Solid state radiation detector system
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJack D. Kingsley, Henry H. Woodbury
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solid state radiation flux detector system utilizes a detector element, consisting of a bar of semiconductor having electrical conductance of magnitude dependent upon the magnitude of photon and charged particle flux impinging thereon, and negative feedback circuitry for adjusting the current flow through a light emitting diode to facilitate the addition of optical flux, having a magnitude decreasing in proportion to any increase in the magnitude of radiation (e.g. X-ray) flux incident upon the detector element, whereby the conductance of the detector element is maintained essentially constant. The light emitting diode also illuminates a photodiode to generate a detector output having a stable, highly linear response with time and incident radiation flux changes.
Claims10
A system for detecting the magnitude of a flux of externally produced radiation, comprising:
- solid state radiation detector means for varying the magnitude of an electrical parameter responsive to the magnitude of a total incident flux of optical photons and externally produced radiation;
- first means for generating a flux of optical photons incident on said detector means;
- second means for causing the flux of said first means to vary responsive to changes in said electrical parameter to maintain the magnitude of said electrical parameter substantially constant at said detector means;
- and
- third means for monitoring said optical flux of said first means to generate a system output having a magnitude proportional to the flux of said externally produced radiation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.