Radiation area monitor device and method

• US 9,978,469 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2017
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisense D.o.o., Consolidated Nuclear Security, Llc, Institute Jozef Stefan
• Original Assignee: Aisense D.o.o., Consolidated Nuclear Security, Llc, Institute Jozef Stefan
• Inventors: Vencelj, Matjaz, Stowe, Ashley C., Petrovic, Toni, Morrell, Jonathan S., Kosicek, Andrej
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaworecki, Mark R
• Application Number:
  US15/848,832
• Time in Patent Office: 153 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/16 Measuring radiation intensity G01T1/29 takes precedence ; self-powered detectors G01T3/006; using an ionisation chamber filled with a liquid or solid, e.g. frozen liquid, dielectric G01T3/008
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/169 Exploration, location of contaminated surface areas
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 3/00 Measuring neutron radiation G01T5/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 7/00 Details of radiation-measuring instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 7/125 Alarm- or controlling circuits using ionisation chambers, proportional counters or Geiger-Mueller tubes, also functioning as UV detectors measuring radiation intensity with counting tubes G01T1/18; measuring radiation intensity with ionisation chambers G01T1/185; flame monitoring in combustion devices F23Q7/00, F23N; fire alarms actuated by presence of radiation of particles, e.g. of infrared radiation, of ions G08B17/11; discharge tubes per se H01J47/00
• CPC Class Codes: G21F 3/00 Shielding characterised by its physical form, e.g. granules, or shape of the material
• CPC Class Codes: G21F 7/00 Shielded cells or rooms

Abstract

A radiation area monitor device/method, utilizing: a radiation sensor having a directional radiation sensing capability; a rotation mechanism operable for selectively rotating the radiation sensor such that the directional radiation sensing capability selectively sweeps an area of interest; and a processor operable for analyzing and storing a radiation fingerprint acquired by the radiation sensor as the directional radiation sensing capability selectively sweeps the area of interest. Optionally, the radiation sensor includes a gamma and/or neutron radiation sensor. The device/method selectively operates in: a first supervised mode during which a baseline radiation fingerprint is acquired by the radiation sensor; and a second unsupervised mode during which a subsequent radiation fingerprint is acquired by the radiation sensor, wherein the subsequent radiation fingerprint is compared to the baseline radiation fingerprint and, if a predetermined difference threshold is exceeded, an alert is issued.

Claims

1. A radiation area monitor device, comprising:

a radiation sensor having a directional radiation sensing capability;

a rotation mechanism operable for selectively rotating the radiation sensor such that the directional radiation sensing capability selectively sweeps an area of interest; and

a processor operable for analyzing and storing a radiation fingerprint acquired by the radiation sensor as the directional radiation sensing capability selectively sweeps the area of interest;

wherein the radiation sensor comprises one or more of a gamma sensor and a neutron sensor.

2. The radiation area monitor device of claim 1, wherein the radiation sensor comprises a dual gamma/neutron radiation sensor.

3. The radiation area monitor device of claim 1, wherein the radiation area monitor device is operable for selectively operating in:

a first supervised mode during which a baseline radiation fingerprint is acquired by the radiation sensor as the directional radiation sensing capability selectively sweeps the area of interest; and

a second unsupervised mode during which a subsequent radiation fingerprint is acquired by the radiation sensor as the directional radiation sensing capability selectively sweeps the area of interest, wherein the subsequent radiation fingerprint is compared to the baseline radiation fingerprint and, if a predetermined difference threshold is exceeded, an alert is issued.

4. A radiation area monitor method, comprising:

providing a radiation sensor having a directional radiation sensing capability;

providing a rotation mechanism operable for selectively rotating the radiation sensor such that the directional radiation sensing capability selectively sweeps an area of interest; and

analyzing and storing a radiation fingerprint acquired by the radiation sensor as the directional radiation sensing capability selectively sweeps the area of interest;

wherein the radiation sensor comprises one or more of a gamma sensor and a neutron sensor.

5. The radiation area monitor method of claim 4, wherein the radiation sensor comprises a dual gamma/neutron radiation sensor.

6. The radiation area monitor method of claim 4, wherein the radiation area monitor device is operable for selectively operating in:

a first supervised mode during which a baseline radiation fingerprint is acquired by the radiation sensor as the directional radiation sensing capability selectively sweeps the area of interest; and

a second unsupervised mode during which a subsequent radiation fingerprint is acquired by the radiation sensor as the directional radiation sensing capability selectively sweeps the area of interest, wherein the subsequent radiation fingerprint is compared to the baseline radiation fingerprint and, if a predetermined difference threshold is exceeded, an alert is issued.