Nukepills RADTriage Quick setup guide

RADTriage TM
Instruction & Information Manual
OBJECTIVE OF THE RADTriageTM: The RADTriage, a
stockpileable personal radiation detector, provides wearers, medical
personnel and law enforcement personnel timely personal radiation
exposure information in an event of a terrorist radiological incident or
industrial accident. RADTriage, with the amber laminated filter,
provides significantly longer life in direct sunlight. RADTriage, part
of the SIRAD®(Self-Indicating Radiation Alert Dosimeter) family of
SMART dosimeters, is uniquely designed to prevent erroneous
readings. It has a radiation-detecting Sensor Bar (a horizontal
rectangular bar between the numbered colored sensor reference bars)
with 0, 20, 50, 100 & 250 mSv bars on its top and 500, 1000, 2000,
4000 & 10,000 mSv bars on its bottom for triaging information in
emergencies. If, during or after the incident, the color of the Sensor
Bar has not changed, the wearer has not received radiation exposure
large enough to cause acute medical effects and therefore has peace
of mind. If the Sensor Bar changes color or darkens, radiation
exposure is indicated. In this case, further exposure should be
avoided. If the Sensor Bar has developed a darker color, e.g., above
250 mSv, the user should seek a medical evaluation. A person
exposed to a dose higher than 500 mSv should immediately contact
the emergency room of the nearest hospital.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS: 1) Write your name and date
received on the back of the badge and note the color of the area
surrounding the dot within the FIT indicator. The area must be much
lighter than the color reference bar on its right. 2) Carry the
RADTriage in your wallet, purse or pocket. You may also hang it
from your neck or belt as you would carry an ID badge.
3) The RADTriage is a warning and casualty radiation dosimeter. It
supplements, but does not replace, other dosimeters or detectors that
you may be required to use. RADTriage may be the only dosimeter
worn by people who do not routinely work with radioactive materials
& radiation sources. 4) The amber film protects the radiation Sensor
Bar from prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) and near UV light
from sunlight or fluorescent lights. 5) Do not deliberately expose
RADTriage to ionizing radiation. Protect RADTriage from prolonged
periods of exposure to high temperatures (above 140oF/60oC) and
UV/sunlight. This ensures the maximum usable life of the Sensor
Bar. 6) When issued, (a) the color of the Sensor Bar MUST closely
match with the zero (0) indicator of the Sensor Reference Bars and
(b) the dots of the FIT Indicator (located on the right hand end of the
Sensor Bar) should be dark in color while the surrounding area
should be lighter. Return the dosimeter to Nukepills.com for a
replacement if they are not so or the RADTriage is damaged in
shipment or defective. 7) The shelf life of this stockpileable
RADTriage can be extended for up to five years by keeping it in a
freezer when not in use.
INTRODUCTION: The RADTriage (USP# 7,227,158 and others) is
always active and ready to use. It is a smart dosimeter and has the
capability of monitoring shelf life, false positives/negatives and
tampering. When exposed to radiation, e.g., from a "dirty bomb", the
Sensor Bar of the RADTriage changes color instantly. The color
changes are permanent, cumulative and proportional to dose, thereby
providing the wearer and medical personnel instantaneous, easy to
read information on radiation exposure of the wearer to assess the
health risks and guide medical treatment.
TYPES OF RADIATION: The RADTriage Sensor Bar responds to
gamma/X-ray (energy higher than 30 KeV) and high energy (e.g.,
above 1 MeV) electrons/beta particles. Color development of the
Sensor Bar is essentially independent of dose rate. However,
protective films attenuate low energy (below 200 KeV) X-ray.
RADTriage will not be affected by normal exposures to diagnostic X-
rays (e.g., chest or dental) or security/airport X-ray/CAT scan
machines, except that multiple exposures (more than five) to such
will result in sufficient enough exposure to produce a detectable color
change in the Sensor Bar.
HOW TO READ THE RADIATION DOSE:Estimate the
exposure dose by comparing the color/shade of the Sensor Bar to the
Sensor Reference Bars. Find a bar which closely matches the
color/shade of the Sensor Bar and read the dose in mSv printed
adjacent to those bars. If the Sensor Bar develops a color in-between
any two adjacent bars, this indicates an in-between dose. For a nearly
tissue equivalent dosimeter, such as RADTriage, 1 rad = 1 rem = 10
mSv. It can be viewed in any light. However, we recommend reading
the dose under fluorescent lights for better accuracy. Color/shade
matching under other lights may not be as accurate. Dose can be
estimated with an uncertainty of about 20% with a color-matching
reference chart. Where additional accuracy is needed, a
spectrophotometer or an optical densitometer can be used to
determine the dose to within 10%.
Sensor Bar
Darkens/changes color
when radiation is
detected
FIT Indicator and Color Reference Bar
These areas monitor the condition
and age of the RADTriage card itself.
Look under
“False Positive and Tamper Indicators” section
for information.
Sensor Reference Bars
Match these blocks
to the Sensor Bar
to determine
exposure level

EFFECTS OF HEAT AND UV LIGHT: The Sensor Bar of the
RADTriage will develop colors faster if exposed to UV/sunlight for
a prolonged period. Keep the RADTriage at or below normal body
temperature. Repeated, e.g., hundreds, of readings where the Sensor
Bar gets exposed for less than a minute per reading (even under
direct sunlight) will cause little or no color development in the
Sensor Bar.
LAUNDRY CYCLE: A normal residential laundry cycle of
washing and drying (below 175oF/80oC) has a negligible effect on
the RADTriage. However, repeated laundry cycles or exposure to
temperatures higher than 175oF/80oC will damage the Sensor Bar
and hence must be avoided. Replace the RADTriage if it is
subjected to boiling water or more than one laundry cycle.
FALSE POSITIVE & TAMPER INDICATORS: If used as per
instructions, it is unlikely that the RADTriage will provide false
positives or false negatives. Your RADTriage is a SMART personal
dosimeter, equipped with a simple-to-use revolutionary indicator for
monitoring the deliberate or inadvertent exposure to high
temperatures or ultraviolet light. We call it the FITTM Indicator
(False-positive, Inactivation and Tamper) and it is located on the
right hand end of the Sensor Bar. The FIT Indicator simultaneously
monitors false positives & negatives, overexposure to heat & UV/
sunlight, shelf-life, inactivation and/or altered sensitivity.
Inactivation & False Negative Indicator:If the dots of
the FIT Indicator are dark blue, the Sensor Bar is active, it is
monitoring radiation and the calibration is valid. However, if it has
changed to red, your RADTriage has been heated near or above
175oF/80oC which has made the Sensor Bar inactive to radiation or
of altered sensitivity to radiation. DO NOT USE the dosimeter if
the dots of the FIT Indicator are red.Turn the dosimeter in to the
issuing organization with a description of the circumstances. The
heat treatment can be used by medical authorities to fix the Sensor
Bar for permanently documenting the radiation exposure as a part of
a medical record. Medical personnel requiring this capability should
contact the distributor, Nukepills.com.
False Positive Indicator:The shelf life (expiration date)
of the dosimeter is based on storage of the RADTriage at room
temperature (77oF/25oC) or below and continuous protection from
ultraviolet/sunlight exposures. Shelf life will be reduced if it is
stored at higher temperatures and/or exposed to UV/sunlight for a
prolonged period (e.g., more than a few hours of direct sunlight).
The area surrounding the Fit Indicator dots should be lighter in
color when issued/purchased. If it has developed a color matching
or darker than the rectangular vertical Color Reference Bar on its
right, the shelf-life of the RADTriage has expired; it was
overexposed to UV light, and/or exposed to higher temperatures for
a prolonged period. The sensitivity of the FIT Indicator to X-rays is
hundreds of times lower than that of the Sensor Bar.
Shelf life:The Sensor Bar of the RADTriage will develop
color equivalent to about 10 mSv in about one year if stored at
77oF/25oC. The shelf life of the RADTriage can be extended to
about five years if kept in a freezer. The shelf life of the RADTriage
expires one year from the issue date (taken out of freezer) and
definitely when the color of the area surrounding the dots of the FIT
Indicator matches or is darker than the rectangular vertical Color
Reference Bar to its right.
UV/Tamper Detector:A small portion of the Sensor Bar
is covered with the FIT Indicator. The substrate of the FIT Indicator
is 100% opaque to visible and UV light but transparent to X-rays
and gamma-rays. If the color development of the Sensor Bar is due
to exposure to high energy ionizing radiation, the whole Sensor Bar
will be uniformly colored. If the color development of the Sensor
Bar is due to exposure to UV light, the color of the Sensor Bar
under the FIT Indicator will be lighter. If you suspect the color
development of the Sensor Bar is due to exposure to high energy
ionizing radiation, return the RADTriage to Nukepills.com. For a
fee, we will remove the Sensor Bar for determination of genuine
exposure or false positive.
REPORTING EXPOSURE: If the Sensor Bar of the RADTriage
develops darker color and the color development is not due to
prolonged exposure to high temperatures, UV/sunlight, and/or
expiration of shelf life, estimate the dose and immediately report it
to the department/agency/organization issuing the dosimeter. Seek
advice and medical help immediately from your agency/company
medical office, your personal health care provider or county public
health office, especially if the dose is higher than 250 mSv. For a
dose higher than 500 mSv, report to the nearest Emergency Room.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Only limited information can
be provided in this manual. For additional useful information, please
visit http://www.nukepills.com/radiation-detector/.
LIMITED LIABILITY: Reasonable efforts have been made to
make this product free from defects. It is expected to perform as
specified if used as recommended and instructions are followed. In
the event that the product does not perform as specified, JP
Laboratories, the manufacturer, will replace the product. JP
Laboratories specifically disclaims all other warranties and
liabilities expressed or implied. All warranties are null and void if
any of the following occur: (1) the dots of the FIT Indicator are red
and/or the area surrounding the dots is matching or darker than that
of its Color Reference Bar and (2) the RADTriage is tampered with
in any way. The expressed warranty of the RADTriage expires one
year after the sell date.
Authorized Distributor:
112-A Argus Lane #401
Mooresville, NC 28117
[e-mail]
Nukepills, Inc.