Web-Enabled Digital Barometer and Thermometer

University Health Network - Technology Development and Commercialization
posted on 06/25/2010

The PMH group has developed a web-enabled digital barometer. The system uses a commercially available digital barometer with digital output and custom software to display current and historical barometric pressure readings. Displayed readings are updated every minute, and readings are stored into the database at 5 minute intervals, more often if the barometric pressure is changing. The historical readings are useful for verifying past pressure readings in the event that an incorrect reading was noted by the user in their measurements. The historical data can also be used to note pressure trends over the course of a series of measurements. The system is being further enhanced to feature a function to correct a reading to different floor in the building (elevation). Future enhancement plans include adding a digital temperature transducer to each treatment room, so that temperature readings can also be available ton the web page and archived into the database. The web-enabled digital barometer and thermometer can easilty be modified to work with any digital barometer or thermometer that has an output interface.

Suggested Uses

developed for radiation therapy however can be used for anything that requires pressure and temperature monitoring

Innovation Details

Detailed Description

Ion Chambers, the most commonly used detector for the measurement of ionizing radiation, produce an electrical charge proportional to the amount of radiation delivered to the chamber and the mass of the gas in the ion chamber. In the case of vented ion chambers, the gas is air, and the mass of the air in the chamber is dependent on the barometric pressure and temperature. Therefore, a temperature-pressure correction factor (TPC) must be applied to the measured charge in order to accurately determine the amount of radiation delivered.

Temperature and pressure has traditionally been measured using stand-alone devices, such as mercury-based thermometers and barometers, and more recently digital devices. Stand alone devices require that the user find the device and manualy record the measurement. Barometers are usually kept in a lab, and therefore removed from the location where the radiation measurement is being performed. If the radiation measurement is being made on a different floor of the building, the user must make an elevation correction to the barometer reading. Temperature measurements must be obtained at the location of the radiation measurement, so a thermometer must be either kept permanently at the location or brought to the point of measurement. The manual handling of the thermometer increases the possibility of damage, a concern particularly for mercury-based thermometers.

File Number: 9074

IP Protection

Copyright:	2007-2010

License Online

This innovation currently is not available for online licensing. Please contact Hina Abbas at University Health Network - Technology Development and Commercialization for more information.

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