Temperature compensated scintillation detector and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A temperature compensated scintillation detector comprising:
- a scintillator;
a photo-detector optically coupled to the scintillator and operative to convert photons emitted by the scintillator into an electrical signal;
a first circuit for providing an offset to compensate the electrical signal for variations due to temperature, the offset varying with temperature; and
a second circuit coupled to the first circuit for altering the amount of the offset when the temperature exceeds a first predetermined temperature.
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Abstract
A scintillation detector having reduced temperature sensitivity is provided by having two circuits for temperature compensation. The two circuits may be a thermistor in parallel with both a resistive element and a switching element. The switching element can be various devices including a zener diode, a Schottky barrier diode or an MIM. The temperature compensation circuit may be included in the circuit of a photo-detector such as a photomultiplier tube.
51 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A temperature compensated scintillation detector comprising:
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a scintillator;
a photo-detector optically coupled to the scintillator and operative to convert photons emitted by the scintillator into an electrical signal;
a first circuit for providing an offset to compensate the electrical signal for variations due to temperature, the offset varying with temperature; and
a second circuit coupled to the first circuit for altering the amount of the offset when the temperature exceeds a first predetermined temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A temperature compensated scintillation detector comprising:
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a scintillator;
a photo-detector optically coupled to the scintillator and operative to convert photons emitted by the scintillator into a photo-detector electrical signal;
an associated photo-detector circuit electrically coupled to the photo-detector;
the associated photo-detector circuit including a primary temperature compensating circuit, a secondary temperature compensating circuit, and a switching device for selectively varying the connection between the secondary temperature compensating circuit and the primary temperature compensating circuit. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A temperature compensated scintillation detector comprising:
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a scintillator;
a photo-detector optically coupled to the scintillator and operative to convert photons emitted by the scintillator into a photo-detector electrical signal;
associated photo-detector circuit electrically coupled to the photo-detector;
the associated photo-detector circuit including a temperature compensating circuit comprising a primary temperature compensating circuit operative over a first temperature range to provide temperature compensation, and a secondary temperature compensating circuit operative over a second temperature range extending outside the first temperature range to provide temperature compensation. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A method of providing temperature compensation to a scintillation detector that includes a scintillator, a photo-detector optically coupled to the scintillator and operative to convert photons emitted by the scintillator into a photo-detector electrical signal, and an associated photo-detector circuit electrically coupled to the photo-detector, the method comprising:
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including a first circuit in the associated photo-detector circuit to compensate for temperature variation over a first temperature range; and
including a second circuit in the associated photo-detector circuit to compensate for temperature variation over a second temperature range. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A temperature compensated scintillation detector comprising:
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a scintillator;
a photomultiplier tube optically coupled to the scintillator and operative to convert photons emitted by the scintillator into an electrical signal;
a resistive ladder electrically coupled to the photomultiplier tube; and
a temperature compensation circuit that compensates for variations in the electrical signal due to temperature dependency in at least one of the scintillator and the photomultiplier tube, the temperature compensation circuit electrically connected to the resistive ladder and including a thermistor in parallel with a series circuit, the series circuit including a switching element and resistive element. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. A circuit for compensating a temperature dependent scintillation detector output comprising:
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a temperature dependent scintillation detector output;
a temperature dependent element for providing temperature compensation to a temperature dependent scintillation detector output over at least a first part and a second part of a temperature range; and
an additional element for providing temperature compensation to the temperature dependent scintillation detector output over the second part of the temperature range;
wherein the compensation over the first part of the temperature range is provided at a different rate than the compensation over the second part of the temperature range. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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37. A temperature compensating circuit for a scintillation detector including a photomultiplier tube having an anode, cathode and dynodes, a voltage divider ladder connected to said anode, cathode and dynodes, the voltage divider ladder including a temperature dependent resistive element connected between at least one of the anode and adjacent dynode of the photomultiplier tube, between the cathode and adjacent dynode of the photomultiplier tube, and between any two adjacent dynodes of the photomultiplier tube.
Specification