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Gangqin Huang, Zhangfa Yan, Tiantian Dai*, Ren-Guey Lee, and Qingyang Wei*
Open Access. © 2020 Gangqin Huang et al., published by De Gruyter. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License.
Simultaneous measurement of ionizing radiation and HR using a smartphone camera 567
However, these traditional detectors and novel imaging 2 Materials and methods
systems are expensive and require a lot of post-
maintenance, but the relatively low probability of
2.1 Experiments
nuclear-related accidents/incidents makes the use of
these detectors and systems on a large scale cost-
effective. A certain smartphone (Xiaomi8) with dual 12-megapixel
In recent years, complementary metal oxide semi- rear camera (Sony IMX363) was used for studies. The
conductor (CMOS) cameras have been used for X/γ-ray main rear camera was utilized to record videos. The
detection and classification [11–14]. This promising image sensor of the camera has a size of 1/2.55 inches
direction has advantages of higher penetration rate and and a single pixel-type of 1.4 µm. The video frame rate
lower cost compared to traditional methods. Studies recorded by the smartphone is 30 fps, and the image size
have shown that random bright spots are generated in is 1,920 × 1,080. The radioactive source used in
images recorded by CMOS image sensors under irradia- experiments is a ∼33 mCi 99mTc liquid radioactive source
tion of X/γ rays [11–13]. Xu et al. studied the potential of (2 mL) with the γ-ray energy of 140 keV and the decay
CMOS image sensors and found that both the mean pixel half-life of 6.02 h. Two groups of experiments were
value and the cumulative pixel value have a linear carried out. All experiments were carried out in a room
relationship with radiation dose rate [14–16]. Our group with uniform and constant artificial illumination. In
successfully extracted radioactive events in videos and group 1, the smartphone camera lens was completely
found that the frequency of the bright spots is positively covered by a finger of an adult male subject, and videos
correlated with the radiation intensity [17,18]. Several were recorded when the smartphone was set at six
algorithms were developed to identify the radioactive different distances from the radioactive source to obtain
events in images or videos recorded by CMOS cameras different radiation intensities, ranging from 20 to 70 cm
[18–20]. Since smartphones have powerful abilities for with a step size of 10 cm. At the same time, we measured
information collection and computational analysis and the HR for each experiment using a Heal Force Prince-
contain CMOS cameras, using a smartphone to detect 100F Oximeter [28]. Figure 1 shows the details of
ionizing radiation has become a research hotspot and measurement in group 1. In group 2, the smartphone
many smartphone applications (application [APP]) have camera lens was completely covered by a light-tight
been developed and released. Quick and Drukier et al. tape. For controlled experiments, six sets of videos were
released ionizing radiation detection APPs WikiSensor recorded under the same conditions as group 1. Each
[19] and GammaPix [20], respectively, in 2011. However, video of the two group experiments was recorded for
both of the APPs only can be used under the condition 1 min continuously. The data were processed by using
that the smartphone camera lens is completely shielded MATLAB R2016b (MathWorks Inc., Natick, MA, USA).
from light by a light-tight device. A real-time ionizing
radiation detection APP called RayDose is developed by
our group in 2017 [18], which can be used in a static and Smartphone camera lens
Probe
non-shading condition. Our group is further working on Heal Force Prince -
the research of nuclear radiation detection based on 100F Oximeter
Figure 4: The grayscale distributions of two typical images Vn and (a) the grayscale distribution of Vn for current frame with bright spots and
(b) is the grayscale distribution of Vn for current frame without bright spots.
3 Results and discussion (Figure 7a and b) and 50 cm (Figure 7c and d) from the
99m
Tc source. It can be seen from the pictures that under
the condition that the smartphone camera lens comple-
3.1 Results of ionizing radiation detection
tely covered by a finger or a light-tight tape, the value of
η is randomly appearing at a large value. Meanwhile, the
Videos recorded by the smartphone with its camera lens number of η at large value in 20 cm is more than in
completely covered by a light-tight tape and a finger 50 cm, which means the number of η at large value in
were processed by our proposed algorithm. Figure 7 high radiation intensity is more than that in low
shows the distribution of η for the video recorded with radiation intensity.
camera covered by a light-tight tape (Figure 7a and c) The relationship between the number N and the
and a finger (Figure 7b and d) for 1,800 frames (equal to distance D is shown in Figure 8. The blue curve fitting is
9.4769 × 104
1 min) when the camera was placed at distance of 20 cm N1 = D2
for finger video, the red curve fitting is
Figure 7: Distribution of η for 1,800 frames with smartphone cameras covered by a light-tight tape (a and c) and a finger (b and d) when the
camera was placed at distance of 20 cm (a and b) and 50 cm (c and d) from the 99mTc source.
1.2047 × 105 not suitable for radiation detection asking for high
N2 = D2
for light-tight video. Thus, both N1 and N2
are approximately inversely proportional to the square of accuracy. Besides, since different types of smartphones
distance, which means the number N is proportional to have various CMOS cameras, the detection efficiency will
the radiation intensity. As the distance D from the be different. However, it has advantages of low-cost,
camera lens to radioactive source is not absolutely easy access to everyone. The algorithm is also simple
accurate, there is a large error in the fitting result and can be used for real-time detection. The accuracy of
at 20 cm. the proposed method is slightly lower than the camera
Figure 9 shows the relationship between N1 and N2
for distances ranging from 20 to 70 cm. It shows that N1
and N2 have a linear relationship, and the linear fitting
result is N1 = 0.9576N2 − 14.6 with R2 = 0.978. N1 has
lower count than N2 , and the ratio of N1 and N2 is
0.9576:1. There are two main reasons for this phenom-
enon: (1) the finger attenuates gamma-rays, the number
of bright spots generated in image is reduced; (2) since
the finger cannot completely block the light, the noise of
finger video image is higher than the light-tight tape
covered video image.
Therefore, under the condition that the smartphone
camera lens is completely covered by a finger, the
camera can record the video to realize the ionizing
radiation detection. However, since the CMOS camera is Figure 8: The relationship between the number N and the distance
not sensitive than the dedicated detectors, the method is from smartphone to radioactive source.
572 Gangqin Huang et al.
20 30 40 50 60 70
We extracted PPG signals from six sets of videos in group Acknowledgments: This research was supported by the
1 and detected the peaks in 1 min to calculate the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant
average HR of 1 min. The results of our measurement and number 11975044), Fundamental Research Funds for the
the oximeter measurement are listed in Table 1. The Central Universities (grant number FRF-TP-19-019A3),
biggest difference between our measurement and oxi- Joint Research Project between University of Science
meter measurement is 1.8 bpm, less than 2 bpm. It and Technology Beijing and National Taipei University
verifies that the proposed method can measure HR of Technology (grant number TW201708), and Science &
with a good accuracy. Technology on Reliability & Environmental Engineering
Laboratory (grant number 6142004180205).
4 Conclusions
References
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Simultaneous measurement of ionizing radiation and HR using a smartphone camera 573