E-RADOS · Digital luminescence for thin-film electron radiation dosimetry

Electron beam (e-beam) irradiation is an extremely versatile tool for many applications that can solve societal challenges in the medical sector or in the circular economy. E-beams are used for example for cancer therapeutics, vaccine development, sterilization, but also for energy saving ink-curing and reprocessing of recycled plastic. In all cases the applied dose, i.e., energy per irradiated mass, is the main process parameter to maintain a certain level of product quality, safety or human health, respectively. The dose in conventional e-beam dosimeters is measured with photo dosimeters that show a change in colour that can be correlated to the irradiation dose. All the current e-beam dosimeters have multiple drawbacks and imitations: they are single-use, cannot be used in real-time within the running process and cover a limited dose range only. The project E-RADOS aims to validate a promising new technology for e-beam dosimetry. A novel sensor foil, developed for UV irradiation, surprisingly showed to function for e-beam dosimetry. It has exciting features that overcome dose measurement limits and improves workflow: An optical signal at the desired e-beam dose enables real-time dosimetry during processes at the relevant surfaces. These sensor foils are reusable, lowering their overall footprint substantially.