 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
 by Staff Writers Raleigh NC (SPX) Jan 10, 2019
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique that allows them to assess radiation exposure in about an hour using an insulator material found in most modern electronics. The technique can be used to triage medical cases in the event of a radiological disaster. "If there is a large radiological event in a populated area, it would be difficult or impossible to treat everyone who could potentially have acute radiation syndrome," says Robert Hayes, an associate professor of nuclear engineering at NC State and first author of a paper on the work. "You'd need to be able to figure out who was exposed to enough radiation to require treatment." The approach relies on testing crystalline insulators found in everything from thumb drives to smartphones. Because the technique is high-throughput, accurate and precise, it can adequately assess an individual's exposure in about an hour, Hayes says. Prior methods can take weeks. "Given that health providers have a one- to two-week window to start treating victims of acute radiation syndrome, the technique should be sufficient to identify which patients require the necessary care," Hayes says. "It could not only identify individual cases of acute radiation syndrome, but also help authorities determine which geographic areas received the most radiation. "But it's not just about identifying those that require care," Hayes says. "For example, our technique might have been useful in a place like Fukushima, for putting people's minds at ease. It's like having your own personal radiation detector." The technique requires the insulator to be removed from its electronic device and cleaned. The sample is then placed in a thermally stimulated luminescence reader, which collects spectra relating to the number of electrons found in the flaws inherent to the sample's crystalline structure. That spectral data is then fed into a custom algorithm that calculates the sample's radiation exposure. "This technique requires specialized equipment and expertise, so it's not something most locales would have on hand," Hayes says. "But labs like mine could run the tests and provide the authorities with good data very quickly. In addition to NC State, I know there's another lab with relevant expertise and infrastructure at Oklahoma State University, and one in Denmark, though there are likely others. "Hopefully, this technique won't be necessary for a long time, if ever. But we think it's important to develop these tools before they are needed."
Research Report: "Retrospective dosimetry at the natural background level with commercial surface mount resistors,"
Finding ways to protect crews from the effects of space radiation Houston TX (SPX) Dec 21, 2018 In the near future, crews will embark on multi-month missions to the Moon, and eventually Mars and beyond. All incredible adventures, however, have their hazards, and a major one for crews on long-duration spaceflights is the space radiation they will be exposed to during their missions. A new experiment aboard the International Space Station, The Growth of Large, Perfect Protein Crystals for Neutron Crystallography (Perfect Crystals) study, aims to help scientists find a way to deal with the prob ... read more
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Google
