To some people, the fact that radiation is an odorless, tasteless, intangible, and invisible potential hazard is alarming. To help reassure this market, Dosime is being released by the company of the same name. This personal radiation dosimeter aimed at the consumer market works with a digital app to display "accurate, reliable and easy-to-understand" information about personal radiation exposure because, you know, worrying about our step counts, resting heart rates and blood pressure thanks to wearables just isn't enough.

According to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, every American receives an average annual dose of ionizing radiation of 620 millirems (mrem), which is a unit of absorbed radiation. Half the sources of this radiation are natural from radioactive isotopes in food and the environment and from cosmic rays from space. The other half are man made, with 96 percent coming from medical X-rays.

According to the makers, the Dosime is designed for everyday use and employees "industrial-grade dosimetry technology" to detect and report real-time radiation exposure. The company hasn't released many details about the proprietary device, but from the descriptions it seems some variant on the Electronic Personal Dosimeter (EPD), which has been a standard bit of safety kit in the nuclear industry for decades.

The Dosime isn't a Geiger counter, which measures the amount radiation being emitted from a source. Instead, it measures the amounted absorbed by the person carrying the Dosime and the accumulated dose in mrem/hr. When a dosage exceeds a preset level, the unit gives an audible and visible alarm.

The company says that the Dosime has two modes. In Home mode, it sits docked in its charging cradle, where it monitors its immediate environment while the cradle connects to wireless networks. In Wearable mode, the unit is carried on the user's person and connects wirelessly to a smartphone or other device, where it syncs with its Dosime iOS mobile app and website.

The app's Dosime Now Screen displays dose rate and cumulative dose in green for Low, amber for Elevated, and red for Severe. The company says that once a sufficient number of users are carrying Dosime units, it will be possible to crowdsource the data to create accurate radiation maps.

"Exposure to radiation can happen anywhere and without special equipment it is undetectable," says Thomas D. Logan, CEO of Dosime, Inc. "The Dosime device is a consumer-friendly, dosimeter with scientific-grade detection technology. This affordable device empowers users by monitoring their radiation exposure, bringing them peace of mind and the ability to manage potential health risks."

The Dosime is being shown off at CES this week and will be available early this year in the US through Amazon for US$249.