Field portable element analysis unit

Apparatus comprising:

• a housing having an opening therein;
• radiation means mounted within said housing for irradiating a material through said opening;
• detector means also mounted within said housing for detecting radiation returned from said irradiated material, and passing through said opening, said detector means providing signals having values representative of the energy of said returned radiation detected thereby;
• calibration means selectively operable for controlling said detector means to adjust the relationship between said values of said signals and the energy of said detected radiation;
• shutter means for selectively blocking said opening in said housing to prevent the passage of radiation therethrough, so that a surface of said shutter is irradiated by said radiation means when said shutter means is blocking said opening and that said detector means then detects radiation returned from said surface of said shutter, said surface being formed of a material having a fluorescent radiation characteristic selected so that said signals provided by said detector means will have a known distribution of values;
• and
• means for automatically controlling said calibrating means, when said shutter is blocking said opening, said means being operative to accumulate a spectrum indicating the actual distribution of said values of said signals, to compare said spectrum with said known distribution of values, and to operate said calibration means so as to eliminate any differences between said actual distribution and said known distribution, whereby said detector means is automatically calibrated.

A method of calibrating a system including a housing having an opening therein, radiation means mounted within said housing for irradiating a material through said opening, detector means also mounted within said housing for detecting radiation returned from said irradiated material and passing through said opening, said detector means providing signals having values representative of the energy of said returned radiation detected thereby, calibration means selectively operable for controlling said detector means to adjust the relationship between said values of said signals and the energy of said detected radiation, shutter means for selectively blocking said opening in said housing to prevent the passage of radiation therethrough so that a surface of said shutter is irradiated by said radiation means when said shutter means is blocking said opening and that said detector means then detects radiation returned from said surface of said shutter, said surface being formed of a material having a fluorescent radiation characteristic selected so that said signals provided by said detector means will have a known distribution of values, said method comprising the steps of:

• blocking said opening with said shutter;
• accumulating a spectrum indicating the actual distribution of values of said signals;
• comparing said accumulated distribution with said known distribution;
• and
• operating said calibrating means so as to eliminate any difference between said actual distribution and said known distribution, whereby said detector means is calibrated.

Apparatus comprising

• visual display means for providing an at least two dimensional visual display,
• control means for controlling said visual display means to provide a visual representation of a selected fluorescent radiation spectrum, and to provide a visual indication identifying a selected portion of said visual representation, said control means being responsive to a cursor control signal for controlling the position of said visual indication on said visual display;
• cursor control means for providing said cursor control signal, said cursor control means being manually operable such that the position of said visual indication on said visual display is manually controllable, and
• means for providing a visual display of an element indication representing a selected atomic element
• wherein said control means further controls said element display means so as to display the said element indication representing the atomic element, if any, having its major spectral peak at the position along said visual representation identified by said visual indication.

Apparatus comprising:

• a housing having an opening therein;
• radiation means mounted within said housing for irradiating a material through said opening;
• detector means also mounted within said housing for detecting radiation returned from said irradiated material, and passing through said opening, said detector means providing signals in accordance with said returned radiation detected thereby;
• shutter means for selectively blocking said opening in said housing to prevent the passage of radiation therethrough, so that a surface of said shutter means is then irradiated by said radiation means and that said detector means then detects radiation returned from said surface of said shutter, said surface being formed of a material having a known flourescent radiation characteristic;
• means responsive to said detector signals for providing output signals having values related to the energy of said returned radiation detected by said detector means;
• calibration means selectively operable for controlling the relationship between the values of said output signals and the energy of said returned radiation detected by said detector means;
• and
• means for automatically controlling said calibrating means when said shutter is blocking said opening, said means being operative to compare the flourescent radiation characteristic represented by said output signals provided by said processing means with said known flourescent radiation characteristic and to operate said calibration means so as to eliminate any difference between said characteristics, whereby said detector means is automatically calibrated.