Mar 28, 2011 09:36 GMT  ·  By

Without a doubt, pretty much the whole world is aware by now of the huge radiation-related problems plaguing Japan, and, for this reason, there's also a spike in the overall demand for portable devices capable of detecting the levels of radiation in one's surrounding environment.

And, in fact, that's exactly the type of device we'll talk about as follows, namely the DoseRAE 2 from RAE Systems, a compact and lightweight electronic radiation dosimeter that can provide very accurate information related to the amount of radiation a person might be subjected at any given moment, while in the same time being extremely easy to carry around.

According to the manufacturer, their DoseRAE 2 device is built around a diode and a scintillation crystal to detect X- and gamma-ray radiation, and is quite capable of providing real-time measurements regarding both the radiation dose the user is being subjected to, as well as the overall dose rate.

Hence, the dosimeter will provide users with the continuous digital dose-rate readout in rem/h, Sv/h and R/h, as well as the continuously accumulated total dose readout in rem, Sv and R.

Furthermore, the device will also record dosage data (3,000 point logging capacity), and comes packed with an USB port, for downloading the aforementioned data to a computer and also charging the unit's battery.

Last, but certainly not least, it's also interesting to point out that the dosimeter comes equipped with programmable dose and dose-rate alarms with loud audible, bright LEDs and vibration alarms.

Sadly, while these devices are extremely useful (in fact, they could actually prove to be lifesavers in emergency situations, such as the one currently plaguing Japan), the company has not yet provided any significant information pertaining to their pricing, mentioning just the fact that they'll soon become available on the market via their usual retail channels.