Dosimeters are a form of devices to monitor ionizing radiation. They are used regularly for a number of key roles including both patient and personal dosimetry, environmental monitoring, spectroscopy, radiopharmaceutical and equipment checking.

Function

Energy enters the dosimeter which converts this energy into a signal strength and an output. The conversion process and the output are unique to each different type of dosimeter.

Common output modalities are:

dose rate: gives an instantaneous value over time
- often used in environmental, radiopharmaceutical and equipment checks
total dose: the amount of activity over a given time frame
- patient or personal dosimetry

Types of dosimeters

charge collection devices: radiation energy is converted to electric charge (either directly or indirectly) and the dosimeter converts this charge into a signal output
- gas-filled collectors
- scintillation detectors
- solid-state detectors
other type: devices made of material that changes on exposure to radiation energy
- photographic film
- thermoluminescent detectors (TLD)
- optically stimulated luminescent detectors