the necessity of subjecting the dosimeter to the conventional and lengthy annealing cycle.

0015<patcit id="pcit0015" dnum="US4906848A"><text>US-A-4 906 848</text></patcit> discloses apparatuses and methods for rapidly reading phosphors to determine the amount of energy stored therein. The stored energy is interpreted as a measure of the total exposure of the phosphor to ionizing radiation. The phosphor reading apparatus uses a laser to generate a laser beam. The laser beam power level is monitored by a laser power detector and controlled to maintain the power level at a desired value or values which can vary with time. A shutter or other laser beam interruption means is used to control exposure of the phosphor to the laser beam. The laser beam can be equalized using an optical equalizer so that the laser beam has an approximately uniform power density across the beam. The phosphor emits a visible or otherwise detectable emission which is measured as an indication of the radiation exposure of the phosphors.; Also disclosed are preferred signal processing and control circuits including one system using a digital computer. Also disclosed are time-profiled laser power cycles for pre-anneal, read and post-anneal treatment of phosphors.

0016<patcit id="pcit0016" dnum="US4835388A"><text>US-A-4 835 388</text></patcit> discloses A thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD) card reader including at least one light detector for detecting light emitted by a heated thermoluminescent element and a heater for heating each TL element. The heater includes a conduit for channelling a flow of gas from a gas source and for discharging heated gas against a TL element, along with means for heating the conduit for transferring heat from it to the gas flowing through it. Preferably, the conduit is electrically conducting and an electrical current is passed through it via leads joined to the conduit near its inlet and outlet ends to heat the tube.; A thermocouple disposed proximate the outlet end of the conduit for measuring the temperature of the gas being discharged from the tube, provides an electrical signal to a controllable electrical current source connected to the leads so that the temperature of the gas being discharged from the conduit may be controlled according to a prescribed relationship.

0017<patcit id="pcit0017" dnum="US3809901A"><text>US-A-3 809 901</text></patcit> a precision machine which automatically senses the thermoluminescence emanating from a dosimeter which has previously been exposed to radiation, particularly X-rays, gamma rays, electrons and neutrons, wherein the dosimeters are mounted in uniform, rectangular cards adapted to be stacked in a cartridge. The cartridge is horizontally disposed near the top of the machine. A single card is selectively transferred from the cartridge into a vertical gate with a plurality of sequential light locks. Each card is automatically positioned for activation of the dosimeter by contact with a cyclically heated, hot element. After a reading of disseminated luminescence has been made, the cards are automatically discharged from the vertical chute into a receiver where they are serially stacked in another cartridge. Readings with less than 1 percent error can be made reproducibly.

0018The publication XP001102344 from "<nplcit id="ncit0002" npl-type="s"><text>Applied Optics" 01-04-2002, V.2219 pages 1908-1914</text></nplcit> discloses a fiber-optic radiometer for accurate noncontact temperature measurements. Of compact and novel design, it is based on replacing the usual chopper with a simple shutter. The radiometer operates in a spectral range of 5-20 µm and uses a silver-halide IR-transmitting optical fiber. The radiometer has a temperature resolution of 0.1 °C, a time response of 200 ms, and a spatial resolution of ~1 mm. Theory, simulation, radiometer design and construction, and examples of experimental measurements are shown. The novel radiometer can be used in diverse applications in science, medicine, and industry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

0019The object of the present invention is to provide a thermoluminescent measurement system, which is based on heating of the TLD elements under tight temperature control. This problem is solved by the thermoluminescence-based dosimetry system and the corresponding method according to the appending claims, particularly claims 1 and 13, respectively, disclosing a thermoluminescence-based dosimetry system, which includes at least one thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) element (102) operative to be heated controllably and to emit luminescence during the heating, the emitted luminescence correlated with a radiation dose to which the TLD element has been exposed the system is characterized in further comprising: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li>an infrared (IR) radiometry subsystem (110) for monitoring thermal radiation emitted from each TLD element during the heating and for providing respective thermal radiation inputs used in the controllable heating, whereby the thermal radiation is indicative of a TLD element temperature value, and correspondingly disclosing a method for performing thermoluminecence (TL)-based dosimetry using a thermoluminescence dosimetry (TDL) element (102) exposed to an unknown dose of radiation, comprising the steps of heating the TLD element at a controlled rate based on real-time temperature inputs obtained by monitoring thermal radiation emitted from the TLD element during the heating using an infrared (IR) radiometry subsystem; performing TL measurements on the heated TLD element to obtain a glow curve; and analyzing the glow curve to determine the radiation dose to which the TLD element was exposed.</li></ul>

0020Another object of the invention is to facilitate the use of the above-mentioned TL system for dosimetry, to be used for personal monitoring, for environmental monitoring, and for radiation therapy.

0021A system of the present invention includes a TLD element that stores energy when exposed to ionizing radiation, and releases the energy in the form of luminescent light when heated. In some examples, the system includes a laser whose energy is used to heat the element. In other examples, the heat is provided by a non-laser heating source. The heated element emits radiation in two spectral ranges: thermal infrared (IR) radiation, whose intensity is determined by the temperature of the element, and visible (or near-infrared or UV) luminescence. The system further includes an IR radiometer (i.e. thermometer), which measures the emitted thermal infrared radiation, and generates a signal which is measured by known means, e.g. a computer. A computer program or similar analyzing means uses the signal to determine the temperature of the element and to control the laser power so that a desirable temperature is obtained. The computer program can vary the temperature as a function of time. The rapid response of the system makes it possible to control the heating rate of the element and to generate a desired heating scheme, such as linear heating or exponential heating. The system also includes a photodetector for measuring the luminescence emitted during the heating of the element. The signal generated by the photodetector is also measured by the computer, and a plot of the emitted intensity as a function of the temperature (i.e. a glow curve) is obtained. The computer program analyses the glow curve and determines the total radiation dose to which the element had been exposed.

0022The system and method disclosed herein facilitate TL measurements under tight temperature control of the TLD element itself (for example using a laser beam). This makes it possible to heat the elements linearly, even with a fast heating rate. The measurement of the glow curve is therefore fast, accurate and reproducible. This, in turn, provides highly accurate and reliable thermoluminescence dosimetry.

0023The invention is further defined in the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

0024For a better understanding of the present invention and to show more clearly how it could be applied, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings in which: <ul id="ul0002" list-style="none"><li><figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref> is a schematic diagram of a laser-heated, temperature controlled TLD system of the present invention;</li><li><figref idref="f0002">FIG. 2</figref> (A-C) shows schematically various mechanical holders of the TLD element of the invention;</li><li><figref idref="f0003">FIG. 3A</figref> shows an embodiment of the system of the present invention based on optical fibers;</li><li><figref idref="f0004">FIG 3B</figref> shows a TLD system as in <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref>, with optical fibers for guiding light and infrared radiation;</li><li><figref idref="f0005">FIG. 4</figref> shows schematically (A) in cross section and (B) in plane view a badge that contains four TLD elements;</li><li><figref idref="f0006">FIG.5</figref> is a schematic drawing of a measurement setup for a TLD element heated under vacuum, using the scheme of <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 3A</figref>;</li><li><figref idref="f0007">FIG. 6</figref> (A-C) illustrates alternative embodiments of the TLD system of the present invention for <i>in vivo</i> radiation monitoring of radiation doses in a patient undergoing radiation therapy;</li><li><figref idref="f0008">FIG. 7</figref> shows the time dependence of the temperature T_el of a commercial TLD element TLD-100 heated by a CO₂ laser. The temperature dependence is linear for three different heating rates, marked 1, 2 and 3;</li><li><figref idref="f0008">FIG. 8</figref> shows the TL signal vs. temperature of a TLD-100 element for α = 4.3 degrees/sec (marked 1 in <figref idref="f0008">FIG 7</figref>).</li></ul>

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

0025The present invention discloses, in various embodiments, a TLD system comprising at least one TLD element that can be controllably heated, its temperature monitored in real-time using infrared (IR) radiometry. The radiometry readings are fed into a control subsystem that provides control commands to a heating subsystem, which heats the TLD element with no physical contact. The TLD system further comprises a TL measuring subsystem for measuring TL emission data from each heated TLD element, the TL data used in obtaining a glow curve indicative of the total radiation to which the TLD element has been exposed.

0026<figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref> shows schematically a temperature controlled TL system <b>100</b> of the invention. System <b>100</b> comprises at least one TLD element <b>102,</b> which stores energy when exposed to ionizing radiation; a mechanical holder <b>104</b> for holding TLD element <b>102;</b> a heating subsystem <b>105</b> (preferably a laser source <b>106</b> emitting a laser beam <b>108</b> along an optical path to the TLD element) for heating the TLD element; an infrared (IR) radiometry (i.e. thermometer) subsystem <b>110</b> for monitoring the thermal (IR) radiation emitted from the heated element, thereby determining the temperature of the element; an optical detection subsystem <b>112</b> for measuring the (visible or NIR or UV) emitted from the TLD element during heating, and a controlling subsystem (or simply "controller") <b>114</b> for using the IR radiation data from subsystem <b>110</b> to provide control commands to laser source <b>106,</b> for plotting the emitted glow curve (emitted intensity I as a function of the temperature T_el of the element) and for determining the total dose to which the element had been exposed prior to the TL measurement.

0027Subsystem <b>110</b> preferably comprises an IR detector <b>120</b> in optical communication along an optical path with the TLD element, in front of which there may be placed a filter <b>122</b> that transmits IR radiation, but does not transmit UV, visible or NIR radiation. Subsystem <b>112</b> preferably comprises a photodetector (PD) or a photomultiplier <b>124</b> in optical communication along an optical path with the TLD element, in front of which there may be placed a filter <b>126</b> that transmits UV, visible and NIR light, but not middle-infrared (mid-IR) radiation. It is understood that the filters may be inserted in the relevant optical paths at various positions, as long as they achieve the required function of transmitting a required radiation and blocking other types of radiation. Controller <b>114</b> is typically a personal computer running a special program for controlling the heating rate of the TLD element. Other types of controllers capable of control and analysis functions may also be used. Note that while system <b>100</b> is shown with the heat source heating only one side of TLD element <b>102,</b> with the two detectors placed on the opposite side, other configurations are possible and are to be considered within the scope of the present invention. In some embodiments, system <b>100</b> may incorporate several TLD elements, which are measured either simultaneously or sequentially. In some embodiments, the functions of IR reading and TL measurements may be combined in one subsystem. While the invention is described in detail with reference to a laser based heating subsystem, it should be clear that many other heating systems and methods, including all those mentioned in the Background may be used for heating the TLD element.

0028A TLD element <b>102</b> may be made of any material and in any shape mentioned in the Background section and more. In many of the applications it would be desirable to heat the TLD element linearly (or exponentially) at a very rapid rate. Therefore it is desirable that the TLD element has a small mass and be held by a mechanical holder that provides good thermal insulation from the surroundings. Preferably, the TLD element is in the shape of a thin plate or a thin rod. Preferably, mechanical holder <b>104</b> comprises one or more holding elements in the form of thin wires, thin springs, or thin needles, to minimize thermal losses to the surroundings. A few exemplary holders <b>104</b> are shown in <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 2</figref>.

0029<figref idref="f0002">Figure 2A</figref> shows a thin plate TLD element <b>102</b> held between four springs <b>202.</b><figref idref="f0002">Figure 2B</figref> shows a thin plate TLD element <b>102</b> held by four fine wires <b>204</b> to a frame <b>206.</b><figref idref="f0002">Figure 2C</figref> shows a thin plate TLD element <b>102</b> pressed by a thin spring <b>208</b> to sharp tipped wires <b>210.</b> It is to be understood that while identical holding elements may be preferable for uniform heat conduction, non-identical holding elements may be useful in certain applications. The number of "four" is also illustrative: less or more than four holding elements may be used for the purposes set forth herein.

0030Many types of lasers can be used as laser source <b>106,</b> including pulsed or CW gas lasers, solid-state lasers or semiconductor lasers. Many of the TLD elements absorb radiation strongly in the mid-IR range. In some embodiments, a CO₂ laser with emission at 10.6µm may be used for heating most TLD elements, including those deposited on an opaque substrate, or covered with an opaque material. In other embodiments, a semiconductor laser may be used for heating TLD elements based on powders embedded in a glass that absorbs the radiation emitted by the semiconductor laser. The laser beam may impinge directly on the TLD element, may be directed onto the element using standard mirrors or lenses, or may be transmitted via suitable optical fibers that are transparent to the laser wavelength, as described in more detail in a specific example below.

0031The temperature T_el of the TLD element is determined by monitoring the thermal infrared radiation emitted from this element, as mentioned above. For many of the TLD elements used, one may assume that ε = 1 and that it does not vary with temperature. If the emissivity is different from 1, then one may calibrate the system and obtain the "true" T_el of the element (irrespective of the emissivity).

0032As mentioned, it is often desirable to heat the sample linearly, with T_el = To + αt. With such linear heating the interpretation of the thermoluminescence results is made much simpler. The computer program in PC <b>114</b> can continuously increase or decrease the laser power heating the TLD element, so that the temperature varies linearly with time until it reaches some final temperature. One can select faster or slower heating rates, nonlinear heating schemes, as well as various final temperatures.

0033The laser system discussed above provides very fast monitoring and control, which is not available in other TL systems. This is the result of several factors: (a) IR radiometry provides accurate and very fast measurement of the temperature of the element; (b) the laser power can be changed very rapidly, in response to signals from the computer; (c) the heating of a TLD element by a laser (especially for thin TLD elements) is very fast. This is the reason the system can provide fast heating at a linear rate. It must be stressed that although the heating is fast, the system of this invention controls the temperature and the heating rate <u>during</u> the TL measurement process - something that other systems do not do.

0034PD subsystem <b>112</b> measures the thermoluminescence emitted by the TLD element (often visible luminescence) upon being heated. The emitted TL may be collected and focused on the PD using regular optical elements such as mirrors or lenses. It may also be transmitted from the heated element onto the PD using standard optical fibers, made of silica or polymers. The signal from the PD may be amplified and transmitted to the computer for use in the calculation of the glow curve.

Thermoluminescence Dosimetry

0035Each TLD system, including the one discussed in this invention, can be calibrated. During the calibration step, TLD elements are exposed to known doses of radiation, and for each dose a glow curve is measured. One can then get a calibration curve, which correlates between the dose and the height of the glow curve peaks or the integrated area under the glow curve. When this calibration curve is available, the computer program can analyze a given glow curve and determine the exact dose to which a TLD element had been exposed. The system of the invention is also operative to anneal the TLD elements after a dosimetry measurement, i.e. heat the TLD element to some high temperature (e.g. 400C), or even generate several heating cycles using the laser source. The annealing is also fast and well controlled. This annealing eliminates any "memory" effects of a previous exposure. This is important, in order to get accurate results.

Fiberoptic System

0036<figref idref="f0003 f0004">FIGS. 3A,B</figref> shows an embodiment of the system of the present invention based on optical fibers. <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 3A</figref> shows a schematic arrangement of three optical fibers <b>302, 304</b> and <b>306</b> in optical communication with a TLD element <b>102.</b><figref idref="f0004">FIG. 3B</figref> shows the fibers incorporated in a system similar to system <b>100</b> of <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref>. One fiber is used for heating the TLD element, one for monitoring the temperature of the TLD element, and one for measuring the luminescence emission from the TLD element. Exemplarily, in <figref idref="f0003">FIGS. 3A</figref>, B, the laser beam is transmitted through fiber <b>302.</b> Fiber <b>302</b> is chosen to transmit efficiently the laser radiation, which may be coupled into the fiber through a couling element (e.g. lens) <b>150.</b> Fiber <b>304</b> is an IR fiber that transmits the thermal IR radiation emitted from the TLD element to IR detector <b>120,</b> and may optionally serve as a filter that blocks UV, visible and NIR radiation from the IR detector. Fiber <b>306</b> transmits the TL emission from the TLD element to PD <b>124.</b> This fiber is normally made of silica based glass or on some polymer transparent to visible light, and may optionally also serve as a filter, which transmits only UV, visible and NIR radiation, but blocks the thermal (mid―IR) radiation to the PD. PC <b>114</b> fulfills the same functions as described with reference to <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref>.

0037The arrangement (e.g. bundle) of three fibers, shown in <figref idref="f0003">FIGS. 3A</figref>, B, may also be used for TL measurement in a remote location. In alternative embodiments, a fiber based-TLD measurement systems of the present invention may be based on less or more than 3 fibers, with one or more fibers implementing more than one function.

Multiple TLD Elements

0038In some embodiments, the system of the present invention may be used in applications that require more than one TLD element. For example, badges worn by personnel in the vicinity of a radiation source may include several TLD elements. <figref idref="f0005">FIG. 4</figref> shows schematically (A) in cross section and (B) in plane view a badge with four TLD elements. The badge comprises a card <b>402</b> with four openings <b>404,</b> each opening housing a thin TLD element 102 held by four thin wires <b>406.</b> The card is inserted into a cassette <b>408,</b> which is worn as a badge, and (if needed) the card can be pulled out for the TL measurement. Exemplarily, each or only some of the TLD elements in the badge may be measured by the system, using for example the 3 - fiber arrangement of <figref idref="f0003 f0004">FIG. 3</figref>. One may, for example, measure two of the elements, in order to get more accurate results, and leave two elements untouched for future reference

Measurements under Vacuum

0039Faster heating rates are obtained if the heating of the TLD element is done under vacuum. <figref idref="f0006">FIG. 5</figref> is a schematic drawing of a measurement setup for a TLD element heated under vacuum, using the scheme of <figref idref="f0003 f0004">FIG. 3</figref>. Card <b>402</b> may be inserted in a vacuum chamber <b>502</b> shown schematically in <figref idref="f0006">Figure 5</figref>. The TL measurements may also be done using standard optical elements such as mirrors, lenses, or windows, but it is much preferable to use optical fibers in this case. The bundle of three fibers may be inserted into the vacuum chamber, through suitable ports, and the whole TL measurement can be carried out under vacuum. More than one TLD element may be measured, as discussed with reference to <figref idref="f0005">FIG. 4</figref>.

0040<figref idref="f0007">FIG. 6</figref> illustrates an alternative embodiment of the TLD system of the present invention for <i>in vivo</i> radiation monitoring of radiation doses in a patient undergoing radiation therapy. The effectiveness of radiation treatment can be improved by monitoring radiation doses in patients undergoing radiation therapy. It is desirable to introduce a radiation dosimeter inside the portion of the body that is exposed to radiation (e.g. a malignant tumor). Such a dosimeter, if operated in real time, can help the physician determined what dose was applied to this portion of the body during irradiation. <figref idref="f0007">FIG. 6A</figref> shows a TLD system <b>602</b> having three fibers (exemplarily the fibers described in <figref idref="f0003 f0004">FIG. 3</figref>) <b>604, 606</b> and <b>608</b> inserted inside a hypodermic needle or a catheter <b>610.</b> A TLD element <b>102</b> is held in a mechanical holder, exemplarily the holder of <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 2A</figref>, in front of the distal ends of the fibers. Alternative arrangements are shown in <figref idref="f0007">FIGS. 6B and C. FIG. 6B</figref> shows one infrared fiber <b>620,</b> which transmits the laser beam to the TLD element and also transmits the thermal infrared radiation from the TLD element to the IR detector. An array of visible fibers <b>622</b> transmits the TL from the heated TLD element to the photodetector. <figref idref="f0007">Figure 6C</figref> shows one fiber <b>630</b> for transmitting the laser beam onto the TLD element and another fiber <b>632</b> for transmitting the thermal IR radiation from the TLD element to the infrared detector. Two other fibers <b>634</b> transmit the thermoluminescence from the heated TLD element to the photodetector. The needle may be inserted, for example, into a tumor, and the TLD element in the needle exposed to radiation. At the end of the treatment, the laser controlled TLD system will operate much the same way as discussed earlier. This will provide the physician with the radiation dose. At the end of the laser heating, the TLD element(s) can be used again. The physician can decide, at this stage, whether to stop the radiation or to continue with the therapy. In some embodiments, a second, third, or more doses can be read in real time if needed. Further, if needed, the system can also perform the annealing step between consecutive dose measurements. The system of the present invention thus allows precise control of radiation doses, reduces the damage to healthy tissues, and increases the effectiveness of the therapeutic method.

0041In alternative embodiments, a larger tube may replace the needle or catheter <b>610</b> described above, possibly to carry out radiation dosimetry in any remote location, such as needed for environmental monitoring. The tube may be rigid or flexible, and its dimensions and shape may vary.

APPLICATION EXAMPLE

0042The TLD system of <figref idref="f0004">FIG. 3B</figref> (fiber directed radiation) was used in measurements that illustrate the applicability and performance of the method described herein. The controlled heating process in each measurement was programmed to a linear scheme from T₀ =30°C to T=300°C, for three different heating periods: 15, 20, and 60 seconds. Therefore, three different heating rates were employed, from α = 4.5 degrees/sec to α =18 degrees/sec. The TLD element (a standard TLD-100 3x3 mm chip manufactured by Thermo - Harshaw, Oakwood Village, OH, USA) was heated by a CO₂ laser (Model J-48-2, Synrad, Mukilteo, WA, USA) whose radiation (λ=10.6 µm) is highly absorbed by most materials. This mid-IR radiation cannot be transmitted through standard silica based optical fibers, but it can be easily transmitted through silver halide (e.g. AgClBr) fibers. The radiation of a CO₂ laser was transmitted through one silver halide fiber to heat a spot on the surface of the TLD element. A second silver-halide fiber was used to transmit the thermal IR radiation emitted from the TLD element surface to a liquid nitrogen cooled photonic HgCdTe detector (IR Associates, Stuart, FL, USA), which was part of a fiberoptic infrared radiometer. The second fiber also served as a filter that blocked the visible part of the radiation to the IR detector. <figref idref="f0008">FIG. 7</figref> shows the time dependence of the temperature of the TLD element for the various heating rates. The figure clearly shows that the temperature dependence is linear for all three heating rates, i.e. the TLD element "temperature control" in achieving a linear heating scheme for each heating rate.

0043<figref idref="f0008">FIG. 8</figref> shows the TL signal vs. temperature of the Harshaw TLD-100 element for α = 4.3 degrees/sec. Both the height of the peak at roughly 180°C and the integrated area under the glow curve were proportional to the dose to which the TLD element had been exposed. Therefore the system can be used for thermoluminescence dosimetry.

0044In summary, the present invention advantageously provides a TLD measurement system and method in which the temperature and heating rate of each TLD element is known and controllable in real-time. The control is based on real time temperature inputs obtained from IR measurements of the TLD temperature. The invention allows therefore to obtain optimized heating rates (i.e. linear) that ensure acquisition of more reproducible and accurate dosimetry results than known in prior art.