Wireless Dosimeter with Dormant State for Battery Conservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dosimetry systems require physical dosimeters to be transported for reading, leading to inefficiencies and battery drain due to 'always on' communication requirements, which is cumbersome and power-intensive.
Innovation Solution
Dosimeters with wireless communication capability that remain dormant until needed, using a data capture and relay device (DCRD) to transmit data directly to a central station via mobile or Wi-Fi networks, initiated by a push button or internal timing, reducing unnecessary power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dosimeters use 'always on' communication capability to transmit data, then data transmission reliability is improved, but battery power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dosimeter employs periodic wake-up cycles where the communication module activates at predetermined intervals to transmit data to the central station, then returns to a low-power dormant state. This periodic operation maintains data transmission capability while dramatically reducing average power consumption compared to continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The dosimeter autonomously manages its own power state transitions, waking up automatically at scheduled times to perform data transmission without requiring external triggering. The device self-regulates its communication activity based on internal timing mechanisms, eliminating the need for continuous external monitoring or manual activation.
2Loss of information
If physical dosimeters are transported to central processing lab for reading, then data collection is achieved, but operational efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical transportation of physical dosimeters with electronic data transmission. The dosimeter wirelessly transmits radiation exposure data to the central station, eliminating the need for physical collection, transport, and manual handling of dosimeter devices while ensuring complete data collection.
Solution Approach 2:
The data is extracted from the dosimeter and transmitted separately from the physical device. Only the essential information (radiation exposure data) needs to be communicated to the central station, while the dosimeter itself remains at the user location, eliminating the need to transport the entire device.
3Ease of operation
If intermediate readers are deployed at various sites for dosimeter reading, then data transmission capability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reading function is extracted from intermediate devices and integrated directly into the dosimeter itself. The dosimeter contains an onboard communication module that enables it to directly transmit data to the central station, eliminating the need for separate intermediate readers at various sites and simplifying the overall system architecture.
Data Source
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AI summary
Dosimeters with wireless communications capability, upon actuation, communicate with a cell phone or other data capture and relay device (DCRD) with an application that allows communication with the dosimeters. The cell phone or other DCRD is a single device or part of an ad hoc network. The cell phone or other DCRD, once it receives raw data from a dosimeter, relays the data to a central station using mobile telephone or Wi-Fi or other communications networks. The data is processed at the central station, and available over the internet or cell phone.