Environmental Health Perspectives 105, Supplement 6, December 1997

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Room-Temperature Semiconductor Detectors for in Vivo Monitoring of Internal Contamination

Jean-Louis Genicot

Department of Radiation Protection, SCKdotCEN, Mol, Belgium

Abstract
In vivo monitoring of low-energy X- and gamma-ray emitters has always been a difficult task, primarily because of lack of accuracy and the high detection limits of classical techniques. Various types of PIN diodes (diodes with a large intrinsic zone) were tested in the Radiation Protection Department of the Studie Centrum voor Kernenergie, Centre d'étude de l'Energie Nucléaire (Mol, Belgium) in the measurement of radioactive body burden by direct methods. Current research is oriented toward the use of room-temperature diodes for the detection of low-energy photons escaping the body. In this paper, a new counting technique that involves a portable jacket containing the diodes is described. The system uses silicon diodes and is used out of a shielding room in order to be near the contamination. With this method rapid analysis and long counting times are possible, stress is reduced, and medical treatment can be optimized. CdZnTe detectors were also evaluated for this measurement technique but this type of detector is better adapted for counting inside a shielding room. The improvement of the accuracy of the measurement, taking into account the effect of the ribs, is described here, as well as the associated electronics necessary for this type of counting. -- Environ Health Perspect 105(Suppl 6):1423-1426 (1997)

Key words: total body counting, in vivo measurements, room-temperature semiconductor detectors, internal contamination, direct methods, radioactive body burden, silicon PIN diode, CdZnTe diode, torso phantom, contaminated wounds, thyroid

This paper is based on a presentation at the International Conference on Radiation and Health held 3-7 November 1996 in Beer Sheva, Israel. Abstracts of these papers were previously published in Public Health Reviews 24(3-4):205-431 (1996). Manuscript received at EHP 11 March 1997; accepted 30 June 1997.

Address correspondence to Dr. J-L. Genicot, Department of Radiation Protection, SCKdotCEN, Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol, Belgium. Telephone: 32 14 33 28 26. Fax: 32 14 32 10 56. E-mail: jgenicot@sckcen.b

Abbreviations used: Bq, becquerel; CZT, CdZnTe; HPGe, hyperpure germanium; keV, kiloelectron volt.

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