Cutting-edge diy projects
Spectrum Techniques of Oak Ridge, TN – a top supplier of Exempt Quantity radioisotope sources and nuclear measurement instrumentation – released today our tutorial:
“Experiment Note: Exploring Compton Scattering Using the Spectrum Techniques Universal Computer Spectrometer” Continue reading
Lately I’ve received many inquiries about the paper on radiation-hardness testing of implantable integrated circuits that I published with Dr. Larry Stotts (now Executive VP R&D at Biotronik), and the late Dr. John Prince. This is because the effects of medical diagnostic and therapeutic radiation are becoming an issue of concern to physicians who often encounter the need for radiotherapy in the growing population of patients implanted with pacemakers, defibrillators, neural stimulators, and drug-delivery pumps.
Although the paper reported mainly on the test of floating-gate EEPROMs, the modern interest is on the test methods that we developed to test ICs used in implantable devices for hardness to the type of radiation encountered in the medical field.
Click here for our paper: D. Prutchi, J.L. Prince and L.J. Stotts, “X- and Gamma-Ray Hardness of Floating-Gate EEPROM Technology as Applied to Implantable Medical Devices”, IEEE Transactions on Electronic Components and Packaging Technology, 22(3), 390-398, 1999.
Note: Cross-posted at www.implantable-device.com
I am placing information about nuclear-powered pacemakers, including RTG and betavoltaic power sources under my www.implantable-device.com under the “Nuclear Batteries” Category.
We modified a surplus Civil Defense V-700 radiation survey meter made by Electro Neutronics Inc. (Model 6-b) into a very capable radiation counter capable of working with both Geiger-Müller and PMT scintillation probes. We modified the front panel to accommodate the new switches, connectors, and panel light. In addition, we placed a Veeder-Root count totalizer module on the side of the box. The new electronic components, including a Zener diode stack and a PMT preamplifier are wired directly to the original printed circuit board.
The following file shows each step in the modification process with large color pictures and expanded diagrams
Click here for tutorial in pdf format
Click here for datasheet of Veeder-Root totalizer module
More information and experiments available at: www.diyPhysics.com
Pages 86, 87:
October 18, 2005 – Bob Higgins brought the following to my attention:
“…On page 86, the slew rare limit bridge values appear to limit SR to 333V/s. The largest gain before the bridge is 500, so the limit appears to be 0.66V/S applied to the ECG signal, but earlier in the book, 0.33V/s is the recommended limit to block pacemaker pulses…” Continue reading