Radio Frequency Identification Gate System to Identify Misused Personal Dosimeters

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Detection and Measurement
• Health and Safety Engineering

Background:

• Accurate personal dosimeter placement is crucial for effective dose estimation in radiation environments.
• Incorrect dosimeter positioning is common, leading to unreliable exposure records and administrative burdens.
• Existing methods for identifying mispositioned dosimeters are time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a radio frequency identification (RFID) gate system for automatically identifying incorrectly positioned personal dosimeters.
• To differentiate between dosimeters worn over and under protective aprons.
• To provide real-time alerts for dosimeter misuse.

Main Methods:

• Development of an RFID gate system to read RFID-tagged dosimeters.
• Simulation of four dosimeter-wearing classes: proper use, reversed, both under, and both over.
• Evaluation of system performance using a confusion matrix.
• Assessment of system safety concerning life support devices.

Main Results:

• The RFID gate system achieved an overall accuracy of 97.75% in classifying dosimeter positions.
• The system successfully differentiated between dosimeters placed over and under a metal apron.
• No adverse effects on life support devices were observed at distances of 0.3 m or greater from the RFID antenna.

Conclusions:

• The developed RFID gate system is highly effective in identifying incorrectly positioned dosimeters.
• Real-time monitoring of dosimeter positioning can be achieved, improving radiation dose management.
• The system offers a practical solution to reduce administrative workload and enhance worker safety.