Adaptable radiation monitoring system and method
First Claim
1. A portable radioactive-material detection system comprising:
- at least one non-HPGe radiation detector capable of detecting gamma-radiation and coupled to a multi-channel analyzer capable of collecting spectral data in small time bins of less than about 150 msec, whereby radioactive sources moving at high speeds may be detected;
a computer processor operably connected to the multi-channel analyzer and having a first processing module for determining triggering events from the spectral data;
data storage means operably connected to the computer processor for storing said spectral data;
a power source supplying power to the detection system; and
configurable means for radiation shielding the radiation detector to limit radiation detection to a monitoring area, wherein the computer processor has a second processing module for determining the direction of the moving radioactive source based on the relative spatial arrangement between the radiation shielding means and the radiation detector.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable radioactive-material detection system capable of detecting radioactive sources moving at high speeds. The system has at least one radiation detector capable of detecting gamma-radiation and coupled to an MCA capable of collecting spectral data in very small time bins of less than about 150 msec. A computer processor is connected to the MCA for determining from the spectral data if a triggering event has occurred. Spectral data is stored on a data storage device, and a power source supplies power to the detection system. Various configurations of the detection system may be adaptably arranged for various radiation detection scenarios. In a preferred embodiment, the computer processor operates as a server which receives spectral data from other networked detection systems, and communicates the collected data to a central data reporting system.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A portable radioactive-material detection system comprising:
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at least one non-HPGe radiation detector capable of detecting gamma-radiation and coupled to a multi-channel analyzer capable of collecting spectral data in small time bins of less than about 150 msec, whereby radioactive sources moving at high speeds may be detected; a computer processor operably connected to the multi-channel analyzer and having a first processing module for determining triggering events from the spectral data; data storage means operably connected to the computer processor for storing said spectral data; a power source supplying power to the detection system; and configurable means for radiation shielding the radiation detector to limit radiation detection to a monitoring area, wherein the computer processor has a second processing module for determining the direction of the moving radioactive source based on the relative spatial arrangement between the radiation shielding means and the radiation detector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of monitoring an area for moving radioactive materials comprising the steps of:
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providing a portable radiation detector coupled to a multi-channel analyzer and having configurable radiation shielding which limits radiation detection to the monitoring area; using the portable radiation detector and the multi-channel analyzer to collect spectral data in very small time bins of less than about 150 msec to enable detection of radioactive sources moving at high speeds; analyzing the spectral data to determine triggering events from the spectral data; upon a determination of a triggering event, determining the direction of the moving radioactive source based on the spectral data and the relative spatial arrangement between the radiation shielding and the radiation detector, and transmitting the spectral data associated with the triggering event to a central data reporting system.
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18. A method in a computer system for monitoring an area for moving radioactive sources, said method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
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controlling a multi-channel analyzer coupled to a radiation detector to collect spectral data in very small time bins of less than about 150 msec. for detecting radioactive sources moving at high speeds with detection windows of less than about 1 second, said radiation detector having configurable radiation shielding which limits radiation detection to the monitoring area; controlling a first computer processor module to determine the occurrence of triggering events from the spectral data; controlling a second computer processor module to determine the direction of the moving radioactive source based on the spectral data and the relative spatial arrangement between the radiation shielding and the radiation detector; and controlling a data storage device operably connected to the first computer processor to store the spectral data and any triggering events for post-collection analysis. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An article of manufacture comprising:
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a computer usable medium having computer-readable program code means embodied therein for causing a gamma-radiation detection system to monitor for gamma-radiation sources moving at high speeds, said radiation detector having configurable radiation shielding which limits radiation detection to the monitoring area, the computer-readable program code means in said article of manufticture comprising; computer-readable program code means for causing the control of a multi-channel analyzer coupled to a radiation detector to collect spectral data in very small time bins of less than about 150 msec. for detecting radioactive sources moving at high speeds; computer-readable program code means for causing the control of a first computer processor module to determine the occurrence of triggering events from the spectral data; computer-readable program code means for causing the control of a second computer processor module to determine the direction of the moving radioactive source based on the spectral data and the relative spatial arrangement between the radiation shielding and the radiation detector; and computer-readable program code means for causing the control of a data storage device operably connected to the first computer processor to store the spectral data and triggering events for post-collection analysis. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification