# US 8,541,753 B2 · Measurement apparatus and method for detecting contamination on a moving object > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,541,753 B2 - Document ID: US8541753B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/881,770 - Filed: 2010-09-14 - Published: 2011-09-08 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2009-09-15 - Assignees: Mirion Technologies (Rados) GmbH - Applicants: Daan van Bree; Ingo Koelln - Inventors: Daan van Bree; Ingo Koelln - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8541753B2 ## CPC - G01V 5/26: Passive interrogation, i.e. by measuring radiation emitted by objects or goods - G01T 1/167: Measuring radioactive content of objects, e.g. contamination (whole body counters G01T1/163) - Y02E 30/30: Nuclear fission reactors - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) - G01T: MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION (radiation analysis of materials, mass spectrometry G01N23/00; tubes for determining the presence, intensity, density or energy of radiation or particles H01J47/00) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A method for detecting contamination on a moving object moving in a longitudinal direction past a plurality of detectors, wherein a count rate is captured repeatedly by each of the detectors during the movement of the object past the detectors, the captured count rates are weighted in that the count rates of the detector(s) that have a greater separation distance from the object to be measures are weighted lower than the count rates of the detector(s) that have a smaller separation distance from the object to be measured. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for detecting contamination on a moving object comprising the following steps: moving said object in a longitudinal direction past a plurality of detectors, repeatedly capturing a count rate by each of the detectors during the movement of the object past the detectors, determining the position of the object from a temporal progression of a maximum of the count rates, weighting the captured count rates to obtain weighted count rates, wherein the count rates of the detectors having a greater separation distance from the object at the time of the measurement are weighted lower than the count rates of the detectors having a smaller separation distance from the object at the time of the measurement, and standardizing the weighted count rates before evaluation so that the weighting does not change the evaluation with respect to permitted threshold values or other absolutely set variables. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the count rates of the detector that is located closest to the object are weighted the strongest and the count rates of adjacent detectors with the same factor are weighted weaker. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the detectors which lie more than one detector away from the object are weighted with a weight of zero. ### Claim 4 A method for detecting contamination on a moving object moving in a longitudinal direction past a plurality of detectors, wherein a count rate is captured repeatedly by each of the detectors during the movement of the object past the detectors, the captured count rates are weighted in that the count rates of the detector(s) that have a greater separation distance from the object to be measured are weighted lower than the count rates of the detector(s) that have a smaller separation distance from the object to be measured, wherein the position of the object is determined from the temporal progression of a maximum of the count rate wherein the count rates of the detector that is located closest to the object are weighted the strongest and the count rates of adjacent detectors with the same factor are weighted weaker, wherein the detectors which lie more than one detector away from the object are weighted with a weight of zero, wherein the detectors that are weighted with a weight of zero are switched off. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein contamination is detected when one of the detectors has a count rate that lies above a predetermined threshold value. ### Claim 6 A method for detecting contamination on a moving object, comprising the following steps: moving said object in a longitudinal direction past a plurality of detectors, repeatedly capturing a count rate by each of the detectors during the movement of the object past the detectors, capturing the position of the object with a position capturing device, arranging detectors one behind each other in a longitudinal direction, weighting the captured count rates to obtain weighted count rates, wherein the count rates of the detectors having a greater separation distance from the object at the time of the measurement are weighted lower than the count rates of the detectors having a smaller separation distance from the object at the time of measurement, and standardizing the weighted count rates before evaluation so that the weighting does not change the evaluation with respect to permitted threshold values or other absolutely set variables. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the count rates of the detector that is located closest to the object are weighted the strongest and the count rates of adjacent detectors with the same factor are weighted weaker. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein contamination is detected when one of the detectors has a count rate that lies above a predetermined threshold value. ### Claim 9 A measurement apparatus for detecting radioactive contamination of an object, which can move in a longitudinal direction through the measurement apparatus, comprising: a plurality of detectors, which are arranged in the longitudinal direction for detecting a radiation source moving through the measurement apparatus, an evaluation device, which captures repeatedly a count rate of each of the detectors during a movement of the object past the detectors and the evaluation device weights the measured count rates of the detectors in that the count rates of the detector(s) that have a greater separation distance from the object to be measured are weighted lower than the count rate of the detector(s) that have a smaller separation distance from the object, said evaluation device including standardized weighted count rates before the evaluation such that the weighting does not change an evaluation with respect to permitted threshold values or other absolutely set variables, wherein the evaluation device determines the position of the object from the temporal progression of a maximum of the count rates at the individual detectors. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The measurement apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a position capturing device is provided, which forwards the position of the object in the measurement apparatus to the evaluation device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The measurement apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the evaluation device triggers a warning signal that indicates potential contamination for the case that the maximum occurring counting type of one of the detectors lies above a predetermined threshold value. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The measurement apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the evaluation device triggers a warning signal that indicates potential contamination for the case that the maximum occurring counting type of one of the detectors lies above a predetermined threshold value. ### Claim 13 A measurement apparatus for detecting radioactive contamination of an object, which can move in a longitudinal direction through the measurement apparatus, comprising: a plurality of detectors, which are arranged in the longitudinal direction for detecting a radiation source moving through the measurement apparatus, an evaluation device, which captures repeatedly a count rate of each of the detectors during a movement of the object past the detectors and the evaluation device weights the measured count rates of the detectors in that the count rates of the detector(s) that have a greater separation distance from the object to be measured are weighted lower than the count rate of the detector(s) that have a smaller separation distance from the object, said evaluation device including standardized weighted count rates before the evaluation such that the weighting does not change an evaluation with respect to permitted threshold values or other absolutely set variables, wherein a position capturing device is provided, which forwards the position of the object in the measurement apparatus to the evaluation device.