Monitoring
AssigneeBritish Nuclear Fuels plc
InventorsChristopher Henry Orr, Craig Janson Luff, Thomas Dockray, Duncan Whittemore Macarthur
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides apparatus and methods which facilitate movement of an instrument relative to an item or location being monitored and/or the item or location relative to the instrument, whilst successfully excluding extraneous ions from the detection location. Thus, ions generated by emissions from the item or location can successfully be monitored during movement. The technique employs sealing to exclude such ions, for instance, through an electro-field which attracts and discharges the ions prior to their entering the detecting location and/or using a magnetic field configured to repel the ions away from the detecting location.
Claims16
An instrument for monitoring alpha emitting sources on an item or location, the instrument comprising a detecting chamber defining a detecting volume, the detecting chamber being provided with an opening/inlet to which portions of the item or location can be presented, and with one or more electrodes for discharging ions produced in the detecting volume, the instrument further being provided to monitor ions discharged on the electrode(s), the opening/inlet to the detecting chamber being open to the presentation or passage of different portions of the item or location whilst sealing means are provided to reduce, and preferably at least substantially eliminate, the passage of ions from outside the detecting volume to within the detecting chamber.
A method of monitoring alpha emitting sources on an item or location, the method comprising presenting a portion of the item or location to an opening or inlet connected to a detecting chamber in an instrument, the detecting chamber defining a detecting volume and being provided with one or more electrodes for discharging ions produced in the detecting volume, the method including monitoring ions discharged on the electrode(s), and the method further including sealing the detecting volume against the passage of ions from outside the detecting volume to within the detecting volume, whilst allowing the presentation of different portions of the item or location to the detecting chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.