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  • Exposure to large amounts of radiation is harmful to people. Sometimes this occurs accidentally, as in the Fukushima disaster. Conversely, in the treatment of cancer using radiotherapy, ionising radiation is deliberately employed to make malignant cells (tumours) harmless. The measurement of the amount of radiation that is absorbed (dosimetry) and the precise location where it is administered are two essential factors for a successful treatment.

    Accurate measurements are of vital importance for both external irradiation (teletherapy) and internal irradiation (brachytherapy). More advanced irradiation equipment is continuously being developed, such as a linear accelerator combined with an MRI scanner and the use of proton irradiation (rather than photon irradiation).

    VSL developes measurement methods to determine the amount of absorbed radiation and its distribution ever more accurately for this new irradiation equipment too.

    VSL supplies various services in the field of dosimetry to hospitals, the medical industry, manufacturers of irradiation equipment and detectors, dosimetry services and industry where radiation is used, such as nuclear power stations. Also, VSL works in a European context on different research projects.

    VSL’s specialists participate in various working groups, including the Netherlands Commission on Radiation Dosimetry in which they advise about the measurement of ionising radiation.

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    Eric Schwiebert
    Department Sales & Planning

    Direct contact

    Accurate dosimetry is essential for proper radiotherapy treatments and patient safety in radiological diagnosis. VSL provides traceability for radiotherapy (teletherapy and brachytherapy) by means of calibration of ionisation chambers in Co-60, Cs-137 and X-ray beams. VSL also calibrates well-type ionisation chambers for Ir-192 sources.

    For radiological applications, VSL supplies calibrations of KAP and KLP meters and ionisation chambers for a wide range of X-ray qualities. In this, VSL follows the written standards of ISO, IEC, NEN and NCS.

    Measurement equipment in a radiation environment
    Accurate measurement of radiation levels is also vital for the safety of workers employed in,  environments with a risk on radiation exposure. The quality can be guaranteed by calibrating the radiation source or measurement equipment regularly. Regular calibration is one of the requirements for ISO certification and FDA approval. More about quality.

    On-site calibrations of radiation sources
    As well as calibrations in our own laboratory, VSL offers on-site calibrations for a wide range of radiation qualities.

  • VSL’s specialised knowledge and experience in the ionising radiation field is often requested for specialist applications including by government bodies, hospitals, research institutions and manufacturers.

    With our thorough knowledge of measurements and interpretation of measurement data, VSL can provide you with services including:

    • Advice and construction of measurement setups. From the design of measurement setups and traceability through to the construction and preparation for ISO certification.
    • Development and validation of measurement methods. The results will be published in a report in which the measurement and validation methods are described, including the establishment of the measurement uncertainty.
    • Advice for ISO certification. In order to gain accreditation, a measurement system must comply with various requirements. VSL conducts checks of the measurement method and data, optimises the traceability and calculates the uncertainty budget.
    • Reducing measurement uncertainty and preparing the uncertainty budget.
    • Audits of calibration labs. Including audits commissioned by the Dutch Accreditation Council.

    Of course, each situation is unique. Would you like to know what we can do for you? Please contact us.

  • To ensure optimum quality of their measurements, laboratories frequently hold in-house quality checks. However, over time deviations in the measurement equipment can occur that cannot be detected by these checks. VSL regularly organises (international) interlaboratory comparisons, through which your laboratory’s measurement results are compared anonymously to those from VSL as primary standards laboratory and those from other participating laboratories.

    Interlaboratory comparison of dosimetry services
    In the field of ionising radiation, VSL regularly organises interlaboratory comparisons for providers of dosimetry monitoring services among others.

    Need for a different interlaboratory comparison? 
    Do you require another type of interlaboratory comparison? Then please let us know. We can assess the demand. Possibly there are other laboratories that would like to participate and then we can organise a interlaboratory comparison. It is also possible to organise a bilateral comparison with VSL.

    Click here for more information about interlaboratory comparisons.

  • Would you like to know more about the accurate measurement of radiation or the calculation of uncertainty in measurements? VSL offers open training courses and bespoke training courses that are adapted to your specific knowledge needs.

    VSL training courses are always presented by specialists in their field of work. Theory is always combined with practice.

    After the course ends, you receive proof of participation.

    Dosimetry course for radiotherapy
    In the field of Ionising radiation, VSL offers the course ‘Practical dosimetry for radiotherapy’.

    Read more here about the Practical dosimetry for radiotherapy course

    For a complete overview of the courses planned and in order to register, please click here.