Nuclear material identification and localization

• US 7,550,738 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Innovative Works LLC
• Original Assignee: Utah State University
• Inventors: DeVito, Raymond P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta; David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim; Kiho
• Application Number:
  US11/413,480
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 250/393, 250/370.13, 250/370.12, 250/338.4, 250/338.1, 250/370.01, 250/336.1, 250/253
• US Class Current: 250/393
• 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

A radioisotope identification and localization device having at least one radiation detector with three dimensional event localization that utilizes a spatial correlation of projection vectors arising from Compton scattering of gamma ray emissions. Source identification and location is supplied by a reconstruction that searches for solutions with radioactive material of unknown type. Detection, identification and localization does not require full energy deposition. Identification and location of known or unknown radioactive material somewhere in a large active area of interrogation is achieved.

Claims

1. A radioisotope identification device comprising;

at least one radiation detector having three dimensional event localization,

said radiation detector producing event data from simultaneous interactions within said detector with gamma rays produced by at least one external radioisotope,

a means to store said event data,

a data set of emission gamma-ray energies characteristic of suspect radioisotopes,

a means to store said data set of emission gamma-ray energies characteristic of suspect radioisotopes,

a means to select a hypothetical emission gamma-ray energy for each of more than one event datum from said event data,

a means to calculate backprojection cones from the event datum combined with said hypothetical emission gamma-ray energy,

calculating backprojection cones for each said more than one event datum from said event datum combined with said hypothetical emission gamma-ray energy,

a means to measure overlap of said calculated backprojection cones,

a means to identify spatially correlated multiple overlap events, and

identifying said spatially correlated multiple overlap event with presence of radioisotope.

2. The radioisotope identification device of claim 1 wherein;

said radiation detector provides information on the energy of the detected gamma ray event vertices deposited in said detector.

3. The radioisotope identification device of claim 1 further comprising;

at least two said radiation detectors.

4. The radioisotope identification device of claim 3 wherein;

said radiation detectors provide information on the energy deposited in said detector of the detected event vertices.

5. The radioisotope identification device of claim 4 wherein;

the said means to identify said mobile radiation detector'"'"'s position is a GPS unit.

6. The radioisotope identification device of claim 1 wherein;

at least one said radiation detector is mobile, and

a means to identify said mobile radiation detector'"'"'s position and orientation.

7. The radioisotope identification device of claim 1 further comprising;

at least three said radiation detectors.

8. The radioisotope identification device of claim 1 wherein;

at least one said radiation detectors uses a NaI type scintillator.

9. The radioisotope identification device of claim 1 wherein;

at least one said radiation detectors uses a CsI type scintillator.

10. The radioisotope identification device of claim 1 wherein;

at least one said radiation detectors uses a CZT type solid state detector.

11. The radioisotope identification device of claim 1 wherein;

at least one said radiation detectors uses a Gas type detector.

12. The radioisotope identification device of claim 1 wherein;

a maximum likelihood estimator is used to measure overlap of said calculated backprojection cones.

13. The radioisotope identification device of claim 1 wherein;

a geometric intersection is used to measure overlap of said calculated backprojection cones.

14. The radioisotope identification device of claim 1 wherein;

a filtered backprojection is used to calculate said calculated backprojection cones.

15. A method of radioisotope identification comprising;

measuring of three dimensional event localization data,

transferring said three dimensional event localization data to a computer;

using said computer to select a hypothetical emission gamma-ray energy for each of more than one event datum from said event localization data,

calculating on said computer backprojection cones for each said more than one event datum using said event datum combined with said hypothetical emission gamma-ray energies,

measuring on said computer overlap of said calculated backprojection cones,

identifying spatially correlated multiple overlap events, and

identifying said spatially correlated multiple overlap event with presence of radioisotope.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein;

the said measuring of three dimensional event localization data involves measuring data from more than one observation position.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising;

measuring the energy of said events for at least one interaction vertex per event.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising;

measuring the energy of said events for at least two interaction vertices per event.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein;

a maximum likelihood estimator is used to measure overlap of said calculated backprojection cones.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein;

a geometric intersection is used to measure overlap of said calculated backprojection cones.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein;

a filtered backprojection is used to calculate said calculated backprojection cones.

22. A method of radioisotope identification comprising;

measuring of three dimensional event localization data from two or more event vertices,

measuring event energy data from said event vertices,

transferring said three dimensional event localization data to a computer;

using said computer to select a hypothetical emission gamma-ray energy for each of more than one event datum from said event localization data,

a) calculating backprojection cones on said computer for each said more than one event datum using said event datum combined with said hypothetical emission gamma-ray energies,

b) calculating on said computer overlap of said calculated backprojection cones,

c) using said computer to identify spatially correlated multiple overlap events from said calculated overlap,

d) using said computer to select alternative hypothetical emission gamma-ray energies for each of more than one event datum from said event localization data,

iterating steps a), b), c) and d) for alternative said hypothetical emission gamma-ray energies, and

identifying said spatially correlated multiple overlap events with presence of radioisotope.