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Pocket Dosimeter

Pocket dosimeters and pocket chambers are small ionization devices worn in the pocket to measure exposure to x-rays and gamma rays. Pocket chambers, also called indirect-reading dosimeters, store a charge that decreases with exposure but require an external device to read the exposure amount. Pocket dosimeters, or direct-reading dosimeters, contain a movable quartz fiber that can be viewed through the device to directly read the exposure amount without additional equipment. While pocket chambers were less expensive, pocket dosimeters allowed workers to check their exposure during work and take corrective actions.

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Sheela Mohanan
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1K views4 pages

Pocket Dosimeter

Pocket dosimeters and pocket chambers are small ionization devices worn in the pocket to measure exposure to x-rays and gamma rays. Pocket chambers, also called indirect-reading dosimeters, store a charge that decreases with exposure but require an external device to read the exposure amount. Pocket dosimeters, or direct-reading dosimeters, contain a movable quartz fiber that can be viewed through the device to directly read the exposure amount without additional equipment. While pocket chambers were less expensive, pocket dosimeters allowed workers to check their exposure during work and take corrective actions.

Uploaded by

Sheela Mohanan
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Pocket dosimeters are used to provide the wearer with an immediate reading of his or her exposure to x-rays and

gamma rays. As the name implies, they are commonly worn in the pocket. The two types commonly used in industrial radiography are the Direct Read Pocket Dosimeter and the Digital Electronic Dosimeter. Direct Read Pocket Dosimeter A direct reading pocket ionization dosimeter is generally of the size and shape of a fountain pen. The dosimeter contains a small ionization chamber with a volume of approximately two milliliters. Inside the ionization chamber is a central wire anode, and attached to this wire anode is a metal coated quartz fiber. When the anode is charged to a positive potential, the charge is distributed between the wire anode and quartz fiber. Electrostatic repulsion deflects the quartz fiber, and the greater the charge, the greater the deflection of the quartz fiber. Radiation incident on the chamber produces ionization inside the active volume of the chamber. The electrons produced by ionization are attracted to, and collected by, the positively charged central anode. This collection of electrons reduces the net positive charge and allows the quartz fiber to return in the direction of the original position. The amount of movement is directly proportional to the amount of ionization which occurs. By pointing the instrument at a light source, the position of the fiber may be observed through a system of built-in lenses. The fiber is viewed on a translucent scale which is graduated in units of exposure. Typical industrial radiography pocket dosimeters have a full scale reading of 200 milliroentgens but there are designs that will record higher amounts. During the shift, the dosimeter reading should be checked frequently. The measured exposure should be recorded at the end of each shift. The principal advantage of a pocket dosimeter is its ability to provide the wearer an immediate reading of his or her radiation exposure. It also has the advantage of being reusable. The limited range, inability to provide a permanent record, and the potential for discharging and reading loss due to dropping or bumping are a few of the main disadvantages of a pocket dosimeter. The dosimeters must be recharged and recorded at the start of each working shift. Charge leakage, or drift, can also affect the reading of a dosimeter. Leakage should be no greater than 2 percent of full scale in a 24 hour period.

Pocket Chambers and Pocket Dosimeters


Pocket chambers and pocket dosimeters are small ionization chambers that, as the name implies, are usually worn in the pocket. While they were designed to measure x-rays and gamma ray exposures, they would also respond to betas above 1 MeV. Neutron-sensitive versions were also available. The terms pocket chamber and pocket dosimeter are often used interchangeably. The original distinction between the two terms, used here, is rarely made anymore. In part, this is due to the fact that the devices that I call pocket chambers are rarely used any more. 1. Pocket Chambers Pocket chambers go by a variety of names: indirect-reading dosimeters, non-self-reading dosimeters and condenser-type pocket dosimeters. Prior to WW II, they were only used to a limited extent, primarily in medical facilities and around accelerators. The Manhattan Project however created a huge demand and they were worn by almost everyone who might be exposed to radiation. A pocket chamber acts as an air-filled condenser (capacitor) much like the thimble chambers used in radiology. Prior to being worn, it is given a charge with a charger-reader, e.g., the Victoreen Minometer. Any subsequent exposure to radiation ionizes the air inside the chamber and this reduces the stored charge. In order to quantify the exposure, the charge is measured and the decrease is related to the exposure. Pocket chambers were approximately 4 - 5 long and 0.5 in diameter. An aluminum rod (ca. 0.0625 in diameter) running along the chamber axis served as one electrode, while the outer wall of the chamber served as the other electrode. The central electrode was suspended at each end with a polystyrene insulator and at one end it penetrated the insulator to serve as the charging contact. One problem with the early models involved the threaded caps that were used to protect the charging contact - they would wear and the metal fragments would get on the insulator. The graphite coating on the inside of the chamber wall caused a similar type of problem with some of the early models because it would sometimes flake off and short out the chamber. The early models were also susceptible to discharge as a result of mechanical shock because the central electrode would flex and contact the chamber wall. To solve this problem, later versions used a thicker central electrode and/or positioned a small insulating disk in the center of the electrode. Because of these problems, it was usual for a worker to wear two dosimeters and the lower of the two readings was considered the most accurate. . Pocket Dosimeters Like pocket chambers, pocket dosimeters are known by a number of other names, e.g., direct-reading dosimeters, self-reading pocket dosimeters and pocket electroscopes. They are actually quartz fiber electroscopes the sensing element of which is a movable bow-shaped quartz fiber that is attached at each end to a fixed post. The latter is also shaped like a bow (or horseshoe). The dose is determined by looking through the eyepiece on one end of the dosimeter, pointing the other end towards a light source, and noting the position of the fiber on a scale. Until 1950 or so, the vast majority of pocket dosimeters had a range up to 200 mR, although a few high range versions were available for emergency situations. Higher range versions

became more readily available in the 1950s for military and civil defense purposes. Pocket dosimeters tended to be slightly larger than pocket chambers. Their walls might be made of aluminum, bakelite, or some other type of plastic. If the material was not conductive, the inner surface of the chamber was coated with Aquadag (graphite). The central electrode was usually a phosphor bronze rod. This made pocket dosimeters more energy dependent than pocket chambers whose central electrodes were usually aluminum. Some dosimeters (e.g., Keleket Model K-145) employed boron-lined chambers which made them sensitive to thermal neutrons. Pocket dosimeters must be charged (ca. 150 200 volts) with some sort of charger, but they do not require another device to read them. This allows the worker to determine his or her exposure at any time, an important advantage when working in high radiation fields.

The first direct reading pocket dosimeters were built by Charlie Lauritsen at the California Institute of Technology. 3. Pocket Chambers (indirect-reading) vs Pocket Dosimeters (direct reading)

Pocket chambers were far less expensive (ca. $5 vs $40 in 1950) Pocket chambers, despite their problems, were more reliable. Pocket chambers did not permit the wearer to know their exposure, for military purposes, this was sometimes desirable. Pocket dosimeters allowed the worker to check their exposure during a particular task and to take corrective actions when appropriate. Pocket dosimeters did not have to be recharged every time they were read. Pocket dosimeters could use very small chargers, small enough to easily fit into a pocket.

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