Monitoring emissions
AssigneeBritish Nuclear Fuels plc
InventorRichard Donald Gunn
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Abstract
The method and apparatus provide a technique for monitoring radioactive source emissions by detecting photons arising from scintillation within the environment of the area or item under monitoring, caused by the passage of emissions from the radioactive source. The technique includes options for excluding ambient light photons through suitable shielding and/or selective in detection of photons from only certain wavelengths or wavebands. The technique enables levels/types and locations of emissions sources to be determined. The technique is applicable to environmental monitoring instruments, scanning instruments and other types.
Claims16
A method of monitoring emissions from one or more radioactive sources in an area, comprising the steps of presenting photon detecting means to the area to be monitored, the photon detecting means producing a signal indicative of photons detected, the signal being processed to produce an indication of the emissions from the radioactive source, the photons passing through a shield transparent to at least a part of the wavelengths of the photons to be detected prior to reaching the detecting means characterized in that the shield is transparent only to wavelengths between 220 nm and 320 nm, the shield blocking the passage of photons not associated with the emissions from the radioactive source thereby substantially eliminating a computational burden required to account for the photons not associated with the emissions from the radioactive source.
An emission monitoring instrument comprising photon detection means and processing means, the photon detecting means produce a signal in response to photons, the processing means act on the signal to give an indication relating to the emissions, the instrument further comprises a shield transparent to at least a part of the wavelengths of the photons to be detected, the shield being positioned between the source and detecting means characterized in that the shield is transparent only to wavelengths between 220 nm and 320 nm, the shield blocking the passage of photons not associated with the emissions from the radioactive source thereby substantially eliminating a computational burden required to account for the photons not associated with the emissions from the radioactive source.
A method of monitoring emissions from one or more radioactive sources in an area, comprising:
- providing a photon detecting device to the area being monitored;
- providing a shield that is transparent only to at least a part of the wavelengths of the photons to be detected such that most of the detected photons are only associated with the emissions of the radioactive sources thereby substantially reducing a computational burden required to account for those photons not associated with the radioactive source;
- generating a signal indicative of the detected photons;
- and
- processing the signal to produce an indication of the emissions from the radioactive source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.