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Low-cost Individual Digital Dosimeters using Solid State Photomultipliers

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Defense Threat Reduction Agency
Contract: HDTRA1-05-P-0110
Agency Tracking Number: T051-007-0068
Amount: $100,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: DTRA05-007
Solicitation Number: 2005.1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2005
Award Year: 2005
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2005-06-28
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2006-12-28
Small Business Information
44 Hunt Street
Watertown, MA 02472
United States
DUNS: 073804411
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 James Christian
 Group Leader, Senior Scientist
 (617) 668-6897
 JChristian@RMDInc.com
Business Contact
 Gerald Entine
Title: President
Phone: (617) 668-6800
Email: GEntine@RMDInc.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

U.S. forces working in low-level radiation environments have unsatisfactory choices for monitoring radiation exposure. The currently available A/UDR-13 pocket dosimeter is able to meet sensitivity requirements, but is cost prohibitive at ~$400 per unit, and it fails in the high temperature environments faced our military. Careful monitoring and accurate reporting of the exposed dose will reduce threats to the defense of our soldiers and our nation. The solution to these problems is an integrated detector-on-a-chip using a solid-state photomultiplier (SSPM) fabricated with CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) technology. An array of CMOS avalanche photodiode (APD) pixels comprises the SSPM, which is monolithically integrated to the readout and USB data transfer electronics. Coupling this detector-on-a-chip to a scintillation crystal provides an integrated platform for a low-cost, rugged, digital dosimeter. The Phase I work will demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing a SSPM, coupled to a scintillation crystal, to provide a low-cost, rugged, temperature tolerant individual digital dosimeter by measuring the sensitivity and energy resolution of a prototype, at two temperature extremes, and performing an analysis of the production costs.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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