US 2016/0259069 A1Published application

Nuclide decay discriminator system and method

AssigneeCanberra Industries, Inc.

InventorsHenrik JÄDERSTRÖM, Mark Vicuna, Wilhelm Mueller, Steve Fisher Jones

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Abstract

A nuclide decay discriminator system and method is disclosed. The system utilizes a digital computing device (DCD) to capture radiation counts from a radiation detection device (RDD) such as a photon detector via the use of one or more integrated analog-to-digital converters (ADC). The radiation count information is then processed using a recursive procedure in the DCD that determines the desired nuclide to be evaluated and then defines the possible nuclide decay transition states. For each possible nuclide decay state, a recursive permutation of possible state transitions from this nuclide state is determined using a state permutation engine (SPE). Combinations of these state transition branches are linked to form state transition chains each having individual probabilities associated with the overall state transition chain. These state transition chain probabilities are applied to the RDD ADC data to form observed RDD radiation data radiation count probabilities and displayed in real-time.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A nuclide decay discriminator system comprising:

(a) radiation detection device (RDD);
(b) analog-to-digital converter (ADC);
(c) digital computing device (DCD);
(d) operator interface console (OIC);
(e) real-time display (RTD);
(f) nuclide state database (NSD);
(g) transition probability database (TPD);
and
(h) state permutation engine (SPE);
wherein
said RDD is configured to detect radiation and produce an analog electrical signal corresponding to the detection of a radiation event;
said RDD is configured to electrically couple said analog electrical signal to said ADC;
said ADC is configured to convert said analog signal to digital radiation data (DRD) representing the presence of detected radiation in said RDD;
said DCD is configured to count occurrences of said DRD that are above a predetermined energy detection threshold (EDT) to produce a radiation detection count (RDC);
said DCD is configured to accept via said OIC a nuclide inspection list (NIL);
said DCD is configured to retrieve nuclide state information (NSI) from said NSD that defines the possible states of nuclides within said NIL;
said DCD is configured to use said NSI to define nuclide state branches (NSB) that define transitions between states listed in said NSI;
said DCD is configured to associate a state transition probability (STP) for each of said NSB by retrieving a probability associated with said NSB from said TPD;
said DCD is configured to recursively permute said NSB using said SPE to form a nuclide state chain (NSC) list associated with each of said nuclides within said NIL;
said DCD is configured to compute an overall nuclide chain probability (NCP) for each said NSC;
said DCD is configured to generate a nuclide probable decay chain (PDC) list from said NSC by including in said PDC only chains in said NSC having a NCP above a predetermined threshold;
said DCD is configured to associate a detected energy level in said DRD with entries in said PDC to produce a detected nuclide decay (DND) list;
said DCD is configured to display said DND list to said RTD for review by an operator in real-time;
and
said DCD is configured to display said RDC associated with entries in said RTD for review by said operator in real-time.

22 more elements

A nuclide decay discriminator method comprising:

(1) with a radiation detection device (RDD), detecting radiation and producing an analog electrical signal corresponding to the detection of a radiation event;
(2) with said RDD, electrically coupling said analog electrical signal to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC);
(3) with said ADC, converting said analog signal to digital radiation data (DRD) representing the presence of detected radiation in said RDD;
(4) with a digital computing device (DCD), counting occurrences of said DRD that are above a predetermined energy detection threshold (EDT) to produce a radiation detection count (RDC);
(5) with said DCD, accepting via an operator interface console (OIC) a nuclide inspection list (NIL);
(6) with said DCD, retrieving nuclide state information (NSI) from a nuclide state database (NSD) that defines the possible states of nuclides within said NIL;
(7) with said DCD, using said NSI to define nuclide state branches (NSB) that define transitions between states listed in said NSI;
(8) with said DCD, associating a state transition probability (STP) for each of said NSB by retrieving a probability associated with said NSB from a transition probability database (TPD);
(9) with said DCD, recursively permuting said NSB using a state permutation engine (SPE) to form a nuclide state chain (NSC) list associated with each of said nuclides within said NIL;
(10) with said DCD, computing an overall nuclide chain probability (NCP) for each said NSC;
(11) with said DCD, generating a nuclide probable decay chain (PDC) list from said NSC by including in said PDC only chains in said NSC having a NCP above a predetermined threshold;
(12) with said DCD, associating a detected energy level in said DRD with entries in said PDC to produce a detected nuclide decay (DND) list;
(13) with said DCD, displaying said DND list to a real-time display (RTD) for review by an operator in real-time;
and
(14) with said DCD, displaying said RDC associated with entries in said RTD for review by said operator in real-time.

12 more elements

A tangible non-transitory computer usable medium having computer-readable program code means embodied thereon comprising a nuclide decay discriminator method comprising:

(1) with a radiation detection device (RDD), detecting radiation and producing an analog electrical signal corresponding to the detection of a radiation event;
(2) with said RDD, electrically coupling said analog electrical signal to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC);
(3) with said ADC, converting said analog signal to digital radiation data (DRD) representing the presence of detected radiation in said RDD;
(4) with a digital computing device (DCD), counting occurrences of said DRD that are above a predetermined energy detection threshold (EDT) to produce a radiation detection count (RDC);
(5) with said DCD, accepting via an operator interface console (OIC) a nuclide inspection list (NIL);
(6) with said DCD, retrieving nuclide state information (NSI) from a nuclide state database (NSD) that defines the possible states of nuclides within said NIL;
(7) with said DCD, using said NSI to define nuclide state branches (NSB) that define transitions between states listed in said NSI;
(8) with said DCD, associating a state transition probability (STP) for each of said NSB by retrieving a probability associated with said NSB from a transition probability database (TPD);
(9) with said DCD, recursively permuting said NSB using a state permutation engine (SPE) to form a nuclide state chain (NSC) list associated with each of said nuclides within said NIL;
(10) with said DCD, computing an overall nuclide chain probability (NCP) for each said NSC;
(11) with said DCD, generating a nuclide probable decay chain (PDC) list from said NSC by including in said PDC only chains in said NSC having a NCP above a predetermined threshold;
(12) with said DCD, associating a detected energy level in said DRD with entries in said PDC to produce a detected nuclide decay (DND) list;
(13) with said DCD, displaying said DND list to a real-time display (RTD) for review by an operator in real-time;
and
(14) with said DCD, displaying said RDC associated with entries in said RTD for review by said operator in real-time.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/635,575Filed 2 Mar 2015
Published: 8 Sep 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G01T 3/001
Measuring neutron radiation: spectrometry
G01T 1/172
Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular type of detector: with coincidence circuit arrangements
G01T 1/36
Measuring X-radiation, gamma radiation, corpuscular radiation, or cosmic radiation: measuring spectral distribution of X-rays or of nuclear…
G01T
Measurement of nuclear or x-radiation

Family

US 9,417,342 B1Related patent
US 2016/0259069 A1This patent

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