The design of a low cost scintillating detector for a radiation meter
An x-ray detector will be designed for the Engineering World Health (EWH) organization to be incorporated into an ionizing radiation meter. This meter will be distributed to hospitals of the developing world to improve patient care. The meter will be able to determine if x-ray radiation energy from an x-ray production tube is sufficient to produce an image with proper contrast between muscle and bone. The detector, as part of the radiation meter, will cost less than $3 per unit when manufactured in quantities of 500. EWH has specified the meter can cost no more than $4 per unit, and the detector is the most expensive component. The design will include an aluminum cylindrical casing that will be easy to disassemble and reassemble for repair purposes. A scintillation material will be located inside one side of the casing, and a photodetector will be inside the other side. The detector and its components will be selected based on price, scintillation efficiency, wavelength emitted from the scintillation material, and spectral response of the photodetector. The detector will be validated using x-ray machines at local hospitals. The detector will be bombarded with x-ray photons and the response recorded. If possible, the detector's response will be compared to that of a commercial detector for x-ray machines. The detector design will be considered successful if it can distinguish between varying levels of x-ray energy. © 2007 IEEE.
