Patent ID: 7084628

Claim:
A dosimetry assessment apparatus for determining the degree of exposure of a living subject to ionizing radiation, wherein said living subject has been previously exposed to an unknown but potentially harmful dose of ionizing radiation, said dosimetry assessment apparatus comprising: a detection assembly able to target at least one chosen tooth in the mouth of a living subject and generate a test EPR spectrum from the targeted tooth, said assembly including (i) a magnetic field generator of predetermined structure, dimensions and configuration and whose capacities and operating parameters are controlled to generate a stable and substantially uniform magnetic field strength of about 10 to 100 mT with a magnetic filed uniformity of about 0.25% and a selected magnetic modulation field of about +/−0.1 to 0.5 mT with a magnetic field uniformity of about +/−10% over the region of interest, (ii) a resonator construct of predetermined dimensions and configuration which is adapted for engagement with at least one chosen tooth in the mouth of the living subject and whose operation allows for the emission of a radiowave of appropriate frequency for EPR measurement which is applied on-demand through the substance of the chosen tooth, and (iii) an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer which is integrated with said magnetic field generator and whose operation generates a test EPR spectrum which can show the presence and absence of a net magnetic moment within said substantially uniform magnetic field occurring in response to a radiowave of appropriate frequency being applied to the chosen tooth in the mouth of the living subject; electronic detection equipment able to detect the presence and absence of a net magnetic moment within a test EPR spectrum; electronic operating controls coupled to said detection assembly; a power supply integrated with said detection assembly; and a mathematical model library of predicted EPR spectra for teeth before and after exposure to known doses of ionizing radiation.