Integrator circuitry for single channel radiation detector
First Claim
1. A method for detecting charged particle radiation or uncharged radiation that impinge on a radiation detector, said radiation detector producing pulses of electrical charge, said method comprising:
- providing a circuit comprised of a first node and a second node and further comprising a capacitance between said first node and said second node;
connecting said circuit to said radiation detector such that said electrical charge produces a voltage across said capacitance at said first node;
providing an amplifier and connecting an amplifier input to said first node;
configuring said amplifier to produce output voltage pulses at an amplifier output in response to said pulses of electrical charge wherein a peak voltage of said output voltage pulses represents an energy in said charged particle radiation or uncharged radiation;
providing a current feedback loop from said amplifier output to said amplifier input such that said current feedback loop supplies a current error signal to said amplifier input; and
placing an operational amplifier in series with said feedback loop from said amplifier output to said amplifier input.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Input circuitry is provided for a high voltage operated radiation detector to receive pulses from the detector having a rise time in the range of from about one nanosecond to about ten nanoseconds. An integrator circuit, which utilizes current feedback, receives the incoming charge from the radiation detector and creates voltage by integrating across a small capacitor. The integrator utilizes an amplifier which closely follows the voltage across the capacitor to produce an integrator output pulse with a peak value which may be used to determine the energy which produced the pulse. The pulse width of the output is stretched to approximately 50 to 300 nanoseconds for use by subsequent circuits which may then use amplifiers with lower slew rates.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for detecting charged particle radiation or uncharged radiation that impinge on a radiation detector, said radiation detector producing pulses of electrical charge, said method comprising:
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providing a circuit comprised of a first node and a second node and further comprising a capacitance between said first node and said second node; connecting said circuit to said radiation detector such that said electrical charge produces a voltage across said capacitance at said first node; providing an amplifier and connecting an amplifier input to said first node; configuring said amplifier to produce output voltage pulses at an amplifier output in response to said pulses of electrical charge wherein a peak voltage of said output voltage pulses represents an energy in said charged particle radiation or uncharged radiation; providing a current feedback loop from said amplifier output to said amplifier input such that said current feedback loop supplies a current error signal to said amplifier input; and placing an operational amplifier in series with said feedback loop from said amplifier output to said amplifier input. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A radiation processing circuit operable for detecting charged particle radiation or uncharged radiation that impinge on a radiation detector, said radiation detector producing electrical pulses, said electrical pulses comprising an amount of electrical charge that corresponds to an amount of energy in said charged particle radiation or uncharged radiation, said radiation processing circuit comprising:
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a parallel circuit comprising a capacitance in parallel with a resistance, said parallel circuit comprising a first end and second end, said first end being electrically connected to said radiation detector for receiving said electrical pulses and for producing a voltage across said capacitance; an amplifier with an amplifier input connected to said first end of said parallel circuit, said amplifier being configured to produce an output voltage at an amplifier output in response to said voltage across said capacitor; a feedback loop for said amplifier which connects said amplifier output to said amplifier input, said parallel circuit being connected in series with said feedback loop such that a current error feedback signal is directed from said second end of said parallel circuit to said first end of said parallel circuit and then to said amplifier input, wherein said feedback loop comprises a DC feedback loop through said resistance; and an operational amplifier in series with said feedback loop from said amplifier output to said amplifier input, said operational amplifier producing said current error signal for application to said second end of said parallel circuit. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification