Multi-way radiation monitoring
First Claim
1. A radiation detection system capable of detecting a radiation source on or within traffic that can travel within M adjacent traffic ways, where M is an integer equal to or greater than a value of 2, the radiation detection system comprising:
- a set of (M+1) radiation detector assemblies, individual radiation detector assemblies of the set of (M+1) radiation detector assemblies respectively positioned at each of two sides of each of the M adjacent traffic ways;
a set of M controllers, each controller associated with a respective traffic way of the M adjacent traffic ways, each controller coupled to the respective individual radiation detector assemblies positioned at the two sides of the traffic way to which that controller is associated, such that two controllers associated with two adjacent traffic ways couple to the individual radiation detector assembly positioned between those two adjacent traffic ways; and
each controller being operable to receive a radiation signal produced from at least one radiation detector assembly coupled to that controller to identify a radiation source present in a traffic way adjacent to the at least one radiation detector assembly.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-way radiation monitoring and detection system is capable of detecting a radiation source on or within traffic that can travel within M adjacent traffic ways, where M is an integer equal to or greater than a value of 2. The radiation detection system comprises a set of (M+1) radiation detector assemblies with individual radiation detector assemblies of the set of (M+1) radiation detector assemblies respectively positioned at each of two sides of each of the M adjacent traffic ways. A set of M controllers is included and each controller is associated with a respective traffic way of the M adjacent traffic ways. Each controller is coupled to the respective individual radiation detector assemblies positioned at the two sides of the traffic way to which that controller is associated, such that two controllers associated with two adjacent traffic ways couple to the individual radiation detector assembly positioned between those two adjacent traffic ways. Each controller is operable to receive a radiation signal produced from at least one radiation detector assembly coupled to that controller to identify a radiation source present in a traffic way adjacent to the at least one radiation detector assembly. Some of the detectors within detector assemblies between traffic ways may be unshielded plastic Gamma radiation detectors, with such detector assemblies or associated controllers having natural background radiation rejection processors.
56 Citations
36 Claims
-
1. A radiation detection system capable of detecting a radiation source on or within traffic that can travel within M adjacent traffic ways, where M is an integer equal to or greater than a value of 2, the radiation detection system comprising:
-
a set of (M+1) radiation detector assemblies, individual radiation detector assemblies of the set of (M+1) radiation detector assemblies respectively positioned at each of two sides of each of the M adjacent traffic ways;
a set of M controllers, each controller associated with a respective traffic way of the M adjacent traffic ways, each controller coupled to the respective individual radiation detector assemblies positioned at the two sides of the traffic way to which that controller is associated, such that two controllers associated with two adjacent traffic ways couple to the individual radiation detector assembly positioned between those two adjacent traffic ways; and
each controller being operable to receive a radiation signal produced from at least one radiation detector assembly coupled to that controller to identify a radiation source present in a traffic way adjacent to the at least one radiation detector assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
-
28. A radiation detection system capable of detecting a radiation source, the radiation detection system comprising:
-
a first radiation detector;
a second radiation detector;
a third radiation detector;
the first radiation detector and second radiation detector defining a first traffic way;
the second radiation detector and third radiation detector defining a second traffic way;
a first controller coupled to the first radiation detector and coupled to the second radiation detector, the first controller operable to identify a radiation source within the first traffic way when at least one of the first radiation detector and the second radiation detector detect the radiation source passing through the first traffic way; and
a second controller coupled to the second radiation detector and coupled to the third radiation detector, the second controller operable to identify a radiation source within the second traffic way when at least one of the second radiation detector and the third radiation detector detect the radiation source passing through the second traffic way. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
-
-
31. A method for operating a radiation detection system to detect a radiation source on or within traffic that can travel within adjacent traffic ways, the method comprising:
-
detecting a vehicle traveling in a traffic way of the adjacent traffic ways;
receiving a radiation signal from an unshielded radiation detector disposed within a radiation detector assembly positioned between the adjacent traffic ways; and
in response to detecting the vehicle and receiving the radiation signal, applying a natural background rejection signal processing technique to the radiation signal to differentiate between changes induced in radiation produced by naturally occurring radiation sources received by the unshielded radiation detector due to a position of the vehicle in relation to the unshielded radiation detector and changes in radiation caused by a non-natural radiation source that may be within the vehicle, the natural background rejection signal processing technique producing an output signal indicating whether or not the vehicle contains the non-natural radiation source. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
-
-
36. A method of operating a radiation detection system capable of detecting a radiation source on or within traffic that can travel within M adjacent traffic ways, where M is an integer equal to or greater than a value of 2, the method comprising:
-
operating a set of (M+1) radiation detector assemblies, individual radiation detector assemblies of the set of (M+1) radiation detector assemblies respectively positioned at each of two sides of each of the M adjacent traffic ways, such that at least one radiation detector assembly detects a radiation source traveling within at least one of the M adjacent traffic ways;
operating a set of M controllers, each controller associated with a respective traffic way of the M adjacent traffic ways, each controller coupled to the respective individual radiation detector assemblies positioned at the two sides of the traffic way to which that controller is associated, such that two controllers associated with two adjacent traffic ways couple to the individual radiation detector assembly positioned between those two adjacent traffic ways; and
each controller operating to receive a radiation signal produced from at least one radiation detector assembly coupled to that controller to identify a radiation source present in a traffic way adjacent to the at least one radiation detector assembly.
-
Specification