Assembly and method for measuing ionizing radiation with background noise correction

• US 20030004406A1
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Societe Auxiliaire Du Tricastin Socatri
• Original Assignee: Societe Auxiliaire Du Tricastin Socatri
• Inventors: Vandeven, Nicolas, Pineau, Jean-Francois, Janot, Michel, Eydoux, Philippe
• Application Number:
  US10/182,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20030004406A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/167 Measuring radioactive content of objects, e.g. contamination whole body counters G01T1/163
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 7/00 Details of radiation-measuring instruments

Abstract

The noise originating from the ambient radiation is derived from the measurement of the radiation of a source (S) via a preliminary correlation calculated between the measurements of the main detector (1) and of at least one auxiliary detector (2): when the radiating source (S) is present, the auxiliary detector (2), which keeps on measuring the ambient radiation, is used to evaluate the proportion of the main detector (1) measurement which comes from the ambient radiation. This invention applies to the measurement of the activity of various objects proving a low radiation level.

Claims

1. Ionizing radiation measurement assembly, at least including a main detector (1) intended for measuring a radiation emitted by a determined source (S) and also measuring an ambient radiation, and at least one auxiliary detector (2) intended for measuring the ambient radiation only, characterised in that it includes means (7) for calculating a correlation function of measurements of the ambient radiation carried out by the two detectors and for correcting the measurements completed by the main detector according to results of the correlation.

2. Ionizing radiation measurement assembly according to claim 1, wherein the detectors are located on both sides of a location (3) intended for placing the source or side by side near this location, the detector (2) being protected by a shield (4) from this location.

3. Ionizing radiation measurement process including a main measurement of a main radiation (m) emitted by a given source (S) and an auxiliary measurement (g) of an ambient radiation, as well as corrections of the main measurement according to the auxiliary measurement, wherein the main measurement includes a step of comparison between the main measurement and the auxiliary measurement while the source is not present, an evaluation of a correlation function between the main measurement and the auxiliary measurement, and a step of correction of the main measurement while the source is present using the correlation function and the auxiliary measurement performed concurrently with the main measurement.

4. Ionizing radiation measurement process according to claim 3, wherein the measurements are compared at a series of times within a determined lapse of time.

5. Ionizing radiation measurement process according to claim 3, wherein the measurements are compared during continuous variation periods of measurements.