Digital radiation dosemeter having an optoelectronic transmitter

Claim 1

A radiation detecting system for monitoring ambient ionizing radiation and including a dosemeter retained within a housing and a data processing system external to said housing and constructed to receive said dosemeter for initiating and receiving data from said dosemeter, wherein the improvement in said dosemeter comprises: radiation detector means for detecting ionizing radiation and for producing electrical signals in response to said radiation; electronic survey means including a dose radiation counter responsive to said electrical signals for counting and storing a count representing the instantaneous value of the detected dose of radiation; an identifier circuit means for providing an identifying number for the dosemeter; main data bus means coupled to said identifier circuit means and said electronic survey means for transmitting said stored count and said identifying number; serial data transmission means coupled to receive said stored count and said identifying number for providing serial binary data representing said stored count and said identifying number; first opto-electronic transmitter means coupled to receive said serial binary data and responsive to a control signal for transmitting said serial binary data; first photosensitive receiver means responsive to said control signal for receiving a read command from said data processing system; binary control means responsive to said first photosensitive receiver means and coupled to said serial data transmission means to initiate said providing of said serial binary data; electrical switch means coupled to said first photosensitive receiver means and said first opto-electronic transmitter means for producing said control signal when actuated, and wherein the improvement in said data processing system comprises; means for receiving said dosemeter at a predetermined position with respect to said data processing system; second opto-electronic transmitter means positioned to transmit a read command to said first photosensitive receiver means when said dosemeter is in said predetermined position; second photosensitive receiver means positioned to receive transmitted serial binary data from said first opto-electronic transmitter means when said dosemeter is positioned in said predetermined position for reading said stored count and said identified number; and means responsive to said dosemeter being in said predetermined position for actuating said electrical switch means to enable initiation of a read command from said second opto-electronic transmitter means and to cause transmission of said serial binary data to said second photosensitive receiver means for reading of said stored count and said identifying number by said data processing system.