Thermoluminescent dosimeter element readout apparatus

Claim 1

RADIATION DOSIMETRY READOUT APPARATUS COMPRISING A LIGHT SENSOR, MEANS TO DISPOSE THERMOLUMINESCENT MATERIAL THAT HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO RADIATION IN OPTICALLY COUPLED RELATION TO SAID LIGHT SENSOR, MEANS TO HEAT SAID THERMOLUMINESCENT MATERIAL TO RELEASE LIGHT AS A FUNCTION OF THE RADIATION TO WHICH SAID MATERIAL HAS BEEN EXPOSED, A FIRST CAPACITOR, MEANS TO CHANGE SAID FIRST CAPACITOR AS A FUNCTION OF THE OUTPUT OF SAID LIGHT SENSOR, POTENTIAL INDICATING APPARATUS INCLUDING A HIGH IMPEDANCE ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST CAPACITOR, A READOUT INDICATOR TO INDICATE THE DETECTED RADIATION DOSAGE AS A FUNCTION OF THE CHARGE ON SAID FIRST CAPACITOR, A SECOND CAPACITOR HAVING A CAPACITANCE VALUE OF A KNOWN MULTIPLE OF THE CAPACITANCE VALUE OF SAID FIRST CAPACITOR, THE CAPACITANCE VALUE OF SAID SECOND CAPACITOR BEING LARGER THAN THE CAPACITANCE VALUE OF SAID FIRST CAPACITOR, MEANS TO COMPLETELY DISCHARGE SAID SECOND CAPACITOR, MEANS TO CONNECT SAID COMPLETELY DISCHARGED SECOND CAPACITOR IN PARALLEL WITH SAID FIRST CAPACITOR TO REDUCE THE CHARGE ON SAID FIRST CAPACITOR BY TRANSFER OF A PORTION OF THAT CHARGE TO SAID SECOND CAPACITANCE AS A FUNCTION OF THE RATIO OF THE CAPACITANCE VALUE OF THE TWO CAPACITORS, AND MEANS TO PROVIDE AN INDICATION OF THE MULTIPLICATION FACTOR OF THE INTEGRATED READOUT QUANTITY AS A FUNCTION OF THE NUMBER OF TIMES SAID SECOND CAPACITOR IS PARALLELED WITH SAID FIRST CAPACITOR.