Shock-resistant scintillation detector

A shock-resistant scintillation detector comprising an elongated metal cylinder containing an elongated sodium iodide scintillation crystal coaxial with said cylinder, a glass window substantially within and closing one end of said cylinder, an optical coupling member between said window and the end of said crystal, a closure member at the opposite end of said cylinder and spaced from the end of said crystal, yieldable means betwen said end and said crystal for biasing said crystal toward said window, and reflecting means surrounding said crystal which comprises a reflective sheet of soft white elastomeric material having projecting portions which contact the peripheral surface of said crystal crystal for cushioning radial movements of said crystal and finely divided reflective material disposed around said crystal in the spaces between said projecting portions, said sheet being formed from a silicone rubber composition containing from about 18 to about 25 percent by weight of aluminum oxide.

A hermetically-sealed shock-resistant scintillation detector comprising an elongated cylinder containing an elongated scintillation crystal of an alkali metal halide, said crystal being coaxial with said cylinder and extending along the length of the cylinder, a window closing one end of said cylinder, a deformable optical coupling member between said window and the end of said crystal, a closure member at the opposite end of said cylinder and spaced from the end of said crystal, yieldable means between said closure member and said crystal for biasing said crystal toward said window, an axially elongated reflecting cushioning sleeve of soft elastomeric material surrounding and covering the peripheral surface of said crystal and engaging the internal surface of said cylinder for cushioning radial movements of said crystal, said sleeve being formed of a silicone rubber containing at least 15 percent by weight of a reflective metal oxide, and reflecting means within said sleeve at the peripheral surface of said crystal.

A shock-resistant scintillation detector comprising an elongated metal cylinder containing an elongated scintillation crystal of an alkali metal halide, said crystal being coaxial with said cylinder and extending along the length of the cylinder a distance several times its diameter, a glass window substantially within and closing one end of said cylinder, a deformable optical coupling member between said window and the end of said crystal, a closure member at the opposite end of said cylinder and spaced from the end of said crystal, yieldable means compressed between said closure member and said crystal for biasing said crystal toward said window, a sleeve of soft elastomeric material which is provided throughout its length and circumference with a multiplicity of integral projections which engage the peripheral surface of the crystal and cushion its movements, and finely divided reflective material between said sleeve and the peripheral surface of said crystal.

A shock-resistant scintillation detector comprising an elongated metal container containing an elongated scintillation crystal of an alkali metal halide, said crystal being coaxial with said container and extending along the length of the container, a transparent window located at and closing one end of said container and spaced from one end of said crystal, a flexible transparent optical coupling member located between and bonded to said crystal and said window, said coupling member having an axial thickness of at least 0.3 inch, a closure member at the opposite end of said container spaced from the other end of said crystal, a yieldable elastic member located between said closure member and said other end of said crystal, a flexible elastomeric sleeve having closely arranged integral inwardly projecting portions along its length which engage and support the peripheral surface of the crystal to locate it substantially coaxial with said cylinder, and reflective material disposed around said crystal in the spaces between the projecting portions of said sleeve.

A hermetically-sealed, shock-resistant scintillation detector comprising an elongated metal container containing an elongated scintillation crystal of an alkali metal halide, said crystal being coaxial with said container and extending along the length of the container, a transparent glass window substantially within and closing one end of said container and spaced from one end of said crystal, a flexible silicone rubber optical coupling member located between and bonded to said crystal and said window, said coupling member having an axial thickness of at least 0.3 inch and having a high light transmittance at a wavelength of 3,000 to 5,000 Angstroms, a closure member at the opposite end of said container spaced from the other end of said crystal, a yieldable elastic member at least slightly compressed between said closure member and said other end of said crystal, a flexible elastomeric sleeve having a multiplicity of integral inwardly projecting portions along its length which contact and support the peripheral surface of the crystal to locate it substantially coaxially with said cylinder, and reflective material disposed in the spaced between the projecting portions of said sleeve and said crystal.