GB2243215A

GB2243215A - Instrument readout

Info

Publication number: GB2243215A
Application number: GB9106145A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dr Michael Anthony Flemming
Original assignee: UK Atomic Energy Authority
Current assignee: UK Atomic Energy Authority
Priority date: 1990-04-18
Filing date: 1991-03-22
Publication date: 1991-10-23
Also published as: GB9008716D0; GB9106145D0

Abstract

An electronic instrument 12 comprises a liquid crystal display 22 arranged to display, in machine-readable form, data provided by a sensor in the instrument. The display may be in the form of a bar code. This can be read by an optical scanning bar code reader 14. The data can be read out if the instrument is merely passed over the reader, and the display consumes little electrical power. As shown, a personal dosemeter may be clipped at 20 to a belt of a person who may be exposed to gamma radiation, the LCD display 22 being in the form of a bar code. Later, the bar code can be read at the window 16 of a reader 14 and the measured quantity relayed to a computer 18. Alternative instruments could detect ambient pressure and temperature, sound, time (eg the duration of sunshine), radiation (eg X-ray, beta, gamma or neutrons) or hospital patients temperature. <IMAGE>

Description

Instrument Readout This invention relates to a readout device for an electronic instrument including a sensor.

Where it is desired to readout information from a portable electronic instrument a variety of techniques are available. The instrument might be connected via a plug and cable to a reader. Alternatively the instrument might be coupled capacitively or inductively to a reader, this requiring close contact between the instrument and the reader. A non-contact readout technique which required very little power consumption would be advantageous in many situations.

The present invention accordingly provides an electronic instrument including a sensor, and a liquid crystal display, arranged to display data obtained by the sensor in a machine-readable form.

In the preferred arrangement the display is in the form of a bar code. The invention is applicable in particular to situations in which a portable instrument is brought to a monitoring station at intervals so the information stored by it can be read, recorded and monitored. For example the instrument might he a personal dosemeter carried by an operator of an X-ray source, the accumulated dose heing monitored at the end of every day's work. Another example miqht be an electronic thermometer used in a hospital to monitor a patient's temperature at regular intervals.

The invention also provides an information readout system comprising an electronic instrument as specified above, and an optical device to read the displayed data.

Where the display is in the form of a bar c^.e, the optical device is a bar code reader, and may be a light scanning apparatus similar to those used at supermarket checkouts to read printed barcodes on goods passed over the apparatus, for example as described in GB 1 556 174 (Fujitsu). This provides the advantage that a scanning apparatus of this type can read the information displayed by the instrument if the instrument display is merely passed over the apparatus. No precise positioning of the instrument is necessary.

A liquid crystal display does not consume very much power, so the display can be battery powered. The instrument may however also include a switch to turn the display on or off. It may also include means to change the displayed data from one parameter measured by the instrument to another, for example an instrument with a sensor to detect gamma rays might monitor the total number of detected gamma rays, and also the number of gamma rays of energy greater than say 2 eV, and could be switched to display bar codes representing one and then the other of these two numbers.

It will be appreciated that the invention is applicable to a wide range of instruments and hence of data to be displayed. For example the instrument might detect radiation (e.g. beta, qamma, or neutrons); it night measure ambient pressure, ambient temperature, or sound intensity, and display the peak value and/or the mean value; or it might measure the time for which a phenomenon occurs, such as the duration of sunshine.

The invention will now be further described by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows diagrammatic perspective views of the components of an information readout syster 19.

Referring to the drawing, the system 1^ comprises a portable electronic instrument 12, and a laser-scanning bar code reader 14 with an indicator light 15 and a glass window 16 through which the laser beam is scanned, and connected to a computer 18 . The instrument 12 is battery-powered. It incorporates a gamma radiation sensor, and determines the total count of detected qamma rays and also measures the time for which the count rate exceeds a preset threshold. It is clipped onto a belt of a person who may be exposed to gamma radiation during his work by meeans of a spring clip 20 on its rear side. The front side includes a liquid crystal display 22, an on/off switch 24 for the display 22, and a switch 26 to determine which of the two measured quantities is displayed.The display is in the form of a bar code, shown diagrammatically.

At the beginning and end of each working session the person unclips the instrument 12 from his belt, switches on the display 22, and holds or passes it over the window 16 so the bar code faces the window 16 and is scanned by the laser beam. The display 22 indicates a code number for the instrument 12 (so identifying the person concerned) and also indicates one or other of the two measured quantities.

If the bar code is successfully read by the reader 14 the indicator light 15 is briefly illuminated, and the data transmitted to the computer 18. The person then chances the display 22 by means of the switch 26 to display the other measured quantity, and passes it over the window 16 a second time, to again obtain illumination of the light 15 when the data is again read successfully. He can then switch off the display 22 and clip the instrument 12 back to his belt.

Thus the computer 18 obtains data representing the total gamma count, and the time of exposure to a count-rate above the threshold, for each person and for each working session. Such data enables co-liance with regulations governing exposure to radiation to be assured; it also enables any deviation from normal dose rates, which may be due to defects in methods of use or in the equipment generating the radiation, to be detected promptly so that appropriate action can be taken.

Claims

1. An electronic instrument including a sensor, and a liquid crystal display, arranged to display data obtained by the sensor in a machine-readable form.

2. An instrument as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the display is in the form of a bar code.

3. An instrument as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 including means to switch the display so as to display different data obtained by the sensor.

4. An instrument as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the sensor detects ionizing radiation, and the display can be switched to display at least two of: the accumulated dose of radiation, the accumulated dose of radiation of energy above a preset energy threshold, the peak dose rate, and the time for which the dose rate exceeded a preset dose rate threshold.

5. An electronic instrument substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanyinq drawing.

6. An information readout system comprising an electronic instrument as claimed in any one of the precedinq Claims, and an optical device to read the displayed data.

7. An information readout system as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the display is in the form of a bar code, and the optical device comprises a bar code reader.

8. An information readout system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawing.