Portable radiation detector and method of detecting radiation
OwnerJohn William Bordynuikinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A radiation detector for dirty bomb and lost radioactive source detection applications is enclosed in a small pager-style housing made of impact resistant ABS plastic and epoxy binder composite which is relatively transparent to alpha, beta, gamma, fast neutron, and x-ray radiation, while also being optically opaque and providing a protective enclosure for the radiation detector components disposed inside the housing. The detector combines indirect radiation detection using a scintillator and photodiode and direct radiation detection by placing the photodiode and a high gain amplifier in the path of radiation. Semiconductors in these components generate an electrical signal from high energy radiation, whereby an alarm indicates the presence of the radiation.
Claims19
In a method of detecting radiation by exposing a scintillator to radiation, sensing optical light emitted from the scintillator using at least one light sensitive device, and producing an indication of the radiation based on output from the light sensitive device, the improvement comprising providing a high gain amplifier and configuring the high gain amplifier and the light sensitive device in conjunction with the scintillator so that the radiation impacting on one or more semiconductors in the high gain amplifier and the light sensitive device is directly converted into an electrical signal which can then be amplified for indication of the presence of the directly converted radiation.
In a radiation detector having a scintillator and at least one light sensitive device encased in an optically opaque housing, the light sensitive device sensing optical light emitted from the scintillator as a result of radiation impacting the scintillator and generating an electrical signal representative of the detected radiation, the improvement comprising providing a high gain amplifier coupled to the light sensitive device, the high gain amplifier and light sensitive device configured with the scintillator so that radiation can impinge on each of the high gain amplifier, light sensitive device and scintillator so that high levels of radiation can be directly converted to electrical signals using semiconductor material in the light sensitive device and high gain amplifier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.