Radiant energy – Invisible radiation responsive nonelectric signalling – Luminescent device
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-14
2001-08-07
Hannaher, Constantine (Department: 2878)
Radiant energy
Invisible radiation responsive nonelectric signalling
Luminescent device
C250S583000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06271528
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a reusable personal monitor offering the possibility to check in a quantitative way irradiation harmful for the human skin and to predict the recommended time the skin may further be exposed to the said irradiation during next days without further health risk.
2. Background of the Invention
Medical reports with respect to skin cancer disease are frequently warning people for the danger of harmful irradiation the human skin is sensitive to. Said harmful irradiations e.g. can be generated by solar panels and/or by sunlight. Although sunlight is known to have a curing effect as in the so-called heliotherapy, its irradiation spectrum comprising UV-A (315 to 380 nm) and UV-B (280 to 315 nm) rays should be looked at suspicious. Moreover harmful effects were hitherto thought to be due to UV-B rays having a shorter wavelength than UV-A rays, but the Royal Academy for Medicine from Belgium is nowadays seriously warning people that, as is clear from medical observation during last years, UV-A rays are not harmless: basocellular and spinocellular carcinomen as well as the so feared melanoma indeed occur under its influence. Moreover the appearance of actinic elastose, pigment replacements, keratose and actinic porokeratose causes ageing of the human skin. The cumulative effect and reinforcement of the effect of UV-B rays makes the whole issue with respect thereto becoming even more frightening.
Especially people who are frequently visiting “solar centres” are mostly not aware of health risks in that they are not facing the truth that UV-A rays are not harmless and that exposure of the skin to radiation from solar panels is not really preventively protecting the skin from sunlight. In addition thereto people should be warned for the risk of phototoxic reactions if “solar curing” is accompanied by taking medicines.
Therefore it is important to warn people for health risks due to UV-radiation and to suggest annual control of their skin. One way therefore is to check individually the amount of admissible UV-radiation by providing means and ways to check undeniably, and more preferred in a quantitative way, to what extent the human skin has been irradiated by harmful exposure to UV-rays and to predict the time the skin may further be irradiated thereto the same or following days without getting risk of health problems in the future. Therefore there is a stringent need for a cheap, reliable (user friendly and ecologically justified) and quantitative personal monitor in order to secure the inspection of the skin by UV-radiation.
3. Objects and Summary of the Invention
It is an object of the present invention to provide a personal monitor as an indicator making it possible to check in a quantitative way any amount of harmful rays irradiating the human skin.
In particular it is an object of the present invention to provide a quantitative indicator for measuring irradiation of the human skin by (over)exposure to harmful UV-A and UV-B radiation originating from sun-rays and/or solar panels.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for quantitatively checking the amount of accumulated radiation and comparing it with radiation doses tolerable within a certain exposure time as a function of age, location on earth, skin type, protection factor of sun cream used, etc.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the detailed description hereinafter.
The objects of the present invention are realized by providing a personal monitor comprising a storage medium for absorbing incident radiation energy, wherein said storage medium comprises a storage phosphor panel capable to store radiation energy originating from radiation having an wavelength of 350 nm or less, wherein said panel is covered with an optical filter absorbing radiation having a wavelength of 350 nm or more during exposure and wherein said panel is present in a housing.
Preferably said housing is provided with a shutter element to avoid exposure at those moments when it is undesirable or irrelevant.
In a more preferred embodiment the radiation energy stored is originating from radiation in the wavelength range from 250 nm to 350 nm, substantially composed of UV-B and UV-A rays.
The objects of the present invention are further realized by providing a method to determine in a quantitative way stored amounts of radiation energy originating from radiation having a wavelength of 350 nm or less, comprising the steps of:
i) providing a personal monitor as set forth hereinbefore;
ii) opening the housing of said monitor thereby irradiating said storage phosphor panel covered with said optical filter by incident radiation in such a way that said panel is exposed proportionally and simultaneously with an object (as the human skin) which is sensitive to said radiation;
iii) closing the said housing,
iv) reading out said storage phosphor panel by the steps of entering the personal monitor (indicator) in a read-out apparatus, removing the optical filter covering the storage phosphor panel, adding stimulating energy to the said storage phosphor panel, digitally detecting energy released from said storage phosphor panel by a detector;
v) erasing stored rest energy.
An apparatus for readout of storage means according to the method of the present invention further comprises a DSP(digital signal processing)-chip in order to quantitatively determine energy released by said storage means.
Said DSP-chip moreover offers digital data of quantitatively detected integral overexposure or underexposure dose of radiation having a wavelength of 350 nm or less, by calculation of the difference between detected radiation values and maximum tolerable values per day (as a function of different external factors).
REFERENCES:
patent: 3924135 (1975-12-01), Dhar et al.
patent: 4853548 (1989-08-01), Stevens
patent: 4880986 (1989-11-01), Yamada et al.
patent: 5196705 (1993-03-01), Ryan
patent: 5306917 (1994-04-01), Black et al.
patent: 5469424 (1995-11-01), Inushima et al.
patent: 5663564 (1997-09-01), Radford
patent: 5864146 (1999-01-01), Karellas
patent: 5977556 (1999-11-01), Qiu et al.
patent: 5-87633 (1993-04-01), None
Su Ching-Shen et al: Detection of Environmental Ultraviolet Radiation by the Induced Electroluminescence in a Ceramic Detector; IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, vol. 45, No. 2, Apr. 1, 1996, pp. 585-587, XP000591440.
A. Yamadera et al: Development of High Sensitivity Aspire-And Lamda-Ray Personal Diosimeter using Photostimulated Luminescent Detector; Applied Radiation and Isotopes, vol. 46, No. 6/07, Jun. 1, 1995, p. 467/468, XP000512996.
B. Dichter: Fluorescent-Phosphor-Based Broadband UV Light Sensors; Sensors, vol. 10, No. 4, Apr. 1993, pp. 19, 21-22, 24, XP002050194.
V. Mathur et al: Optically Stimulated Luminescence In MgS:Ce,Sm; Radiation Protection Dosimetry, “Proceedings of the Eighth Int'l Conference On Solid State Dosimetry”; Oxford, UK; Aug. 26-29, 1986. (Table of Contents also attached). vol. 17, No. 1-4, 1986, pp. 333-336, XP002050193.
Fukuda et al: Estimation of Ultraviolet Radiation Dose Using CAF2:TB Phosphor; Radiation Protection Dosimetry, “Proceedings of the Eleventh International Conference On Solid State Dosimetry”; Budapest, Hungary; Jul. 10-14, 1995 (Part 1). (Table of Contents also attached). vol. 65, No. 1-4, pp. 325-328, XP002050195.
Leblans Paul
Struye Luc
Willems Peter
AGFA-GEVAERT
Breiner & Breiner L.L.C.
Hannaher Constantine
LandOfFree
Reusable personal sun-monitor does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Reusable personal sun-monitor, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Reusable personal sun-monitor will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2443521