A portable detection system for in vivo monitoring of 131I in routine and emergency situations

In vivo monitoring of I-131 in human thyroid is often used to evaluate occupational exposure in nuclear medicine facilities and in the case of accidental intakes in nuclear power plants for the monitoring of workers and population. The device presented in this work consists on a Pb-collimated NaI(Tl) 3"x3" scintillation detector assembled on a tripod and connected to a portable PC. The evaluation of the applicability and limitations of the system is based on the estimation of the committed effective doses associated to the minimum detectable activities in different facilities. It has been demonstrated that the system is suitable for use in routine and accidental situations.